Debates of Feb. 12th, 2018

Hooked on School Days

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Hooked on School Days has been held across Quebec for 12 years now. This initiative, which takes place from February 12 to 16, gives stakeholders an opportunity to increase public awareness about the importance of educational success and perseverance and to explain the consequences of dropping out of school and the benefits of graduating.

Since I was a teacher for many years, I cannot help but support this initiative, and I encourage everyone in Laval and throughout the province to participate in the various activities.

No action or initiative is too small. Every action counts, and we must all work together and do our part to ensure the success of our young people and encourage everyone to stay in school.

West Island Black Community Association

[Frank Baylis, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay homage to Ms. Elizabeth-Ann Williams, who, for over 25 years, has been volunteering with the West Island Black Community Association. WIBCA, as it is known, is a wonderful organization that provides programs, workshops, and social activities for all in the region. She cemented her place in the organization in May of 2014 by becoming its president.

In recognition of her contribution to the city's development, Ms. Williams was named Bâtisseuse de la cité 2017 by the City of Montreal.

I am happy to say that WIBCA is now under the leadership of another lady, the young and dynamic Kemba Mitchell, and I am certain that the organization will continue to prosper and flourish under her leadership.

To all black women who have worked tirelessly to make a difference in our communities, I say that we see them, we hear their voices, and we thank them.

MPP for Brant

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is highly unusual for a Tory to stand in this House and heap praise on a Grit, but today I must. This spring, after 18 years of serving Brantford—Brant as MPP and speaker of the Ontario legislature, Dave Levac is retiring from political life.

Dave and I share many things in common, our age, 63; our alma mater, Wilfrid Laurier University, where we both played varsity sports and enjoyed our university years together; our love for our community; and, most importantly, our joint resolve to rise above partisanship in working for the good of our communities. The spirit of co-operation comes naturally to Dave. He is larger than life, a big man with a big smile, a really big moustache, and an even bigger heart. I am proud to have been able to work with him through all these years and to call him one of my best friends.

On behalf of the people of Brantford—Brant, there is only one thing left to say: Thank you, Dave.

Water Quality

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, I went to Washington to meet with the teams of Vermont senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, as well as with the U.S. secretary for the International Joint Commission. I also met with Canadian embassy officials.

The main focus of these strategic meetings was the water quality of Lake Champlain and Lake Memphrémagog, two of the largest water resources shared between Quebec and Vermont. We also talked about the economic challenges faced by the region, trade between Brome—Missisquoi and Vermont, and border security.

I would like to thank Jacques Landry, the mayor of Venise-en-Québec, for his involvement. He also chairs Actions Lac Champlain, a committee dedicated to protecting the water quality of the lake.

Let us do what it takes to leave clean water in our extraordinary lakes for the next generation, since that is our drinking water after all.

Hermel Giard

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Canada's Agriculture Day, I am very moved to rise today to pay tribute to the late Hermel Giard, who passed away a few days ago. Mr. Giard was a well-known farmer who raised Holsteins, a breed he really loved.

His family has been involved in organizing the Saint-Hyacinthe agricultural fair from the beginning, or for 180 consecutive years! Mr. Giard was a man who loved farming and his region. He was devoted to his community and served as the mayor of Saint-Simon for almost 15 years.

Mr. Giard and his wife, Ms. Huguette, earned dozens of honours, including being inducted into the Quebec Agriculture Hall of Fame, which is indicative of their passion for agriculture and the greater Saint-Hyacinthe region. He was a role model for new and future farmers because of his leadership, wisdom, and honesty. His descendants will be farming for many generations to come.

2018 Winter Olympics

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the 2018 Winter Olympics are now in full swing and, unsurprisingly, Canadian athletes have been winning medals left, right, and centre at these games.

As of this morning, Canada was only one medal behind Norway for most medals won so far at the games. We will all be watching and cheering on our athletes throughout the games.

This week also marks an incredible milestone for my friend and colleague, Senator Nancy Greene Raine. Fifty years ago, on February 15, 1968, Canadians watched as Senator Greene Raine raced down the slopes in Grenoble, France to win gold in the women's giant slalom alpine skiing event. It was an incredible victory, and a moment that many Canadians remember to this day. She also won silver in the slalom.

As the 2018 Winter Olympics continue, I am looking forward to seeing more and more medals come home to Canada. From hockey to skiing to figure skating and more, I am sure Canada will own the podium in Pyeongchang. Go Canada go.

Let's Talk Science

[Kate Young, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, scientists around the world mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. That is why, today, I would like to recognize the good work of Let's Talk Science, a national organization in my riding of London West.

Let's Talk Science gives youth the opportunity to see into the lives of real Canadians working in science, technology, engineering and math, otherwise known as STEM. They have 3,500 student volunteers at 45 universities and colleges across Canada, and over 60% of them are women. These young women work to actively make a difference as role models across the country.

Let's Talk Science works hard to engage and empower women and girls in the STEM fields, and I commend its work as it continues to inspire the next generation of female scientists.

Prime Minister's Office

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister interrupted a woman at a town hall, correcting her use of “mankind” with “peoplekind“, his mansplaining went viral. Around the world, the Prime Minister was mocked for his political correctness.

The Prime Minister eventually conceded that it was a dumb joke, but his principal secretary, Gerald Butts, tweeted that any and all who criticized his boss were Nazis. The Prime Minister once said that any statement by Mr. Butts could be considered his own, and in this case?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question in that statement.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Nazis killed six million Jews. People who laugh at the Prime Minister are not Nazis.

Will the Prime Minister disassociate himself from his principal secretary's unacceptable language?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we, as all of us do, take very seriously the Holocaust and make sure we remind ourselves never again by telling the story of the Holocaust and not relating that to anything else that happened. We recognize that this is something of extreme difficulty and care must be taken. I have always ensured that we are respectful in our discourse, particularly around that subject.

Natural Resources

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

Mr. Speaker, it was a simple question. We were asking for an apology for the remarks made by his principal secretary. The Prime Minister's response shows a total lack of respect for the House.

The next question we want to ask him has to do with the Trans Mountain project, which will create tens of thousands of jobs and will be good for every region of our country. While the situation was deteriorating in Alberta and British Columbia, the Prime Minister was busy travelling around the United States.

Will the Prime Minister finally show some leadership, do his job, and fix this problem once and for all?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have made it very clear that the Trans Mountain project is in the national interest. That is why we will make sure that it gets built.

We know that in order to protect the environment and invest in our oceans, we also need to be able to find new markets for our natural resources. That is exactly what we are doing.

We will always work hard to unite the various regions of our country. We will always stand up for the national interest of all Canadians.

Prime Minister's Office

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, clearly, people who make fun of the Prime Minister's making up words that do not exist are not Nazis. Will the Prime Minister condemn and apologize for the comments of his principal secretary?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we take very seriously the importance of creating open opportunities for dialogue. That is why I was so pleased to get out there and do town halls across the country, at which I took a broad range of questions from Canadians in a very honest and open environment. This is something that we continue to believe in. We have difficult conversations from time to time, and I will continue to do exactly that in the future.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, quite obviously the most powerful staff member to the most powerful politician in Canada should not be calling people Nazis. Will the Prime Minister condemn and apologize for the comments of his principal secretary?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to civil discourse, when it comes to the kinds of back and forth that happen in the House, it is a real shame to see the Conservatives using lines straight out of Rebel Media and the Rebel webcast. The Rebel should not be writing commentary and questions for the members opposite. They should know to disassociate themselves from that kind of politics and those kinds of personal attacks.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, Ottawa's coffers are apparently short $47.8 billion in uncollected taxes. I say “apparently” because that is an estimate made by the Conference Board of Canada.

The parliamentary budget officer has been trying to get to the bottom of this shortfall since December 2012, but five years later we are still going in circles. The Canada Revenue Agency refuses to give the parliamentary budget officer the data he is asking for, even though the data is anonymous.

Will the Prime Minister call on the Minister of Revenue to work with the parliamentary budget officer or is he waiting to be taken to court?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud that we on this side of the House support the work of the parliamentary budget officer. In fact, we gave him a broader mandate and more authority so that he could do his good work. We have always provided him with sound data in order to give his work added strength.

As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO. By the end of the month, the CRA will provide its data to the PBO in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy.

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

Mr. Speaker, that does not resolve the root problem. The Canada Revenue Agency has an institutional culture of secrecy. Its directors constantly hide behind the infamous section 241 of the Income Tax Act to deny any responsibility, even when it does not involve the privacy of taxpayers. When we ask questions about the agency's failure to act on the Panama Papers or its communications with KPMG, the agency refuses to give us the information.

Will the Prime Minister stand with the parliamentary budget officer or the CRA's unaccountable directors?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are pleased to have strengthened the role, responsibilities, and powers of the parliamentary budget officer. He plays a vital role in our system and we are always very pleased to support him.

I am also very pleased to repeat what I just said. The Canada Revenue Agency and the parliamentary budget officer have reached an agreement that will make it possible for the PBO to do the work he has been wanting to do for a long time.

Indigenous Affairs

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts today are with the family of Colten Boushie. It is incumbent upon us to say that this Canada will not be a nation where the senseless killing of indigenous youth is considered okay, that Canada will not be a nation defined by racial suspicion, a failed judicial process or 150 years of broken promises. Platitudes are not enough.

My question is for the Prime Minister. What steps will he take to reassure the Boushie family and indigenous youth across the country that justice will be made real for Colten Boushie?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts of course are with the family and friends of Colten Boushie.

While it would be completely inappropriate to comment on the specifics of this case, we understand there are systemic issues in our criminal justice system that we must address. We are committed to broad-based reform to address these issues. As a country, we must and we can do better. Our government is committed to working hard every day to ensure justice for all Canadians.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, speaking about specifics, when the justice system fails an individual, there are appeals, there is legal precedent. However, when justice fails a people, it is incumbent upon leaders to take a stand. Let us be clear. The system did not just fail Colten Boushie. The system has failed indigenous people all the way back to Poundmaker, and it has to stop.

Therefore, in this watershed moment, what concrete steps will the Prime Minister take to deal with the huge legal inequities that are faced by indigenous people all across the country?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we agree. When indigenous adults make up 3% of our population but 26% of our incarcerated population, there is a problem. When indigenous Canadians are significantly under-represented on juries and in jury selection pools, we have a problem. We have much we need to do together to fix the system. In the spirit of reconciliation, that is exactly what we are going to be doing.