Debates of Nov. 7th, 2017

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question.

First, I would like to assure the member that the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that newcomers, including refugees, integrate and contribute fully to the Canadian economy and to their communities.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s settlement program works to ensure that eligible newcomers receive the information they need about life in Canada and the community in which they intend to settle, including language training, help finding a job, and connections with established immigrants and Canadians.

While asylum claimants are not eligible for federal settlement services until they receive a positive refugee determination, they are eligible for some settlement services funded by the provinces.

Once an asylum claim is deemed eligible and referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board, the federal government covers the cost of eligible health care services under the interim federal health program.

Once an individual has made a refugee claim, he or she can also request social assistance, which falls under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada provides funding to over 80 organizations and agencies in British Columbia to support the delivery of services so that newcomers, including refugees, can successfully integrate into Canadian society.

As I said earlier, the asylum claimants that the Inland Refugee Society of British Columbia works with are not yet eligible for federally funded settlement programming, as they have not yet received a positive refugee determination by the Immigration and Refugee Board. As a result, this organization does not qualify to receive federal funding under the settlement program.

It is important to clarify that, once an individual has been determined to be eligible to make a claim in Canada, they may have access to social assistance, education, health services, emergency housing, and legal aid while a decision is pending on their claim.

Except for health services, which are funded by the Government of Canada, provision of all these supports is the responsibility of provinces and territories. Municipalities and non-profit organizations also provide some support services. I should also note that individuals who are found to be eligible to make a refugee claim can apply for a work permit once they have undergone a medical examination.

It makes no difference whether the asylum claim was made at the border or at an inland office. The Government of Canada also provides funding through the Canada social transfer, the CST, which is a federal block transfer to provinces and territories in support of post-secondary education, programs for children, social assistance, and other social services. The CST is provided on an equal per capita basis to the provinces in accordance with Statistics Canada's annual population estimates. Those estimates include persons claiming refugee status and family members living with them. In 2017-18, the CST will provide $13.7 billion to the provinces and territories.

It is also important to note that the number of asylum seekers varies over time and can depend on a number of different factors.

We are carrying on in the noble tradition of providing protection to those who are seeking refuge and we are committed to doing so responsibly and effectively.

We are ensuring that our agencies are able to manage the growing volumes and we are also working to dispel the myths and set the record straight on Canada's asylum system.

Once again, I want to thank the hon. member for Vancouver East for the question.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the truth of the matter is that these asylum seekers do come in, and we have had a large influx of them. The Province of Quebec is getting some resources from the government to deal with the asylum seekers, but Manitoba and British Columbia are not getting any resources at all.

IRS-BC has been struggling on the ground to provide support to asylum seekers. What are the officials supposed to do, just turn them away and say, “Sorry, we cannot help you”? That is exactly what is happening. Families are being turned away and left on the streets. Canada is supposed to do better, but right now our federal government is turning its back on these families and not supporting the organizations and NGOs on the ground who are doing the heavy lifting.

Again, I ask the government to look at this issue and to re-evaluate its approach to this. It is not right for it to ignore the situation the way it has. IRS–BC deserves funding and support, as do all other organizations who are doing this important work across the country.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is determined to ensure that newcomers, including refugees, integrate and contribute fully to the Canadian economy and their community. Asylum claimants are not eligible for federal settlement services until they receive a positive refugee determination. Once an asylum claim is accepted and sent to the IRB, the federal government covers the cost of eligible health services.

As the asylum seekers served by the Inland Refugee Society are claimants who are not yet eligible for federally-funded settlement programming, this organization does not qualify to receive federal funding under the Settlement Program for that group of clients. The provinces and territories are responsible for providing most support services pending a positive refugee determination, services such as social assistance, education, health services, and housing.

We are carrying on in Canada's noble tradition of providing protection to those who are seeking refuge and we are committed to doing so responsibly and effectively.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying that last Friday, I raised the question of worthwhile projects not being allowed to apply for funding under the recreational fisheries conservation partnerships program. The reason I asked the question is that for the past year, not a single new funding application has been accepted. I asked the government if it would open the program for funding proposals, such as the Killarney Lake aeration field project, and unfortunately, I did not receive an answer.

The question is not about whether there is money for the program, as I understand that the department has allocated $10 million for this fiscal year and $8 million for the next fiscal year. When determining if any of those dollars were available, my office contacted DFO, and it said the money had all been allocated for this year, even though no call for proposals was released.

I do not know if this is true, because when I searched the government's news release website, I thought it would be teeming with information on all the projects that had been allocated funding under this program, but I was surprised to find only one project listed.

l thought it must be an oversight that the Government of Canada did not post any news releases on the website. The next logical step was to go to Google to maybe discover any local stories over the past two years. I found only two more projects. After searching the government's news release website, searching Google, looking for a full list of projects on DFO's website, and even asking the Library of Parliament to get involved, I am no closer to finding out how the government has allocated two years' worth of money and is refusing to accept any new proposals.

I am certain the parliamentary secretary will laud the success of the program, and I hope he does, because it was designed by none other than a Conservative MP, the hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa. When I say designed, I literally mean the member was involved in every aspect of the program and almost single-handedly spearheaded this initiative.

There is one specific element of the program I want to highlight. It is that it was specifically created to fund small and medium-sized projects of $20,000 to $100,000. With that evidence in hand, I would suspect that there would be hundreds of projects that would have been allocated the $10 million from last year and the $20 million found in the department's budget this year.

Taking the government at its word that all the monies have been allocated for the multi-year projects, there is little evidence to suggest what it is being spent on. Second, if the government has strayed from the original intent of the program, to support smaller projects put forward by local fishing groups, healthy lake groups, and conservation districts, is it not forgetting why the program was originally put in place?

The government has millions of dollars for a number of different projects, including rinks and Stanley Cup tributes. Could it not open the program for worthwhile initiatives like the Killarney Lake aeration field for this fiscal year?

Now that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries has had a full weekend to prepare for this question, it is my sincere hope tonight that I could get a clear answer. My question is simple. Will the government allow funding proposals, such as the proposed aeration for Killarney Lake, to be accepted for this fiscal year?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Brandon—Souris for this question. I appreciated it when he raised it on Friday; I appreciated him giving me the weekend to research it. Certainly, if he does not get the answer that he wants tonight on Killarney Lake or any other project, I would invite him to meet with me personally, and we can talk more about the program.

Fishing has historically been one of the country's popular leisure activities, both for Canadians and visitors alike. Currently, countless people rely on recreational fisheries for their livelihoods, culture, and enjoyment. Every year, anglers from all around the world come to visit and participate in recreational fishing activities across Canada. The important socio-economic contributions of recreational fishing are felt in all of Canada's provinces and territories, particularly in some of the more remote areas of Canada.

The recreational fisheries conservation partnerships program, RFCPP, is a $53-million contribution program that supports recreational fisheries habitat restoration projects led by recreational fishing groups, conservation organizations, and indigenous groups to rebuild and rehabilitate recreational fish habitat.

The RFCPP was established in June 2013 to support multi-partner projects at the local level aimed at restoring recreational fisheries habitat in order to enhance the sustainability and productivity of Canada's recreational fisheries. Specifically, the program, through contribution funding, enables proponents to manage and execute projects that restore compromised or threatened recreational fisheries habitat.

These projects restore fish habitat for many different species, such as trout, chinook and coho salmon, Atlantic salmon, walleye, and perch. By restoring compromised recreational fisheries habitat, the RFCPP projects will help support more productive and sustainable fisheries and by extension, increase fishing opportunities.

During its first five successful rounds, RFCPP provided funding to a total of 618 projects that restored more than 14 million square meters and more than 6,000 kilometres of habitat. RFCPP projects leveraged almost $55 million from project partners and triggered the participation of 16,388 volunteers. My hon. friend is quite right, it was and is a very successful program.

One of the most important aspects of this program is that it brings together like-minded partners to address important conservation issues across the province and, indeed, the country. This unique approach helps us leverage our resources and expertise to achieve results that would not otherwise be possible.

The RFCPP is a unique initiative that capitalizes on the knowledge of local anglers, conservation, and indigenous groups that share our vision of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Our government is especially committed to a nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous people, which is why the program is open to all indigenous organizations right across Canada.

At the local and community level, RFCPP proponents possess important knowledge and capacity that can be used to help improve recreational fisheries across Canada. We strongly believe that if we work together toward common goals, tangible progress can be made.

After six years, the RFCPP is due to sunset in 2019. Due to the success of the program, all the funds have already been allocated to support multi-year projects. That said, our government is committed to working with groups that share our concern about the health and well-being of fish and other species. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is presently reviewing our existing programming and remains committed to working with all stakeholders to address future concerns related to the sustainable management of fish and fish habitat.

I would again repeat my offer that I made at the start of my speech, from me personally to the member for Brandon—Souris. I would be happy to work with him on the Killarney Lake issue or any lake issue in southwestern Manitoba or otherwise.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comments in regard to the program tonight, as well as in regard to my question.

I am a bit surprised that the Liberals do not have an answer for this simple question about this particular lake right now. I just want the member to know that there are other worthwhile projects that are being ignored.

The Killarney Lake action committee is now ready to apply for funding to install an aeration field to improve the water quality and combat the toxic blue-green algae that is plaguing its lake.

Will the parliamentary secretary commit today to allow the Killarney Lake action committee to apply for funding for an aeration field that has the potential of dramatically improving the quality of the water in Killarney Lake?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, after six years the RFCPP is due to sunset in 2019.

During its five successful rounds, RFCPP provided funding to a total of 618 projects that restored more than 14 million square metres and more than 6,000 kilometres of habitat.

The program's projects leveraged almost $55 million from project partners and triggered the participation of 16,388 volunteers.

Our government is committed to working with groups, like the one the member opposite just mentioned. I would be happy to sit down with him to see how we could work together.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is presently reviewing our existing programming, and remains committed to working with all stakeholders, including recreational fishers, to address future concerns related to the sustainable management of our lakes, rivers, and oceans.

I would just close by saying that our government is making historical investments in restoring our fish habitat, restoring protections around the Fisheries Act, protecting our oceans under the Oceans Act, and we will continue to do everything we can to make sure that recreational fishers, as well as future generations, have lots of great opportunities to fish.

Employment Insurance

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

Mr. Speaker, on June 7, I rose in the House to ask a question about the spring gap problem that affects seasonal workers.

The Liberal government promised to restore the extra five weeks pilot project. Even though promises were made, many seasonal workers will again have no income next spring. It is unacceptable that the government cannot find a real solution to help families who are in a precarious position because of its failure to act. The government does not seem to realize that the situation is urgent.

More than 16,000 seasonal workers are grappling with the spring gap, and almost 40% of them are Quebeckers. The majority of these seasonal workers will run out of employment insurance benefits up to four months before they are to return to work. These workers in the agriculture, forestry, tourism, and fishery industry will have difficulty finding another job to make up for the lack of income.

During the election campaign, the Prime Minister promised to reform the employment insurance regime and solve the spring gap problem. Some organizations, such as the Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses, are still waiting for the government to keep its promise. The CNC is asking the government to establish a program that would take into consideration the situation of seasonal workers. However, after two years, nothing has been done. What is the government waiting for to take action?

Every year, these workers and their families experience terrible hardships. There are so many examples. Last June, workers in the shrimp industry in the Gaspé region were deprived of at least six weeks of work. As a result, the number of weeks of EI benefits they are entitled to after their contract will go down. Shrimp industry workers could therefore be left without any income next spring before being rehired.

This is not only a problem in the Gaspé. According to the group Action Chômage Haute-Côte-Nord, the spring gap can result in anywhere between five and 15 weeks of extreme poverty for certain families. We are talking about people who earn less than $20,000 a year and are going into debt. Imagine living for three or four months without any income. It is impossible. This is also the case in my riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, where we have a lot of seasonal workers in the agrifood industry.

Many seasonal workers in New Brunswick will no longer have access to employment insurance next spring. The explanation given illustrates how serious the situation is: the unemployment rate in their region has dropped over the past year, so that is to blame. It dropped from 15% to 11%, and this changes the employment insurance formula used. An individual who accumulated 420 hours of work last year could receive 30 weeks of EI benefits. Now, 490 hours of work are needed to be eligible for 23 weeks of EI benefits. It makes no sense.

When the unemployment rate is low, seasonal workers have to accumulate more hours of work but receive fewer weeks of benefits. Seasonal workers in New Brunswick will now have to work two more weeks, yet they will end up with seven weeks less of employment insurance benefits.

However, the government insists that everything is fine and that the solution is to wait for the unemployment rate to rise. What a joke. This is totally unacceptable. Seasonal workers are essential to the Canadian economy. The government ought to fulfill the promises it made them, starting with reinstating the extra five weeks program. Employment insurance is important for everyone, especially seasonal workers.

When will the government finally take the necessary steps to help seasonal workers and prevent the recurring spring gap problem?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for giving me the opportunity to talk about the measures our government is taking to help Canadian workers.

We have been consulting Canadians in recent months. These consultations are very important because they will help us to identify needs and determine the best measures to take to help Canadians families deal with growing pressures.

We have taken real action to support Canadians. For example, our government has made a series of improvements to the employment insurance system in order to make it more consistent with the realities of today's labour market and thereby respond to the needs of Canadian workers and employers.

Some of the improvements that have already come into effect are the elimination of the higher EI eligibility requirements that restricted access for new entrants and re-entrants to the labour market, the simplification of job search responsibilities, the temporary extension of EI benefits in the 15 economic regions that were most hard hit by the drop in commodity prices, the implementation of a more flexible working while on claim pilot project, the extension of work-sharing agreements, and the reduction of the two-week waiting period to one week.

Most of these changes were made during the past year, so that more Canadians could get the help they need, when they need it. Some of these measures are particularly beneficial to seasonal workers, such as the working while on claim pilot project.

This pilot project helps employment insurance claimants stay connected to the labour market and increase their overall income by allowing them to keep receiving a portion of their employment insurance benefits along with all earnings from their job. This means seasonal workers receiving employment insurance can work part-time during the off-season without being penalized by having their overall benefits reduced. This pilot project ensures seasonal workers are better off accepting available work.

Furthermore, by reversing the 2012 changes to employment insurance and simplifying job search responsibilities, we made the obligation to search for and accept available work the same for all claimants, regardless of claim history. These measures benefit all Canadian workers.

As these measures show, our government is taking immediate action to improve Canada's employment insurance program for all Canadians across the country, so it can more efficiently meet the needs of today's labour market.

We want to make sure that the employment insurance program provides workers, families, and the regions with the security they need. We are committed to helping middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join them.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is always the same old answer. There has been no progress for months. Eighteen months of consultation is starting to feel long. The government needs to change its tune and start taking immediate action. It is time for the government to keep its promises and truly address the spring gap problem.

Seasonal workers across Canada are fed up with having to continue this fight. Many workers believed the Liberals' promises during the electoral campaign, but their situation has not improved since then. Once again, come spring, they are going to end up without any income for several weeks or months.

This proves yet again that we cannot trust these promises. It is sad to see that after two years in government, the Liberals still have not listened to seasonal workers and what they are asking for.

I will ask my question again: when will the government finally take the necessary measures to help seasonal workers and prevent the spring gap? All they are asking for is five extra weeks.

[Jean Rioux, Liberal, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to make it very clear to the members of the House that our government took immediate action to improve the employment insurance system for Canadians across the country, specifically to make it more effective in light of current labour market conditions.

For instance, thanks to our government's actions last year, more Canadians are eligible for employment insurance support, the job search rules have been simplified, and more assistance is being offered to people hit by the economic downturn.

A number of improvements have already been made, and we continue to try to find new ways to improve our employment insurance system. We are determined to support Canadians when they need it most.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:46 p.m.)