Debates of Nov. 1st, 2018

Brandon University

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in October, Brandon University, home of the Bobcats, celebrated its 50th anniversary. This milestone gave alumni and the entire community a wonderful opportunity to look back and reflect upon the importance of BU in Westman.

Without a doubt, Brandon University has had a lasting and meaningful impact on the entire region. Countless students have received their education from BU and have gone onto become world-class researchers, teachers, musicians, doctors, entrepreneurs, athletes, lawyers, politicians and much more. Henry Champ, Andy Murray, Walter Dinsdale and even Manitoba's current premier Brian Pallister all started at BU.

I am incredibly proud that BU is at the heart of our region, and the numbers speak for themselves. Not only has student enrolment grown by nearly 25% in the past six years, but hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact are directly attributed to Brandon University every year.

Brandon University will continue to prosper in years to come and I will support it every step of the way as it writes down the next chapter—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier.

Ottawa—Vanier

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise today to talk about one of the wonderful community partnerships we have in my riding of Ottawa-Vanier.

Last night, the Vanier Community Association, along with the help of the Vanier Community Service Centre, Crime Stoppers, Loblaws and Partage Vanier organized a fun-filled and safe Halloween fun zone for Vanier families.

The goal was to promote safe celebrations in Vanier. Organizers set up tents at two locations in the neighbourhood. They also hosted games and handed out candy.

They also organized a pédibus to encourage families to trick-or-treat together in their own neighbourhood.

Volunteers of all ages worked together to run the different activities and booths.

We all have the right to feel completely safe in our neighbourhoods.

I commend the organizers of this fun initiative, which is held in Vanier every Halloween.

Municipal Elections

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank and congratulate all the candidates who were elected in the municipal elections on October 22, 2018. I look forward to working with them.

I want to thank everyone who had the courage to run, as well as all the volunteers who worked so hard during the election campaign.

This past municipal election, some chose to retire. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the career of my former principal, the mayor of Champlain, Mr. Gary Barton. For 46 years, he served his community as councillor and later as mayor. Mr. Barton achieved something that we can only dream of in this place, being acclaimed in our next election. Since becoming mayor, Mr. Barton was acclaimed time after time after time. This is a true testament to the confidence his community gave him as mayor of Champlain.

I want to thank his wife Jean and his children for lending their husband and father to our community.

I hope that Gary enjoys a well-deserved retirement.

Huron—Bruce

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Mr. Speaker, forget about the Red Sox dynasty, the Yankees dynasty, the Astros dynasty. The true baseball dynasty in this country is right in Huron—Bruce. This year we had four provincial championship teams, the first time ever:

The Exeter Express rookie ball team coached by Jeff Kerslake, John Brand, Derek Leenders and Brad Brown.

The Clinton Mustangs peewee championship team, coached by my old teammate Kevin Meade, Steve Langendoen, Matt Langendoen and Jeff Ryan.

The Kincardine Cardinals won two championships this year, mosquito and bantam teams, coached by Mike Klein, Dwight Howald, Travis Van Gaver, Steve Travale, Jeremy McQuillin, Art Houghton, Warren Beisel and Jay Bell.

I would like to thank the parents and grandparents for raising tremendous young men. We are so proud of them. They are doing a great job. I thank the municipalities and I thank Dan Colquhoun, John Leppington and Doc Miller, who kept the lights on our ball diamonds in those lean years.

London North Centre

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we all agree that to carry out our roles we must lean on our personal staff for their support and expertise. I know every MP has a highly capable team working tirelessly to help those we represent. In our London community office, I want to thank Ryan Gauss, Heather Marshall, Josh Chadwick and Allison Birs for everything they have done and continue to do.

Though I am unable to mention everyone, I also want to highlight those here on the Hill who help us do our jobs as well. To our committee coordinator Mélanie and her staff, House votes coordinator Nathalie, our lobby general Patrick and member statement coordinator Evelyne, I say thanks. To the staff who help us liaise with ministries, in my case the Ontario desks, I say thanks. To Jamie Kippen in the Prime Minister's Office, I say thanks. To our committee analysts, clerks, support staff and pages, I say thanks.

Without the efforts of many, we would be unable to do our jobs effectively.

YWCA Canada

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with 32 chapters across the country, the YWCA is working to empower women and girls. I am especially excited to have the YWCA from Banff and Calgary here with us today. After 44 years in downtown Calgary, the YW is building a new home in Inglewood, with our government's help. It will include a supportive, transitional shelter with 100 spaces for women and their children

There is also the Banff YW courtyard project, which was funded by our government as well. It will provide affordable rental housing for 78 at-risk women.

With a combined investment of $7.3 million from the national housing strategy into these affordable housing projects, our federal Liberal government is proud to support the YW, and we commend its leadership in helping vulnerable women and families find a safe place to live.

43rd General Election

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, for three years, Canadians have seen sunny ways turn into stormy days, pipelines into pipe dreams and families burdened with tax after tax after tax, but there is still hope. With the election less than a year away, Canadians are seeing the potential of a country that is unapologetic about who they are, a country united in purpose.

One year from now, Canadians will have a chance to elect a new prime minister who will bring forward a positive vision of freedom, unity and prosperity. These ideals have inspired millions of people to come to this country. Our leader will not give ground to those who want to threaten our freedom of speech or our freedom of conscience, but will stand for the ideas that cause millions of people to seek a new life in Canada. I, and millions of Canadians, look forward to 2019, when we can build a Canada where taxes are low, government is limited, opportunity is unlimited, freedom is celebrated and people are put first.

May God keep our land glorious and free.

Churchill, Manitoba

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last night, for the first time in nearly a year and a half, the sound of a train whistle blew into the town of Churchill.

The Prime Minister joined members of the community this morning to celebrate the return of rail service to Churchill, the gateway to the north. The railway is a lifeline for thousands of Manitobans.

This morning, the Prime Minister announced $3.8 million to help revitalize Churchill and to create long-term economic growth for the people of northern Manitoba. I want to recognize and thank Churchill Mayor Mike Spence for his continued advocacy and partnership throughout this very difficult time. I also want to commend the Herculean effort of the Arctic Gateway Group, which has worked non-stop since September to make this day a reality.

Today is a momentous day for the people of Churchill, the surrounding communities and indeed all of Manitoba and all of Canada.

Pensions

[Scott Duvall, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week we welcome a delegation of 23 steelworkers to Ottawa to lobby members of Parliament about changing Canada's inadequate bankruptcy and insolvency laws. This is their second visit this year, and I know they are anxious for the government to take action as soon as possible, and certainly before the next election.

We all know there is a problem with workers losing pension and health care benefits as a result of bankruptcy. What is happening to the Sears workers has created a national discussion. The fact there are four parliamentary bills addressing the issue underscores the importance of the issue for Canadian workers.

I know steelworkers from my community of Hamilton are hoping their Liberal members of Parliament will finally act after three years of doing nothing, especially since the Prime Minister came to Hamilton during the election and promised to use all the tools in the tool box to fix the problem.

I ask our Liberal Hamilton MPs to act and keep their promises. Hopefully they will be able to explain their inaction to the steelworkers they claim to represent.

Firearms

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, firearms owners across the country are gearing up to head out to the bush for deer season. Unfortunately, while these responsible firearms owners have their sights set on the perfect buck, the current Liberal government has its sights set on them.

Bill C-71 fails in every respect. It would do nothing to address illegal firearms ownership or guns and gangs crime, but would make those who already own firearms jump through even more hoops. The word, “gang” is not even mentioned in the bill. Law-abiding firearms owners are concerned that measures in Bill C-71 would create the necessary conditions to start up a new long-gun registry.

Instead of drawing a target on the backs of those who follow the law, the government needs to start going after the thugs and criminals who obtain firearms illegally. Criminals do not apply to own a firearm. If the Liberals got off their high horses, climbed down out of their ivory towers, and climbed into a deer-stand like I am going to do, maybe they would understand what I am talking about.

YWCA Canada

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the YWCA Canada is our country's oldest and largest women's multi-service organization working to advance gender equality. Today, YWCA leaders from across Canada are in Ottawa for the second annual YWCA Canada day on the Hill. I had the pleasure to meet with the delegation earlier today to discuss how we can work together to improve the lives of women and girls across the country by addressing gender-based violence, gender equality and homelessness.

YWCA Canada creates safe, affordable housing and emergency shelters, and supportive programs for women and girls, as well as providing child care, skills training and so much more.

Locally, the YWCA Hamilton knows that investments in women's economic security are good for everyone. I also applaud its leadership in bringing attention to the connection between firearms and domestic violence because, to quote the YWCA Toronto, “gun control saves women's lives”.

I thank the YWCA Canada for the essential work it does to support women and girls in this country.

Privacy

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are outraged, and rightly so. Statistics Canada wants to poke around the personal bank accounts of honest Canadians. We in the Conservative Party find that completely unacceptable. It is an utterly inappropriate invasion of Canadians' privacy. Unfortunately, the Liberal government is washing its hands of the issue. It does not see a problem and will not stop Statistics Canada from proceeding.

Fortunately, the Privacy Commissioner is on the ball and has launched an investigation.

Why does the Liberal government continue to defend the indefensible?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent for his question.

Of course our government takes Canadians' privacy very seriously. Working with confidential data is obviously nothing new for Statistics Canada. The agency has been using personal information for a century to provide the reliable, crucial data required to meet the needs of Canadians, businesses and communities. In the spirit of openness and transparency, Statistics Canada has asked the Privacy Commissioner to work more closely with the agency on this project. It is our understanding that he has accepted the invitation.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is much more than an invitation; it is a an investigation. It is not a second look, as the Prime Minister so delicately put it yesterday.

Why is the commissioner carrying out an actual investigation? It is because this is not right. It is an invasion of privacy, and honest Canadians do not need it.

To paraphrase a former justice minister, I would say that if there is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation, then there is no place for the state in the bank accounts of honest Canadians.

Why does the government continue to tolerate this situation?

It needs to say enough is enough and tell Statistics Canada to cease and desist.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians find intolerable is the Conservative Party's fearmongering. That is what Canadians have found intolerable for years.

Statistics Canada has been handling Canadians' personal information for a century. The data collected will be processed to make it anonymous. Canadians can rest assured that their banking information is private and protected. When data is collected, it is stripped of all personal information.

Canadians are familiar with Statistics Canada's role. The Conservatives would do well to stop their fearmongering.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the data Statistics Canada is demanding is not anonymous. It is personal, and it is private. It has no consent from Canadians to take it. It includes account balances, debit and credit transactions, mortgage payments, e-transfers, all taken from Canadians without their consent.

We on this side of the House are not going to trust the government to protect Canadians, when it violated it so many times before. Why do the Liberals not do the right thing and tell Statistics Canada to back off the private personal information of Canadians?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we do trust Statistics Canada and we do trust Canadians to make the right judgment.

Statistics Canada has been handling Canadians' personal information for over a hundred years now. The data it receives will be stripped of all personal information when it receives it, so Canadians can be assured that their banking information is protected and private.

Following best practices, Statistics Canada has gone above the requirements of the law and has asked the financial institutions to inform their clients about how this data will be used. The Conservatives would do well to listen to Statistics Canada.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there have been over 800 pages with hundreds of thousands of examples of where the government has violated the privacy of Canadians in the last 19 months alone, so he will forgive us if we do not trust him with the personal financial data of Canadians. The government has no consent to obtain it. This is private, personal data.

Why do the Liberals not tell Statistics Canada to get out of the bank accounts of Canadians?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, we have no lessons to receive from the Conservatives, and Canadians know that.

High-quality, reliable data is key in making decisions that truly reflect the needs of Canadians. Unlike the Conservatives, we think that facts are a pretty good place to start to make public policy.

Canadians know who they can trust in this country. They can trust Statistics Canada. They can trust us to do the right thing, and the Conservatives had better get on board.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government seems to have a problem with understanding the concept of consent. It does not have it in this case. It does not have the right to the personal data of Canadians. It has violated the privacy of Canadians hundreds of thousands of times in the last 19 months alone.

Why does it not listen to Canadians who are outraged by this personal violation? Stop Statistics Canada from accessing their financial data, and do it today.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, what we are going to start doing is to trust Statistics Canada. They should be doing that, because Canadians know that Statistics Canada is on their side.

We know that data is a good place to start to make policy decisions in this country, and I think Canadians told that to the Conservatives in the last election. They know that they can trust Statistics Canada. They know that they can trust us. We will treat the information in accordance with the law. They had better get on board with that.

The Environment

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to fighting climate change, the Liberal government is all talk and little action, so little action, in fact, that a group of Quebec's legal experts is considering bringing the government to court to force it to respect its own commitments. This recourse is seen as plausible, because it has been used elsewhere, namely in the Netherlands. In a court ruling, the Dutch government is now under obligation to implement a GHG reduction plan.

Will the Liberals stop producing so much hot air about climate change, or will they wait for legal experts to force them to do it?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, I think some colleagues will agree that it is not in this part of the House of Commons that there is hot air being produced with respect to climate change.

What our government is doing is putting forward a real plan that will make a real difference in the global fight against climate change. We said in the 2015 election that we would have a plan, something the Conservatives do not have. We said we would put a price on pollution and make the Canadian economy more competitive and create jobs for middle-class Canadians. That is exactly what our government is doing.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals are so serious about this, why are they still using the inadequate targets established by Stephen Harper's Conservatives, targets they have no chance of meeting?

These failures have consequences. Over the past 25 years, the Earth's oceans have absorbed 60% more heat than scientists previously thought. That means global warming is happening faster than we thought. One consequence is that the Pine Island glacier in Antarctica lost a 300-square-kilometre chunk of ice this week, which is an area five times the size of Manhattan.

My question again is this: Why are the Liberals refusing to change their game plan, which is clearly not good enough?