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

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am a very proud Albertan and my family has been among the proud workers who have helped build our province and our country for generations. Now these same workers are struggling, but the government is not listening. The government needs to commit to working with Albertans to diversify our economy and to help create new jobs. The federal government can help people who have lost their jobs, before they lose hope.

When will Albertans finally get the support they deserve?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, we have invested more than $500 million in our western diversification agency, but we know that we have to do more and we know that we have to be there for the workers of western Canada.

It will be a pleasure to work with my colleague on this file.

Canadian HeritageOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, workers in Alberta need new jobs in a new economy. It is time to take action.

Speaking of inaction, the Liberals dragged their heels for years, refusing to go after web giants that do not pay their fair share and that believe they are above the law. This is hurting our artists. It is hurting our creators, our businesses and our regional media.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage is just getting to know his new portfolio, but can he provide any assurance right now that, come January, he will have a clear plan for keeping his promise and taxing web giants?

Canadian HeritageOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Laurier—Sainte-Marie Québec

Liberal

Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.

I would like to take a moment to thank the voters of Laurier—Sainte-Marie who did me the great honour of choosing me to represent them in the House. I also want to congratulate you on your election, Mr. Speaker.

I want to reassure my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. Our position is clear: anyone who profits from the system must contribute to it. We must protect our culture online, like everywhere else. Our laws predate the Internet, and we made a commitment to update them. That is what we will do. We made a commitment to do so in the first year of our term.

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC

Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank the people of Vimy for doing me the honour of letting me be their member of Parliament.

This morning, the finance minister tabled a notice of ways and means motion that proposes to lower taxes for the middle class and people working hard to join it by increasing the basic personal amount to $15,000 by 2023.

Can the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity tell the House what this change means for middle-class families?

FinanceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Ottawa—Vanier Ontario

Liberal

Mona Fortier LiberalMinister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, as our first order of business, we are lowering taxes for the middle class and people working hard to join it, in the member's riding of Vimy and all across the country.

Starting in 2020, this change will put more money in the pockets of Canadians by increasing the amount of money they can earn before paying federal income tax. Once this measure is fully implemented in 2023, it should allow nearly 20 million Canadians to save hundreds of dollars in taxes every year.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Colin Carrie Conservative Oshawa, ON

Mr. Speaker, over the course of the Prime Minister's time in office, Canada's status on the world stage has taken more hits than one could imagine. Whether he is dancing his way through India or suggesting that he admires China's basic dictatorship, the Prime Minister has embarrassed Canada every step of the way.

Last week, the Prime Minister was caught mocking the leader of our closest ally and biggest trading partner behind his back like a high school gossip. The Prime Minister is being parodied on network television.

When will the Prime Minister grow up and start taking his role seriously?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the hon. member and all Canadians that, thanks very much to the Prime Minister's work, we have an excellent working relationship with our American neighbours. Let me say, in the lives of ordinary Canadians, there is perhaps no issue in our relationship with the United States that matters more than trade.

The Prime Minister raised the ratification of the new NAFTA and other trade issues in his meeting last week with the President and we have been working intensively, including having many conversations over the weekend and this morning with our American partners, on getting the deal finalized.

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, seeing as this is my first time speaking in the House, I want to take this opportunity to thank the voters of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord for re-electing me. It is a privilege to represent them.

The Prime Minister went to another international summit and, as usual, there was another diplomatic incident. Meanwhile, our trade agreements and relations are paying the price, and our industries are suffering. While we wait for an agreement on softwood lumber to be signed, our forestry industry hangs in the balance.

How does the Prime Minister think his latest blunder will help our already struggling forestry industry?

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure my hon. colleague and all Canadians that our relations with our neighbours to the south are excellent, especially with regard to international trade.

I want to make it clear to all my colleagues and all Canadians that Canada has better access to the American market than any other country in the world today. This gives Canadians a major advantage, and we need to continue this important work.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, the environment minister says liquefied natural gas is a long way off from helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LNG can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal-generated electricity 60 to 90 megatonnes annually, the equivalent of 10% of Canada's annual greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention all the jobs it is going to create.

Why is the minister looking down on LNG when the minister should be trying to promote it?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, what my hon. colleague refers to is the discussions under article 6 that are going on at the Conference of the Parties in Madrid, which I and members of all the other parties in the House are attending for the rest of this week.

The focus of the discussions on article 6 is to set in place a framework to allow us to establish the basis for trade between parties. It is important that those are transparent, that there is no double counting and that there is integrity to the system.

We are focused on ensuring that the architecture is in place to enable us to look at an emissions trading system, but the first step is to ensure that it is real.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Marc Dalton Conservative Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC

Mr. Speaker, liquefied natural gas represents a great opportunity for Canada to be a world leader in clean energy, job creation and the global fight against climate change. However, the environment minister now says we have to be very careful with LNG.

Last month, 18,000 British Columbians lost their jobs. LNG is an amazing opportunity to help people get back to work.

Instead of the minister thumbing his nose at new jobs, why will he not stand up and defend LNG?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, the first step in this process is to ensure that we have in place rules that are real. Climate change is real. If we are going to allow for emissions trading in this world, it needs to be under a system that has integrity, that there is no double counting and that there is transparency in the system.

At the end of the day, the focus for all of us coming out of the election should be fighting climate change and ensuring we are doing our part from a domestic perspective to meet the targets to which we committed to our international partners. That is exactly what this government is going to do.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, we were all moved by Friday's ceremony to commemorate the anti-feminist attack at the École Polytechnique.

Thirty years ago, the lives of 14 women were cut short simply because they were women. However, 30 years later, the weapon used against them is still available. It is not even a restricted weapon. The Prime Minister said that these weapons have no place in our communities.

Will the government intervene to prohibit the weapon that was used to kill 14 women at the École Polytechnique?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Scarborough Southwest Ontario

Liberal

Bill Blair LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, our government has worked tirelessly over the past four years to better keep illegal guns off our streets by passing Bill C-71.

Much more needs to be done. In particular, we have spoken about the presence of military-style assault weapons that have no place in Canadian society. They are designed for the battlefield and not for our communities. For more than four decades, police chiefs across the country have been calling for the banning of these weapons. We heard the most compelling and heartfelt testimony from the victims of the terrible crime at École Polytechnique just on Friday.

We will continue to listen to Canadians and we will have more to say about the next steps in the very near future.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Simon Marcil Bloc Mirabel, QC

Mr. Speaker, someone needs to stop listening and do his job.

We have been talking about this for 30 years. It is time to take action. The government can do it. We support the government in its desire to ban assault weapons, but the weapon used to kill 14 young women in a school in 1989 must be added to the list of prohibited weapons.

Will the government commit to prohibiting the Ruger Mini-14 and implement a buyback program for those who own such a weapon?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Scarborough Southwest Ontario

Liberal

Bill Blair LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, I hope that in the coming days everyone in the House will have an opportunity to do his or her job and to keep Canadians safe.

We are compiling a list of those weapons that will meet the definition of military style assault weapons and it will be published at the appropriate time.

I would simply remind the member opposite that would we release the names of those weapons prior to the publication of that order in council, it would merely precipitate a surge of sales in the market, which is something no one wants to see happen.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Mr. Speaker, families across western Canada are hurting. People in my riding tell me their stories about losing their jobs and are forced to sell their homes. In the last two years, over $100 billion worth of investments in the energy sector have been cancelled.

Bill C-69, the no more pipelines bill, is going to make that even worse. Hundreds of thousands Canadians are out of work because of failed Liberal policies. Many premiers are united against Bill C-69.

When will the Liberals listen and amend their job-killing legislation?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, certainly all Canadians are worried about the economic issues that are faced by the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The Impact Assessment Act, which is now in force, was intended to enable projects to move speedily through the environmental assessment program so good projects could be built. It is far superior legislation to what was put into place in 2012, which has resulted in numerous project delays.

It is important for us that we have a process that will protect the environment, that will enable strong, robust economies across the country, and that is exactly what the Impact Assessment Act does.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, after four years of this Liberal government, Canada has never been so divided. The problem is that the provinces have been pitted against one another and what was just local and quaint at the time, that is “Wexit”, has now become a compelling political reality.

The government is doing absolutely nothing to resolve this situation. Even worse, 200,000 Canadians have lost their jobs in the energy sector. One way to get these people back to work would be to scrap Bill C-69.

Why does the government not do that? The bill was condemned by the Government of Quebec.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

3 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, the Impact Assessment Act kept an important promise that we made to Canadians, and that is to reform a broken system and restore public confidence in how decisions are made about major projects.

The best rules that we put in place to review major projects will cut assessment times in half, increase transparency, protect the environment and encourage investment.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the Prime Minister said he was open to “making improvements if necessary” to his anti-energy, anti-business Bill C-69. We assure him that it is necessary, because more than 200,000 Canadians have already lost their oil and gas jobs, over $100 billion in major projects are gone and those losses hurt all sectors in all provinces.

However, last spring, the Liberals rejected 80% of amendments to fix the bill. Today, every single premier still wants major changes.

When will the Liberals finally overhaul their Bill C-69?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

3 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, the Impact Assessment Act has been put in place to ensure that good projects can move ahead, that we can ensure that the environment is protected, that good projects proceed and that investments proceed. It is a far superior process to what was put in place when Stephen Harper gutted the environmental assessment process in 2012. It will ensure that good projects proceed.

This morning I had the opportunity to meet with the minister of environment for Alberta. We discussed this issue. We have been consistent in saying that we are open to how we actually implement that. We will work together with all provinces and territories from coast to coast to coast.

HomelessnessOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

Mr. Speaker, according to the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, “Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy” is the single most important change in national homelessness agenda for over 20 years, and we are seeing the positive results across Canada. Although we have made great progress, we know there is still work to be done.

Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development please explain to the House how we will achieve our goal of reducing the number of chronically homeless people in Canada by 50%?