Debates of April 30th, 2018

Natural Resources

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the member covered a lot of ground in 35 seconds.

We could talk about the number of dollars the Conservative Party gave to the very same group they are criticizing us for having funded, or we could talk about freedom of speech. Maybe their preference is that we should make sure that we only fund those groups that agree with every single one of our policies. That is not the way we operate.

It is also true, and the member should know, that 50,000 new jobs have been created in Alberta. Alberta continues to lead in GDP growth. We are proud—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for London—Fanshawe.

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, on August 24, the Toronto–Dominion Bank plans to close the last remaining bank branch in Old East Village in London, leaving payday lenders free to prey on residents. My appeal to the minister when TD closed its Hamilton Road branch got a pathetic response.

The government stands by and does nothing when the big banks abandon our communities, but New Democrats and Canadians know the solution is postal banking. Will the government support my Motion No. 166 to study and implement postal banking?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government was excited to release our vision for Canada Post earlier this year, and we stand behind our commitment to focusing on the core service it provides to Canadians across this country.

A parliamentary committee and a second committee have looked at the issue of postal banking. We have tasked our new leadership at Canada Post to look into innovative and creative ways of better providing services to Canada. I am very excited at the progress that is being made.

The Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, while Canadians have waited patiently for their governments to act, two caribou herds in British Columbia are almost extinct. The remaining herds of mountain and boreal woodland caribou in B.C. and Alberta are also on the brink of extirpation.

Both federal law and Treaty 8 obligations require the Minister of Environment to intervene and stop further degradation of the critical habitat. Promised spending on future conservation just will not cut it. Would the minister now consider safety-net orders at least to spur a completion of effective provincial range plans to save this iconic species?

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

Mr. Speaker, the plight of boreal caribou and south mountain caribou is one that is important to all Canadians. It is a test of all governments' ability to work to ensure an appropriate future in terms of biodiversity in our country.

Since we came into office, we have been working very hard on this file with the provinces and territories that have primary responsibility on provincial and territorial lands, which is 95% of the land in Canada. We are working toward negotiating conservation agreements with the provinces and territories, and are contemplating other actions that we may need to take in order to move this file forward. We are committed to protecting boreal caribou in Canada.

Democratic Reform

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Chief Electoral Officer said that the drop dead deadline for passing legislation in order for it to be implemented prior to the next election has already passed. The Liberals have ignored warnings about foreign interference through third party spending in our elections. The Chief Electoral Officer has also said that there are no restrictions to prevent foreign funds from going to third parties in Canada, which means no restrictions on unlimited third party spending for election polling, canvassing, phone banking, or election websites.

Could the Liberals explain why they only care about their own interests and not those of Canadian democracy?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, we are moving forward to modernize the Canada Elections Act, and we will be repealing the unfair parts of the Harper Conservatives' Fair Elections Act. In fact, the Harper Conservatives made it harder for Canadians to vote. That is what the Conservatives continue to applaud today, that they made it harder for Canadians to vote.

We will make it easier for Canadians to participate in the electoral movement, and to elect good, strong government serving all Canadians.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, an lpsos-Reid poll found that 87% of Canadians think it is reasonable that Canadians be required to prove their ID and address before voting, yet the Liberals want to change this. We need ID to receive health care and to drive a vehicle, so why not in order to vote?

Could the Liberals explain to Canadians why they do not think ID should be required to vote?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, there is a court case going on right now on this very issue. I will not comment on that court case, but let us be very clear. We want to make it easier for Canadians to vote and participate in the Canadian electoral process.

The Conservatives, on the other hand, when they were in government, made it more difficult for Canadians to participate. We think that was the wrong approach. We believe that engaging Canadians on the future of their country is exactly the way to proceed, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cooking up a plan for our Canada Elections Act in order to cause confusion 18 months out from the next election.

In Quebec, voters are used to showing a health insurance card, a driver's licence, a Canadian passport, an Indian status card, or a Canadian Forces ID card. No one is excluded.

Why are the Liberals trying to undermine the integrity of our electoral system?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, again, we are modernizing the Canada Elections Act and repealing the unfair parts of the Harper Conservatives' Fair Elections Act. Their actions made it harder for Canadians to vote.

We believe that our country is stronger when more Canadians, not fewer, participate in our democracy.

Workplace Safety

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday on our national day of mourning for injured workers, I had the honour of representing our government at a ceremony in Whitney Pier hosted by our local unions. I got to meet not only injured workers, but also families that lost their loved ones at the work site. Over the past two years, our government has brought in new measures to modernize the Canada Labour Code to better support Canadian workers and the businesses that employ them.

Could the minister tell the House what other steps our government is taking to protect Canadians in the workplace?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Sydney—Victoria for his tireless work on behalf of injured workers.

My sincerest condolences go out to the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims so deeply affected by these tragedies.

Not all workplace injuries are physical. To help put an end to harassment and sexual violence, our government has introduced the historic Bill C-65.

We are going to continue to work with the labour movement, with employers, and provincial and territorial partners to improve work environments, to better protect the safety of Canadian workers.

Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago, Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was tortured and killed in Iran's infamous Evin prison. Weeks ago, Canadian Professor Seyed-Emami was killed in that prison while being detained without charge by Iran. Now Iran is detaining his widow, Maryam Mombeini, and not allowing her to return to Canada.

Meanwhile, the Liberal government is planning to bring Iranian officials to Ottawa in order to negotiate an aircraft sale. Will the government commit today to not hold meetings or trade with Iran until she is released?

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

Mr. Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.

The focus of any discussion with the Government of Iran will be on ensuring Maryam Mombeini is able to return home, and on demanding answers on the death of her husband, Mr. Seyed-Emami.

Let me be clear that our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violation of human and democratic rights. This is why we led a resolution to the UN in November, calling on Iran to comply with its international human rights obligations.

We remain deeply concerned with the human rights situation in Iran, but that will be the focus of our discussions.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, I know the Liberals have a hard time seeing past the ends of their noses, but I am going to help them.

What comes after winter? Spring. What happens in the spring? The snow melts and it rains. Sometimes it rains a lot, and sometimes rivers overflow their banks. In many parts of Quebec right now, riverside residents are worried. Everyone remembers last year's floods.

Does the Liberal government have a plan to deal with flood waters, or will it once again wake up too late, neck-deep in water?

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

Mr. Speaker, the record shows that we never ignore the problem. As a matter of fact, the government operations centre, which is a part of my department, is in constant contact with all provincial officials across the country, including those in the province of Quebec, to determine if federal assistance is needed to alleviate emergency situations like flooding.

If a request comes in, we will respond instantly.

Health

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the sale of tobacco products not labelled with information about the product, its emissions, its health hazards, and its health effects is prohibited.

Even so, unlabelled cigars and cigarillos sell for peanuts on the black market.

Can the minister tell Canadians what is being done about this?

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

Mr. Speaker, in budget 2018, we included $80 million over five years for the federal tobacco control strategy. We are now renewing agreements with the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers to address organized crime activities, including contraband tobacco.

This new funding will help reverse the previous government's cuts, so that Canada can remain a leader in tobacco control.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, Mexico was the first country to ratify the trans-Pacific partnership, and Japan's parliament is currently debating it.

Unfortunately for the Canadian economy, nothing is happening here. For the Prime Minister, TPP means “tiniest possible priority”. We saw this in Vietnam. Billions of dollars are at stake for Canadian agriculture. We must be among the first six countries to ratify the agreement, otherwise we will be left to pick up the scraps of Liberal incompetence. We are prepared to work with the government.

When will we finally see legislation to ratify the TPP in this Parliament?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his passion on issues related to international trade.

As I told him Friday, we plan to move quickly on ratifying this agreement. The Prime Minister and I both know that it is the right thing to do. That is an important market for Canada. We are talking about over 500 million consumers and 14% of the global economy.

I am sure that all Canadians listening today will be happy to hear the member opposite say that he will support us in order to ratify the TPP quickly in the interest of all Canadians across the country.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Luc Thériault, Québec debout, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the minister made promises to Quebec about the migrant crisis, he was clearly making things up as he went along. The minister assumed that Ontario would help triage the asylum claims, but the mayor of Toronto said no, since their shelters are overloaded as well. Twelve days after the minister made his promise, nothing has budged. We are not talking about a backlog of cases. We are talking about people in need who responded to the Prime Minister's irresponsible invitation.

When will this government have a plan?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan. Canada's position on refugees has always been clear: we will welcome them according to well-established rules. Our position has not changed.

We are currently in talks with the governments of Quebec and Ontario. I oversee a task force, which has regular discussions, and we are also in contact with the United States. We know that Quebec has borne a heavy burden, as has Ontario, which welcomed nearly 20,000 refugees last year.

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

Mr. Speaker, what plan are we talking about?

There are hundreds of families in makeshift camps waiting for the government to take action. The minister agrees that he should be organizing the transfer of applicants on the ground. To date, he has only floated a trial balloon that Ontario outright rejected.

What is the government playing at? Quebec can no longer meet the need for health services, placement of children in schools, and social assistance.

When can we expect the solution that was promised last week?