Debates of June 11th, 2019

Public Services and Procurement

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the disaster that is the Phoenix pay system is affecting many workers in my riding, including those who work for Parks Canada. For example, Jean-Guy Lampron, a resident of Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc who works for Parks Canada, has not received a paycheque since March.

Meanwhile, the Liberal government continues to give millions of dollars to IBM, anxious to resolve this matter.

If the minister were not being paid, I am sure that he would have fixed the problem very quickly. Will the Liberal government commit to fixing this problem once and for all and pay—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility]

Mr. Speaker, this is National Public Service Week, and I want to express our gratitude to our impressive public service.

Everyone in the House is committed to bringing the Phoenix transaction backlog down to zero. We will not do as the Conservatives did and lay off 700 public servants just to post some phony savings to create a phony balanced budget.

We are committed to our public servants, and we are working hard to completely clear the backlog.

Infrastructure

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Port of Halifax plays a key role for businesses and employees in my riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour and to the economy of Atlantic Canada by moving Canadian products to international markets. Can the Minister of Transport please update all Canadians on the progress being made by this Liberal government to invest in good trade infrastructure?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for his excellent question and his commitment to the Port of Halifax. We in the Liberal government believe in modern infrastructure for transportation and efficient trade corridors. It is good for the economy. That is why I was so pleased to announce two historic investments in the Port of Halifax to make it even more efficient and, incidentally, to reduce truck traffic in the Halifax area. We are all about creating good, middle-class jobs and growing the economy.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, the charges may have been dropped in the Vice-Admiral Norman affair, but justice has yet to be served.

Under the Queen's Regulations and Orders of the National Defence Act, now that his name has been cleared, Vice-Admiral Norman should have been honourably returned to his position as vice-chief of the defence staff. However, that has not happened.

When will the Minister of National Defence do his job, uphold the law and order the chief of the defence staff to reinstate Mark Norman as our Canadian Armed Forces second in command?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, General Vance, as chief of the defence staff, has a responsibility. We should give him his space to have discussions with Vice-Admiral Norman in terms of his duties.

I have the utmost faith in the defence team and the leadership to move forward in a way that upholds the values and integrity of this great institution.

International Trade

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government says it wants to fast-track ratification of the new NAFTA. However, it is much less eager to compensate our supply-managed farmers, who have yet to receive a single penny for the two previous free trade agreements. The minister had promised them payments by June, but they have yet to receive anything, and they will not receive anything before the election.

Before asking for a blank cheque to ratify NAFTA, could the government not have the decency to send some cheques out to farmers?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it was a Liberal government that created the supply management system and it is a Liberal government that is preserving it.

It is worth noting that the Americans' original goal was to completely dismantle that system. This agreement will provide access to markets, but the most important thing is that the future of supply management is secure. I can also assure my colleague that farmers will be fully compensated.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting for details. The problem is that people agreed to the last two free trade deals with the understanding that producers would be compensated, but they never got that money. They did not get a penny for CETA or the TPP.

Now the government wants to play the same trick on us a third time. It wants to ratify the agreement even though compensation details are not on the table. No way.

Does the government understand that no compensation means no ratification?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government's priority is defending Canadians' interests, and that includes the interests of dairy farmers. Our government stood up for our supply management system despite the United States' determined attempts to dismantle it.

I can assure all dairy farmers that they will receive fair and equitable compensation.

Indigenous Affairs

[Hunter Tootoo, Independent, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.

Since it launched in 2011, successive governments have spent over half a billion dollars on the nutrition north program. In that time, the number of households in Nunavut affected by food insecurity has risen from 33% to over 50%. With results that bad, we should call it the Phoenix food program.

Nunavummiut wants answers. Will you open an inquiry into nutrition north so we can understand why it has failed so spectacularly and find a way to ensure food security for our communities?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I remind the hon. member for Nunavut to direct his questions to the Chair. Of course, when members say “you” in the House, they are referring to the Chair. I do not think he intended to do that.

The hon. Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, it is completely unacceptable that many northerners are still struggling to feed their families.

Our government is expanding nutrition north to support a total of 116 isolated communities, although we know more needs to be done. We know that support for harvesters and access to the country food program are very important to northerners. We are very pleased that CanNor is also supporting pilot projects that will allow made-in-community solutions for those very communities about which the member talks.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I wish to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Her Excellency Deqa Yasin, Minister of Women and Human Rights Development for the Federal Republic of Somalia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Decorum

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have found the heckling so bad in this corner that I even feel intimidated to raise the point that we are violating Standing Order 16 and Standing Order 18. People are yelling so loudly that I have trouble hearing the answers even with my earpiece. I know raising this makes me unpopular with those who yell, but I hope Canadians will know that some of us in this place value decorum and are actually embarrassed by the conduct of our fellows.

I plead with members to read the Standing Orders and follow them.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It does sometimes seem like few members have read the Standing Orders. I appreciate the hon. member's ongoing efforts to assist me in reducing the heckling in this place. It does seem like members are unable to be ashamed of their behaviour, that they have no shame and they ought to.

Oral Questions

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order on a matter arising out of question period. In the questions from member for New Westminster—Burnaby, he referred to the MP for Richmond. I am wondering if he could clarify that he was not referring to the Conservative MP for Richmond Centre, but to the scandal of the Liberal MP for Steveston—Richmond East. I would ask him to clarify that for us.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, that is correct.

The House resumed from June 10 consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Telecommunications

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

It being 3:15 p.m., pursuant to order made on Monday, June 10, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division relating to the business of supply.

The question is on the motion. Shall I dispense?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

[Chair read text of motion to House]

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #1349