Debates of March 28th, 2018

Ethics

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as a country, we are proud to engage with friends and allies abroad in an effort to create more opportunities for the Canadian middle class and those working hard to join it. Those events on these trips are about strengthening ties and bringing people together. Canada benefits when hundreds of community and business leaders are able to join us.

To make these events as accessible as possible, many MPs arrange invites for people who request them, and even more are made available to organizations like the Canada-India Business Council.

The Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives refused to deliver on our Kyoto commitment. The Liberals have abandoned their Copenhagen commitment for 2020. The environment commissioner reported that the Liberals climate change measures would be insufficient to comply with the deeper commitments for 2030.

The minister says, “don't worry”, yet offers no detailed accounting on the reductions from her proposed measures. When will she establish measurable interim reduction targets and an independent entity to audit, verify, and publicly report, as required under the Paris agreement?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the reports of the environment commissioner are very important to highlight the status of issues and to highlight issues that require attention. We welcome this report.

However, let us be clear about what it says. She said that the pan-Canadian framework represented significant progress and looked forward to seeing its implementation. She also said that this was one of the best climate plans that Canada had ever had. We agree. We have a plan to achieve our commitments, and we are committed to doing so.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, no one except for maybe the Liberals believes that the measures currently in place go far enough to combat climate change.

Yesterday, the commissioner of environment was unequivocal in her criticism of this government's inaction. Last fall, the OECD and the UN called on Ottawa to quicken the pace on meeting its commitments. Even the latest report submitted to the UN by the Department of the Environment states that the Liberal government is going to miss its target by 66 megatonnes.

When are the Liberals going to get their heads out of the sand and start taking action?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it would be nice if, for once, the hon. members across the way read the commissioner's report in its entirety because the commissioner said that the Canada-wide framework represents significant progress and that she looks forward to its implementation. The bulk of what she is working on is spread out over the years before we would put this plan in place. She also mentioned that this was one of the best climate plans that Canada has ever had. We agree. We have a plan to honour our commitments and we are determined to follow it in order to do just that.

Official Languages

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was there when the minister responsible for official languages and the Prime Minister unveiled our government's new action plan for official languages.

I have been hearing positive feedback from my constituents. They are saying that our plan is based on their comments and needs. They finally have a plan that lives up to their expectations.

After 10 years of inaction by the Conservative government on official languages, can the Prime Minister tell me how this plan will help the francophone community in my riding and official language minority communities across the country?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his question and for the work that he does for his constituents.

Today, we announced the largest federal investment in official languages in over 15 years: nearly $500 million for a community-based action plan.

After 10 years of underfunding by the Conservatives, we are taking real action. We are investing in early childhood development, in community and educational infrastructure, in access to health care in the minority language, and in francophone immigration. The communities can continue to count—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

Finances

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is Holy Week, so I am in good spirits today.

I would like to congratulate the Prime Minister for his sense of humour. Earlier he said, “we keep our promises.” That is not really true. The Liberals said that they would run a small deficit, but we now have an $18-billion deficit. They also said that they would balance the budget in 2019, but they have no idea when that will happen.

Even worse, the government is keeping secrets. The government does not really know when or how it is going to spend the $7 billion that it has hidden in the $18 billion deficit.

Why is the Prime Minister keeping secrets from Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the course of 10 years, the former Conservative government added almost $150 billion to the national debt without creating the growth that Canadians should have been able to expect.

For the past two and a half years, we have invested to meet the needs of the middle class, Canadians, and our communities. We have also had the best growth among G7 countries last year. We created more than 600,000 jobs. In addition, each year we have reduced our debt-to-GDP ratio. We are creating growth by acting responsibly.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government will go down in history for bringing our national debt to $1 trillion. This is unacceptable.

Let me get back to my question about secrets. Why is the government hiding $7 billion in its $18-billion deficit, which is three times higher than what it had announced? Why is it hiding this $7 billion from members of Parliament and not giving Canadians the truth? Why is the Prime Minister keeping a $7 billion secret from Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to finally get a question on the economy from the members opposite. They would rather make personal attacks instead of talking about the economy. Let us talk about it.

Under the Harper government, the Conservatives added $150 billion to our national debt and they did not create the necessary growth. Two and a half years later, we are investing in Canadians. We lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. This gave Canada the best growth rate in the G7 last year, and it created 600,000 jobs.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the last election the Prime Minister put his hand on his heart and pleaded with people to believe he would not raise taxes on the middle class. Now, 80% of middle-class Canadians are paying higher income tax. Yesterday, at the government's budget briefing, we learned there would also be a new 11¢ a litre Liberal tax on gas.

Will the Prime Minister announce today that all middle-class Canadians will be exempt from paying his new 11¢ a litre gas tax?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Conservatives focused on a plan that helped and gave benefits to the wealthiest, while asking the middle class to pay more and not delivering on the kind of growth and jobs that Canadians earned. Quite frankly, they had the worst rate on growth of any prime minister since R.B. Bennett in the depths of the Great Depression.

In two and a half years we have turned that around. We have put more money in the pockets of the middle class and those working hard to join it. We have lowered taxes for the middle class and raised them on the—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the question was whether he would exempt middle-class taxpayers from his 11¢ a litre tax on gas. It is a disproportionately high expense for middle and low-income people, and he will make it even higher.

I will ask him a different question, because he evaded the last one.

I asked an official yesterday how much the carbon tax would cost the average middle-class family?” The response was “That information is something I can't share with you at this time.” Could the Prime Minister share that information with Canadians at this time?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that the way to grow the economy is by protecting the environment at the same time. The best way to reduce our carbon emissions, the world agrees, is to bring in a price on carbon pollution. That is exactly what we are doing.

What we are seeing as we move forward on this is that we are also creating innovation, growth, and green benefits across the country, as new jobs are created and as greater opportunities are created. The previous government did not understand that, and still today they do not understand the economy and the environment.

Health

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is a red light flashing in the Minister of Health's office, but she does not seem to see it.

The Public Health Agency of Canada just released data showing that over 4,000 deaths occurred from opioids in 2017. That is an increase of 40%. Meanwhile, the Dopalliés project in in Hochelaga is in jeopardy because that same agency still refuses to renew its funding.

How many more people must die before the minister intervenes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is in the midst of a national public health crisis, and our government is extremely concerned about the tragic consequences it has had across the country.

I am deeply saddened by the distressing figures released yesterday, but I am pleased to say that budget 2018 includes an investment of more than $231 million for additional measures to help address the opioid crisis.

We will continue to bring forward evidence-based solutions to help save lives and turn the tide of this crisis.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, those words, “while the death toll mounts”, opioid overdoses are now claiming more lives than motor vehicle accidents and homicides combined. The year 2017 was the worst one on record with over 4,000 lives lost, which is 40% more than in 2016. This escalating tragedy is fuelled by a tainted illicit drug supply and the greatest barrier to addressing it is the harm caused by the criminalization of substance use.

How does the government expect to help vulnerable people suffering from addiction when it continues to treat them as criminals?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past months I have had the opportunity to get out on the front lines to talk to first responders, talk to social workers, and talk to people who are dealing with the tragedy of this epidemic. I have talked to countless families who have lost loved ones.

This is an epidemic across this country which we are taking very seriously. Building on our actions today through budget 2018, we are investing over $231 million for additional measures to help address the opioid crisis, including $150 million for emergency treatment funding for provinces and territories. We will continue to work to bring forward evidence-based—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The member for Cariboo—Prince George.

Fisheries and Oceans

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was in Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador, and I met a gentleman named Edgar. Edgar has worked at the surf clam processing plant for years, but the minister's callous political decision to award a lucrative government quota to his Liberal friends and family has shaken Edgar's life. He is now at risk of losing his job. He does not want EI. He wants to work.

What does the Prime Minister have to say to Edgar's family and all of the others put out of work because of the minister's corrupt process?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' habit of pitting Canadians against indigenous Canadians is, quite frankly, disgusting.

Our decision to increase indigenous participation in fishing is based on our government's commitment to developing a renewed relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples. Enhancing access to the Arctic surf clam fishery broadens the distribution of benefits from this public resource and is a powerful step toward reconciliation. This will significantly enhance indigenous participation in the offshore fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Quebec, and allow the benefits of this lucrative fishery to flow to more Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. We are talking about a group of Liberal family members who had no boat and were not even incorporated until after the announcement was made. They did not have any first nation partners. As a matter of fact, their bid had multiple placeholders. They still secured a lucrative government quota worth hundreds of millions of dollars without meeting critical bid criteria.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing, restart the process, and ensure his minister is recused from it so that we can have an honest outcome?