Debates of June 1st, 2018

International Trade

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canada has been hit with punitive tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. These American tariffs are unacceptable.

My riding of Sault Ste. Marie is a steel town and a border town. We have a long history of trade and friendship with our American neighbours across the St. Mary's River. Within a few hours of this announcement yesterday by the U.S. administration, our Prime Minister responded swiftly and forcefully to stand up for our steel and aluminum industries. I could not agree more with the Prime Minister that it is inconceivable that Canada could be considered a national security threat to the United States.

As we have said, we will always stand up for our workers, and we have announced retaliatory measures to this attack on our industry. Canada will impose tariffs against imports of steel, aluminum, and other products from the U.S. We are imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs for every dollar levied against Canadians by the U.S.

This House should stand together and fight against these unfair tariffs.

Democratic Reform

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister has no credibility when it comes to electoral reform.

During the last election he promised reform. However, as soon as he realized he would not get the result he wanted, he broke his promise. Now he has introduced reforms designed to give the Liberal government an advantage over opposition parties. The Liberals have introduced severe restrictions on political party spending before an election. However, they have conveniently neglected to restrict their ability to shower government largesse across the country at the same time. They are tilting the playing field in their own favour.

This bill fails to tackle the serious issue of foreign-funded third party groups that undermined Canadian democracy in 2015. One has to wonder if the government is leaving giant loopholes in this bill because it wants third parties to continue undermining Canada's interests, or is it just another case of Liberal incompetence?

I call on the Prime Minister to stop limiting debate and to work with opposition parties to create the best legislation for Canadians.

Cycling Safety

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Madam Speaker, cycling is good for our communities. It is a healthy, pollution-free, and fun way to get around, but too many people avoid cycling because they are afraid for their safety, and too many cyclists are injured or killed in accidents. We need to do more to make sure cyclists are safe.

Drivers should slow down, be aware, and give cyclists a minimum of one metre of space when passing them. The Ontario coroner found that the leading cause of death or injury was, in fact, not giving that space. When drivers turn right, they should signal and check their blind spots, as there might be a cyclist to the right of them planning to go straight through an intersection. They should stay off of their phones. The message or text is not worth a life. If they need to take a call, they should park, but not in a bike lane. After they park, they should use the Dutch Reach, using their right hand and turning to look back before opening the door. That way they can see if a bike is there.

Let us build safe streets. Together, we can make sure that cyclists are safe.

St. Thomas the Apostle Nursery School

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Madam Speaker, St. Thomas the Apostle Nursery School is a non-denominational, multicultural, community-based school located in Alta Vista, in the heart of my riding of Ottawa South.

I am honoured to rise in the House today to congratulate it on 50 years of service to thousands and thousands of local families. Its mission is to help children acquire a positive attitude toward school and learning, and it achieves this by providing a warm and nurturing learning environment where children can explore and experiment to develop a feeling of self-worth and independence.

I thank the staff, volunteers, parents, and board of directors for their dedication over the last half-century. I know all members will want to join me in congratulating the St. Thomas the Apostle Nursery School on this incredible milestone and wish it every success for the next 50 years.

Barrie Volunteer

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Madam Speaker, all he wants to do is help people and make them feel good with his hugs. There is no better way to describe Barrie resident and my friend Jason Nicholas Helmond.

Jason is an incredible young man who volunteers countless hours and raises, well, pretty crazy amounts of money for charities in Barrie. There is not enough time in one minute to tell Canadians about the numerous causes Jason has been part of, but the cause closest to Jason's heart is the Terry Fox Foundation. Jason loves Terry's spirit and determination, which is why he started Razors of Hope. Over the past three years, Jason, along with his friend Colin MacDonald, has shaved his head and has raised a total of $11,450 for the Terry Fox Foundation

Whether it is raising money, volunteering, or participating in the MS bike tours, the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, helping out with Barrie's out of the cold program, or being the peer rep for the local Down's syndrome group for Simcoe County, like Terry, Jason represents the best of what it means to be Canadian.

Ron Hanlon

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the too-soon passing of Ron Hanlon, a champion for the great city of Halifax.

As CEO of the Halifax Partnership, the city's economic development agency, he was a tireless promoter of our city's potential. His leadership on the creation of the Halifax economic growth plan has positioned our city to become what Haligonians know it can be: one of the world's great 21st century cities.

Ron was a man of great personal integrity and ambition. He returned to Halifax to spend the remainder of his career in public service to his home town after an impressive business career overseas. Ron notably developed the “Sell Halifax” plan, which has successfully promoted Halifax globally to attract immigrants, investment, and business. It was my pleasure to have worked with Ron on the future of our city and how we could best position Halifax, and indeed all of Nova Scotia, for success.

I would like to express my deepest condolences to Ron's wife Greta and his entire family. Though no one will miss him more than his family, all of Halifax will miss him too. We are thankful for everything Ron has done.

Relay For Life

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

Madam Speaker, communities in Salaberry—Suroît have already begun holding their Relay for Life in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. For 12 hours, people walk, either individually or taking turns in groups, to raise money to fight all types of cancer. The route is dotted with luminaries and activities symbolizing hope and honouring those we have lost.

The first relay of 2018 took place in Pincourt, where nearly $207,000 was raised. The next relay will be in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield this Saturday, June 2, at the Delpha-Sauvé park. There will be a third relay in Beauharnois on June 8 at the André-Richard arena. The money raised will be used to fund research and prevention initiatives and to improve services for patients and families.

I want to thank all the organizers, volunteers, and participants in advance, and everyone who has already made a donation. I urge all Canadians to contribute by helping the organization or participating, because these events really make a difference. I would like to close with a very special thought for my sister, Véro, a survivor who has been involved in the cause for the past four years.

Criminal Code

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Madam Speaker, the safety of Canadians should be the number one priority of the government. A strong criminal justice system must always put the rights of victims and communities before special treatment for violent criminals. Reducing penalties for serious crimes sends the wrong message to victims, law-abiding Canadians, and criminals. The Liberals' proposal to eliminate consecutive sentences for human trafficking is a huge mistake that will have devastating consequences.

The Liberals earlier committed to keeping full protections in place for religious officials under section 176 of the Criminal Code but are now removing them in Bill C-75. An assault on officiants during a religious service is very serious and must remain an indictable offence.

We have major concerns about many other elements of the bill, such as lighter sentencing, such as fines, for what are very serious crimes. They include participating in the activity of a terrorist group, infanticide, concealing the body of a child, impaired driving offences causing bodily harm, and advocating genocide.

It is time for the Liberals to put victims ahead of criminals.

Brooklin Spring Fair

[Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Madam Speaker, today I rise with great enthusiasm to answer a question many of my constituents have: where is Brooklin at? Well, let me assure everyone that Brooklin is in the house. For the past 107 years, the Brooklin Spring Fair has been the cannot-miss event for Whitby, Ashburn, Myrtle, and of course, Brooklin.

I want to thank the members of the Brooklin Agricultural Society, who were busy as bees making sure that the grand opening was perfect last night. From dressing up for the parade to checking out the livestock and farm exhibits at Agri-land to having a thrill on the midway or kicking back and listening to great live music, there is something for everyone in Brooklin.

However, I do have a bit of sad news. As a three-time pie-eating champion, I want to let everyone know that I will not be participating in the contest this year, and I will be retiring from pie-eating. While I know that this is disappointing, I will ensure that people will not be disappointed with the festivities in Brooklin during this final weekend of Tourism Week.

I invite everyone to come to the Brooklin Spring Fair, and I look forward to seeing everyone at the parade tomorrow morning.

International Trade

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, Canadians woke up this morning to the reality that we are in a trade war with our friend and closest ally, the United States. This trade war is not good for anyone, and the consequences will be severe. The Prime Minister knew that President Trump might do this, and so it could not have come as a shock. Although retaliatory measures are appropriate, they alone will not solve the impasse.

Just how does the government plan on getting things back on track with our friend and closest ally south of the border?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the countless Canadians who have come out in support of our strong plan to defend Canadian steel and aluminum workers. I would like to particularly thank former Conservative ministers Rona Ambrose and James Moore and former premier Brad Wall.

This is a matter of national interest. I would like to thank Jason Kenney, who yesterday said, “I strongly support the federal government’s swift announcement of retaliatory measures.”

Let me say this directly to all Canadian workers, “Team Canada is behind you.”

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, just weeks ago, the Prime Minister went on what actually looked like a premature victory tour lap of steel mills, prematurely telling workers that he had a deal with Trump, when clearly he did not. He had to have known how risky that was and that it just was not true.

Today, steel towns across the country are worried. They are concerned. What is the government going to do to mitigate the pain that this trade war with the U.S. will inflict on our steel and aluminum workers?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, let me be clear. The tariffs imposed yesterday by the United States on steel and aluminum are completely unacceptable, and in fact, they are illegal.

I want to assure all Canadians that we are taking strong responsive measures to defend our workers and our industry. We will, today, be challenging these illegal U.S. measures at the WTO and under NAFTA. Again, I want to say directly to our workers that the Government of Canada, and I believe the vast majority of Canadians, are totally with them.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, the problem is that there were no plans built into the Liberal budget to deal with an unpredictable U.S. administration. It is like the Liberals naively thought there would be no impact on Canadians because of this unpredictability, and so they did not prepare for it.

This morning Canadian workers are worried. They are seeing tariffs that will hurt them and the beginning of a trade war. Why are steel and aluminum workers and their families going to have to suffer because the Liberal government failed to prepare for what we are seeing happen right now?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, let me assure this House and all Canadians that from the very beginning, the government has been absolutely prepared for any possible action from the U.S. We have said from the outset that we hope for the best and we prepare for the worst. That is why, yesterday, we were able to publish a very comprehensive set of lists, which Canadians now have the opportunity to consult on. Let me take this opportunity to thank our outstanding public servants in trade, who have been working on this list for many weeks.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, one reaps what one sows. Having sown incompetently, the Liberals are reaping economic disaster. A trade war with our biggest trading partner is not good for our economy. Canadians need a real plan to fix this problem. They do not need retaliation. Our steel and aluminum workers need this government's support now more than ever.

What is the government's plan for workers in places like Saguenay?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, the tariffs imposed yesterday by the United States on steel and aluminum are completely unacceptable and illegal. I want to assure all Canadians that we are taking strong measures to defend our workers. Today, we will be challenging these illegal measures at the WTO and under NAFTA. I want to say to all Canadian workers that the Government of Canada will always stand up for them.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, this has been a tough week for Canadian taxpayers. The decision to finance the Trans Mountain project with our money and a trade war with the Americans will end up costing us dearly. The Prime Minister has led Canadians to the edge of an abyss, and now he is asking them to blindly follow him forward.

When will he do the right thing and come up with a plan for steel and aluminum workers in communities like Saguenay?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the Canadians who have come out in support of our strong plan to defend our workers. In particular, I would like to thank former Conservative ministers Rona Ambrose and James Moore and the former premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall.

I would also like to thank Jason Kenney, who said yesterday that he strongly supports the federal government's swift announcement of retaliatory measures.

I want to say to all Canadian workers that our government will stand by you.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Madam Speaker, 146,000 Canadian steel and aluminum workers woke up today worried about their futures and their families. They support the government's retaliatory tariffs against Donald Trump, but they know that this alone will not save their jobs. They also do not know why the Liberals are waiting a whole month to hit back, when Mexico and the EU acted right away.

Standing up to a bully is the right thing to do, but if one is going to punch back, one does not wait 30 days to do it. Why is the government delaying retaliatory action when workers are under attack now?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the hon. member for her hard work on this file. She and I have been in close contact on this, and it has been a really productive partnership.

Canada did respond immediately, yesterday. We are imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs against products from the United States. It is absolutely prudent for us to take a bit of time to consult to ensure that this list is the right one for Canada.

I would like to thank the Canadian Labour Congress and Canadian workers for their support.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Madam Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister called Jagmeet Singh to discuss these tariffs. The NDP leader gave his support for retaliatory tariffs but urged the Prime Minister not to forget about the workers affected.

Too often in a trade war it is the workers who pay the price, so what will the government do to protect workers and their communities, such as Saguenay, Sault Ste. Marie, Regina, Edmonton, Kitimat, Hamilton, and my riding of Essex? Will the government sit down with labour and industry immediately and put together a package that supports workers, protects their jobs, and defends their communities?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, our government has been, throughout, and again this week and yesterday, in very close contact with workers and with businesses in the steel and aluminum sectors. That is why we were able to put forward such a strong and immediate response.

I do want to underscore the very productive collaboration with Canadian unions. I would like to quote what the CLC had to say. “Canada's unions” support Canadian “retaliation against the unjustified and unwarranted American tariffs on steel and aluminum.” I could not have said it better myself.

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

Madam Speaker, the Trump administration's decision to impose potentially catastrophic tariffs on our metal industries is completely unfair and ill advised. We completely agree with the government on that.

Over 8,000 direct jobs and 20,000 indirect jobs are supported by the aluminum industry in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region. Workers there are worried, and they are wondering how they are going to get through this crisis.

What is the government's plan to protect aluminum workers in the coming days?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague that the United States' decision to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum is completely unacceptable and illegal.

In response to the action taken by the United States, we have announced a solid plan to stand up for our industry and its workers. Unions and workers are with us, Canada.

I would like to quote the Canadian Labour Congress, which said, “Canada's unions support Canadian retaliation”.