House of Commons Hansard #411 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was plan.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Durham.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, in a speech highlighting risks in the Arctic from Russia and China, the U.S. Secretary of State questioned Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic. This is a direct result of the weak leadership of the Prime Minister and our deteriorating reputation around the world.

What is the Prime Minister prepared to do to demonstrate to the international community Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Don Valley West Ontario

Liberal

Rob Oliphant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Passage is a Canadian passage; it is internationally recognized. Our government is standing up to defend our interests. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs reasserted that today. Canadian sovereignty in the north is long-standing and well established. It is where Canadians live and work. I lived there for six years. We will continue to defend our sovereignty, the peoples and the communities in the north and our national interests.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, it has been long-standing until the Prime Minister. He has hurt our reputation around the world, and Liberals claim to be calling other countries for help in our dispute with China, but as this Arctic slight shows, friends and foes alike do not take the Prime Minister seriously. He is too weak to appoint an ambassador. He is too weak to bring a WTO trade challenge. He is too weak to even pick up the damn phone.

Canada has never been so alone. When is the Prime Minister going to start restoring Canada's international credibility?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Don Valley West Ontario

Liberal

Rob Oliphant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives who offer only divisive ideas and try only to divide Canadians, we are taking our relationships in the world seriously. We build allies, we build relationships and we are constructively engaging in the world.

The decisions the member talks about are life-threatening decisions. These are arbitrary decisions by a Chinese government. We are working hard in a very concerted and organized way to address these deeply concerning decisions. We want to thank our allies like Australia, the EU, France and Germany for standing with us—

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canada's Arctic is a strategic region with immense potential.

Yesterday, the U.S. Secretary of State described Canada's claim to the Northwest Passage as “illegitimate”, casting doubt on Canada's Arctic sovereignty.

The Liberals lost control over our southern regions, they are weakening our relations with our allies, and they could not care less about Canadian sovereignty in the North. What is the Prime Minister prepared to do to show the international community that this part of the Arctic is Canadian?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Don Valley West Ontario

Liberal

Rob Oliphant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the hon. member if he has ever been to the Arctic. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs clearly stated today, Canada is very clear about the Northwest Passage being Canadian. Our Arctic sovereignty is long-standing and well established. The minister attended the Arctic Council meeting in Finland this week to reiterate this and to advocate for Canadian interests. Canada remains committed to exercising the full extent of its rights and sovereignty over our territory.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I am sure hon. colleagues have confidence in the ability of members to answer arguments here, on both sides, within the rules.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. The hon. member for Carleton will come to order and show respect for the direction of the Chair.

The hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, every passing day brings new Liberal failures.

The conclusions of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute report are scathing. The report found that the Liberal government's decisions around replacing Canada's fighter jets were purely based on reasons of political interest and were not in the national interest.

What does the Liberal government plan to do to resolve this latest fiasco?

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

Mr. Speaker, I can assure all members in this House, and indeed all Canadians, that our process to procure 88 fighter jets will be open, fair, transparent and indeed competitive. Unlike the previous Conservative government, which could not even sole source a jet, we are determined to deliver for the men and women in the air force to ensure that they have the equipment they need to do the hard job we ask of them.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Mr. Speaker, all we have so far from the Liberals is a bunch of worn out Aussie jets.

The Macdonald-Laurier Institute report says:

As a result of this government’s policies, its ability to conduct its most basic function, the defence of Canadian sovereignty and that of our allies, is diminishing rapidly.

When will the Prime Minister stop putting his own partisan interests ahead of Canada's national security?

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to put our record on defence procurement against the Conservatives' record at any time. We have fully costed the defence policy. We have launched the future fight procurement of 88 jets. We have had the delivery of our first interim jet. We have the first large vessels in the water designed and built under the NSS. We have the first OFSV. We have the first AOPS, with two more in the works and the fourth was just cut last week. We have a contract for fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft, and of course, the Canada surface combatants. There is a lot more after that.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Mr. Speaker, I guess she is the architect of this fighter jet fiasco.

The Liberals' excuses for betraying our armed forces will not fix the bridges they have already burned with our allies. The letters in the report prove that the Prime Minister has betrayed Canada on the world stage. To quote the report, “the present government’s policies have dealt a blow to Canada-US defence relations, the bedrock of the country’s security”.

When will the Prime Minister stop undermining Canada's relationship with our closest ally and defence partner?

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Vancouver South B.C.

Liberal

Harjit S. Sajjan LiberalMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the relations we have built with the United States. The NORAD mission we have with the U.S. is the cornerstone. We have actually put this into our defence policy.

One of the most important aspects would be that where the Conservatives could not even replace our aircraft, they actually wanted only 65. We conducted a thorough analysis, and we will be purchasing 88 aircraft that will meet the needs for North American defence.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, can members believe that over eight million Canadians cannot talk to a real person when they call government call centres? Whether it is about their EI, their pensions or immigration matters, call centres are a dead end. It is so bad at IRCC that over 70% of the callers could not even get through. That is 1.2 million people. No wonder. There are no service standards: no standards on access, no standards on timeliness, no standards on accuracy. Do the Liberals not believe that Canadians deserve the most basic level of service from their government?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, we welcome the recommendations from the Auditor General's report. Budget 2019 provides over $42.9 million in investments that will allow IRCC to more than fund 170 full-time agents over two years to respond to people's questions. We have already extended hours in our call centres. We have introduced access to people in our call centres on Saturdays. We are introducing more help through email, social media and a chatbot that learns as it proceeds to answer all the routine questions. We are committed to doing better.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, in 2017 the Auditor General called out the Canada Revenue Agency for its poor management of its call centres. Today we learned that the CRA is not the only organization hanging up on people, but apparently all government service offices are doing so. Come on.

Why is it that when SNC-Lavalin, Loblaws or Mr. Bronfman calls the Prime Minister, he picks up immediately and will move heaven and earth for them, but when average Canadians need assistance from their government, half of their calls are dropped?

This government does not serve the people. This government serves the friends of the Liberal Party of Canada.

It is really not all that complicated. When will the government answer the phone?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Québec

Liberal

Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to improving the CRA's services to ensure that they meet the needs of Canadians.

Unlike the Harper Conservatives, who decided to reduce the number of agents and the operating hours for call centres, our government chose to invest in infrastructure.

I am very pleased to say that we have migrated to a new, modern telephone platform in recent months. The results are encouraging. I will have more to say on this in a few weeks.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Mr. Speaker, high gas prices are hurting the most vulnerable across British Columbia. This week we learned that cancer patients are having services cut, and that is because volunteer drivers cannot afford to drive them anymore. In my riding in British Columbia, people have to drive sometimes six hours for their radiation therapy. Canadians suffering with cancer are paying the full price of the Prime Minister's carbon tax and failure to get the Trans Mountain pipeline built.

When the Prime Minister said that he wanted high gas prices, is this what he meant?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Liberal

Sean Fraser LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct the hon. member to the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, which confirmed exactly what we have been saying the entire time: our plan to put a price on pollution is not only going to reduce emissions, it is going to make life more affordable for eight out of 10 Canadian households.

At the same time, we are moving forward with a theme of our government to ensure that the economy works for everyone, not just a wealthy few. We cut taxes for the middle class and asked the one per cent to pay more. We introduced the Canada child benefit, which put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families. We are ensuring that our government works for everyone, and it is disappointing that the Conservatives vote against us every step of the way.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

Mr. Speaker, throughout Canada, people are suffering because of the failures of the Liberal government. Over and over again, it has taken actions that raise the price of gas, which is deepening the Liberal affordability crisis. In my province, we are forced to rely on American fuel because of the failure by the government to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline. It is time to stop punishing Canadians.

When will the government revoke its carbon tax and approve the pipelines we need to ensure that Canadian fuels can get to consumers affordably?