Debates of May 3rd, 2019

2019 Flooding

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for over two weeks now, people living along the shores of the Mille Îles river have experienced massive and even record-breaking floods.

I want to acknowledge the outstanding work being done by the mayors and municipal councillors in my region, who have been working tirelessly to help and support their fellow citizens. I also want to thank the municipal employees, first responders, firefighters, police officers, Canadian Armed Forces personnel, MNAs and, above all, the many volunteers who have spared no effort to assist the flood victims.

I also want to acknowledge the city of Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, located right next to my riding, for immediately offering their assistance.

On behalf of all flood victims and everyone directly or indirectly affected by the flooding, I want to sincerely thank everyone who donated their time and energy. Since the work has only just begun, however, it is critical that we keep helping one another.

Agricultural Industry

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is a shout out to Canadian farmers, ranchers and the whole agricultural industry.

In April, I had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Produce Marketing Association trade show in Montreal.

I have been around agriculture for a long time, but it continues to amaze me. Canadian agriculture is high-tech, environmentally beneficial and it is a front runner in the world for safe, nutritious quality.

Also, from April 30 to May 5, 4-H Canada youth are in Ottawa for their annual citizenship congress. As a 4H alumni, we all want to welcome them. The knowledge and experience they gain will last a lifetime.

As students also prepare for college and university, they should remember that the agricultural industry is an exciting and rewarding career with a broad reach, from robotics to biochemistry to business management. Also, for each graduate, there are four jobs available.

I thank all Canadian agricultural producers for what they do for our families.

Seafood Industry

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is setting day back home on the Northumberland Strait. After being delayed by weather throughout this week, the boats are finally going to hit the water to haul in our precious and world-class Nova Scotia lobster.

Last week, fishing boats along the beautiful eastern shore headed out to set their traps. Today, fishermen on the blue waters of the Northumberland Strait are doing the same.

The seafood caught off our shores gets exported to markets in Europe, Asia, the United States and beyond. Last year alone, Nova Scotia exports in the industry were valued at more than $2 billion dollars. Simply put, our seafood is the best in the world and people know about it.

To support the sector, we have made investments, like the $325 million dollar Atlantic fisheries fund. We have repaired or replaced nine local wharves. We are adding new cold storage facilities at the Halifax airport and Ballantyne's Cove. We are legislating protection of the owner-operator model for the inshore fishery. We are ensuring the sector has the tools and support it needs to succeed for generations and to help keep rural communities alive.

For everybody back home who are setting traps today or hauling in a catch, I wish them a safe and bountiful season. I encourage all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come visit me at home and enjoy a taste of world-famous Nova Scotia lobster.

Eye Level Oratacular Speech Contest

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in the House to talk about an incredible young girl from my riding of Sudbury.

Daniela Grottoli, a grade 5 student at R. L. Beattie Public School, took part in the Eye Level Oratacular speech contest and won one of four gold medals in North America.

This year's subject was about one thing she could change in the world. Originally, her speech was to be about gender parity, but while she was at the grocery store, she was inspired by another subject. She decided to talk about eliminating hunger. She said, “It is sad to think of even one child going to bed hungry. To know millions will is heartbreaking. We need to do better. Everybody deserves to eat.” I could not agree with her more.

Daniela's public-speaking journey is far from done as she has been invited to take part in the Eye Level Model UN Camp in South Korea this August.

Not only does Daniela make Sudbury proud, she makes Canada proud. I agree with her that we need to do better to eliminate hunger.

Canada Summer Jobs Initiative

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister participated in the National Prayer Breakfast and chose to read from Matthew 25. It speaks of caring for those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, strangers, those ill and in prison. Whatever one did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Christ's, one did for him. This scripture is the essence of the Christian community in Canada.

Matthew 5:37, states, “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will’ or ‘No, I won’t'”, be honest, simply speak the truth. The Prime Minister said that the 2019 Canada summer jobs application would be different and that accidental overreach would be fixed. When I signed off on the 2019 funds awarded in my riding, Christian summer camps were included. Both they and I were deceived. They were subsequently asked for additional information and lost their funding.

The Prime Minister has misled Canadians, giving the impression of inclusiveness within diversity when he is clearly punishing and excluding millions of Canadians who meet the needs of the very people he read about in Matthew 25. Sadly, the Prime Minister is not as advertised.

2019 Flooding

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House of Commons to acknowledge and commend the resilience and solidarity of the people affected by the flooding throughout the Outaouais.

Although thousands of sandbags were filled, hundreds of people have lost their homes. In the riding of Pontiac, more than seven municipalities have declared a state of emergency and hundreds of families have had to evacuate their homes. It is devastating.

However, these numbers would be even worse without the help of our local heros. I am talking about volunteers of all ages, our local elected officials, our firefighters, our police officers, our first responders, our neighbours, and especially our Canadian Armed Forces, who brought so much relief and assistance in our region.

From filling sandbags to protecting homes to feeding hungry volunteers, these local heroes have been relentless as they helped those in need. I have witnessed so many stressful situations and heard so many stories of urgent evacuations. The community support has been nothing short of spectacular.

As water levels have risen, so have the Pontiac's community efforts grown.

Public Transit in Mont Tremblant

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Mont-Tremblant, Luc Brisebois, just announced that, as of June 21, the local bus service will be free for everyone all the time. This measure benefits everyone: workers, employers, students, families, seniors, and even tourists.

This will help cut greenhouse gas emissions. It is a measure that shows that economic development and environmental protection can and must go hand in hand. Everything we do, individually as well as collectively, has a significant impact on the fight against climate change. Public transit is one of the best ways to help the environment.

The town of Mont-Tremblant is at the leading edge of rural public transit. By offering it for free, they are sending an even stronger message about what we can do for the future when we are bold enough to fight for it.

To the leaders of Mont-Tremblant and all the current and future bus riders, I say bravo and thank you.

Promises Made to Quebec

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

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister arrived with a whole lot of promises. He led Quebeckers to believe that he would save them from Stephen Harper and that Quebec would prosper under his leadership. Four years later, many Quebeckers have realized that, like his father, the Prime Minister does not like Quebec.

Let us take a look at the facts. Instead of helping the Davie workers, the Liberals have been undermining them by trying to cancel the Asterix contract. The government promised to find a solution for the Quebec Bridge by June 2016, but here we are in 2019 and nothing has happened. The Prime Minister legalized marijuana, but Quebec and the other provinces are paying the price: they are still waiting to be paid their share. Quebec signed an agreement with the federal government to maintain Quebec's demographic weight and to guarantee its distinct character. However, now that illegal migrants are entering Quebec at will, the agreement is not worth the paper it is written on. Even a simple request like having a single tax return is rejected outright without a reason or an explanation.

Quebeckers deserve better.

The Environment

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a community where so many of my constituents, in addition to their advocacy on environmental issues, make environmentally conscious choices in their day-to-day lives, such as reducing their usage of plastic or driving zero-emission vehicles. We know more Canadians are choosing to drive zero-emission vehicles as an increasing number of models become available and prices decline.

Regrettably, last year the Conservatives in Ontario cancelled the electric and hydrogen vehicle incentive program, and a number of my constituents reached out to me to share their disappointment and frustration.

Fortunately, our government is taking action. It has proposed strategic investments to help more Canadians choose zero-emission vehicles, including $300 million over three years to introduce a new federal purchase incentive, which came into effect May 1, of up to $5,000 for electric battery or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000.

Seniors

[Wayne Stetski, NDP, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about challenges facing many of my constituents who are older adults. They are living on pensions that have not kept up with the rising costs of living and are inadequate in meeting their needs. Some are struggling to stay in their family homes, while others face major challenges finding affordable housing.

Phone and internet costs in Canada are among the highest in the world. Seniors struggle to afford these services on a fixed income, yet they are necessary for safety reasons, maintaining family and social connections or accessing government services.

I recently heard from a constituent that the medical benefits she received at work were unfairly discontinued when she turned 65. The high cost of prescription drugs in Canada is another major burden for seniors.

The NDP has a plan to build more affordable housing, lower telecommunication fees and implement universal, comprehensive public pharmacare. In addition, we are calling for a national seniors strategy so all Canadians can retire and age with dignity. Older adults deserve no less.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, many Canadians voted for the Prime Minister and his promised sunny ways. He advertised himself to Canadians as a new kind of politician. He promised to be ethical and transparent, but he and the Liberals have faced five ethics investigations and the Prime Minister was found guilty of breaking the law. He even used his majority to shut down two investigations into his scandals.

The Prime Minister promised to help ordinary Canadians get ahead and to lower taxes. However, he is handing out millions of dollars to his billionaire friends and forcing everyday Canadians to pay for it through higher prices on necessities with his carbon tax-grab.

He promised to balance the budget by 2019, or was it going to balance itself? Either way, Canadians are still stuck with a massive deficit. The deficits caused by the Prime Minister's reckless spending are condemning future generations of Canadians to higher taxes to pay for his broken promises.

The Prime Minister's promises of sunny ways are long gone. As it turns out, the Prime Minister is not as advertised.

New Brunswick Floods

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, communities across New Brunswick are feeling the impact of springtime floods. This year, flooding along the Saint John River has once again reached historic levels. Last week, in Fredericton alone, the water level caused the closure of much of the downtown.

Offices, schools and streets have all been closed. Nearly 500 people were forced to leave their homes. We thank the first responders, the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and particularly the volunteers, who are working hard to keep us safe and secure.

Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with the communities affected. We will cover the cost of deploying Canadian troops, because we know their work at home is as valuable and vital as it is abroad.

We are working together to solve the immediate problems caused by this flood, but we are also looking at the long term. These record floods and their frequency are not a coincidence. They are the result of climate change. We are working to mitigate their damage and ensure future generations do not need to bear their terrible burden.

International Trade

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, canola and now pork producers are being punished by the Chinese government because of Liberal incompetence, but rather than acknowledging that China is blocking our agriculture products for political reasons, the minister is blaming the pork industry, saying that after exporting pork to China for decades, our farmers have suddenly become incompetent and are filling out paperwork incorrectly, a claim based on nothing more than propaganda from the Chinese government.

When will the Liberals stop repeating Beijing's spin and start fighting for the Canadian pork industry?

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers produce world-class pork. The Canadian pork that is exported to China is subject to routine inspections.

On May 1, the Canadian embassy was informed that China had temporarily suspended imports from two Canadian pork plants because of package mislabelling. The current suspension affects only two pork plants. Nothing has changed for all the other approved facilities that are eligible to export pork to China.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is looking into the matter and working with Chinese customs authorities to have the suspension lifted.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

That is incredibly naive, Mr. Speaker. It is time we started pushing back against these bullies and what they are doing to our producers. Conservatives have suggested a number of ways to do that, including launching a complaint at the WTO, but the Liberal agriculture minister says that they will not launch a challenge because they do not feel it is just the right moment.

Our producers are suffering. Millions of dollars and the livelihoods of thousands are at stake. If now is not the right time to launch a challenge at the WTO, when is the right time?

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Minister of International Trade Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that we have three pillars of strategy. One is to engage the Chinese at the scientific level. The other is to provide a support program for producers, and there is alignment across the country, including provincial governments, the industry and the canola association itself, and another is to expand our export markets. We intend to do that through trade missions to Japan, to Korea, to Europe and to South America. We understand that this is a very difficult moment for our producers. We stand with them.

Public Safety

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

They are failing miserably, Mr. Speaker.

Now we have just learned from The Globe and Mail that the Liberals are funding a research position where applicants who are critical of Huawei are being screened out. They are told that they need not apply. Where have we heard this before, that if one disagrees with dear Liberal leader one had best keep quiet?

Top security experts and governments around the world are putting up warnings and cutting ties with Huawei, but the Liberals are not only ignoring these concerns, they are partnering with Beijing and playing right into China's hands. Why?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member will know, we have been conducting an extensive examination of the whole range of issues around 5G technology. We want to ensure that Canadians get the full benefits of that technology. At the same time, we want to make sure that it is absolutely safe and secure. We will ensure that safety and security in our telecommunications system is never compromised.

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

Mr. Speaker, at a time when the government has lost control of our borders and is allowing Islamic State traitors to freely walk our streets, we learned today that the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is screening out any applicants for the adviser position who have strong political opinions against Huawei.

The minister's behaviour is worrisome, because he does not seem to care about Canadian security.

Why do the Liberals not want to let those who are concerned about China and Huawei have their say?

[Kate Young, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport and to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility (Accessibility)]

Mr. Speaker, universities across Canada work with various partners on joint research projects across all disciplines. The freedom to pursue ideas across borders and across disciplines is what allows real scientific insight and innovation to take place. Our national security agencies work diligently and efficiently to monitor for security threats and have measures in place to protect Canada's systems. We follow the advice of our public security officials and would only work with partners that had their approval.

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not think that the government members and the parliamentary secretary understand the question. The question has to do with the fact that the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is screening those who have applied to sit on the board of directors, and any candidates who have serious concerns about Huawei are not welcome and are being screened out.

Why is the government preventing those who are critical of Huawei and China from having their say?

[Kate Young, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport and to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility (Accessibility)]

Mr. Speaker, science and research are inherently open in nature. Researchers and universities work with industry partners across all sectors of the economy to develop new knowledge and applications that benefit Canadians. When universities partner with an organization, NSERC organizes a peer-review process that avoids individuals who have conflicts or relationships with the applicants or partner organizations, ensuring that proposals are reviewed solely on the basis of their scientific merit.

Ethics

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told us that he would be different, that he would change the way things are done in Ottawa. He said there would be no more partisan appointments. He said he would clean up the Senate. Well, the Liberals are not only running judges through their partisan database to check whether they have donated to the Liberal Party, but they are giving senators the same treatment. So much for transparency. The Liberals have repeatedly made it clear that their priority is not Canadians, it is the Liberal brand.

Are they not the least bit ashamed to be screening all appointments through a partisan filter?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and to the Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the process for appointing candidates to the Senate or to Canada's judiciary.

With regard to judicial appointments, just look at our track record. Our record shows that we have used every available means to verify the candidates' merit and quality. That is the first thing. The second thing is that we have ended up with the largest number of people from diverse communities, such as women, visible minorities, indigenous peoples and the LGBTQ community. That is what Canadians expect of us, of their government. That is what needs to be done to—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue.