House of Commons Hansard #351 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was tariffs.

Topics

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of O Canada, led by the hon. member for North Island—Powell River.

[Members sang the national anthem]

NHL RetirementStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Independent

Hunter Tootoo Independent Nunavut, NU

Mr. Speaker,

[Member spoke in Inuktitut]

[English]

I want to recognize a great Canadian, and, full disclosure, he is my cousin.

Jordin Tootoo learned to play hockey in our home community of Rankin Inlet. He played four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings before joining the Nashville Predators in 2003, becoming the first Inuk to play in the NHL. After 13 seasons, Jordin has announced his retirement from professional hockey.

Jordin has faced struggles in his life. He lost his older brother to suicide. He conquered an alcohol addiction that threatened to end his playing career. He has turned those experiences into opportunities to promote mental wellness and suicide prevention. He has always given back to Inuit and indigenous communities and now will have more time to focus on his work with indigenous youth.

Jordin is an inspiration to all indigenous people, and indeed, to all Canadians. He has shown us that one can find success in life, even in the face of tough challenges, and how to help others find their way.

Jordin's Inuk name, Kudluk, means “thunder” in Inuktitut. Long may he roar.

2018 World Under-17 Hockey ChallengeStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Karen Ludwig Liberal New Brunswick Southwest, NB

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to talk about an amazing event happening right now in my area of New Brunswick, the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. This tournament brings together young people from around the world and across Canada to play their favourite sport: hockey. This is great for tourism, raising the profile of our area and offering opportunities to watch potential future NHL players.

My riding of New Brunswick Southwest was proud to host three of the pre-games: Canada versus the United States, in St. Stephen; Canada versus Russia, in Fredericton Junction; and Sweden versus the Czech Republic, in Blacks Harbour. I am thrilled to report that team Canada was victorious.

I congratulate all the teams for their tremendous efforts; the organizers, volunteers and sponsors; and especially, the teams representing Canada. I encourage all my colleagues in this House to watch the teams representing Canada in the upcoming games this week. Go team Canada.

Bear Clan PatrolStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday evening, I walked with a Bear Clan Patrol in Winnipeg. It was heart-wrenching. The team of volunteers patrols the north end, providing support for the most vulnerable. In just a few hours, we encountered a sexual assault victim, domestic abuse, and drug abuse, but also heartwarming expressions of appreciation.

The Bear Clan Patrol was relaunched after the death of Tina Fontaine. It now has 1,400 volunteers and is helping 40 other communities set up teams.

The current government promised that while the inquiry into missing and murdered women and girls was proceeding, it would not pause on important action. Last year, a small investment from the indigenous services department quickly ran out. The money went to sharp gloves, flashlights and a very modest office space. However, instead of committing funding, the department has left the group out in the cold. The department officials say that they are busy consulting this year, so there is no money for a team with a proven track record.

I call on the minister to stand with the Bear Clan Patrol. Will the Liberals support the most vulnerable on the front lines?

Remembrance DayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean Rioux Liberal Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, we owe our freedom and the values we cherish to the sacrifices of women and men who fought courageously to defend our ideals. Bravely, they vanquished the enemy. Vimy, Passchendaele, Canada's Hundred Days: these were the victories that earned us the respect of our allies.

Let us keep their legacy alive because their dedication is the reason we now enjoy peace and freedom.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the armistice this year, we honour all those who have served and are serving. On November 11, we will remember what they did to ensure peace for Canadians.

We must honour and carry on their mission every day by seeking peaceful solutions to all our conflicts.

DiwaliStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC

Mr. Speaker, Diwali, or the festival of lights, is one of the highlights of the year. It represents hope and renewal. It is a time for traditions to be shared with family, friends and community. During this very special time, the spirit of Diwali provides us with a chance to increase our understanding of one another. We share a country where race, religion, colour and language are not barriers but reasons for all of us to celebrate our diversity.

Canadians of South Asian origin have made phenomenal contributions to Canada from coast to coast to coast, and Diwali is only one of the gifts they share with us all. In New Westminster and in Burnaby, we are particularly aware of their enormous contributions to the community.

Jagmeet Singh, our national NDP leader, and the entire NDP caucus wish all Canadians celebrating Diwali happiness, prosperity, good health and peace.

Diwali mubarak. Happy Diwali to all Canadians and all those celebrating Diwali around the world.

Bernard LandryStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is in mourning today. The Bloc Québécois extends sincere condolences to Bernard Landry's loved ones, to his wife, Chantal, and his three children, Julie, Philippe and Pascale.

Bernard Landry was premier of Quebec, an architect of modern Quebec, a great patriot and, most importantly, a staunch advocate for independence. He worked his entire life out of love for all Quebeckers. He was a pillar of our nation's economic development, a true statesman who showed vision, dignity and accountability in our nation's highest positions.

Mr. Landry transformed Quebec's relationship with first nations and the Inuit. He was so proud of the Paix des Braves. He was a kind man and accessible leader who generously shared his time and his keen intellect and was a model of dedication and commitment to the cause.

Thank you, Mr. Landry.

Remembrance DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, what is special about attending remembrance ceremonies in a small town is that the populations are small enough that the fallen can actually have their names fit on the cenotaph itself, and local family members can walk up and lay a wreath in the name of one of those people whose name is carved on that stone. Vernon, Ontario, is such a village. Harvey Linton is such a man, and his brother, Oswald, who fell over seven decades ago in service to Canada, is such a hero.

I say this to remind the House that while we always rightly break into great powerful orations about the importance of our heroes, we have to remember that they were also real people with brothers and sisters, with senses of humour, with creature comforts. They are an awful lot like all of us and all the people that we represent. Let us remember them as individuals, as people and as family members. They are as the people we know from the places we go.

Lest we forget.

Remembrance DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

TJ Harvey Liberal Tobique—Mactaquac, NB

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to recognize our veterans. Royalton, New Brunswick, may be a small community in the western part of the province of New Brunswick, but Royalton lays claim to having one of the largest number of people per capita to have enlisted in the Second World War, with 26 men and one woman who signed up to serve.

As they do every year, families in this community and all other Canadian communities plan to remember those brave men and women on Remembrance Day. Veterans' Week is a time for everyone to come together and salute all Canadians who have served in uniform, including those mentioned from the community of Royalton and all those who participated in these hard-fought battles. We honour all men and all women who had a role in defending our freedom. We also honour the families of fallen soldiers who have sacrificed so much. We thank them for their service and for making Canada the country we see today that allows us to remain proud and free.

This Veterans' Week, Canada remembers. Please have a moment of silence and thank a veteran.

Remembrance DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, Remembrance Day this year falls in the dark shadow of the recent attack on Jewish Americans at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Hateful impulses arise mostly from ignorance and the failure to understand, for instance, how Jews fought side by side with their fellow Canadians and Americans to ensure our freedom.

In my city of Hamilton, some of the leading Jewish citizens were veterans, people like businessmen and philanthropists Irving Zucker and Norm Levitt, and prominent lawyer David Goldberg, who flew Spitfires against Germany and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. Others came from more humble backgrounds, such as Al Garshowitz. He was chosen to join the famous Dambusters and was killed in the crash of his Lancaster bomber during a raid. In 1944, Kurt Loeb and Sam Resnick joined our Scottish regiment, the Argylls, and were in Berlin for the victory celebrations. Kurt's family had fled Germany in 1937, and the young soldier wrote home after the victory, the letter written on Hitler's personal stationery.

On Remembrance Day, all who wore the uniform deserve everyone's respect.

Remembrance DayStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House as a former soldier to honour my fellow servicemen and servicewomen for the contributions and sacrifices they have made over the years to allow us the freedom we enjoy today, and to honour current members of the Canadian Armed Forces who continue to protect our rights.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. I wanted to do something special to mark this occasion, so I organized a commemoration under the theme “Charlesbourg remembers”. On November 10, the Saint-Charles-Borromée parish, which is proudly celebrating its 325th anniversary this year, will be hosting a ceremony followed by a commemorative march that will end at the cemetery. There will be a reading of the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, followed by a reading of the names of soldiers from Charlesbourg who gave their lives for our freedom during the First and Second World Wars.

Let us never forget all those we have to thank for our way of life today, and let us wear a poppy with pride in memory of the fallen.

Jewish RefugeesStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC

Mr. Speaker, today, the Prime Minister will apologize on behalf of all Canadians for what happened to the passengers of the MS St. Louis in 1939, when 907 refugees, most of them Jewish, knocked at our door after being turned away by Cuba and the United States. Our response was famously recorded in the book by Irving Abella, None is Too Many. No one wanted to help them and this unfortunately helped validate the racism and anti-Semitism of that era. Following their unexpected return to European soil, more than one quarter of those refugees lost their lives in Nazi concentration camps. They died for two reasons: they were Jewish and they were turned away. The survivors and families of several survivors are here today for this historic moment. I sincerely hope that this lesson stays with us for a long, long time.

Oceans Protection PlanStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the second anniversary of our government's historic $1.5-billion oceans protection plan.

Since 2016, the plan has made clear and measurable progress to keep our oceans clean, safe and healthy.

We have taken bold action to protect our whales. We have invested millions of dollars to ensure that the courageous men and women of the Coast Guard have the tools they need to keep Canadians safe at sea.

We brought the regulations around shipping and marine safety into the 21st century, and we have invested millions more in environmental protections and cutting-edge research to ensure our actions are backed by sound science.

These achievements in no way signify an end to our government's commitment to protecting Canadian waters, Canadian marine wildlife and the Canadian livelihoods that depend on both.

We owe it to our children and to our grandchildren to ensure that they experience the wonders of our oceans first-hand and not through the history books.

Veterans AffairsStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Mr. Speaker, during Veterans Week, we owe our veterans and the men and women who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces our deepest respect and gratitude for the sacrifices they make to defend our freedoms.

Unfortunately, the Liberal government should be ashamed of itself. Instead of helping our veterans, they make multi-million dollar secret payments to convicted terrorists, like Omar Khadr. Now, the Liberals claim they were forced to give Khadr millions of Canadian taxpayer dollars because the courts made them do it. However, we know that the Liberals were never ordered by the court to make al Qaeda terrorist Omar Khadr a multi-millionaire.

The Liberals chose to give him that money. That stands in stark contrast to the treatment they are giving our veterans. The Liberals did not leap at the chance to help our vets after realizing they were being shortchanged on their benefits for years. In fact, it will take another two more years for our veterans to be compensated.

How can the Liberals justify this deplorable behaviour? A convicted terrorist gets a $10.5-million cheque from the Liberals, and our veterans who sacrificed for Canada are told they are “asking for more than we are able to give.” That is shameful.

Diwali and Bandi Chhor DivasStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Raj Saini Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, today Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain communities across Canada will be celebrating Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas.

In celebration of Diwali, houses will be illuminated with diyas in every corner, colourful rangoli artwork decorations will be the vibrant centrepieces of each household, and family and friends will be getting together to share a festive meal.

Delicious food and an abundance of Indian sweets will be a big part of these celebrations, so I urge all Canadians to take part in Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas celebrations in their community and to not miss this opportunity.

Just like the diyas brightening up homes, I wish everyone an illuminating year filled with peace, happiness and prosperity. I wish a happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas to all those celebrating in Kitchener Centre and across Canada.

PovertyStatements By Members

November 7th, 2018 / 2:20 p.m.

NDP

Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, the effects of poverty and social exclusion on women continue to impact Canada's economic and social development and progress. In my region of Windsor Essex, 18.3% of people live in poverty.

Among these devastating statistics, poverty is even worse for women and children. In my riding, 24% of children and 42% of female-led lone parent families live in poverty. This is three times higher than the general population, as a single mother is almost four times as likely as a two-parent family to live in poverty.

Why do women in Canada suffer, considering we are the eighth wealthiest country in the world? Women spend more time doing unpaid work, and are more likely to sacrifice career opportunities and hold part-time or temporary lower-paying jobs, often with no benefits or security, because of their family commitments and a lack of affordable child care.

Working women in Canada earn only 87¢ for every dollar earned by men. New Democrats will always fight for Canada without poverty when no one is left behind and where every Canadian can live in dignity and respect, including all women.

Bernard LandryStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, Quebec has lost a great patriot. Former premier Bernard Landry passed away yesterday, leaving behind a great legacy, including the development agreement with the Cree nation known as the “Paix des Braves”.

Mr. Landry was deeply committed to Quebec's independence, culture and economy. From his economic policy statement, Bâtir le Québec, in the 1970s to the digital era in the 2000s, he always believed that the government should intervene in the economy.

Let us talk about his achievements. As finance minister, he balanced the budget and was a strong supporter of free trade in 1988. That took a lot of courage because his views put him at odds with his usual allies from the trade-union left. However, he supported free trade for the good of Quebec. As he often said, “country before party”.

I knew him when I was a journalist and he never refused an interview. Once he told me, as a family man, and I quote, “Politics is hard on families so when I am with my kids, I am with them 100%.” I try to follow that advice as much as possible.

He never had it easy. He was defeated twice before getting elected and ran in three leadership races before becoming leader, but this activist never stopped. Even at the very end of his life, he was trying to persuade people, as we saw recently.

The great Quebec patriot has died. Goodbye, Premier Landry.

Inuit DayStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Yvonne Jones Liberal Labrador, NL

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an Inuit member of Parliament and along with the member of Parliament for Nunavut and all colleagues in the House, we are excited today to mark the 12th annual Inuit Day and celebrations of Inuit around the world.

On this day, Inuit governments, organizations and communities alike, both on a national and international level, celebrate the rich culture and vibrant history of Inuit in the world. I want to acknowledge the fundamental role the Inuit play in Canada and our government support of Inuit-led policies, programs and developments. We recognize that traditional knowledge is a strong pillar that informs decision-making across the north.

I am proud of the respectful way in which our government continues to partner with Inuit, creating strong communities, informing Canadians of the important contributions that Inuit make, and the proud culture they share with all Canadians.

Let us please celebrate Inuit today.

PrivacyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are shocked that the government secretly started collecting their personal financial information without their consent. The government never disclosed these practices to Canadians, who found out about them in the media. That, more than anything, shows how much faith the Prime Minister has in this policy.

The only thing Canadians want to hear from the Prime Minister is that he is cancelling the project.

When will he do that?

PrivacyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, obviously as a government we take Canadians' privacy very seriously, as does Statistics Canada.

Statistics Canada contacted the Privacy Commissioner about this pilot project. We all understand the importance of having reliable data for Canadians. That is why we trust Statistics Canada to collect the necessary data while working with the Privacy Commissioner to ensure that the privacy of Canadians is always protected.

PrivacyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, they are only doing this because they got caught. Stats Canada was not consulting with the Privacy Commissioner for the 15 years that they were raiding Canadians' private financial data. That is what Canadians are concerned about. The Prime Minister is not protecting their rights, he is violating them. Will he do the right thing and stop this practice?

PrivacyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, we campaigned on a promise to restore the long form census. The arguments the Conservative Party made in the years up to the cancellation of the long form census are exactly the same arguments they are making today about Statistics Canada, trumped up arguments about protection of privacy, when they know, and indeed all Canadians should know, that Statistics Canada works with the Privacy Commissioner, and respects and protects the privacy of Canadians. We will continue to ensure that the privacy of Canadians is always protected.

PrivacyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister fails to understand is that these are not arguments put forward by the Conservative Party, these are the concerns of Canadians who do not want their financial information raided by the current government.

Here is what the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association had to say, “It is untenable to give absolute trust and authority to a government agency in today's technological landscape.”

We are not talking about a census, we are talking about the government getting line-by-line financial data. Does the Prime Minister believe that is okay?

PrivacyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, allow me to speak directly to Canadians to reassure them that we are protecting the privacy of their data. We are working with the Privacy Commissioner, whose job it is to ensure that the privacy of Canadians is always protected. We understand the need for reliable data, unlike the members opposite, but we also always put at the forefront the protection of Canadians' privacy. That is why this data that Statistics Canada collects is anonymized, is subject to stringent controls. Indeed, this is the pilot project it is working on now, which has not even rolled out yet.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Actually, Mr. Speaker, what they put at the forefront is money intended to settle lawsuits because of data breaches.

When it comes to the carbon tax, there are reports that the current government intends to charge HST and GST on top of the carbon tax. Can the Prime Minister confirm today, yes or no, if HST and GST will be applied to the carbon tax?