Debates of April 16th, 2018

Natural Resources

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, in B.C., the Prime Minister said that it was essential for social licence for any project like the Kinder Morgan pipeline. When he okayed Kinder Morgan, using Harper's deeply flawed process and over the objections of cities and first nations, he went back on his word.

He also promised provinces a co-operative relationship, but instead is pushing Kinder Morgan through, in spite of the alarm raised by B.C. over oil tanker traffic increases and increased oil spill risk. Why did the Liberal government break its promise?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about the same process that was used by the Harper government. As I said a moment ago, we changed the process. We added layers of consultation with indigenous peoples, because the Federal Court of Appeal said that the Harper government did not consult enough. We sent an expert panel that went up and down the line. There are now 44 indigenous communities that will benefit, 33 of them in British Columbia.

We know that projects like this do not achieve consensus everywhere. We do know that this is in the national interest.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last year the people of British Columbia elected a government truly committed to our coast. More than two years ago, the Liberal government promised to completely redo Stephen Harper's failed assessment of the Kinder Morgan pipeline project. However, because the Liberals broke that promise, the people of B.C. have taken to the streets and to the courts to defend our beautiful coast and our legal rights.

However, it is not just the Prime Minister who is betraying that commitment. Every single Liberal MP elected from B.C. broke that promise too. My question is simple. Is there just one B.C. Liberal MP who has the courage to stand up to the Prime Minister? Is there just one who will stand with British Columbians—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. Minister of Natural Resources.

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite forgot to mention the $1.5 billion ocean protection plan. He did not mention it because, for whatever reason, he is not prepared to admit that this government has established and will establish a world-class system to protect our coasts. Why is that not part of the conversation? This is a coast that the member and his riding know all too well is essential not only to British Columbiana but to all Canadians.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for months now, we have been demanding that the Prime Minister take action to get Trans Mountain built, but all we have gotten are slogans and platitudes. This crisis is about more than a pipeline. It is about the confidence that job-creating businesses have in Canada. This crisis will take more than just a layover on his way to Paris to get the problem solved.

When will it get built?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to having the pipeline built. We intervened in motions at the National Energy Board when there were attempts to unnecessarily delay the project, and we happened to be successful in that motion. We will be continually alert to attempts to delay because we know that delay adds to uncertainty and uncertainty adds to costs. What the Prime Minister said yesterday was that we would not tolerate unnecessary delays and that we would add certainty.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to demonstrate that he either does not want the Trans Mountain pipeline to be built or really does not care if it even proceeds. Instead, he continues to make matters worse by imposing policies that harm the Canadian energy sector, like the carbon tax and new regulations that penalize Canadian oil experts.

The failure of the Prime Minister to take leadership has caused this crisis. When will the Liberals finally take this crisis seriously?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I just do not understand where the preamble comes from. Members opposite talk about “just words”. If they were tuning in to what the Prime Minister said yesterday, or maybe they tuned off after the Leader of the Opposition was finished, not waiting for the Premier of Alberta, not waiting for the Prime Minister of Canada, he would have heard not only words but commitment in significant and substantial ways, because this pipeline will be built.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been five months since the Prime Minister approved the Trans Mountain pipeline, but Kinder Morgan is still unable to get its shovels into the ground. The Prime Minister has failed to show the leadership required to solve an interprovincial dispute. The blame for this project's failing to move forward falls squarely at his feet.

When will the Prime Minister stop promising this pipeline and start delivering it?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Actually it was not five months ago, Mr. Speaker, when the pipeline was approved; it was more than a year ago. Ever since the pipeline was approved, the Prime Minister in his speeches, regardless of where they are delivered, whether in Nanaimo, in Vancouver, in Edmonton, in Fort McMurray, in Calgary, in Winnipeg, in St. John's, Newfoundland, in Fredericton, has the same message. The message is that we have the capacity and the commitment in this government to make sure that we are stewards of the environment, that we are creating good jobs for the energy sector in Canada, while—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Peace River—Westlock.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he wants the Trans Mountain pipeline built, but like every promise he makes, it is all talk and no action. Let us be clear. Since the government has taken power, 125,000 jobs have been lost in the Canadian oil patch. That is devastating for local communities and families. We are six weeks away from losing this project and all the jobs that go with it.

When will the pipeline be built?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the member quotes 125,000 jobs lost. He does not quote that half of them have been regained. As often is the case in having a discussion with members opposite, we do not get the full picture. For example, how often do we hear them talk about the jobs that have been created by approving Line 3? How many times do we hear them talking about the pipelines we have approved in northern Alberta? Why do they not talk about this government's commitment to work with the private sector to make sure that Canada is at the leading edge of using the resources we have and the—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona.

The Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is now promising to remove the uncertainty around the Kinder Morgan pipeline, yet 28 months into their mandate, the Liberals have yet to deliver their promised strengthened environmental and project review laws. Industry, legal experts, and indigenous leaders alike all agree that this fast-tracked omnibus bill will create even greater uncertainty and fails to make significant reforms.

Will the government finally agree to divide this bill and enable constructive dialogue and to deliver the promised strengthened environmental and energy laws?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, our government has brought forward in Bill C-69 better rules for the review of major projects that will protect our environment, fish, and waterways; will restore public trust and respect indigenous rights; and will strengthen our economy and encourage investment. Reforms to these laws were important because of the gutting of environmental assessment procedures undertaken in 2012 under the previous Conservative government. We are committed to changing the way decisions on projects are made so that they are guided by science, evidence, and indigenous traditional knowledge.

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

Mr. Speaker, after we said yes to Kinder Morgan.

Stick with me, because the Liberals' logic is hard to follow. On the one hand, they present a new environmental assessment process designed to regain public trust. On the other hand, they cannot tell us which projects will be subject to this process. The process is useless if nothing is assessed. The Minister of the Environment is already giving a free pass to some potentially high-polluting projects.

What is the point of an environmental assessment process if the projects that pose a danger to our environment are not even assessed?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, the environment and the economy go together. We proposed improved regulations that will protect the environment, restore public trust, and respect the rights of indigenous peoples. These better regulations provide for one assessment per project, to reduce overlap and support a clearer and more effective process.

Seniors

[Bryan May, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, I was proud to table our committee's study on Canada's seniors, tabled in the House a few weeks ago. Our government has shown that it is committed to improving income security and to promoting social inclusion for seniors.

Could the minister responsible for seniors tell this House what the next steps are for Canadian seniors?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the member for Cambridge as well as all members of the HUMA committee for their outstanding work on behalf of seniors. I would also like to thank the member for Nickel Belt for tabling the motion that led to this report, as well as all members of the Liberal caucus on seniors.

I will also say that we are looking forward to working with the National Seniors Council to review and respond to the important work of the committee.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, on February 22, the Prime Minister told Canadians that one of his MPs had invited Mr. Atwal in India. Then, on February 27, he claimed that this was a conspiracy by rogue members of the Indian government.

Today, Mr. Jean, the national security adviser, revealed that he never mentioned the Indian government in his briefing.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and withdraw his comments?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has always supported his national security adviser. Whether by accident or by design, the opposition continues to pursue a faulty and misleading line of argument. To provide the opposition with full information, both classified and unclassified, an offer has been outstanding for more than three weeks now to provide that full briefing to the Leader of the Opposition.

When will that briefing be scheduled by the Leader of the Opposition?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think this morning's briefing was fairly clear. Nevertheless, according to the testimony given by the national security adviser this morning, Canadians still do not know the truth about the Atwal affair. Mr. Jean denies saying that there was a conspiracy orchestrated by rogue elements within the Indian government. We do not need a classified briefing to find that out. He said it this morning. Our relations with India, a country that is so important for our companies' exports, remain fragile because of the Prime Minister's actions.

When will the Prime Minister show some leadership and apologize to the Indian government?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the speculation about some so-called conspiracy theory largely came from the opposition. That is the problem when one is operating on misinformation and disinformation and a willful ignorance of the facts.

The offer has been made to provide the opposition with a full classified briefing, and so far, they have refused to schedule that meeting. They should schedule the meeting so that the Leader of the Opposition can be fully briefed.