Debates of June 7th, 2019

Pensions

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, after a lifetime of hard work, Canadians deserve peace of mind when it comes to their retirement security. We are taking a whole-of-government approach, an evidence-based approach, to address retirement security for all Canadians. Our government held national consultations and heard pensioners, workers, lenders and companies. In budget 2019, we took important steps to make insolvency proceedings fairer and more transparent, like ensuring better oversight of corporate behaviour.

Unlike the opposition, we know that it is possible to protect Canadians' retirement security without compromising businesses' ability to invest, grow and create good jobs.

International Development

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Madam Speaker, my colleagues in this place have heard me speak before about the importance of proper nutrition, and I am sure that we all share in the belief that kids need access to healthy food and good nutrition habits to thrive and be productive. Kids in Canada and all around the world deserve access to healthy food.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development please update the House on what Canada is doing to make sure that kids around the world have proper nourishment?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Madam Speaker, working together and promoting a comprehensive approach to nutrition and promoting the empowerment of women and girls takes us one step closer to gender equality. One example is Nutrition International, an important partner that helps nearly 500 million children annually and that is one of the key sponsors of Women Deliver in Vancouver. Its slogan, “She'll Grow Into It”, speaks to the fact that women can and will make a difference if we reduce gender disparities and unleash the amazing potential of women and girls everywhere. We will make that a reality here in Canada and around the world.

Finance

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Auditor General has many new responsibilities now, including auditing the government's ill-considered Infrastructure Bank and the new Trans Mountain Crown corporation that resulted from it chasing Kinder Morgan out of Canada. Last summer, the Auditor General said that they needed more money to be able to keep doing performance audits, and last month, he told the public accounts committee that he cancelled audits, including on cybersecurity, because they did not have enough money.

What is the government trying to hide from the Auditor General?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government]

Madam Speaker, although it is my pleasure to answer this question, I must admit that it is with a bit of trepidation that I see that the Harper Conservatives have really developed an interest in the Auditor General. The last time they had an interest in the Auditor General, they slashed his budget by $6.4 million, they fired auditors, they forced the Parliamentary Budget Officer to take them to court and they were found in contempt of Parliament itself. I am hoping that this is as far as their interest is going to go.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, one thing that never ever happened under the previous government was the Auditor General coming to the public accounts committee saying we do not have enough money to do our job. That never happened. On May 14, the Office of the Auditor General told public accounts, “had we received the $10.8 million.... We would have been able to do the work that was expected.” I said, “you are not adequately funded now.” They replied, “That's right.”

What part of that testimony does the parliamentary secretary not understand, and why will they not—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government]

I would just say, Madam Speaker, that the reason the Auditor General probably feels that he could fearlessly and freely offer advice to this government is that we actually listen to it.

Let us take a look at the Conservatives' cavalcade of cowing, criticizing and canning public servants who dared speak up to them. All I have to mention is Kevin Page, perhaps Richard Colvin, perhaps Linda Keen, perhaps Pat Stogran. I can say that I am so glad that public officials feel that they can speak to us.

Transport

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Speaker, the Port of Oshawa is one of my riding's crown jewels. The transport minister announced the amalgamation of the port authorities of Oshawa and Hamilton this week, and it will take effect on June 18, just 11 days from now. This decision was made without any meaningful consultation with the Oshawa Port Authority, the regional and city governments, port users, customers, tenant operators, labour groups or the public. While the government once promised transparency, it has not been as advertised.

When will the minister table the business case for the port amalgamation in this House?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, I am disappointed to hear my colleague say this, because I can tell you personally that I spoke to the mayor of Oshawa on several occasions, and in fact, with his council around the table. I also spoke several times to the mayor of Hamilton. We spoke to the port authorities themselves. There was a huge amount of consultation. We even extended the consultation period above what had been planned. This will be good for southern Ontario, and we did all the necessary consultation.

International Trade

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

Madam Speaker, with the Prime Minister's counter tariffs, steel and aluminum manufacturers in my riding of Yorkton—Melville were crippled. Small and medium entrepreneurs invested everything they could to keep their employees working. The Liberal government promised to have their backs but never came through. It is clear that assistance from the $2-billion tariff windfall was never intended for them.

When will the Prime Minister admit that his help for the steel industry is not as advertised?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, we will always stand up for Canadian workers and Canadian interests. To support the steel and aluminum industries and workers, we have provided up to $1.7 billion through BDC and EDC to keep businesses operational; $250 million in new funding through the strategic innovation fund, the SIF, to bolster the competitiveness of Canadian manufacturers; and $100 million in support for SMEs through the regional development agencies.

As you know, Madam Speaker, we stood to defend the workers in the industry against the unacceptable tariffs imposed by the Americans.

Child Care

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

Madam Speaker, in my riding of Kootenay—Columbia, there are four national parks, and I have the pleasure of having many Parks Canada employees as constituents. Many staff work non-standard hours, and they struggle with finding affordable and accessible child care.

Parks Canada's collective agreement expired last August, and as part of the bargaining process, the union is asking for the creation of a joint committee on child care to research the needs of employees, to determine challenges and to recommend solutions.

Will the government show leadership and work with Parks Canada employees to address the child care crisis?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, as I represent the Minister of Environment, I note that it is important that we recognize that we have an obligation to the employees who work for the different departments and agencies, including Parks Canada.

Of course, I would be willing to sit down with the member after question period today to discuss the issue in greater detail so we can move forward in a manner that respects the needs of Parks Canada employees.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, in 2012, the Conservatives recklessly cut the surf guard program at Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, putting lives at risk. Prior to its cancellation, this life-saving program was in place for almost 40 years and was responsible for saving dozens, if not hundreds, of lives.

Recently, a CFB Comox helicopter and a Canadian Coast Guard vessel had to make another life-saving rescue. Following this incident, and two fatalities last year at this same spot, the communities and the families want to know this: How many fatalities and rescues will it take before the government does the right thing and reinstates this life-saving program?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Speaker, this government has made the largest investment in fleet renewal for the Canadian Coast Guard in its history.

We are putting forward a plan that will provide the Coast Guard with the right equipment while promoting economic growth and creating good-paying jobs across the country. The fleet renewal is needed, as the average age of large ships in the Canadian Coast Guard is 38, and they are nearing the end of their service lives.

This government is reinvesting in the Coast Guard to protect the communities that are affected and the people who make their living on the water.

Democratic Institutions

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, we have seen how the Liberals are using $600 million and Unifor to stack the deck in their favour in an election year. Now the Liberals are forcing Elections Canada to hire social media influencers to get out the vote. I thought we were fighting to get influence out of elections.

Can the Liberals guarantee that these influencers will be non-partisan, or is this just another example of Liberals trying to stack the deck and rig the next election?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Madam Speaker, there is only one party in the House that wants to suppress Canadian voters, and that is the Conservative Party of Canada. In fact, the record shows it. Conservatives have misdirected voters as to where to vote. They have tried to circumvent party fundraising rules. They actually had a member of Parliament go to jail for not following elections laws. They were also slapped on the wrist for having government advertising and partisanship in the same frame.

There is only one party that has worked consistently to try to undermine the election, and that is the Conservative Party of Canada.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Speaker, we have learned that Elections Canada plans to spend $650,000 to hire social media influencers. Elections Canada should be focusing on free and fair elections, instead of being forced by the Liberal government to come up with another way to rig the election.

When will the Prime Minister stop manipulating every aspect of our democratic institutions to change the rules in his favour?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game.

They are always trying to undermine our elections and institutions.

I have a challenge for the members opposite. Let us see if they can make 2019 the first time they do not break elections laws.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Speaker, the only dangerous game would be to rig the election.

Elections Canada is keeping secret the names of its social media influencers: musicians, celebrities, athletes and YouTube producers. However, it is unfair and impossible for the Prime Minister to demand these people set aside their own opinions and experiences to remain unbiased.

Why does the Prime Minister not just admit that he is using his power and influence in this latest stunt to stack the deck and rig the next election?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Madam Speaker, I would never put it past the Conservatives to let facts get in the way of their questions.

When we look at the record, there is one party that has consistently broken elections law, that has actually been convicted for it and that has even had a member of Parliament go to jail for it. In fact, when the Conservatives had their chance in government, they put forward elections legislation that would make it more difficult for Canadians to vote, that would limit the rights of Canadians living abroad and that would not even allow the Chief Electoral Officer to talk to Canadians about how to vote.

On this side of the House, we will not take any lessons and we will always stick to the facts.

Government Policies

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Madam Speaker, it should come as no surprise that the Leader of the Opposition has discredited economic views to match his discredited social views.

Recently he stated that the government had no role in helping lift people out of poverty. While this explains the terrible Conservative track record on poverty reduction, it ignores that the Liberal government has helped lift more than 820,000 Canadians out of poverty, achieving the lowest level of poverty in Canada's history.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development remind the House of how our government is helping Canadians working hard to join the middle class?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, a year ago Ontario voters chose to elect a Conservative government.

While the Conservative leader says that he does not think governments have a role to play in lifting people out of poverty, the Conservatives in Ontario, under Doug Ford, seem to think they do have a role to push people into poverty. In fact, let us take a look at some of the cuts that have been made. They have cut minimum wage for young people. They have cut social assistance for people with disabilities. They have cut health supports. They have cut back on funding for homelessness shelters. They even have cut supports for advanced age seniors as they need support as they age.

In fact, a Conservative in the House, just this week, stood and said, “if we want to know what God thinks of money, we look at the people he has given it to.” If we want to know what Conservatives think about poverty, look—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order, please. It is getting a bit noisy in here, so I would ask all members to ensure they can hear the question and allow people to answer it.