Debates of Nov. 6th, 2018

Privacy

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if this is only a pilot project, I can only imagine what the full monty will look like. The new European privacy law gives citizens full control of personal data held by banks and financial services, that is, the right to say no to requests to share that data with third party organizations.

Last week, Canada's Privacy Commissioner told our committee that “Individual privacy is not a right we simply trade-off for innovation, efficiency or commercial gain.”

Why will the Liberal government not allow Canadians to say no to Statistics Canada?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, again, that is a lot of over the top rhetoric, a lot of fearmongering. What is really important to know is that under this pilot project request, Statistics Canada used section 13.1. How often was section 13.1 was used under Stephen Harper? It was used 84 times.

Again, enough with the fake outrage, enough with the hypocrisy. Let us be straight with Canadians.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yes, let us be straight with Canadians, and enough of the hypocrisy from the other side of the chamber. Let me put it this way: Canadians expect informed consent when people are taking their financial data.

I would like to know from the Minister of Innovation and Science, did he seek to consult with Canadians before he allowed Statistics Canada to send those letters to Canadian banks?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, we had this debate in 2015 when it came to the long-form census. Opposition members wanted to make it voluntary. We wanted to make sure it was mandatory. Why? Because we believe in good quality, reliable data.

The members opposite have a fundamental problem with Statistics Canada, because they do not like the facts, they do not like good quality data. They do not like science, they do not like evidence-based decision-making. If they want to have this debate, bring it on.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to the member's comment “bring it on”, he can consider it brought on, and we look forward to fighting this issue.

The track record of the current government when it comes to consultation is just so suspect: it introduced small business tax changes with fully drafted legislation, and when it consulted on intellectual property, it got 18 comments.

Here is some evidence and facts for the minister: 98% of the residents of Calgary Signal Hill say no, and 18,000 Canadians in five days have written in to say no to this—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. Minister of Innovation.

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite has given the impression that she can do a better job than the chief statistician. That I find that very amusing.

We believe in Statistics Canada. We believe in its methodology. More importantly, we believe in the issues around privacy and data protection. Statistics Canada has a very rigorous process of removing personal information. According to subsection 17(1) of Statistics Canada's act, no courts, no government, no prime minister, no government agency can compel Statistics Canada to reveal any personal information. It never has and never will compromise on privacy and data protection.

Employment

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Lowe's announced that it is closing 24 Rona stores, including nine in Quebec. In 2016, when Lowe's bought Rona, the NDP asked the Liberals to review the foreign investment review process to ensure that it is transparent and that potential job losses are considered. We also wanted the buyers' intentions to be spelled out. People have the right to know.

Do the Liberals intend to review the Investment Canada Act to prevent workers from always being sacrificed?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question. Our thoughts are with the workers, families and communities affected by these store closures. We are always concerned when we hear about job losses. We are prepared to provide the support and services required by the workers affected, and we are closely monitoring the situation.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister bragged about saving a few executive jobs as Lowe's deep-sixed Canada's Rona. Meanwhile, Canadian front-line workers were not impressed by his “I feel your pain” offering, because U.S. workers get to keep their jobs whereas they are fired.

Under the Investment Canada Act, the minister has the power to say no and to protect Rona workers and to stop store closures as part of the deal, but he took a pass. Now that we are in this mess, people are losing their livelihoods and communities are losing their stores. What is he going to do to fix it?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite obviously raises a very important issue. We understand how difficult this is for the workers, their families and the communities impacted by these store closures. Of course, these store closures have occurred in Canada, and also in the United States. We are always concerned to learn of any job losses. Under the Investment Canada Act, as the member opposite has highlighted, we engaged the Quebec government as well. We were able to secure the head office in Boucherville and a footprint of jobs in Canada as well. We will continue to monitor the situation on a going-forward basis.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

For what? What are they going to do?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I encourage the member for Windsor West to wait. Of course, he had a turn. Maybe he will have another one before too long.

The hon. member for Carleton.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the current government has raised income taxes on middle-class families by $800 per year on average, while taxing the wealthiest 1% $4.5 billion less. It has raised business taxes on plumbers, farmers and pizza shop owners, while protecting the finance minister's billion dollar company and the Prime Minister's multimillion dollar trust fund.

Now, with respect to the carbon tax, it taxes the consumer and gives a total exemption to the polluter. Why is it that the little guy always get the freight whenever the government is hungry for money?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder that the members of the party opposite always talk about our climate plan, since they do not have a climate plan. We are committed to working with small businesses. To do what? It is to help them reduce their emissions and do their part to tackle climate change, and also support them to be more energy efficient so they can save money, which they reinvest in their businesses. We have a plan to tackle climate change and grow our economy. The party opposite has neither.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government does not have a climate plan. It has a tax revenue-raising plan. If it had anything to do with the environment, the government would be charging those large industrial corporations rather than putting 100% of the burden on small businesses, seniors and soccer moms.

Let us get this straight. Corporations that emit more than 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year are exempt while small businesses and suburban commuters have to pay. Why?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, what is the party opposite's climate plan? The Conservatives always talk about our plan. We have a plan that makes polluters pay.

Let us be clear. The Conservatives do not have a plan to put a price on pollution. It would be free—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I cannot hear the answer. I need to hear the answer. I heard the question.

Order. We have to hear both sides whether we like what is said or not. We have to each wait our turn.

The hon. Minister of Environment.

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. The party opposite would make it free to pollute for everyone. We have a plan to make sure that polluting is not free, to tackle climate change, to ensure that we are putting more money in the pockets of Canadians and do what we need to do.

We owe it to our kids to have a serious plan to protect the environment, tackle climate change and also grow a clean economy and create good jobs.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal plan, pollution is free if it is a large industrial corporation. The Liberals are saying to families, “Don't worry. If you can figure out how to pump 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases out of your chimney, we will give you an exemption, too.” That is the Liberal plan.

Once again, if this is really about the environment, why are the Liberals taxing consumers and not polluters?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. Under our plan pollution is not free. Under the Conservatives' plan—no, wait. There is no Conservative plan. The Conservatives have no plan to put a price on pollution. They have no plan to grow a clean economy.

We can do both. We are going to continue doing what Canadians expect, which is to tackle climate change, reduce our emissions, grow a clean economy and create good jobs.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, so I keep asking that if this tax really will save us all from climate change, why is it that the large industrial corporations get a complete exemption? The only answer we have heard so far is that if a tax is applied to those corporations, they might move out of the country and take their jobs with them, which raises the question: If a tax drives jobs out of the country and global emissions up, then why are the Liberals applying it to thousands of small businesses right across Canada?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We have a plan to tackle climate change. We also have a plan to put a price on pollution. Polluters need to pay. Unfortunately, those on the other side want to make polluting free. They have no climate plan. They have no plan for the economy. They have no plan to create jobs.

We are going to do both, because that is what Canadians expect.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for Provencher will come to order and lots of others too, I hope.

The hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith.