Debates of Sept. 28th, 2016

Rail Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, the minister has stated multiple times that rail safety is his top priority. Likewise, we value the hard work and dedication of first responders in Canada. That is why the minister issued protective direction no. 36, delivering on our commitment to share more data with communities and first responders.

These new measures enhance transparency on rail safety and dangerous goods. In fact, we understand that the fire chief of the City of Windsor is now recommending that the city sign the non-disclosure agreement by railway companies to get more dangerous goods information—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The member for Edmonton Strathcona.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, so much for making rail safety the number one issue.

Both Conservative and Liberal governments have stated that moving oil and other dangerous goods by rail poses significant risk to our environment and communities, yet we have seen little action on community demands, other than one-off measures such as this.

Yesterday, I introduced Bill C-304 to make environmental assessments mandatory and to strengthen regulation of dangerous rail. The Minister of Environment has the power now to order an assessment of potentially dangerous rail. What is she waiting for?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my hon. colleague as the new critic for environment and climate change.

Our government is committed to proper environmental assessments that are based on science and evidence. As we saw yesterday, we applied our interim principles. I was very pleased to show that we can get resources to market in a sustainable and responsible way by following these principles.

These principles were actually used to engage indigenous peoples, who will now be part of environmental assessments of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project. Many of them have benefit agreements—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.

Natural Resources

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the Liberals' approval of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project is not all that it seems. The reality is that many residents of my riding woke up this morning in the same circumstances as they were yesterday, unemployed.

Unemployment rates in northeastern B.C. are still the highest in the province. As I said before, approving this project is one thing, building it is completely another. Why did the Liberals put potential poison pills in the approval with unnecessary conditions?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has said, the only way resources can get to market in the 21st century is if they are done in a responsible and sustainable way.

I am very pleased about our decision yesterday, which was based on our interim principles. It was based on science and evidence. It was based on meaningful consultation and accommodation with indigenous peoples. It was based on hearing from Canadians about concerns.

Those 190 conditions are consistent with that, because we need to make sure that any resources developed are done in a sustainable way. However, the way this will get to market is actually if the market price goes—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, residents in my riding have worked so hard to ensure their voices of strong support for B.C. LNG were heard. Yesterday's approval of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project was one step forward, but unfortunately the conditions attached were two steps backward.

Why did the Liberals ensure thousands of Canadian energy workers would remain out of work by adding potentially impossible conditions to their approval of Pacific NorthWest LNG?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I am puzzled by the question. I am not entirely sure if the member opposite believes this project should have been approved with no conditions.

Our government is a different government. We believe that the only way resources will get to market is if they are done in a sustainable and responsible way. That is what we have done. I am very proud that this project will create over 5,000 good, middle-class jobs, including union jobs. This is the way we move forward.

Let us be clear, we need to make sure that resources are developed in a sustainable way.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the conditional approval of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project does not mean the Liberals really intend to actually have it built. The vast majority of the assessment was completed under Canada's already world-leading vigorous regulatory system, but the Liberals keep talking about multiple regulatory changes, which means that other energy projects and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians are left hanging in the balance.

We hope the Prime Minister will proudly champion LNG, but what about all the other energy projects critical to Canada's economy?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, each of these projects will be judged on its own merits. They are not all the same.

Looking at the decision we made yesterday, a very important decision, it will lead to 5,000 new jobs being created in the energy sector across Canada. For some reason, we are not getting much credit from those opposite. Implicit also is that there will be pipelines that will move to tidewater, the first time that will happen in more than 10 years.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, expanding access into the Chinese market is incredibly important to boost the bottom line for Canadian farmers and agricultural industries. These industries contribute over $100 billion and two million jobs to our economy.

Could the Minister of Agriculture update the House on our government's recent accomplishments for Canadian farmers and farm families?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Hastings—Lennox and Addington for his question and support.

Last week was a great week for Canadian agriculture. Our government gained access for the Canadian canola farmers to the Chinese market until at least 2020, worth over $2 billion a year for Canadian farmers. We also gained access for bone-in meat under 30 months. That puts another $10 million in the pockets of farmers and ranchers in our country.

These successes will create growth and opportunity, and I intend to build on that growth and opportunity when I lead a trade mission to China.

Official Languages

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Commissioner of Official Languages denounced the fact that French language proficiency tests for prospective immigrants to Canada can cost twice as much as their English equivalents. However, the Constitution clearly states that official languages have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions within the Government of Canada.

What does the government plan to do right now to ensure that the law is respected and that francophone immigration applicants do not have to pay more for exactly the same service?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, accessibility and equality among our two official languages are extremely important to us. We received yesterday's report and will give it very serious consideration. We have already taken action in favour of francophones outside Quebec through our francophone significant benefit program, and I can assure the House that we will be doing more, such as taking this report into consideration.

The Environment

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta has been a world heritage site for more than three decades. In response to a petition by Mikisew Cree First Nation, the United Nations began an investigation into the government's failure to protect the park from impacts of oil, gas, and hydro projects, including Site C in British Columbia. This could land the park on the UN's list of world heritage sites in danger.

Will the minister and her colleagues work together to better protect and preserve Wood Buffalo?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, we welcome the joint UNESCO World Heritage Centre and International Union for Conservation of Nature mission to Wood Buffalo National Park, which is taking place from September 25 to October 4. Reactive monitoring missions are carried out around the world as an act of due diligence to assess potential threats to the outstanding universal value of world heritage sites. These missions are a valuable tool in the ongoing protection of these international important treasures.

Regional Economic Development

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this summer, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the four Atlantic premiers, and the four cabinet ministers from Atlantic Canada launched the Atlantic growth strategy. Can the minister please explain how this strategy is different from the work that has previously been done to address the problems of economic growth in Atlantic Canada?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question and for her advocacy on behalf of the residents of South Shore—St. Margarets. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the 32 outstanding MPs from Atlantic Canada who were instrumental in launching the Atlantic growth strategy.

Under this strategy, we have launched an immigration program that will increase levels by 50%. We have invested $154 million in Atlantic universities and colleges and we have also invested $225 million—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I hate to cut the minister off.

The hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

Labour

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is in my riding. It is a small business run by a middle-income family. It is 197 years old. It is the only one like it operating in Canada and it has never had a workplace accident. It is basically a working museum. It cannot meet the federal labour code and it is about to be shut down.

The Minister of Labour knows the Arva Flour Mill can be exempted from the federal labour code. She has the authority to save it. Will the minister please do her job?

[MaryAnn Mihychuk, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is an example of a business that has been in operation 150 years. It is a hard-working family-owned small business that has done the right thing. However, companies must respect the Canada Labour Code and it is our duty to ensure the health and safety of workers across Canada.

We are very committed to ensuring small business has the right to compete and strive and do well. We are working with the community and the owner.

Indigenous Affairs

[Hunter Tootoo, Independent, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, the government has committed to addressing housing, infrastructure, health care, education, and connectivity in Métis and Inuit communities. The minister is aware of the great need for this investment in Nunavut. To date, first nations on reserve have been the recipients of this much-needed funding.

I would like to ask the minister how and when this funding will flow to other aboriginal groups, especially for Nunavut. Will this funding be done on a needs-based approach or continue with the woefully inadequate per capita system that continues to fail us?

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question and also for his input into northern and Inuit priorities.

Our government is renewing our relationship as a crown-Inuit relationship. We have been consulting Inuit people across the north. We work closely with the Nunavut government. This year we announced an $178-million investment into Inuit housing, of which $78 million will go to Inuit in Nunavut.

Yes, we are looking at these investments on a priority basis. That is why we have invested very much into recreational—