Debates of Nov. 30th, 2018

Natural Resources

[Darshan Singh Kang, Independent, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with Alberta's economy hurting, Albertans are worried for their future. Bill C-69 is also a huge concern.

Office vacancies are close to 30% in the city of Calgary, and the downtown core has lost over $12 billion dollars in assessed value since 2015. With pipeline paralysis and oil being sold at $10 a barrel, unemployment has risen to 8.2% in Calgary.

My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources. Will the minister seriously consider the province's request to help buy more rail cars in order to reduce the market access backlog and to avoid cutbacks in oil production?

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

Mr. Speaker, we understand the frustration and care deeply about supporting our energy sector.

We know that the solution is to build pipeline capacity and expand to global markets. That is the work we have been doing and will continue to do.

Currently, there is no consensus within the industry on short-term solutions. That is why we are in active discussions with stakeholders and provinces, including the Government of Alberta, with the goal of bolstering the competitiveness of this sector.

We welcome workable solutions, and we will not back down from supporting this sector and the hard-working Canadians it employs.

International Trade

[Erin Weir, Independent, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, USMCA, CUSMA, MUSCA, as we hear these strange new acronyms for the deal signed this morning, we might prefer the sound of Muzak. Certainly, we need to face the Muzak and address the American tariffs that remain on our steel and aluminum exports. It would be Muzak to to my ears if the government could commit to not ratify the new NAFTA until those American tariffs are lifted.

[Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs), Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, eliminating the unjustified and illegal tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canadian steel and aluminum is a priority for our government. It is overwhelmingly in the best interests of both Canada and the United States for those reciprocal tariffs to be lifted. In the meantime, our strong responsive measures to defend our workers remain in place.

Let me say this directly to Canadian steel workers: “The Government of Canada has your best interests at heart and has your back”.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The member for Louis-Saint-Laurent on a point of order.

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

Mr. Speaker, regardless of what party we may belong to, we have a duty as parliamentarians to show the utmost respect for all Canadian diplomats, particularly those who work in our embassies, including the embassy in Mexico. In response to our questions earlier, the member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges said twice that the connection we are making between the migrant crisis and the Prime Minister's tweet questions people's intelligence.

As we learned on April 3 in a National Post article, our diplomats in Mexico who were dealing with the crisis were wondering “how to address these enquiries given the Prime Minister's tweet”. Everyone gets a little carried away sometimes. We can understand partisan attacks.

Will the member have the honour to say that our diplomats are indeed doing a good job and that no one is questioning their intelligence?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is not a point of order.

The hon. member for Calgary Rocky Ridge on a point of order.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a similar point of order in that it involves the same member. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, in an answer to a question from the member for Markham—Unionville, questioned his intelligence.

We have a long-standing policy in this House, and you have ruled on this many times, that we may not insult another member's intelligence. Therefore, through you, I invite the parliamentary secretary to withdraw his comments.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I understand how it has been taken now. My apologies to the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

I encourage all members to be courteous to each other and take under advisement that we try to maintain a certain level of civility within the chamber and to keep that in mind as we proceed.

French Services in Ontario

[Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the federal government's plan to work in partnership with the Government of Ontario on all projects that support the vitality of French-language services in Ontario.

Government Response to Petitions

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to eight petitions.

Public Safety and National Security

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 27th report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on supplementary estimates (A), 2018-19.

Human Trafficking

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week again I am presenting a petition calling on the Prime Minister to sign the order to bring into force Bill C-452 to crack down on pimps. Last week, I presented e-petitions. Today, I am presenting a paper petition signed by 649 petitioners. How many young girls have suffered from this government's complacency on this file? Again, we are calling on the Prime Minister to pick up his pen and sign the order. That is four times now that we have asked for that.

Animal Welfare

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions from people who state that the time has come to end testing on animals for cosmetic purposes, and, it is important to note, not research purposes, especially with some of the new techniques out there. I am pleased to present these petitions on their behalf.

Fisheries

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table an electronic petition with 2,657 signatures. The petitioners are concerned about the impact that gillnets are having on sturgeon. They call on the government to encourage, implement and promote alternative sustainable salmon harvesting techniques that will reduce the impact on salmon stocks of concern, and reduce and eliminate sturgeon bycatch and the subsequent physical damage to and mortality of sturgeon; provide funding to research and implement sustainable fish harvesting technologies, such as fish wheels, fish traps and fish-safe seines; adopt policies and regulations that require gillnets to be fully attended and monitored during entire gillnet soak time, while this transition phase of implementation takes time; and ban all nighttime gillnet use.

I would like to conclude by congratulating Kevin Estrada from the Sturgeon Slayers in Chilliwack, British Columbia, for his hard work on this important petition campaign.

Pharmacare

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to table yet another petition from a fairly large number of petitioners in Winnipeg North. They are asking for the Prime Minister and the government to recognize the value of a universal pharmacare program. They are asking the government to work with the different stakeholders, provinces and territories, with the idea of adding some form of a pharmacare program to our fantastic health care system.

Nanjing Massacre

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition signed by 656 people from across the country.

December 13 marks the sombre anniversary of the Nanjing massacre. In 1937, members of the Japanese Imperial Army raped between 20,000 and 80,000 Chinese women and girls and killed roughly 300,000 people. Witnesses of the Nanjing massacre described these atrocities as hell on earth.

The military sexual slavery system of the Japanese military expanded rapidly, affecting an estimated 200,000 women from Korea, the Philippines, China, Burma, Indonesia and other countries.

Canadian citizens are calling on the Government of Canada to declare December 13 of each year as Nanjing massacre commemorative day.

The Environment

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, because five new anchorage spots for 300-metre long freighters off the Island of Gabriola in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith are proposed in order to receive Wyoming coal exports to China, coal that was refused by all western U.S. ports, the petitioners in this petition urge the government to recognize that these anchorages harm fish habitat, risk oil spills, and would introduce heavy industrial activity into quite a pristine area. Moreover, there would be no local benefit whatsoever, and not even a benefit for Canada. They urge the government to refuse the establishment of these five new industrial anchorages off Gabriola.

Eye Health and Vision Care

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

Mr. Speaker, petitioners are asking the government to commit to acknowledging eye health and vision care as a growing public health issue.

They are also asking the government to respond to this problem, particularly for Canada's most vulnerable, that is, children, seniors suffering from diabetes and indigenous people.

The development of a national framework for action to promote eye health and vision care would benefit all Canadians through the reduction of vision impairment from preventable conditions and changes to known risk factors.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Questions Nos. 1982 to 1985.

Question No. 1982

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

With regard to the government’s closure to the public of the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada office in Winnipeg without an appointment: (a) what is the government’s rationale for no longer allowing access to general public without a prior appointment; (b) how many clients were served at this location between January 2015 and September 2018, broken down by month; and (c) what is the breakdown in (b) by purpose of visit, (for example, obtaining a status card, etc.)?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, as it relates to the office located at 365 Hargrave Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, no data is available, as there was no appointment process in place for this location while access was provided to the general public. In an effort to balance service standards with the safety of the public and staff, and following the closure of the office at 365 Hargrave Street to the general public, a new appointment process was put in place at the new location to minimize disruptions and to ensure that services continued as efficiently as possible.

The ISC office for secure certificate of Indian status, located at 391 York Street Winnipeg, Manitoba, was opened on November 23, 2016, and continues to provide services to the general public by appointment. The majority of appointments are for secure certificate of Indian status card applications, marriage and death registrations, name changes and amendments. The approximate number of visits from November 2016 to September 2018, broken down by month, are as follows: November 2016: 34; December 2016/January 2017: 235; February 2017: 172; March 2017: 250; April 2017: 141; May 2017: 213; June 2017: 221; July 2017: 253; August 2017: 373; September 2017: 297; October 2017: 331; November 2017: 384; December 2017: 273; January 2018: 331; February 2018: 381; March 2018: 408; April 2018: 349; May 2018: 435; June 2018: 299; July 2018: 624; August 2018: 382; and September 2018: 330.

Question No. 1983

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

With regard to the 10-year grant funding mechanism announced by the Minister of Indigenous Services on December 6, 2017: (a) how many First Nations provided a written expression of interest by the July 13, 2018, deadline; (b) how many First Nations have met the eligibility criteria, as confirmed to the Department of Indigenous Services by the First Nations Financial Management Board; (c) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by province or territory; (d) what are the details of reporting mechanisms for accountability to band members; (e) will the Department of Indigenous Services or the First Nations Financial Management Board body determine if the reporting mechanisms for accountability to band members are adequate and have been met; and (f) what is the complete list of First Nations individuals and organizations that were consulted between December 6, 2017, and October 16, 2018?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), there were 214 first nations that provided a written expression of interest by the July 13, 2018 deadline. As of October 15, 2018, a total of 252 first nations had submitted a written expression of interest.

With regard to (b), the First Nations Financial Management Board has not yet completed its assessment of the first nations who sent in an expression of interest.

With regard to (c), the breakdown of eligible first nations by province or territory is not yet known. The number of first nations who expressed interest in the 10-year grant is distributed by province or territory as follows: Alberta, 17; British Columbia, 88; Manitoba, 30; New Brunswick, 8; Newfoundland and Labrador, 3; Nova Scotia, 11; Northwest Territories, 2; Ontario, 45; Prince Edward Island, 2; Quebec, 14; Saskatchewan, 32.

With regard to (d), under the 10-year grant, measures for accountability to first nation members are codified in the financial administration law, FAL, or financial administration bylaw, FAB, of the first nation and reinforced in the funding agreement. First nations must enact and maintain a FAL or FAB in order to be eligible and to maintain eligibility for a 10-year grant.

Under a FAL/FAB, the first nation must have a policy for first nation information or involvement. The council must establish such a policy and/or procedures or give directions respecting the means by which members of the first nation must be informed about or involved in consideration of the following: the annual budget; the multi-year financial plan; and budget deficits or extraordinary expenditures. Additionally, the council must post a public notice of each council meeting when each of the following is presented for approval: the multi-year financial plan; the annual budget; and amendments to the annual budget. Members of the first nation may attend that part of the council meeting when the matters referred to in the above are being considered.

With regard to (e), under the 10-year grant compliance measures are replaced by practices that strengthen first nations governance and empower first nation citizens to hold their leaders accountable. This includes ongoing monitoring of the co-developed eligibility criteria for 10-year grants by the First Nation Financial Management Board. This monitoring would include an assessment of the adequacy of reporting to band members as per the reporting provisions codified in the first nation’s financial administration law, FAL, or financial administration bylaw, FAB. On an annual basis, the First Nations Financial Management Board will report the results of their assessment of eligibility criteria to ISC. ISC will support the first nations to remediate any issues related to maintaining eligibility for 10-year grant, including the reporting mechanisms for accountability.

With regard to (f), from October 11 to November 20, 2017, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, INAC, and the AFN met on nine occasions with first nations leaders and technical experts around the country to seek their input on options to address predictability of funding, sufficient funding for program delivery, and mutual accountability. The feedback from participants on their priorities and major concerns were considered and reflected in the report entitled, “A new approach: Co-development of a new fiscal relationship between Canada and First Nation”. The Assembly of First Nations presented this report to all first nations chiefs in attendance at Assembly of First Nations’ special chiefs assembly in Ottawa, on December 6, 2017. Department of Indigenous Services Canada officials continue with ongoing co-development work related to the 10-year grant with both the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Financial Management Board. Beginning in January 2018, Indigenous Services Canada staff participated in a number of information sessions across many regions to provide first nations participants with more information about the grant.

Question No. 1984

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

With regard to funding for the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Framework: (a) for what will funding be utilized, broken down by item; and (b) what is the percentage and total of the funding that will be utilized for administrative costs?