Debates of March 11th, 2016

Forestry Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, we have been well aware of the complexity of this file from the get-go. We have spoken to industry representatives across this country, large and small. We have spoken to our various partners at the provincial and territorial government levels. We are working hard on this file, and we will arrive at a solution that will be good for all Canadians.

Indigenous Affairs

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has failed to reassure Canadians. She refused to state whether the Liberals will protect private property from declaration of aboriginal title. Both the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs say that they are negotiating, that they are settling, and that they are working nation to nation. Where does that leave the private land owner? Where does he fit into this equation? Does that mean they are not at the table and they do not matter?

Could she please stand up and say that private property does matter?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated yesterday, the matter that gives rise to the hon. member's question is currently before the courts in British Columbia. It would be highly inappropriate to comment on a court case and the issues arising from the court case on the floor of the House of Commons. The matters pertaining to that litigation belong before the court.

What I can tell the hon. member is that the Minister of Justice is currently reviewing the overall litigation strategy of the government to ensure that at all times it is consistent with our commitment to Canadians, to our values, and to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a Liberal government of the past was always willing to say that private property is not on the table, and that was a value of Canadians.

The Minister of Justice stated that she might be changing the approach when it comes to declaring aboriginal title over private property. The B.C. premier has firmly shut the door.

Again, I will ask this. Yes, it is before the courts, but can the Liberals stand up and say that they will protect private property rights?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is named as a defendant in this lawsuit. What it is going to say about the lawsuit will be said in court, not on the floor of the House of Commons.

The positions taken by the government in court will be consistent with our commitment to Canadians, with our values, and with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Justice

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister made campaign promises about marijuana reform, but now courts are buzzing with confusion and the Liberals are doing nothing to clear the air. They are spending over $4 million a year prosecuting people for simple possession. There were 22,000 people in 2014 alone, and hours of court time wasted on something that should not even be a criminal offence.

When will the Liberal government fulfill its promise to make simple possession of marijuana legal?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question and the opportunity to clarify.

Yesterday, the director of public prosecutions indicated that of the 1,136 judges in Canada, one had expressed confusion and concern about the law.

This matter has been very clear, and this government has been very clear. We are resolved to legalize, regulate, and restrict marijuana, and that work has begun.

In the interim, the law of this land is still in effect. Therefore, I would remind the member and all Canadians that the rule of law remains in effect. The law should be obeyed. The law should be upheld.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been improvising on the marijuana file from the beginning, and no one knows which way is up anymore.

The police and now judges are wondering why charges are still being laid for the personal possession of marijuana if the government intends to legalize it. The government needs to stop saying one thing and doing another. Unfortunately, the answers the parliamentary secretary has been giving are just adding to the confusion.

What are the Liberals waiting for? Why do they not act and decriminalize the simple possession of marijuana?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been very clear that we are going to replace the criminal sanction with an effective and strong regulatory framework that will achieve our purposes of protecting our kids, making our communities safer, and taking the profits of this crime away from criminals.

Decriminalization has been described by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as a half measure. It does nothing to protect our kids and nothing to make our communities safer. The experience of other jurisdictions has made it very clear. The implementation of half measures undermine and make ineffective our efforts to introduce stronger effective regulations. Therefore, we will do this job right, and take the time to do it right.

Regional Economic Development

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a report published by the Institut de la statistique du Québec says that many regions are emptying out to the detriment of the major centres. Our regions are important and so are the people who live there.

We need to put tools in place to help SMEs grow and prosper. Why? So that our regions can create jobs and become more appealing to people. We need to support them.

What does the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development intend to do so that Quebec's regions finally feel as though this government cares about them?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, our regional economic development agencies are very important to the government and our plan for innovation. They are part of our plan to ensure that jobs are created in every region of Canada.

These will be good, export-oriented, innovation-based jobs. That is why all members of the House will show their support for our regional economic development agencies.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, business owners are worried about what will be in the budget to be tabled on March 22.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business doubts that the government wants to give our businesses some breathing room by implementing tax breaks. The best way to develop wealth and create jobs is to stop stifling our businesses.

Can the government reconsider its plan to make businesses owners fund its astronomical deficit?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, this government understands the importance of small and medium-size businesses. We understand that they represent over 90% of the businesses in this country and contribute to over 40% of the GDP. That is why we are proud to deliver on our platform of reducing taxes for small businesses.

As my minister said earlier in the week, watch for the budget and the details will be there.

Employment

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, liberalnomics has ruined the economy of Ontario, and now it looks like Canada is on the exact same path.

Today's release of the jobless numbers show last month's unemployment rate was the highest it has been in almost three years: health care lost 20,000 jobs; education, 17,000; and 9,000 jobs in natural resources.

What is the Liberal plan: more red tape to delay job-creating projects. When will the government get out of the way of private sector growth and let Canadians get back to work?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly why Canadians chose a different path on the 19th of October. Canadians chose the path of growth, and that is exactly what the Minister of Finance and I heard when we went across the country.

Now is the time to invest in the economy. Now is the time to invest in innovation, in productivity, and in our infrastructure.

After the 10 years of bad economic growth that these guys have left us, Canadians want us to work for them, and that is exactly what we are going to be doing.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, road bans are on in southeast Saskatchewan. Anyone who still has a job in the oil industry is now out of work, adding to the thousands who are already permanently unemployed. EI is starting to run out. In fact, 7,800 job losses happened last month alone in Saskatchewan.

While the Liberals hobnob with the anti-energy activists and agree to study more studies, we know that this does not put food on the table for these families.

When is the government going to take concrete steps to support those in Saskatchewan who are suffering from job losses today?

[Kim Rudd, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said many times in this House, we feel for the families and the communities in our energy-producing provinces who are going through this downturn in commodity prices. We are working to grow the economy.

The National Energy Board, with its five new principles, is reviewing major projects. As we modernize the NEB, we will have an opportunity to see projects go through a robust process that Canadians can have confidence in.

International Trade

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Speaker, people in Tecumseh and throughout southwestern Ontario are worried about the impact of the TPP. This Conservative trade deal will destroy tens of thousands of good jobs and severely damage Canada's auto sector. Yet, the Liberals are pushing ahead without proper study and without consulting.

Will the trade minister come to my community and look auto workers in the face before she rubber-stamps the trade deal that sacrifices their jobs?

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

Mr. Speaker, our position on the TPP has remained consistent throughout our term in governance, and indeed stems from the election. We are studying the TPP. We are consulting across the country. We are consulting through the ministry. The minister is consulting. I am consulting. The trade committee is going to begin going across the country to hear Canadians on the TPP. And, the Minister of International Trade went to a Ford plant in Oakville and spoke to Ford workers on the shop floor about the TPP.

Canadian Coast Guard

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit has been lying in Lake Saint-Louis since 2011. I recently learned that it is only checked once a week, by helicopter. Unlike what the minister claims, no Coast Guard inspector has set foot on the wreck to check on its condition since January, despite the risk of vandalism and thaw.

Does the minister truly believe that checking the wreck from a helicopter once a week is an adequate way to determine whether the ship is leaking pollutants or whether serious damage has been done?

How can the minister claim that everything is under control when no one has set foot on the wreck?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has been very proactive with the Kathryn Spirit. In February, the Canadian Coast Guard created a working group with Transport Canada and other provincial, municipal, and private partners to discuss the Kathryn Spirit and to find the best solutions.

The working group's first meeting was held on March 7. The discussions were open and very constructive. I can say that all of the experts committed to looking at all potential alternatives to find a safe, permanent solution. Even the mayor of Beauharnois said that he considered the government's openness to be a first major step forward.

Public Safety

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness reached an agreement with the Americans to make our border more open and more secure. After a decade of damage to the relationship with our most important ally and largest trading partner, we are already seeing the good that can come from a more positive and friendly relationship.

More specifically, this government has done more in five months than the previous government did in 10 years with respect to Jean Lesage International Airport, which I am honoured to have in my riding.

Can the parliamentary secretary tell us about the preclearance agreement and its impact on Jean Lesage International Airport?

[Michel Picard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, there was good news for Canada in Washington yesterday. We reached an agreement in principle that will expand preclearance to several sites, including Montreal's Central Station, Vancouver's Rocky Mountaineer Station, and Jean Lesage International Airport, which is in the riding represented by my colleague from Louis-Hébert

This agreement will facilitate the movement of goods and people and improve border security. That is what can be achieved in negotiations with a better partner in Washington.

Veterans

[Alupa Clarke, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the minister did not attend the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs meeting as planned. Moreover, by failing to answer any of the opposition's questions, the minister is turning his back on veterans. After the mission in Afghanistan ended in 2014, we planned to erect a memorial in honour of our 40,000 veterans who served there.

Instead of leaving Canadians in the dark, can the minister tell us today whether or not this memorial will be erected?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I can inform the member that it is Veterans Affairs' bailiwick to respect and honour those men and women who have served in our armed forces and, in particular, those who took part in the Afghan mission.

It was very important to this country, their service and their sacrifice, and we will dutifully go about doing that. We are currently working with Canadian Heritage to find a way to get this project done, and it will be moving forward in due course in a respectful and dignified manner.