Debates of May 3rd, 2017

Government Appointments

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

As I was about to say yesterday, Mr. Speaker, the EU's rejection of Stéphane Dion as ambassador gives rise to questions about his downsized special adviser role. What are Mr. Dion's reporting lines? Will he be backseat driving our sitting Canadian ambassador to the EU and those to individual countries?

Mr. Dion said yesterday his bungled appointment was the Prime Minister's decision and the Prime Minister's alone. Does the Prime Minister recognize that his clumsy handling of compensating a removed minister has bruised Canada's reputation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the extraordinary opportunity for Canada's leadership in the world. Whether in Beijing, in Europe, in Washington, or at the UN in New York, we have put in top people who will be able to engage in a broad way.

Mr. Dion's expertise, both political and diplomatic, means that he will be able to do more than just simple bilateral ambassadors and care for Canada's relationship with Europe as a whole. It is an important role, but one for which I know Mr. Dion is extraordinarily well suited.

Foreign Affairs

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has a responsibility to stand up against human rights violations, even if they are committed by our military allies or our trading partners. Saudi Arabia has one of the world's worst records on supporting women's rights, including supporting a state-run system of gender segregation.

Will our self-professed feminist Prime Minister stand up today and express his and Canada's disapproval of the decision to elect Saudi Arabia to the United Nations' commission on women's rights?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we strongly disagree with the decision to have Saudi Arabia on the UNESCO human rights body. Unfortunately, it was the only candidate from that region. Canada does not have a voice on that particular body. We are happy to defend human rights anywhere in the world repeatedly, directly with the leaders and in public.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there is another issue that the Prime Minister has done nothing to address, and that is the issue of illegal border crossers at the U.S. land border. These people are flooding across the border. Our border services agents are feeling the pinch, and community members are actually starting to feel frightened about the level of people who are coming across.

Will the Prime Minister commit today to giving people the tools that they need by closing the loophole on the safe third country agreement and preventing this problem from occurring?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, while the rest of the world closes off its borders against newcomers, we are proud that Canadians continue to be welcoming and open to them. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party is showing its roots of being fearful and closed in.

We know it is important to defend our immigration system to ensure the integrity of our borders. That is why we are ensuring that police officers and border service agencies have the resources they need to do their work. We will continue to defend Canadians' rights and security and the openness that we know is a tremendous advantage and value for our country.

Health

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for your warm welcome.

This week is the 66th National Mental Health Week. We know that far too often lengthy waiting times and limited services can prevent Canadians from getting the mental health care that they need.

That is why this year's campaign, led by the Canadian Mental Health Association, calls upon all of us to speak up and get loud on mental health.

Will the Prime Minister inform this House how our government is ensuring that Canadians get the mental health care they need when they need it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier and warmly welcome her to the House of Commons.

Every Canadian has a friend or a family member affected by a mental health problem. We all know the challenges that our communities, families, and economy are facing.

That is why budget 2017 proposes $5 billion to ensure mental health support for as many as 500,000 young Canadians who cannot receive even basic mental health services right now.

These investments will make a real difference in the lives of young Canadians and our communities.

Employment

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his campaign stops in Calgary, where there is no doubt he increased my support.

During my by-election I heard deep concerns and heartbreaking stories about the jobs crisis from Albertans. Students and hard-working families from all walks of life are worried about how they will get by in these uncertain times.

When will the Liberals start taking the jobs crisis in Alberta seriously, stop punishing job creators, and work with us to get people back to work?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for Calgary Midnapore to the House and I congratulate her on her election.

When I was out in Alberta, I talked repeatedly about all of the things that we are doing for the Alberta economy, whether it is approving the Line 3 replacement project, which will create 7,000 middle-class jobs, or approving the Trans-Mountain expansion project, which will create 15,000 new jobs. We are also investing over $240 million in the post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund in Alberta alone.

We continue to understand that building a strong future for Alberta, indeed for all Canadians, means building—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Kootenay—Columbia.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP in my riding of Kootenay—Columbia and across Canada are participating in the yellow stripe campaign to demonstrate how concerned they are with the future of the force. They are understaffed, work with outdated equipment, and are losing members to provincial and municipal police forces that pay better and provide better benefits.

Bill C-7, which would give Mounties a national voice through collective bargaining, has been stalled for almost a year. Could the Prime Minister confirm that the bill will soon return to this place? What will he do to reverse the poor state of labour-management relations in the RCMP?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we will be moving shortly on Bill C-7 because it is important to respect and give the tools to members of the RCMP to be able to pursue their interests and stand up for themselves.

I can speak as someone who was raised surrounded by RCMP members and I have nothing but the deepest respect for the force. I am deeply and personally connected in the value and the extraordinary service the RCMP offers to this country.

I look forward to working with all members of the force to respond to concerns and improvements that are necessary.

Public Transit

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents of Markham—Thornhill know that public transit is critically important to reducing congestion, getting to work on time, and getting home to their families after a long day.

Could the Prime Minister please update the House on the investments the government is making in public transit across the greater Toronto and Hamilton area?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to take a moment to congratulate the member for Markham—Thornhill and wish her a warm welcome to the House of Commons.

Our government is making unprecedented investments in public transit across Canada, including in the GTHA. On March 31, I announced more than $1.8 billion for the GO Transit regional express rail project and over $200 million for more than 300 transit projects across the province. These investments will help cut commute times, foster economic growth, and allow Canadians more time to spend with their families and friends.

Government Expenditures

[Bob Benzen, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, during the recent by-election I knocked on thousands of doors in Calgary Heritage and I heard many concerns from voters about the Liberals. The majority of the people I spoke with were seriously concerned about the Prime Minister's reckless spending with no plans to pay it back.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge these concerns and finally explain to Calgarians how he is going to balance the budget and pay down the debt?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for Calgary Heritage to the House and I wish him all the best in serving his constituents.

I want to highlight that his predecessor had actually the worst record on growth of any prime minister since R.B. Bennett, and that is what we are working on turning around. We are going to ensure that through delivering more money to the pockets of middle-class families through investing in things like transit, waste water treatment plants, and flood protection for cities like Calgary.

We are going to ensure better economic opportunities for citizens and better growth for our entire country. That is our approach.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, next week in Fairbanks, Alaska is an all-important meeting of the Arctic Council where eight nations of the Arctic will be holding a meeting, represented by foreign ministers.

It is clear, based on the most recent science, that the Arctic is the fastest-warming region in the world and that thawing permafrost and melting ice represent a threat not just to the future of the Arctic but to global climate systems.

Will Canada stand firmly with the Nordic nations in reaffirming the urgency of reductions of greenhouse gases and meeting the Paris agreement, no matter what the Trump administration might say?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is proud of its commitments under the Paris agreement. We continue to lead the way, not only in having ambitious targets but in ensuring we have a plan to meet those targets.

That is what is important, particularly important among Arctic nations. As the hon. member pointed out, Arctic populations and ecosystems are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than just about anywhere else in the world.

That is why we are working very strongly with all our friends and allies to ensure leadership on the environment that goes beyond our nation's borders and that demonstrates our true commitment to protecting both the economy and the environment for generations to come.

Message from the Senate

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed Bill S-229, an act respecting underground infrastructure safety, to which the concurrence of the House is desired.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, you are the guardian of our rights. Again today, the government claimed that every member could contribute to parliamentary reform. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The parliamentary reform introduced by the government and the government's handling of this file tramples the rights and privileges of members who do not belong to recognized parties. Hundreds of thousands of voters are being muzzled. I have checked, and I want to—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

This is not a point of order pertaining to question period. I did not receive notice on the matter. I thank the hon. member for his comments.

The hon. member for Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix on a point of order.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when we ask questions about the honour of our men in uniform, it is not a matter of money. I am asking the Prime Minister to answer our questions honourably. Even if he has no respect for the House, he should at least have some for our men in uniform.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

As the member is well aware, that is a point of debate.

Foreign Affairs

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled “Convention concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively”, done at Geneva on July 1, 1949; “Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Articles of Agreement”, done at Beijing on June 29, 2015; “Framework Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Italian Republic on the Reciprocal Recognition of Drivers’ Licences for Exchange Purposes”, done at Rome on March 22, 2017; and “Audiovisual Coproduction Treaty between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg”, done at Ottawa on April 19, 2017.

An explanatory memorandum is included with each treaty.