Debates of May 16th, 2019

The Environment

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Senate transport committee is recommending that Bill C-48 be scrapped. After listening to provinces, industry, and environmental and indigenous groups, it realized that this bill is not in Canada's interest. Like the carbon tax, this bill is not about the environment, it is about ideology.

Will the Prime Minister agree to allow this bill to die and not whip his Liberal senators into reviving this flawed legislation?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud of the work we are doing to make sure that we not only protect B.C.'s pristine coastline but that we actively invest to restore it. Of course, we are disappointed by the vote. We hope that the Senate will vote to continue debate at third reading. We are open to any amendments the senators have. We will keep working with them as long as it is within the spirit of the bill.

Justice

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois submitted a brief on Bill 21 to the National Assembly.

Our message to Quebec's elected officials is simple: Ottawa can hardly wait to use the court challenges program to bankroll a challenge of the secularism bill.

Can the Minister of Justice guarantee that he does not intend to directly or indirectly challenge Quebec's secularism bill?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, our government defended the fundamental rights of every Canadian and will continue to do so.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects rights. We are the party of the charter. Our position is clear: we will defend rights. At this time, the debate will be held in Quebec by Quebeckers.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the answer was not clear.

The Bloc's position is clear. We support the religious neutrality of the Quebec state. We believe that people should give and receive services with their faces uncovered. We support the ban on public workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols.

In the meantime, the chair of the justice committee is waiting for Bill 21 to be passed before initiating legal challenges.

Will you respect the will of Quebec and not challenge Quebec's secularism bill, yes or no?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would remind the hon. member for Manicouagan that she is to address her comments to the Chair.

The hon. Minister of Justice.

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we are the party of the charter, and we respect the fundamental rights of every Canadian.

The bill is making its way through the parliamentary process of the National Assembly of Quebec. We will respect that process.

Infrastructure

[Hunter Tootoo, Independent, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

Yesterday in the House, the minister said that he would work with Quebec and the provinces to ensure that projects were approved in time for this construction season. Nunavut has a housing crisis that is contributing to high rates of poverty, suicide and tuberculosis. The territory does not have reliable access to the Internet. We need connectivity to educate our children and move our economy forward.

Will the minister extend the same courtesy to the Government of Nunavut and approve housing and connectivity projects in time for the summer construction season?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, we were all pleased to see that Nunavut won the smart cities challenge in the $10-million category. It proposed a project that will leverage digital access to promote mental health across the territory. We are extremely proud to see our colleagues from Nunavut win that.

Under the bilateral agreement, we will invest more than $566 million in Nunavut. We have already approved 21 projects, which represent about $333 million. We will continue to invest to improve the lives of people in the territory of Nunavut and to create jobs and economic opportunity.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island.

The member for Etobicoke Centre is rising on a point of order. I would ask the member to rise uncovered.

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Having held consultations with all parties, I am rising to ask for the adoption of the following motion—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I am afraid it is already clear that there is no unanimous consent.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Members often seek unanimous consent for motions on points of order, as members know, which I believe the member is doing. It is already clear that there is no consent for the motion.

Oral Questions

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order on a matter arising out of question period. Bosc and Gagnon, chapter 11—

[Some hon. members]

No.

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. The member is making it clear that this is not a request for unanimous consent. I was already aware that the member for Etobicoke Centre was making a request for unanimous consent. It was clear that there was no consent for that.

The hon. member for Durham has the floor.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, arising out of question period, and relying on chapter 11 of Bosc and Gagnon in replies to oral questions, there were a number of questions today about Vice-Admiral Norman. It is the prerogative of the government to designate a minister to respond.

The government designated the Minister of National Revenue to respond. The government then designated the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence. A redirection of a supplementary question, according to Speaker Francis, has to be indicated in the first response. Therefore, there was no connection to the redirection from the response from the Minister of National Revenue.

I refer you, Mr. Speaker, to the ruling of Speaker Francis from May 17, 1984.

It is my position that the Minister of National Revenue should not have been responding to a question related to Vice-Admiral Norman. However, if it is redirected, it has to be directly linked.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I thank the hon. member for Durham. I will look into the matter, although it is my understanding, as the member knows, generally speaking, it is up to the government to decide who will answer a question. However, I thank him for raising his point and will look into it.

The House resumed from May 15 consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—The Environment

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It being 3:15 p.m., pursuant to order made on Wednesday, May 15, 2009, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Burnaby South relating to the business of supply.

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

Business of Supply

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The question is as follows. Shall I dispense?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.