Debates of Nov. 24th, 2017

The Environment

[Karen McCrimmon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, as I have already mentioned, Canadians expect a government to come out with legislation that is comprehensive, long term, integrated, multi-jurisdictional, and negotiated. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to the opportunity, the determination of the House next week. Have no doubt, we are serious about making this happen.

Sports

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Madam Speaker, Canada's 105th Grey Cup will be played this weekend here in the national capital region. We will get to see Toronto take on Calgary in a game that will hopefully be as gripping as last year's.

Certainly several thousands of young people from across the country will watch it on TV and see some of the best athletes competing.

Could the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities tell us about the inspiration these events provide to young people?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Madam Speaker, for 105 years CFL athletes have been inspiring our kids to participate in sports. Kids have dreamed of emulating their CFL heroes, from Jackie Parker to Jon Cornish, from Bruce Covernton to Ricky Ray, from Dave Sapunjis to S.J. Green. This is important, because we want kids to live active, healthy lives and to dream big and be proud of who they are.

I am proud of our CFL athletes, teams, and organizations but on Sunday, I will be cheering for my hometown Calgary Stampeders. Go Stamps Go.

Public Safety

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

Madam Speaker, yesterday the minister said that the number of ISIS fighters in Canada that he has been citing is “essentially accurate”. Well, being “essentially accurate” is not going to keep Canadians safe or bring justice to the victims of these criminals.

I will ask the minister once again. How can he claim to be surveilling all ISIS fighters in Canada if he is using two-year-old data, or is he claiming that no new terrorists have entered Canada in the last two years, or is he admitting that there are terrorists that he is no longer watching?

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

Madam Speaker, I am interested in the hon. member's views but there are other views.

Last night in the media, security expert and former CSIS officer Phil Gersky said this, “The previous government had an abysmal record when it came to countering violent extremism and early detection. The Conservative government didn't care.” Dr. Lorne Dawson from the University of Waterloo said, “The previous Conservative government had little or no interest in following up on this, so Canada is late.” They also cut a billion dollars from the security services of Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Again, I remind members that they should be listening to the question. They could end up losing a question if it is taking too much time. I would assume that in order to ask the next question, they would like to know what the answer was.

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

Madam Speaker, here is the fact. It was our Conservative government that passed the laws that will allow these criminals to be punished. It is the $300 million that we directed to counterterrorism that is helping law enforcement officials do their jobs today. By contrast, the Liberal government's response to these terrorists has been to weaken these laws, provide funding for integration support for these criminals, and hide their numbers from Canadians.

He is dancing. Why will the minister not tell Canadians how many ISIS fighters have returned to Canada in the last two years, and how many are under 24-hour surveillance?

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

Madam Speaker, the numbers have been published already.

Canada works constantly with all of our allies, the Five Eyes, G7, Interpol, and others to know as much as we possibly can about every threat.

Our Canadian agencies constantly assess and reassess all the data to be effective and current in keeping Canadians safe and they respond with a full suite of measures, investigations, surveillance, marshalling evidence, lifting passports, no-fly lists, threat reduction initiatives, and criminal proceedings wherever that is possible.

National Defence

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals claim to be following and watching terrorists. They also claim to support and respect the members of the Canadian Armed Forces, but the Liberals are cutting the pay of our brave soldiers who have served in some of the most dangerous missions in the world while at the same time pandering to Canadian ISIS terrorists by giving them taxpayer-funded reintegration programs.

Why are the Liberals choosing Canadian terrorists over the brave women and men who have fought against them?

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, Canada was present in the fight against Daesh. Working with the Iraqis, and primarily the Kurds, we helped recapture Mosul and restore peace and international stability in this region.

We are also maintaining a presence to ensure regional stability through various other actions.

[Alupa Clarke, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Madam Speaker, my colleague was not talking about the fight against ISIS. He was talking about how this government is treating our serving military members. Its treatment of them is callous. It is turning its back on our veterans and even now threatening to cut the monthly allowance for injured soldiers.

The Liberals are proposing a state-funded program for radicalized terrorists, but they are not even providing a similar level of service to law-abiding Canadian citizens.

Why should terrorists who fought against our country be entitled to free reintegration services even as the Liberals abandon our own veterans and serving military members?

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, I should set the record straight for my colleague opposite. It is not true that our soldiers have been subjected to pay cuts or lost income. We recently increased their pay by 6.34% and their allowances by 5.1%. We are giving injured soldiers a six-month grace period to help them get healthy again. We think that six-month grace period goes a long way toward smoothing the transition to normal pay levels.

The Environment

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

Madam Speaker, last week, the International Union for Conservation of Nature called Wood Buffalo National Park one of the most threatened world heritage sites in North America. They affirmed what UNESCO has already found. Canada's largest national park is threatened by federal government neglect and resource development.

UNESCO gave the government until February 2018 to respond to its report, but with the deadline approaching, Canadians have not heard anything. This is a black eye for Canada on the world stage. What will the government do to save this critically important park?

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member opposite for his advocacy on parks and protected areas. We understand the importance of protecting Wood Buffalo National Park and we welcome the review by UNESCO. We are working very hard, including with the indigenous communities within the park, and we will continue to do so.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue is shifting the blame onto the Conservatives for the abysmal report card her agency received from the Auditor General.

She claims that cuts to the number of agents are to blame. However, after two years, she has done nothing about it. When over half of all calls to the CRA are blocked and 30% of callers are getting the wrong information, it seems clear to me that in-person service needs to be restored in rural areas.

When will she face the facts and admit that nothing is more effective than in-person service?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Madam Speaker, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, reduced business hours, and reduced service standards. Rather than cutting, we decided to reinvest $50 million for the next four years. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians as important clients and not just as taxpayers, as indicated in my mandate letter.

Canadian Heritage

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

Madam Speaker, we are standing two blocks away from the longest skating rink in the world. Four blocks away at City Hall there is a lovely outdoor facility, however, the government sees nothing wrong with spending $5.6 million for a temporary rink on Parliament Hill. It works out to about 300 taxpayer dollars per spin. Now we hear it is going to be rebuilt in Ottawa. Will the minister at least commit to sending this rink to a community in the north where the season is long and the need is great?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, of course we are really delighted with this new project.

If my colleague had listened to what I have said in the past, this rink will be given to a community in need afterwards. Meanwhile, Canadians will have until February to enjoy the great Winterlude and also this important infrastructure.

I hope I will have the chance to go on the ice and enjoy ice-skating with her. This is a great way to celebrate Canada 150.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I know it is Friday and the day is going to end pretty soon, but, again, I would ask people to restrain themselves just a little while longer.

The hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Madam Speaker, it has been two years since the minister gutted the First Nations Financial Transparency Act.

Now, Harrison Thunderchild has reluctantly taken his leadership in the community to court around their lack of disclosure. He told the National Post, “Every level of government has that expectation to be transparent and accountable. First Nations should not be any different..”.

The minister promised a new system two years ago. When is she going to deliver?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleague has recognized that we are on a journey of reconciliation.

Our renewed relationship with indigenous peoples is based on a recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership. It is in that context that we are doing work to establish a new fiscal relationship with indigenous peoples. We are consulting in terms of how we can develop better systems of mutual accountability. I would be happy to hear any recommendations to that end.

Public Services and Procurement

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, in response to the minister treating Canadians like important customers, the government has failed a hard-working public servant in my riding of Yorkton—Melville.

Last spring, out of the blue, Phoenix cut her pay by $500 a month. What was she told when she called the pay centre helpline: “Your call is important to us. If you have received an overpayment, press 1. If you have a concern about your T4, press 2. For all other inquiries, press 3.”

Can the minister please explain why “if we owe you money” was not priority number one?

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

Madam Speaker, this is the number one priority for me. Getting people paid on time and properly is indeed my primary focus.

We are taking steps that the previous government simply did not take. It was that irresponsibility that put us in this situation. We are improving our training. We are—