House of Commons Hansard #71 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was decriminalization.
Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are rightly concerned. The impact of a fourth CPP expansion is going to be on their wallets.
The Minister of Finance has stated that a CPP expansion would be putting too many eggs in one basket. He also said that increasing the CPP would practically take the private sector out of the pension business.
My question is again for the Minister of Finance. Will he just abandon this ill-conceived scheme because it would unfairly target Canadian workers?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, we are going to work collaboratively with our provincial counterparts. That is why we started in December and that is why we are going to continue in the coming weeks. We understand.
As we went across this nation, Canadians told us that they wanted to retire in dignity. That is exactly what we are working on and that is exactly what we are going to deliver for Canadians.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely our concern. We know that the government plans to work on the pension plan, but the problem is that every time this government touches something, it ends up increasing taxes, creating new taxes, or, even worse, sending the bill to future generations in the form of a deficit.
My question for the government is clear. While the government is tinkering with the pension plan, will it commit to not doing anything that will directly affect our SMEs or make things harder for these creators of jobs and wealth?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. His question was clear, and my answer will be as well.
In December, we started consulting our provincial partners to improve the Canada pension plan. This is what Canadians asked us to do. I am proud to be a member of this government.
The Minister of Finance will meet with his provincial counterparts in the coming days. We will work together with the provinces, as an open, transparent government, to improve the Canada pension plan for the benefit of all Canadians.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, another broken Liberal Party promise has to do with fighter jets.
The government promised an open bidding process, but now we know that the dice are loaded and the decision is made. The impact on Canada's economy is huge. It is a loss of $800 million, and 110 Canadian companies could be negatively affected by this decision.
Will the government come clean with Canadians? Will the government ensure that those jobs are maintained? Why jeopardize hundreds of good jobs in Canada?
Harjit S. Sajjan LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, first of all, our government is committed to making sure that we replace the fighters and we will do so and any procurement that takes place with our fighters will benefit Canada and make sure that our industry benefits as well.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, everyone has a right in Canada to equal access to quality health care regardless of ability to pay, yet Liberals are turning a blind eye to user fees across the country. Saskatchewan just introduced legislation that will allow wealthy people to jump the queue to receive private, for-profit CT scans. This undermines the Canada Health Act and the principle of universal access and is another example in a growing list of infractions.
Will the Minister of Health finally step in and put a stop to these unacceptable violations of the Canada Health Act?
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated previously in the House, our government firmly upholds the Canada Health Act. That Canada Health Act indicates the principles by which health care must be delivered in this country, including universality and accessibility. We will uphold the fact that Canadians in this country must have care on the basis of need and not on the basis of their ability to pay.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have submitted applications to privately sponsor at least 100 Syrian refugee families based in northern Iraq. These applications are being held up because Canada has no capacity to process them. If authorized, the UNHCR can step in and get the job done. Now to make matters worse, IRCC is considering Syrian-born refugees who have fled to northern Iraq as Iraqis. This means they will not be part of the Syrian refugee initiative. Just when will the minister quickly process these applications as promised?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I would start by saying that I am proud of the fact that we have let in more than 25,000 Syrian refugees, more than four times the number of refugees the previous government let in. We are admitting many refugees. Some parts of the world are more difficult to get to than other parts, but I can assure her that we are aware of that situation and are working on it.
Gerry Ritz Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, agriculture is the third largest contributor to our GDP and it is under siege. The Liberals have neglected to act on diafiltered milk, spent fowl, PED in Manitoba, and canola dockage in China. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food says he will not intervene and the Minister of International Trade will only consult.
One in five jobs in Canada rely on trade. Now $375 million of lentil exports to Turkey are at risk due to low-level GMO presence requirements.
Why are Liberals neglecting to protect our agricultural producers in world trade?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my hon. colleague, the former minister of agriculture. As he is fully aware, the diafiltered milk issue was inherited from him and his government. As I have indicated quite clearly in the House, we have consulted farmers, consulted manufacturers, and we will come up with a decision that will make sure that supply management remains stable and stronger than ever in this country.
Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the agriculture minister caught that, but the question was about lentils and lentil producers want to know when he is going to get the job done for them. I was with the minister in China just last week and I know that the minister had the opportunity to meet with Turkish officials. Now we find out that sources from Turkey are saying that nothing is happening at the ministerial level on this issue.
I wonder when the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is going to wake up and recognize that he has to do something to ensure that lentils continue to flow to Turkey.
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that this is an agricultural question. Our public servants are continually consulting other countries on many different problems on an ongoing basis. The lentil issue will be dealt with and we will make sure that Canadian farmers and ranchers prosper more than they are now.
Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB
Mr. Speaker, I think in order for farmers to prosper, the minister is going to have to do something, not just officials.
On another very important issue, we know that PED has killed over eight million pigs south of the border. We also know that since I last stood in the House to ask a question on this issue, we have had three confirmed cases in Manitoba.
Pig producers want to know when the minister is going to do something on this file to ensure that we do not have an outbreak of PED here in Canada.
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, we know that CFIA made a decision that the trucks need to be washed before they enter this country, because we want to make sure that diseases like that do not enter this country.
Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC
Mr. Speaker, research and innovation are essential to modern, sustainable economic growth. To truly encourage that growth, we have to listen to the scientific community, make the most of its knowledge, and ensure that institutions and major research projects get the resources they need.
Can the Minister of Science tell the House about the initiatives this government has taken to ensure that investments in scientific research produce the desired results?
Kirsty Duncan LiberalMinister of Science
Mr. Speaker, Canada has a rich legacy of scientific achievement. In order to protect and build on that legacy, we need to take a fresh look at how government funds federal science, and to do better.
Today our government is launching a comprehensive review of federal support for fundamental science. We have an expert independent panel that is chaired by Dr. David Naylor. We look forward to receiving recommendations in December 2016.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, Alberta lost another 24,000 jobs in May, increasing its unemployment rate to 7.9%, the highest it has been in 20 years.
The vacancy rate in downtown Calgary for commercial office space is 30%, a historic high, higher than it was during the devastating national energy program brought forward by the Liberals in 1980.
While people are losing their jobs, businesses are failing. The Liberal government is delaying critical decisions and is now pushing a job-killing carbon tax.
Why does every decision the current Liberal government makes cost Albertans their jobs?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, as I said before, Canadians know that addressing climate change will actually improve the Canadian economy and drive clean growth. I would say that 80% of Canadians actually live in jurisdictions that have moved on carbon pricing, including the Government of Alberta, the Government of B.C., the Government of Ontario, and the Government of Quebec.
I would note that many thoughtful Conservatives, including the Government of Manitoba, the Conservative leader in Ontario, and the member for Wellington—Halton Hills, have talked about the importance of carbon pricing in the context of moving forward. This is an important initiative—
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, as we applaud all the work done by our public servants during this National Public Service Week, the fact is that things are not so rosy.
According to the latest report from the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, the government has failed to contract out for services effectively. On top of a lack of accountability in the case of some contracts, many good jobs are being lost, while productivity and morale are diminishing among employees. It is all very discouraging.
Will the Liberals show some respect for the public service and limit its use of outside contractors?
Scott Brison LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, the government is working very hard to restore a culture of respect towards our public service, and we will continue to do just that during our negotiations.
On the question of outsourcing, this is a question we are engaged with the public service on. We believe very strongly that we can do more to engage our professional public service to provide better services for Canadians and better value for taxpayers at the same time. We are deeply engaged in this dialogue.
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, last year, Bill S-6 was passed in spite of huge objections by Yukoners and Yukon's first nations.
The Yukon land claim and self-government agreements were negotiated in good faith on a government to government to government relationship over 30 years. To then unilaterally foist four major un-negotiated clauses on a process created by the treaty is a total abandonment of the honour of the crown.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs update the House on the government's efforts to renew this critical relationship?
Yvonne Jones LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the hon. member for Yukon for his hard work on this file.
Bill C-17 is a great example of what can be achieved when governments work and listen in partnership with indigenous people and communities. The bill will pave the way for responsible resource development, increase investment and jobs, and re-establish a true partnership with the Yukon first nations.
I want to commend all of those who worked hard on these amendments, and the member for all of his work as well.
