House of Commons Hansard #195 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was consent.

Topics

Foreign InvestmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I would ask the member for Battle River—Crowfoot and others to try to restrain themselves and listen to what people say during question period.

Let us listen now to the hon. member for Chilliwack—Hope.

Foreign InvestmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member already has compromised national security. Norsat is a world leader in affordable satellite communications terminals, with customers that include the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. Allowing the transfer of such advanced military technology to Hytera, a company already accused of stealing proprietary technology from the west, jeopardizes the national security of Canada and our allies. Such a deal demands a full, formal national security review.

Will the Prime Minister order such a review on this deal, or is he more concerned with pleasing his Chinese friends and backers than protecting the national security of Canadians?

Foreign InvestmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Mississauga—Malton Ontario

Liberal

Navdeep Bains LiberalMinister of Innovation

Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the member opposite is attacking our national security agencies. We have full faith in our agencies. We understand that they have the capability and the resources to do the appropriate job. We understand that they are always going to advance our national interests. I do not know why the members opposite continue to attack our national security agencies. We have full confidence in them. That is why we have followed their advice and that is why we proceeded with the transaction, because we support our civil service and we support our national security agencies.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Georgina Jolibois NDP Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Superior Court found Canada liable for failing to protect survivors of the sixties scoop. When the NDP stood in the House and asked the minister to uphold the judgment, she said, “We will not be appealing” and the Liberals would resolve this “as quickly as possible”.

Four months later, government lawyers are stopping the case from moving into the next phase. Why, despite all their talking points, are Liberals still fighting indigenous people in court?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Toronto—St. Paul's Ontario

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the government is taking action on the outstanding childhood claim, and I have a mandate to negotiate with all sixties scoop plaintiffs. As the courts have clearly laid out, no two experiences are the same, no two voices are identical. We believe that each individual deserves the justice he or she is entitled to. This goes beyond what the courts can prescribe, with revitalizing and restoring language and culture through community programs. Resolving these cases is an important step in our journey of reconciliation with indigenous peoples.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

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

Mr. Speaker, when indigenous children were taken from their parents and placed with non-indigenous families, they were denied their rights and stripped of their identity. When the court ruled in their favour, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she would never appeal, and many felt redeemed.

Now the Minister of Justice continues to deny those survivors justice by appealing this decision. Will she withdraw her appeal and repair this serious breach of human rights against these survivors? There can be no reconciliation in this country in the absence of justice.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Toronto—St. Paul's Ontario

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I have no interest in going back to court about this. We have been given the mandate to negotiate, and that is what we want to do.

Let us be clear. The government is committed to working with first nations to resolve this issue. That is why we have already begun negotiations to reach a national settlement for Sixties Scoop victims. The negotiations will allow all parties involved to work together to address the legacy of the Sixties Scoop. We have—

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for South Surrey—White Rock.

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Dianne Lynn Watts Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

Mr. Speaker, in an interview, the Prime Minister's special adviser on the infrastructure bank was asked how the bank would protect taxpayers from high user fees imposed by private investors. He replied “that's not...the role of the...bank”.

When asked how the bank will protect taxpayers if an investor abandons a project or defaults, he said, “I don't really understand how that's an issue.”

If it is not the role of the bank to protect taxpayers and the Prime Minister's special adviser does not even understand why taxpayers need to be protected, how can the Liberals continue to support the development of the bank?

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Edmonton Mill Woods Alberta

Liberal

Amarjeet Sohi LiberalMinister of Infrastructure and Communities

Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a very ambitious agenda to build and rebuild Canadian communities, and the infrastructure bank will allow us to do that. Today, we made a $1.2 billion investment in the Province of Quebec to build Montreal's public transit service, which will create 34,000 jobs and other partnerships with the Province of Quebec. The leadership of our Quebec caucus is producing tangible and real results for Quebec.

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Mr. Speaker, continuing with the infrastructure bank, the government's arrogance is on full display yet again. The two chambers have not even completed their study of Bill C-44, but the Liberals have already advertised the position of chairperson.

Today the Prime Minister announced that an independent bank that does not yet exist could potentially invest $1.3 billion in Quebec, thereby replacing a federal investment. I think it is time to press the pause button.

Will the Prime Minister split Bill C-44 and finally allow parliamentarians to have their say on the bank the Liberals are setting up for their friends?

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Edmonton Mill Woods Alberta

Liberal

Amarjeet Sohi LiberalMinister of Infrastructure and Communities

Mr. Speaker, let me state again how proud we are of our partnership with the Province of Quebec and the City of Montreal to support this project. It is the largest infrastructure project, largest public transit project in the recent history of the City of Montreal. I am so proud to be working with my Quebec MPs to have this project become a reality, so we can keep on building the infrastructure communities need.

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB

Mr. Speaker, in 16 days, Canada will turn 150 years old and Canadians will be celebrating across the country with friends and family.

Many of those celebrations will include some of the world's best beer, wine, and spirits, made right here in Canada. Unfortunately, the Liberals are looking at this as an opportunity to increase taxes on Canadians. This year, and every year after, the Liberals will be increasing taxes on beer, wine, and spirits.

Could the minister please explain why the Liberals are so intent on taxing the fun out of Canada Day?

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe New Brunswick

Liberal

Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise in this House and to speak about the good work that our government has been doing.

Our government's first action that we took when we formed government was to increase taxes on the wealthiest 1% so that we could lower them for middle-class Canadians.

We also introduced a Canada child benefit program that has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.

We are moving ahead with our plan to provide fairness, grow the economy, and strengthen the middle class by creating jobs and giving people the skills they need for the economy of tomorrow.

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB

Mr. Speaker, whoever came up with that answer and whoever proposed a never-ending tax hike was certainly drinking something.

In fact, our Canadian craft alcohol producers are already on the hook to pay some of the highest taxes in the world. In fact, an escalating tax was tried once before by the previous Trudeau government. It failed miserably. Many businesses closed, costing us thousands of jobs.

It is not too late for the minister to put this policy in the drunk tank. Will the Liberals stand up for Canadian craft alcohol producers and the thousands of jobs they create? Will they cork this tax?

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe New Brunswick

Liberal

Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we know that we have an economy that works for the middle class. We have an economy that works for Canada as a whole.

Our government has cut taxes for nine million middle-class Canadians. We have introduced a Canada child benefit program that has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.

Our plan is working. We are moving forward, and we will continue working for Canadians.

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the government cut funding to 33% of the organizations that provide care to Canadians living with HIV. In April, the Minister of Health stated at committee that she had reversed those cuts by investing $30 million in new money from the budget in the federal initiative to address HIV. Oddly enough, the public health directorate later said that the minister had misspoken.

Why is she so confused about her own department, and is she reversing the cuts made to those organizations, yes or no?

HealthOral Questions

June 15th, 2017 / 2:45 p.m.

Markham—Stouffville Ontario

Liberal

Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to answer this question.

Responding to the needs of people affected by HIV and preventing new HIV infections is something that is very important to us. We did, in fact, put new investments in the budget. There will be an additional $35 million in the Canadian federal initiative of HIV and hepatitis C prevention. That is in addition to the money that we are putting through the first nations and Inuit health branch to also prevent new infections and treat those already affected by HIV.

We will work through the Public Health Agency of Canada to address the needs of Canadians affected by HIV.

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have in front of me the department's spending documents that prove there is not a single dime in extra funding for the federal initiative on HIV. These documents prove there is not an extra nickel for the community action fund, the very program that funds the groups providing HIV care. The minister stated that she secured “investments in the budget to expand the federal initiative on HIV...of $30 million of new funding”. This is demonstrably false. Will she apologize to the organizations she misled?

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Markham—Stouffville Ontario

Liberal

Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I will be very happy at some point to sit down with the member opposite and clarify to him that in fact the federal initiative on HIV/AIDS is expanding in the order of over $30 million. I have been speaking with the Public Health Agency of Canada. We are making sure that good community organizations are getting expansion to their programs and continue those good programs. We are also expanding programs like the know your status program in Saskatchewan, which has demonstrably decreased its rates of new infections. We will work with those agencies to make sure we protect Canadians.

Public TransitOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Frank Baylis Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know how important transportation is when it comes to ensuring a reliable and efficient trip to work, to visit their friends or families, or to go home after a long day. In the greater Montreal area, it is more important than ever to have a world-class public transit system for our city to thrive.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, who was present at the announcement today, tell us how the government supports the expansion of public transit in Montreal?

Public TransitOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs Québec

Liberal

Marc Miller LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Mr. Speaker, my thanks to the hon. member for Pierrefonds—Dollard for his question.

Today, I was proud to be with the Prime Minister in Montreal, where he announced a Government of Canada investment of $1.3 billion in Montreal's Réseau électrique métropolitain.

This investment will create jobs for the middle class and support a modern and efficient transit system that will help Montrealers and those living in the regions spend less time commuting and more time with their families. I would like to thank the entire Quebec Liberal caucus for this. It has worked very hard. Long live our beautiful city of Montreal.

Foreign InvestmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Mr. Speaker, the innovation minister assured this House the government had done its due diligence regarding the billion-dollar Chinese takeover by Anbang Insurance of seniors homes in British Columbia. Anbang is built on risky investments controlling over a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets worldwide. The minister claimed he had done his homework and there was no reason for Canadians to be concerned, but now with the imprisonment of the company chairman on allegations of corruption and the ownership of Anbang's assets now in question, does the minister still think this is a good idea?

Foreign InvestmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Mississauga—Malton Ontario

Liberal

Navdeep Bains LiberalMinister of Innovation

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister reiterated yesterday, British Columbia has a strong, robust regulatory regime, and it imposes rigorous standards of care on operators. Under the Investment Canada Act, when we reviewed it, we made sure that we were able to obtain strong commitments on employment levels, and more important, we wanted Cedar Tree to have the additional financial resources to create more jobs and more growth in British Columbia. As I said before, we are focused on growth and jobs, and that is how we did our analysis under the net benefit process.

Foreign InvestmentOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Gotta love that Cedar Tree; I love that.

Mr. Speaker, the chairman of Anbang, Wu Xiaohui, was escorted by police out of his office last week, and no one knows where he is. Mr. Wu is the company's mastermind, and 92% of Anbang is owned by him or his relatives. With Wu's arrest, the Chinese regime could seize control of seniors care facilities in B.C. What does the minister say to B.C. seniors who may end up with the People's Republic of China as their new landlord, and why did he put Liberal Party interests ahead of those of vulnerable Canadian seniors?