Debates of April 16th, 2018

Public Safety

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on February 22, in India, the Prime Minister acknowledged that one of his MPs invited Jaspal Atwal to his events. On February 27 in this place, the Prime Minister acknowledged claims by his security adviser that the Indian government's conspiracy was a possible route to the invitation as well. Today the minister is suggesting that it is us making this claim, when he, in this House, refused to talk about classified information. So if an invitation from his own MP is classified, why do we need a special investigation if it is all unclassified?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman fails to understand the difference between classified and unclassified information. He is in desperate need of a briefing to explain the distinction.

The offer has been made to the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition should accept that invitation, and maybe the Leader of the Opposition would then avoid headlines like “Conservatives Duped by False Story”.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today the minister has suggested that the opposition is on a misguided path. Well, the tour guide on that misguided path is the Prime Minister and this minister.

I would put it back to him. If a Liberal MP invited Mr. Atwal, a convicted terrorist, to the Prime Minister's events, and they cancelled that, and that is the only possible explanation for the India scandal, why do we need a classified briefing?

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

Mr. Speaker, maybe the obvious fact is that the Leader of the Opposition, and the opposition generally, is not fully informed of all the facts they need to know to fully understand the situation, and indeed, to avoid mistakes like they made last week in getting sucked into a totally false story.

Foreign Affairs

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Mr. Speaker, while the repeated use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces is unquestionably a war crime, the air strikes last week were not only contrary to international law but similar strikes last year failed to end the use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians. The government has clearly expressed its support for these air strikes, but there is no evidence of any plan for what is next or any diplomatic effort to try to end this crisis.

Where is Canada in pushing for an international solution to the Syrian crisis?

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear in our condemnation of the use of chemical weapons against people in eastern Ghouta, and we have been working hard with international allies to pursue accountability for what are war crimes. This includes $9 million for the verification, investigation, and fact-finding activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN. We are also providing over $290 million to support NGOs, UN partners, and the Red Cross to deliver life-saving assistance in Syria.

The murderous Assad regime must end the deliberate targeting of civilians.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just chemical weapons that Assad is using against civilians, against his people. Other tactics include cluster munition attacks, torture, enforced disappearances, the blocking of humanitarian assistance, starvation, and displacement.

Does the government intend to contribute to the diplomatic efforts being made to put an end to the terrible suffering of the Syrian people, bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, and increase humanitarian aid?

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear in our strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons in eastern Ghouta and any violence committed against the people of Syria. Canada continues to work with its international allies to pursue accountability for these war crimes. This includes $9 million for the investigation activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN. Let us be clear. Assad's murderous regime must stop deliberating targeting these people.

Rail Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, this is national grain week, and many farmers from western Canada will be in Ottawa this week. The grain transportation crisis will definitely be on the agenda. By failing to take action, the Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food have cost farmers and the Canadian economy billions of dollars. Waiting for crises to resolve themselves has become the trademark of the Liberal government. The Prime Minister has tarnished Canada's reputation when it comes to grain exports.

Can the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food inform the members of the House of the government's intentions regarding the proposed amendments to Bill C-49?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, I have written to both railways to get grain moving faster, and considerable progress has been made since that time. We will continue to work on this.

As for the amendments proposed in the Senate regarding Bill C-49, we received all of them. We are studying them carefully and will share our position with the House very soon, I hope. I hope to have the Conservatives' support so that we can get this legislation through as soon as possible.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have said again and again that Bill C-49 will resolve the rail backlog. They refuse to divide Bill C-49. They refuse to use an order in council to force the railway companies to move our farmers' grain to market.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food finally unveiled the truth in Winnipeg recently, saying that “if Bill C-49 passes, it won't solve the issue right away”.

How will he respond to the amendments to Bill C-49? Will it be another refusal to act for farmers?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we care very deeply about the movement of grain in this country. It is an extremely important commodity.

I have written, with the agriculture minister, to the railways to get them to increase the flow of grain to our ports. They are certainly doing that as well. I have also spoken to them about the 90% of the other commodities they carry that are so important for Canadians: forestry products, potash, containers, coal, minerals, and all those other products as well.

Fisheries and Oceans

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister's corrupt surf clam decision had nothing to do with reconciliation. Rather, it had all to do with blatantly lining the pockets of Liberal families and Liberal family insiders.

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador was in Ottawa late last week raising serious questions about job losses, economic impacts, and the corrupt bid process.

Can the Prime Minister please explain why lining the pockets of Liberal family members and Liberal insiders is more important than the families of Grand Bank?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, our decision to increase indigenous participation in fishing is consistent with our government's commitment to forging a renewed relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples. Enhancing access to the surf clam fishery broadens the distribution of benefits from this public resource and is a powerful step toward reconciliation with indigenous fisheries.

I know it is hard for the previous government to admit it, but it completely neglected the first nations. In this public process, we put indigenous peoples first, and we are going to continue to do that in order to ensure that this resource benefits all Canadians.

Sport and Persons with Disabilities

[Gordie Hogg, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as a former youth probation officer and little league, football, and basketball coach, I have seen the amazing power of sports to change lives.

Following the incredible successes of Canadians at the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and now at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, could the Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities please, like Rusty Staub, knock this softball out of the park? What is the importance of these games for Canadians?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Mr. Speaker, our athletes' tremendous achievements at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games are a source of pride for Canada and reflect the strength of our sport system.

The Commonwealth Games are a springboard to the Olympics and Paralympics.

We are so proud of our athletes for their podium and personal best successes. They are bringing home 82 medals, and they are an inspiration for all Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, armed rebel factions conducted two coordinated attacks against UN bases in Mali. It came a week after two peacekeepers were killed in Mali. These were targeted attacks by a variety of terror groups operating with impunity in Mali, and increasingly UN peacekeepers are the target.

Will the Liberal government finally admit that the Mali mission is not a peacekeeping mission? Will it bring this deployment to the House for debate and a vote?

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

Mr. Speaker, regardless of where our Canadian Armed Forces personnel serve, whether in Iraq or on UN peacekeeping missions, we are going to make sure they have the appropriate mandate, the appropriate equipment, and the right rules of engagement that will be set out by the chief of defence staff to make sure they have the right of self-defence and, more importantly, for the protection of civilians.

The Environment

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Kathryn Spirit caught fire last Tuesday, and 75 firefighters were called to the scene. These firefighters saw thick black smoke billowing from the blaze, and they are extremely worried about what they might have breathed in. I have other questions to ask.

Were all the contaminants removed from the ship as planned? What was the cause of the fire? What will the consequences be? The ship ought to be dismantled safely.

Will the government agree to my request to launch an investigation into this fire?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the risks that abandoned vessels pose to shoreline communities and the marine environment. For the sake of clarification, a small fire occurred in the machine room of the Kathryn Spirit during work to dismantle the vessel on April 10. No one was injured, and, to be clear, no pollution was observed.

The Coast Guard has remained and will remain in constant communication with stakeholders regarding the decontamination of the Kathryn Spirit. We will continue to monitor the vessel closely so that the local community is kept abreast of developments, and we are going to fix this problem once and for all.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Nicola Di Iorio, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, like most Canadians, my Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel constituents are filling out their tax returns. Doing so will give them access to valuable benefits and credits our government introduced, such as the Canada child benefit and the Canada caregiver credit. This year, our government has improved services to tax filers.

Can the Minister of National Revenue tell the House about the major improvements that have been implemented to make it easier for Canadians to file their tax returns electronically?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, improving services at the agency is our top priority. We have done so for nearly 90% of Canadians who choose to file online with services such as Auto-fill My Return and NETFILE. The express notice of assessment service lets Canadians using certified tax software receive and print their notice of assessment immediately after filing.

I would like to remind all members and all Canadians to file their tax returns by April 30 to ensure that they access the benefits to which they are entitled.

Foreign Affairs

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Assad regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against its own people, and our allies have struck to try to take this capability away.

Next month, despite being one of the world's worst offenders of international law regarding the possession and use of illegal weapons, Syria will chair the UN Conference on Disarmament. There can be no equivocating about whether or not this is acceptable.

Canada has boycotted this conference in the past when it was chaired by other rogue states. Will the government condemn this appointment and boycott this meeting?

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way knows how strongly this government condemns the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime on people in eastern Ghouta. We have supported the decision by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France to take action to degrade the Assad regime's ability to launch chemical weapon attacks against its own people.

We continue to work closely with our allies in the international community on this and many other issues that concern the Syrian regime and security for the people of Syria. We are providing vital support to the fact-finding mission in Syria and humanitarian efforts.

We condemn the Assad regime and its backers, Russia and Iran, for repeated violations of human rights.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Rhéal Fortin, Québec debout, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister made a very bad decision to resolve the dispute between Alberta and British Columbia. In so doing, he essentially threw social licence, indigenous rights, and the provinces' power to decide what happens in their territory out the window. From now on, Ottawa makes all the decisions. Enough of this co-operative federalism malarkey, we all know that Ottawa knows best. British Columbia was no more interested in Kinder Morgan than Quebec was in energy east.

Is that so hard to understand?