Debates of June 4th, 2018

The Economy

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are four days into the U.S. unfair steel and aluminum tariffs, and Canadian workers in the manufacturing sector spent the weekend worried about their jobs. Canadians are asking why the government was waiting 30 days to bring in our own tariffs. These tariffs are a Band-Aid solution, and the government must work toward a permanent exemption. The clock is already ticking on a similar decision on tariffs to our auto sector. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are literally on the line. How is the government going to ensure Canadian workers in our largest industries are protected against destructive tactics from south of the border?

[Andrew Leslie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada-U.S. Relations)]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. These tariffs are completely unacceptable. Our government will and has taken responsive measures to defend Canada's interests after consulting with Canadians to make sure that no Canadians are adversely impacted on the detailed target list that we promulgated on our websites. These tariffs are not acceptable. They will harm U.S. workers and their industry, as well as Canadians. In fact, the U.S. has a surplus in trade with Canada vis-à-vis steel. Canada is also a safe and secure supplier of fairly traded steel and aluminum to the U.S. Members can rest assured that Canadian workers can absolutely count—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Lakeland.

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals paid $4.5 billion in Canadian tax dollars to purchase the existing Trans Mountain pipeline, while Kinder Morgan is taking $7.4 billion of private investment planned for its expansion out of Canada. Apparently the gift of tax dollars will also pay $1.5-million bonuses each to two Kinder Morgan executives, which is good news for the rich executives and bad news for Canadian energy workers.

Why is the Prime Minister paying mega-bonuses to millionaires with taxpayer dollars while middle-class Canadians in the same industry struggle to find work?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we would like to focus on the good news for Canadians. The good news is that we found a way to make sure that we can complete a pipeline that will allow us to get to international markets, creating enormous value of up to $15 billion a year for the industry, but, most importantly, creating thousands of jobs across our country, jobs in British Columbia and jobs in Alberta and jobs across the country.

We are going to stand up for those workers and we are going to stand up for the Canadian economy for future workers.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Kinder Morgan did not actually need one cent of taxpayer money. The Liberals just had to enforce federal jurisdiction, which they did promise to legislate, but they nationalized the old pipeline instead. It is a bad signal for future private sector investment in pipelines and Canadian oil and gas.

Since 2015, the Liberals have jeopardized Canada's energy sector, killed hundreds of billions of dollars in major energy projects, and sacrificed hundreds of thousands of jobs. Why is the Prime Minister giving money to rich millionaires while families in the energy sector are struggling to make ends meet because of him?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, for those families who are relying on a strong energy sector, we are doing exactly what we should do: a project in the national interest that will secure the industry and at the same time create thousands of new jobs. For Alberta workers, for British Columbia workers, I am so pleased we have Liberal members who are supporting what we are doing on behalf of those workers, and I am disappointed that the members across the way are not supporting those workers.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadian families are outraged over the Canadian government's handling of the Trans Mountain project. The Liberals have decided to nationalize a pipeline, resulting in $4.5 billion in taxpayers' money leaving Canada and going directly to Texans' pockets.

What we did not know was that two of the company's executives received a generous $1.5-million bonus each.

Can the Prime Minister tell us with a straight face that he thinks it is a smart move to take Canadians' money and give it to U.S. corporate executives?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to Canada's economy to invest in the pipeline in order to reach international markets. It is also very important for families, because of the number of associated jobs across the country. At the same time, we can boost our economy because this represents approximately $15 billion a year for our resource sector. It is very important and we will do it.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are in favour of Trans Mountain. They want the project to move forward, but they do not want their money to be used to make Americans richer. The government is sending $4.5 billion straight to Texas, not to mention all the executive bonuses. Come on. This makes no sense.

Why does the government keep pushing this? It could have done something in the past year and a half, but it did nothing, and now the pipeline is being nationalized.

Does the minister truly think it is a good idea to take $4.5 billion of taxpayer money and send it to Texas?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, working for Canadians is what is important to us. The economy is also very important.

Thanks to our investment, we will have a pipeline to access international markets. This is very important, and it is why we made the decision. We would also like to create a better economy for the future and maintain good jobs in Alberta and British Columbia.

Canadian Heritage

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the CRTC submitted its report, which proposes solutions for the future of our culture. It describes the current system as untenable. The cultural community said that it had finally been heard and that it hoped that the government would do something.

The government has been talking about this for three years and meanwhile, every day, Canadians are turning to new media with no Canadian content and no taxes. This is not the wild west.

Will the minister of culture commit to announcing, in the coming days, the main thrusts of a reform, rather than a new one-year consultation process?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, first, we would like to thank the chair of the CRTC, Ian Scott, and his team for their report, as well as all of the businesses and stakeholders who contributed to it.

Our objective is to modernize our laws to protect and promote our 21st century culture. We will soon have news regarding the review of our laws. Unlike Mr. Harper's Conservatives, who made draconian cuts and waged a war against the cultural sector, we are taking action to help this sector and our artists.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the CRTC submitted its report to the heritage minister, indicating that urgent reforms are needed to sustain Canadian culture in television, film, and music and that the current system is simply unsustainable. It is critical that large corporations and web giants chip in their fair share to preserve Canadian content on our screens. We do not need another study or yet another consultation; we need action now.

Will the Liberal government stop dragging its feet and commit to reforms today?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, first we would like to thank CRTC chair Ian Scott and his team for the report, and thank the many companies and creative industry players who contributed to it.

Ultimately, our objective will be to modernize our laws for the 21st century in order to protect and promote our culture. We will have more to say on a review of the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act very shortly. Unlike the Harper Conservatives, who ignored these issues and did nothing but cut funding to culture for a decade, we are taking action and delivering for creators and Canadians.

Health

[John Oliver, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, cannabis consumption rates by our youth are among the highest in the developed world. Education aimed at teenagers about the dangers of cannabis use is essential. As a hockey dad, I have taken my son William to many Oakville Blades hockey games. I know how influential professional hockey players can be as role models, so I am excited about our government's recent partnership to educate teenagers about the risk of cannabis.

Can the Minister of Health please update the House on her public awareness campaign?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Oakville for his hard work on the health committee.

As mentioned, the Harper Conservatives' approach to cannabis did not work and does not work. It has allowed criminals and organized crime to profit while it has failed to keep it out of the hands of our youth. However, since forming government, we have taken a public health approach, one that maximizes education and minimizes the harm. Last week, I was extremely pleased to announce that we are partnering with the Canadian Hockey League to allow youth to hear from players about how making healthy choices can help them achieve their life goals.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, over 20,000 people entered Canada illegally in 2017. The figure so far for 2018 is already in excess of 8,000. The safe third country agreement has been in place since 2004, but it is no longer appropriate for the reality on the ground. On the contrary, it is encouraging mass illegal immigration at our borders.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has talked about renegotiating the agreement, but no concrete action has been taken, apart from a partial reimbursement to the Quebec government. The Prime Minister needs to show leadership on this issue and come up with concrete solutions for protecting our borders.

When are we going to see a plan?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, our government is acutely aware that irregular migrants place new pressures on certain provinces, that need to find temporary accommodations for these asylum seekers.

Since my colleague mentioned funding, I am pleased to announce that we have invested $50 million in Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba, the three provinces most affected by accommodation costs. We recognize that these provinces and the municipalities have worked hard to provide housing and other services. We commend them on their outstanding collaboration. We are going to keep working very hard to address this issue with the provinces on the task force.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, this was a small reimbursement that was clearly welcomed by Quebec. However, the Prime Minister accuses us of sowing fear and division whenever we remind him of his responsibility to enforce our border and immigration laws.

Meanwhile, 800 employees from all over Canada have been reassigned to Quebec, the biometric collection system for asylum seekers has broken down, security screening interviews have been cut down from eight hours to two, and just 135 of the more than 30,000 people who have entered Canada illegally have been deported. This is not about fear. It is about enforcing Canada's sovereignty.

Where is the plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, the security agencies of the country, particularly CBSA, have made the appropriate arrangements internally to make sure they have the resources and facilities at the border to deal with all circumstances, usual and unusual. In the last budget, the Minister of Finance made $173 million available to the various agencies dealing with this—the CBSA, the RCMP, and the immigration and refugees department—to make sure that we can enforce all Canadian laws and honour all Canadian international obligations.

Sport

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Bertrand Charest, a former national ski coach, was convicted in 2017 of sexually assaulting a number of his athletes.

Four courageous women who suffered due to his negligent actions, or criminal actions, we would call them, are requesting all sport federations to implement athlete safety programs. They are calling for the universal adoption of the “rule of two” to ensure that no young athlete is left alone with his or her coach.

In response to these courageous women, what actions will the Minister of Sport commit to taking to stand up for young athletes in Canada?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Mr. Speaker, there is no tolerance of harassment of any kind. All Canadians deserve the opportunity to participate in a sport environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and abuse.

We have established a working group on gender equity in sport, which will examine a number of issues, including harassment, discrimination, and abuse in sport. All federally funded sport organizations must have anti-discrimination, harassment, and abuse policies in place to be eligible for funding. We will be announcing changes to strengthen our policy in the coming weeks.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Speaker, today, four victims of former national ski coach Bertrand Charest spoke publicly about their abuse. My thoughts are with Geneviève Simard, Anna Prchal, Gail Kelly, and Amélie-Frédérique Gagnon, who are only asking that young athletes be protected.

What is the minister going to do?

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

As I have said, there is no tolerance of harassment of any kind. We have established a working group on gender equity in sport, which will examine a number of issues, including harassment in sport. All federally funded sport organizations must have an anti-discrimination, harassment, and abuse policy in place to be eligible for funding. We will be announcing changes to strengthen that policy in the coming weeks.