Debates of April 22nd, 2016

Air Canada

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, I did not change my answer yesterday evening as my colleague said. We clearly explained the situation throughout the day.

The governments of Quebec and Manitoba intend to drop their lawsuit against Air Canada. That gives us, here at the federal level, the opportunity to clarify the Air Canada Public Participation Act, and that is what we are doing.

I hope that my colleagues in the House will work with us on this bill at all stages of the process.

The Environment

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, today, the Prime Minister is signing the Paris agreement on climate change.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister seems to want to keep the same targets that the Conservatives set. The Liberals seem to be happy with that.

Aside from the rhetoric and pretty pictures, nothing has changed with this new Prime Minister. He has the same plan, the same timeframe, and the same targets as the Conservatives, and he seems quite happy with that.

How will the Prime Minister honour his commitment when he has no plan to achieve the Paris targets?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, this government came to power after 10 years of inaction on the part of the previous government with respect to climate change. In the short six months that we have been in power, we have launched a pan-Canadian process to address this on a critical basis. We have been a constructive part of actually achieving the Paris agreement. Today, on Earth Day, I think Canadians are extremely proud that our Prime Minister is in New York to be one of the first signatories to the historic Paris agreement.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, talk is certainly cheap and Liberal talking points are even cheaper, but when it comes to Liberals talking about climate change without actually doing anything, the results are actually very expensive. Liberals signed the Kyoto accord with a promise to reduce emissions. By the time they left office, emissions had soared. Environment Canada just reported that they continue to rise under the new Liberal government. What a failure.

The Liberals claim to have a plan, so here is a very simple question. How many tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are Liberals projecting to reduce in each of the next three years? No more talking points, just give some answers.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, unlike my colleague on the other side of the House, this government recognizes that Canada is a federation and it actually involves the provinces. We are working actively with our provincial and territorial colleagues to develop a pan-Canadian process to reducing carbon emissions and to actually developing a robust, clean growth economy.

We are proud of the work we have done. We are proud of the work our Prime Minister has done. We are proud of the fact that he is one of the first signatories on this agreement in New York today.

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

Madam Speaker, sadly, there are no answers and just more hot air from the Liberals on climate change. While the NDP government in Alberta is making strides, the lack of federal action leaves us failing to live up to our international commitments.

The new report from the Conference Board gives Canada a D when it comes to protecting the environment, trailing far, far behind other countries. Canadians cherish our environment, and it is part of our identity. When will the Liberals make actual progress on our commitment to review the process?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, we agree with the results of the Conference Board of Canada. Ten years of inaction on the part of the previous government with respect to environmental matters relating to climate change, environmental assessments, and other things have left Canada in a very poor situation in the world in terms of our environmental record.

This government is taking firm steps on the climate agenda, to which I have already referred. We have committed to launching a review of our environmental assessment processes. This is a government that understands that the economy and the environment must go hand in hand in the modern age, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

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

Madam Speaker, the fight against climate change is the greatest challenge of this century. We have a moral duty to exhaust all appropriate means of addressing this issue.

Rhetoric, pretty pictures, and inaction are no longer enough. Young people are counting on all of us in the House to take action and get this done.

Can the Prime Minister explain to young people and children how he will meet the Paris targets when he has no plan to do so? Will this be yet another fiasco like Kyoto?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I would highlight some of the significant investments this government made in the budget. We have made significant investments in public transit, a billion dollars in clean tech, and a range of investments to address climate change. We have embarked on a pan-Canadian discussion that will allow us to work with the provinces proactively to address climate emissions.

This is the most that any Canadian government has done in the last 30 years. We intend to achieve our targets. We intend to be part of a productive international conversation. That is exactly what we will do.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals are very good at self-promoting the refugee initiative. However, private sponsorship groups from Newfoundland have had to turn to a letter-writing campaign to demand action on their stalled applications. There are countless groups across the country in this position.

Private sponsorship groups provide refugees with an instant support network and immediately help families transition to their new life in Canada. Therefore, if the refugee initiative is as successful as the Liberals claim, why are these private groups being ignored, while at the same time government-sponsored refugees have to rely on food banks?

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

Madam Speaker, the outpouring of support for the national effort to settle refugees in the country has been overwhelming. As the minister has stated repeatedly in the House, a grand national project of this size and scope is not without its challenges.

We have met targets to bring in 25,000 individuals by the end of February. We are working to bring in 44,800 humanitarian people under the refugee category alone in 2016. That includes government-sponsored individuals and privately-sponsored individuals. We are thankful for the incredible support in Newfoundland and other provinces, and we are working to address those needs as quickly as possible.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, these targets should include quality of life for these refugees. More than a dozen Ottawa food banks have reported an increased demand coming from government-sponsored Syrian refugees. Most of these families have turned to the Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard, where 75 Syrian families, for a total of over 400 people, have registered at the food cupboard.

Will the minister tell the House what his plan is to address the needs of these families, or will he simply try to set up yet another photo op?

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

Madam Speaker, I welcome the question from the opposition critic and her concern for the welfare of refugees in our country. We obviously share that concern. Our government shares it. I share it as a refugee myself. However, I find it highly implausible and a bit, let us say, inconsistent for that party to talk about the quality of life for our refugees when it eliminated health care for refugee applicants, in violation of the charter, when it was in office.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Madam Speaker, support groups from across the country are struggling to meet the needs of refugees brought to Canada. Government-sponsored refugees are using food banks to meet their day-to-day needs. They are not gaining language training services and they are not being empowered to successfully transition to life in Canada.

Why did the Liberals focus on bringing in government-sponsored refugees if they had no plan to support these refugees?

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

Madam Speaker, the answer to that is simple. We concentrated on government-assisted refugees because we take seriously the duty of care that Canada has on the international stage to respond to a national and international humanitarian crisis.

To purport that these individuals are being left unattended to or unsupported by the government is simply incorrect. The statistics speak to $600 million of settlement funding directed at the refugees themselves. Are there barriers along the way? Of course. Are there challenges we are trying to address? Of course. We are doing that in solidarity with Canadians who believe in this effort and believe in this government's response.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Madam Speaker, the Edmonton-based Islamic Family and Social Services Association has said, “The government needs to step up” and that it needs to boost support for Syrian refugees who are increasingly turning to the food banks to eat. One representative said, “It's a huge problem”, that the Liberals are “not great with helping them resettle”. Did the Liberals just pick an arbitrary number and think they could wash their hands clean of the rest?

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

Madam Speaker, the answer to that is no. Again, I am refreshed by the fact that a member of the Conservative opposition is actually citing an Islamic-based organization in Edmonton to support his proposition.

If we recollect, our position was not only to accept 25,000 refugees into our country by February 29, but also to accept them no matter what race, religion or perhaps persuasion they came from. This is a distinct contrast to the policy of the previous government, which cherry-picked religious minorities to the detriment of Sunni Muslims.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Speaker, I wish my arms were long enough so I could pat the hon. member on his back.

On Tuesday, I asked the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship about the Liberals wasting $6.4 million to renovate Canadian forces bases for refugees who never came. The minister's response was, “My colleague beside me, the Minister of National Defence, confirms there is nothing truthful in the member's comments about defence.”

The Minister of National Defence knew that money was spent. Why did the Minister of National Defence give the Minister of Immigration false information, and why did they both mislead Canadians?

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

Madam Speaker, the CAF has been engaged, along with other elements in the government, in this massive repatriating of these refugees. It has contributed to the medical screenings, to the air lift, and to the potential housing. However, because Canadians have stepped up, the housing that was renovated at the time, in anticipation of the refugees coming to our country, was not used.

The happy consequence is that these refugees are—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

He did not answer the question, Madam Speaker. Maybe I will try one more time.

One would think that those two ministers would have a handle on what is going on, considering how closely they supposedly worked on this file. Our Order Paper question, signed off by the Minister of National Defence, confirmed that this money was in fact spent on barracks which were never used.

Did the Minister of National Defence not know what he signed, or is he deliberating trying to mislead Canadians?

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

Madam Speaker, it is only the Conservative opposition that can turn happy news into bad news.

Surely to goodness it is good news that the barracks did not have to be used. Surely to goodness the ultimate deployment of $6 million to upgrade the facilities is good news. The good news is that all of these refugees are now located where they should be, in the towns and cities across the country.

Indigenous Affairs

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, six years ago, Canada endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Since then, little has been done to implement it.

The bill I introduced yesterday for the second time would ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the declaration. The Prime Minister gave his ministers a mandate to establish a new nation-to-nation relationship starting with the implementation of the declaration.

My question is a simple one. Will the Liberals support my bill as they did when they were in opposition, or not?

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

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his long-standing commitment to reconciliation.

The government is absolutely determined to implement the United Nations declaration. We have to work with First Nations, the Inuit, and the Métis Nation to examine all of the implementation mechanisms available, including legislation.

The bill was just introduced, and we are examining it.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Madam Speaker, yesterday, in New York, the Prime Minister told a group of American students that Canada did not have the baggage of colonialism. Maybe that explains why six days after taking office, the government signed a deal to let the Catholic church off the hook in terms of its financial obligations to residential school survivors.

How can the government talk about reconciliation when it is signing secret deals that undermine restitution?