Debates of Nov. 28th, 2018

The Economy

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it troubles me to hear not only a Conservative, but a Quebecker talk about his concern over our leadership on the environment.

We know that the way to build a stronger economy for the future is to protect the environment at the same time. Quebeckers regularly express their support for the idea of putting a price on pollution. They want us to do even more and that is what we will do.

The member opposite should reconsider his position that would obstruct a price on pollution and a plan to deal with climate change while growing the economy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the member for Papineau talking about Quebec and the environment. I am very proud of my Conservative colleagues and I am very proud to be a member of a party that was able to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2.2% when it was in office. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that. The facts speak for themselves.

Meanwhile, while more and more clouds are gathering in Canada's economic sky, the only thing the Liberal government is proposing is a carbon tax.

Why is it doing that?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent is really concerned about the environment, I would encourage him to talk to his leader and have him share with us his plan to deal with climate change.

The Conservatives have no plan to tackle climate change, but Quebeckers expect better, just like the rest of Canada.

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's policy has just cost thousands of Ontarians in auto their jobs and he has forced more than 100,000 Albertans out of work, with no end in sight. He insults Albertans by just saying that he "feels that frustration" and "understands that anxiety", while the finance minister says he is “watching carefully”.

It is within the Liberals' control to fix this crisis they created. The reality is that three companies wanted to build to pipelines when he was elected, now they are all gone. This crisis harms workers and families in every single province.

Instead of empty platitudes, what exactly will the Prime Minister do today to fix the mess he has made?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to be in Alberta last week to listen directly to the concerns of folks in the oil sands and business leaders in Calgary. We know there is work we need to do together, and we will do it.

The one thing they asked for was the one thing they have been asking for more than a decade: to get our resources to new markets other than the United States. For 10 years, that Conservative government, which pretended to be a great friend to Alberta, was unable to deliver on the one thing they asked for more than anything else.

We are focusing on getting things done the right way, and that is exactly what we will do.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over 2,000 Albertans were in Calgary last week to tell the Prime Minister not to come back until he had a solution to fix the problem he had created.

He vetoed the northern gateway pipeline and he killed the energy east pipeline. He said that spending billions of dollars on the Trans Mountain pipeline would get it built, and he cannot get construction started. He gave Canadian money to go to the U.S. to compete with Canada. He landlocked Canadian oil, costing provinces billions of dollars.

He defends using tax dollars to stop Canadian pipelines. His job killing carbon tax and Bill C-69 will make that discount permanent. When will he withdraw his “no more pipelines” bill, Bill C-69?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives' strategy of shouting and shaking their fists at things actually got things done, Mr. Harper would have gotten 10 pipelines built to new markets, but he did not.

We have taken a different approach. We have approved the LNG Canada terminal in B.C., the largest private sector investment in Canada's history. We expanded export capacity for the Alberta Clipper project. We approved the Nova Gas pipeline, the Line 3 replacement project, the Arnaud apatite mine, Woodfibre LNG, the Ridley Island propane terminal and more. We are doing things the right way to get them done for Alberta.

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. It sounds as if I am already in the hockey rink, where it will be hopefully as noisy as this tonight, but in a better way.

The hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue.

Air Transportation

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone is worried about the replacement of overnight staff by an automated weather station at the Rouyn-Noranda airport.

The automated system proposed by Nav Canada is not 100% reliable, especially for detecting freezing rain. Other airports, such as those in Windsor and Bathurst, are also affected.

Following a meeting with Nav Canada, the mayor of Rouyn-Noranda complained that the consultation process is ill-suited to the regions.

Will the Prime Minister opt for people's safety and maintain overnight services in Rouyn-Noranda and elsewhere?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I told the citizens of Rouyn-Noranda when I was there a few months ago, we take their concerns very seriously. We have undertaken to have Nav Canada continue consultations in order to make the right decision for the people living there and to ensure safety and the services required.

Indigenous Affairs

[Georgina Jolibois, NDP, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have been dragging their feet to finish the Wollaston Lake road project. For 30 years, the Hatchet Lake Dene First Nation has been fighting to get this all-season road done to make its community accessible. Without it, it has to fly in its already overpriced food and supplies. Northerners deserve answers.

Why are the Liberals ignoring Hatchet Lake Dene First Nation and refusing to complete the Wollaston Lake road project once and for all?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, no relation is more important to this government than that with indigenous peoples, and that is why we are moving forward on a true nation-to-nation relationship in partnership with them. It is also why we are taking concrete action on definitive projects that are going to make a difference, whether it is ending boil water advisories, building new schools, or building roads and community infrastructure.

We are going to continue to work hand in hand with indigenous communities right across this country to give them opportunities to grow their economies and make sure that they have every opportunity that all Canadians have.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, the evidence in Vice-Admiral Norman's legal proceedings have revealed that the President of the Treasury Board told two different stories about political interference in the case of the ship Asterix. In the House, he stated that his role was to ask questions about procurement contracts. However, when interviewed by the RCMP, he said that that was not his job. Both versions cannot be true.

Does the Prime Minister still have confidence in his President of the Treasury Board?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. As he should know, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on this matter as it is currently before the courts.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board cannot seem to keep his story straight. What he told this House is completely different from what he told the RCMP.

We are not asking the Prime Minister about a court case. We are asking about whether a minister can be trusted, and whether he told the truth.

I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. Does the President of the Treasury Board still have the full support of the Prime Minister?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that every single member of my cabinet, including the President of the Treasury Board, continues to enjoy my full confidence.

Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada, at the Prime Minister's direction, just voted against eight measures at the United Nations designed to hold Cuba accountable for things like the release of political prisoners, the promotion of gender equality, abuses that prevent freedom of assembly and speech, and Cuba's prohibition on the workers' right to strike.

In doing so, Canada stood against these measures with the regimes of Iran, Syria and North Korea. Will the Prime Minister reverse his shameful position on these votes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to stand as a strong voice for human rights around the world in a broad range of cases. We will always make decisions on the best way to both support Canadian interests and defend Canadian values at any multilateral forum, whether it be the UN or anywhere else.

Canadians can count on us to stand up for the values and priorities that we hold dear.

Social Development

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

Mr. Speaker, in my community of London, Ontario, the Pillar Nonprofit Network supports more than 600 non-profits, social enterprises and social innovators by helping them share resources and knowledge, and building connections between non-profit, business and government organizations.

Could the Prime Minister tell the House what the government is doing to support organizations such as Pillar, as well as the many social enterprise businesses and organizations like it across the country?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for London North Centre for his hard work and for highlighting the important role social innovation and social finance play in developing innovative solutions for pressing social problems and community needs.

The social innovation and social finance strategy co-creation steering group recommended creating a social finance fund to help accelerate the growth of social enterprise in Canada.

Last week, we committed $755 million for a social finance fund which will help generate up to $2 billion in economic activity and help create and maintain as many as 100,000 jobs over the next decade.

Veterans Affairs

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it has been revealed that under the Prime Minister, over 3,000 veterans had to wait over a year to have a decision made about their worthiness to receive the benefits they have earned. That is completely unacceptable.

The Prime Minister said he would not take them to court. He is doing just that. He said they were asking for too much. He broke his promise on pensions. The Prime Minister has been failing our veterans for the past three years in government. When is he going to stop pointing fingers and take responsibility for his failures?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I will take no lessons from Conservatives on how to treat our veterans. They shuttered nine veterans service centres in order to create a phony budget balance just in time for the election. They nickel-and-dimed our veterans while using them as props in photo ops.

What we have done is invested over $10 billion in veterans over the past three years. We have ensured that we are improving services, that we are improving supports to families, and that we are giving veterans the services they need, including following through on a pension for life commitment that we made to veterans.

We will continue to stand up for our veterans.

Human Rights

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this year is the 81st anniversary of the Nanjing massacre. Approximately 300,000 people were killed and an estimated 200,000 women from Japanese-occupied territories were tricked or coerced into sexual slavery. A family member told me today my grandmother and mother never stopped talking about what happened and how shameful it was that so much of the world never even knew.

On behalf of Order of Canada recipient Joy Kogawa and nearly 40,000 Canadians, I ask: Will the Prime Minister declare December 13 every year as Nanjing massacre commemorative day, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, of course we deplore the horrific events that took place in Nanjing 80 years ago. All Canadians can agree that the loss of life and violence that so many civilians faced should never be forgotten. We will never forget those terrible acts. The memory of these victims and survivors must be addressed in the true spirit of reconciliation.

Economic Development

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the government has signed four new agreements to fund superclusters across Canada.

Would the Prime Minister tell the House how this important initiative will prepare talented Canadian workers for the innovative jobs of today and tomorrow?