Debates of Oct. 31st, 2018

Criminal Code

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Pursuant to Standing Order 98 the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, November 7, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

The Environment

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

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise in response to a question that I asked the Prime Minister earlier this year around ocean plastics. We know that a garbage truck of plastic is entering our environment every minute. I had a chance to speak in the first hour of debate in support of my motion, Motion No. 151, on Monday.

We heard that we are going to get support from all four opposition parties. I want to thank them for their support first. They understand that this is a huge issue. It is certainly an issue for Canada, with the longest coastline in the world, and it is a global issue.

We heard some of the concerns from the Conservatives that were raised in debate around my motion. They were worried about the costs to the taxpayer. I just wanted to address some of those concerns.

We heard from the World Wildlife Fund that over $13 billion U.S. is the cost currently to our oceans right now in terms of ocean plastics that are impacting our fisheries, our coastline and our important pristine environments. Locally, we are finding over 90 pieces of microplastic in a salmon and at least two pieces of microplastic in the average shellfish. Therefore, this is potentially a huge threat to our shellfish industry and our fishing industry. We need to make sure that we are prudent about that and fiscally responsible, instead of letting plastic escape our environments into our aquatic environments that could impact future generations and put the cost burden on them.

On October 24, the European Parliament overwhelmingly backed a ban on single-use plastics, including items like plastic straws, cotton swabs, disposable plastic plates and cutlery. It has committed to banning them all by 2021 and that 90% of all plastic bottles will be recycled by 2025. I commend it. That is leadership.

Dame Ellen MacArthur, the founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, on October 29, put out an op-ed in The Huffington Post, which states:

We cannot recycle and clean our way out of this crisis—we must move upstream to the source of the flow. When the boat is sinking, bailing out buys you time, but what you really need to do is fix the hole.

I could not agree more. We actually need to not just think about recycling, but eliminate and reduce the amount of plastic that we are using and that is going into the environment.

A good friend of mine, Captain Josh Temple from Clayoquot CleanUp, he always refers to the amount of plastic going in the ocean as an oil spill that is happening every day. We need tangible measurable goals that are transparent, and that are reported annually and publicly.

Back on October 24, when the European Parliament voted, its environment commissioner Karmenu Vella said:

Today we are one step closer to eliminating the most problematic single use plastic products in Europe. It sends a clear signal that Europe is ready to take decisive, coordinated action to curb plastic waste and to lead international efforts to make our oceans plastic-free.

The question I have is this. Is Canada ready? Will the government support my motion like the other opposition parties? I asked that question of the Prime Minister. I ask that question today. We need a national strategy to combat this growing problem.

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

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, the hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni, for his tireless dedication to combatting plastic waste and protecting our oceans from plastic pollution. I could not agree more on the importance of this issue. This is why this government is taking prompt action.

We made oceans plastics a priority for the G7 presidency and put forward the Charlevoix blueprint for healthy oceans and the ocean plastic charter at the G7 leaders summit this past June. The charter commits to pursuing actions along the entire life cycle of plastics to address plastic pollution and marine litter.

To date, the charter has been endorsed by 10 governments, including Canada, Italy, France, the U.K. and the European Union. Support for the charter's commitments is not limited to government, however. I am also pleased to note that more than 18 major businesses and non-governmental organizations have endorsed the ocean plastic charter to date, including Unilever, the Dow Chemical Company, Loblaws, Coca-Cola, Walmart and A&W Canada, just to name a few. These international commitments provide a springboard for action in Canada.

Federal, provincial and territorial governments are currently working together, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, the CCME, to develop a national strategy and action that responds to the charter and moves toward zero plastic waste. Our shared goal is to keep all types of plastics in the economy out of landfills and the environment.

This work is advancing rapidly and involves consultations with the public, local governments, indigenous communities, industry and other stakeholders. For example, the CCME conducted a national stakeholder consultation on a draft framework for zero plastic waste this past August, and received over 200 stakeholder responses.

Environment and Climate Change Canada also engaged all Canadians through a public online consultation, which ran from April to September 2018. The “Moving Canada Toward Zero Plastic Waste” consultation received 13,000 comments and letters from Canadians, which will inform our approach to this issue.

We are following through on our commitments with real actions and investments. These include $100 million to support international plastic waste management and innovation and more than $12 million to support a domestic plastic innovation challenge right here at home. We have also committed to lead by example by diverting 75% of all plastic waste from federal government operations by 2030. We will achieve this target by increasing recycling activities, reducing the unnecessary use of single-use plastics in government meetings and events and promoting the purchase of sustainable plastic products.

Finally, it is clear that Canadians are passionate about this issue, as is the hon. member, and they want action from all levels of government as well as industry. This is a complex issue that requires a comprehensive response. That is why we are working with all provinces and territories to develop a coordinated national approach.

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

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend for outlining some of the steps the government is taking. I do congratulate the government for making this a priority. However, what we would like to see is not just consultation, but the government actually to take action. However, I want to applaud it for committing to eliminate single-use plastics in all federal facilities in the next year. We would like the government to do that straight across the country.

We do not understand why the Liberals did not follow the EU and commit to a ban by 2021. I would like the member to speak to why they have not followed the EU and my motion. Will the Liberals support my motion, which is supported by Margaret Atwood and 120,000 petitioners. Ninety-five per cent of municipalities at FCM supported it. It was supported almost unanimously at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Madam Speaker, we are taking action. Because plastics are ubiquitous and have benefits, the solutions will be varied and complex. This will require action by government, industry, retailers, consumers, researchers and individuals, including youth.

That is why we are working with our domestic and international partners to find solutions throughout the life of plastics. This includes making plastic design and production more sustainable; improving collection and management systems and infrastructure; adopting more sustainable lifestyles, including through education and improving our understanding of the issue and solutions through research and innovation; and taking action to remove the plastic litter that is already covering the world's shorelines and waterways.

I thank the hon. member for his hard work on this important file.

Natural Resources

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

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise tonight to pursue a question that I initially asked in question period on June 7. It is remarkably timely these many months later, although the circumstances have changed.

My question pertained to the quite inexplicable decision by the government to purchase the 65-year-old Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5 billion. In my question, I compared it to having the “business acumen of buying up all of Blockbuster's assets while Netflix takes off”. In other words, it is not a wise business decision. It is quite bizarre to buy a 65-year-old pipeline that is an ongoing working concern. It does not create a single new job to buy a 65-year-old pipeline, albeit it was all in aid of trying to build the Kinder Morgan expansion.

My question at the time dealt with whether we would see the contract for purchase and sale. Since that time, the contract for purchase and sale was made public. I reviewed it carefully and it had a couple of features that are relevant to my pursuit of this matter in debate tonight.

One is that the contract for purchase and sale of Kinder Morgan's assets in Canada did not include all of its assets. It also did not include a closing date. There was no date specified for the closing of the purchase of the Kinder Morgan pipeline. There was something called the “outside date”, December 31, which has not yet arrived. It is quite inexplicable. I use that word often because I think it is the best word.

There is no explanation for the lack of fiscal prudence and lack of concern for evidence-based decision-making that would lead the government to spend $4.5 billion on an old pipeline, particularly when the cheque to Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion was delivered to it on August 31, less than 24 hours after the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the permits for the expansion.

This was foreseeable. In fact, I pointed out to the government on many occasions in the House that taking the chance that the permits would not be quashed was reckless. The matter was before the courts. Why did every minister stand up and say that the pipeline would be built, the pipeline must be built? The pipeline should not be built.

Now that we have wasted $4.5 billion on a 65-year-old pipeline, it is a little late to point out to the government that the Federal Court of Appeal's decision not only found that the Government of Canada had broken the law, but also that Kinder Morgan had broken the law through the process of the environmental review and indigenous consultations. Therefore, we had a material breach that could have gotten Canada out of wasting $4.5 billion on a 65-year-old pipeline for purposes of building an expansion, for which it does not have permits, at a cost of at $10 billion more.

Now for the kicker. Perfectly foreseeable was that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was going to deliver a report this October. It was foreseeable because the Minister of Environment herself played a significant role in COP21 in Paris, and the COP21 decision document mandated the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to prepare exactly this report to tell us what we already knew, that we are not moving fast enough and the Harper targets that the government has held onto for action on climate change are completely inadequate to meet the Paris target of holding global average temperature to 1.5°C. Now we know that missing 1.5°C is globally catastrophic and potentially sets in motion irreversible disaster.

The government must cancel any and all new fossil fuel projects, including the Kinder Morgan pipeline.

[Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for her advocacy on this very important issue.

I am proud to be part of a government that prioritizes transparency and accountability. As mentioned by the member, the text of the agreement to which she refers was actually made public in July of this year. A copy of it was provided to her and it is also available for all Canadians to review on the Trans Mountain Corporation's website.

Let me reassure the hon. member that the purchase of the Trans Mountain expansion project and related pipeline and terminal access from Kinder Morgan is a sound investment. This investment is part of our commitment to support all Canadians and provide great jobs for Canadians. The government's $4.5-billion investment in the project represents a fair price for Canadians and for shareholders of the company.

Under the ownership of a Crown corporation, the government will work to move the project forward in the right way.

The government is taking action to address the issues identified by the Federal Court of Appeal. We have instructed the National Energy Board to reconsider its report on the project, taking into account the effects of project-related marine shipping.

In addition, the government has decided to follow the guidance from the court to engage in specific and focused consultation with impacted indigenous groups.

Furthermore, we committed a further $61.5 million to help the southern resident killer whale survive and recover, building on the investments under the oceans protection plan, which support this iconic and culturally significant species.

With these actions, the government is confident that it will uphold the trust Canadians have placed in it to both grow the economy and protect the environment.

Ninety-nine per cent of our energy resources go only to the United States. Now more than ever, Canadians understand that we need to diversify our markets to protect and grow good middle-class jobs in Canada.

Keep in mind there is an existing pipeline that has been there since 1953, that generates almost $300 million of earnings a year. The challenge ahead is manageable because the court has been very clear that there are two very specific shortcomings and laid out paths for addressing them promptly and without unnecessary delay.

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

Madam Speaker, first of all, let us talk about the notion that this is a fair price, $4.5 billion for a 65-year-old pipeline that Kinder Morgan purchased for $550 million and that purchase price included additional infrastructure that we did not buy. It is a huge bonanza of a profit to a Texas-based company for absolutely no reason.

When the hon. member says Canadians realize “now more than ever” that we must diversify where our energy goes, I disagree. Canadians realize now more than ever that we have to stop using and exploiting fossil fuels while there is time to ensure our children can live out their natural lifespan without being in an unliveable world. That is the advice from the intergovernmental panel on climate change.

Maintaining the existing 65-year-old pipeline is not going to be a new investment, but expanding it will create an additional pulse of greenhouse gases. We are over the carbon budget. We have to reduce now. We have to cancel Kinder Morgan.

[Paul Lefebvre]

Madam Speaker, we are following the clear path provided by the Federal Court of Appeal in order to move forward on the Trans Mountain expansion project in the right way. The court was clear that we needed to do a better job consulting indigenous peoples and the NEB needed to account for the impact of marine shipping. That is the path we are taking.

The previous government's approach failed. It failed to diversify to non-U.S. markets. We must diversify our oil exports and we must do so in the right way.

We understand that protecting the environment, growing the economy and respecting indigenous peoples can be done at the same time. The court provided us with a clear path to move this project forward in the right way, and that is what we are going to do.

We will continue to make historic investments like our $1.5 billion oceans protection plan, restore our relationship with indigenous peoples and support the jobs our energy sector creates.

International Trade

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

Madam Speaker, in the NAFTA 2.0 file, the Liberals failed dairy farmers. They failed chicken farmers. They failed egg farmers. They failed turkey farmers. They failed our SMEs. They failed to defend our food sovereignty and territorial autonomy. They failed our local farmers. They failed our family farms. Lastly, they failed Quebec.

Simply put, the Liberals signed a bad deal. I am not the only one who thinks so. All stakeholders agree.

I want to read some of their comments.

The Coop fédérée said:

By ratifying an agreement that will create new breaches in the tariff barriers protecting supply-managed sectors, the government is not giving full recognition to the agriculture and agrifood sectors for their contribution to the economic and social development of Canada and its regions.

Yvon Boucher, president of the Producteurs de lait de Montérégie-Est, said:

We feel betrayed by this government, which promised us that there would be no impact on dairy production, that it would not sign a deal that would have negative consequences for us. Now we see from the result that this was completely untrue. We have lost faith in this government.

Pierre-Luc Leblanc, president of Éleveurs de volailles du Québec, said that since the Liberals' new agreement, millions of tonnes of American chicken, eggs and turkey are poised to enter the Canadian market. He says that this may seem like no big deal now, but in five or 10 years this could further jeopardize poultry producers. Poultry producers are surprised and disappointed in this agreement and want compensatory measures from the government.

Jacques Demers, president of the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, said:

This agreement is harmful not only for dairy producers in Quebec, but also for every region in Quebec. We are talking about hundreds of rural communities whose economies have been compromised.

I could go on and on.

I commend the courage of the hundreds of farmers who called out the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food during a demonstration in Montérégie, and especially the farmers from my riding who gathered in Granby to express their displeasure. Dairy farmers from the RCMs of Maskoutains and Acton were there to discuss their situation.

Charles Graveline has a herd of 325 dairy cows in Saint-Jude. Mr. Graveline, who is a father of three and seventh-generation farmer, is saying that the government talks about financial compensation, but it will never measure up to the losses farmers are going to suffer. He believes that each farm is going to lose tens of thousands of dollars. This dairy farmer from my region expects to see a shortfall of between $150,000 and $180,000 annually. How could this government have done that to our farmers? How can they continue to claim that they signed a good agreement?

Marie-Pier Vincent, a young farmer from Saint-Valérien, started up a dairy farm two and a half year ago. Her operation has 40 dairy cows. She is worried about her future. She has said that this agreement will be very harmful to her and will jeopardize the entire future of her business. By opening up another breach, the government has just sacrificed an entire generation. Young farmers are worried, and with good reason, unfortunately. We know very little about compensation at the moment, apart from the Liberal promise that it will be paid out before Christmas.

In light of all these concerns and observations, how can the government say it signed a good agreement?

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for raising this important question.

The Government of Canada strongly supports the supply management system, farmers, their families, and producers. Dairy, egg and poultry producers and processors have strong roots in our economy and also in our regions.

Our supply management system is viewed around the world as a model of stability. The system guarantees fair returns for producers; predictable supply for processors; and high-quality dairy, poultry and egg products for consumers.

The USMCA maintains the three pillars of supply management: production control, pricing mechanism, and import control. The government defended our supply management system against American attacks, and we will not give in. We will continue to defend our national interests and Canadian values, all while supporting our agricultural sector.

Furthermore, our government has invested $2.2 million to implement proAction, a dairy-industry initiative focused on what today's consumers care about, like milk quality and safety, animal health and welfare, and the environment.

In 2018, we provided nearly $3 million to the poultry and egg industries to help them improve their capacity to develop new tools to fight against outbreaks of poultry diseases and become more effective at doing so, as well as to meet the stricter animal welfare, biosafety and food safety standards.

Over the next five years, the federal, provincial and territorial governments will invest $3 billion in the Canadian agricultural industry, including supply-managed sectors.

The Government of Canada is proud to help Canada's dairy, egg and poultry farmers build responsible and sustainable industries. For example, in order to help the dairy industry adapt to CETA, the Government of Canada invested $350 million to enable dairy farmers and processors to modernize, increase productivity and become more competitive.

Since the CPTPP was signed, the Government of Canada has been working with supply-managed industries to help them stay strong. On October 29, the minister announced the creation of new working groups for dairy farmers and processors. These working groups will bring together representatives from Canadian dairy organisations and associations, regional representatives and senior officials from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

The structure of the working groups was determined based on consultations with Canada's dairy farmers and the Dairy Processors Association of Canada. The working groups will develop mitigation strategies to fully and fairly support dairy farmers and processors and help them adapt to the USMCA. They will also discuss what support measures will need to be implemented as a result of the CPTPP's impact.

Evidently, We are currently working with the industry, and we intend to pursue and further develop this collaboration in the future.

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

Madam Speaker, a big public demonstration is planned for November 18 to support agriculture in my region. The UPA is calling on ordinary citizens, farmers, food processors and municipal and union stakeholders to march together in support of our local farmers.

The event is being called “Garde-manger en danger”, or “our pantry in peril”. It will be an opportunity for everyone in Saint-Hyacinthe and Acton Vale, my constituents, to show their support for our farmers.

Canadians care about the reciprocity of standards, clear labelling and the traceability of food, regional development and land use, as well as greater support for our agriculture and our farmers, and I invite everyone to demonstrate that on November 18 at the march to support our local farmers.

When will this government finally admit that it signed a bad agreement, one that is bad for our food sovereignty and bad for our farmers?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Madam Speaker, as I said, supply management is integral to Canadian agriculture, and I can assure the House that we did indeed protect and defend it.

The government is determined to work with dairy, egg and poultry producers to identify the best ways to ensure they get the support they need and remain strong, dynamic and innovative at all levels of the supply chain.

The government's support for supply management has always been and will always be unwavering.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

Happy Halloween to everyone.

(The House adjourned at 7:04 p.m.)