Debates of Dec. 11th, 2017

International Trade

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with Canada's $4-billion pulse industry in jeopardy, a Liberal trade mission to India, which did not include the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, came back empty-handed. Grain companies have stopped buying peas because of a 50% duty. Pulse producers have lost $360 million and they face some very difficult decisions as they prepare for next season.

The Liberals bet Canada's farm when they went all in on China, and they lost. Now critical trade agreements, along with alternative market access, are in serious jeopardy.

When is the agriculture minister going to start doing his job and start fighting to secure vital market access for Canada's pulse producers?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties of 50% on all peas without providing any advance notification. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including the recent trade mission, led by the Minister of International Trade, who raises this issue at every opportunity.

We will continue to work with our farmers to make sure they get every opportunity possible.

Indigenous Affairs

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Nuu-chah-nulth people are eager to reconcile but the Liberals keep fighting them in court. Nuu-chah-nulth fishers have waited since 2009 to exercise their right to catch and sell fish in their own territories. The courts, right up to the Supreme Court of Canada, have confirmed their right to do so, yet the current government still does not honour their rights.

The Liberals claim their most important relationship is with indigenous people. Therefore, when will they prove they are serious about reconciliation, end this costly prosecution of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, and finally recognize their fishing rights?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, a renewed nation-to-nation relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership with the indigenous peoples of Canada is a top priority for our government.

We are working with the five Nuu-chah-nulth nations to resolve fisheries disputes and to maintain stability and operational predictability in the interests of all fishers in British Columbia.

Since this case is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on it at this time.

Canadian Heritage

[Nick Whalen, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, Canada 150 has been a rousing success, and no more so than in St. John's East where we celebrated Canada Day for the 69th time, with cultural events that brought us together as Canadians.

As Canada 150 winds down, the Avalon Celtics, a peewee hockey team from my riding of St. John's East, are very excited to have the opportunity to participate in the closing celebrations on Parliament Hill.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage talk about the success of Canada 150 and—

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for St. John's East for his question and for his excellent work.

Last week, for the first time ever, a temporary family skating rink was installed on Parliament Hill.

In addition to free family skating time, 32 peewee hockey teams from coast to coast to coast will be here to compete in the “Hockey on the Hill” tournament. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these young players.

We look forward to welcoming all Canadians as we close out the Canada 150 celebrations.

Public Services and Procurement

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the Preserver and the Protecteur out of service, there is an operational gap at the Royal Canadian Navy. We are talking about a decade. Even the Standing Committee on National Defence, on which the Liberals have the majority, has recognized this vulnerability caused by delays in the naval procurement strategy.

Our Conservative government did not hesitate. We commissioned the Asterix, which was built on time.

The Minister of National Defence is out of excuses for failing to honour his own policy and award a contract to the shipyard for the Obelix.

When will we see the Obelix?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada's new defence policy, we are committed to making sure we modernize our Canadian navy. As part of the national shipbuilding strategy, two permanent joint supply ships are required for our navy. However, because of the previous cuts, a capability gap was left and because of that, the interim capability gap will be filled by Davie shipyard, which built the Asterix. We thank it very much for its tremendous work.

Canadian Heritage

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage must be pretty hard of hearing because it took her three months to hear what everyone in Quebec was telling her.

It is dangerous to give breaks to foreign multinationals. The minister may have heard but she will not listen; she is knuckling under to the Minister of Finance, who has said no. The Liberals are a bunch of puppets.

Does anyone over there realize that refusing to tax online transactions compromises not just our culture, but the whole of our economy?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, our government has always been clear on this, and our position has not changed. We understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector. We want to reassure people and and remind them that we have made historic investments in support of our culture.

We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.3 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support television production. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.

Marijuana

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is no reason to be reassured. What we see is that the Liberal government could not care less about the consensus in Quebec.

The Minister of Finance says that he is flexible when it comes to sharing the revenue from the cannabis tax.

Is he prepared to agree to splitting the tax revenue, with no conditions, on a cost basis? That would mean 100% for Quebec, the provinces, and municipalities, and nothing for Ottawa.

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

Mr. Speaker, our minister and our senior officials have been meeting on this file for over two years. We share a consensus in every part of this country that the current system of cannabis control is failing our kids, enriching organized crime, and putting the health of Canadians at risk.

We continue to remain committed to a respectful discussion with our provincial, territorial, and municipal partners to ensure that those who have responsibilities have the resources they need to fulfill those responsibilities.

Foreign Investment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, all that remains to be done now is the rubber stamp of the Investment Canada Act for one of Canada's largest construction companies, Aecon, to be sold to a state-owned enterprise of the People's Republic of China, the China Communications Construction Company, CCCI.

This company has a very troubling human rights, environmental, and safety record, yet it has not come before this House. We are not hearing about it. Could the Prime Minister assure this place that this sale will be put through a thorough review before Investment Canada rubber-stamps it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, every proposed investment of this scale is examined on a case-by-case basis to ensure that it is in Canada's best interest. This rigorous process is done in consultation with our national security agencies. When it comes to the health and safety of Canadian workers, this is an issue we take very seriously.

We are currently working with provinces and territories to improve occupational health and safety regulations. We expect all companies operating in Canada to follow all provincial and federal regulations and make sure workers have a safe working environment.

Certificates of Nomination

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 111.1, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, a certificate of nomination and biographical note for the proposed appointment of Mario Dion to the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

I request that the nomination be referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Indigenous Affairs

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have a few reports to table today.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the “Westbank First Nation Self-Government Agreement: Annual Report on Implementation 2013-14”. I request that this report be referred to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the “Nisga'a Final Agreement Implementation Report 2013-14”. I request that this report be referred to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of “Combined Annual Reports 2010-2011, 2011-2012 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and Northeastern Quebec Agreement”. I request that this report be referred to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Government Response to Petitions

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to 43 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the delegation of the Canadian branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, APF, concerning its participation at the meeting of the APF Parliamentary Affairs Committee, held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from March 24 to 26, 2017.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans in relation to Bill C-55, an act to amend the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.

Transport, Infrastructure and Communities

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, entitled “An Interim Report: Infrastructure and Smart Communities”.

I am pleased to present the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, entitled “Lead in Drinking Water”.

National Defence

[Stephen Fuhr, Liberal, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, entitled “Canada's Support to Ukraine in Crisis and Armed Conflict”.

Canada proudly stands with the Ukraine.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food entitled “A Food Policy for Canada”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.

Parental Rights

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition on a subject I have received many passionate representations on in my office. It is a difficult subject. It is on custody arrangements after divorce. The people bringing forward this petition are concerned that the current system, as it relates to this issue, often leads to bitter litigation, primary and secondary custody relationships where one parent may have limited access to the children, and an overburdened legal system.

The petitioners are asking the House to look at alternatives and to try to do better. In particular, they are calling upon the House of Commons to introduce a presumption of equal shared parenting in the event of parental separation or divorce, only exempting cases in which a parent is demonstrably unfit or where a compelling case can be made proving that equal shared parenting would not be in the interest of the child. I commend this petition and the issue in general to the detailed consideration of my colleagues.

Falun Gong

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am presenting a petition signed by 60 constituents in my riding of Etobicoke Centre. The petitioners are deeply concerned about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, a persecution that has as its goal the eradication of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice based on the core principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The petitioners urge legislative efforts in Canada that would help put a stop to the persecution and murder of Falun Gong practitioners and that would investigate allegations of illegal organ harvesting of innocent people in China.