Debates of May 1st, 2019

International Trade

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a busy time for farmers and their families across our country as they start spring seeding. We know farmers are looking for more certainty and security as we work to maintain full access to China and create new opportunities for them to grow their business. Can the Prime Minister tell us what our government will do for canola producers to help them through this challenging time?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Calgary Centre for his hard work and his advocacy for all Albertans. Working closely with the grain sector, exporters and provinces will secure an unrestricted market access for Canada's world-class canola.

We are ensuring farmers have the security they need leading into this year's season. Today we announced we will support farmers with changes to the advance payments program. We are increasing the maximum loan limit for all farmers to $1 million from $400,000, and for canola farmers, we are increasing the interest-free portion to $500,000 from $100,000.

We are working around the clock, and Canada's farmers should know that we have their backs.

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, since the Trans Mountain expansion was proposed, the private sector has built 35,000 kilometres of new oil pipelines in the United States.

Meanwhile, the Liberals spent a quarter of a billion Canadian tax dollars to build pipelines in Asia. When the Liberals spent $4.5 billion on the Trans Mountain pipeline, they said they would build the expansion immediately. However, not a single inch of new pipeline is in service in Canada under the Liberals.

The Liberal leader needs to tell Canadians when the Trans Mountain expansion will be built.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as we can see, the Conservatives do not really understand that for 10 years they could not get it done for a very simple reason: They refused to listen to environmental concerns from communities and they refused to partner with indigenous peoples. That has hurt our oil industry. It has hurt energy projects across this country.

That is why, when we got elected, we committed to working in partnership with indigenous peoples and working to protect our environment at the same time. That is exactly what we are doing, as we move forward with energy projects in the right way. That is what Canadians expect.

International Trade

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives support Canadian investments abroad, provided they make sense.

The Liberal government has decided to invest $256 million of taxpayer money over the next five years in an infrastructure investment bank in China.

Need I remind the government that China has decided to boycott and embargo canola and is blatantly violating the rights of Canadians in China? Members may recall the Liberal leader's unfortunate remarks expressing a level of admiration for China's basic dictatorship.

Will he acknowledge that it makes no sense to send $256 million of taxpayer money over there?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are playing politics once again. It is misleading of them to suggest that if we stopped the funding that is going towards landslide mitigation in Sri Lanka, flood management in the Philippines and irrigation modernization in Indonesia, it would not be good for Canada or for our role in the world.

We are going to keep making sound investments by focusing on infrastructure here at home and around the world, investments that help people and promote peace, security and prosperity around the globe.

Finance

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when leaders in China dismissed the Prime Minister as “little potato”, he thought they meant it as a compliment—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I want to remind the hon. member for Carleton that we cannot do indirectly what we cannot do directly. I would like him to avoid terms that might be considered insulting under the rules.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, order. Shall we continue or not? Order.

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister reciprocated by giving a quarter of a billion Canadian tax dollars to the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a bank designed to build pipelines, roads and bridges in China, the same country that is punishing our farmers and imprisoning our citizens.

Will the Prime Minister show even a modicum of respect for Canadian taxpayers and cancel that wasteful expenditure of our tax dollars?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what the member opposite is saying is simply not true.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is actually designed to support clean and green infrastructure investments throughout Asia, including in some of the world's most underdeveloped countries, including things like landslide mitigation in Sri Lanka, flood management in the Philippines and irrigation modernization in Indonesia.

Canada has a role to play on the world stage, including with our world-class infrastructure know-how. As we build here in Canada and around the world, we will continue to do that. That the Conservatives continue to mislead Canadians is really unfortunate.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, green infrastructure? Since the Prime Minister announced his quarter-billion-dollar gift to the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, China has quietly resumed construction on dozens of previously shelved coal-fired plants, according to satellite images. It is going to increase the production of coal-fired electricity by 50,000 megawatts since he announced his quarter-billion-dollar gift.

Now that we know this has nothing to do with development or helping the poor, but instead with helping the wealthy and the well connected in China, will he do the right thing and cancel this quarter-billion-dollar gift?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are trying to invent and torque an issue to scare Canadians when in fact Canadians are part of a bank through which we join countries like Australia, France, Germany, India, Italy, South Korea and the U.K. in promoting inclusive global economic growth. Their desire to score cheap partisan points while we desire to build a better future for everyone around the world could not be in more marked contrast. We know Canadians are going to have a clear and positive choice that they get to make come this October.

Transportation

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, with the end of STC and Greyhound service, many people living in Saskatchewan are unable to safely travel within the province.

The Minister of Transport recently said, “Intercity bus services are important for the people of British Columbia and for Canadians across the country, particularly for those in Indigenous, rural and remote communities where other transportation options do not exist.” That description sounds an awful lot like Saskatchewan.

If the minister truly believes this, then why is he only providing money for intercity public transportation for British Columbia and not for Saskatchewan?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the federal government is willing to step up and support communities affected by the Greyhound bus service closure. We were happy to work with B.C. We would encourage the member opposite to encourage the Saskatchewan government to partner with us, as a federal government, as we look to better support and serve indigenous communities and remote communities right cross the country, including in Saskatchewan.

Public Safety

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, one year ago, the city of Grand Forks was inundated by flood waters. More than once, the Minister of Public Safety has stood in this House and assured Grand Forks that the federal government would “always, in every case, be there”, but on April 18, the federal government told Grand Forks that its application for a natural disaster mitigation program grant had been turned down.

The people of Grand Forks cannot live through another devastating flood without adequate protection, so I ask the Prime Minister why the government is refusing to help.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have helped all Canadians affected by flooding this year and in past years, including indigenous communities like Kashechewan. First responders are working hard right across the country alongside neighbours and friends, working hard to keep people safe. We are doing everything we can to support the response effort throughout the affected areas of Canada. Canadians can rest assured the Canadian Armed Forces are ready to support and serve alongside our federal, provincial and municipal partners, who are working diligently in service of the citizens in need.

We have $2 billion in the disaster assistance program. We look forward to working with all communities in helping them out.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would encourage the hon. member for Edmonton West to speak when it is his turn to speak and not at other times.

He suggests he was trying to help. There are other ways to do that.

The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

Ethics

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals sold a ticket for a Liberal fundraiser to the CEO of an American marijuana company. They had to refund him, since this type of fundraising is illegal.

The American company posted photos on Twitter of Mr. Jenkins, the president and CEO of Frelii, and the Liberal leader taken at the April 5 event. In one of these photos the two men can be seen having a conversation.

Can the Prime Minister tell us what they talked about?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we brought in reforms of the rules for—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. It is nice that members seem to be in a good mood and celebrating something, but we need to hear the answer and we need to hear each other. Let us try to stay calm for the rest of question period.

The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the party became aware of this issue, it immediately returned the contributions.

The more important question is why the Conservative opposition leader continues to hold secret fundraisers. Our fundraisers are held in public. We invite the media to participate in them. Meanwhile, the Conservatives continue to hold secret fundraisers in big private homes without—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for Thornhill.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, have you heard the one about the American marijuana magnate who strolled into a top-dollar Liberal fundraiser to schmooze the Liberal leader to hook up with the innovation minister and pitch a deal? The punchline: His ticket was illegal, and the Liberal or lobbyist broke two laws by selling those two tickets.

The Minister of Democratic Institutions claims getting caught for this latest cash-for-grab jaw-dropper proves the Liberal fundraising law works. However, is the law not supposed to prevent the Liberals' habitually bad practices?