As we have seen, a number of governments have tried hiding various things in bills. That is what is happening here. The government is trying to hide things in Bill C-63 that it does not want Canadians to know too much about. It does not want to give Canadians a lot of details. A good example of something the Liberal government is trying to hide is the $480-million investment in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

If Canadians had $480 million to spend on growing the economy, and if we were to ask them whether they would rather spend that money in Asia or in Canada, I am sure that the vast majority of Canadians, if not all of them, would say that the money should be spent in our economy here at home.

Report StageBudget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2Government Orders

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Sherbrooke for his speech. I have just one question.

My colleague touched on a number of subjects, but he did not say a word about all of the good things in the budget. That really worries me when I think of the people in his riding and other ridings represented by opposition members.

In my riding, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, 15,700 children receive the Canada child benefit every month. That is phenomenal. It adds up to $5.2 million per month.

I wonder if my colleagues can tell us how many children in their own families receive the Canada child benefit.

Report StageBudget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2Government Orders

1:55 p.m.

NDP

Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure which part of the bill my colleague was referring to when he mentioned the Canada child benefit.

I am not sure whether my colleague read Bill C-63. What I do know is that nowhere in the bill is there any mention of the Canada child benefit. I do not know why the member is asking me a question about that today. If my colleague is wondering why I did not talk about it in my speech, he should read the bill we are debating here today. Then he will know why I did not mention the Canada child benefit.

I nevertheless thank my colleague for his question.

Civil LawStatements By Members

1:55 p.m.

Bloc

Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, Quebec culture, its institutions, values, and traditions are all too often ignored by Ottawa. Federal official bilingualism means English first and French if possible. The French language is far too often given second-class status. The same goes for civil law. Canada has two legal systems: common law, in the British tradition, and the Civil Code, in the French tradition.

Between now and Christmas, the Prime Minister is going to appoint a new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. For the past 18 years, the chief justice has been trained in the common law tradition. It is time to put the Civil Code, with its traditions and perspectives, back in its rightful place at the top of the highest court in Canada.

There are two legal systems, just as there are two official languages. It is time for change. It is only natural, as it will bring a critical balance. That is why we insist that the Prime Minister appoint a francophone judge from Quebec who is also trained in civil law.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and AssociatesStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a great Canadian success story.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates is a multinational communications and information company in Richmond, B.C. with a long-standing partnership with the Government of Canada. For over 30 years, MDA developed technologies that allowed Canada to be a world leader in space.

Do people know that B.C. engineers mapped the globe before NASA did in the 1960s? Do people know that the Canadarm was developed at MDA? Do people know that MDA provided the initial platform for Google Maps through RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2, and is the world's leading supplier of radar earth imagery?

Today, thanks to the CASIA project, MDA offers world-class data dissemination and collection.

Recently, MDA acquired the U.S. company DigitalGlobe, a leading optical satellite imagery provider. With an impressive track record in the delivery of space technology, this would secure MDA's and Canada's dominance globally in radar remote sensing, surveillance satellite communications—

MacDonald, Dettwiler and AssociatesStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

British Columbia WildfiresStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Mr. Speaker, my community experienced one of the worst wildfires in British Columbia's history this past summer. Although our community came together like never before, we are now facing many challenges with cleanup and recovery.

My constituents are counting on the government to help us with quick responses for those who have had their lives destroyed by fire. However, I have had a number of individuals who are facing capital gains taxes, because they were forced to log and salvage the lumber on their property, which was destroyed by the wildfire. They are looking for an interpretation from the Canada Revenue Agency, because they have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair the grounds and their fences.

In spite of the request that went to the Canada Revenue Agency many weeks ago, we are still lacking a response. They are waiting for answers. They need to know the policy. They need to know if consideration will be given.

I would ask the government, respectfully, to recognize the suffering of the fire victims and respond immediately to this query.

Hindu Heritage MonthStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Raj Grewal Liberal Brampton East, ON

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the Ontario government recognized each November as Hindu heritage month. All month, Hindu Canadians have been celebrating their heritage all across the province of Ontario.

I would like to take a moment to reflect on the contributions the Hindu community has made in Canada. We should be proud of its contribution in building a stronger, more diverse nation, in fields ranging from science, education, law, politics, and sports.

It is worth mentioning that in my riding of Brampton East, we have five Sikh gurdwaras, four Hindu temples, three mosques, and two churches. This is a clear example of how diversity is our strength and how we are achieving the Canadian dream in Brampton East.

I want to acknowledge the Hindu community's rich heritage. I hope members can join me in celebrating the multicultural fabric that makes our country the greatest country in the world.

Happy Hindu heritage month.

Abandoned VesselsStatements By Members

2 p.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Mr. Speaker, today and tomorrow, Parliament votes in a historic secret ballot vote to unblock my abandoned vessel legislation.

A yes vote would mean yes to over 50 coastal communities from Tofino to Fogo Island that endorsed my Bill C-352; yes to the 23,000 letters my supporters sent Liberal MPs this week; yes to standing with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, Ladysmith, Victoria, Oak Bay, Stz'uminus First Nation, and many more local governments that built this legislation with their solutions; yes to filling all the gaps in the transport minister's new bill, like dealing with the backlog of abandoned vessels; yes to co-operation across party lines to solving long-standing oil spill problems, which is something all Canadians want to see; and yes to restoring the one chance I get as a member of Parliament to bring legislation to the House.

I ask members to please answer this united call for action. Vote yes and allow coastal community voices to be heard.

Dick's JamboreeStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Casey Liberal Cumberland—Colchester, NS

Mr. Speaker, about a decade ago, Mr. Dick Bristol, a small businessman in Amherst, Nova Scotia, launched Dick's Jamboree.

The jamboree has been a weekly event in Amherst, featuring artists from all over the area. It has been more than entertainment; it has been truly a social event, where people meet and enjoy each other and local talent.

Dick and Carol have arranged special jamborees for people with disabilities and brought out some incredible talent that nobody knew was there. Dick's Jamboree never charged admission, but it did accept donations. Every single cent was donated to good causes.

For many artists, it was their first chance, and maybe only chance, to perform in front of a live audience. Every year the jamboree had a Christmas party and ensured that everyone who attended had a meal, a gift, and a great memory.

Dick has now retired the jamboree, but to Dick, his wife Carol, and his sister Betty, on behalf of Rosie and I, and all of Cumberland County area, our sincere thanks for the years of incredible generosity and very hard work. We thank Dick and Carol.

Festive SeasonStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the contribution of Calgarians in my riding who are bringing the community together during this festive season. We will have floats, parade bands, and Santa Claus to delight the crowds, as well as hot chocolate and coffee to warm frosty hands. During the outdoor fun and the indoor Christmas markets, there is something for everyone.

Among many others are the Millican-Ogden Christmas Craft Fair; the Mckenzie Lake Community Association - Children's Christmas Carnival; the Auburn Bay Parade of Lights; the Auburn Bay Christmas Party; the Cranston Residents Association--North Pole Express & Food Drive; the Cranston Christmas Festival of Lights; the McKenzie Towne Council--Kids' Christmas Party; the New Brighton “Brighton” up your home contest; the New Brighton Christmas at the Clubhouse; and the Copperfield & Mahogany Community Association--Outdoor Winter Festival with Santa.

Christmas is a time to give. We stand shoulder to shoulder in times of hardship, but also in times of celebration. I extend my thanks to all the volunteers and organizers. It is not quite a Macy's Parade in New York City but we are getting real close.

In gratitude, I wish all my constituents a merry Christmas and a darn good show.

Mississauga—Erin MillsStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today, truly humbled and grateful. Two years have passed since the people of Mississauga—Erin Mills placed their trust in me to represent them in this place.

In these two years, under the leadership of our Prime Minister and our Liberal government, my team and I have served over 1,800 constituents with their issues; knocked on over 5,000 doors to hear directly from Canadians; created 800 new jobs; brought in over $5.8 million in new federal investments; met with hundreds of constituents and stakeholders; and stayed connected with residents through thousands of emails, and attending over 500 community events.

I have spent the past two years doing what I am so passionate about, but as our Prime Minister says, “Better is always possible.” In the next two years, I vow to do better and be better for my constituents and for this beautiful democracy that is our Canada.

Outaouais Dairy Co-OperativeStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have more good news. Gatineau produces the best milk in the country. Laiterie de l'Outaouais is a dairy co-op in Gatineau, a co-operative of workers and consumers that has made a name for itself in the Outaouais region and elsewhere thanks to its exceptional products. This delicious milk is available at 300 retail outlets, for those who want to try it.

This morning, I had the pleasure of announcing $382,000 in financial assistance from the Government of Canada so that the dairy can purchase new equipment and develop new products that will be promoted under the new “Notre lait — Our Milk” brand. We support the dairy industry, Outaouais region farmers, employees, and our communities.

ChristmasStatements By Members

November 28th, 2017 / 2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC

Mr. Speaker, Christmas is a holy day where families come together to share love, happiness, and stories. In Beauport—Limoilou, thousands of families will get together to celebrate Christmas. This Christmas season, I look forward to welcoming hundreds of people from Beauport—Limoilou to my office in Quebec City to celebrate the arrival of Christmas and the new year. My Christmas party will take place on Wednesday, December 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and I invite everyone from Beauport—Limoilou to come out and meet me and my family, share their concerns, talk about politics, or just have a good time. Santa Claus himself is even expected to make an appearance for the little ones.

I would like to wish everyone in Beauport—Limoilou and all Canadians a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you and merry Christmas to everyone.

Agricultural Institute of CanadaStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Mr. Speaker, today the Agricultural Institute of Canada is meeting with members of Parliament from all over Canada. The AIC is Canada's voice for agricultural research and innovation and a world leader in conservation of Canada's land through science.

For 97 years, first as a Canadian Society of Technical Agriculturists, later named the Agricultural Institute of Canada, this great Canadian institution has served farmers by providing credible information for the Canadian agriculture and agrifood sector.

The AIC works hard to help farmers, academics, and industry stakeholders by advocating for and disseminating agricultural research. The AIC offers a variety of programs relating to agricultural accreditation, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and professionalism and ethics.

I encourage all members to attend the AIC reception later today in Room 238-S, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., either before or after they attend the reception at square drill hall.

Hats On For AwarenessStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON

Mr. Speaker, 28 years ago, Giovanni Tiberi lost his battle with depression and, after his death, his daughter Enza pledged to learn more about mental health, hoping to prevent such heartbreak for other families.

Enza and Benny Caringi co-founded Hats On For Awareness.

This organization fights against the stigma of mental illness by raising public awareness and helping people who are dealing with mental illness or addiction.

To this date, this exemplary organization in my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge has raised more than $625,000 through its annual Hatsquerade Gala.

This year marked its 9th anniversary.

I invite all my colleagues to join me in congratulating the team and dedicated volunteers at Hats On For Awareness.

Let us put a hat on to raise awareness about how we can better address the mental health issues that affect us all, our loved ones, our workplaces, and our communities.

London Abused Women's CentreStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

Mr. Speaker, Saturday, November 25, kicked off the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. That is why today, I would like to stand and pay tribute to the London Abused Women's Centre for all of the work it does in the community of London and surrounding area.

The London Abused Women's Centre provides assistance for women and children over the age of 12 who have been exploited through prostitution and sex trafficking, abused by their partners and/or exposed to sexual harassment.

It is not just about the centre, but truly the people who work there. Led by my incredible friend, Megan Walker, the team offers informed counselling, advocacy, and support in safe, non-crisis, nonresidential settings.

Throughout the month of November, its campaign, “Shine The Light”, is in full gear to raise awareness of violence against women by turning cities, regions, and counties purple for the month of November. Purple is a symbol of courage, survival and honour, and symbolizes the fight to end women abuse.

We stand in solidarity with these young women and girls and with the London Abused Women's Centre to end gender violence.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the unemployment rate for recent immigrants was 11%, while Canadian-born people had an unemployment rate of just 5%. That is a significant discrepancy.

If we truly want Canadians to build successful lives in Canada and join the ranks of the middle class, we must make it easier for immigrants to get their education and credentials recognized. This is why I was pleased to announce in my riding on Friday that our government is providing $573,000 to the College of Dental Technologists. This project will help internationally-trained dental technologists find jobs by shrinking the licensing process by three months. That is a significant amount of time for a newcomer eager to join the workforce in Canada.

We know that Canada is at its best and most prosperous when all Canadians have a real and fair chance at success. I am proud that our government is supporting newcomers by ensuring—

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

Child PovertyStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, education is the leading determinant of health and wellness and is also the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Child poverty is something that affects every riding in the country, and in my riding we have levels that double the national average.

The Canada learning bond program helps to lift children out of poverty and gives them a chance at a better life. We are inspired by the leadership of Vancouver Island University president Dr. Ralph Nilson and his team for their work in registering children of low-income families in this important program, but we still have more work to do.

I call on community groups and volunteers to follow the lead of the VIU, as only a fraction of eligible children have been registered for this incredible program. I urge the government to increase its funding for these local initiatives and make it easier to register children into this program so we we can create a path to health and prosperity for low-income families. One child living in poverty is one child too many.

JusticeStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB

Mr. Speaker, last year the conviction of Travis Vader on two counts of second degree murder was vacated after the trial judge applied a section of the Criminal Code that had been found to be unconstitutional all the way back in 1990, and yet there it was still in the Criminal Code 26 years later. After waiting six years for justice, the McCann family was obviously devastated by the vacated convictions.

In March, the Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-39 to see the removal of constitutionally inoperative sections from the Criminal Code. Yet eight months later, the minister has done absolutely nothing to move Bill C-39 forward and absolutely nothing to see that what happened to the McCann family never happens again. It is time for the minister to stop the delay and pass Bill C-39.

High-Speed Internet AccessStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I was in Louiseville—and here I want to acknowledge the member for Berthier—Maskinongé—to participate in our government's announcement about expanding high-speed Internet access to our rural regions, in collaboration with the Quebec government.

Our governments announced $290 million to connect our communities, and more than 100,000 families will benefit. This is great news for all rural regions of Quebec.

Within a few weeks, I will be able to give details about what this means for Brome—Missisquoi. I want to thank Robert Desmarais, director general, Arthur Fauteux, retired reeve, and all the mayors of Brome—Missisquoi for their tireless work on this file.

Special thanks are due to Réal Pelletier, the former mayor of Saint-Armand. I am grateful for Réal's commitment and passion. I also want to thank the member for Tobique—Mactaquac, who is the chair of our rural caucus, and my friends, the members for Hastings—Lennox and Addington and Laurentides—Labelle, as well as our colleagues in all parties for their indefatigable work on the issue of high-speed Internet access.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, CSIS warned the Liberal government all the way back in 2015 that returning ISIS fighters were a continuing and real threat to Canada. It warned that Canadian citizens were recruited by ISIS “[not] because they needed more foot soldiers...but because they want to teach the Westerners to take the struggle into every neighbourhood and subway back home.” ISIS specifically trained Canadian fighters to come back here and terrorize our community, and the Liberals have known about it for over two years.

Why is the Prime Minister so focused on reintegration services and not putting these people in jail?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, this government, like all governments, takes extremely seriously the safety of Canadians, and that is why everything we do is focused on keeping Canadians safe. We know that a society that is safe is one in which we are using a broad range of tools to keep Canadians safe. Yes, we have enforcement, surveillance, and national security tools that we use to a significant degree, but we also have methods of de-emphasizing or deprogramming people who want to harm our society, and those are some of the things we have to move forward on.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister who is de-emphasizing Canadian security, and Canadians are tired of it. It was Conservatives who amended the Criminal Code to make it an offence to leave Canada to fight for ISIS. It was Conservatives who were focused on giving our law enforcement new tools to prosecute ISIS fighters. The Prime Minister is using a broad spectrum that includes poetry and podcasts, and all kinds of counselling and group hug sessions.

When will the Prime Minister take the security of Canadians seriously and look for ways to put these ISIS fighters in jail?