Debates of Nov. 2nd, 2018

Privacy

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his work on the INDU committee. I share the hon. member's concern with the privacy of Canadians. Some of the information that Statistics Canada will gather is interesting to that side of the House. For example, in 2017, Statistics Canada reported that Canadians were spending more than 30% of their income on housing. That led us to develop a social housing policy in Canada that would address the issue.

It is those kinds of statistics and data that will help Canadians of all stripes.

International Trade

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

Madam Speaker, now that the Liberals have their new agreement, millions of tonnes of American chicken, eggs and turkey are about to flood the Canadian market.

Pierre-Luc Leblanc, president of Éleveurs de volailles du Québec, the provincial poultry farmers' association, says it may seem like no big deal now, but over the next five to 10 years, it will put poultry producers in a precarious position. This agreement came as a surprise and a disappointment to poultry farmers, and they are asking the government for compensation.

Here is my question on their behalf for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Prime Minister: When they will listen to farmers?

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

Madam Speaker, we have defended our supply management system against the Americans' aggressive attempts to dismantle it.

Market access is similar to the changes the Conservatives negotiated in the TPP. On Monday, the minister announced the creation of working groups comprised of dairy, egg and poultry farmers, and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to ensure their success.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, the government admits that its new carbon tax will add at least 11¢ a litre to Canadians when they gas up their cars. However, a government analysis, quietly posted online this week, shows that after the next election, the Liberals plan to increase that tax even further. How much? Well, an earlier ministerial briefing note said that it would have to go up six times as high as the government currently admits. One UN report cited today by the government says that it will have to be 100 times higher than the government is currently admitting.

Will the government today confirm it will not increase the tax after the election?

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

Madam Speaker, climate change is real and those of us in the House who have a platform have a responsibility to do something about it. We campaigned on a commitment to protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. Part of our plan to protect the environment includes putting a price on pollution that is going to actually see polluters pay more and make middle-class families better off.

I am curious when the Conservatives are actually going to come up with their plan. So far as I can see, their only plan to date is to make pollution free again.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, the Liberal plan does make pollution free for large polluters. They do not pay the tax.

However, I go back to the question. The government admits that it will increase taxes on gas per litre by 11¢, but a document released this week says that in 2022, after the election is over, it plans to increase it further. One ministerial briefing note says that it will have to go up six times what the government promises. That is 60¢ a litre. A UN report cited by the government says that it will have to go up 100 times more than the government admits, $10 a litre in new taxes.

Will the government confirm whether it will increase the tax further?

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

Madam Speaker, again, we were elected on a commitment to protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. We have been transparent with our plan to put a price on pollution that will increase over time to being $50 a tonne by 2020.

Again, I am curious why the Conservatives refuse to put forward a plan. Instead of actually coming forward with productive ideas in the conversation, they seem committed to adopting the approach taken by Doug Ford in Ontario, which is to do absolutely nothing.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have asked twice now whether the 11¢-a-litre tax the government promised is the final price. Twice the member has refused to answer. That suggests the government has a hidden agenda to increase the tax even more than it already has admitted. This document released this week does not even talk about increased rebates, just increased taxes.

Will the parliamentary secretary confirm if the tax will ever go above 11¢ a litre for gas?

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

Madam Speaker, again, part of our plan to protect the environment, which is essential for those of us in government to take seriously, is to put a price on pollution that is increasing to $50 a tonne by 2022. This is going to have the impact of putting more money into the pockets of middle-class families.

I am extraordinarily disappointed that the Conservatives seem committed to campaign in 2019 on a promise to take money from their constituents so they can make pollution free again.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

I am going to keep on this, Madam Speaker. I think we have them on run here.

He refuses to answer the question. He said that by 2022, the Liberals will have a price of $50 a tonne, which is 11¢ a litre for a litre of gas. I have asked, given the evidence, whether they plan to increase it further if they are re-elected. He keeps dodging.

Will he end the hidden agenda and confirm, yes or no, whether the tax will rise above 11¢ a litre for gas?

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

Madam Speaker, again, we have to take protecting the environment seriously. The only plan we put in place is the one we have been telling Canadians about for a significant period of time now, which is to have the price on pollution that we have laid out in public leading up to 2022.

I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that all the revenues generated from this are going back to the citizens who live in the provinces where it is collected and it is going to put more money into the pockets of middle-class families.

One final time, I am pleased to share that I am disappointed that the Conservatives seem committed to campaigning on a promise to take that money from their constituents to make pollution free again.

Canada Post Corporation

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Madam Speaker, Canada Post's targeting of vulnerable postal workers is shameful. First it cut off short-term disability payments, then long-term disability payments. Then it went after people's maternity leave benefits. This is a morally bankrupt tactic by Canada Post and so far the government has chosen to be complicit. Cutting benefits is not good faith collective bargaining.

What is the government doing to stop this brutal assault on workers' rights and encourage Canada Post to bargain in good faith?

[Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, we understand absolutely the impact the work disruption is having on employees and their families. That is why our government has been encouraging both sides to reach a fair agreement as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, when a strike occurs, the expiry of the collective agreement affects some of the benefits of Canada Post employees, but not all. I will give an example. Prescription drugs will continue for employees.

I can assure the House that employees will maintain full access to their EI benefits, which include maternity and parental benefits. Canada Post has put in place a request for a compassionate grounds exception to this. It is taking those requests seriously and addressing them very quickly.

Pensions

[Scott Duvall, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Madam Speaker, I do not know how many times we need to stand in the House to make the government understand that our workers' pensions are vulnerable under bankruptcy laws. Steelworkers are disappointed to see the lack of will from the seniors minister to take action. She has not taken their livelihood or their years of hard work seriously. They deserve better.

Now that three years have passed, could she tell us what she is waiting for? When will the minister get to work to change the bankruptcy laws and stand up for workers and retirees? This is the right thing to do.

[Filomena Tassi, Minister of Seniors, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, the accusations made by the member are completely inaccurate and wrong. There is not a file that is closer to my heart than this one. From the day I was elected, I have been working on this. As the daughter of a proud steelworker and a lifelong Hamiltonian, this file is extremely important.

Consultations have and will continue to take place. In our 2018 budget, as well as my mandate letter, I have been tasked with this. I have consulted and I will continue to consult. The member knows this is a decades old problem and it is our government that will solve it. No matter what misinformation he gives, it will not stop me or our government.

Sports

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Madam Speaker, it is hockey season and kids of all ages in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, in fact across the whole country, are buying new gear and hitting the ice. As a hockey dad, I know very well that parents want to make sure their kids are safe and I know that concussions are of great concern to them.

Could the Minister of Science and Sport please tell us what our government is doing to make sports in Canada safer and to perhaps reduce concussions?

[Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, our government takes sport-related concussions very seriously. Far too many youths and athletes experience concussions during sport and recreation activities. That is why we have released the new Canadian guideline on concussion in sport and are working to harmonize an approach on concussion awareness, prevention, detection, management and surveillance.

We are pleased that Parliament's health committee has created a subcommittee to study concussions. We look forward to its work and its report.

Border Security

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

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Border Security is not aware that the number of illegal migrants in Canada is going up, which is odd considering that his officials and policy advisers have the RCMP's figures at their disposal. Even the media has confirmed the facts. For two years now, we have been saying that urgent, responsible action is needed. Either the minister is getting bad advice or he is simply incompetent.

Do we need to do the minister's job for him, or is he finally going to take action?

[Peter Schiefke, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Youth) and to the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, I would say that incompetence is cutting $400 million from border services and thinking it would not affect results.

I must inform my hon. colleague that we have invested $173 million to ensure that we have the resources in place to get the job done right. In August and September, the numbers were down compared to last year's figures. We hope the same will happen in October. This clearly shows that our plan is working.

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

Madam Speaker, if they had not created the problem, there would be no need to reinvest the money.

The situation is much worse than that. The Liberals boast about reinvesting in borders services, but the union president, Jean-Pierre Fortin, seems very surprised by what the minister is saying because, to date, not a single penny has found its way down to our border officers. The money is there. It is somewhere in the sky, in the department, but it has not made its way down to the ground.

Can the Liberals give us an intelligent answer? They need to stop saying that we made cuts and tell us where their money is.

[Peter Schiefke, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Youth) and to the Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, here are the facts. We invested $173 million to better manage the situation. Over $7 million of that money is in place to ensure that failed asylum claimants leave Canada. We are managing the situation properly. That is what Canadians expect from us, and that is exactly what we are doing.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, in possibly one of the worst interviews ever given, yesterday the Minister of Immigration once again angrily called his Ontario provincial counterpart several inappropriate names after she requested federal support to pay for the social welfare costs of the Prime Minister's #WelcometoCanada illegal border crossers. When pressed on what evidence he had to support the name he called her, he got even angrier and doubled-down.

Will the minister apologize for his name calling and shameful disregard for all Ontario taxpayers?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, our government has been going around the country to talk to Canadians about how much immigration matters to them and their local communities. Canadians have been asking for immigration as an important tool to address labour market shortages, as well as to bring in much-needed skills.

After three years in opposition, my hon. colleague has finally discovered the importance of talking to Canadians about immigration. With all the blocking of people she has done on Twitter, I hope this will be the last way she can communicate with Canadians.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

I will take that as a no, Madam Speaker, but let me try again.

I am not sure if the minister watched that interview, but he really should, because it was really a hot mess. However, this is not about his lack of media training. This is about positive federal-provincial relationships to come up with good public policy solutions.

Will the minister humble himself and apologize to one of the strongest women I know, Lisa MacLeod, for his shameful, inappropriate name calling and outburst?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, it is important to note that immigration continues to be a tool for Canadians to address labour market shortages. We rely on immigration to make sure we continue to be a leader in the G7 in terms of ensuring that investment follows talent. We have attracted a huge number of skilled labour through the global skills strategy and the changes we have made to the express entry system.

The announcements that we made yesterday about our new multi-year plan will ensure that Canada continues to prosper through immigration, a lesson that the party opposite should learn.