Debates of June 4th, 2018

Natural Resources

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I must remind members to always address their remarks to the Chair.

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are currently losing $15 billion per year because we cannot export our oil resources to countries other than the United States.

One thing that has become crystal clear in recent days is how important access to new markets is. To that end, we need reliable, responsible access, which we can achieve with the pipeline we approved in accordance with a system that included more consultation with indigenous peoples. We will continue to make investments that are in the national interest, and that is what we are doing.

Indigenous Affairs

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for a government that claims that no relationship is as important as its relationship with indigenous peoples, I suspect it might be embarrassing to purchase a pipeline and force it on the people despite strong and growing opposition from indigenous communities. In fact, it should be ashamed.

Does the government think that imposing this pipeline expansion at all costs after a botched, flawed process really respects the Constitution and honours the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we fully support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We will continue to work in partnership with them.

On this side of the House, we will listen to all indigenous voices. We will not ignore those who stay silent or who say things we do not want to hear. It would be nice if all parties of the House could see both sides of the issue. We are listening to people who adamantly oppose pipelines, as well as those who see the economic benefit for them and their communities. That is what Canadians expect of us.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am shocked that today the government has chosen to completely disregard its obligations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Last week, the Prime Minister voted in favour of developing a recognition and implementation of rights framework in partnership with indigenous peoples, and five days later he has failed his first test.

Does the Prime Minister understand that respecting the rights of first nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples means respecting even those who do not agree with him? The Prime Minister cannot tell me that I do not understand.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully suggest that, indeed, during consultations, listening and working to build reconciliation with indigenous peoples means listening to all voices of the indigenous community, including those who disagree with us. We have a tremendous depth of respect for all indigenous voices, both from those who oppose the pipeline and from those who wish the pipeline to move forward. Working with them to allay fears and create opportunities is something all Canadians expect of our government on the path to reconciliation.

Natural Resources

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were stunned to watch this climate-fighting Prime Minister promise to end fossil fuel subsidies and then go out and buy himself a used pipeline, a 65-year-old pipeline, with our money. These geniuses paid eight times the price that it was bought for just a few years ago. Adding insult to injury in this public bailout, it includes a $3-million bonus to Kinder Morgan executives. “Sorry, not sorry” is not going to cut it this time.

Will the Liberals come clean and table the deal on the Kinder Morgan bailout so all Canadians can see how they ripped us off?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, $15 billion a year is what it costs us when we cannot export our oil resources to markets other than the United States. The Conservatives, who pretended they were great friends of the oil industry, were not able to achieve that in 10 years of trying, and we are now able to secure a pipeline that gets our oil resources to new markets. On top of that, it goes within a pan-Canadian framework on climate change, which includes a national price on carbon pollution right across the country and a historic oceans protection plan.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers are dealing with a two-faced Liberal government that claims here in the House to be protecting supply management, while it negotiates supply management market share with the Americans behind closed doors. That is exactly what the Prime Minister admitted in an interview on NBC: Canada will be flexible on access to the agricultural market to ease negotiations on NAFTA. How hypocritical.

I am calling for an honest answer. Have the Liberals proposed an agreement to the Americans that would sacrifice market share in supply management, yes or no?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, our government strongly supports and is committed to the supply management system in this country. I myself, as well as the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, cabinet ministers and caucus, and, indeed, the trade negotiators of NAFTA, have clearly indicated the Canadian direction.

The Liberal government is the government that put supply management in place, and it is the Liberal government that will protect supply management.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on agriculture is devastating: front-of-pack labelling, food guide, grain backlog, bungled trade agreements, and tax hikes. Now the agriculture minister is claiming that farmers support the Liberal carbon tax. Has he even spoken to Canadian farmers?

The chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association said, “I’m not sure who has been briefing [the minister], but he is dead wrong if he thinks that most farmers support a carbon tax”.

How can the minister speak for agriculture if he is so out of touch with Canadian farmers?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is well aware that Canadian farmers are great stewards of the land who know the importance of protecting the environment, and they are making vital contributions to fighting climate change.

We know that farmers had some concerns, and that is why gasoline and diesel fuel for on-farm use are exempt under the federal backstop. Unlike the previous Conservative government, we have invested in agriculture research and science. In fact, it was the Conservative government that cut—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. opposition House leader.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Canadian farmers do not support a carbon tax. The ag minister is clearly dead wrong on that. In fact, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers said that the carbon tax is bad for farmers. It is going to put them at a huge disadvantage on the world stage.

Will the ag minister finally admit that the carbon tax is bad for farm families, and maybe while he is at it, tell those families how much the carbon tax is going to cost them?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I know my hon. colleague is well aware and understands that farmers are great stewards of the land. They understand how important it is to take care of our environment. Farmers have great concerns, and that is why diesel fuel and gasoline are exempt under our federal backstop.

Through the federal government's investments, we are continuing to build a strong economy for our farmers while putting environmental protections in place. What we have done, as I indicated, is put more money into research and science in agriculture, which is vitally important.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian workers are under attack, with Trump tariffs from abroad and Liberal taxes here at home, higher taxes on middle-class Canadians and higher taxes on the businesses that employ them. Ironically, the same companies south of the border that are pushing for this protectionism will also benefit from the carbon tax here in Canada, which would drive money, jobs, and income into that country.

How much will the carbon tax cost the average Canadian steel and aluminum worker?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we can fight climate change and grow our economy at the same time. That is what our plan is doing, and it is working. Canada's emissions are dropping, while the economy grows. In the past two years, there have been 600,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate is at the lowest level in decades. Since 2016, Canada has led other G7 countries in economic growth.

Putting a price on pollution will make Canada's economy stronger over time. It will create good economic progress. It will create good middle-class jobs. It will do the right thing for our children and for the future of the planet.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, everybody knows that Donald Trump wants to take our money and our jobs. What we cannot understand is why the Government of Canada is helping him.

Higher taxes here at home make it very difficult for Canadian businesses to compete south of the border. In fact, Canadian investment in the United States is up two-thirds since the current Prime Minister took office, and American investment in Canada is down by half. Money is going that way, and jobs will soon follow.

How much will this carbon tax cost the average Canadian worker?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very evident that the Conservatives do not have a plan to address climate change. They are missing the boat on the future economic opportunities enabled by addressing climate change in a thoughtful and substantive way. According to the World Bank, the Paris Agreement will open up $23 trillion in opportunities. We are focused on ensuring that we are driving clean technology, that we are moving forward with an agenda that will address environmental imperatives, and that we do so in a way that will create a stronger economy for Canada in years to come.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are saying they are trying to put a price on something. What they are doing is putting a price on hiring Canadian workers. Those same workers will bring with them higher payroll taxes, and now higher carbon taxes, taxes that those companies will not have to pay south of the border. While the Government of Canada is now sending $4.5 billion to a Texas company to build pipelines in a jurisdiction that competes with Canada, it is raising taxes here at home to drive jobs outside of our country.

How much will this carbon tax cost the average Canadian worker?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that climate change is real. They expect us to take strong action to address climate change, and that is exactly what we are doing. We have taken action through the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change to accelerate the phase-out of coal, to put methane regulations in place, to promote green infrastructure, and to do a whole range of things that will allow us to stimulate the economy, grow the economy of the future, and fundamentally address the critical issue of climate change going forward.

Unfortunately, the opposition members are making this a partisan issue. Climate change is something that is in the interest of every Canadian and every human being on this planet, and is something that they should not play—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Jonquière.

The Economy

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian steel and aluminum workers are facing considerable uncertainty. The decision to hit our industries with these punitive tariffs is completely scandalous. The Trump administration has gone too far, and the Canadian steel and aluminum industries are going to pay the price.

We are glad that the government is meeting with industry to discuss a solution, but it has to meet the needs of the workers. That is important.

Will the Prime Minister put in place a support program to protect workers, like Quebec is preparing to do?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to support and defend Canadian workers and producers. That is our government's priority.

That is why we are very proud of our world-class producers. That is why we completely agree with the members opposite that it is absolutely unacceptable that these tariffs were imposed. That is why we will defend them and are engaging with them to see what the next steps and options are.

Make no mistake: our government will continue to support aluminum workers and steelworkers across Canada.