House of Commons Hansard #257 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-50.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, now in their third year in office, the Liberals have finally given notice that they will bring forward legislation for the assessment and approval of major energy projects. They promised to immediately review Canada's environment assessment processes and introduce new, fair processes, ensure decisions would be based on science, facts, evidence, and serve the public's interests.

After approving major energy projects using Harper's gutted assessment process, will these laws actually strengthen the rights of communities and indigenous peoples to have a voice in decision-making?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Ottawa Centre Ontario

Liberal

Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely committed to rebuilding trust in our environmental assessment processes. We understand that the environment and the economy go together.

The previous government gutted the environmental assessment process, gutted the Navigable Waters Protection Act, gutted the Fisheries Act, and as a result, it lost the trust of the public and could not get projects through. Projects stalled and there was polarization.

We understand that we have an opportunity to bring people together and that in the 21st century the environment and the economy go together. That is the only way we will move forward and get major projects going—

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was in for a rough ride in Nanaimo on Friday. People are not happy, and I can understand why. They did not just get a raw deal, they got a crude one, a pipeline deal that was approved under the old Harper system. Now the Liberals are waking up and talking about overhauling the environmental assessment process, but it is a little late for that.

Why were the Liberals asleep at the switch for two years? Is that how long it took them to get this deed done?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Ottawa Centre Ontario

Liberal

Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, I would like to heartily congratulate the opposition member on his new role as environment critic. I am looking forward to working with him to protect the environment and grow our economy.

We know that the environment and the economy go together. We know we need to get our resources to market in a sustainable way. The previous government gutted environmental assessments and, as a result, no projects went ahead.

The NDP does not understand that we need to get our resources to market in a sustainable way. We will do what Canadians expect, which is protect—

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Lévis—Lotbinière.

EthicsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to the report from the former ethics commissioner, both of the Prime Minister's family vacations were solicited by the Prime Minister himself through email exchanges with the Aga Khan's family. This is a blatant conflict of interest. The Prime Minister and his family asked for a benefit from individuals who had dealings with the Government of Canada.

When will the Prime Minister pay back this illegal expense?

EthicsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, the previous commissioner, both in her report and in her testimony at committee, answered many questions related to her report. We accept her findings and we respect her work.

On this side of the House, we respect the work of all officers of Parliament. Unlike the opposition, we take the recommendations of all senior officials seriously and we work with them to ensure that we follow their recommendations.

EthicsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is very good at spending other people's money, taking illegal vacations sought by his own family at the expense of Canadian taxpayers, without a shred of remorse. According to the former ethics commissioner's report, the only thing that the Prime Minister finds exceptional is himself.

When will the Prime Minister do the right thing and repay the $215,000 he took from Canadian taxpayers for his illegal trip?

EthicsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the Prime Minister took responsibility and accepted the recommendations as soon as the report was tabled. The former commissioner found that these costs were incurred as part of the Prime Minister's duties.

The member must not be hearing my answer because he continues to ask the same question. We have answered this question. We are here to work for Canadians and to respond to the challenges they are facing.

EthicsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister requested and took a trip from someone who had business with the government, a clear conflict of interest, and the Ethics Commissioner has confirmed he broke the law.

We teach our children that if they take something that does not belong to them, they give it back. The Prime Minister seems to think there is one set of rules for him and another for everyone else.

Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his illegal actions and pay the Canadian taxpayers back?

EthicsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to once again remind the House and Canadians that immediately following the report being submitted, the Prime Minister accepted responsibility and he accepted the findings. I have answered that question on numerous occasions.

While the Conservatives will continue to focus on the Prime Minister and this government, this government and the Prime Minister will continue to focus on Canadians. That is exactly why the Prime Minister has been available at public town halls across the country. That is exactly why we are listening and engaging with Canadians. Canadians have created 422,000 jobs in 2017, jobs for Canadians by Canadians. Our plan is working, and that is exactly why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy.

EthicsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister broke the law. In doing so, Canadian taxpayers paid more than $200,000 for his illegal behaviour. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister recently told a veteran in Edmonton that he was fighting veterans in court because they were asking for too much.

The Prime Minister has no problem spending money, but only money on himself and his friends. The taxpayers should not be on the hook for the $200,000 the Prime Minister used for his illegal holiday. When will he pay it back?

EthicsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Waterloo Ontario

Liberal

Bardish Chagger LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question on numerous occasions, but I welcome the opportunity to answer it once again.

The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility and he has accepted the findings. More so, the Prime Minister has taken the recommendations, including putting a screen in place. The Prime Minister will continue to work with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure that future family vacations and personal vacations are cleared ahead of time. The former commissioner also acknowledged that these costs were incurred as part of the role of the Prime Minister, which was the case for former prime ministers as well.

Agriculture and Agri-FoodOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture has repeatedly stood in the House to proclaim that his government supports supply management, but the Liberals are signing a deal that will threaten this very system and will put thousands of Canadian farms and families at risk.

If the Canada-EU free trade agreement created a breach, the CPTPP threatens to blow wide open our supply-managed sectors to foreign market access.

Let us stop this charade. When will the government stop making false promises to Canadian farmers?

Agriculture and Agri-FoodOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

La Prairie Québec

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, this trade agreement will create significant opportunities for farmers across the country. We are aware of how important the supply management system is, and we are committed to holding consultations on the impact of this agreement on supply managed industries and on the best way to move forward. We started talking to those industries right away, and I was part of those conversations. We will hold additional consultations in the future.

International TradeOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is so secretive when it comes to trade negotiations that Canadians are forced to learn about them through media leaks.

Now the government is saying it will sign a new deal next month with 10 other countries without releasing the text. The CPTPP might just take the cake as the most secretive trade negotiation under the Liberal government.

Enough with the excuses. When will Canadians get to see what is in the deal, or will we read about it in leaks to the media before implementing legislation is rammed through this Parliament?

International TradeOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Saint-Maurice—Champlain Québec

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of International Trade

It is very simple, Mr. Speaker. The text will be made available as soon as possible. We will publish it.

Let me remind the House of what happened. The member is on the trade committee. She knows that we have consulted with thousands of Canadians. However, let us focus on what is in the deal. Small and medium-sized businesses across this country will have access to one of the largest markets, 500 million people, 14% of the world's economy.

Thanks to the Prime Minister we stood up for Canadians. We have a better deal for the auto sector. We have a better deal for the cultural sector.

We will continue with our ambitious trade agenda.

Northern AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON

Mr. Speaker, northern communities are at the forefront of dealing with the negative impacts of climate change. We know that clean, reliable, and efficient energy sources supporting sustainability are crucial to mitigating these effects for northerners.

Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on how our government is supporting local efforts to confront these challenges?

Northern AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Toronto—St. Paul's Ontario

Liberal

Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for King—Vaughan for her hard work and excellent question.

Budget 2017 committed more than $53 million to the northern REACHE program to support renewable energy and energy efficient community-driven projects.

Last month in Iqaluit we announced support from this fund for innovative projects to heat Iqaluit's aquatic centre using waste heat from the power system. This is an excellent example of how community-led innovation can help to tackle climate change while addressing the needs of northerners.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, is there anyone in Canada who does not understand the difference between people who want to immigrate to Canada and Islamic terrorists who want to kill Canadians? I did not think so, but I was wrong. At a public town hall, the Prime Minister compared Islamic terrorists returning to Canada to European immigrants. That is completely ridiculous.

Does the Prime Minister understand that the refugees who fled Europe during the Second World War are not ISIS terrorists?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud of our record with respect to refugees. We have redoubled the number of resettled refugees that we accept on a yearly basis. We have almost quadrupled the number of privately sponsored refugees that the previous government had, because we realize the important outcomes that privately sponsored refugees have in terms of making a contribution and restarting their lives in Canada.

We are proud of the fact that we have resettled over 1,000 Yazidi women and children who are in need of protection, and that is an improvement over the three Yazidi refugees that the previous government brought in, in its entire term.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship did not understand my question at all. Let us move on to another question.

The Prime Minister does not see any difference between immigrants and Islamic traitors, and his Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is not being completely honest with Canadians. He told us that he was using all the tools at his disposal to protect Canadians from the ISIS fighters who have returned to Canada, but the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has indicated that there are currently no peace bonds in effect.

Why are the Prime Minister and his government are so complacent when it comes to dealing with ISIS fighters who are returning to Canada?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Mark Holland LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, there is no bigger priority for this government than to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. Despite the overheated rhetoric on the other side, we make sure every single day that those individuals who are extremists are brought to justice. Wherever possible we use the tools that we have, such as revocation of passports, laying criminal charges where sufficient evidence exists, surveillance, no-fly lists, a broad array of measures, to secure the safety of Canadians.

I can assure the member opposite and all Canadians that everything is being done.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's comparison of returning ISIS fighters to refugees from countries like Greece and Italy is an insult to these Canadians. It is also insulting to Syrian refugees who have fled their homes because of ISIS and ISIS fighters, who the Prime Minister has now welcomed back to Canada with open arms. Canadians are worried about ISIS fighters coming to this country and the threat that they pose.

When will the Prime Minister stop rewarding and defending terrorists who, by the way, are not refugees, and when will he put the safety of Canadians first?