Debates of May 31st, 2017

National Defence

[Andrew Leslie, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the aerospace industries of Canada and the United States are highly integrated and support good, middle-class jobs on both sides of the border.

We strongly disagree with the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to initiate anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of Canadian heavy civilian aircraft. This is clearly aimed at the Bombardier C Series. Our government will continue to defend the aerospace industry, the workers, Bombardier, and our defence requirements.

Government Appointments

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier in question period, the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirmed that Ms. Meilleur met and spoke with Mr. Butts of the Prime Minister's Office.

I would like to know why the minister is misleading the House.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague of the importance of the process of appointing an official languages commissioner.

Of course this was a merit-based, open, and transparent process. I have explained the process very clearly. In light of all these explanations, I hope my colleagues will respect it. The reality is that this is the first time a government is really explaining the process for appointing an officer of Parliament.

Following this entirely credible and reasonable process that was done by the book, we were able to find the right candidate who has the skills required to fill the position.

Marijuana

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during yesterday's debate on legalizing marijuana, how many times did the Liberals talk about prevention? Not once, until they were asked about it. How many times does the word “prevention” appear in the bill? Zero.

The cannabis task force, the provinces, stakeholders on the ground, and now teachers, too, have all talked about the need for a prevention and education campaign. The federal government is doing absolutely nothing to provide any financial support. The Liberal plan spends only six cents per person per year.

Is this the government's way of convincing us that it understands the urgency of protecting our young people?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her emphasis on a public health approach to the introduction of the legalization of cannabis in a strict regulatory regime. She understands the fact that a public health approach means making sure that we maximize education and minimize harm. In fact, to that end, we have already started with a $9.6-million public education campaign.

We will continue to build the resources to have a strong campaign to make sure that young people are protected, that we keep cannabis out of the hands of kids, and the profits out of the hands of criminals.

The Environment

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Ontario Power Generation just released another report to try to justify its dangerous plan to bury and abandon nuclear waste next to the Great Lakes. These lakes are already under threat and attack by President Trump. They are a fragile ecosystem. The government has a duty to protect them. They are our freshwater source and home to a trillion-dollar industry.

The U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate oppose this plan. Over 200 municipalities oppose this plan. Environmentalists, hunters, and anglers all advise to reject this plan. Who is the Liberals' adviser on this, Homer J. Simpson?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring environmental risks linked to development are addressed before projects proceed.

After considering the joint review panel's report, on February 18, 2016, I requested that OPG, the proponent of the deep geological repository project, provide additional information about possible alternative sites before making an environmental assessment decision. A final decision will be made based on science, evidence, and public input.

Government Appointments

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to give the Minister of Canadian Heritage another chance. She said that stakeholder groups fully support the process. The Quebec Community Groups Network, the representative of anglophones in the province of Quebec, and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne both have said that they have concerns with the process by which the government has proposed the new Commissioner of Official Languages.

Will the government and the minister admit that the process is flawed and commit to restarting this process?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, in the context of finding the Commissioner of Official Languages, we did a thorough process. I have had the chance to explain this process to my colleague many times.

We know that the candidate who came out of this thorough, merit-based process is a good candidate. She is a woman who has been involved in the protection and promotion of official languages for the past 30 years. Her knowledge of the field and her passion for official languages are unparalleled, and therefore, we know we have the right candidate.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two major stakeholder groups representing francophone linguistic minority communities and Acadia throughout this country and anglophones in the province of Quebec have voiced concerns about the process.

Last January, the Prime Minister refused to hold the spirit of the Official Languages Act by refusing to respond to an anglophone in Quebec in English. Now the Liberals have failed to consult with leaders of the recognized parties here in the House of Commons and the Senate before coming forward with this nomination.

This process is flawed. The government lacks respect for the Official Languages Act. When will it restart this process and give us a real nomination?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, our official languages are a priority for our government. My colleague gives me an opportunity to talk about what we have done on official languages in the past 18 months after inaction on the part of the Conservative government on this particular file.

We reinstated francophone immigration services. We made sure to give university accreditation to Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean. We made sure to appoint a bilingual justice from Newfoundland to the Supreme Court. We have done many things.

I am working right now on a future plan on official languages.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is not easy to keep track of what is happening in the House right now.

The government and the Minister of Canadian Heritage keep saying that the process for appointing a commissioner of official languages is neutral and has nothing to do with politics. However, the candidates were picked from a pool of Liberal Party donors. From there, we come to the Standing Committee on Official Languages, where Ms. Meilleur admits that she talked with Gerry Butts. Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage says, first, that she never talked with Mr. Butts, and then, that she did talk with Mr. Butts.

I will give the minister another chance. Yes or no, did she talk with Mr. Butts?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, we found an excellent candidate, Madeleine Meilleur, who was very involved in protecting Ottawa’s francophone hospital, the Montfort Hospital. She also created within the Ontario government the position of French-language services commissioner, which is the equivalent of the commissioner of official languages.

That is why she is duly qualified to impartially and knowledgeably fulfill this key role.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration's study of family reunification, we heard from many witnesses that the two-year conditional permanent residence for sponsored spouses is a serious problem. It is leaving spouses, particularly women, to stay in abusive relationships for fear of jeopardizing their immigration status and they are afraid to report the abuse to authorities.

Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tell the House what his department is doing to support the spouses?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, this measure that was introduced by the Conservatives in 2012 put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of abuse and violence. I am proud of the fact that we have gotten rid of this measure and eliminated it completely. The Conservatives refused to listen and ignored the advice of women's rights advocates as well as newcomers themselves who continually denounced this measure.

As a government, we have committed to gender equality and to combatting gender-based violence.

Judicial Appointments

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice continues to sit on her hands with a near record number of judicial vacancies. Meanwhile, another day and another murder case has been thrown out of court, this time in Montreal, and all the minister can do is pat herself on the back. The minister's indifference to this crisis is nothing short of appalling, and the minister's inaction is nothing short of negligent.

How many more victims are going to be denied justice because of the minister's negligence?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am fine to stand up to talk about the open and transparent appointments process that we have instituted for judges in the superior courts across the country. I am going to continue to add to the 67 appointments—

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

Ten judges not even appointed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I am sure the hon. member for St. Albert—Edmonton wants to hear the answer to his question, so I would ask him to please be quiet.

The hon. Minister of Justice.

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to continue to add to the 67 appointments that I have made to superior courts across the country.

In the province of Quebec, which the member opposite references, there is less than a 1% vacancy in the superior courts.

There are many reasons for delays. It is a shared responsibility between the federal government and the provinces and territories, and we are acting on addressing—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

Infrastructure

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the infrastructure privatization bank becomes a crown corporation, it will be able to steamroll over the provinces and cities and barge right in. It reminds me of Canada Post and its community mailboxes.

Yesterday, the minister said that he consulted with the provinces. Oddly enough, today the National Assembly passed a unanimous motion calling on the future bank to respect Quebec’s laws. Some consultation, great job! The minister says just about anything.

Instead of insulting the National Assembly, what will the 40 Liberals from Quebec do to defend Quebec’s laws?

[Amarjeet Sohi, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, the bank would be set up with the same legal structure as many other crown corporations. Any project that it would invest in would be required to follow all provincial, territorial, and municipal laws. We respect the jurisdiction of our provinces. We are investing a historic amount of money. We are tripling our investments to build the infrastructure that is required by our municipalities and that is required by our provinces. We do that in co-operation and collaboration with our provincial and territorial partners.

Persons with Disabilities

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians with disabilities face challenges every day that prevent them from fully participating in activities in their communities and in their workplaces. We have a duty to reduce barriers to accessibility and provide equal access and equal opportunities for all Canadians. Everyone deserves a level playing field.

Can the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities tell the members of the House about the measures she has taken to reduce barriers to accessibility?

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Madawaska—Restigouche for his question.

This is National AccessAbility Week, which is a time to celebrate, emphasize, and promote inclusion and accessibility across Canada. We also invite all those who may be eligible to apply for funding through the enabling accessibility fund call for proposals we are launching today.

Our government wants more Canadians with disabilities who face challenges every day to participate fully in their communities and the economy. That is why we have increased our investments in the program to over $80 million. This historic investment will remove barriers for many Canadians.