House of Commons Hansard #3 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.

Topics

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. opposition House leader.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, the crisis that is being ignored is not only in Alberta and Saskatchewan. There is a crisis going on with forestry workers in British Columbia. Mills are shutting down and people are out of work, but there is no mention of a softwood lumber deal in the Speech from the Throne. At every turn, and we just saw it, these Liberals are turning a blind eye to half of this country. This is no way to lead this great nation.

When will the Prime Minister start acting in the interests of all Canadians, not just those he is trying to get votes from?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Seamus O'Regan LiberalMinister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, in 2017, our government made over $1.49 billion in funding and financing available to the forest sector, we launched our softwood lumber action plan to support workers and communities and we introduced funding through the strategic innovation fund specifically for forestry.

Building on our work to date, we will be including additional investments to help this sector innovate, diversify and grow.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I just want to say that some members have wonderful voices that carry very well. They just do not realize how strong their voices are. I am sure they are just whispering to the person next to them, so I just want to remind them to whisper even lower.

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, the throne speech clearly shows that the Liberals are only spouting rhetoric and not taking concrete action to meet Quebec's specific demands.

Even more surprising, the Bloc Québécois has agreed to fully support this throne speech, even though it pushed hard for Quebec's demands during the election campaign.

Can the Prime Minister tell us what he plans to do to specifically address the Quebec government's demands?

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, we work very well with the Government of Quebec, whether on culture, infrastructure or the environment.

There are 25 Quebec members in this place who love Quebec and stand up for Quebec.

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, there were calls for a single tax return for Quebeckers, a third link for the greater Quebec City area, and a solution to the problem of illegal border crossings.

On Friday, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities suggested that there is no third link project in the greater Quebec City area. However, the Quebec government earmarked $350 million for that project in its last budget.

The people of Quebec need to know where they stand, so can the Prime Minister tell us whether he supports the third link project for the greater Quebec City area, yes or no?

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of being in Quebec City last week, along with the Deputy Prime Minister. We had some excellent discussions on a wide range of topics with Mayor Labeaume and ministers from the Quebec government.

The day after our visit, I felt that the press reports properly reflected the Canadian government's willingness to work collaboratively with both the City of Quebec and the Government of Quebec for the well-being of all Quebeckers.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Scot Davidson Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund produced real results for the lake by improving water quality and restoring wildlife, but with more still to do, the Liberals cancelled the fund in 2017. After Canada's Conservatives committed to bringing it back, the Liberals finally followed suit. At least they know what a good idea is when they see one.

However, it looks like just another example of all talk and no action. There was no response to my letter to the Prime Minister and no mention in the throne speech.

Will the Liberal government restore the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, this government has invested significant dollars in water, in cleaning up water in the Great Lakes, in Lake Winnipeg and in lakes and rivers across the country.

We will continue to move forward to ensure that we are ensuring that water quality is safe and is effective on a go-forward basis.

Agriculture and Agri-foodOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, canola farmers in my riding and across the country have had a difficult year under the Liberals. They are in a desperate position because of lost access to markets in China, a railway strike and the higher cost of drying their oilseeds and grain because of the carbon tax. There are also three million acres of canola still buried by snow, yet last week's throne speech made no mention whatsoever of addressing this crisis.

Why do the Liberals not have a plan to help these struggling canola farmers?

Agriculture and Agri-foodOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Compton—Stanstead Québec

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, our government always stood shoulder to shoulder with our farmers and ranchers from the very beginning. We have reopened the market in China for beef and pork and we are working very hard to reopen the market for canola.

We are also making improvements to the business risk management programs because we know that the risks that our farmers are facing are different regarding commercial disruption as well, and we are working on that.

HealthOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, surveys ask the same question every election and always get the same answer. Health is Quebeckers' number one priority. Quebec and every province heard the will of their residents. Last week, they all demanded a 5.2% increase in health transfers.

Will the government respect the priority of Quebec, the provinces, and above all, the people?

HealthOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Thunder Bay—Superior North Ontario

Liberal

Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, our health care system is a symbol of pride, and we are making the necessary investments to keep it that way.

This year, more than $40 billion will go to the provinces and territories to support our health care system. We continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that our system meets the needs of people across the country.

HealthOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, a 5.2% increase in health transfers is the bare minimum needed to care for Quebeckers. We need money to hire much-needed nurses and doctors. We need money to improve quality of life for our seniors. We need money for home care.

Will the government listen to Quebeckers and increase health transfers to 5.2%?

HealthOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Thunder Bay—Superior North Ontario

Liberal

Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member opposite that our health care system is a symbol of who we are as Canadians, and we have been making significant investments to keep it strong. This year, for example, we will provide over $40 billion to the provinces and territories to support the system, over $6 billion more than the Harper Conservatives' last year in office. This is accompanied by our $11 billion investment in mental health and home care services, the largest in Canadian history.

We are going to continue to work hard together to make sure that our health care system delivers for all Canadians so they have equal access to quality care close to home.

HealthOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Mr. Speaker, we will not get an answer on the 5.2%.

Quebeckers are demanding an increase in health transfers. This is why the Bloc Québécois moved an amendment to the amendment to the throne speech to include an increase. We also added a clause about imposing royalties on web giants. We specified that trade agreements must not breach the supply management system anymore. In addition, our amendment to the amendment states that the government must respect Quebec's environmental protection and land use planning laws. These are all priorities for Quebec.

Will the government vote in favour of our amendment to the amendment to include these priorities in the throne speech, yes or no?

HealthOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, we are very aware of the demands of the Government of Quebec. We are good at working with others.

Earlier, I responded to my colleague's question on several files, including culture, infrastructure and the environment. It is clear to this government that the whole culutral issue and the importance of investing in our creators, artists and artisans are fundamental to what we do.

The government has invested more in culture than any other government in the history of Canada. In discussions, as I told my colleague, we are always prepared to look at others' ideas.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Glen Motz Conservative Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB

Mr. Speaker, Huawei and other Chinese telecommunications firms have been deemed a risk by Canadian national security experts. China is known to have hacked Canadian companies and governments and spread disinformation in our own country. China is not acting like a friend or a partner. We know that Huawei is a real threat that could compromise our Internet communications.

When will the Liberal government finally make the decision to ban Huawei?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Scarborough Southwest Ontario

Liberal

Bill Blair LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, while it is entirely inappropriate to speak of a particular company, a very thorough examination of the associated security and economic considerations in the 5G decision is well under way. We want to make sure that Canadians have access to the most beneficial 5G technology and, at the same time, we will make sure that Canadians are safe and that their systems will not be compromised.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, it is entirely appropriate to speak of Huawei. Our four Five Eyes allies banned the Chinese giant from the roll-out because they perceive Huawei as a threat to national security and privacy.

Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States banned Huawei. The Americans even warned us that Huawei could be a problem and would be required to give personal information to the Chinese government.

When will the Liberals ban Huawei? Would they rather see Canadians' personal information in the hands of the Chinese?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Scarborough Southwest Ontario

Liberal

Bill Blair LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunication networks very seriously. Since 2013, the Canadian security review program has worked to mitigate the cybersecurity risks that stem from designated equipment and services, including the companies mentioned.

We will continue to work with telecommunication service providers and the vendors through this collaborative program to mitigate the security concerns. We will examine all security, economic and global considerations when making this determination.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

When the hon. member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis asked a question, I was having a hard time hearing the answer. I want to remind everyone that when someone is answering a question not to shout across the floor. Again, as I said when we first started, what if members' children are watching? We do not want to be embarrassed.

The hon. member for Cloverdale—Langley City.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the voters of Cloverdale—Langley City for the honour of serving them in the House as their member of Parliament.

The recently defeated former minister of public safety, Ralph Goodale, had promised a decision on whether to ban Huawei before the recent election. Then he flip-flopped and said it would come immediately after. Here we are: Canada's allies have found serious security concerns about Huawei.

Will the Liberals do the right thing to protect Canadians from Chinese espionage and immediately ban Huawei from Canada's 5G network?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Scarborough Southwest Ontario

Liberal

Bill Blair LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member opposite and every member of the House that our national security agencies work tirelessly to identify all security threats and to protect Canadian interests. Our government respects scientific integrity, but we will continue to listen carefully to the advice of our public security officials as we make this important decision for Canadians.