Debates of Dec. 7th, 2018

The Environment

[Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.

While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.

Ethics

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.

Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.

Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.

How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.

It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.

Indigenous Affairs

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism]

Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?

[Marc Miller, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs.

The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.

International Trade

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.

Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.

All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.

How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?

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

Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.

These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.

Transportation

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.

As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?

[Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Laurentides—Labelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.

Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. Albert—Edmonton actually defending drinking and driving.

Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Infrastucture

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.

How is this acceptable for any government?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest.

I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.

Natural Resources

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.

According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.

Will the government reverse course?

[Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.

According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.

In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.

Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?

Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?

[Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.

We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.

That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.

[Simon Marcil, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.

After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.

Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.

Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?

Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?

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

Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.

That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.

Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.

The Environment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border.

What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

[Sean Fraser, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.]

Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.

With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.

Oral Questions

[David Lametti, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said “Ottawa” for “Oshawa”. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.

Indigenous Affairs

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as “our indigenous people” or “our indigenous communities” continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.