House of Commons Hansard #238 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was young.

Topics

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Order. Again, I must ask people to restrain themselves just a bit longer. Allow the minister to finish her response.

The hon. minister.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

Madam Speaker, we have put in place emergency pay services. We are working with every level within all of our departments.

Quite frankly, this will be solved for public servants by public servants.

Status of WomenOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Gagan Sikand Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Madam Speaker, an estimated one in three women will experience some form of sexual violence in her lifetime. Gender-based violence has a devastating impact on individuals, families, and communities. Recent high-profile events continue to shine a light on the immediate need for activism.

November 25 will mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, and the first of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

Can the minister inform this House how we can all get involved and show our support?

Status of WomenOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary for Status of Women

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Mississauga—Streetsville for his advocacy.

During the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, we reflect on the causes and costs of gender-based violence. This year's theme, “my actions matter”, is a call to action to take concrete steps, to recognize, to call out, and to speak up against acts of gender-based violence.

We are proud to partner with the CFL to promote anti-violence measures at the 105th Grey Cup right here in Ottawa. I encourage everyone to join them and take a pledge to end gender-based violence.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB

Madam Speaker, the Liberals seem confused about how rules work. They seem to penalize those who follow them, and reward those who break them.

Recently a constituent lost her landed immigrant card and needed to travel within a few days. She contacted the government for a replacement card, but was told that it would take at least a month to replace it and that there was no way to expedite the process. Meanwhile, those who are illegally crossing the border into Canada are getting expedited work permits.

Why are the Liberals punishing those who follow the rules, and rewarding those who do not?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

Noon

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Serge Cormier LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Madam Speaker, there is a lot to that question.

If the hon. member across the way is talking about a specific case, he knows full well that I cannot comment on individual cases. If he is talking about asylum seekers at the border, we are currently putting on awareness activities in the United States to ensure that people know that Canadian laws must be respected.

If the hon. member across the way is talking about a specific case, I would be happy to discuss it with him.

HousingOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

Sven Spengemann Liberal Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON

Madam Speaker, our government announced a national housing strategy that will be very transformative. By enshrining the right to housing for all Canadians into this strategy, the government is playing a key role in reducing homelessness and poverty.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development share with this House how seniors like those in my riding of Mississauga—Lakeshore, who are advocating for more affordable housing, will benefit from this new strategy?

HousingOral Questions

Noon

Spadina—Fort York Ontario

Liberal

Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Madam Speaker, I can attest to witnessing first-hand the actions of the member from Mississauga—Lakeshore and his commitment to seniors and seniors housing. I attended a massive town hall with him as part of the consultations that led to the rollout of the national housing strategy.

Part of the strategy that spoke most strongly to the issue he has raised around seniors is the new Canada housing benefit. It will allow us to help seniors age in place, target them in particular for support, and make sure that their lives are conducted with dignity. It also builds on the CPP and GIS reforms that we have put in place. Seniors matter, housing matters, and that member's work on this has been absolutely fantastic.

ScienceOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB

Madam Speaker, Canada's fundamental science review was delivered to the Liberal government over seven months ago. The Naylor report review outlines 35 recommendations. When asked about these by the science community, the science minister had no clear answer and simply said they are “working on it”. It has been 229 days now, so just “working on it” will not cut it.

Can the science minister tell Canadians when these recommendations will be implemented?

ScienceOral Questions

Noon

London West Ontario

Liberal

Kate Young LiberalParliamentary Secretary for Science

Madam Speaker, well after a decade of neglect, our government is working to restore Canadian science. We started by unmuzzling our scientists, and then made historic investments, including $2 billion in research infrastructure and the largest investment in fundamental science in a decade.

Now we are taking action on fundamental science review recommendations and launching the Canada Research Coordinating Committee to improve coordination of the granting councils, and capping the tier 1 renewals for the Canada research chairs to ensure new opportunities for young researchers.

Air TransportationOral Questions

Noon

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Madam Speaker, flight attendants are worried about the decision to allow small knives on planes. They were clear with the Minister of Transport, expressing that “the changes go too far and put flight attendants and the public at risk”.

Since the ICAO has no requirement for standardizing high-risk items, why is it necessary to allow pocket knives on planes instead of keeping them in the baggage hold?

Air TransportationOral Questions

Noon

Kanata—Carleton Ontario

Liberal

Karen McCrimmon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Madam Speaker, dozens of other countries have implemented the same measures. Passenger safety is a serious matter for all of us. These measures have been implemented by France, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand, Italy, Russia, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Greece, Belgium, and others. We are certain that safety—

Air TransportationOral Questions

Noon

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Order. The hon. member for Montcalm has the floor.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

Noon

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Madam Speaker, 163 workers at the Davie shipyard lost their jobs yesterday because the government is not doing its job. Another 350 positions may be cut next week, one month before Christmas. The government is to blame because it continues to shortchange Quebec when awarding shipbuilding contracts.

Will the government finally take action and award Davie a second contract for a supply ship? Time is running out.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

Noon

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement

Madam Speaker, our government is always concerned about the impact of job losses on workers and their families.

We recognize the excellent work of Davie employees. Over the past few weeks, our government has been in contact with Davie shipyard management, the unions, and the Province of Quebec.

The national shipbuilding strategy has set aside $2 billion for small ship construction projects, which the Davie shipyard is eligible to participate in. Our government does not plan to purchase another interim supply ship at the end of the service contract with—

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Madam Speaker, the government is concerned, but it is not doing anything.

The EI program is totally disconnected from the needs of seasonal workers. It is so disconnected that when things are going well and the unemployment rate drops, seasonal workers in the regions suffer even more.

The Prime Minister got elected on a promise to solve the EI problem. He solved the problem for oil workers in western Canada.

When will he keep the promise he made to Quebec's seasonal workers?

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Spadina—Fort York Ontario

Liberal

Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

I know that things can be difficult for seasonal workers.

Our government is committed to addressing this issue. We are in consultation right now with employers, with workers, with municipalities, and with jurisdictions that have coverage of the issue. We are consulting to make sure that a comprehensive response is possible.

Seasonal workers, and those who face difficulties, even as we create 500,000 jobs and face regional challenges, are front of mind of the government, and in particular the minister, who is addressing the issue with his counterparts in the province.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Independent

Hunter Tootoo Independent Nunavut, NU

Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

While travelling my riding, constituents have expressed concern about carbon pricing and how it will increase our already high cost of living. The minister is aware that Nunavut is totally reliant on fossil fuels. Despite this, Nunavut's carbon footprint is only one-tenth of one per cent of Canada's carbon footprint.

The Government of Canada has committed to designing a solution that accounts for our unique nature when developing carbon pricing exemptions and regulations. My question is, are there specific exemptions and regulations being developed for Nunavut?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Ottawa Centre Ontario

Liberal

Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of Nunavummiuts. We know that northerners are on the front lines of climate change. I saw this directly when I was in the high Arctic this summer. I heard of Inuit hunters falling through the ice because they can no longer tell the thickness of the ice.

Our climate plan understands that we need to be working with northerners, that we need to develop unique situations. We are committed to working with our partners in the north on carbon pricing, and I am happy to say that we are sharing results of a study that we conducted right now—

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Order. Unfortunately, the time is up.

The hon. member for Montcalm.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Madam Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call upon the government to review its method for determining eligibility for employment insurance benefits in order to better meet the needs of seasonal workers, whose jobs are important for the economy of the various regions of Quebec.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

No.

Commissioner of Official LanguagesPrivilegeOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Madam Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege. It relates to the comments made by the MP for Skeena—Bulkley Valley today, who reminded this House that the government is about to appoint an official languages commissioner. I would refer you to the point I raised on May 31 in this House, which was talked about again on June 6. I have yet to receive a decision from the Chair on that question of privilege with respect to contempt on the part of the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

In those references, we provided prima facie evidence of contempt, where the evidence of Madame Meilleur, who was considered for a time as a person for the official languages post, conflicted directly with the remarks of the Minister of Canadian Heritage in this place on May 31. On June 6, there was additional information for the Speaker to consider.

I would also say that there is news from November 17 that suggests that a senior advisor in the minister's office, who had also worked at Queen's Park in the Ontario legislature, with respect to Madame Meilleur and senior PMO officials, directly contradicts what the Minister of Canadian Heritage told this House with respect to the appointment of an official languages commissioner.

There is no timeline on when the Speaker needs to respond to a question of privilege or a point of order. However, in light of the fact this was raised in May, and we are likely days away from a new person being named as the official languages commissioner, it is an additional question of privilege for me as a member that my previous question of privilege be addressed before this new person is appointed. The minister's actions with respect to the appointment process, both originally and now, are suspect and in contempt of my privileges as a member. I would like that determination from the original May 31 question of privilege to be addressed before the government proceeds with its next appointment.

Therefore, I am asking you for that decision with respect to my May 31 point to be accelerated, so that the matter can be addressed in due course.