Debates of March 9th, 2017

Government Appointments

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

Mr. Speaker, we are proud of the new government-wide appointments process that we introduced. It is open, transparent, and merit-based. This appointment process allows Canadians from coast to coast to coast to apply. All positions are available online. It is exactly what we committed to Canadians. It is exactly what we have delivered on. I encourage Canadians to apply.

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

Mr. Speaker, any government appointments to senior positions must be impartial, based on competence and merit. However, the appointments that this prime minister has made since coming to office are proving otherwise.

Can the Prime Minister assure us that he will not, once again, appoint Liberal cronies who have paid into the party’s campaign fund? Will he fill commissioners’ positions responsible for overseeing elections, official languages, lobbying and, ironically, ethics—a file he has not mastered—with competent individuals without any ties to the Liberal Party of Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, as we promised Canadians, we introduced a new government-wide appointment process that is open, transparent, and based on merit. This approach will help us find high-quality candidates, while promoting gender equality and Canadian diversity. All open positions are available in a transparent manner, online. I encourage Canadians to apply.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we know that governing is hard, and there is more to it than taking selfies and holding hands. The Liberals have failed to make a single parliamentary watchdog appointed in their 18 months in government. It seems the only appointments the government can make are to friends and former chiefs of staff.

Eighteen months have passed. How much longer do we have to wait for the Prime Minister to start doing his job and appointing people to these watchdog positions? Or is it taking so long because he is trying to find people who will turn the other cheek to his ethical transgressions?

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

Mr. Speaker, I also agree that every member in the House works very hard, just like every Canadian in the country works very hard. That is why our government is committed to working hard for middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join it.

I am always proud to stand in the House and remind Canadians, and all members, that we have introduced a new government-wide appointment process that is open, transparent, and merit-based. Our approach will result in the recommendation of highly qualified candidates who achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity. The new selection process reflects the fundamental role that many Canadians play—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Red Deer—Lacombe.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is under multiple investigations. He refuses to answer questions about his ethical shortcomings. The Minister of Innovation was forced to admit that he misled Canadians over the Anbang boondoggle. The Minister of Finance is engaged in a carbon tax cover-up and the secret sell-off of airports.

When will the Prime Minister finally act like a leader and be honest with Canadians instead of thinking he is above the law?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said time and time again that he will respond to any questions the commissioner has.

This government is committed to working hard for middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join it. That is why we lowered taxes on the middle class. That is why we introduced the Canada child benefit, which helps families with children who need it the most. That is why we recognize we can have a sustainable environment as well as a strong economy. They go hand in hand. We need to continue working hard. I encourage all members to let us work better together.

Foreign Investment

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

Mr. Speaker, three of the retirement homes purchased by Anbang, a Chinese insurance company, are in my riding on Vancouver Island. American companies have refused to work with Anbang because of its murky ownership, yet the Liberals rubber-stamped the deal.

British Columbians demand greater transparency when publicly funded assets are sold to foreign interests. Our health care should not be for sale, and this takeover does not pass the smell test.

I have a simple question. If the Liberals are so confident about this sketchy deal, will they guarantee our seniors that they will not be negatively affected by this deal?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like assure the member that the concerns he is raising are the same concerns we had. That is why we were engaged with the British Columbian government and health authority. They provided the operating licences based on those same concerns, which is making sure Retirement Concepts, which is managed and operated by Canadians, will ensure it provides a level of service and quality to those seniors at the highest level.

Again, the bottom line here is that this is good for investment. This is good for British Columbia. This is good for the economy, and of course for seniors.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not want to bring forward the independent committee’s deadline of December 2018 to consider advance requests for assisted dying.

In Quebec, a parliamentary committee and the Collège des médecins du Québec have already expressed support for this. While this government waits, families are suffering to the point of ending the lives of their loved ones.

Will this government finally accept its responsibilities and immediately call for the tabling of a report on advance requests?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as all members of the House know, earlier last year we introduced legislation, which passed and received royal assent, allowing Canadians to have access to medical assistance in dying. Through that legislation we were able to allow Canadians access to that right, while at the same time recognizing there were vulnerable people who needed to be protected.

By all accounts that I have had with medical practitioners and medical regulators, the system is working well. We are continuing to track that. We also have a review under way to address some of the questions that were raised in the House during that consideration, and we look forward—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Niagara Falls.

Justice

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, headlines are telling us that the crown attorneys in Alberta are having to accept plea deals on criminal cases because of the judicial backlog. Today, the paper in Ottawa said that there were 1,000 cases that were in jeopardy of being thrown out. In large part, this is because of the Liberal inaction in this area.

If 1,000 cases is not enough to get the government moving to make judicial appointments, how many would it take? How about 5,000? Would that be enough for the government?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand to speak to the substantive and quality judicial appointments we have made, and to speak to the substantive and quality judicial appointments we will continue to make.

I am pleased that we have introduced a new judicial appointment process, and instituted a new composition for judicial advisory councils that will provide us recommendations and highly recommended candidates to fill the seats on the superior courts across the country.

We are taking the necessary time to ensure that the judges who were appointed to the superior courts reflect the diversity of the country and are of the utmost merit and ability.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians courts are at a tipping point, prosecutors are dropping serious criminal cases because they lack resources to meet deadlines, and the Minister of Justice has failed to fill more than 60 judicial vacancies, resulting in serious criminal cases being thrown out of court.

Could the minister tell us how many cases are going to be thrown out of court before she finally gets her act together and starts appointing judges?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I am pleased to stand to speak to the substantive appointments we have made in judicial appointments to superior courts across the country.

We are continuing to ensure we make quality appointments that reflect the diversity in our country. That is why we instituted a new judicial appointments process. That is why we have reconstituted the judicial advisory committees to ensure we have substantive, quality, credible candidates who I can put forward, again reflecting the diversity of the country and the makeup of our great nation.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is trying to keep at least one election promise, and he is moving forward with legislation to legalize marijuana.

Marijuana edibles, such as lollipops, brownies, cookies, and candies, are directly targeting Canadian youth and are currently the number one sales item at illegal dispensaries. How can Canadians trust the Prime Minister to protect our children under more liberalized laws when he refuses to protect them when marijuana is illegal?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I think the members of the House are familiar with the fact that we will be introducing legislation this spring. It will have to do with the legalization of access to cannabis under a regulatory regime that will restrict access and will address the very issues the member has raised to ensure that cannabis stays out of the hands of children and the profits out of the hands of criminals.

I encourage all members to read the task force and make sure they are well informed.

National Defence

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on July 30, 1974, a tragic accident befell cadets attending camp on the Valcartier base. A live grenade exploded inside a barracks packed with more than 130 cadets, killing six of them and injuring dozens more. The lives of many Canadians were changed forever.

Can the Minister of National Defence tell the House what has been done to ensure that survivors of this terrible tragedy receive adequate care and support?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier today, I am truly sorry for the pain endured by victims of this tragedy, and I deeply regret how long it has taken to address it.

That is why we are taking action. In recognition of their pain and suffering, they will receive a universal benevolent payment and are eligible for an individualized payment to cover any physical or mental injuries they may have endured.

For the former cadets who are here today and those who could not be here, on behalf of the Government of Canada, I ask them to accept this apology. We are truly sorry for the pain they have endured, and we deeply regret how long it took to address it.

We are sorry.

Taxation

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to make life unaffordable for Canadian families. With previous tax hikes that have taken place, it leaves us wondering, with the minister saying that everything is on the table, what is next for our Canadian families.

Stories are coming out every day with regard to potential tax hikes that we could be facing in this upcoming budget. What I would like to know today is whether our children are in fact going to be kept safe.

I have asked this before and I am asking it again today. Could the Minister of Finance tell us that he will not touch the registered education savings plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am always pleased to have an opportunity to tell the House about the wonderful work the government is doing to support middle-class Canadians and middle-class families.

It is this government that has put in place the Canada child benefit program that has helped hundreds of thousands of children get out of poverty. It is this government that has invested significantly in creating more summer jobs for students.

Our government is committed to helping Canadians, and that is exactly what we are going to be continuing to do in budget 2017.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are seeing that our oil spill response is anything but world class. The B.C. diesel spill had a radius of over five kilometres and contaminated the clams in the region. First nation communities are exhausted and feel abandoned by the government's inaction. One expert said, “The diesel is not going to disappear magically”. Another asked, “If we can’t clean that up, then how does that speak to our capacity to deal with large ocean-going tankers with heavy fuel products?”

Can the Liberal government explain the nine-hour delay and why it simply gave up?

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

Mr. Speaker, the protection of Canadian waters is of the utmost importance to our government. Within an hour and 20 minutes of the initial call, the Coast Guard tasked assets to respond to this incident. The Coast Guard has also established a unified command collaboratively with members of local first nations, federal and provincial partners, and the responsible party. Despite their quick response, incidents like this highlight why our government is investing in marine safety with a $1.5 billion oceans protection plan, which will make Canada's marine safety systems even stronger than they are today.