House of Commons Hansard #138 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was ukraine.
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberals used their majority in committee to shamefully shut down a study on the Boeing F-18 Super Hornet sole-source purchase. The procurement minister's own mandate from the Prime Minister states, “Government and its information should be open by default”. In case members were not listening, that was “open by default”.
The minister is cynically ignoring these instructions. Why is she blocking information about the Super Hornet purchase from Canadians?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, just to prove that good news can be transmitted in both official languages, I just want to tell members that our government announced the decision to undertake an open and transparent competition to replace the full CF-18 fleet shortly following the results of the defence policy review. This will provide our men and women in uniform with the right aircraft for the long term, at the right price, and with the right economic benefits for Canadians. Any aircraft that meets the requirement can bid in the competition.
The good news keeps coming for our men and women in uniform.
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us talk a little about Phoenix. The parliamentary secretary and his minister have been providing very poor leadership.
First, the minister never admitted that she made a mistake by implementing the Phoenix pay system in February 2016.
Second, she is not taking responsibility for the situation. Instead, she is sending the deputy minister to all of the press conferences.
Third, since the fiasco began, the minister has been trying to minimize the seriousness of the crisis, which is affecting thousands of Canadian families.
When will the minister show some political courage in this matter?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, I have never seen a minister do so much. She is working hard to solve a problem that we inherited from the previous government.
I cannot believe that members across the floor have the nerve to ask us questions about this massive problem they created. The minister has put measures in place and is going to resolve the problem. We are going to fix the problems with Phoenix and public servants will get paid.
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Speaker, after a year of missed deadlines, tens of millions of overpayments, endless talking points, as we see here, the Liberal Phoenix fiasco is getting worse. Now the Liberals are failing public servants on maternity and disability, with 80% of recipients not receiving their pay on time. Does the member have a talking point for the 80% that are missing?
When will the Minister of Public Services stop hiding behind her deputy minister, take responsibility, and fix the Liberal Phoenix fiasco?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, I must tell members that I am little incredulous vis-à-vis a political party that left us a legacy of a failed project that this minister, that this Prime Minister, that this department is working overtime, around the clock, to fix.
We will fix the problems in Phoenix. I can reassure the member that public servants will get paid, overpayments will be corrected, and public servants will enjoy a modern pay system, but it is no thanks to the Conservatives.
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mr. Speaker, this week, the Liberals announced the revival of the court challenges program. This program will fund court challenges based on freedom of religion, democratic rights, liberty, and security.
Restoring this program is a good step that is long overdue, but the government should enshrine it in law. Liberals need to keep their promise to stop fighting first nations families, veterans, and mothers in court.
I have a simple question for the minister. Will the Liberals enshrine this program in law so that these groups and future groups can access justice and keep fighting for fairness, and when will they do it?
Sean Casey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting human rights and official languages rights. In the context of the cross-country consultations on official languages, Canadians highlighted the importance of ensuring access to the legal system, which is why we reinstated the court challenges program, a program that has made a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
In order to get the program up and running right away, it was important to do it in the way that it has been done. The possibility of enshrining it into law is one that could be considered at a later date. However, in order to get these rights available to be supported, it has been necessary to do it in the way that it has been done.
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been promising action on solving the abandoned vessel problem since they first took office. Coastal communities are tired of waiting. Boats are still sinking. We need a strong system to stop oil spills on our coast.
It is time that this ship sails, and it is time that the Coast Guard receives the resources and the broader mandate it needs to do its job. When will the government float this boat and take action on solutions to protect B.C.'s coast?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, that almost sounds like a planted question. It gives me an opportunity to tell the member that this ship sailed, in fact in November.
When our Prime Minister was in British Columbia, I was in St. John's, Newfoundland. We announced a historic investment in the Canadian Coast Guard in partnership with Transport Canada.
Our oceans protection program is one of the most innovative and complete packages ever announced to protect marine ecosystems, to ensure that in the event of an oil spill all of the resources are on site and available to clean it up quickly and, more important, to prevent it. I know that member will want to celebrate this with us.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, since introducing my private member's bill, Bill C-211, I have heard from hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals who are in the fight of their lives. There is no standard diagnosis or care for PTSD that is consistent from the east coast to the west coast. Our first responders, our veterans, and our firefighters, who have sacrificed so much for our country, are not receiving the proper care and support needed to deal with PTSD.
Lives are at stake. My simple question is this. Can we count on the Prime Minister and his Liberal caucus to support Bill C-211 when it is voted on at second reading, yes or no?
Jean Rioux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, indeed, taking care of our troops is very important. The Canadian Armed Forces are determined to improve treatment for soldiers suffering from PTSD. The CAF recently invested $2.65 million over four years in state-of-the-art brain imagery technology that will contribute to mental health research.
Military personnel are encouraged to seek help for their symptoms at any time. They are also subject to individual medical testing to screen for signs of PTSD, among others.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, why has the government ended the practice of prioritizing persecuted Iranian LGBT as refugees to Canada?
Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, this year we welcomed 40,000 refugees. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double what the previous government brought.
We take seriously our refugee commitment to ensure that it is compassionate and focused on the most vulnerable people. We work very closely with the UN refugee agency and private sponsors to continue to identify the most vulnerable, and that obviously includes members of the LGBTQ2 community.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, LGBT in Iran are beaten, tortured, and executed, all while being sanctioned under the law, simply for who they are and for whom they love. To me, that is the definition of the most vulnerable.
The minister did not answer the question. The minister used the talking point of 25,000 Syrian refugees. I am talking about the practice of allowing and prioritizing Iranian LGBT refugees coming to Canada. Why are the Liberals turning their backs on the most vulnerable, and no talking points, please?
Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the previous government when it comes to identifying, welcoming and being compassionate to those most vulnerable, as well as refugees in need of resettlement. We work very closely with the UN refugee agency to ensure that we continue to identify those in the most need for resettlement, which obviously includes members of the LGBTQ2 community.
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities recently announced a support project for towns in Jordan exposed to migratory pressures in the wake of the Syrian conflict.
Can the minister tell the House how the government is helping these towns cope with what has become one of the largest migratory crises ever witnessed?
Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of International Development and La Francophonie
Mr. Speaker, we believe in the importance of developing local capacity, including developing the capacity of nearby governments. Our government is supporting the towns in developing countries that are welcoming tens of thousands of refugees in order to help them maintain stability in their region.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities project in Jordan will help a dozen municipalities manage their public services including by advancing and involving women in leadership.
Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives support tougher sentences and penalties for human trafficking.
Through Bill C-38, the Liberals are shamelessly attempting to remove consecutive sentencing for human trafficking offenders. They are delaying taking action to combat this serious issue. We know the Liberals' track record of putting offenders ahead of the rights of victims. The minister claims to be compassionate for vulnerable people.
When will the minister take concrete action to empower survivors of human trafficking and protect victims?
Bill Blair LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, our government is very committed to ensuring that we do the right thing to protect victims and to combat human trafficking, the victims of which are among society's most vulnerable.
The bill introduced by the Minister of Justice yesterday would give law enforcement and prosecutors new tools to investigate and prosecute certain human trafficking offences that could be particularly difficult to prove. It would also strengthen Canada's criminal law and respond to trafficking of persons in a manner that would be consistent with the charter.
Bill C-38 would bring into force private member's Bill C-452, with amendments, to better protect victims, while at the same time ensuring consistency with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Mr. Speaker, after Juno Award nominees were announced this week, fans of Canadian music are gearing up for an awesome party in Ottawa on April 2.
However, let us not forget that, once again, Canadian artists are also well-represented among the nominees for the 59th annual Grammy Awards taking place this Sunday in Los Angeles. Indeed, Canadian artists have started from the bottom and now they are here, across the world, from Montreal to Hong Kong, from Bangkok to Babylon. From hip-hop to Indie rock, folk, jazz, and country, to pop chart toppers, Canada is known for the diversity of its homegrown talent.
Could the government provide the members of the House with an update on the state of Canadian recording artists on the international scene?
Sean Casey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the music lover from Pontiac for that question.
Canada has a reputation for itself when it comes to music. Members might ask “What Do You Mean?” Well, Drake, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd are in the top 10 global recording artists of 2016. The world is saying, “Canada, baby, I like your style”.
When it comes to our music roster, we have a “really big team”, and we should go “tell your friends” about it. Our government is proud to “take care” of our recording artists. We have no reason to be “Sorry” for our dominance of the music charts, and look forward to more success in 2017.
David Yurdiga Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB
Mr. Speaker, the selling of sealskins has been an important economic driver for remote Inuit communities for hundreds of years.
Through media campaigns and false information, activists have destroyed the international market for sealskins, dealing a crippling blow to those communities, which already face the highest rates for poverty and unemployment in the country.
The European Union's 2008 ban on sealskin products was extremely damaging. When the Prime Minister addresses the European Parliament next week, will he demand that it drop the ban and stand up for Inuit communities?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, we, too, share his support for the Canadian sealing industry, for the Inuit communities, for fishers from all parts of the country who have in fact benefited from a sustainable and appropriate harvest of seals.
We think Canadian seal products are among the best in the world. It is a humane hunt that is conducted in many parts of the country, and has been for decades. We will always tell the world about the importance of a sustainable seal hunt. I thank the member for an opportunity to remind the House of our support for the seal hunt.
Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, Yassine Aber was supposed to go to Boston yesterday with the Université de Sherbrooke's Vert et Or team for a track meet. American border guards interrogated him for six hours about his religion and his parents' Moroccan origins, then turned him back.
When the Prime Minister meets with Donald Trump on Monday, what will he do to make sure that no Quebecker is treated as a second-class citizen just because his name is Yassine?