Debates of Nov. 6th, 2018

Privacy

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has displayed an outstanding capacity to be out of touch with Canadians on the issue of Stats Canada seizing personal financial data. More and more experts are joining Canadians in their outrage at what the government is doing. A respected constitutional expert at the University of Waterloo said, “What a moral failure...The government has no more business looking at personal banking transactions than it has putting cameras in bedrooms”.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and stop this practice?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we take the privacy of Canadians very seriously, and so does Statistics Canada. In fact, Statistics Canada has been engaged with the Privacy Commissioner in regard to this pilot project, which has not yet been launched.

We also understand the importance of quality and reliable data for Canadians. During 10 years, Conservatives ignored data and governed only through ideology. We witnessed the consequences: historically low economic growth while they were in power.

We will continue to protect the privacy of Canadians and promote evidence-based policy.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to make an evidence-based decision. Exhibit A, Stats Can has acknowledged that it is going to seize financial data linked to social insurance numbers. Exhibit B, the government has had 56 violations of security in its time in office. Exhibit C, the government had to pay out $17.5 million in a class action lawsuit because of a data breach.

Will the Prime Minister make an evidence-based decision and cancel this practice?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, again, we take the privacy of Canadians very seriously. The Conservatives pretend to be concerned about privacy, but Canadians can see through this Conservative game. They continue to be opposed to Statistics Canada just doing its job. As recently as this weekend, the opposition House leader indicated that the Conservatives still oppose the long-form census, which we brought back after the Conservatives eliminated it.

While the Conservatives continue their fight against facts and science, we will protect the privacy of Canadians and ensure our decisions are made—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this is not about the government's ability to make decisions. This is about the rights of Canadians to have their financial data protected.

The Prime Minister would believe that the ends justify the means and that it is okay to violate fundamental rights when it comes to people's personal information. Conservatives reject that notion. The Prime Minister has the ability to do the right thing and cancel this practice. Will he do so?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, these are the same kinds of arguments that the Conservatives put forward when they were in government as justification for eliminating the long-form census, which apparently they still oppose.

On this side of the House and in this government, we trust the work of the Privacy Commissioner to protect Canadians' privacy. That is why we are working with him. We are ensuring that Statistics Canada works with them on this pilot project that has not yet been brought in, to ensure that we always protect the privacy of Canadians while ensuring reliable data.

Member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel told a CBC journalist last Friday that he was busy working on specific duties on behalf of the Prime Minister.

Can the Prime Minister explain exactly what those specific duties are, as they are keeping him away from Ottawa, where he is supposed to be representing his constituents, while still pocketing a generous salary from a private firm?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member in question has publicly indicated his intention to leave public office in January. He has shared the issues he will be working on until then on behalf of his community.

Of course, we expect every member in the House to work in the best interests of their constituents.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is very nice for the Liberal MP. He gets to collect his salary all the way to the end of January while he is earning a paycheque from a private firm. That is all okay to the Prime Minister. In fact the Prime Minister has asked him to stay away from Ottawa, to not vote, to not give speeches and to not represent his constituents.

Why does the Prime Minister think it is fair for a member of Parliament to not show up for work, collect a paycheque from a private firm and still get paid from the taxpayer?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member in question has publicly indicated his intention to leave public office this coming January and has shared the issues he will be working on until then on behalf of his communities. Of course, we expect every member in the House to work in the best interests of their constituents.

Veterans

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week is dedicated to the veterans who risked their lives to defend us, but the best tribute we can pay them is to take care of them when they return to Canada. However, when they call about services, our veterans have to wait hours and hours and are redirected half a dozen times before they finally get to speak to the right person.

Then the Liberals find a way not to spend $372 million after three years, despite all their promises.

Is the Prime Minister prepared to support our motion and to spend the entire budget for veterans?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since 2016, we have spent $10 billion in programs and services for veterans, we have increased financial support for veterans and caregivers, and we have supported a continuum of mental health services.

In budget 2018, we announced $42.8 million to increase service delivery capacity and launch the pension for life. We also re-opened all Veterans Affairs offices that the former Conservative government closed.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, is that his response?

In addition to the $372 million that was left unspent, the Minister of Veterans Affairs admitted that an accounting error caused Ottawa to accidentally withhold $165 million over seven years.

The government is also going to save more than $500 million over five years by abolishing the lump sum payments made to veterans with a disability. The Liberals are refusing to commit to using this money to fill the gaps in the veteran pension system.

Is the government really working for veterans or is it saving money at their expense?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to supporting and honouring Canada's veterans and their families.

Unlike the previous government, we are ensuring that funding is in place to support veterans when and where they need it. The Conservatives cut services for veterans including the veteran services offices in order to create a bogus balanced budget. In three years, we have increased financial support for veterans by more than $10 billion.

We will always be there to support our veterans and we will of course support the NDP motion.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister criticized the Harper Conservatives for lapsed spending at Veterans Affairs. He said, “They left unspent more than $1 billion that Parliament allocated for veteran support. Canadians know that this is wrong.” He was right: this is wrong.

The Liberals have now left $372 million unspent at Veterans Affairs, even as service levels deteriorate.

My question is simple. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing today and end lapsed spending at Veterans Affairs, and ensure that money budgeted for veterans is actually spent on veterans?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our government is, and continues to be, committed to supporting and honouring Canada's veterans and their families.

Unlike the previous government, we ensure that the necessary funding is made available to veterans when and where they need it. What the Conservatives did was to cut services to veterans, including service offices, to create a fake balanced budget.

In three years, we have increased financial supports by over $10 billion, putting more money in veterans' pockets, increasing mental health supports, and are delivering on the promises we made to veterans and their families.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, passing this motion today would be a victory for veterans, but ending lapsed spending is only the tip of the iceberg.

The Liberals are now making veterans wait until 2020 to pay them back $165 million they are rightfully owed, and have introduced an unfair system for pensions that will actually reduce benefits for some veterans.

The government has a sacred obligation to our veterans, who have waited long enough. The Prime Minister voted in favour of this sacred obligation to our veterans. Why is the government not applying it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the well-being and financial security of Canada's veterans is our top priority.

Our investment in veterans is $10 billion in new funding, including delivering on our promise for a pension for life option. Because more veterans are expected to take the $1,150 monthly tax-free payment for the rest of their lives, rather than a lump sum upfront, the budgetary costs are obviously spread out over a longer time. We immediately increased financial support for veterans, increased mental health support, and are delivering on our promise to veterans.

Privacy

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for the past two weeks, we have been asking the Prime Minister to stop invading Canadians' privacy, yet the Liberals persist in doing so and in defending the indefensible.

How can the Prime Minister think it is okay for the government to collect people's personal and confidential information, such as credit card purchases and citizens' bank account information, without their consent?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Let's talk facts. Personal information will be removed, and Canadians can rest assured that their banking information will remain private and protected. Statistics Canada absolutely cannot share that information. It cannot share that information with any individual, organization or government, not even with the Prime Minister. Canadians' privacy will be protected.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that must be why the Privacy Commissioner launched an investigation into the government's actions. It is troubling. We have a Prime Minister who uses a pilot project as an excuse to condone the fact that the government can collect the confidential information of more than 500,000 Canadians. We have a Liberal government that is violating Canadians' privacy rights without their knowledge. We have a Prime Minister that is okay with the government doing things in violation of the Privacy Act.

I will repeat my question for the Prime Minister for the tenth time: will he continue to accept this indefensible situation?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, our government takes Canadians' privacy very seriously. Let me be clear: this is a pilot project that is still in development. No information has been collected. Statistics Canada is working with the Privacy Commissioner.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian chartered bank promises that personal financial information will only be shared with client consent, but the Liberals are defending an exception in law, allowing Statistics Canada to harvest deeply personal financial data without asking. Europeans this year have new privacy laws that prohibit this sort of privacy exposure without specific client consent.

Why will the Liberal government not defend the privacy of Canadians and require Statistics Canada to ask permission before it pries into Canadians' most private financial dealings?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, let us highlight some key facts. It is important that we talk about the facts.

Statistics Canada is pursuing a pilot project. No data has been collected. Customers would be informed and personal information will be removed. No breaches of Statistics Canada servers have occurred.

Those are the facts. Enough with the fake outrage.