Debates of March 8th, 2016

Ethics

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. Let us have some order here. There is some danger of there being fewer questions.

The hon. member for Lethbridge.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party is using this trip and its position as government to fill party coffers in order to help out the friends of the Prime Minister.

At Christmastime, the Liberals were told that they had to stop this cash-for-access flow. This is exactly what they are doing now, however, only three short months later. They seem to be promising donors access to the Prime Minister and the ministers who are going with him. We have seen this all before with the Liberals.

My question is this: why do the Liberals continue to blur the lines between their party and their position as government?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will find it somewhat ironic that the other side of the House would be lecturing anybody about using government to advance partisan interests.

What we can say with respect to this particular event is that the member knows very well that no donation was required. This is a normal social media competition that all parties have done.

At all times, the Liberal Party and members on this side of the House respect election financing legislation, something that colleagues on the other side have had considerable trouble doing.

The Environment

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change participated in the GLOBE conference in Vancouver. This conference focused on clean energy solutions. As we have been saying all along, now is the time to stop pitting the environment and the economy against each other, especially when clean energy programs help advance both the environment and the economy.

Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell us about her meetings at this conference?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question. I had the pleasure of participating in the GLOBE summit, the largest conference dedicated to business innovation that focuses on the environment and clean energy. My parliamentary secretary, the member for North Vancouver, joined me in talks on climate-change leadership, along with the provinces and territories. The Government of Canada remains committed to innovation, clean growth, and the efficient use of resources.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, a recent lawsuit by the SSN is looking to declare aboriginal title over private property. The Premier of British Columbia responded that government must defend with conviction the sanctity of private land and private land rights. Furthermore, she told the people of Kamloops she has their backs.

There was no such message from the federal government. Will the justice minister stand shoulder to shoulder with the premier of B.C. and defend private property ownership?

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

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

Our government is committed to developing a substantive nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples in this country, sitting down and working jointly, based on recognition and moving forward in order to ensure that indigenous communities can have an improved quality of life, can settle, ultimately, the land question, and do it based on respect and based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Democratic Reform

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one of the best ways to achieve equality for women in Canada is to have the House of Commons actually reflect our population. Women make up over 50% of Canada's population, yet only 26% of parliamentarians are women.

The member for Burnaby South has proposed legislation that would help achieve gender equality in Parliament. Will the Minister of Democratic Institutions commit her government to supporting this very important legislation?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, we intend to undertake a meaningful and inclusive conversation with all Canadians to bring our electoral system into the 21st century. We are doing this because here in Canada we can do better.

For us, and for the next generation, we need to do this so that more 14-year-old girls like Veronica from my riding of Peterborough—Kawartha can feel compelled to be engaged in the democratic process.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my riding of Scarborough Centre is one of the most diverse communities in Canada. The Prime Minister came to my campaign office during the election and promised to repeal the second class citizenship provision of Bill C-24, telling my constituents that a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship update the House on his progress on this promise to restore the integrity of Canadian citizenship?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to inform the House that we are meeting this important campaign commitment.

Bill C-24, enacted by the previous Conservative government, set a very dangerous precedent. It created two tiers of citizenship in this country. Regardless of whether one is born here or whether abroad, like myself and many members of the House, we deserve a government that values and respects our citizenship.

A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. The Liberal Party believes this. Canadians recognize this. With Bill C-6, we will be implementing this important fundamental principle and putting it back into our immigration system.

International Trade

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am a woman and a feminist who wants to talk about free trade. The Americans have always lost, any time they have taken a softwood lumber dispute before WTO and NAFTA tribunals. Quebec's forestry industry has done nothing wrong. It has always complied with the agreement. The government's position should be simple: there is nothing to negotiate.

Will the government tell the Americans that the softwood lumber agreement has already been signed and it is called NAFTA?

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

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

Yes, NAFTA is part of the framework of issues regarding the softwood lumber file. However, there are other issues across the country, whether in Quebec or British Columbia. We are aware of the issues, and we are working to ensure that we have stable, fair, and equitable access to the American market. That is what we promised and that is what we are going do.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs is calling for a return to free trade in softwood lumber, the Minister of International Trade has been saying for several weeks now that her officials are negotiating a new agreement. However, the Quebec forestry industry just wants one thing: a return to free trade, under NAFTA, for softwood lumber.

Who is speaking on behalf of the government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is calling for free trade, or the Minister of International Trade, who is negotiating an agreement that is not suitable to Quebec's forestry industry?

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

Mr. Speaker, this issue is a priority for our government.

Our position is the same; it has not changed. We want to ensure stable, fair, and equitable access. We understand the various positions that exist across the country. We are working with our counterparts across Canada and our American partners to find a stable, fair, and equitable solution.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It was wonderful today to hear so many questions and many of the answers from women, on this International Women's Day. How about a hand for them?

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It was unfortunate, however, to have a lot of voices being heard that were male voices, which I was hearing when they did not have the floor. Let us try to have some decorum around here and some respect.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of Dr. Arthur McDonald, astrophysicist and co-winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics, and his collaborators representing four countries and more than 15 universities and research facilities.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding Standing Order 32(2), I would like to bring to the attention of the House the reported surplus of $2.2 billion at the end of December 2015 and ask for permission to table the documents proving this from the Department of Finance.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Is there unanimous consent for the member to table the documents?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Oral Questions

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as much as I do appreciate your commending all of us on International Women's Day, I would like to ask why you removed a woman from the speaker's list today. I recognize that you have made a point of this, but I am not sure why you would actually punish someone in the House who is a woman, who has been here since I think 2004, doing outstanding service for Canadians, because of the actions in the House of those you claim were men.