Debates of Oct. 5th, 2018

Natural Resources

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the honour to attend the memorial for Chief Wah Tah K’eght, Henry Alfred, of northern British Columbia. He was the last living Wet’suwet’en chief who argued the Delgamuukw case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. He stood on the stand hour after hour while government lawyers tried to break down his understanding and knowledge of his territory, and he won. He won establishing rights and title and the ability of indigenous peoples to stand in the country for those sacred rights.

How exactly are the Liberals honouring Chief Wah Tah K’eght's memory and all the indigenous communities and leaders who have fought for that principle, generation after generation?

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

Mr. Speaker, for far too long indigenous people have fought to have their rights recognized and implemented. As a government, we are committed to doing things differently.

While we set a high bar to begin with for TMX consultations, we understand that we can and must do better. That is why we will not appeal the court's decision. We share the court's view on moving forward by engaging in meaningful and focused consultations with indigenous groups. That is exactly what we intend to do.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government said that chapter 32, which requires us to get Washington's permission to negotiate free trade with certain countries, was not a big deal because, “any party to NAFTA is allowed...to leave with six months' notice.” That is ridiculous.

The government knows full well that Canada is not going to quit a trade deal on which one in five Canadian jobs depend. Effectively, the government has given up our independence in setting trade policy for Asia-Pacific. Yes, the government got a deal, but at what cost?

[Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand the Conservatives' position on China. On Monday, they told us that we were way too close. On Tuesday, they said that we were not close enough.

However, we probably can agree on one thing; that a $40 billion investment that will send clean Canadian LNG to Asia is good for us, it is good for the planet, and we do not have to ask anybody for permission.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is not about any one party's position on free trade with China; it is about our sovereignty to negotiate those kinds of deals.

The Liberals also sold us out on our exchange rate policy, on our central bank policy. As Greece has found out, if we do not control our central bank, we do not have a sovereign state. If Washington does not like our exchange rate, chapter 33 forces us into consultations to arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution.

The Liberals were so desperate to get a deal, any deal, they sold Canada out on our central bank policy. Again, yes, they got a deal, but at what price?

[Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, Canada gave up none of its sovereignty in this deal. We have the capacity to enter into agreements with any country in the world when we believe it is in Canada's interest. By the way, these provisions apply to all three countries that were party to the negotiation. It is very hard to predict what one country or another may feel two, six or eight years from now. However, one thing we know for sure: Canada is free to enter into negotiations with any country that it chooses.

Carbon Pricing

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with Manitoba coming out strongly against the Liberal government's carbon tax this week, the Prime Minister's signature initiative now has the support of just two provincial governments.

I asked the environment minister a clear question yesterday, and today I hope for an actual answer. There seems to be a clear consensus among experts on all sides of the issue that the government will not come close to meeting its international climate change commitments. Could the minister confirm that the government is in fact not on track to meet its Paris agreement targets?

[Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, with respect, the government was elected on a commitment to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. We are moving forward with a plan to protect the environment that includes a price on pollution. It is disappointing that Manitoba will not take threats posed to the environment seriously.

With respect to the question on the Paris agreement, we are confident that we can reach the Paris agreement without question. We are moving forward with plans that include not just a price on pollution, but advancements in public transit, investments in clean technology and an oceans protection plan as well.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the parliamentary secretary answers a question that the minister refused to answer yesterday.

Given that support for the carbon tax, which forms the backbone of the Liberals' climate plan, is literally disintegrating around it and given that even in the best case scenario there are huge gaps between emissions projections and the Paris targets, how many billions of Canadian taxpayer dollars is the government projecting will have to be spent on overseas carbon credits in order to make up for the Liberals' climate plan shortfalls?

[Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, with respect, the question grossly mis-characterized what is happening across Canada. The plan we put in place specifically invites the provinces and territories to come up with a plan. When they fail to take steps responsibly that will actually meet the targets we have set across Canada, we will implement a federal backstop to ensure that Canadians, no matter which province they live in, benefit from a healthy environment. The great thing about our plan is that it is simple. It puts a price on pollution. It is going to make life more affordable for Canadians and more expensive for polluters.

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

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax considerably increases the cost of living for Canadians. The cost of manufacturing and shipping is higher for everything people buy. Fortunately, several provinces are pulling out of this tax, which is unfair for Canadians, especially for low-income families. We know very well that this tax is used to pay the huge debt the Liberals have created.

Instead of misleading Canadians by saying it will give us back that money, will the government commit immediately to abolishing this tax so that Canadian taxpayers have more money in their pockets?

[Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member completely mis-characterized what is going on. If he does not believe me, I invite him to read the report of Mark Cameron. Even Stephen Harper's former director of policy has indicated that this government's plan is going to put more money into the pockets of Canadian families and at the same time lead to a reduction in emissions. It is disappointing in the extreme that the hon. member will take money from his constituents to make pollution free again.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind everyone it was Saskatchewan that was the first province to stand up to the Liberal government and oppose what Premier Moe calls the “destructive, made-in-Ottawa carbon tax”. Now Saskatchewan is joined by Ontario, PEI, Manitoba and Alberta, and there will be more. In Saskatoon yesterday, the premiers, Moe and Ford, met and declared a strong united front against this worst tax ever. Canadians cannot afford another Liberal tax.

When will the Liberals respect the provinces and end this carbon tax?

[Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, with respect, we now know that the Conservatives have no plan. Their leader has no plan. They will not even commit to meeting the Paris targets. This is because Conservatives are focused on—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Saskatoon—Grasswood asked a very good question, and I am waiting for the answer. I am sure he is too, so I would ask honourable members to maybe not chatter as much so that we can hear that answer.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Sean Fraser]

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, it seems that the Conservatives' only plan to tackle climate change is to keep pollution free again. While they are scratching out some make-believe plan on the back of a napkin, we are actually moving forward with measures that will reduce emissions and keep life more affordable for Canadians. We are investing in public transit, we are investing in clean technology, we are putting a price on pollution, and this is what Canadians deserve.

Foreign Affairs

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, trying to get a seat on the Security Council is commendable, but the government’s strategy simply does not cut it. Canada lags far behind other OECD countries in funding development assistance. The Liberals are also failing to do enough to fight climate change or to promote world peace, particularly in the Middle East. Our allies are disappointed, and Canada’s reputation, unfortunately, is not improving.

Do the Liberals realize that simply saying that Canada is back is not enough and that action is needed?

[Andrew Leslie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada-U.S. Relations)]

Mr. Speaker, in short, our accomplishments are as follows: we have worked with North Korea and shown leadership on this critical issue by hosting a meeting with 20 countries in Vancouver. On Venezuela, we are an important member of the Lima Group. As for peace operations, Canada will deploy an air task force to the United Nations Mission in Mali; it is really doing a great job. Regarding Myanmar, we have responded to the crisis by providing more than $300 million. We have made other exemplary accomplishments to ensure that those responsible are—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Jonquière.

Copyright

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in renegotiating NAFTA, Canada knuckled under to Donald Trump's demand to extend copyrights from 50 to 70 years after the death of the author. A citizen from Saguenay, Mr. Jean-Marie Tremblay, has been assembling a collection of more than 7,000 works over the past 25 years. The change in copyright law will have a major impact on these essential works for our students.

Is the government aware that letting Donald Trump rewrite our laws could adversely impact our education system?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear when it comes to copyright and intellectual property that we have a very comprehensive plan. That is why we introduced the innovation and skills plan, and part of that plan is an $85.3-million commitment to the first national IP strategy. The objective of the strategy is to make sure that we help people generate more IP and that they get more IP benefits. With regard to copyright, this is going to help artists. This is going to help creators. This is going to help the industry grow. This is good for Canada, and this is good for our economy.

Natural Resources

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every day the Liberals fail to get our oil to new markets it costs Canadians $50 million in lost revenue because of deep discounts to our American consumers. Continued delays on the Trans Mountain expansion mean Canadian jobs are at stake. The Liberals must immediately appeal the Federal Court decision and request a leave so construction can continue.

Why do the Liberals not recognize that they can consult and appeal at the same time, or are they just purposely stalling this project?

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

Mr. Speaker, it was interesting to hear in the House today the NDP saying that we should not even engage with first nations and should abandon the project, and now we are hearing the Conservatives saying that we are not going fast enough and to disregard the courts completely.

We will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who cut corners at every turn. They disregarded environmental concerns, and they also think that consulting with indigenous peoples is a suggestion and not a constitutional obligation.

The Conservatives did not build a single kilometre of pipeline to overseas markets. The Leader of the Opposition is doubling down. It is déjà vu all over again. It is clear that the Conservatives have learned nothing from their decade of failure on major projects.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister were serious about ensuring that Trans Mountain moves ahead, he would be doing everything possible to make it happen. He should have begun consultations and appealed the court decision immediately.

Why is the Prime Minister incapable of consulting and appealing at the same time?