House of Commons Hansard #67 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was industry.
Bradley Trost Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it.
However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.
Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Jim Carr LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.
We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Bradley Trost Conservative Saskatoon—University, SK
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.
According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.
Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Jim Carr LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.
The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.
We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.
What further contributions will Canada make?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.
We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.
How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.
Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.
The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill knows that members on all sides were laughing at the minister's self-deprecating joke.
The hon. Minister of Immigration has the floor.
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.
However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Alex Nuttall Conservative Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be.
In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.
Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.
However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional—
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.
However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.
Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.
Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, “It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....”
Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be “negligent if they didn't enforce the act”.
Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.
In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.
Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures.
Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government.
It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.
I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.
More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.
Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
Amarjeet Sohi LiberalMinister of Infrastructure and Communities
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic.
Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.
Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.