Debates of May 12th, 2016

Rail Transportation

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, no money is going there. I hope that the Liberals are doing something for culture somewhere, but the money is not going there.

It is shameful, but the 40 government members from Quebec are asleep at the wheel. I have two examples. First, the Government of Quebec made a proposal regarding the Senate and was treated like garbage by the government.

Second, a study has finally been completed regarding the construction of a rail bypass in Lac-Mégantic, which would help the people of that community to finally put this unspeakable tragedy behind them. However, instead of listening to them, the minister is ordering geography courses.

Rather than acting like immature, pathetic pawns, will the 40 Liberal members from Quebec stand up and defend the people of Lac-Mégantic?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we are obviously very proud of the 40 Liberal members representing Quebec.

Of course, our thoughts are with the people of Lac-Mégantic who are recovering from the terrible tragedy that occurred in July of 2013. I can assure them that we are on their side. I was there just two weeks ago.

We have conducted over 100 inspections in the Lac-Mégantic region since 2013. We allocated funding for rail safety in the budget. We have looked at phase one of the rail bypass and we are examining it carefully. We are very much looking forward—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Ottawa South.

Government Advertising

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, partisan advertising has no place in government. Canadian taxpayers should not be footing the bill for government ads that advance the political interests of any party in power. They should be able to trust that government advertising is legitimate, purposeful, and informative.

When I was in opposition, I tabled a bill to put an end to partisan government advertising. It was opposed by the previous Conservative government.

Would this government, our government, inform the House what action it is taking to end partisan government advertising and enhance public trust?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Ottawa South for his leadership on this issue.

Today, we are delivering on our commitment to end the partisan use of government advertising. We are introducing third-party oversight of government ads, with a new definition of non-partisan communications: no more ads for government programs not yet approved by Parliament or within 90 days of a set election date.

We will work with Parliament, the Auditor General, and stakeholders to entrench third-party oversight legislation and ensure that partisan government advertising is a thing of the past.

International Trade

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has claimed time and again that he is a big supporter of international trade. Yet much like the NDP, every time the Liberals are asked to walk the talk, they are missing in action.

The TPP is the largest trade agreement in the world. Conservatives concluded negotiations over seven months ago, yet the Prime Minister will not tell us whether he will support the agreement. Canada must be a leader, not a laggard, on trade.

When will the Prime Minister finally tell Canadians whether or not he supports the TPP?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we were very clear during the election that we support trade. We were also very clear that the TPP, which was negotiated in secret during the campaign, required broad national consultation. We promised that, and we are keeping our promise.

The trade committee, this week, is travelling the country to listen to Canadians. It is in Windsor today. It will be in Toronto tomorrow. It was in Montreal and Quebec City earlier this week.

I would also like to remind the hon. member that none of the 12 TPP countries has yet ratified this agreement and that we all have two years for an open, productive debate.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as the globe-trotting trade minister embarrassed herself on American late night talk shows at taxpayer expense, Canada's trade performance was floundering. In March, exports plummeted by almost 5% and Canada suffered a record-setting $3.4-billion trade deficit. With that kind of performance, Canadians would be better off if the minister simply stayed at home.

There is, however, one thing she can do to improve Canada's trade performance and that is to support the largest trade agreement in the world.

Will the Liberals now support the TPP?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. member that, in fact, in the first quarter of 2016, our exports were $1.2 billion higher than they were during the same period last year.

We are reaching further. We are fighting protectionism as we did successfully with COOL, something again not achieved under his watch. We are opening up new markets with CETA, whose legal scrub has now been completed. That agreement will be signed this year, and not done under his—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. The hon. member for Red Deer—Lacombe.

Ethics

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned the Prime Minister took 44 hand-picked people to Washington for the state dinner. The Liberals claim it had a total cost of $25,000, but no one believes this cost to be true. We know this because it cost $13,000 for three ministers and two staff alone. Therefore, will the Liberals finally come clean and tell taxpayers how much it cost for their five-star Washington vacation?

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows very well that all of the expenses associated with all of these international trips are disclosed proactively every quarter. He is aware of that. What he also knows is that this was a historic visit to our most important trading partner. This was a visit where important agreements were signed for things as important to Canadians and Canadian businesses as pre-clearance, agreements on energy, and discussions around how we can grow the most comprehensive and expansive trading relationship in the world. Every dollar spent on that trip was worth it for Canadians.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the government tell us how much that trip cost taxpayers?

From the beginning, the Liberals have been saying that it cost $25,000 for 44 people. However, yesterday, TVA was clear: it cost $13,000 for five people.

What did you do with the other 39 people? Did you stash them in your suitcases so that the trip would be cheaper?

Your story does not make any sense and you know it.

Will the—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I do not believe that the member is asking me whether I know anything about this situation. He knows that he must address his comments to the Chair.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in your case, when you travel, you properly assume your responsibilities.

Can the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons set the record straight for Canadians? How many people were there and how much did it cost? When they say that it cost $25,000, they are taking Canadians for fools.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege of setting the record straight on this historic trip many times.

As I have said before, this is the first time since 1997 that Canada has been awarded the honour of a state dinner at the White House. During this visit, a number of government ministers met with their American counterparts and also with members of civil society and the American legislature. At the same time, we made gains for Canadians on the topics of international trade, the environment, and energy.

Employment Insurance

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

Mr. Speaker, the government's inadequate changes to EI left 800,000 Canadians behind, and many regions were left out of extended benefits, despite rising unemployment. Today, we find out from internal documents that workers in Edmonton, southern Saskatchewan, and the B.C. interior could apply. This is a positive step. However, the government is still leaving so many Canadians out in the cold. This is about justice. It is about making sure that Canadians can access the EI fund that belongs to them. Will the government step up and show leadership to fix EI for Canadian workers?

[Rodger Cuzner, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, certainly this government has shown leadership. It stepped up decisively and quickly to respond to that sharp, sustained, sudden shock to the unemployment rate in those 12 regions. With respect to the most recent numbers we have received from StatsCan that have been impacted by the commodity downturn but also the fires in Fort McMurray, we are analyzing those. The minister is looking at them with her staff and will be responding appropriately.

Status of Women

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I asked the Minister of Democratic Institutions if she supports the candidate gender equity act. She stated that the Liberals “will study it on its merits when it is debated in the House”. However, yesterday CTV acquired a leaked memo from the minister's office that confirmed that the Liberals were already planning to oppose the bill when she made this statement. Will the minister explain to Canadians why she did not give them a straight answer on Tuesday, and why she is forcing Liberal MPs to oppose a bill aimed at bringing gender equality to the House of Commons?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, I came to this process with an open mind, and I certainly understand the challenges that women face in politics. While I congratulate my hon. colleague for his contribution to this important dialogue, this specific initiative is not the best way forward. As we look to evolve our democratic institutions, we we will seek ways to encourage the inclusion of women, persons of other genders, and all individuals who are currently under-represented to be represented in politics. This will be a free vote.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, talk about power going to somebody's head.

Witness after witness at the trade committee last week agreed that the upcoming presidential election poses a threat to our new softwood lumber agreement. We do not have an agreement, and it is creating all kinds of uncertainty. Canadian job creators need certainty in order to run their businesses successfully.

Tick, tick, tick; why are the Liberals standing by and doing nothing on softwood lumber while the clock ticks down?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by reminding the hon. member that it was his government that left Canadians without a softwood lumber agreement. The previous agreement expired on his government's watch.

We are very aware of the importance of this issue. We have focused on it from day one. We raised this issue during our state dinner at the White House. We raised it at the highest levels.

I am working closely with the U.S. TR and with the industry. We will get this done.

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

Mr. Speaker, it was the Conservative government that put an end to the longest and most costly trade disagreement in history with the softwood lumber agreement.

The United States is Canada's largest market for softwood lumber. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs on the line, yet the Liberals would rather spend the time coming up with ways to stall the trans-Pacific partnership, because they are incapable of making good business decisions that are in the interests of Canadian jobs.

Will the Minister of International Trade stand up and commit to bringing home a signed agreement before November?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely seized of the issue of softwood lumber. I am working very hard on this issue with my officials, with our ambassador to the United States, and with the industry.

I would urge the hon. member to have a coffee with the member for Abbotsford, who will point out that there is no connection between the softwood lumber agreement and the TPP.

I also want to say that we are negotiating for a good deal, but not just any deal. We will get a good deal for Canadian producers.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, times are tough for the forestry industry. Major issues, such as job losses and the renewal of the softwood lumber agreement between Canada and the U.S., are creating uncertainty in this industry, which accounts for least $20 billion of Canada's economy.

All regions of Quebec and Canada would be affected if the agreement were not renewed, especially my region of the Lower St. Lawrence.

Why is the minister taking so long to finalize an agreement that is so important to our country and to all regions in Quebec?