Debates of April 21st, 2016

Ecuador

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs for sharing his deep concern along with, I am assuming, everyone else in the House on Equador's disaster.

The Government of Canada immediately responded with $1.1 million in emergency relief assistance. We now have a team down in Equador doing an assessment as to what further help can be given in order to make recommendations to the government, including the possible deployment of the DART.

I thank the hon. member for his concern and indeed the concern of all members in the House.

National Defence

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to equipping our troops, the Liberals are deliberately misleading Canadians. The budget says, “funding that is not yet allocated to specific projects...can be moved forward to future years”, but the Liberals are making a $3.7 billion cut to the defence budget. They are taking hundreds of millions of dollars from important military projects that are already under way.

Who is misleading Canadians? is it the Minister of Finance or is it the Minister of National Defence?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, it is another day and it is another Conservative question on procurement.

The Conservatives showed no leadership on the procurement file. In fact, ironically, they now show a love for the parliamentary budget officer. I remind them of the report with respect to the F-35, and wonder whether they still appreciate the views of the parliamentary budget officer.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on March 24, during question period, the Minister of National Defence said that the budget for procurement of equipment would be available if major acquisitions were needed. We now know that his statement was false. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being taken from projects to modernize our frigates, replace fighter planes, and improve our search and rescue capabilities.

Will the minister apologize for misleading Canadians and restore the funding this year?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, major funding has been set aside for future years in order to address the continuous mismatch left behind by the previous government. We are trying to match the fiscal cycle and the procurement cycle. Accordingly, as procurement comes forward, our funds will match those procurements. There has been no cutback in the procurement funding.

Foreign Affairs

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, back to the question of genocide, the Parliament of the U.K., the U.S. Congress, and Secretary of State Kerry have all condemned the ISIS killings of Yazidis, Muslims, and Christian minorities as genocide.

Your government had the chance to do the same thing in this House yesterday. You refused. You hid—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member knows that we do not use the word “you” unless referring to the Speaker. I do not think he means to refer to the Speaker. I hope not. Perhaps the member could rephrase his question and complete it. I ask the member to get to the question.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the current government had a chance to do the same thing in this House yesterday. It refused and hid behind weasel words.

My question for the government is this. Why did the government shamefully put Canada outside the consensus view of our allies and turn a blind eye to reality? Why do the Liberals not come to their senses and realize exactly what is going on over there, which is, in fact, genocide?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this is what the U.K. Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said on April 20:

...genocide is a matter of legal rather than political opinion. We as the Government are not the prosecutor, the judge or the jury.... It is essential that these decisions are based on credible judicial process.... Right now, our priority is to prevent atrocities from taking place, and that is why we are playing a leading role in the global coalition against Daesh.

Replace “U.K.” with “Canada”, and it is exactly what I have to say.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if all of the atrocities, war crimes, and crimes against humanity perpetrated by ISIS are not genocide, then what are they?

We know that the UN Security Council is clearly incapable of instructing the International Criminal Court to act, but Canada should not hide behind international legal dysfunction. When will the Liberals fulfill their moral obligation to call this what it is, genocide?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to inform my colleague that indeed the Government of Canada is asking for this international investigation on the atrocities and the horrors committed by Daesh and to be sure that it will be prosecuted and also to investigate whether it is a genocide. We are pushing for that. We are asking for that because it has all the hallmarks of a genocide. It is why this recognition should be done properly internationally. There is nothing more important than to recognize a genocide by the proper process.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, hundreds of dairy producers are with us in the House.

These producers from Mauricie, Lanaudière, Montérégie, and the Outaouais came to the House to demand that the government keep its word and resolve the problem of diafiltered milk once and for all.

The longer the government waits to take action, the greater the economic hardship in the regions. Dairy producers have been mobilizing for months and years, and the NDP is standing with them.

However, the government continues to drag its feet, despite its fine, empty promises. They will say anything.

Today, we are calling on the government to take action—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for moving this motion in the House today.

We inherited this problem from the previous government. Even the previous government put manufacturing standards in place that it did not enforce.

That is why we understand how important it is to act. We are working with the industry to create a sustainable solution.

Automotive Industry

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after Volkswagen was caught illegally falsifying emission tests and lying about the performance of its vehicles, U.S. regulators, senators, and Congress wasted no time taking it to task. Reports today say the case in the U.S. will be settled with fines, recalls, buybacks, and cash for consumers.

However, Canada has no deal, as per usual. Even though tens of thousands of these vehicles are in our driveways, and on our highways and roads, why are Canadian consumers, once again, condemned as second-class citizens and the doormats of recall?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I share the member's concern for the safety of our roads. In fact, this past week, we told Fiat Chrysler that we considered four of its models were dangerous and had defects in them. We have gone forward. This is one example. We have many other examples.

We believe it is important for Canadians to know when there are defects in different models of cars. We will continue to do that.

Marijuana

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is widely known that tobacco products are deadly and for decades, Health Canada has called for stricter policies against smoking. Marijuana has the same carcinogenic potential to cause harm to the body.

How can the Minister of Health, the minister responsible for promoting good health to Canadians, throw out decades of scientific research by Health Canada and promote the recreational use of marijuana?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I had the honour yesterday of speaking at the United Nations General Assembly special session on drugs. I used that opportunity to talk about Canada's drug policy, which is grounded in scientific evidence, and which employs a collaborative, compassionate, and comprehensive approach to drug policy.

We are concerned about access to marijuana for young people. Therefore, we are going to be introducing a new regulatory regime which will keep our children safe, free from the potential harms of marijuana, and keep the profits out of the hands of criminals.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, like many other members, I am disappointed that the government chose to announce its plans to legalize marijuana in New York, rather than doing it here in the House, before the elected representatives of the people of Canada.

At this time, a number of questions remain unanswered, on top of many other troubling questions related to public health.

Can the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness tell us what he plans to do to keep this drug away from children? How does he plan to give police officers the tools they need to be able to arrest drug-impaired drivers?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the public safety department is working very closely with the justice department and the health department to produce a regime for Canada with respect to marijuana that will, in fact, do a far better job in keeping our kids safe, keeping this product out of the hands of children and young people, and stopping the flow of illegal money to illegal gangs and organized crime.

The regime in place today has failed miserably. Perpetuating the status quo is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, science has shown that marijuana is linked to serious health concerns, both mentally and physically, especially for our young people under the age of 25. Yet, the Prime Minister still insists on pushing forward marijuana legalization.

Would the Liberals admit to us that marijuana is in fact a causal factor for these illnesses and that their policies will not protect the Canadian children that we love?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite may be aware of the troubling statistics that show that up to a quarter of teenagers are in fact currently using marijuana. This is a troubling fact.

As my colleague the Minister of Public Safety has already indicated, the current approach to marijuana is not working. Because of the potential risks, our government is introducing new legislation which will legalize marijuana, regulate it, and will restrict access to keep Canadians safe and to keep them healthy.

Tourism Industry

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge, tourism is an essential part of the local economy. With sites like Canada's Wonderland, the Ontario Soccer Centre, Magnotta Winery, The National Golf Club of Canada, and unique conservation areas, tourists from America and around the world have plenty of attractions to choose from.

Would the Minister of Small Business and Tourism tell the House what the government is doing to encourage more American tourists to visit Canadian destinations?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his hard work, especially to his constituents, and also for highlighting the fact that the tourism industry benefits each and every one of our communities and local economies.

Each of us in the House, regardless of party, has something in each community that is worth showing off. That is why budget 2016 provides an additional $50 million to Destination Canada to promote the Canadian brand in the U.S. and other key markets. This is a $90-billion industry, and the government's investment in the tourism industry will support small business, tourism operators, and help grow the economy.

Ecuador

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, four Canadians are among the more than 500 people killed by the devastating earthquake in Ecuador. Hundreds are missing and thousands need emergency assistance now. Conservatives acquired the C-17 strategic airlift aircraft to enable the disaster response team to respond to disasters around the world.

Ecuador is calling for more assistance from the international community. Instead of using aid money to buy votes at the UN, why do the Liberals not rise to the occasion and help the people of Ecuador by increasing Canada's commitment now?