Debates of May 5th, 2016

The Economy

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, there has been no greater champion in terms of building on Canada's, particularly western Canada's, infrastructure than the current government. Not only are we making promises to build the infrastructure, but we are already starting to build the infrastructure. The money is there, put in place, and we are encouraging it. This is something that the previous government did not do.

Even in the follow-up question that the member put to the government, she made reference that the government needs to do something. I want to emphasize that in six short months, this government has done more to try to deal with the natural resources.

Where I do agree with the member is that we are a country that has been blessed with wonderful natural resources. The job of government is to work with the different stakeholders, build that social licence, and build the infrastructure that—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Saskatoon West.

Asbestos

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, on February 2, I asked the Minister of Public Services and Procurement to stop using asbestos in federal public buildings.

Asbestos has been called the greatest industrial killer that the world has ever known, and New Democrats have been fighting hard to get this carcinogenic and toxic material out of buildings and people's lives. This known carcinogen has claimed the lives of thousands of Canadian workers, and so it is shocking to learn that while the federal government is spending millions to remove it from buildings, it is installing asbestos in other buildings.

I was very encouraged when the minister replied that the government would undertake a review of this issue. It was quietly announced at the end of March that as of February 1, 2016, the federal government has officially banned the use of asbestos-containing materials in all construction and major renovations.

The NDP applauds this move. It is a good first step in a decade-long struggle to remove asbestos from workplaces and buildings. However, Canadians are left wondering what will it take for the government to finally remove this cancer-causing substance once and for all.

Last week, on April 28, the National Day of Mourning, I called on the government to join a growing list of countries, including Australia, Britain, Japan, and Sweden, that have already banned the deadly killer, and so has the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Labour Congress, and many more organizations.

Over 150,000 workers in Canada are currently exposed to asbestos, especially in the areas of specialty trade contractors, building construction, auto repairs, maintenance, ship and boat building, and remediation and waste management. Many Canadians, including children, are unknowingly exposed to asbestos every day. It is found in schools, hospitals, homes, and building materials.

Canadians dying of cancer caused mainly by workplace exposure to asbestos has risen 60% between 2000 and 2012, according to Statistics Canada. Since 1996, there have been 5,000 approved death claims stemming from asbestos exposure, making it by far the top source of workplace death in Canada. However, statistics show that asbestos imports in Canada continue to rise.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies all commercial forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. Its evidence shows that there is no safe form of asbestos, nor a threshold that it considers safe.

When pipes and tiles containing asbestos are cut to size, fibres are often released. Materials naturally break down over time, and warning labels fade. It is impossible to monitor all workplaces to ensure that younger and newer workers in particular are wearing protective gear. When there are rushed deadlines or precarious, informal jobs, proper procedures often fall by the wayside. Younger, less experienced workers are less likely to complain.

The World Health Organization bluntly said that “All types of asbestos cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, cancer of the larynx and ovary, and asbestosis..”. Yet, Health Canada's website continues to play down the risk of asbestos exposure. It never clearly states that all forms of asbestos cause cancer, but rather “Asbestos poses health risks only when fibres are present in the air that people breathe.”

Why does the government continue to allow Health Canada to post misleading information about the safety of asbestos? The minister has said she has heard the concerns expressed by Canadians over the continued use of asbestos and that “The health and safety of our building occupants and visitors are a priority.”

If that is true, when will the government ban the use of asbestos entirely?

[Leona Alleslev, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in this debate on this important issue. Until recently, asbestos was widely used for many centuries in thousands of building construction products in Canada and around the world. This included insulation for walls, ceilings, and plumbing fixtures.

However, an increasing body of scientific evidence has shown us that asbestos creates serious health risks. Health Canada advises us that breathing in asbestos fibres can cause cancer and other diseases.

One of the government's main responsibilities is to protect the health and safety of its citizens, especially when it comes to the presence of asbestos in old buildings. Therefore, as soon as asbestos is detected in a government building, immediate action must be taken to eliminate the risks.

In the case of buildings that belong to Public Services and Procurement Canada, these measures are taken in strict conformity with all legislative requirements, and this includes asbestos management plans and corrective action, such as removal of the asbestos dust and encapsulation.

Asbestos is removed or encapsulated when there is risk to health and safety or there is a requirement for maintenance or renovation that results in the unavoidable disturbance of asbestos-containing materials.

Furthermore, Public Services and Procurement Canada conducts annual inspections and reports on asbestos-containing materials identified within buildings. The government has always managed current asbestos-related issues, in accordance with the changing regulatory and legislative framework of the past few decades.

That is why whenever the presence of asbestos is identified in a government building, immediate action is taken to remediate the risks. In the case of buildings owned by Public Services and Procurement Canada, this action is taken in strict conformity to all legislative requirements. This includes asbestos management plans and corrective actions such as asbestos abatement and encapsulation.

Asbestos is removed or encapsulated when there is a risk to health and safety or there is a requirement for maintenance or renovation. It is true that asbestos-containing materials are still used across the construction industry in limited applications where it does not easily break apart and thus cannot be inhaled.

The government takes the health and safety of its buildings, occupants, and visitors very seriously and strictly conforms to the legislative requirements for health and safety. To minimize the risk to building occupants, asbestos is removed when there is a health and safety hazard and when undertaking building recapitalization.

As of April 1, 2016, Public Services and Procurement no longer uses asbestos in Public Services and Procurement Canada's new construction and major renovation projects. This follows a review on the use of asbestos in future Public Services and Procurement Canada new construction and major renovation projects.

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, any Canadian who works in or visits a building that contains asbestos really does have the right to know that they may be exposed to harmful substances.

With the recently announced registry of federal buildings containing asbestos, at least workers can verify if their workplace will expose them to asbestos. I call on the minister to make this registry accessible to all Canadians without delay.

At the same time, I hope the minister is also planning to create a nationwide registry listing any facility that contains asbestos, not just the buildings owned and operated by the federal government.

It is an undeniable fact that asbestos is responsible for thousands of deaths and it is unconscionable for the government to continue importing and using it in any form. When will the government ban all asbestos?

[Leona Alleslev, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to summarize the government's position. We take the health and safety of our buildings' occupants and visitors very seriously. Whenever the presence of friable asbestos is identified, immediate action is taken to remediate the situation.

Public Services and Procurement Canada strictly adheres to the legislative health and safety requirements, and these buildings have strict asbestos management plans.

As of April 1, 2016, Public Services and Procurement Canada no longer uses asbestos in Public Services and Procurement Canada's new construction and major renovation projects.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, on April 13, I asked the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard a question about the $6-million allocation in the Liberals' 2016 budget to protect the waters of Newfoundland from a shipwreck.

Meanwhile, I have been asking questions in the House and sending letters to the minister about the Kathryn Spirit for five years now. After the election, I informed the Minister of Transport, the Minister of the Environment, and the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard of this shipwreck as quickly as possible. I reminded them that the Mexican company that owns the wreck had declared bankruptcy, and that so far, the federal government had not allocated any money to remove the shipwreck from Lake Saint-Louis, at Beauharnois. This lake is a drinking water reservoir for the greater Montreal area and, especially, for the people of Beauharnois.

All the minister was able to tell me was that a working group was created in February and that he could therefore say nothing more. The fact that the minister himself is unable to make decisions worries me.

However, I understand that a working group is a step in the right direction. It is certainly better than what the Conservatives came up with in the previous five years. On April 11, the working group informed us that the wreck had been there for so long and was in such bad shape that the group had ruled out the option of towing the vessel out of Lake Saint-Louis. The only remaining option is to dismantle it in Lake Saint-Louis. Three options were put forward.

The cost of the three approaches to in situ dismantling ranges from $10 million to $15 million, so we need to know whether the federal government is planning to pay for it. Obviously, the people of Beauharnois will not be able to foot the $10-million or $15-million bill to have the vessel dismantled.

The minister's response is therefore completely unsatisfactory. The fact that the minister is incapable of reacting to the situation and reassuring Canadians shows a complete lack of responsibility. Canadians have no idea when the government plans to go ahead with dismantling the wreckage. They are wondering if the ship will continue deteriorating in Lake Saint-Louis, if it will continue to list, if it will take on more water after every winter, and if there will be fluid leaks. It is very troubling.

I would remind the House that I have been raising this issue for five years now. This shipwreck is over 153 metres long and contains over 12,000 tonnes of rusted metal. There was asbestos in the boat and oil in the engine room. Several thousand people have mobilized and signed a petition calling on the federal government to invest in this file.

Other issues related to security have also been raised. For instance, the people want to know whether any Coast Guard officers—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Salaberry—Suroît for her interest in the Kathryn Spirit.

As we know, the Canadian Coast Guard plays a vital role in saving human lives and protecting our waters. It is responsible for responding to all incidents of pollution caused by a vessel in Canada.

As some members know, since 2011 the Kathryn Spirit has been moored at the edge of Lake Saint-Louis, which is in the St. Lawrence Seaway. In 2012, this vessel was sold to a Mexican business that planned to tow it to Mexico, where it would be dismantled properly.

Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard carried out regular inspections of the vessel to mitigate the risks of pollution. In 2013, in response to reports of pollution, the Canadian Coast Guard investigated and conducted an operation to remove the pollutants from the vessel.

Unfortunately, the company declared bankruptcy in the fall of 2015 and announced that it was abandoning the vessel.

Although the risk of pollution is low, an inspection carried out by Transport Canada in January 2016 indicated that structural problems would pose serious challenges to towing the vessel to another location.

That is why the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard was very proactive on this file. On February 1, 2016, at the request of the minister, senior officials at Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard met the mayors of Montreal and Beauharnois to discuss the Kathryn Spirit.

I am pleased to inform the House that following those discussions, a joint working group made up of federal, provincial, and municipal government representatives was set up. The partners will work together on developing options for a lasting and safe solution that responds to the concerns of local residents.

The working group met twice in March and April, and mid-year recommendations will be presented at the beginning of summer 2016. We look forward to reviewing their findings. I assure the House that we are committed to working with the municipalities of Montreal and Beauharnois to ensure that this problem is resolved.

I was assured that the Kathryn Spirit is not discharging any pollutants at this time. Representatives from the Canadian Coast Guard will continue to monitor the ship and are prepared to intervene at a moment's notice if the situation changes.

The Canadian Coast Guard takes its mandate to protect the marine environment very seriously. Our government understands that Canadians have serious concerns about abandoned ships and it is taking every necessary step to protect the environment.

I want to thank the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, and our partners for all the work that has been done to resolve the problem of the Kathryn Spirit, which is docked on Lake Saint-Louis in Beauharnois.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very frustrating for me to hear the parliamentary secretary repeat the same old thing. He has announced absolutely nothing new.

We still do not know if the federal government is wiling to spend any money to cover the $10 million or $15 million it is going to cost to dismantle the ship. We also do not know how frequently the Canadian Coast Guard is monitoring the ship.

The only thing we have learned since March is that once a week, a helicopter checks on the ship from the air. We do not know if the engine room has been inspected or how many times the hull has been inspected. We do not know if the ship is still taking on water. In fact, in March, contaminated water seeped into the ship. We do not know what happened.

We do not know what is happening, and the only thing the government has to say is that a working group is looking into the matter.

We know the group is doing its work, but what is the government doing? What is it promising?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to reassure the public.

The Canadian Coast Guard is very serious about its mandate to keep pollutants out of the environment, and it is ready to intervene at any time.

We have also been meeting with the member for Salaberry—Suroît to update her on developments from the beginning. The member had a meeting with the minister. We have been keeping her updated on this file from the very beginning.

By the way, I would also like to thank the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle and the member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges for their work on this file.

As I said earlier, with the creation of the working group, there have been some very productive discussions to come up with options and solutions for dealing with the problem of the Kathryn Spirit. Once again, the working group met twice, in March and April. The mid-year recommendations will be presented at the beginning of the summer.

We are anxious to hear the working group's findings, and we will continue to work with our colleagues—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:23 p.m.)