Debates of Dec. 9th, 2019

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2019-20

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

Madam Chair, subsequent to an incomplete report on changes made to the government's $186.7-billion infrastructure spending plan, the Parliamentary Budget Officer asked for an investment plan. He was told that no such plan existed.

How can the President of the Treasury Board accept that almost $200 billion were spent without a plan?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, it is fantastic to be able to answer this question. The plan is why we were elected in 2015 and why we were elected again in 2019. Unlike other philosophical approaches that lack ambition for Canada, it is an extraordinary plan that I am always happy to discuss.

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

Madam Chair, he is going to talk about a plan that does not exist, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Canadians have been saddled with tax increases and massive deficits. The government's plan did not generate the economic growth it promised. The Parliamentary Budget Officer noted that the infrastructure spending had not increased Canada's level of real GDP.

How does the government plan to make up for this abject failure?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I want to quickly compare the years before 2015 and the years after 2015. In the 10 years prior to 2015, Canada experienced its lowest level of growth since the 1930s.

Since 2015, Canada has one of the top economies in the developed world. Our unemployment rate is at an all-time low.

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

Madam Chair, if the President of the Treasury Board is so fond of criticizing governments, I should remind him that his is a minority government. Things can change faster than he thinks.

In its first three years, the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which costs $35 billion, did not fulfill its mandate. Canadians are still waiting to benefit from these investments.

Can the President of the Treasury Board tell us how much each director is paid by taxpayers?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I am always very pleased to provide the information requested by my colleague. Most of it is already available on the Internet. If he has trouble finding it, I am happy to direct him to the right spot.

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

Madam Chair, I am going to take him up on that.

During the 2015 election campaign, the Prime Minister promised to eliminate all the long-term drinking water advisories in first nations communities by March 2021. Since then, 87 long-term advisories have been lifted, but 57 remain and many of the 87 have been reissued.

Why is the government giving these communities false hope?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Madam Chair, there is a big difference between a long-term and a short-term advisory. None of the advisories that have been lifted have been reissued.

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

Madam Chair, the government and the Parliamentary Budget Officer disagree on the real cost of drinking water and sewage infrastructure in indigenous communities. Who are we to believe?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Chair, systems on the reserves are now maintained at a lower cost.

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

Madam Chair, the federal government is refusing to talk about a third link, and it is refusing to acknowledge that a proposal to build a third link between Quebec City and Lévis even exists. Why?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, the federal government has invested record amounts of money in Quebec since 2015. In my riding alone, we invested $1.2 billion. That is the biggest investment any federal government has ever made in the riding—

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

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

Madam Chair, can the President of the Treasury Board say the name of the project, the third link between Quebec City and Lévis?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, with all due respect, I know my region better than my colleague does, because I live there, as does my family. I can say that the infrastructure issues in the Quebec City area are the subject of ongoing discussions and collaborative efforts with the Government of Quebec.

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

Madam Chair, I would like to note that the President of the Treasury Board was once again unable to mention the third link in his reply.

I would like to say to the President of the Treasury Board that I, too, am from the Chaudière-Appalaches region and therefore I am very familiar with my region. I regularly use the links between Quebec City and Lévis.

Will egg and poultry farmers receive compensation by the end of 2019?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank my colleague for reminding me that he also has the good fortune and the pleasure of spending time in the Quebec City area. We are both lucky. I invite him to come and see us regularly in the national capital. In Quebec City, we are very welcoming and always look forward to seeing them. With respect to compensation, as I recently stated, not only is it forthcoming, but sometimes—

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

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

Madam Chair, the President of the Treasury Board is talking about dairy producers. I am talking about egg and poultry producers who were abandoned by the government.

Why?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, this is an important opportunity to note how important and beneficial it was over the past few years for the federal government to work in a respectful manner with all sorts of producers. We look forward to continuing this collaboration.

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

Madam Chair, why did the federal government not provide any compensation for egg and poultry producers? These are the other two supply-managed sectors in Canada, something the President of the Treasury Board seems to fail to realize.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I know my colleague to be intelligent and knowledgeable. He knows full well that the Canadian government is working with all agricultural producers affected by the agreement that was negotiated with Europe and Asia. We look forward to and are very interested in continuing to work with them.

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

Madam Chair, can the minister tell us when the full details regarding compensation for dairy farmers for this year and subsequent years will be announced?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, the beautiful thing about this discussion is that many people can take part. If it were a monologue, the federal government would decide on its own the steps, terms and conditions under which farmers and the government will work. We are fortunate to be working closely with the people involved.

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

Madam Chair, last week the Minister of National Revenue said that the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois should be ashamed for asking for a single tax return for Quebeckers.

Can the government tell us whether it plans to act on this request to allow Quebeckers to file a single tax return?