House of Commons Hansard #406 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was seniors.
Chrystia Freeland LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and I agree about pretty much everything. Let me say that when it comes to the detained Canadians, this is—
Foreign AffairsOral Questions
The Speaker Geoff Regan
Order. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has the floor and today I am going to make sure I return it to her.
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Speaker, I do want to say to the hon. members opposite that these are people's lives. This is not a subject for heckling or railing. I take the detention of these two Canadians extremely seriously. I am in very close touch with their families. These are two very, very brave Canadians who are supported by wonderful families. We need to stand with them.
Scott Duvall NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government's talking points are not reassuring steelworkers, who are in Ottawa today to finally get some clear answers from the Liberals. The Liberals just do not seem to understand the urgency in protecting the steel industry and these good local jobs. Thousands of steelworkers have been left exposed after the Liberal government let steel safeguards expire last week. It is not complicated. The European Union has already put in place permanent safeguards to protect its workers.
Why can Canadian steelworkers not count on the Liberal government to do the same for them?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I would like to be very clear. Canadian steelworkers can count on this government. We will support steelworkers. We will support the steel industry.
We did receive the CITT report last week identifying that in two cases out of seven, safeguards were absolutely required. We have also said that we will continue to look at this issue, together with the industry, together with the workers, to make sure that we protect our industry in an appropriate fashion.
We have set an aggressive timeline to do so. We are looking at multiple measures that we think can be in support of the industry. We will firmly support that industry as we move through this process.
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, the one thing you could have done, you did not. Another day in Ottawa, another way Liberals are disrespecting the independence—
JusticeOral Questions
The Speaker Geoff Regan
I have to, of course, remind the hon. member to direct her comments to the Chair. When she says “you”, I think she is referring to me. The hon. member for Essex has the floor.
Tracey Ramsey NDP Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is another day in Ottawa, and another way the Liberals are disrespecting the independence of our court systems. Let us look at their record: SNC-Lavalin, interference with the former attorney general; leaking of judges' personal information, Liberals do not want to investigate; snooping on judicial candidates, “Let us check our Liberal database to see how good a Liberal they are.” When Canadians go to court, they need to know that judges are impartial, not whether they donated to the Liberals or had a big red Liberal lawn sign. Canadians deserve a government that takes the rule of law seriously.
I have a simple question. Will the Liberals stop running candidates through their private database?
David Lametti LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, our government has taken significant steps to ensure that the process for appointing judges is transparent and accountable to Canadians.
Our new process is effective. We have made almost 300 appointments since taking office. The diversity of these candidates is unprecedented; 55% of these judicial appointments or elevations are women.
We will continue to focus on merit-based appointments that create the highest-quality, most representative bench in Canadian history.
Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister broke his promise to balance the budget. Instead he is choosing to continue spending irresponsibly. This Liberal government has spent over $250 million on an Asian infrastructure bank, not in Canada, but in China, to build pipelines and roads in China.
When will this Prime Minister stop spending Canadians' money in China?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, we are investing in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with other countries. It is very important to have a bank that helps the countries facing the greatest challenges. That is important.
At this time, there is only one investment in China through the bank, and that investment will help improve our environment. That is crucial. At the same time, we must continue working with other countries to improve the global economy. That is very important to Canada as well.
Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. More than 40% of Canada's infrastructure budget has not been invested in our country, in our provinces or in our municipalities. This Prime Minister, who cannot tell China from Japan, is wasting Canadians' money by investing in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in China.
My question is simple. Can the Prime Minister explain why he is spending Canadians' money in China, even though Canadians right here at home have urgent needs?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Infrastructure and Communities
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
We are investing in Canada. We have 4,700 projects under way across the country to build roads and bridges, to invest in our communities and to make this country greener. Canadians watching us at home know that this government will always invest in 21st-century infrastructure, which will be more modern, greener and more resilient.
The Conservatives voted against all of these measures. We will continue to invest for Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, the foreign affairs minister has announced a massive diplomatic breakthrough with China. That country's leaders have given the Prime Minister the nickname “little potato”.
In order to reciprocate that gift, he provided them with a quarter of a billion dollars of Canadian tax money in the form of a contribution to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. That is no small potatoes, even for this spend-happy Prime Minister.
Will the government finally show some respect for taxpayers and cancel this waste of money?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, one of the things we know is that the environment is global. One of the things we know is that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has made one investment in China, and that is to help China get off coal so it can actually reduce emissions. What we also know is that the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is going to make investments in less-developed countries, investments that are going to help our global economy. We happen to understand that the Canadian economy is part of the global economy, so we will continue to work with other nations to make sure that we enhance our global economy and do it while also enhancing our environment.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
It is to get it off coal, Mr. Speaker, and yet just yesterday, Edward Cunningham, a specialist on China and energy markets at Harvard University, indicated that China is investing in 300 new coal-fired plants. That is after the quarter-billion-dollar handout this Prime Minister is giving China through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. That is our tax dollars for China. If this is really about getting off coal, how many tonnes of coal will the Chinese burn in the next decade?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to support an international effort to look at international development banks around the world. What are these banks intended to do? They are intended to help countries that are facing significant economic challenges address and meet those challenges for the future. That is something we will continue to do.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is an important development bank, one that is helping countries across Asia. We are proud to work together with like-minded countries, as the Prime Minister mentioned, such as Australia and Germany, in helping to make sure that—
FinanceOral Questions
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Mr. Speaker, veterans are tired of waiting for services. The Liberals have still not hired enough case managers to meet the needs of veterans in a timely manner. The case managers are essential, as they serve as a first point of contact and are key for severely disabled veterans, who face significant red tape. The ratio of case managers falls short of the Liberals' promise.
Veterans should have access to the benefits they are entitled to for serving our country. When will the promised number of case managers finally be hired?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is well aware that the previous Conservative government gutted the funding in the Department of Veterans Affairs. In fact, when it was done, there were only 190 case workers. Because of our investment in 2015, now there are well over 400 case workers at Veterans Affairs. In fact, we say yes to veterans when they come forward for help, which means that there is an over 60% increase in applications. Yes, we have supported and we will continue to support veterans in this country.
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, I do not need a lecture from the Liberals on the environment.
They continue to subsidize oil companies, and they bought an old $4.5-billion pipeline. That is not what you call leadership. The NDP is proposing a bold, concrete plan to make homes more energy efficient. Not only will this plan reduce greenhouse gases, but it will also create good jobs and save families a lot of money.
When will the government understand that it is possible to combat climate change and work for the people at the same time?
Sean Fraser LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to point out to the member that the things the NDP is talking about doing now we started doing several years ago. Just this past year, I made an announcement in Nova Scotia that would see energy efficiency measures implemented to not only make residential homes more efficient but to save money for residents by having their power bills come down every month. This is one of over 50 measures that make up our plan to fight climate change, including putting a price on pollution, investing in public transit to an extent we have never seen in the history of our country and investing in energy efficiency. There are over 50 measures that are going to make a real difference to help us transition to a clean economy and make life more affordable.
Bob Bratina Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, more and more, communities need our help adapting to the severe weather events that are being caused by climate change. Reducing the impact of natural disasters such as flooding is critical to keeping Canadian families safe, protecting local businesses and supporting a strong economy and the middle class. In my hometown of Hamilton, this is particularly true.
Can the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities update the House on what the government is doing to build climate resilience in cities like Hamilton?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Infrastructure and Communities
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his many years of being a champion for Hamilton.
Our government is committed to helping communities build the infrastructure they need to better withstand natural hazards, including floods. This is why we are investing $2 billion over 10 years in the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund. Recently I was in Hamilton to announce an investment of over $12 million toward a shoreline protection project.
We will continue to invest in Canadians. They know they can count on us, and we will continue to be there for them.