Debates of Feb. 5th, 2018

Public Safety

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, without question, every day we ensure that we have the tools at our disposal to keep Canadians safe. Any assertion that we are not doing everything in our power to hold extremists at bay is absurd. The Prime Minister has been preeminently clear in all of his statements. We will not accept extremism in any of its forms. We will do everything we can do root out extremism, both abroad and domestically, and all of its causes, and we have the tools to do that both domestically and abroad.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we were reminded last week that the Prime Minister offers ridiculous answers to serious questions as often in his town halls as here in the House. In one outrageous response to a citizen concerned about his plan to reintegrate ISIS terrorists returning to Canada, the PM compared these returning terrorists to refugees from post-World War II Europe and Vietnamese boat people.

Where did the Prime Minister acquire his warped view of history, and when will he apologize to legitimate refugees for comparing them to terrorists?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, what is ridiculous is both the question and the way it is characterizing the facts.

I find it absolutely ridiculous that the party opposite, during its term, when we are talking about the safety and security of Canadians, cut $530 million from the RCMP, $390 million from the Canada Border Services Agency, $69 million from CSIS, $42 million from the Communications Security Establishment, and $171 million from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

While they cut, we are working on getting the job done.

Canada Post

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week at a town hall in Winnipeg, the Prime Minister was asked to respond to the serious climate of bullying, harassment, and intimidation of workers at Canada Post. The reality is that for months the current government has ignored petitions, letters, and horror stories regarding the toxic work environment and has done very little to specifically address this situation.

Can the Prime Minister tell us exactly what action he will take to end this systemic abuse of postal workers?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, harassment and bullying of any kind are unacceptable, period. My office has reached out to the individual from Winnipeg who raised these concerns. Canada Post has policies in place to address issues of harassment, and we will make sure that this policy is being followed.

Our government ran on a commitment to take action on workplace harassment in federally regulated workplaces. That is why all parties worked to get Bill C-65 to committee, which would create a more robust regime that would better address harassment and violence in the workplace, including at Canada Post.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been aware of the toxic climate at Canada Post for months now. Employees who are victims of harassment, bullying, and psychological distress on a daily basis deserve better than empty promises. They deserve a plan to put an end to this unacceptable culture. The government can make sure that the new order at Canada Post includes a workers' rights vision befitting an industry leader.

In Winnipeg, the Prime Minister promised a worker he would take action on this. What is his action plan?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, harassment and bullying of any kind are unacceptable, period. My office has reached out to the individual from Winnipeg who raised these concerns. Our government ran on a commitment to take action on workplace harassment in federally regulated workplaces.

That is why all parties worked to get Bill C-75 to committee, which would create a more robust regime that would better address harassment and violence in the workplace, including at Canada Post.

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been over a year since the Liberals approved the Trans Mountain expansion because it is safe, in the national interest, will create 15,000 jobs, and will add billions to Canada's economy. It has been four years since the application started. The consultations and environmental, safety, and economic assessments are the most stringent in the world, but roadblocks and delays put the $7.4 billion project at risk. Canada needs the Prime Minister and the minister to step in and act on their approval.

Instead of just repeating the same lines, what exactly will the natural resources minister do to ensure this pipeline gets built?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the first thing we will do is agree with the hon. member that the pipeline was approved because it is in the national interest. It is in the national interest because of the thousands of jobs it will create, not only in British Columbia and Alberta but throughout the country. At the same time, we announced a $1.5 billion oceans protection plan that will lead the world. At the same time, we are consulting in a meaningful way with indigenous communities. Partnerships, stewardship, jobs: that is what this government is doing.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the minister actually made excuses for the B.C. NDP, saying they're just talking to people and asking “hypothetical questions”. The reality is that the B.C. NDP campaigned to kill this pipeline. Their plan is a delay tactic. Their proposal to limit the volume is a direct threat. These hurdles are not good-faith measures to gain new information or new facts. This is not about a squabble between two provinces. It is about the best interests of all of Canada.

When will the minister stop making excuses and fight back against the B.C. NDP's plan to kill this pipeline?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we are not making excuses for anybody. We are promoting Canada's interests. We have done that not only in the approval of the Trans Mountain expansion. How about the approval of the Enbridge Line 3? How about support for KXL? How about the $1.5 billion oceans protection plan?

This is a balanced set of ideas and values that talk about the economy and the environment at the same time, something that neither of the other parties are prepared or capable of doing.

Canadian Armed Forces

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, over a year ago, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman was suspended. His home and office were raided, without any explanation, and to date no charges have been laid. The Prime Minister has been interfering with this case by publicly speculating about the outcome of the investigation. Last week, he declared again that this case would end up in court. This is blatant political interference.

Does the Prime Minister not realize that his careless comments are tainting an active investigation into one of Canada's highest-ranking members of the Canadian Armed Forces?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that this is currently under investigation, as stated from the get-go. However, we support the chief of the defence staff's decision on this matter and we will not be commenting further.

Health

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, February 4 is World Cancer Day. A lot of Canadians from across the country live with or know someone who is battling cancer. Let us reflect on what we can all do together. In fact, cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in Canada, with almost half of all Canadians developing it in their lifetime. This year's theme is “We can. I can.” It is focusing on how everyone can do their part to reduce the global burden of cancer.

Can the Minister of Health please inform the House of what action our government is taking to support families, friends, and our communities dealing with cancer?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Scarborough Centre for her hard work on this matter. We all know the devastation that a diagnosis can have on a family and a friend, which is why our government continues to support programs such as kid food nation and run to quit. We also recognize the importance of funding research, which brings us to breakthroughs. We can also make a true difference.

Through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, last year alone, in 2015-16, our government committed $156 million toward cancer-related research. We will continue to support families who are dealing with this devastating illness.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after months of pressure and a disastrous committee appearance on the part of his minister, the Prime Minister relented and has reversed his decision to remove female genital mutilation as an intolerable practice in Canada's citizenship guide, but more needs to be done.

What concrete action will the Prime Minister take to prevent practitioners of FGM from entering Canada and to prevent Canadian girls from being taken abroad to have FGM performed on them?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as I have consistently and repeatedly said in the past, there can be no doubt that our government condemns FGM. It is an abhorrent practice, and it is against the laws of Canada.

With respect to the FGM reference in the citizenship guide, the claim that it has been taken out of the guide is entirely misleading as the guide is still under development. The current citizenship guide is outdated and must be revised to better reflect Canada's true diversity, history, and laws. The new guide will refer to Canada's laws against all forms of gender-based violence, including FGM. This feedback and the current work stems from listening to experts, the stakeholder community, and community representatives, because we want to make—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé.

Democratic Institutions

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I respect the spirit of the Prime Minister's words last week, but there needs to be concrete action to change the culture here on the Hill.

The Prime Minister's plan to elect more women is limited to the Liberal Party. It is also voluntary and mathematically impossible. My friend from Burnaby South proposed concrete measures to have more women elected in all parties, measures that have proven successful around the world.

Will the Prime Minister commit to working with all the parties in the House to ensure that we develop a plan to elect more women in 2019?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for her question.

As I said last week, it is extremely important for everyone in the House to show leadership and encourage women to run for office. Clearly, there is room for far more women in the House.

I would like to point out that during the last seven by-elections won by the government four of the winning candidates were women. On this side, we are working on recruiting women and ensuring their success here. I encourage my colleagues—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for Laurentides—Labelle.

Canadian Heritage

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the outstanding creators in my riding of Laurentides—Labelle. They deserve assistance to present their works professionally, and our government has made historic investments in arts and culture.

Our government recently made an important announcement about the Centre d'exposition de Mont-Laurier.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell the House what is being done to help this important centre continue its work in my riding?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for Laurentides—Labelle for his question and his excellent work.

Our government is proud of its nearly $600,000 investment to relocate the Centre d'exposition de Mont-Laurier. This investment will enable the centre to further diversify its programming and improve the quality of its educational activities. This is yet another investment our government has made in our creators as part of the creative Canada program.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, where is the Minister of Agriculture? Chaos, favouritism, amateurism, ignorance are the terms being heard in connection with the latest dairy industry funding program.

According to Radio-Canada, almost 700 producers have been excluded, not to mention those who did not have time to access the program because it closed very early and was poorly thought out.

Will the Minister of Agriculture again cave in to the Minister of International Trade, who gave 50% of the quota for European cheeses to distributors rather than cheese makers, or will he make the program fair by giving all dairy producers access to it?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are investing in Canada's dairy sector in order to innovate and modernize it. Our program provides $250 million for dairy producers and $100 million for dairy processors and will result in more innovative farms. The program supports investment in equipment and infrastructure and makes the dairy sector more competitive, innovative, and productive.

Almost $25 million has already been approved for farmers across Canada. Three-quarters of the applicants should be receiving their funding in this period, and a waiting list will be created for the others. The second round of applications will open—