Debates of Nov. 30th, 2018

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned that the Prime Minister's famous tweet will cost Canadian taxpayers over $1 billion by 2020. This does not include millions spent by the provinces on top of it. Since that tweet, 38,000 illegal border crossers have walked into Canada. Meanwhile, real refugees who play by the rules continue to wait for years. When will the Prime Minister admit his failures at the border and fix this crisis immediately?

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, every time the Conservatives try to convince Canadians that, because of a tweet, we have migrants coming to our borders, it questions their intelligence. The one thing I will say is that they are very quick to forget their own record.

In fact, 230,000 asylum seekers came into Canada under their watch. What did they do to improve on the system? They did absolutely nothing. Wait a minute, I made a mistake. They cut $400 million from the system. In fact, they went so far as to cut medical services from women and children.

That is their record, not ours. We are going to do better.

Indigenous Affairs

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis in the north is so severe that Nunavik alone needs 1,000 houses, today alone. It is a serious problem. The lack of housing leads to social challenges, marginalization and mental health problems. A woman recently died in my riding after losing her home. The UN declaration directs Canada to ensure the well-being of indigenous elders, women, youth and children.

The Inuit want to know. Will the Prime Minister call a state of emergency to finally address the housing crisis?

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

Mr. Speaker, in support of distinctions-based housing strategies with our first nations, Inuit and Métis partners, budget 2018 invested $600 million over three years for first nations housing, $500 million for Métis nations housing and $400 for Inuit-led housing. This funding is a significant step toward addressing the housing gap in indigenous communities. We will continue working to close the unacceptable housing gap in indigenous communities.

Status of Women

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

Mr. Speaker, as the 16 days of activism to end violence against women go on, women's groups across Canada still struggle to keep their doors open. These groups give critical front-line service to women fleeing violence. They told us, “if you value the lives of women, you're going to appropriately fund those organizations that are serving these women and potentially saving their lives.”

Liberals say they want to end violence against women. Why will they not fund core, secure operations funding for these brave groups saving women's lives?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that a strong and vibrant women's movement across Canada is essential to supporting the middle class and those working hard to join it. Women's organizations must have the capacity and resources to do their good work.

That is why, after 10 years of being undermined by the Harper government, we launched the capacity-building funds stemming from budget 2018, an investment of $100 million over five years to increase organizational and sector capacity. The women's movement across the country has asked for a reliable, predictable and accessible source of funds—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot.

Natural Resources

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Alberta is losing over $80 million a day on heavily discounted oil. We are losing foreign investment that is leaving Alberta and Canada. We have lost over 100,000 jobs, and the bleeding is not about to stop anytime soon, because the current government has halted, cancelled or delayed every major energy project, has put in ridiculously onerous regulations and is giving us the no-pipeline bill, Bill C-69.

I am not asking if but when this Minister of Natural Resources will kill Bill C-69.

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

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. The piece of legislation, Bill C-69, would encourage further investments because it would give investors greater certainty through short timelines, early engagement and one project meaning one review. The Conservatives can focus on rhetoric. We will focus on getting the job done for our energy sector.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has failed Canadian energy workers. Over 100,000 and counting are out of work. Small businesses across my riding of Bow River have been devastated, and they do not even get the carbon tax exemptions the Liberals have given to large corporations. Rather than fix the problems they have caused, the Liberals are doubling down with their anti-Canadian energy bill, Bill C-69. This bill will be the final nail in the coffin of Canadian energy.

When will the government show it cares about Canadian energy workers and cancel Bill C-69?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, Bill C-69 means one project one review, to give certainty to the industry.

Let me tell my colleagues that the horizon is actually looking very well for the energy sector. I know the current times are difficult. However, over the next 10 years, there is over half a trillion dollars in proposed private sector investment in the natural resources sector alone. In Alberta alone, that includes 102 energy projects representing an investment of $178 billion.

These projects do not just mean development for energy resources. They mean jobs for Albertans.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised several important pieces of indigenous legislation before the next election. Three years in, there is nothing to report. The rights and recognition framework has stalled. The language act is nowhere to be seen. On the child welfare act, today they proudly announced that someday they are going to table some legislation. Additions to reserve is buried in a budget bill, with no consultation. They have over-promised, with no delivery.

Can the minister tell us if any of the promised legislation will be law before the end of this Parliament?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is delivering on a new relationship with indigenous peoples that empowers communities and advances self-determination. New investments of $16.8 billion through budgets mean 156 new school projects, 359 new water projects and 165,000 requests from first nations children approved under Jordan's principle.

We know there is more to do, and we are committed to getting the job done.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my riding of Pontiac is on traditional Algonquin territory, and I am so proud to be working with this great nation, including the Algonquin of Barriere Lake.

I am working with their communities to address priorities such as housing and schools.

Over successive federal governments, the default management and prevention policy has really hindered the success of this and many other first nations communities.

Our government has been working with communities to enhance financial and administrative capacity, and the Algonquin of Barriere Lake are well on their way to exiting this policy. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services please update this House on the work under way toward a more respectful fiscal relationship with first nations?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Pontiac for his question and for the good work he does for his constituents.

Our government is indeed advancing a new fiscal relationship between Canada and the first nations, based on the recognition of rights, co-operation and partnership. We are implementing proposals from first nations, including more flexible and predictable long-term funding for eligible communities, a replacement for the default prevention and management policy, and the establishment of an advisory committee that will guide this work.

We will continue to work with partners to build a strong future together for first nations and all indigenous peoples.

Air Transportation

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the realities in Canada's regions are quite different from those in urban centres. We need to create tools to help these regions develop. The government must consider the specific needs of certain geographical areas. In terms of security, these people must not be forgotten. In Abitibi—Témiscamingue, at the Rouyn-Noranda airport, Nav Canada wants to eliminate the night flight services commonly known as FSS.

How does the minister plan on protecting our regions?

[Karen McCrimmon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, the safety and security of our transportation network is our top priority. My minister is working with Nav Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.

Official Languages

[Eva Nassif, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as a proud francophone and member of Parliament for Vimy, in Quebec, I was extremely upset by the Ontario Conservatives' cuts targeting Franco-Ontarians.

I would like to know what the government is doing to support the vitality of minority language communities and how it plans to keep them vibrant?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for her excellent question and for the great work she is doing on behalf of her constituents.

We have an excellent plan to support linguistic communities and francophones across the country.

We have invested $2.7 billion, the largest investment in history, in our official language minority communities. We have always said that we would be here, we have always done our share and we will continue to do so.

I will be marching on Saturday along with Franco-Ontarians. I hope to see many MPs there, as well.

International Trade

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Prime Minister signed the USMCA along with the presidents of the United States and Mexico.

The problem is that appendix 3, sections C10 and 11, undermine Canadian sovereignty and our ability to manage our dairy sector without U.S. intervention. Canada cannot afford to hand over sovereignty of our dairy sector, effectively giving up our ability to provide food security for Canadians.

Why did the Prime Minister capitulate to Donald Trump at the expense of our dairy sector?

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

Mr. Speaker, as we have always said, our party is the one that created supply management, and our party is the one that defended it.

It is important to note that the Americans wanted supply management gone. We made sure that will not happen.

We know there will be repercussions, and we are committed to fully and fairly compensating our producers and processors.

Consumer Protection

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly just unanimously adopted a motion condemning the provisions in Bill C-86 that provide weaker consumer credit protection than Quebec laws and will cause confusion about which rules apply to certain insurance contracts.

The motion calls on the government to ensure that provisions in Bill C-86 governing these two sectors will not apply where Quebec standards are already in place.

Will the government amend Bill C-86 to clarify that Quebec laws will continue to apply in full?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as always, we are committed to providing financial services consumers with the best possible protection while respecting provincial jurisdiction. That is exactly what we are doing as we work with the provinces.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is the second time that this banker's government has tried to deprive Quebec consumers of their rights.

With Bill C-86, there is a real possibility that Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur will no longer have any recourse against banks. That means that people who are getting gouged will no longer have any free recourse and will have to pay to take their bank and its army of lawyers to court.

When will the 40 Liberal MPs from Quebec start defending their constituents instead of being the banks' lackeys?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as I just mentioned, we have always been committed to offering Canadian consumers as much protection as possible when it comes to their financial services, while still respecting provincial jurisdictions. That continues to be the case with Bill C-86.