Debates of Feb. 16th, 2017

Justice

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government put the blame on everybody else for court cases not being heard: it is the provinces, the courts, or even the criminals who will be facing prison time if they are convicted of their crime.

Is it not time the government faced the fact that it is not making the required judicial appointments? I ask the minister, is it possible for her to approach the Prime Minister and tell him that judicial appointments should be a priority to make the criminal justice system work?

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to stand up in this House to mention the 39 superior court justices I have appointed as well as 22 deputy judges across the country.

To confirm and reiterate, we have introduced a new appointments process. We will continue to be diligent in the appointment of judges under this new process, which will ensure that the diversity of Canada is reflected in the judges who sit on our superior courts.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice boasts about the reconstituted judicial advisory committees, yet months after they were announced, nearly half of the spots are vacant, with not a single person being appointed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan.

How is the minister going to fill 60 judicial vacancies when she cannot even fill the committees responsible for vetting judicial applicants? When is the minister going to stop dithering and start doing her job?

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I take it incredibly seriously in my job to appoint judges in this country, and to ensure that the complement of judges who sit on the superior courts reflect the diversity of our country and are responsive to the individual diversity that exists across it. That is why we introduced a new judicial appointments process, including judicial advisory committees with which we are in the process of ensuring the full complement to enable the judicial advisory committees to go through the application process, so that we can expedite the appointment of additional judges.

Housing

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development recently announced the creation of an advisory committee on homelessness in support of the renewal of the homelessness partnering strategy. This expert panel will have eight to 10 members.

The last time I checked, Canada had 13 provinces and territories and they have very different realities. For example, Quebec advocates a general and community-based approach that is adapted to our needs.

What will the minister do to ensure that Quebec's concerns are heard at this committee?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, homelessness is a reality in Canada for far too many Canadians. We recognize this is a challenge for Canadian communities right across the country.

The critical issue here is to make sure that we get good advice from across the country, including the provinces and the communities identified by the member opposite, and compose an expert panel to give us that advice so that we can move forward on a new national housing strategy.

This government has not waited for that strategy. We have already invested an extra $111 million in homelessness services, doubling the amount that was there previously. We will move forward to make sure that people in this country get the housing they need and the representatives of that committee will help us.

Indigenous Affairs

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, along with other indigenous MPs, I call on the government to rename the building that houses the Prime Minister's Office. Langevin was one of the architects of the Indian residential school system. An apology means nothing if action does not remedy the injustice.

Every day as I walk by that place, I am reminded of the man who dreamed up the school where I was sent purposely to sever the connection to my family, to my people.

Will the government commit today in the House to change the name of this building?

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, there is no relationship more important to our government than the one with indigenous peoples. Our government is fully committed to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action. This includes developing a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration. Any decision will be made in full partnership with indigenous peoples.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. On this side of the House, we are proud of what the previous Conservative government accomplished by signing free trade agreements all around the world. These agreements are vital to Canada's economy.

Will the government commit to defending every sector of Canadian agriculture and not sacrificing some of them for the sake of signing future free trade agreements?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the member that we have just signed CETA, which provides $1.5 billion of exports for our agriculture sector.

The member is also fully aware that we put a $350-million transition fund in place for the dairy industry, which I know he supports. There is $250 million to make sure our dairy farmers have a transition fund and $100 million to make sure our processors have a transition fund.

This government has supported and will continue to support our farmers across this country.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Grain Commission has built up a surplus of $100 million by charging farmers extensive user fees. The commission is supposed to be a cost-recovery operation and not making a profit off the backs of farmers. Has the agriculture minister instructed the chief commissioner to reduce these fees and to immediately return this surplus to grain farmers?

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

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is of course fully aware of who set the fees to provide this amount of money in the fund. It was his former government that set the fees. I have met with the commissioners and this issue will be dealt with fairly, to make sure the grain farmers in this country are treated fairly.

Taxation

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, prairie grain farmers have some of the longest hauls in the world to get their product to market, so when the cost of transport increases, farmers immediately feel the pinch. The carbon tax could be renamed “the farm tax” for the overwhelmingly negative impact it will have on our producers. Does the minister understand the impact this new tax will have on agriculture? Has she met a prairie farmer who supports this new tax?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, we are very pleased that we worked with the provinces and territories so that we could bring in a carbon pricing plan that works for Canadians. We are working with provinces and territories. Our government is committed to returning all the revenues to the provinces and territories and it is up to them to determine how to address the situation in their provinces. They can make it revenue-neutral and return the revenues to farmers and to different groups.

We believe it is very important that we move forward, that we tackle climate change, and that we position ourselves for the future clean economy.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day and there is no better day to emphasize how much our government supports our world-class Canadian farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast. Our government's support for our farmers helps them with market development, research, and advocacy and it puts more money in the pockets of farmers. Can the Minister of Agriculture tell us about his recent announcement in Winnipeg at the CropConnect conference?

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

Mr. Speaker, on Canada's Agriculture Day and every day, this government is extremely proud to support our farmers across this country. Canadian farmers produce the best products in the world, and our government is committed to helping them develop new markets, both at home and abroad.

Not only did we pass CETA this week, but yesterday at the CropConnect conference I was proud to announce more than $2 million in funding for the crop sector, which will put more money in the pockets of farmers, create new jobs, and help grow the middle class.

Transportation

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in January, when he was in Sherbrooke, the Prime Minister told the people of Lac-Mégantic, “Together with the Minister [of Transport], I am committed to expediting the process to the extent possible in order to help you.” Yesterday, one month later in the House, the Minister of Transport said, “it is important to expedite the process, and we are working as a team to figure out how to do that.”

We do not need a study to expedite the study. With all the resources available to Transport Canada, can the minister perhaps tell us why he has not yet found a way to move more quickly?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, and the member did quote me properly at the beginning, this work is done together with the Province of Quebec; AECOM, the company that conducted the study; and also with the town of Lac-Mégantic and Mayor Cloutier. We have begun this work. We want to do it in a responsible manner.

We understand the situation in Lac-Mégantic. I visited the town three times. We want to expedite the process and we are doing everything we can to do so.

International Development

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are nowhere near the head of the class when it comes to international aid.

The government keeps saying that it is overly ambitious to dedicate 0.7% of our GDP to development aid, even over 10 years.

However, all stakeholders expect the federal government to increase funding for international assistance in order to give Canada some credibility in meeting sustainable development goals.

Will the minister show some ambition and commit to increasing international aid investments in budget 2017?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his interest in international development.

As everyone knows, my mandate involves refocusing Canada's development assistance on helping the poorest, the most vulnerable, and fragile states. We conducted extensive consultations with 15,000 people from 65 countries. I can assure the House that we are going to have a policy that leverages Canada's strengths and focuses on areas where we can make a real difference. Canadians' money will be put to good use and will provide leverage to seek out additional partnerships. We will engage in development innovation and we will make a big difference while provide meaningful leadership.

Rail Transportation

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, having the fifth busiest VIA station in Canada, the constituents of my riding of Kingston and the Islands value the passenger service VIA Rail provides in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor and want to make sure that it is properly maintained.

Could the Minister of Transport please explain what the government is doing in helping VIA Rail's corridor infrastructure remain safe and secure while improving the passenger experience by making it more accessible and efficient for everyday Canadians?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we in this government are committed to improving passenger rail service to make it safe, secure, efficient, and reliable. That is why we are investing in infrastructure for VIA Rail, like $1.6 million for Kingston station, where my hon. colleague comes from, $2.5 million for the train stations in Sarnia and London, $15 million for the maintenance centres in Toronto and Montreal. Anybody who goes to the Ottawa train station, where I take the train every week, will see that there is—

International Development

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals believe it is more fun to spend someone else's money than their own.

I was shocked to learn in an email from the Minister of International Development that as part of refocusing international assistance, the Liberals consulted very few Canadians. They hosted more than 300 consultations in 65 countries but they only met with Canadians on nine occasions in five locations across our country.

Why is the Minister of International Development prioritizing the views of non-Canadians on how to spend our international aid money when it is Canadians who are paying the bill?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, 15,000 people participated in those consultations and most of them were Canadian. I personally participated in nine consultation sessions and round tables here in Canada. I had help from my parliamentary secretary. Many department officials participated in the round tables. All of our partner organizations participated and contributed. They submitted hundreds of briefs. We mostly heard from Canadians. I am pleased to tell the House that women and girls are going to be the focus of our new policy.

Religious Freedom

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Motion No. 103 suggests that a climate of hatred and fear now permeates Quebec society. To suggest such a thing is to engage in overblown rhetoric and hype. What we witnessed after the tragic attack in Quebec City was solidarity, forgiveness, and love, not hatred and fear.

Does the Minister of Canadian Heritage think that a climate of hatred and fear has pervaded the population?