Debates of March 24th, 2017

Employment

[Ron Liepert, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shameful that the minister will not stand up in the House to defend the energy industry of this country. If there is no drilling of new wells, what is going to go in those pipelines two, three, or five years down the road, when they are built?

Maybe I will ask an easy question that they can answer. Let us try this one.

The budget provides a $30-million no-strings-attached grant to the Alberta government. We know that the Notley government took $300 million of federal infrastructure dollars and put them into general revenue to pay down the debt for its uncontrolled spending.

Will the Minister of Finance stand in this House to guarantee unemployed Albertans that these dollars will be used for job creation and not to help the NDP—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Minister of Natural Resources.

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the hon. member for giving me the opportunity to talk about jobs in the energy sector in Alberta, because if we were to total up the number of jobs created by the approval our three pipelines and the Keystone XL pipeline that the president of the United States approved today, that would be 32,000 jobs in the energy sector in Alberta.

Canadian Heritage

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage simply had to wave her magic wand and the criteria and objectives of the Canada 150 fund suddenly changed in the summer of 2016.

In question 50, part G, of the general application form, applicants must summarize their project and indicate how it meets the objectives previously mentioned in 20 lines.

However, the form magically changed in the summer of 2016, disqualifying hundreds of projects from organizations wanting to take part in the festivities.

Will the minister confirm that the criteria and objectives of the Canada 150 fund changed in the summer of 2016?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the vision we have put in place for the Canada 150 celebrations and of the lasting legacy they will leave, based on four themes: youth, the environment, reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and diversity. I am confident that my colleagues recognize the importance of those four themes and the importance of working together to build our future for the next 150 years.

Employment Insurance

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

Mr. Speaker, seasonal workers who go for months without any wages or any employment insurance benefits have to wait even longer. At least 15,000 workers find themselves in this position every year, and nearly 40% of them are Quebeckers. The spring gap problem will be examined after the budget. The minister responsible for employment insurance said, “We will then get to work on a more thorough study, including the spring gap issue.”

Why should seasonal workers have to wait even longer for a solution? Have they not waited long enough?

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

Mr. Speaker, through budget 2016, the government announced changes to improve employment insurance so that more Canadians can get the help when they need it and as they need it. Our government was elected on these commitments, and it is improving EI as we speak. In fact, this budget does several things to make it more flexible, in particular with respect to maternity leave.

We have focused on EI reform. We are delivering EI reform. We have undertaken the studies, and more changes will be announced as the year proceeds.

Canadian Heritage

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is an emergency. Our cultural entrepreneurs, such as DEP, are going bankrupt. The industry and creators were hoping for a lot more in the budget, but they were not as lucky as cab drivers.

Every party that falls under the minister's portfolio has requested that foreign digital platforms for culture be subject to the same regulations as everyone else and that these companies no longer be given preferential treatment to the detriment of our entrepreneurs, who pay their fair share. Even the Government of Quebec has specifically requested this.

If I want to help save our cultural industries, do I need to ask my questions directly to the Minister of Finance since the Minister of Canadian Heritage does not seem to be making any progress?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, we held consultations on this subject across Canada. Right now, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is examining the issue. Next year, we will unveil a comprehensive strategy based on these consultations and this work.

Ethics

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister's family travelled to billionaire island for a vacation, they spent $1,700 on food and drink on a three-hour flight and stuck taxpayers with the bill. Of course, that does not include the cost of the first-ever ethics investigation of a sitting prime minister for violating the Conflict of Interest Act.

Everyone agrees that prime ministers can take vacations and need to travel securely. However, taxpayers need to know why they are paying more for food for a three-hour flight than most families of five spend in a month. Could the Prime Minister not have packed his own lunch?

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

Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the former prime minister, for security reasons the RCMP always accompanies prime ministers, whether for business or for personal travel.

It is important to note that one of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and their guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy even existed.

Taxation

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend I will be in Niagara Falls for a year-end hockey tournament with my Barrie Tuesday night hockey team. Unlike the Prime Minister and his champagne and caviar-loving highbrow friends, my beer league buddies do not have taxpayers paying for their booze.

After this week's budget, not only did the tax on beer and alcohol go up, but future annual increases are now tied to inflation. This means that the tax on beer will increase every single year.

Why are the Liberals taxing my beer league buddies and our One17 Marine team to pay for the Prime Minister's jet-set lifestyle and private island vacations?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Our government is committed to supporting the middle class and those working hard to join it. In budget 2016, we very clearly indicated that we would evaluate the tax system, and that is exactly what we have done. We want to be sure that we are doing our fair share for Canadians, and we will continue moving forward.

Government Accountability

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep saying that they want to make this place work better. Well, I have a great idea: how about when we ask a question, they actually give us an answer? We have asked legitimate questions today, and nobody has given this side any answers.

We have asked about their secret negotiations and payments to Beijing. We have asked about the Prime Minister's abuse of taxpayers' money for his vacation. We have asked about his plan to permanently avoid accountability, his cuts to defence, his attack on the Alberta energy sector, his increased taxes on every hard-working family. If he wants to make our democracy better, why does the Prime Minister not start answering questions and quit trying so hard to make his life easier—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Government House Leader.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader is trying to assist all of us by providing a discussion paper that will allow us to make modifications to outdated standing orders. Most people would recognize that there is a need for us to modernize the Canadian Parliament.

I look forward to having more discussions over the coming days as we try to improve the working environment for all members on both sides of the House.

Status of Women

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with the release of budget 2017, Canadians have seen the first-ever gender statement on a budget. As a government, we know that all Canadians are affected differently by budgetary policies, and therefore how important it is to add a gender-based lens to these decisions.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Status of Women inform the House what this gender statement actually means for all Canadians?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before we go to the parliamentary secretary, I just want to remind the front benches that even though they are just talking across and it does not seem like a lot, it makes it really hard to hear the answers coming out. I just want to remind them of that.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Status of Women.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 is a historic first, not only for women but for all Canadians. In the budget one sees $7 billion for child care; a staggering $11 billion for affordable housing, as the parliamentary secretary has mentioned; $100 million for a gender-based violence strategy; better EI parental benefits; and of course EI caregiving benefits as well. There are so many more that I do not have time to list them.

When we make gender—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Markham—Unionville.

Public Safety

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when Canadian business people travel to the United States, their cellphones could be seized and searched by U.S. customs officials. Their cellphones contain confidential client data. By handing over their cellphones, they are violating the confidentiality of their clients.

How can Canadian business people travelling to the U.S. ensure that their clients' data remains private?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the rules governing entry into the United States are set and enforced by the United States. We as Canadian citizens have the right to expect that our treatment at the border will be professional, consistent, and respectful. If there is a pattern of behaviour that seems untoward or counterproductive, then we will pursue those cases.

I would point out that 400,000 people cross back and forth across that border every day, almost always without incident.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Denis Lemieux, Liberal, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, under our government, Canadian agriculture is strong and growing.

There are significant investments in our budget that will help our agriculture and agri-food industry better position itself and become more and more competitive.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food explain how our budget will help Canada's agriculture sector become integral to Canada's economic growth?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud to recognize the agriculture and agri-food sector as one of Canada's main economic engines.

This budget will help the agriculture sector achieve its full potential and become an even stronger economic engine by growing our food exports by $75 billion by 2025.

In addition, our investments in the agriculture sector, research and innovation, infrastructure, and clean technologies will help producers and processors grow their businesses, create good jobs, and ensure long-term economic growth.

Infrastructure

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Alberta's government told the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association in 2016 that it would be receiving $300 million in infrastructure dollars from the federal government. It was a one-third share each, so there was $900 million on the table. The municipalities' budgets engineered shovel-ready projects in anticipation of the funding for 2017. Then they found out in February that the Alberta government had spent the promised $300 million: stale-dated projects, engineering projects, and municipal money wasted. Will the Liberals commit that the next time they flow funding for infrastructure for municipalities that the amount flows directly to the municipalities?