Debates of March 11th, 2016

Ethics

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister and his choice cabinet ministers are busy partying it up in D.C., with family, lobbyists, and big Liberal donors, we are seeing a job crisis in western Canada.

The Prime Minister seems too busy, trying to get a pat on the head from President Obama and his anti-oil activists, to bother standing up for Canadian jobs.

Why is the Prime Minister using a state visit as an opportunity to shine in the limelight and give special access to his lobbyist friends and their clients, instead of standing up for Canadians' priorities?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, former Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney said that the most important foreign policy priority for a Canadian prime minister was to have a personal relationship with the president of the United States. This is a great week for Canada-U.S. relations.

The previous Conservative prime minister did not understand the importance of building those types of relationships and he failed to defend Canada's interests in Washington. That was bad for jobs. That was bad for growth.

Canadians are proud now that they have a prime minister who understands the importance of that relationship and who is defending Canada's interests proudly in Washington.

Natural Resources

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says that market access is important to the government, but it looks like lobbyists' access to officials in Ottawa and Washington is more important than any access.

In fact, the Liberal government is doing everything it can to put barriers in the way of Canadian oil exports. While Liberals are putting barriers in the way, the U.S. is lifting bans on exports. The Liberals are putting bans on exports.

Why are the Liberals saying one thing and doing the absolute opposite, and blocking the opportunity for Canadian oil to get to market?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, market access for Canadian energy is important. Our government understands that.

However, for 10 years, we had a Conservative government that failed to actually get any market access for Canadian energy, any pipeline to tidewater. There has been no success there because it failed to defend Canadian interests in Washington. It did not have the relationships. It failed to work with aboriginal and first nation leaders in Canada. It did not meet the premiers to work together on this. It called environmentalists “eco-terrorists”.

We are not going to repeat the follies of the previous government. We are going to get it done.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that under our government, 1.25 million barrels per day more of oil were getting to market than before 2009. Those are the facts.

While the Liberals are banning exports, putting roadblocks in the way of pipelines, and introducing a carbon tax, the U.S. government is doing the exact opposite. It is building pipelines, it is lifting bans, it is selling oil, and there is no carbon tax.

Why is the Liberal government doing everything it can to make Canadian oil uncompetitive and destroying the Canadian oil industry?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, again, this has been an exceptional week for Canada-U.S. relations.

The Conservatives, in their bitterness, are playing politics this week when, in fact, Canadians are proud to have a government, a prime minister, and ministers who are defending their interests in Washington.

The Conservatives should stop playing politics. They should unite with Canadians who are proud of our Prime Minister this week, who is doing such an exceptional job defending Canadian interests and values in Washington.

The Economy

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, unlike millions of Canadians, our Prime Minister has never had to work very hard to make ends meet. Although he promised to stimulate the economy, this morning we heard that the unemployment rate has gone up and thousands of Canadians are looking for work.

Is this government planning to do anything other than increase taxes to stimulate employment?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, we inherited a deficit and weak economic growth from the Conservatives. Therefore, investing in job creation and economic stimulus is a priority for us. That is exactly what we are going to do with our budget: invest in infrastructure and the middle class. That is what we are going to do.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this government is incapable of finding solutions that will create jobs. There is nothing for small business, nothing for private sector investment, nothing for softwood lumber, nothing for pipeline construction, nothing for agriculture, nothing for the aerospace industry, nothing for natural resources, and nothing for job creation in the manufacturing sector for Canadians.

We are dealing with a government that is more interested in grandstanding than working. Is there a captain on this Liberal Titanic?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague should wait for the budget. In fact, he will be pleased with our investments in infrastructure, economic growth and the middle class. Our government's priority is to make strategic investments that will create economic growth. It will be good for the middle class and for all Canadians.

Indigenous Affairs

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberal Party promised to invest $2.6 billion in new money for first nations education. That investment took into account funding already earmarked by the previous Conservative government.

However, now we are learning that the cupboards are bare, and the $1.25 billion promised by the Conservatives was just virtual money.

Will the government commit to reinvesting to make up for this shortfall in order to really help first nations' youth?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily important that we invest properly in the education of first nations children and to close that gap in their education outcomes, which lead to health and economic outcomes.

Sadly, I can confirm that the previous government removed the promised additional funding for first nations education that it had promised, which the previous minister confirmed in the House, in committee of the whole, that the money was still there in the fiscal framework.

I am saddened by that revelation, but we are committed to making the appropriate investments to close that gap.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about children and youth in need. We are talking about communities with the highest drop-out rates and communities that need some hope. The Prime Minister himself promised these communities a new era of nation-to-nation relationships.

Is this government going to keep repeating the same old story and continue ignoring our first nations?

I want to know whether it is actually going to do something. Is the government really going to invest the funds promised?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her excellent question.

We are going to work nation to nation, in a real partnership, to help first nations achieve the goals they have set and support the initiatives they have launched. The chronic underfunding of the first nations education system has been holding indigenous students back. Social and economic conditions will also improve with proper investments in education.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, blaming the previous Conservative government for its failure does not help first nations children out now.

This morning, I dropped my children off at school. The school was not falling apart with mould. The textbooks were not disintegrating. However, that is not true for too many first nations children who go to school on reserve.

Simply saying that it is the last government's fault when the Liberals made a sacred commitment to fix the gap, to fund $2.6 billion into education, this question is simple. It is yes or no. Will the Liberal government, not the one that campaigned but the Liberal government, follow through on this sacred commitment and promise and deliver the $2.6 billion to fix the gap?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, although we are saddened by the revelation of the previous government taking the money that had been promised for first nations education, we redoubled our efforts to actually close this gap.

I could not agree more with the member in terms of the shocking situation in first nations schools across the country and the unacceptable level of post-secondary attainment. We are going to fix this problem, and I ask for the member's help in this challenge.

Democratic Reform

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister will get all the help she needs from the the New Democrats; $2.6 billion is what will fix the gap.

The Liberals also promised during the last election for electoral reform. Consultations and implementation will take time, yet the government has had five months with little to show for it. We have asked the minister to see and appreciate the urgency of now.

The New Democrats have proposed that we strike a citizens' working group to identify the problems we are trying to fix and establish the principles of a new voting system. Our antiquated first-past-the-post system was made by politicians for politicians. We must do better.

Will the democratic reform minister consider our proposal and engage Canadian society?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, it is refreshing to see New Democrats express interest in wanting to hear from Canadians on this important issue.

Our government has already committed to striking a special committee as part of our platform commitment. I would add that the hon. member and all members of the House, as well as all Canadians, are welcome to share their ideas with the committee as we engage in this very important national dialogue.

Finance

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows but the Liberals that we cannot spend our way out of debt. The latest estimates are that the Liberal budget will inflict $150 billion in new debt on Canadians without creating economic growth.

When will the Liberal government wake up and start managing the public purse responsibly so that our children and grandchildren will not be buried under a mountain of Liberal debt?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of sluggish economic growth, we are making a different choice. We have chosen economic growth. That is exactly what we are going to do.

When we held our prebudget consultations, from Moncton to Yellowknife, Canadians told us to invest in the economy. Canadians know that when interest rates are low, it is time to invest.

We are going to invest in innovation, productivity, infrastructure, and Canadians.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Sir John Templeton perhaps said it best in response to that when he said, “The four most expensive words are, 'This time it's different'”.

Canadians cannot afford the Liberal government's out of control borrowing and spending plan. When will the Minister of Finance start showing some fiscal sense and stop the reckless spending? Will he ever deliver a balanced budget for all Canadians?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our goal is a balanced budget, but our priority is economic growth.

I invite my hon. colleague to read what economists, the OECD, and the International Monetary Fund said. Everyone is saying that now is the time to invest in the economy to ensure economic growth.

That is why we are moving ahead with an historic plan for infrastructure. That is why, in the upcoming budget, we are going to invest in Canadians and the middle class. That is how we are going to grow the economy. That is what Canadians wanted, and that is what we are going to deliver.

Forestry Industry

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and president announced yesterday that the softwood lumber irritant would get resolved in “some fashion”. Some fashion is not very reassuring. This irritant supports approximately 145,000 well-paying, quality jobs in B.C. alone.

How am I supposed to tell my constituents that they may not be able to put food on the table because the government considers the issue more of an irritant, and does not consider a new softwood agreement a priority?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber question has been an absolute priority for this government since day one. The Prime Minister has met with the president on a number of occasions, beginning in Manila and obviously this week. We have on the table a public commitment from the President to table a joint report within 100 days that will set out the framework for an accord. That is an important announcement.

The Premier of British Columbia, Madam Christy Clark, qualified the news as “fantastic”.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Christy Clark considered the news fantastic, but she also said that we need an agreement now, not in 100 days. There are 145,000 well-paying, high quality forestry jobs in B.C. alone. These jobs are all on the line. The Prime Minister is more interested in dining tables than negotiating tables.

Will the minister stand in the House and commit to ensuring that the interests of all Canadian forestry producers, large and small, will be protected in our negotiations?