Debates of Oct. 2nd, 2017

Employment Insurance

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to help seasonal workers by solving the spring gap problem. However, it has been two years and nothing has been done. Meanwhile, seasonal workers in New Brunswick and across Canada will be left without an income to support their families. Instead of solving this problem once and for all, the Liberals are asking them to wait for a rise in unemployment. What a joke! Why is the government breaking its promise and turning its back on seasonal workers?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleague for giving me an opportunity to remind the House of the fundamental importance of the employment insurance system for guaranteeing income security, a certain degree of social certainty for our families and workers, and access to jobs all across the country, at a time of difficult economic conditions in some regions. I would also like to remind my colleague that we have made substantial efforts to increase the quality of services and the level of benefits across Canada. We are very eager to continue to work in that spirit.

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the premiers will be in Ottawa tomorrow to meet with the Prime Minister, and it is a chance to advocate for crucial energy infrastructure like the Trans Mountain pipeline. The new B.C. premier is fighting to stop it, yet in their first meeting the Prime Minister refused to even bring it up. The Prime Minister claims to support Trans Mountain, but of course actions speak louder than words.

When did the Prime Minister decide to abandon his responsibility to champion this pipeline, which is in the best interests of all of Canada?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, this government approved the Trans Mountain expansion project because we determined that it was in the national interest. It is in the national interest because it will create 15,000 jobs, mostly for the people of Alberta, and because it will allow us to expand our export markets. We are not comfortable with 99% of our oil and gas exports going to one country, the United States. We approved it because we believed then, and we believe now, that it is in Canada's interests.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should have brought it up with the premier.

Energy east will create thousands of jobs for all of Canada, and add $55 billion to Canada's GDP. However, eastern Canadians are forced to rely on foreign oil from places like Venezuela and Algeria, because the Liberals keep changing the rules as they go along.

Provincial premiers are worried and want answers. The New Brunswick premier has said that he believes the project is in jeopardy.

Will the Prime Minister stand up for energy workers and their families, and make sure energy east gets built?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, it is not the job of the Government of Canada to make sure that a project gets built. It is up to the Government of Canada to make sure the regulatory process is transparent, carries the confidence of Canadians, and understands the balance between economic growth, environmental stewardship, and partnership with indigenous peoples.

Since we came into power, more than 38,000 jobs will created in the energy sector, more than $30 billion for Canada's economy inside of two years, more than that government did in 10 years.

[Ron Liepert, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, these new regulatory hurdles that the Liberals keep imposing mean that Canadian energy development, which is already operating under a world-class regulatory regime, is held to a different standard than say auto manufacturers.

If auto manufacturers had to take into account downstream tailpipe emissions, like the Liberals are forcing on energy infrastructure, they and half that caucus would justifiably be outraged.

Could the Minister of Natural Resources tell us how this is fair?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, what is fair is that the energy east project will be considered and assessed under exactly the same criteria as the Enbridge Line 3 expansion and as the Trans Mountain expansion.

The Government of Canada has offered to ensure that this assessment is done by the National Energy Board at no additional cost to the proponent. The same criteria that was used in the other projects will be used for energy east.

Housing

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is designated by the United Nations as World Habitat Day, and this year's theme is affordable homes.

I was pleased to accompany the Canadian delegation for the UN Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador last November. Based on the unprecedented investments in housing in our past two budgets, we know this government shares the important goal of providing Canadians with affordable homes.

Could the minister responsible for housing provide us with an update on what those investments have achieved so far?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate and thank my colleague from Davenport for her hard work on behalf of her constituents and for advocating for housing.

Since April 2016, our government's commitment to housing has already paid off. Two hundred thousand Canadians have seen their housing needs assisted by our measures. Later this fall, we will be launching our first-ever national housing strategy, which will create opportunities for the long term, 10 years of investment and opportunities for every other partner in Canada.

We are back. We are here for the long term.

Seniors

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in celebration of National Seniors Day, I visited many seniors homes, talking and listening to their concerns.

One concern of seniors is identity theft. In light of a major security breach in a credit agency, when will the Liberal government take action to stop identity theft of our vulnerable seniors?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, the importance of seniors is not only very clear in our mandate letter, but it has also been very clear in our actions since April 2016. We increased by almost $1,000 the guaranteed income supplement for 900,000 vulnerable seniors. We brought the age of eligibly for old age security back to 65 years old, which is preventing 100,000 vulnerable seniors from falling into severe poverty. We have launched, and will be launching again, important investments in housing, in health care, and all sorts of things that will produce—

Infrastructure

[Erin Weir, NDP, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it was a big weekend. Saturday was National Seniors Day and Sunday was pretty exciting too.

However, the Saskatchewan Party's elimination of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company stranded many seniors, leaving them without transport to medical appointments and family gatherings. This is unacceptable.

Will the Liberal government make some of its transit infrastructure fund available to restore needed bus service between Saskatchewan's towns and cities?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, this government was elected on a platform to deliver a historic plan to invest in infrastructure: $180 billion over 12 years to create long-term growth and jobs for the middle class, create a low-carbon green economy, and improve social inclusion.

Since November 2015, we have announced 153 projects in Saskatchewan, with more than $210 million in federal funding, with combined funding of over $515 million together with the province. We will continue to work with the Province of Saskatchewan and deliver the projects that are dear to Saskatchewan's heart.

Health

[Denis Lemieux, Liberal, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Sunday was National Seniors Day. Seniors face unique challenges in our society, including health-related challenges.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House how his department is helping seniors live healthier lives?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents and for his strong advocacy on behalf of seniors.

Our government recognizes the contribution of seniors to our country and is committed to ensuring seniors have access to the health care services they need. That is why we are investing $6 billion through budget 2017 to improve access to home, community, and palliative care services. This funding, along with our actions to bring down prescription drug prices in Canada and the important work being done by the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, demonstrates a clear commitment by this government to the health and well-being of Canada's seniors.

Public Services and Procurement

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the numbers are in. The Liberals' Phoenix pay system fiasco is worsening. The backlog of cases grew by 20,000 last month. Hundreds of thousands of public servants are not being paid their proper salaries. Some are not being paid at all. These are real people.

Just last week, I spoke to Michelle in Edmonton. She has not seen any progress on her case in nearly two years. When will the minister finally stop blaming others and clean up this mess?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, it is unacceptable that hard-working public servants are not being paid the money they are owed. Resolving this as quickly as possible is indeed our priority. We have taken a number of steps to resolve this problem, including investing $142 million to recruit, hire, and train more employees; initiating emergency pay advances; opening temporary satellite offices; implementing technological solutions; improving business processes; and instituting a working group of ministers.

Make no mistake, we will leave no stone unturned.

Foreign Affairs

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Spain brutalized the Catalan people. Spain has brutalized democracy.

Whose side is Canada on? It is on the side of those who were beating innocent people with batons. The Prime Minister always supports the winner when he wants to cloak himself in righteousness. However, when it really counts, his complicit silence says a lot about how he truly feels about democratic principles.

Does the Prime Minister realize that his complicit silence legitimizes the Spanish government's violence?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada values its relationship with Spain. While the issue of Catalonia is a Spanish domestic matter, we are very concerned about the violence on the ground.

We hope that a solution can be found through peaceful dialogue, within the context of the Spanish constitution.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the Spanish government denied the Catalan people the right to self-determination, Ottawa said nothing. When the Spanish government sabotaged the referendum, Ottawa said nothing. When the Spanish government cracked down on the Catalan population who actually thought they might be able to vote, once again, Ottawa said nothing.

Its silence makes it complicit.

When will the Prime Minister finally stand and act like a true statesman for democracy?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, Canada values its relationship with Spain. However, we are very concerned about the violence on the ground. The issue of Catalonia is a Spanish domestic matter. We, like all Canadians, hope that a solution can be found through peaceful dialogue, within the context of the Spanish constitution.

Canadian Heritage

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is rare to have such a broad consensus in Quebec. Liberals and members of the PQ, tax experts and creators, business people and artists, everyone agrees.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage had a tough time last week, and I can certainly see why. The political, business, and cultural communities are all saying the same thing: the minister is giving Netflix special rights and harming Quebec culture.

Can the minister guarantee that Netflix will invest at least one-third of the $500 million that was promised in the production of French-language content?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I hear the concerns of the arts and culture sector and, of course, I represent the sector well. I work very hard to represent it well.

That being said, we have presented an extremely ambitious vision to protect our culture in a digital age. Our various laws do not even recognize the existence of the Internet and so we have to modernize a 30-year-old system. That is why I presented a plan for reform. We are going to amend the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act to better protect our culture.

South Surrey—White Rock and Bonavista—Burin—Trinity

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It is my duty to inform the House that vacancies have occurred in the representation: namely, Ms. Diane Watts, member for the electoral district of South Surrey—White Rock, by resignation, effective Friday, September 29, 2017; the Hon. Judy Foote, member for the electoral district of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, by resignation, effective Saturday, September 30, 2017.

Pursuant to paragraph 25(1)(b) of the Parliament of Canada Act, I have addressed warrants to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of writs for the election of members to fill these vacancies.