Debates of Sept. 20th, 2016

Canadian Heritage

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Toronto—Danforth for her excellent question. I also want to congratulate Tatiana Maslany on winning the Emmy.

Our artists and creators are among the most talented in the world and it is time to proclaim it loud and clear. Of course in the digital age they are facing major challenges. That is why at Canadian Heritage I have launched the biggest project in our history for the creation, discovery, and export of content. I invite everyone to participate in these consultations.

Canada has a golden opportunity to become a leader in creativity and innovation and we are going to seize that opportunity.

Airline Industry

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only major market in the world without a low-cost airline. The five million Canadian passengers who fly out of a U.S. airport each year are telling the Liberals with their feet that Canada needs a low-cost airline like Jetlines to compete. Unfortunately, Jetlines will become another casualty of the Minister of Transport's endless dithering. Will the minister wake up, get out of the way, and get Jetlines up in the air?

[Kate Young, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, our government is working collaboratively to address the Canada Transportation Act review and develop Canada's future transportation system. We are analyzing the application by Jetlines and Enerjet for an exemption to foreign-ownership limits in that context. Any decision made will be in the best interest of Canadian travellers.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister did not need five months to kill thousands of jobs when he blocked the Toronto island airport expansion. MPs from all parties and even several ministers have voiced their support for Jetlines. They all want to see another airline serve Canada's secondary airports using Bombardier aircraft. The only hold-up is that minister's indecisiveness. His apathetic attitude will cost Canadians even more jobs. Jetlines made its request last May. How much time does the minister need to make a decision?

[Kate Young, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as part of our engagement process, the minister recently held a round table on the traveller experience in order to hear from Canadians on this important subject, because we want to ensure that travellers have the best travel experience. I will repeat that our government is working collaboratively to address the Canada Transportation Act review and develop Canada's future transportation system.

Public Safety

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, residents who lost their homes in Fort McMurray wildfires were shocked to learn that rebuilding their homes is going to cost a lot more. A recent Liberal decision to put a 276% tax on drywall will raise the cost of a home rebuild in Fort McMurray by thousands of dollars.

When will the Liberals reverse this short-sighted decision and quit punishing Fort McMurray residents, who have already suffered enough?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with the relevant legislation, allegations of dumping and subsidization are investigated based on complaints that are received. When those complaints are received, there is a decision-making period that takes about 90 days. Then if the decision is subject to objection, it can be referred to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal.

The law needs to be applied.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I want to remind the hon. member for Cypress Hills—Grasslands of Standing Order 16(2), which says:

When a Member is speaking, no Member shall pass between that Member and the Chair, nor interrupt him or her, except to raise a point of order.

Let us not have any further interruptions when someone is speaking.

The hon. member for Prince Albert.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this surprise tax on drywall into western Canada is a real issue for Canadian businesses. We have been hearing from western Canadian contractors, drywallers, and other small construction businesses that this tax will affect their bottom line and lead to job losses.

With no jobs to spare in western Canada right now, what will the Liberals do to ensure that more jobs are not lost as a result of the decision to tax U.S. drywall?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, when there has been an allegation of dumping, the decision needs to follow the appropriate process. We will ensure that that process is followed in the most expeditious manner to get a proper decision.

As I say, there is a procedure in place to receive complaints and objections. That is the International Trade Tribunal, which stands ready to receive the matter and to hear all of the competing points of view.

Port of Churchill

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

Mr. Speaker, this has been a tough summer for Canadians in terms of job losses, and northern Manitoba has been one of the regions hardest hit.

Let us go back to 1997 when the Liberals privatized the port and the rail line in our region and sold it to a U.S. billionaire. This summer, that billionaire shocked all of us and shut our port down.

Will the government listen to the northerners, the UCTE, PSAC and so many others and bring the port back under Canadian public control? Will the government stand up for good Canadian jobs and save this vital, strategic Canadian asset?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

First, Mr. Speaker, my heart goes out to the people and the employees who have been affected in Churchill. I am deeply disappointed in the decision by OmniTRAX to issue layoff notices.

My minister has been in direct contact with local leaders in the northern delegation, and our government has been in ongoing discussions with provincial and municipal leaders, businesses, and the community as we monitor and evaluate the situation closely.

Softwood Lumber

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in recent months, the Minister of International Trade and the Prime Minister have been very optimistic about softwood lumber. However, the minister announced last week that she is preparing for another legal battle with the Americans.

During the last dispute, the Canadian industry lost billions of dollars and jobs disappeared like snow on a warm day, especially in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. The government will not be able to keep its promise and reach an agreement by October 12.

Can the government be transparent and admit this?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question.

We should first recall that the Conservatives did not initiate the negotiations and did not seek a new agreement when they were in power. When we came to power, we immediately addressed the issue. It is a priority for us.

We are conducting negotiations with our American counterparts and taking into account regional distinctions in Canada. Above all, we are taking into account Quebec's forestry sector. It is important that we advance this file—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Thornhill has the floor.

Foreign Affairs

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Foreign Affairs denied there were any strings attached to Kevin Garratt's sudden release from China, but just the day after his release, Canada quietly announced that negotiations had begun with China on an extradition treaty, just weeks after the Minister of Immigration denied any such possibility.

Given China's history of extrajudicial imprisonment, torture, and execution, are the Liberals really negotiating an extradition treaty, or are they just playing the Chinese, going along for the ride as they are with so many issues domestically?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)]

Mr. Speaker, this gives me a great opportunity to welcome Kevin Garratt and his family back to Canada.

As the Minister of National Defence said earlier, we are engaged with China in a host of discussions on a variety of topics. We want to remind Canadians that we have high standards for anything we engage in and anything we sign. No agreement has been signed. Rest assured, we will always defend human rights and Canadian interests.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we also learned in that same quietly posted notice that Canada has opened what is called a high-level dialogue on national security and the rule of law with China, and that one of the topics will be cybersecurity and co-operation in combatting cybercrime. Really?

Have the Liberals decided that after any number of cyber-attacks on Canadian government departments, if they cannot beat them, they will join them?

[Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are working to expand our relationship with China through principled rules of engagement established through our national security and rule of law dialogue announced when the Prime Minister was in China on September 12.

The U.S. and the U.K. are having similar dialogues. All extradition in Canada is governed by a formal process and must meet our very high standards. Fundamentally, the promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of Canadian foreign policy and an essential piece of our policy with China.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, refugees are being forced to use food banks because the Prime Minister does not have a plan to support the refugees he brought here.

Gail Nyberg of the Daily Bread Food Bank reports:

I suspect it is going to be a larger problem as we go forward.... Once your EI runs out...and you don’t have the kind of [necessary job] skills, you’re basically faced with 20 years of poverty before you get onto old age.

This is a question we asked in committee. How many refugees will require social assistance payments by the end of this year, and what will the cost be to Canadian taxpayers and to the refugees themselves?

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

Mr. Speaker, the issue of food security is an important one for all Canadians, newcomers and people who have been here for several generations. Have there been some issues with refugees using food banks? Indeed, there has. Are we working hard on those issues? Indeed, we are. We have secured housing for refugees. We are working on securing jobs for them.

I put it to my friend opposite, if we had no plan, then I am wondering why the UN is studying our position at the refugee summit on this very day.

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, almost a year ago, Canada elected a new government. One of our main promises was to resettle and integrate Syrian refugees. In today's news, we see that 13 countries are interested in our model for private refugee sponsorship.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship talk about the success of this initiative and the changes that have been made to our sponsorship procedures?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, it is a tremendous day to be a Canadian.

Over the past two days, our government and our leader have been celebrated and welcomed by the UN and by the president for our refugee resettlement efforts.

Thousands of Canadians got involved and actively participated in integrating Syrian refugee families. Now, 13 other countries want to learn from Canada's experience. Today, we are proud to launch the global private sponsorship partnership with the UN and George Soros.

Indigenous Affairs

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is on another swanning trip at the UN, where he is sprinkling taxpayers' dollars around like fairy dust.

Meanwhile at home a new study has shown indigenous Canadians are losing limbs, their vision, and even dying from diabetes, a preventable, treatable disease. This is totally unacceptable and immediate action is required.

When will the Liberals stop neglecting business at home and ensure appropriate programs and medical care are available for indigenous Canadians?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we can care for people around the world at the same time as we care for Canadians.

I am in fact working very hard with my colleagues in the provinces and territories, as well as, of course, indigenous leaders across this country to address these very problems.

I, like my colleague, am very concerned about the rising rates of diabetes, particularly among indigenous peoples. There is much work to be done. I look forward to instituting a number of new measures that will make great progress on this very serious problem.