House of Commons Hansard #323 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was veterans.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, let me correct the record, because the Ethics Commissioner actually found the former minister of fisheries guilty of providing a contract that would benefit his family.
I can understand if my hon. colleagues have been put up to talk on this and haven't read the report, but they are continuing to absolutely deceive Canadians. Why do the minister and his colleagues continue to deceive Canadians?
Yvonne Jones LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade
Mr. Speaker, I have to reiterate that, first of all, we have all looked at this report thoroughly because as hon. members of the House, we always want to do what is right. We always want to make the right decision.
The commissioner has looked in detail into this particular situation and the report is very clear that no preferential treatment was given in this particular case. I want to make sure that the member understands that fully and that the process undertaken by the Ethics Commissioner was a full and thorough one.
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, guilty, guilty, guilty: guilty of breaking Canadians' trust, guilty of furthering his family's interests, guilty of Liberal entitlement, guilty of breaking ethics laws. The Prime Minister is the first one in the history of our country to be found guilty of breaking ethics laws.
When will the Prime Minister start holding his guilty ministers to account so everyday Canadians will no longer be bilked out of their money and their jobs?
Yvonne Jones LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade
Mr. Speaker, what a lecture that was. If we want to talk about being guilty, let me remind the members opposite of their time in government when they featured members in their own caucus in leg irons because of corruption. What about the former—
EthicsOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton
The hon. parliamentary secretary is just to my right and I am having quite the difficulty hearing what she has to say. I am sure that other members would be interested to hear her as well, so we will try to keep the noise down a bit.
The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade.
Yvonne Jones Liberal Labrador, NL
Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the members opposite, who stand today with these questions, about their time in government. I want to remind them about a member of their caucus who was taken out in leg irons. The former parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Harper actually served time in prison for violating the Elections Act, and they stand today and give us lessons in ethics?
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, today is World Alzheimer's Day, an annual event where people around the world come together to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, affects more than 400,000 Canadians aged 65 and older, two-thirds of whom are women. With Canada’s population living longer than ever before, this number is expected to grow.
Could the Minister of Health tell the House about the measures that our government has taken to help people with Alzheimer's?
Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell for his important question and his work. As a social worker and as a daughter, I have seen first-hand the significant impact that Alzheimer's disease and other dementias have on people's lives.
Helping Canadians affected by dementia and Alzheimer's is an absolute priority for our government, and that is the reason we invested an additional $20 million in budget 2018. We also launched the ministerial advisory group on dementia. Together, we will continue to work to make a difference in the lives of those living with dementia, including their families.
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal summer of failure in addressing the concerns of small business owners is causing serious harm and driving out investment from this country. The Liberals have been raising taxes on passive investment, limiting the sharing of business income, raising CPP premiums in 2019 and hiking EI premiums by 3%, plus putting a carbon tax on everything.
When will the finance minister stop failing small business, or does he believe, like the Prime Minister, that they are nothing but tax cheats?
Richard Hébert LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion
Mr. Speaker, that is why we lowered the small business tax rate to 9% to help business owners save up to $7,500 a year, reinvest in their businesses, and create more good jobs for the middle class.
Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 98% of all businesses, and 90% of jobs are created in the private sector. They are the backbone of our economy. We promised SMEs that we would help them, and that is what we are doing. We will never stop working for them.
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, today marks the one year anniversary of the signing of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Could the Minister of International Trade Diversification inform the House of the benefits that this agreement has provided to Canadian consumers and businesses?
Jim Carr LiberalMinister of International Trade Diversification
Mr. Speaker, since CETA came into effect one year ago today, Canadian exports have increased by $1.1 billion over the year prior to CETA. That is trade flowing on everything from chocolate to lumber to services. By putting the interests of the middle class first, more Canadian companies are benefiting from unprecedented access to half a billion consumers. This is the type of trade diversification to new markets that will position Canada for success for decades to come.
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, after the Liberals' summer of failures, can this government help out our Canadian businesses?
In Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, businesses are ready to invest in a new foreign workers co-operative to meet the urgent need for labour and to keep the businesses going.
I am calling on the Minister of Labour to find a solution for this project, which is not seeking any investment from the government, and to respond to the urgent need for labour back home.
Rodger Cuzner LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment
Mr. Speaker, I have been working on the temporary foreign worker file for five years now and there are very differing opinions from all the stakeholders. One thing they can agree on though is that Jason Kenney jigged this program up so bad it actually hurt Canadian workers and Canadian businesses. We are committed to making sure Canadians get first crack at the jobs. We are committed to making sure we do not have downward pressure on wages. We want to make sure foreign workers have the same health and safety protections as Canadian workers, but we want employers to have access to the jobs. He jigged it up. We will do our best to unjig it.
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in response to a question, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources said that the energy east pipeline could rise from the ashes if TransCanada wanted it to.
Worse yet, he said that the government would use exactly the same decision-making process that the Conservatives did. Never mind BAPE, Quebec's environmental protection agency, or Quebec's approval, and there will be no environmental assessment as provided for under Bill C-69.
I will give the government another chance. Can the parliamentary secretary confirm that he will use the same process the Conservatives used and that he has no intention of respecting Quebec's environmental laws?
Paul Lefebvre LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, it is so interesting to hear from the Bloc Québécois members who, a bit like the NDP, want nothing to do with building pipelines in Canada. Then there are the Conservatives who do not care about the environment or our obligations towards indigenous peoples.
As far as energy east is concerned, as I said, the process is in place. It is up to TransCanada to decide whether it wants to invest. It withdrew its investment and that is a business decision on their part.
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Mr. Speaker, in the September 15 edition of La Presse, we learned that the Minister of Environment issued a ministerial order regarding Montreal's port lands at Contrecoeur. Although I have no doubt that the minister's order addresses legitimate concerns, I would not want the government to use the chorus frog as an excuse to block the project.
We are talking about a $750-million investment and 15,000 jobs for families in the area.
I am looking for assurances. Does the government believe in the port of Montreal expansion project in Contrecoeur, yes or no?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Infrastructure and Communities
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Obviously, the port at Contrecoeur is an important issue for Montreal, Quebec and Canada. I am confident that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change will carefully examine the issue; she will have the opportunity to answer my colleague's questions in the House at a later date.
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I hope you will find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: That notwithstanding any standing order or usual practices of the House, Bill S-245, an act to declare the Trans Mountain pipeline project and related works to be for the general advantage of Canada, be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at the report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.
InfrastructureOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton
Does the hon. member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, three reports of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group.
The first concerns the Canadian/American Border Trade Alliance conference in Ottawa, Ontario, from May 6 to 8, 2018.
The second concerns the U.S. congressional meetings held in Washington, D.C., United States of America, from May 15 to 17, 2018.
The third concerns the 11th annual conference of the Southeastern United States-Canadian Provinces Alliance held in Mobile, Alabama, U.S.A., from June 3 to 5, 2018.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, when the House adjourns on Thursday, November 8, 2018, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, November 19, 2018, provided that, for the purposes of Standing Order 28, the House shall be deemed to have sat on Friday, November 9, 2018.
Sittings of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton
Does the parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?