Debates of May 30th, 2018

Natural Resources

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that the day after we are actually getting this important pipeline for new markets built, the Conservatives are pivoting to try to talk about old news and other issues.

We are securing investments in Alberta and good jobs for Albertans, and indeed all the Canadians who work in the oil sands industry, for years to come. It is no wonder the Conservatives are flailing about.

We are going to continue to stand up for Albertan jobs, for Canadian jobs, while we protect the environment for future generations. That is the commitment we made, and we are keeping it.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is very distressing, as a former Cape Bretoner, that the government takes for granted the 32 seats it was delivered in the last election. I will tell members why.

As the Prime Minister stands up here and says that I am talking about old news, it is not old news. Yesterday the mayor of St. John indicated that he wanted to have the energy east pipeline opened up again. A pre-eminent business leader in New Brunswick said exactly the same thing. Indeed, the member for Saint John—Rothesay told his local newspaper this morning that he is going to tell the Prime Minister that we have to get this going again.

Is the Prime Minister going to listen to his own member and get this going again?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that it is essential for us to get our resources to markets other than the United States. The Conservatives know that, but they were unable to do it for the 10 years they were in power. They were shouting at us to get it done for the past two and a half years, and when we finally ensure and secure access to new markets for our oil resources, they do not know what to say. The fact is that their ideological approach and their playing of politics is getting in the way of Canadian jobs.

Indigenous Affairs

[Georgina Jolibois, NDP, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Cindy Blackstock said that Canada could have funded the underfunding of first nations' education, water infrastructure on reserves, and early childhood programs; ensured that no sick child was air transported alone in the north; and more. Instead, the Liberals bought a pipeline.

Yesterday the Auditor General confirmed that the Liberals have ignored crucial data on the well-being of first nations across Canada. Now that we know the Liberals have billions of dollars to spend, when can first nations, Métis, and Inuit expect the same investment?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what the NDP fails to understand is that every year we were losing $15 billion, because we were prisoners of a single market for our oil resources. Accessing new markets will allow us to grow our economy and create good jobs while we invest in the things that matter.

In regard to indigenous leadership, let me point out this quote: “I am happy the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister...are delivering on their promise that the [Kinder Morgan] Expansion Project will be built, and that construction will get underway this summer. This is good news for First Nations & all Canadians.” That is Ernie Crey, Chief of Cheam First Nation.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon there will be a vote on my bill to ensure that Canadian laws respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a principle that the Prime Minister supported.

This government has a fundamental constitutional obligation to uphold the honour of the Crown in its relations with the indigenous peoples.

How does imposing the pipeline expansion despite strong and growing opposition from indigenous peoples uphold the honour of the Crown?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, respecting indigenous communities includes listening to all indigenous communities. I know that there are indigenous communities that are opposed to this pipeline, but there are also indigenous communities that are in favour of it and the opportunities for development that come with it.

We are working with all the indigenous communities to respond to their concerns and to allay their fears. We will continue to work toward reconciliation in partnership with the indigenous communities while building an economy that works for everyone and protecting the environment.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, never in the history of Canada have we had a prime minister with such contempt for the oil sector and for Canadian workers as our current Prime Minister.

Remember when he was in Calgary and said we need to phase out Alberta oil? Then, in Paris, he said it was not happening fast enough. Later he even said that higher gas prices were exactly what he wanted. Perhaps that is what he wants, but that is not what Canadians want. What is his latest bright idea? It is to send $4.5 billion of taxpayers' money to Texas. My question for the Prime Minister is very simple.

How much is the Kinder Morgan project going to cost taxpayers in the long run because of the Liberal Prime Minister's ineptitude?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are completely lost in their arguments.

By purchasing a pipeline that will take our oil to new markets outside the U.S., we are actually standing up for jobs and workers in the natural resource sector in Alberta and across the country. It is what the Conservatives tried to do for 10 years, but they failed because they did not understand that the environment and the economy must go hand in hand.

We are proud of the work we are doing to protect the environment and access new markets to grow our economy, and we will continue to do so.

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

That is quite the track record, Mr. Speaker. The northern gateway project was not approved and energy east did not go ahead because of Liberal measures.

Now, the Liberals are proposing to impose a Liberal tax on carbon and to send $4.5 billion of taxpayers' money to Texas. Again, I have a very simple question for the Prime Minister.

How much will the Kinder Morgan project end up costing taxpayers because of the Liberal government's ineptitude?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the Conservative government's track record. For 10 years, the Conservatives tried to do everything they could for Alberta's economy, but they failed because they did not understand that environmental protection and economic growth must go hand in hand.

By putting a national price on carbon and by demonstrating that we understand that we can defend the economy while creating growth, we were able to approve and begin construction of a pipeline that is vital to our economy.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, welcome to the bailout economy.

When Porter Airlines wanted to extend the runway at the Toronto downtown airport the Liberal government said no, which led to the cancellation of $2 billion of Bombardier planes. The government said, “We have to bail out Bombardier.” The government wrapped this western pipeline in so much red tape and taxes that it became uneconomical, and it says, “We have to bail out the pipeline.” Why does the government not just stay out of the way in the first place?

Will the Prime Minister admit that his economic policy is that if it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the desire of the Conservatives right now to play politics with an issue that they have been trying and failing to get done for 10 years is really disappointing.

We have always recognized in Canada that public investment is part of our natural resource sector. The great Peter Lougheed demonstrated that to great advantage for Alberta for many years.

We are going to continue to invest in ways that support and stand up for Albertan workers and workers right across the country as we grow the economy.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the great Peter Lougheed probably had to do that because Pierre Elliott Trudeau was in the process of destroying the entire energy sector. I was living in Alberta during the national energy program. The Prime Minister was living in a publicly funded mansion at the time. It is time that he got in touch.

We had private sector money to build this project. Now we have a $4.5 billion expense and no pipeline to show for it.

When will the Prime Minister finally get the job done?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hearing from an Albertan who actually knows Peter Lougheed's history and understands the timelines involved.

Let me get back to the fact that we are going to continue to stand up for Canadian resources, we are going to continue to stand up for Canadian workers, and we are going to continue to stand up to protect the environment. This is what the Conservatives hav tried to do for years but were unable to do. This is what they have been shouting at us to do for two and a half years. Now they are playing politics, but we are actually delivering on what Alberta needs. They do not know what to do and so they make things up.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. Let me remind members of the way it works. This side says something that the other side does not like, and then the opposite happens, and it goes back and forth. However, we should only have one side at a time speaking to whatever the other side does not like, and we should listen to the answers and the questions.

The hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam.

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Marathassa leaked 2,700 litres of bunker fuel into Vancouver's English Bay, costing the city more than half a million dollars to clean it up. Three years later, Vancouver is still fighting for reimbursement, but the government is only offering 30¢ on the dollar, leaving taxpayers on the hook. No wonder British Columbians are so concerned about a Kinder Morgan oil tanker spill.

Now imagine a toxic dilbit spill with no technology in place to clean it up. Who will the minister leave on the hook to clean up that disaster?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I grew up spending my summers on the B.C. coast and I have deep connections with British Columbia, so I too am concerned about the nature of our coast. That is why we have invested $1.5 billion in a world-class oceans protection plan to ensure that we are keeping our pristine and effective environment, and our strong ecosystem, safe from accidents and disasters. This is something that we take very seriously, and we have made the investments to demonstrate that.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister himself said that the Kinder Morgan pipeline is too risky of a project for the private sector, so what did he do? He took $4.5 billion out of taxpayers' pockets to buy a 65-year-old pipeline. If this project was too risky for a private company, why would he decide to make Canadians assume that risk? Talk about a moronic decision.

How can the Prime Minister justify throwing our money away on such a risky project instead of investing in the energy transition?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would ask the hon. member to be more careful about what he says and to avoid using any words or phrases that will cause a disruption in the House.

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have often said, we can disagree and still be respectful of one another, especially when we discuss issues that are important to Canadians.

We understand just how important it is to defend the economy while protecting the environment. We will continue to do so. We will defend jobs across the country. We will cut our greenhouse gases. Canadians expect as much from us. We will always do so.

Labour

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Mr. Speaker, our government committed to doing things differently when it came to building a strong economy, supporting the middle class through good quality jobs, and supporting a strong labour movement. The rail sector is integral to our economy, and many Canadians rely on this industry for their livelihoods. While previous governments intervened in the collective bargaining process, we have taken a different, more fair, and balanced approach.

Could the Prime Minister update the House on the status of the negotiations between CP Rail, TCRC, and the IBEW?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the MP for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital for standing up for the interests of westerners across the country. I am very happy to see that CP has come to an agreement with its union partners. Our government respects the collective bargaining and important role played by organized labour. In our two and a half years in government, not once have we had to introduce back-to-work legislation. Today's agreement shows that when companies treat their workers as partners not opponents, a fair deal for all is possible. This agreement is good news for CP, it is good news for workers, but most of all, it is good news for Canadians.