House of Commons Hansard #218 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was forest.
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, the situation in Sarnia with the first nations is very worrying. We are encouraged by the steps the Ontario government is taking. We are working very closely with it.
This is exactly why we need to ensure we always have strong regulations for clean air and to protect human health. We are looking forward to strengthening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, this week, the Quebec organization Vigilance OGM said that five million genetically modified salmon were definitely sold in Quebec. However, Provigo, IGA and Metro have said that they would not sell genetically modified salmon because Canadians do not want to eat it.
Did Quebeckers unknowingly eat genetically modified salmon? Did this genetically modified salmon end up in institutions such as hospitals and prisons? Canadians want transparency.
Why is the Liberal government not listening to Canadians and requiring mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods?
Bill Blair LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the safest, most affordable, and most abundant food supplies in the world. That is due in no small part to our science-based regulatory system.
Our government is committed to studying the evidence and making decisions using the best available data. Health Canada scientists conduct a rigorous pre-market safety assessment of all genetically modified foods prior to allowing their sale on the Canadian market.
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear. The Minister of Finance's letter was specific. In 2015, he told the owners of his company, Morneau Shepell, and Canadians that he would put his assets into a blind trust. He clearly knew what the right thing to do was. However, instead, he chose to use a loophole and continue to deliberately hide and control millions of dollars.
Another important question is this, and Canadians need to know. Was the Prime Minister complicit? When did he know?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, to be absolutely clear, disclosing all my assets was very important. That was exactly what I did with the Ethics Commissioner. That is the way the system works. I did that because the Prime Minister asked me and all the members of our government to live up to the highest standards of integrity.
Working with the Ethics Commissioner and taking her recommendations is really respecting the role of that officer of Parliament. We will continue to respect the role of Parliament and take her recommendations as opposed to the ill-informed recommendations across the hall.
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am going to remind the Minister of Finance that I will not be shamed by his personal lack of respect for this Parliament. I am going to remind him that his job is to uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, that he should have arrange his personal and private affairs with the conflict of interest rules. It was just not beyond the letter. The letter of the law may be there, but his job was to go over and above.
Could the Minister of Finance confirm whether he was hiding this from the Prime Minister as well?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I have been very clear that the Prime Minister expects us to live up to the highest standards of integrity. That is what we have done here. He expects us to work with the Ethics Commissioner. He expects us to take the recommendations of the Ethics Commissioner and put them into place.
In my situation, the Ethics Commissioner gave me some very specific ideas on how I could best ensure that I did not have conflicts of interest. I followed those recommendations. Now I am going to take some additional steps to go even further. That will assure all Canadians of confidence in this role.
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Mr. Speaker, these are the facts. The Prime Minister clearly instructed the Minister of Finance to arrange his private affairs in a way that would bear the closest public scrutiny. The finance minister told Morneau Shepell and the press that he would place his holdings in a blind trust to avoid conflicts of interest. However, two years later we now know that he did no such thing.
I will give the minister another opportunity to answer the question. When did he tell the Prime Minister that he chose not to put his assets in a blind trust, despite committing to do that?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I would like to actually go to the real facts as opposed to the alternative facts and give an explanation to the member opposite.
The real facts are that I gave all my assets to the Ethics Commissioner so she could determine the best way to avoid conflicts of interest. She told me that the best measure of compliance was to put in place a conflict of interest screen, which is exactly what I did. Complying with the Ethics Commissioner, respecting an officer of Parliament, that is the way we will continue to comport ourselves. In fact, I am going to go some steps further than that.
Mary Ng Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, 2017 was another fantastic year for Canada's tourism industry.
In my riding of Markham—Thornhill, we welcomed record number of visitors from around the world who came to visit family, to celebrate Canada's 150, in one of Canada's most diverse regions.
Could the Minister of Small Business and Tourism update the House with the latest news on Canada's thriving tourism sector?
Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, it is a great day for the tourism industry.
Today's Statistics Canada data shows that from January 2017 to August, 2017, we welcomed over 14.6 million international tourists, up 4.3% from 2016. This is especially great news during Small Business Week, as most of Canada's tourism businesses are small businesses. More visitors means more growth in the sector, which means more jobs for Canadians. Of this year's visitors, 10.5% were from China. This is amazing news as we prepare for the 2018 Canada-China Year of Tourism.
As I am on my feet, I would like to wish everyone celebrating, happy Diwali.
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement has never been a priority for this government.
In Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, for example, about 5,000 jobs are connected with this vital sector. These jobs are highly vulnerable due to the U.S. government's new tariffs. The Liberals' inaction could have disastrous consequences for thousands of families who depend on forestry.
Will the current government do the only thing that makes sense: defend this vital industry against the pernicious attacks of foreign-funded groups and support the opposition motion to defend forestry workers?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague that softwood lumber is indeed a priority for me and our government. This issue is very important to us and to Canadians. I want to reiterate that the countervailing duties imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce are punitive and unfair.
We are working closely with the Province of Quebec, the industry, and workers. I also want to emphasize that we want a good deal, not just any deal.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is not the only one who is out of touch. Unfortunately, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is too.
On Tuesday, in response to a report in which the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage called for concrete action for the cultural and media sectors, the minister said she was exploring the options. After two consultations, three reports, and 3,000 people consulted over a period of 18 months, it seems to me she should have the lay of the land by now. The situation is critical, and the minister must act now. Instead, she is passing the buck to the CRTC so it can explore the options a year from now.
To do her job, she needs to see that this is urgent. When will she wake up and listen to the people she is supposed to protect?
She is the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Sean Casey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question and his work in committee.
During our consultations, and following the great work the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage did, we heard from Canadians who feel strongly about local news and information. Our approach is based on the following two principles: healthy democracy depends on trustworthy journalistic content, and government measures must respect media independence.
Again, we thank the committee and the member.
Yves Robillard Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Mr. Speaker, as a former teacher and cadet officer and current member of the Standing Committee on National Defence, I care deeply about the education of our military personnel. We must provide our soldiers with learning opportunities to increase their skills and enhance their military leadership.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence tell the House about the new partnership that will focus on university-level continuing education for our soldiers in the Montreal region?
Jean Rioux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question and for his interest in education.
The Canadian Armed Forces recently partnered with the Université de Montréal to offer leadership programs beginning this fall for regular forces and reserve members. This high-level training offered in a challenging environment will give participants the skills they need to become better leaders both within the armed forces and in civil society.
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister least capable of relating to the hardscrabble realities of middle-class small business, the Liberal's chief tax loophole closer, is finally closing a loophole through which he moved his great wealth, in clear violation of the spirit of ethical guidelines and the law. However, there is still the minister's unreported private corporation in France.
Could the finance minister tell us whether he has been served notice by the Ethics Commissioner of his violation of the Conflict of Interest Act?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as I have reported to the House, I disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner. As I found out recently, we did have an administrative oversight around the approach I took to purchase a house, so we have corrected that oversight, and I have worked with the Ethics Commissioner to make sure that is clear.
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, cheese producers from Lac-Saint-Jean and throughout Quebec still have not been compensated for the losses they will incur in the wake of the free trade agreement with the European Union. Supply management is being threatened by both the TPP and NAFTA.
What does the Prime Minister do? He takes selfies.
Instead of acting like a rock star, when will the Prime Minister send a clear message to the U.S. and Asian negotiators: no supply management, no negotiation?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. colleague is well aware that I announced in the House that the Government of Canada has put in place a $350 million package for the dairy industry and the supply management sector: $250 million goes to the dairy farmers for innovation, and $100 million goes to the processing sector.
Our government has supported and will continue to support supply management in this country.
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is a lot of empty rhetoric. Where are the 40 phantom Liberal MPs from Quebec, the 40 subservient MPs?
While the gaze of the agricultural world is fixed on the NAFTA negotiations, other negotiations are underway to determine the future of the trans-Pacific—
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. It is time to listen.
The hon. member for La Pointe-de-l'Île a la parole. Let us listen, please.
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, while the gaze of the agricultural world is fixed on the NAFTA negotiations, other negotiations are underway to determine the future of the trans-Pacific partnership, and supply management is still on the table.
Will the Minister of International Trade promise not to use supply management as a bargaining chip in the TPP negotiations at the expense of Quebec?