Debates of May 6th, 2019

International Trade

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, China has illegally blocked Canadian canola imports, then it suspended permits of two major pork producers for no reason. How does the Prime Minister handle it? He says it is not the right time to go to the WTO. That is a weak and shameful response. When will the Prime Minister show some leadership and launch a trade action against China's illegal attacks?

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

Mr. Speaker, we continue to engage with China at the scientific level. We announced last week a generous support package for producers, which by the way, has the support of the Premier of Saskatchewan, of the Canola Council of Canada, of producers and of trade ministers across the west. We continue to look for other markets for canola. We have taken no possibility and no other action off the table.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, actions speak louder than words, and a loan is a band-aid, not a solution. The Prime Minister's slow and inadequate response is costing our canola producers greatly. Our farmers are no closer to regaining market access than they were two months ago. To date, there is still no Canadian ambassador appointed to China and no formal trade complaint has been launched.

Instead of continuing to shell out Canadian taxpayer money to the China-controlled Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, will the Prime Minister finally stand up to China and fight for farmers?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I can say that we are very engaged in working as a team to solve this issue with China because we stand by our farmers, our canola producers and our exporters. This is a very important issue, and we should not confuse supporting our farmers and our robust inspection system with supporting the poorest and the most vulnerable of this world.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, canola, pork, genetics, what is next?

More and more people are telling the Prime Minister to take a tougher stance. Even the Liberal-dominated Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food told the minister in a letter that all witnesses are calling for political action.

Regarding the pork issue, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food insists there is no cause for concern. It is 100% our fault, according to the minister.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to stand up for Canada's pork and canola producers?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we have been standing firm on this issue for well over two months. It did not take us six weeks to ask a first question about canola.

We are working with the Minister of International Trade Diversification and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and also with farmers, their representatives, the industry and our provincial colleagues. We are working together to implement the best strategy and to find a long-term solution.

We support our canola producers.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we were the first to stand up in the House to defend canola farmers.

It took pressure from the Leader of the Opposition to make them stand up and get moving. That is the reality. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food admitted to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food that she still has not spoken with the Chinese government. Things have gotten so bad that China has not even responded to her letter asking to send a technical delegation. That is the reality.

She is going to meet the Chinese agriculture minister at the G20 this weekend. Will she step up and talk to him about this issue, or will she keep quiet to avoid ruffling feathers?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that I will step up every chance I get to support our farmers across Canada and abroad.

I did not have to wait for my colleague to ask me the first question in question period, six weeks after the debate started.

I will be there to support farmers in several different ways, and I am looking for more than just “yes” or “no” answers. This is a very complex file, and we are all working together, in partnership with industry, to defend our farmers.

Employment

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, nearly a thousand temporary foreign workers got a nasty surprise upon arriving here.

Rather than receiving a tax refund, they had an outstanding balance because Revenue Canada made mistakes. When the agency makes mistakes in one out of five cases, how can it say the matter is resolved?

The president of the Union des producteurs agricoles, Marcel Groleau, is calling on the minister to fix the problem cases and make sure this never happens again.

When will the minister take action?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we are working very hard to ensure that people get the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We will keep working with our colleagues to get all the facts and to make sure people actually get their benefits.

Health

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, during a town hall meeting, the Minister of Seniors said that the government's new Canadian drug agency will save Canadians $3 billion per year—in what, 10 years?

Without the NDP's universal pharmacare plan, private insurance and provincial plans will still be doing their own buying. The Liberals' agency will have little to no buying power to negotiate cheaper drug prices, which seniors desperately need, without buying drugs for all Canadians.

Will the minister come clean and tell seniors the truth, that this Canadian drug agency will not be saving them any money anytime soon?

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard for seniors since the day we were elected. No one should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on their table. That is why budget 2019 establishes the Canadian drug agency that will work on developing a formulary and bulk buying prices for drugs, and negotiate drug prices to make prescription drugs more affordable for more Canadians.

This is an important step toward a system where everyone can afford their prescription drugs and continue to live healthily. We will not stop when it comes to seniors.

Ethics

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are some unanswered questions about the Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan's island.

The letter sent to the RCMP is vital to conducting a thorough investigation to assure all Canadians of the integrity of their government and reaffirm their confidence in the administration of justice.

Will the Prime Minister agree to co-operate in the investigation process? Canadians want to know the truth.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and our government will always co-operate with our institutions. We know that the commissioner will do his job. We know that he submitted a report and the Prime Minister took responsibility. He accepted the recommendations.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, much has transpired since the Ethics Commissioner found the Liberal leader violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act in accepting an illegal vacation from a lobbyist. A federal court has now ordered the Commissioner of Lobbying to reopen investigation of that lavish and illegal gift. I have asked the RCMP commissioner that, on the basis of original and new evidence, she consider a criminal investigation.

Has the Prime Minister been contacted by either the Commissioner of Lobbying or the RCMP in regard to that illegal gift?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well, because he spent much time asking questions on this file, that this matter has been thoroughly looked at by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. We know that a report was tabled and the Prime Minister accepted responsibility as well as the recommendations.

What is clear is that the Conservatives will continue to talk about something that has already been looked at by our officers of Parliament, because they have never had regard or respect for the work that they do. On this side, we recognize that our institutions are intact. We know that officers of Parliament do important work, and we believe that they should be able to do that independently of this place.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, no one was surprised that the Liberals continue to attempt to minimize and trivialize the seriousness of the Liberal leader's guilt, chronic ethical lapses and disrespect for the law, but from the illegal vacation to his actions and reactions in the SNC-Lavalin corruption scandal, and half a dozen lesser scandals in between, he has shaken Canadians' confidence in the integrity of government and the administration of justice.

Again, will the Prime Minister co-operate with a criminal investigation by the RCMP or the Ontario Provincial Police?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I will state once again that we will always respect the work of officers of Parliament and the independence of the police forces. We on this side will always co-operate with the work they do, because we recognize that Canadians deserve to have confidence in their institutions, just like we do. When it comes to our agents of Parliament, we know they do very important work, and we will let them do that important work.

While the Conservatives continue to rehash items that have already been addressed, we will continue to focus on Canadians and the things that matter to them in their everyday lives. That is why we have a program and a plan that is working, unlike the Conservatives, who continue to mislead Canadians.

The Environment

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, abandoned vessels, such as the ones grounded on the beach in Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia, pose environmental, economic and safety hazards. Similar situations are a cause for concern in coastal inlet water communities across Canada. Can the minister explain to my constituents and all Canadians the progress made by this Liberal government to address the issue of abandoned vessels?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question, as well as the Minister of Rural Economic Development and other Liberals who have advocated on this file.

We as a Liberal government recognized the importance of addressing this matter before it got any worse. That is why we came forward with Bill C-64, which is now law. It requires vessel owners to not only operate their vessels responsibly but to dispose of them at the end of their lives. We have listened to the communities that live along the coastlines and we have implemented this bill to address their concerns.

Natural Resources

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to defend helping China build pipelines in Asia with Canadian tax dollars while delaying building the Trans Mountain expansion in Canada. Delaying the cabinet decision will cost taxpayers billions more, and cancelling TMX would destroy confidence in Canada's ability to build major projects overall.

Why is the Prime Minister more interested in helping China build infrastructure to create oil and gas jobs in Asia than in Canada for Canadians?

[Amarjeet Sohi, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is absolutely wrong. We are building pipelines here. Enbridge Line 3, which we gave approval to, is almost complete on the Canadian side. We are the government that gave approval to the Nova Gas line, which is already completed.

If the members opposite were really sincere about figuring out the process for fixing the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, they would not have voted to de-fund and kill the process we put in place for meaningful consultation with indigenous communities to ensure that we get this project right and in the right way.

Canadian Heritage

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the crisis at Telefilm Canada and the abrupt dismissal of Michel Pradier, Roxane Girard and Denis Pion are causing dismay in the film industry, especially in Quebec.

With the Liberals' lack of leadership on the web giant issue already creating serious concerns, we certainly do not need them taking dangerously rash actions like this one. This will further undermine our industry, which is more vulnerable than ever right now.

Will the minister commit to releasing emergency financial support to defuse this crisis, which has left many projects in limbo?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, fortunately, I started working on this issue before my colleague asked his question.

I have met with a number of Quebec producers on this issue. Culture is very important to us, especially TV and film. We have always been there for them and always will be.

I will have the pleasure of announcing some very concrete measures in the coming days.

Public Safety

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we are all indebted to the amazing individuals who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe in my constituency and across the country. Can the minister responsible for western economic diversification update this House on our government's work to celebrate emergency service workers and to stimulate new business growth and economic opportunities for Winnipeg?