House of Commons Hansard #399 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was including.
JusticeOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, we are very concerned about the release of details pertaining to the most recent Supreme Court of Canada justice selection process.
The appointment process is sound. It is merit-based and guarantees that our most eminent jurists are included on the short list. Let me reiterate that Canadians should have full confidence in the administration of justice.
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Madam Speaker, when news broke of the Liberals' $10-million payout to a terrorist, they launched a massive investigation, but when sensitive information was leaked about Judge Glenn Joyal to distract from the SNC scandal, nothing. This information could have only come from the highest levels of the PMO.
The Minister of Justice says he is deeply troubled, but he refuses to launch an investigation. Is that because he already knows the answer? If so, who did it?
JusticeOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, I will add to the response I just gave in French. We want to underscore that the integrity of the very process we are talking about depends on the confidentiality of all parties involved. As we have said, we are troubled by the publication of personal details about the Supreme Court justice selection process. It is unfair for any of the parties involved to see their names used this way in the media, and it is absolutely wrong to weaponize personal information for political purposes.
Pat Kelly Conservative Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB
Madam Speaker, when their $10.5-million payout to a convicted terrorist was leaked, the Liberals immediately launched an investigation that spanned six departments and agencies. When another leak smearing a judge came out, the new Attorney General just put out a tweet. This leak was obviously another damage control exercise to spin the former attorney general's resignation and to generate Liberal backbench support for her eventual caucus expulsion.
Will the Attorney General investigate this leak, or is he too afraid of where it will end?
JusticeOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, we underscore that Canadians should have complete confidence in the administration of justice and complete confidence in the selection process used for Supreme Court justices. It is merit-based and it considers Canada's finest jurors for the short list. We have taken great pains to ensure that the hon. Kim Campbell leads up that selection process. We have ensured the bilingualism of Canadian judges. What we will always do is defend that institution and its important role in our democracy and in upholding the rule of law.
Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Madam Speaker, the Liberals launched a massive investigation into six different departments to find the source of the shameful payout to a convicted terrorist, but when confidential information about an honourable judge is leaked, it is no big deal. This is highly sensitive information that only a handful of people close to the Prime Minister could have known. Why are the Liberals more concerned about protecting the privacy of a convicted terrorist than of a judge who spent his entire life serving Canada?
JusticeOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, as I indicated, the Department of Justice is deeply troubled by the publication of personal details concerning the recent selection process. What we can state is what has already been stated. The Prime Minister stated that the leak did not come from his office, and the Minister of Justice understands that the leak did not come from the justice minister's office either.
Sheri Benson NDP Saskatoon West, SK
Madam Speaker, canola growers are major contributors to our rural communities and to our national economy. It is unacceptable that they are forced to pay the price for Canada's strained relationship with China. The ban on canola imposed by China is hurting western Canada, and Liberals do not seem to get the urgency of stepping up to fix it. Our producers deserve better.
Will the Prime Minister's Office send a trade envoy to China to solve the canola seed ban face to face, yes or no?
Agriculture and Agri-FoodOral Questions
Marie-Claude Bibeau Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.
Madam Speaker, I can assure my colleague that this has been a top priority for our government and for me for more than one month now. I am working closely with my counterparts from the provinces, with industry and with the CFIA. We are having constant conversations with Chinese officials. I have asked for a delegation to go to China, and I expect an answer shortly. I can assure everyone that we are taking this very seriously, and we have the support of the industry.
Sheri Benson NDP Saskatoon West, SK
Madam Speaker, this week, CMHC unveiled its new strategic plan at the 51st annual Canadian Housing & Renewal Association's national congress. The CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness says that the plan has a critical gap. It does nothing to embed the right to housing.
Canadians cannot wait any longer for Liberal talk to turn to action. We have a housing crisis, and the Liberals refuse to solve it. When will they join the NDP and housing experts and finally enshrine the right to housing in law?
Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalMinister of Families
Madam Speaker, our government's mandate is about growing the economy, growing the middle class and helping more Canadians join the middle class, and that comes with important actions and investments in housing to make sure that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. In fact, we have launched the first-ever national housing strategy, a new era for partnership and leadership in Canada, and that comes with the right of every Canadian to be housed decently and appropriately.
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Madam Speaker, after a decade of the Harper Conservatives ignoring their needs in favour of boutique tax credits that only benefited the wealthy, our government has introduced measures that ensure that when lower-income workers file their taxes, they will get to keep more of their hard-earned paycheques.
Will the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development tell the House how the new Canada workers benefit will provide real support to more than two million Canadians who are working hard to join the middle class?
Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalMinister of Families
Madam Speaker, giving every Canadian a real and fair chance to succeed is at the core of our mandate, and that is why we have introduced the Canada child benefit and the new Canada workers benefit, which is going to automatically enrol two million low-income Canadians, putting more income in their pockets for them to make ends meet. That is why 75,000 of them will be lifted out of poverty, and that is why we are going to continue to work very hard to give all those Canadians working hard to join the middle class the help they need and deserve.
Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON
Madam Speaker, when Liberal interference in shipbuilding was revealed, the PMO put its top issues person on the case: Zita Astravas. She previously worked with Gerry Butts and Katie Telford in the office of Dalton McGuinty when code words were used to hide the disclosure of documents in the gas plant scandal. Now Ms. Astravas is being questioned about code words used to prevent disclosure in the Mark Norman trial.
Will the defence minister confirm to this House today whether code words were used with respect to the disclosure of documents in the Vice-Admiral Mark Norman affair?
National DefenceOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, the prosecution in question that has been underscored here is being handled by the PPSC, which operates independently from the Department of Justice and the office of the Attorney General. Counsel to the Attorney General is fulfilling all its obligations before the court with respect to the ongoing third-party records application. It is absolutely improper to comment further on this issue, as the matter is before the courts. The member opposite knows this as a lawyer, and we will not, despite his pleadings, intervene in a matter and fetter the discretion of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON
Madam Speaker, when Gerry Butts was the principal secretary to Dalton McGuinty, code words were used to avoid disclosure of gas plant documents. When Gerry Butts became the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, we now know that code words were used to deprive Mark Norman of the documents he needs to defend himself.
Can the defence minister handle that truth? What was the code word used for the set-up of Mark Norman or did he order the code red on Mark Norman?
National DefenceOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, let me explain this in crystal-clear words. The reason why we observe the sub judice convention is that currently in this proceeding, in the Ontario Court of Justice, a judge is deliberating about the records that the member has just raised. We do not want to actually influence or to be seen to be influencing that judge in their deliberations because that would be improper. It is improper for members of the government and improper for any members of this House.
The hon. member knows this, as did his former colleague, the hon. Peter Van Loan, who said, specifically, that members are expected to refrain from discussing such matters. That was the hon. Peter Van Loan. I perhaps urge the member opposite to listen to his former colleague.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Madam Speaker, the Liberals claim to want to protect jobs in Quebec. They say that everything they did in the SNC-Lavalin affair was to protect jobs, but SNC-Lavalin jobs were never in jeopardy, and everyone knows it.
When the Liberals came to power in 2015 they did everything in their power to undermine Davie shipyard and to prevent it from building the Asterix and employing 1,000 workers.
Why did the Prime Minister want to cancel this contract?
Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions
Arif Virani Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Lib.
Madam Speaker, the issue of this matter, in respect to the important issue of Vice-Admiral Norman, is before the courts. The Ontario Court of Justice presently is deliberating on this very issue. We have an opposition day motion. We now have opposition questions. They are proposing questions that relate to that court process.
The reason why it is improper for both the questions and the responses to touch on that matter is that it could either improperly influence, or be seen to influence, that judge in his or her deliberations. We take the judge's role seriously, as should all members of this House.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Madam Speaker, unfortunately my colleague did not listen to my question, which had nothing to do with Vice-Admiral Norman.
In 2015, the Royal Canadian Navy needed a supply ship and the Davie shipyard had the perfect solution. The Conservative Party approved construction of the Asterix. Right after the election, however, the Prime Minister and his people did their level best to cancel the project. When we found out that the Liberals were scheming to halt construction of the Asterix, we leaned on them and they were forced to sign the contract on November 20, at 5 p.m.
Now they want to punish the person who blew the whistle on their scheme. Why?
JusticeOral Questions
Steven MacKinnon Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, Lib.
Madam Speaker, we are proud that we got the ship built. The Harper government certainly never managed as much during the decade it spent chipping away at our armed forces.
We are proud of the Davie shipyard workers who put their collective shoulder to the wheel to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with a supply ship that is doing Canada proud around the world.
We are proud of the Davie shipyard and we are proud to have given it the contract.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Madam Speaker, the Federal Court has ruled a DFO policy of not screening B.C. farmed salmon for a lethal virus that has the potential to infect wild chinook salmon is unlawful. Justice Cecily Strickland ruled that the federal policy unlawfully allows juvenile farmed Atlantic salmon to be transferred into open-net pens without testing them for the virus.
Will the minister finally apply the precautionary approaches dictated by law and test for PRV before transferring farmed fish to open-net pens in our oceans? Will he listen to the courts and protect wild salmon?
Fisheries and OceansOral Questions
Sean Casey Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.
Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague would be well aware of the various measures that have been taken by this government with respect to the protection and preservation of wild salmon in British Columbia. We are well aware of this decision. We are now determining what the next steps are.
However, this government is focused on the preservation of wild salmon stocks in B.C.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
I just want to remind members to allow individuals to ask their questions and respond without being interrupted.
The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Madam Speaker, the government is failing to protect our waterways. According to a new survey released today, nine out of 10 people are worried about the impact of plastic waste on the environment, and 82% believe that the Liberals should be doing more to tackle it. New Democrats passed a unanimous motion on ocean plastics and we announced that we would ban single-use plastics by 2021. While the Liberals are still talking about a national strategy, the EU and India are already taking action to ban single-use plastics.
When are the Liberals going to take plastic pollution seriously and take real action?