Debates of May 16th, 2019

The Environment

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Madam Speaker, the government motion that we are debating today says that the government wants to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Speaking of wishy-washy, the Liberals did not give any deadline for achieving that goal. The NPD leader's motion that we debated yesterday was much more practical than this one. We set 2030 as the deadline for meeting that same goal.

Since this member is in favour of concrete action, will he vote in favour of the NDP's motion this afternoon, in just a few minutes?

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased that the hon. member's party got a hurry-up motion together to try to keep up with the governing party on climate change emergency. However, in their haste, the New Democrats unfortunately included some fatal flaws in their motion.

Of course, our government is on track to reduce fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, but this must be done in an orderly way. The immediate withdrawal of fossil fuel subsidies that the NDP proposes would have left northern communities without subsidies for electricity, which would have had a terrible and catastrophic impact on those communities. It would also have immediately removed funding for research that will help us better track and reduce the emissions from fossil fuels.

This was a hasty, though well-intentioned, motion. Our best course of action is to stick with the very coherent and long-reaching motion proposed by the government.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Madam Speaker, if it is really such an emergency, and if the Liberals really believe it is an emergency, why did they wait, with only 22 days left, and what are they going to add to their failed plan to make any difference?

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Madam Speaker, this motion, when passed, will send an important message: not just a message to all our constituents across the country that this crisis is real in Canada, but a message to people around the world that, after 10 years of being absent on the world stage in the battle against climate change, Canada is indeed back as a leader, as a climate leader. This is going to compel the entire Parliament of Canada, both Houses, to take the actions necessary to address this emerging and growing climate change disaster.

I am so proud to be standing in this House today, reflecting the voices of my constituents, bringing their voices right to this place, to bring action to this government and to the Parliament of Canada to address this calamitous emergency that we are facing together.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, this is a very important subject that I care a lot about.

First, I would like to remind the House that the Conservatives get up every morning to try to protect our planet, unlike what the Liberals would have people believe. Climate change is unacceptable, but it does exist. I am a Conservative, and I am stating loud and clear that climate change is real.

Today, the Liberals are waking up after three and a half years in office. They are waking up as the election season approaches, but given their environmental track record, they will be embarrassed to go talk to their voters.

Today, we are debating Motion No. 29, which states:

That the House recognize that: (a) climate change is a real and urgent crisis...

I will not read the entire motion. I simply want to say that this was urgent 50 years ago, 20 years ago and 10 years ago. It was urgent three and a half years ago, it was urgent yesterday, it is urgent today and it will be urgent tomorrow, too. We need to act and we need to come together to protect our planet.

The Liberals falsely label us. I would like to talk about the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant is a hard worker. She prepares for the harsh winter ahead by storing food. We could liken her to the farmer, who cultivates his land and knows the seasons well. The grasshopper is the complete opposite. She is lazy and spends her time singing without worrying about the coming cold. We could liken her to the artist, who lives in a dream without worrying too much about reality and the seasons. In our context, the ant represents the Conservatives, and the grasshopper obviously represents the Liberals. They whiled away their three and a half years in office, and now they are waking up. The environment is now an important issue for them. It took three and a half years. The government's attitude is rather appalling.

Earlier, it was said that this is urgent. On April 22, 2016, Canada signed the Paris Agreement, which was ratified on October 5, 2016.

[Alexandra Mendès]

Was it actually 2016?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I would like my colleague opposite to listen to what I am saying. She has a mouth and two ears, and she should use those two ears.

As I was saying, the Paris Agreement was signed in April 2016, so this is nothing new. It was being worked on before it was signed. It was worked on globally, in other words, with other countries around the world. We can now say that Canada will not achieve its Paris targets. We will say it. We will rely on the credibility of our public servants, our qualified people. The Auditor General has said so. The United Nations, which must be credible, also said so. The commissioner of the environment said so as well. Unfortunately, the Liberals are blind to this.

I was talking about the grasshopper earlier. The Liberals would probably be represented by the grasshopper. Summer is coming to an end for the grasshopper, with the election right around the corner. Let this serve as a warning to them. Let me do them this favour, so they can present their mediocre environmental record.

I am a member of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. I had an opportunity to meet with the minister, who appeared before the committee. She is one of the grasshoppers. I asked her a very clear question.

I will read the question so I am not accused of twisting words. Hon. members and people at home can consult the record themselves. It is available to all Canadians. This was my question:

Minister, with respect to your much-touted environmental plan, I would like to know—and the question is simple—whether or not you will be meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gases.

The minister said yes. Everyone can see her response for themselves in the transcripts, which are public. Earlier today, the Minister of Environment bragged about being the longest-serving environment minister. How can she say with a straight face that Canada will meet the Paris Agreement targets? There is a word that we cannot use in the House, and I will not say it, but it is unacceptable to not tell the truth.

What credibility do the Liberals and the Minister of Environment have on the world stage? The minister will not meet the Paris Agreement targets. Again, it is the Auditor General, the United Nations and the environment commissioner who say so.

On another subject, during her testimony, the minister took a swipe at me by remarking that she had been waiting 365 days for us, the Conservatives, to release our plan for the environment. My answer was that whether we do or do not release a plan, it does not change anything right now. We need to take action to fight climate change, and the Liberals have been sitting on their hands for 1,300 days.

Why did they draw on the Conservatives' expertise in the environment? Because we have credibility. That is why they used our targets. The Liberals called us incompetent and claimed our scientists had not done a good job, yet when they got to Paris, they realized the previous Conservative government had done an amazing job. They proved it by adopting our targets.

It is absurd that the government is counting on us to get it out of trouble again by handing over our environmental plan. I would remind the Liberals that our leader has pledged to release our plan by the end of the session. That is even ahead of schedule, since it should normally be presented during the election campaign. We are presenting it ahead of schedule to give the Liberals another chance to take action. Time is short, obviously, but we are going to meet their demands and present it, even though we do not have to. We need to be conscientious and rigorous. We have an environmental plan that will enable us to meet the Paris targets. Yes, the Conservatives can do that.

In committee, I also told the minister that the previous Conservative government was successful in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. It was under a Conservative government that Canada saw the most significant drop in greenhouse gas emissions in its history. The minister claimed that was because we were in a recession. However, just yesterday, when I asked her a question during oral question period, the minister said that she would create thousands of jobs and that she had a plan. She needs to be consistent. If she is creating jobs, her plan will not work. We implemented a plan that worked, but she said it was due to the recession. That does not add up. She is making conflicting statements.

Yes, we can encourage economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but her speeches are fraught with inconsistencies. How can we accept the arrogance of this minister and this government, who, much like the grasshopper, woke up one morning and suddenly realized that we need to look after the environment?

The environment is an everyday problem. It is a local, provincial, national and international problem that needs to be addressed holistically.

For example, not all of the plastic that washes up on our shores comes from Canadian production. It comes from all over the world. Here in Canada, we are lucky to have a lot of shoreline, but there are problems that go along with that. Because of ocean currents, plastics from other countries around the world are washing up on our shores. Are members aware that only 5% of the plastic that is cleaned up along our shores from east to west comes from Canadian consumption? That means that 95% comes from other countries. We need to look at this problem from a global perspective. When working on a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need to realize that we are, unfortunately, not working in a silo. There is no way to remain separate. We cannot deal with this all on our own. We need to work with all those involved.

We, the Conservatives, have taken concrete action, and we will continue on that same path.

In Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, the riding I have the privilege of representing, I have taken some very solid, very targeted actions to improve our environmental footprint. I collaborated with local stakeholders to create a circular economy committee.

Yes, we, the Conservatives, are working for the environment. Yes, we, the Conservatives, are aware of climate change and taking concrete action.

In addition, a group of grade five students from a school in Stoneham in my riding presented me with a poem about the environment. They also prepared a petition that I will soon be presenting here. Together, we will succeed.

The strange thing about the Liberals across the aisle is that they are just now waking up and deciding this is urgent.

It is urgent every day. This is nothing new. We need to take charge and improve our environmental behaviour. Industries, citizens, governments and all stakeholders in a society need to row together to get results.

I want to come back to the fact that the Minister of the Environment does not tell the truth when she is asked the question.

I will be asking her this question again in a moment. I want to warn her that I will be asking the same question today about the Paris targets. I am giving her a hint, and I hope she will be able to tell us the truth.

I am not making this up. As I said earlier, the Auditor General, the United Nations, the environment commissioner, journalists and print media are all saying it. This is coming from specialists, journalists, the Conservatives. The Liberals are the only ones who do not see the truth.

I just want to read out a few headlines. One asks why Trudeau's climate plan is not working—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I must remind the hon. member that he is not to use the given or family name of other members. I hope that he will withdraw his remarks.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, it was part of the title. I apologize and withdraw my comment.

The article was about how the current Prime Minister's climate promise fizzled.

According to another publication, Canada's failure to fight climate change is disturbing. The Prime Minister owes us an explanation about the carbon tax. His carbon pricing plan is not working. Whether in Quebec or British Columbia, it is not working.

Another publication said that the Prime Minister owes us an explanation about the carbon tax and that Ontario's reaction will play a key role in the 2019 election.

According to new projections, Canada is farther from meeting the Paris Agreement targets than it was last year.

The UN says that the major greenhouse gas emitting countries, including Canada, will not meet the Paris Agreement targets.

Global News reports that it will be virtually impossible for Canada to cut emissions in half by 2030 to meet UN goals.

According to another publication, Canada is currently failing to meet targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but businesses can still show leadership.

The title of another publication is “An Ironic Outcome: The United States—Even under Trump—Is Closer to Meeting Its Emission Targets Than Canada”. That says a lot. I think the title alone demonstrates the Liberal government's lack of action on climate change.

According to some publications, the Liberal climate change plans will not enable us to meet the targets, and the Prime Minister's Paris deal could cost Canada billions.

They say this will cost Canada money, but the fact is, it will cost Canadians money.

We can implement measures that will have a minimal financial impact while improving our environmental footprint. We can reduce greenhouse gases. We can work toward adapting to climate change. Emissions have dropped slightly, but Canada will not meet the 2030 targets.

Now I understand why they are asking us for our environmental plan. Once again, let me say that the plan our leader puts forward in the coming days or weeks, sometime before June 21, will clearly meet the Paris Agreement objectives. We will work with all stakeholders to have a positive impact and ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy planet and a healthy environment.

I would like to remind the House that my colleague from Abbotsford introduced an amendment to the motion this morning. It acknowledges the existence of climate change. I would like to read the amendment so that all members are aware of it. I encourage them to accept it and make it a priority. It asks that the motion be amended by deleting all the words after the word “That” and substituting the following: the House recognize that climate change is a real and urgent global problem requiring real global solutions and that Canada can and must take a leadership role in developing those global solutions; (b) human activity has an impact on climate change and its effects impact communities across the country and the world; (c) Canada and the world must take urgent action to mitigate global climate change and combat its impacts on the environment; (d) the government's own report entitled “Clean Canada: protecting the environment and growing our economy” shows the government is falling short of the Paris targets by 79 million tonnes.

That was an abridged version, obviously, because I am running out of time.

I encourage members to read the amendment. We encourage the Liberal government to introduce a concrete plan to meet its Paris targets.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The member will have 10 minutes for questions after oral question period.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community still have battles to fight, and the Bloc Québécois is here to support them. Quebec society has made progress, but homophobia and transphobia are still very real obstacles to equality and people's right to dignity.

Anyone who spends any time on social media knows that cyberbullying has become a major social problem, and it is even worse for LGBTQ people. Nearly 90% of them report reading statements against sexual diversity.

That is why we applaud the work organizations such as GRIS, Fondation Émergence, Alliance Arc-en-ciel and many others are doing to end discrimination and prejudice. Let us work together to make Quebec a place where every individual feels free to express their identity and uniqueness without fear of discrimination.

Benoît Serré

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honour the memory of my uncle Ben Serré. He lost his battle with cancer on May 11. He was surrounded by his two daughters, Ginette and Julie, sons-in-law Michel and Ken, and grandchildren, Stephanie, Melanie, Erik, Darren and Miguel.

My uncle served as Liberal MP for the riding of Timiskaming—French River and Timiskaming—Cochrane from 1993 to 2004, following in the footsteps of his older brother, my father, Gaetan Serré. I am truly humbled and proud to have followed their paths.

Uncle Benoît was dedicated to advancing his community's interests. He was proud of his indigenous, Algonquin and northern Ontario roots, and he was their voice in Ottawa. He was a passionate hunter and fisher and a proud francophone with a good sense of humour. Most importantly, he loved his family deeply.

May Uncle Benoît, a kid from Verner and Desaulniers, rest in peace.

Meegwetch.

Birthday Congratulations

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Sunday was Mother's Day, and I would like to highlight an outstanding new mother, Kathryn Gilliss.

Kathryn is a lawyer living in Estevan with her husband Dylan and their 11-week-old daughter Zella.

Kathryn learned from Donna, her strong and vibrant mother, the value of knowledge and community. At age 18, she chaired the first-ever Estevan Relay for Life and did so again in 2015. She is a board member of the Estevan Art Gallery & Museum, a coordinator for the upcoming Rafferty Rumble and volunteers for the Estevan free legal clinic. She does fundraising for organizations like Special Olympics Saskatchewan.

Kathryn constantly promotes the community of Estevan and is passionate about sport and fitness throughout Saskatchewan. She teaches Learn to Skate and judges for Skate Canada, following her stint as a competitive figure skater. Most recently, she ran a five-kilometre fundraising race, coming second, 10 weeks after having Zella.

Kathryn is the definition of a strong woman and is sure to continue to grow in her role as a new mother.

It happens to be Kathryn's birthday today. I wish her a happy birthday.

Afro-Canadians

[Ramesh Sangha, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Brampton Centre is rich and vibrant in culture that we import from the rest of the world to make our city extraordinary.

Canada followed the United Nations in recognizing the International Decade for People of African Descent. I thank President Kabu Asante of the African Canadian Social Development Council for providing me the opportunity to be part of the celebrations held in Brampton.

lt was wonderful to experience the celebration of culture, arts and the magnificent costumes from the cradle of humanity. Such events bring greater diversity to Canada, affording us more opportunities to facilitate stronger international relationships.

I commend Afro-Canadians for their great contributions to Canada.

Seniors

[Scott Duvall, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the number of Canadian seniors living in poverty is clearly a crisis and it is clear the Liberal government has no plan to help.

As we get closer to an election, we will hear bigger and bigger claims from the government about what it has done for seniors. Do not believe any of it.

A recent study done for the Hamilton Community Foundation laid bare the dire situation for many of our seniors in Hamilton. The report cited an increase in poverty rates for Hamilton seniors, more seniors using food banks, an increase in the number of seniors needing to work to get by and an increase in seniors living alone.

The study projects director, Jeff Wingard, says that they found a rise in poverty rates for the first time in recent memory. He also says that the number of seniors who are working has doubled, many in low-paying jobs. Many of those seniors are working because they have to, not because they want to.

The government needs to get its head out of the sand, recognize there is a real problem and offer up real solutions, not empty election promises.

Winnipeg General Strike

[MaryAnn Mihychuk, Liberal, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago, on May 15, 1919, Winnipeg unions declared a general strike.

Reacting to oppressive laws and dangerous working conditions, 30,000 workers rose up to demand basic human rights. Labourers, public servants and even the city police walked off the job. Manitoba's Conservative government declared the strike the work of Bolsheviks and “alien scum”, new immigrants.

Then the federal government sent in the Northwest Mounted Police as strike breakers. On Bloody Saturday, their violent actions caused the death of two workers and ended the strike. Even today we hear the echos of this dangerous thinking, as immigrants are scapegoats and working-class people are marginalized.

Two years later, a Liberal government took power, enacting sweeping reforms to our labour laws.

I, for one, am proud to be part of a government that works to advance the rights of all Canadian citizens.

Doors Open

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, both communities in my riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill know the importance of opening their doors and welcoming people throughout York Region, Ontario and Canada to the cultural, religious, historic and athletic excellence that our community has to offer.

Last weekend, organizations across Richmond Hill participated in Doors Open Ontario, including the Lake St. George Field Centre, Swan Lake Centre for Conservation and Innovation, Boynton House and many more. A special thanks to the Richmond Hill Hindu Temple and St. Mary and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church for the fabulous personalized tour they gave me.

Members should mark their calendar for August 17 for Doors Open Aurora to visit the Aurora Farmers' Market, Church Street School, Hillary House, Koffler Museum of Medicine and Theatre Aurora just to name a few.

Many thanks to all who participated in Doors Open in Aurora and Richmond Hill for sharing who they are and what they do so we can celebrate the vibrancy of our communities and all that makes us who we are as Canadians.

Infrastructure

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Speaker, today my P.E.I. colleagues and I welcomed the newly-elected Premier Dennis King to Ottawa, and we appreciate the collaborative tone he brought with him.

With the mighty island leading the country in economic performance as he takes office, Premier King has large shoes to fill, and our government is ready and willing to support the many community groups and municipalities that are eager to get back to work improving their communities.

The Canada-Prince Edward Island integrated bilateral agreement provides $366 million in federal funding over the next decade for cultural, rural and green infrastructure priorities as identified by provincial governments.

Me and my P.E.I. colleagues share a common goal of helping islanders. I look forward to building on our enviable economic position by investing in rural infrastructure and sustainable community projects in my riding of Egmont.

Crimea

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 75 years ago, on May 18, 1944, the Crimean Tatars' sürgünlik was launched by Soviet dictator Stalin. All of Crimea's Tatars were forcibly transported 4,000 kilometres east into the inhospitable Central Asian Steppes. More than half died of suffocation, hunger and disease.

However, genocide was not enough. All traces of these people were to be erased. Crimean Tatar books were burned. Crimean Tatar towns and villages were renamed with Russian names. Muslim cemeteries and mosques were raised, all written references of these people was erased.

Today, we are honoured by the presence of the iconic Mustafa Dzemilev who spent 15 years in a Soviet gulag demanding his people's right of return, and today has again been banned from his ancestral homeland.

Let us draw on the wisdom of Raphael Lemkin and recognize May 18 as the Crimean Tatar genocide sürgünlik memorial day.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would remind hon. colleagues of the general rule that members are to rise uncovered.

The hon. member for Oshawa.

Government Policies

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has failed to deliver for Oshawa.

He promised an open and transparent process for major decisions, yet he refuses to release the business plans for the Oshawa harbour as well as the Pickering Airport, a project which could create up to 50,000 much-needed jobs for our communities.

He promised a unique environmental plan and carbon taxes that would bring the jobs of the future to Canada. Instead of building the cars of the future in Oshawa, GM will now be building them in the United States where it is more internationally competitive.

The Prime Minister also broke his solemn promise to veterans to settle lawsuits out of court. He actually said that they were “asking more” than he could give.

Also, for one who has served his country bravely for nearly 40 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, the Prime Minister will drag the person's reputation through legal proceedings. However, become a convicted terrorist and he will gift a $10.5 million out-of-court settlement.

The fact is that the Prime Minister is simply not as advertised.

Right to Play

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome to the House youth leaders from Right to Play's promoting life skills in aboriginal youth program.

Right To Play works in partnership with over 90 first nations, Métis and Inuit communities and organizations across Canada to support community-driven youth programs that build life skills and improve health and education outcomes.

Today we are joined by Zoe Duhaime of Wahnapitae First Nation, Tyler Evans of St. Theresa Point First Nation, Danny Charles of Beecher Bay First Nation, and Shayna Russell and Evangeline Martin of Gitanyow First Nation.

This evening, along with the member for Cariboo—Prince George and the member for Vancouver East, we will hear from these youth leaders at an event in room 410 of the Wellington Building.

I ask all members to join us tonight, and join me now in welcoming these inspiring youth leaders to the House of Commons.

The Environment

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for her entire childhood, nine-year-old Chloe Cook has been an advocate for the environment. Chloe has always picked up litter whenever she walks down the street and encourages whomever is with her to do the same. She is involved with Earth Rangers, a youth conservation group that educates members about how to engage in environmental advocacy in their homes, schools and communities.

She is inspired by Greta Thunberg, the teenager from Sweden who started #FridaysForFuture to protest global inaction on climate change. Chloe is holding a similar protest in North Bay on May 24, because she believes climate change is a huge problem that is affecting our future.

I commend Chloe for being a leader of today. Chloe represents why tackling climate change needs to be a priority and why we need to take action for the future of our children and grandchildren. I thank Chloe.

Interests of Quebec

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

Mr. Speaker, four years ago, the Prime Minister campaigned on a lot of promises. He was going to fix all of his predecessors' mistakes and get Quebec and Canada back on track. Like in a fairytale, it was all make-believe. It did not happen.

He promised that Quebec would be well served by his government. On the contrary, he betrayed us the first chance he got by trying to rob Davie of a major contract and the thousand jobs that went with it. Quebec deserves better.

He promised harmony with the provinces, but more than half of them, including Quebec, are fighting with him. Quebec deserves better.

He did not lift a finger to stop the influx of illegal migrants entering Quebec every day, rendering the Canada-Quebec accord on immigration meaningless.

Our relationships with our key international partners have deteriorated, not to mention the embarrassment that Quebeckers felt in the wake of the Prime Minister's trip to India.

Quebec deserves better.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. We pause to reflect on the violence, discrimination and injustice that persist for LGBTQ2 Canadians and people around the world.

It is thanks to the work of Fondation Émergence that we have been celebrating this day for 16 years now. Every year, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia runs public anti-discrimination campaigns.

This year's campaign is “online violence has real-life consequences.” Almost three-quarters of LGBTQ2 individuals report they have been personally attacked or harassed online. That includes me and many of my queer friends and colleagues. This is unacceptable.

Canada's co-chairmanship with Chile for the Equal Rights Coalition is a commitment to ending these injustices. We thank Uruguay and the Netherlands for their foundational work.

As we pass the torch to Argentina and the United Kingdom, we say that persecution, hate and ignorance have no place in this world. We will stamp it out.