Debates of Dec. 12th, 2019

Agriculture

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as this is my first opportunity to rise in the House, I would like to thank the residents of Chatham—Kent—Leamington for the opportunity to serve.

The Liberal failure to apply for the negligible risk status with the World Organisation for Animal Health last July was a shocking sign of incompetence. Because of this ridiculous misstep, Canadian-fed cattle cannot be sold into the U.S. market.

Why then did the Prime Minister reappoint the same agricultural minister after she missed an application deadline that is costing our Canadian farmers dearly?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand with ranchers and farmers. We know how important it is for the beef sector to be granted negligible BSE risk status.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with the beef sector to develop a strong submission to the World Organisation for Animal Health for the spring of 2020.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind hon. members, whether they are making a statement or shouting across the hall, that certain words should not be said in Parliament. I am sure hon. members do not want to be pointed out, but I want to remind everyone that certain words are borderline and are somewhat offensive.

The hon. member for Whitby.

Social Development

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time I rise in the House, I want to thank the residents of Whitby for electing me.

This government's Canada child benefit is the most innovative social policy in a generation. It has put more money, tax-free, in the pockets of nine out of 10 families and has helped lift nearly 300,000 children out of poverty.

Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development tell the House how this government will build on the success of the CCB and continue to provide assistance to parents and children who need it most?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the hon. member for Whitby on his election to the House.

Our government introduced and increased the Canada child benefit precisely to help families meet the rising costs of raising children. We also recognize there is more work to do on this issue. That is why we will be boosting the Canada child benefit by an additional 15% for kids under the age of one. This will ensure that up to $1,000 more will go directly to families when they need it the most.

Infrastructure

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, residents in eastern Ontario have been waiting more than six months for an answer from the federal government on key infrastructure dollars.

Back in July, several projects, like the Morrisburg streetscape project and the Kemptville County Road 43 widening, were approved by the Ontario government. With no reply from the current government, another construction season has been lost to get shovels in the ground.

When will the federal government's dither-and-delay approach end so municipalities in rural eastern Ontario can get these projects built?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand with Canadians, particularly those in small rural communities, to ensure they maintain the health and vitality of their communities by investing in infrastructure.

We are working closely with municipalities as well as the provinces that are nominating initiatives. We have a small communities fund carved out in our infrastructure envelope worth $2 billion. We look forward to connecting Canadians in smaller communities so we can all thrive.

Public Safety

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in August, the chief of police for the city of Toronto shared the shocking news that over 300 people accused of firearms charges were walking free on bail, free to terrorize the GTA.

Criminals know the punishment does not fit the crime. They know they have a long list of rights and their victims have none.

Why is the Liberal government putting the rights of criminals before the rights of their victims and innocent firearms owners in places like Parry Sound—Muskoka?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, we take the safety of all Canadians in every community very seriously. That is precisely why our government is going to strengthen gun control. We are going to ensure that police and prosecutors have the tools and resources they need to keep their communities safe. We are going to invest in kids and communities to help them make better decisions.

We are taking real action to deal with violence in all our communities. We are taking action to keep our neighbourhoods safe and to deal with gun and gang violence. We are taking real action to reduce rural crime. We are taking real action to reduce violence against women and vulnerable people.

Canadian Heritage

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, media are reporting that a public servant at the Department of Canadian Heritage was punished for criticizing the Prime Minister. Manjot Bains said in an interview that she was shocked when she saw the Prime Minister do blackface. She said it did not make sense for anyone to do that, regardless of the year. When the interview was brought to the attention of her superiors, she was reprimanded.

Could the government confirm if this media report is true?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, our world-class public servants do incredible work for Canadians and we thank them for their efforts.

Employees at the Ministry of Canadian Heritage work under a specific set of rules stated in its code of conduct. This is in addition to the rules of the Public Service Commission set out for all civil servants.

There is an ongoing grievance on this specific case and we cannot further comment.

Small Business

[Lyne Bessette, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, November 19 was Women's Entrepreneurship Day. It was an opportunity to reflect on the advancement of women entrepreneurs. We still have a lot of work to do, but the future is promising, as 39% of the new businesses created in 2018 are led by women.

Can the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade provide the House with an update on the women's entrepreneurship strategy?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, as this is my first time speaking in the House, I want to thank the people of Markham—Thornhill for their confidence in me to represent them here.

Our government is committed to the success of women entrepreneurs and women-led and owned businesses. It is why we invested $2 billion in the first ever women's entrepreneurship strategy. This investment is going to add up to $150 billion to the Canadian economy by 2026.

We are proud to double the number of female entrepreneurs, helping them export and create more good jobs for middle-class Canadians.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on the west coast we are facing a wild salmon emergency with disastrous effects for our region. Historic lows in wild salmon returns and the near extinction of some iconic runs require urgent action from the government. The situation has been getting worse. We need new investment now for Pacific wild salmon habitat restoration, enhancement and protection.

Will the minister let Pacific wild salmon go the way of the Atlantic cod or will she address this crisis with an emergency relief package? Will she act now?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time I rise in the House, I want to thank the people of South Shore—St. Margarets for re-electing me. I would also like to congratulate the hon. member across the way for his re-election. I look forward to working with him on issues that are important to all Canadians.

Wild Pacific salmon are extremely important to our economy and our culture in B.C. We know how important that is. That is why we will continue to work with our stakeholder groups and our partners to make sure that we continue to work with this important species.

We look forward to working across the way with all members of the House to deal with these issues.

Natural Resources

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is considering approving the Teck Frontier Mine in northern Alberta. It will become one of the largest oil sands mines in Canada and generate a massive increase in carbon emissions, destroying nearly 3,000 hectares of old-growth forest and 14,000 hectares of wetlands.

Some affected first nations were not consulted because they are in the Northwest Territories. They oppose this project.

Will the government do the right thing and say no to Teck Frontier?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague that under the new Impact Assessment Act we will do our homework. We oversee fair and thorough environmental assessments that are grounded in science, evidence and indigenous traditional knowledge.

This is a major project. We are very conscious of what our government will need to decide on in the next year or so in the context of a range of factors.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to move the following motion: That this House resolve to grant Raif Badawi honorary Canadian citizenship.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am sorry, but I cannot hear what the hon. member is saying and I know that other members cannot hear her either. If we cannot hear her it is hard to determine whether we agree with her or not. I will allow the hon. member for Saint-Jean to continue.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my motion: That this House resolve to grant Raif Badawi honorary Canadian citizenship.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Business of the House

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to rise today. I think it is only our second Thursday and will be our last Thursday question before we rise for the Christmas holidays, so I will begin by wishing everyone in this place a very merry Christmas, happy holidays and the very best of health and happiness for 2020.

I also want to wish you a very merry Christmas, Mr. Speaker. Congratulations again on being elected as our Speaker, and I hope that your 2020 is a very good year.

On behalf of all of us in the Conservative caucus, I wish the clerks, the pages, everyone who serves and looks after us in such an excellent way and everyone on the Hill a very merry Christmas and all the best in the new year.

I also would like to ask our hon. government House leader if he could please let us know the business for the rest of this week.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will resume debate on the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. We will continue this debate tomorrow as well.

I would like to sincerely thank all parties for their co-operation in the past week. At the same time, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members a very merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah and the warmest regards for the holidays. May everyone profit from the time away with their families and friends.

In a like manner, I want to thank the people who make this place run as smoothly as it does, beginning with the Clerk, Mr. Charles Robert, and his most capable team of House officers, as well as the pages, the interpreters and the support staff of the House who feed us, keep this place clean and keep us safe.

May this special time of year bring peace and joy. I offer my heartfelt wishes to all for a very happy new year.