Debates of Sept. 20th, 2016

Government Expenditures

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect public resources to be used responsibly and economically, and we are committed to living up to these expectations.

Therefore, I will let members know that any assistance in relocation was done in accordance with the rules.

We have set the standard high. We are committed to working with Canadians to ensure that we have an open and transparent government. We will ensure we continue to raise the bar.

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish her luck explaining the next several years of this.

The Liberals' sense of entitlement is never ending. The Minister of Foreign Affairs approved $146,000 to relocate nine political staff. The Prime Minister gave a whopping $220,000 to five political staff, one of whom was handed $126,000 alone. These costs are at the discretion of the ministers and the Prime Minister.

At a time when Alberta families are losing their homes, how can the Prime Minister justify these ridiculous expenses?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, when one is committed to an open and transparent government, luck is not needed. Transparency is needed, and we encourage all members to hold this government to account.

We have built a diverse team of passionate, hard-working, and extremely qualified Canadians to deliver the change people voted for. The team in Ottawa came from coast to coast to coast to serve Canadians and deliver on our promise to grow the middle class and those working hard to join it. This meant that many people had to move to Ottawa, with their families and children, across the country to serve in Ottawa. As part of this process, some employees received assistance in relocating. Any assistance—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am shocked at the level of Liberal entitlement when it comes to spending other people's money. Liberal staff received more than $1.1 million in payouts to relocate to Ottawa. These cash payouts included more than $100,000 to a single Liberal staff member. This should be no surprise, given that the Liberal whip took $70,000 to move down the street.

With unemployment rising and families struggling to make ends meet, why did the Liberals think it was somehow okay to spend taxpayers' hard-earned money on these outrageous staff expenditures?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect public resources to be used responsibly and economically, and we are committed to living up to these expectations. We committed to an open and transparent government, and that is what we are doing. Any expenses incurred were in accordance with the rules. We will continue to raise the bar.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we already knew that this government was on a spending spree and had no respect for taxpayers' money. Here is yet another in a long line of examples. Two PMO staffers racked up outrageous relocation expenses. One claimed over $125,000 and the other $80,000.

Some Canadians have a hard time putting money aside. Will the government tell them who exercised poor judgment in approving these expenses? Which two staffers did the Liberal regime treat so generously?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect public monies to be used responsibly and economically. We are committed to living up to those expectations. The team in Ottawa came from coast to coast to serve Canadians and deliver on our promise to grow the middle class and help those determined to join it. Relocation expenses were reimbursed in accordance with the rules.

Indigenous Affairs

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is at the UN, where two of his ministers recently promised to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

How can this be the same government that approved the permits for the Site C hydroelectric dam without consulting indigenous peoples?

The Minister of Justice has a constitutional obligation to ensure that indigenous peoples are consulted before those permits are issued. Is this what the new nation-to-nation relationship means to this government, violating the rights of indigenous peoples in such a careless manner on this issue?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, in the fall of 2014, the former government approved the project and set a number of legally binding conditions with which the proponent must comply. The project is now in the construction phase.

As we outlined in the interim principles, project reviews are continuing within the current legislative framework and in accordance with treaty provisions. This includes not revisiting projects that have been reviewed and approved. I would note, however, that the proponent will need to comply with all applicable conditions.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what about the silence over there from the justice minister? I remember when she was a passionate defender of indigenous rights against Site C, when she said that it would damage Canada's international reputation and that it ran roughshod over aboriginal title; but now that she has the legal responsibility to protect indigenous rights, she has gone to ground, she is sitting there smiling away. Where is the moral courage?

I would like her to stand up and tell indigenous Canada if she still believes Site C project approvals run roughshod over aboriginal title, yes or no. It is a simple request.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, as we stated in the announcement of the interim principles and the principles on January 27, and with the recent establishment of the panel that was reviewing EA processes, we are working to modernize and significantly improve how environmental assessments are conducted and major project decisions are made. As part of these processes, indigenous peoples will be meaningfully consulted and, where appropriate, impacts on their rights and interests will be accommodated.

Justice

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for more than 140 years under both Liberals and Conservatives, Atlantic Canada has had representation on the Supreme Court of Canada. It was not just a good idea; it is a constitutional convention. The Prime Minister has called this into question.

Surely, with four Liberal premiers down there and 32 Liberal members of Parliament, there must be one of them who is prepared to stand up for Atlantic Canada.

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that our government introduced a process for the appointment of Supreme Court of Canada judges, to make it open and transparent. I look forward to the independent expert panel bringing back very qualified candidates, respecting regional representation, who are functionally bilingual, and represent the highest standards of jurists in this country. I know there will be a number of jurists from Atlantic Canada who will find themselves on that list.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, for 141 years, Atlantic Canada has had representation on the Supreme Court, but now the Liberals are prepared to overturn a 141-year constitutional convention and shut out Atlantic Canada. Why are the 32 Liberal MPs from Atlantic Canada prepared to allow their region to be the only region without representation on the Supreme Court?

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question allows me to highlight the new process that the Prime Minister put in place for Supreme Court of Canada appointments. We respect the idea of having an open and transparent process to gain access to applications from a diverse group of qualified jurists from across the country. We respect the principle of regional representation and I am confident that when the independent expert panel brings back names to me to make recommendations to the Prime Minister, there will be high calibre Atlantic Canadians on that list.

Health

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the deadly drug fentanyl is plaguing western Canada. In the last 18 months, well over 400 Albertans have died from fentanyl overdoses. We need to send a message to drug pushers who are poisoning Canadians with fentanyl that to do so is tantamount to a death sentence.

When will the Liberals take action and introduce heavy mandatory sentences for fentanyl traffickers?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for raising this important matter in the House. The matter of the opioid crisis in this country is a serious one. There are escalating challenges with access to fentanyl, including the fact that people are overdosing and dying as a result. We are working in a collaborative way. The response to the opioid crisis needs to be comprehensive and collaborative. I will be working with my colleague, the Minister of Public Safety, as well as many other colleagues across the country, to address this serious problem.

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for her response, although she is not committing to tougher penalties. The Government of Alberta is not taking greater action and the Liberals today at the health committee voted down a motion by my colleague for Calgary Confederation for an emergency study on the fentanyl crisis at the health committee. We know that fentanyl is primarily produced in China. Much of it is smuggled to Canada, so did the Prime Minister raise these illicit fentanyl exports from China with his counterparts during his recent visit?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the matter of the opioid crisis, including the fentanyl crisis, is a very serious one. There is no single player that is going to resolve this problem. It will require multiple departments of our government working with provincial and territorial colleagues, working with health care providers, and working at all levels to address access to fentanyl, including information for prescribers and the general public. All appropriate measures will be undertaken.

Public Services and Procurement

[Erin Weir, NDP, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Public Services appeared before committee to discuss the Phoenix boondoggle. The minister was very clear about one thing: it is not her fault. She tried to blame the previous government, her own officials, and pay centre employees—anyone but her. Today, the entire Phoenix pay system crashed.

My question is simple: whose fault is it this time? When will the minister take responsibility and ensure that all federal workers are properly paid?

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to a secure, reliable, and modern IT system. We are working really hard to fix the issues around Phoenix. Our priority is to make sure that employees who work get paid for the work performed. That is what we are doing. We are working very hard to do that. We are not blaming employees who are working hard on this file. We have employees who are working to make sure that other employees get paid. That is where the focus is, making sure that people get paid for work performed.

Dairy Industry

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, dairy producers continue to pay the price for the Liberals' inaction. After promising to fix the problem of diafiltered milk, which is costing Canadian producers millions of dollars, the Liberal government has yet to take any action whatsoever. Once again today in committee, the minister had nothing new to offer: no plan, no vision, no solution. This is not at all reassuring. The government should be ashamed.

I call on the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to do his job. When will he put an end to the consultations and finally take action to fix the problem of diafiltered milk?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and concern. However, in committee today we did discuss this issue and it is fair to say that most of us at least agreed that we do not want a date; what we want is a solution. This is something that we inherited and we intend to fix it, and we will fix it.

Canadian Heritage

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, Tatiana Maslany won the Emmy for her role in the Canadian television series Orphan Black. The Minister of Canadian Heritage launched extensive consultations on the creation, discovery, and export of Canadian content in a digital world. This conversation will give Canadians the opportunity to think about ways to better promote the creative Canadian spirit.

Can the minister give us an update on the progress of these consultations and tell us how Canadians can participate?