House of Commons Hansard #294 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was tax.
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about how much we have done for moms. We have invested in public transit and created the Canada child benefit. We have done more for moms in the past two years than the party opposite ever did.
Moms also want to know what we are going to do to save the planet for their kids. That is what we are going to do, and we have a plan.
On behalf of moms, may I ask how you intend to tackle climate change?
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
I would remind the hon. minister to direct her comments to the Chair.
The hon. member for Carleton.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government likes to claim that its carbon tax will be “revenue neutral”.
We already knew that they were going to collect GST on the carbon tax, but today Environment Canada officials testified at the finance committee that the government will not return the proceeds of GST collected on the carbon tax to the provinces from which it was originally collected.
Is that not yet more proof that this tax has nothing to do with the environment, and that it is just another tax grab on Canadians?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I always find it strange that the member opposite does not understand how a price on pollution works.
He was at committee yesterday, where every single expert said that a price on pollution is the most efficient way to reduce emissions while growing a clean economy. Maybe the member opposite would like to go through the records from the committee. I am happy to produce them for him so that he can see what people say about how a price on pollution works, that we need to tackle climate change, and that this is one of the most effective tools we have to grow a clean economy, to foster innovation, and to ensure a future for our kids.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal government that claimed that the tax would be “revenue neutral”.
Today, further testimony from Environment Canada disproved that claim. Officials said that the budget bill will not even allow the government to reduce other taxes with the proceeds of the carbon tax. In other words, this is going to make the government a winner and taxpayers the losers.
How much will this tax increase cost the average Canadian family?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, climate change is real. We need a plan to tackle climate change.
We have a plan to tackle climate change. We have a plan to grow our economy. We understand the $2-trillion opportunity of clean growth—
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. I would ask the hon. member for Edmonton Manning and others to listen and not interrupt someone who is answering.
I would also ask the member for Cape Breton—Canso to assist by also listening and not interrupting when I am trying to keep things quiet around here.
The hon. Minister of Environment.
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to implement a plan on climate change that is going to reduce emissions, that is going to grow a clean economy, that is going to ensure a sustainable planet for our kids.
Once again, I am going to ask the party opposite this question: what is your plan to tackle climate change to take advantage of the—
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
I think this is the third time I have had to remind the hon. Minister of Environment about saying “you” and “your”. When she says “your plan”, she is asking the Speaker, and that is not my role, so I would ask her not to do that.
Now everybody wants to know what my plan is. It is not fair to me. Talk to me later.
Well, I got to see the House in a good mood, anyway.
The hon. member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Mr. Speaker, La Presse has just announced that it will become a non-profit entity because Ottawa is still refusing to support our national media.
This morning, the newspaper's president said that the newspaper could no longer compete in an environment where more than 80% of digital advertising dollars in Canada go to Google and Facebook, which do not have to pay taxes but get tax credits. Why on earth is the Minister of Finance favouring the web giants? First La Presse. What's next?
Will our media have to start hiring hordes of lobbyists to finally get the government's attention?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, as members know, Canadians are increasingly turning to the Internet to get the news. Meanwhile, media companies are innovating to adapt to this change.
At the request of the industry, we announced in budget 2018 that the government would examine new models to enable the media to accept donations. We firmly believe that La Presse plays an important role as a reliable and professional source of local news in Quebec. We will, of course, continue to work with La Presse and other media organizations to ensure that we follow up on our budget commitments.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, around the globe, U.S. data oligarchies are facing calls for regulation, but with the Liberal government it is a case of who you know in the PMO. Liberal operative Kevin Chan did not even bother to register as a lobbyist because he could just call up his friends, the ministers, and Google did one step better, moving Leslie Church from the Liberal Party to Google public affairs to the senior position in the Minister of Canadian Heritage's office. Talk about letting Dracula have the keys to the blood bank.
Why is the Minister of Canadian Heritage putting the interests of Liberal insiders ahead of the interests of Canadian citizens?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, we all know that the way Canadians consume content has changed, and this is a reality that is impacting many sectors. The reality is that benefits associated with the shift toward digital are not shared equally between web giants and our artists, creators, and journalists.
Our government wants to ensure that there is a better balance. This is why we have committed to modernizing our policy to better address the realities of the digital era, including the review of the Broadcasting Act.
We believe in the importance of protecting Canadian culture, industries, and artists, and in promoting access to content on all platforms.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada's national parks play a critical role in shaping our national identity, protecting wildlife, and preserving national heritage. Last year a record number of Canadians visited parks and heritage places across the country, including the Rouge National Urban Park in Scarborough.
In 2017, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change held the most comprehensive consultation ever to be undertaken. Could the minister tell us what she heard and what her vision is for Canada's parks?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Scarborough—Guildwood for his important work on Rouge National Urban Park.
For the first time ever, we welcomed the views of all Canadians. Over 13,000 Canadians shared their perspectives, and yesterday I was able to share the practical steps that we are taking in response to this feedback. The top priority is protecting the ecological integrity of our parks and making sure that more Canadians have access to our parks, because we know when Canadians connect with nature, they understand the importance of that connection.
I am extremely proud that starting in 2018, national parks are free to—
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, after watching the Liberals' pals get pot permits to grow a small fortune, now we are seeing the Liberals' fishing buddies get a free pass, once again making a laughingstock of the principle of ethics.
If court documents confirm interference on the part of the Minister of Fisheries regarding a highly valued shellfish, the Liberals will once again have cheated in an allocation process, this time at the expense of first nations.
Why is the minister granting millions of dollars' worth of quotas to his Liberal buddies at the expense of a fair process and the much-desired reconciliation?
Terry Beech LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, the fact that there is a new participant in the surf clam fishery should be no surprise to the Conservative government. In fact, it started a very similar process three years ago to accomplish the very same thing. The difference is that unlike the previous government, our robust process included indigenous communities. We are proud that the best proposal was selected. The greatest number of Atlantic Canadians will benefit, including indigenous people from five provinces, those being four Atlantic provinces and Quebec.
Mel Arnold Conservative North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister has defended his decision to reward Liberal Party insiders with a quota worth millions of dollars, claiming his patronage was a step in reconciliation. The bidding process was a sham and an insult to reconciliation. It is pitting one first nation against the other and the crown.
Why is the minister putting Liberal insiders ahead of the families in Grand Bank and ahead of reconciliation with indigenous people?
Terry Beech LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, our decision to increase indigenous participation in fishing is consistent with our government's commitment to developing a renewed relationship between Canada and indigenous people. Enhancing access to the Arctic surf clam fishery broadens the distribution of benefits from this public resource and is a powerful step toward reconciliation. When the previous government went through a very similar public proposal process to access this fishery, it forget to include indigenous people. However, we did not.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister was aware of the glaring weaknesses in the Five Nations proposal, yet he ordered his officials to give them the licence anyways. Despite the departmental analysis pointing out the flaws in their application, he still awarded it to Liberal family and friends at the expense of the community of Grand Bank.
Just so we are all clear, the minister awarded a contract worth millions of dollars to a Liberal MP's brother and a former Liberal MP, whose bid was incomplete and flawed. If this is not a conflict of interest, what is?
Terry Beech LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, just so we are clear, the fact that there is a new participant coming into this fishery is not a surprise, or should not be a surprise, to the former government. It had a very similar process, but excluded first nations people as part of that process. We had a robust process and we are proud of the fact that we picked the best proposal. It is going to benefit the highest number of Atlantic Canadians, including indigenous people from five separate provinces.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, if “robust” means checking down to see if they have given to the Liberal Party, well, they have accomplished that robust application.
I spent last week in Grand Bank. From the dock to Sharon's to Foodland to Jenny's, the concern over the future is very real. I spoke again with Edgar, who works at the plant, and his son also works at the plant and is at risk of being among the very first to lose his job. If this happens, Edgar is worried he may lose his son to the mainland.
Edgar has one question for the seven MPs from the Rock: when will they start standing up for them?
Terry Beech LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, I always happy to stand up and talk about just how proud I am of the good work of every member of Parliament from Newfoundland and Labrador, especially the member for Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, who has been in constant contact with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
In addition to that, we are also proud of the robust process we carried out that ensured the maximum number of Atlantic Canadians were going to benefit from this decision, including indigenous people, a group of people that government forgot about when it was going through a similar process.