Debates of Jan. 30th, 2020

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Madam Speaker, this is a really key part when we talk about sovereignty. This is a key part of who Canada is, our identity, our sovereignty. We have strong cultural institutions that are very different from those in the United States.

The member is absolutely right. I remember in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hollywood used to push back against any kind of filmmaking here, and yet everybody wanted to come here because there were excellent opportunities to have good locations that could pass for any forest, any mountain, anywhere in the world. At the same time, we had very good camera people, producers, directors and writers. That was a very important fight we took up in late 1998 that would have allowed us to get there. We had to do that while constantly facing pressure.

To put this into our negotiations on CUSMA and to know that we can keep this strong sense of Canadian identity is very important. Canadian cultural industries, as I said before, represent a $57-billion industry in this country, and that does not even count film. I am proud that we were able to achieve that, especially because B.C. is ground zero for all the best things that are being done in film.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, my colleague talked about how proud she was to have done her duty and protected supply management with this agreement. Her colleague said that cheques have already started going out to farmers. There are three problems, however.

The first is that we know that these cheques are not sent out automatically. Farmers need to apply for them, and farmers back home are starting to worry that some of them may not apply and may miss out on the compensation they might be entitled to.

The second problem is that we know full well that the duration of this program is uncertain. There are cheques for now, but what will happen later? The future is very uncertain, so much so that it raises a third problem: What if this turns into grants for modernizing farming operations? That would be terrible.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on this subject.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Madam Speaker, the important thing is that this is the first cheque. Many farmers are having trouble filling out the forms and getting access. I thank the member for bringing that to our attention. We will be able to look at how we could make that process easier and how we could modify the process to make it very user friendly for farmers.

This is not one cheque and then farmers are going to be dropped into a hole in the ground. We are going to continue to reimburse our farmers and help them to sustain themselves because we have had to give up some things in the dairy sector.

Supply management per se—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Dufferin—Caledon.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa.

It is always a great day when I get to rise in this place and defend the interests of the wonderful residents of my riding of Dufferin—Caledon.

I want to start off by saying that members on this side of the House support this agreement. It is good for business. It is good to have certainty. Those are some of the benefits of having this trade agreement resolved.

However, Conservatives have been asking for information from the government on a number of issues. In fact, we have been asking for some information not for one or two weeks, but for several months and we are not getting that information. Specifically, we have been asking when the government will release the economic impact of this agreement. I would think that is something the Liberals would have and would be willing to share.

Members on this side of the House would like to be informed before deciding how to vote on this issue. Instead of releasing this information to us and all Canadians, we get no information. In fact, what we do get is a request to please approve this agreement as quickly as possible. If we want someone to dance with us, we actually have to ask them to dance. We do not just grab them and pull them out onto the dance floor and start swinging them around. That is not the proper way to do it.

This is a very clear request that we have made, and to date, we have had no response. Effectively, we are being asked to vote in favour of a trade agreement without knowing what the economic impacts are going to be not only in our own ridings, but all across the country. Quite frankly, I think the government's request is inappropriate. The Liberals should be giving us the information that we are demanding.

My friends on the other side of the House will say that they have offered us a briefing. A briefing is not an economic impact analysis. I am wondering when the government is going to raise the curtains and give not only parliamentarians but all Canadians the economic impact of this agreement so we can all make an informed decision.

It is bad enough that we are not getting the economic impact, but what I find far more insidious and odious is the fact that there is a report on the economic impact on dairy and SM-4, and guess what: It has been kept confidential by the government.

Why would the Liberals keep an economic impact analysis on important agricultural sectors confidential? Why is it not being released? As parliamentarians, we are being asked to vote on something without information. Some information the Liberals clearly do not have. They do not have an economic impact analysis, despite years of negotiations. However, they do have a very specific economic analysis that is very important to the constituents of my riding of Dufferin—Caledon.

In Dufferin, the number one economic driver is agriculture. In agriculture, we of course have dairy and other supply-managed industries. They are nervous because they know there will be economic impacts, but the Liberals are choosing not to release that information. Therefore, people do not know the extent of the impact.

I met with dairy farmers in my riding two weeks ago. They are concerned about the agreement itself, without still knowing the economic impacts. One of the things they are concerned about is that dairy products coming in from the United States are not going to be subject to the exact same standards as Canadian dairy products are subjected to. There are hormones used in dairy production in the United States that will allow for greater production at lower cost, but they are not allowed to be used in Canada.

Not only have they negotiated a deal for further access to the supply-managed dairy market in Canada, but they have also not levelled the playing field. It is a double hit on our dairy sector. Producers do not know the economic impact and they do not know what the compensation will be.

We ask repeatedly what the compensation is going to be for sectors that are adversely affected. Again, like so many things we get from the Liberal government, there is no transparency; we get no answer. A great example of the lack of transparency exhibited by the government was how they opposed the Parliamentary Budget Officer looking into their infrastructure spending. This is a government that said it was transparent and “open by default”. That is not what is happening specifically with that vote; it is certainly not what is happening with this trade agreement.

All we are asking for is information. It seems like a very simple and basic request. The Liberals are saying to us that they need a partner in this chamber to pass this trade agreement, but they are not going to give us any of the information that we need in order to make a really informed decision. It is especially needed for the residents of my riding, who are going to be affected by the changes to the dairy industry.

What did the government get in return for negotiating away milk classes 6 and 7? We have asked this question; again, we do not have an answer.

What did we get in exchange for effectively giving a tariff on exports in the dairy market that go above a certain threshold? What did we get in exchange for that?

What did we get in return for negotiating away our sovereignty over exports of milk protein concentrates, skim milk powder and infant formula?

These are legitimate questions that we are not getting answers to. This is becoming a pattern with this government. The Liberals do not want to answer the tough questions. I sit here like all of us during question period, when there are lots of great questions that are asked, very specific questions that can have very specific answers. Of course, we do not get very specific answers, do we? On this side of the House we know the answers are the old “Ottawa spin and twist”: spin the question around, do not really say anything and then time is up. That is what we are getting on this trade agreement. We are getting no answers. I know my friends are going to say that we were given opportunities for briefings, but that is not sufficient.

I have two final points to raise on this. Why has softwood lumber not been included in this trade agreement? We know that this is a very serious issue, not in my riding, but in ridings all across the country. Why was “Buy American” not addressed? This is a major impediment for Canadian companies that are trying to do business in the United States.

These are simple, basic questions. All it would take is someone on the other side of the House to take the time to actually answer a straight question. To date, they are not doing it. I am losing faith that it will happen. We want to approve this trade agreement. We want to vote in favour of it, because Canadian businesses and industries need certainty. We need the information. My request is that the Liberal government start providing us some answers instead of pulling down the curtains and saying to vote blind on this issue.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The member will have five minutes for questions and comments after question period.

Mary Thornton

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honour a giant from the Canadian theatre and arts scene, Mary Thornton.

Mary was an instrumental member of the magical puppet theatre company, Famous People Players, located in my riding. The entire company consists of people with developmental and physical challenges. Their work pays homage to famous people. Liberace loved them so much he brought them on tour. Since then, they have created almost 30 productions and attracted supporters such as Paul Newman and musician Phil Collins.

Mary created the signature style of the company, designing the brilliantly coloured props, costumes and life-sized characters brought to life by the performers, earning her praise from critics around the world.

Mary made a difference in the lives of many. Yesterday, we celebrated Bell Let's Talk. Today, I would like to honour someone who achieved so much and gave so much every day to provide an opportunity for success to many people who are marginalized in our society.

Mary continued to work with the company until a few months go when she died on December 11 at the age of 103.

My heartfelt thanks to Mary.

Église Sainte-Marie

[Chris d'Entremont, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Madam Speaker, the tallest wooden church in North America is in Church Point, Digby County. Standing at 185 feet high, Église Sainte-Marie boasts 41 stained glass windows and the architectural detail is stunning. I highly recommend this landmark to anyone visiting the Clare region.

While the structure of the church remains sound, the 115-year-old giant needs maintenance and repairs that come with a price tag of $3 million.

The Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe will be raising funds to save it until September 2021. If enough money is not raised by then, the only option will be to tear it down. That is a sad reality for the region's residents since this church is an important part of their heritage. As a proud Acadian, I am concerned about this important Acadian historic site and I understand the importance of doing everything possible to preserve it.

I want to reassure the residents of Clare and tell them that I am committed to monitoring this issue.

Anne-Marie Voisard

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Madam Speaker, very few people have the honour of receiving an award as prestigious as the Governor General's Literary Award. An author from my community of Châteauguay, Anne-Marie Voisard, took home the award in the non-fiction category for her book entitled, Le droit du plus fort. Nos dommages, leurs intérêts, which was published by Écosociété. As she mentioned in an interview with the newspaper Coup d’œil, the jury made a bold decision by choosing such a daring critique, a plea in favour of freedom of speech, including in print. Anne-Marie Voisard had the courage to call into question our ideas about what is considered acceptable because it is within the law. Her many years of hard work have paid off.

On behalf of the people of Châteauguay—Lacolle, I congratulate her on helping to build a fairer society.

Marc-André Lachapelle

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my profound admiration and extend sincere congratulations to Marc-André Lachapelle, a young 17-year-old man from Saint-Zotique whose act of bravery saved the life of Yvette Gingras. Mr. Lachapelle woke up on January 5 and went to work like any other day, only that day, he saw Ms. Gingras in distress on the side of the road. He quickly pulled over, went to her side and performed chest compressions until first responders arrived.

Mr. Lachapelle, your quick thinking, maturity and sense of duty saved Ms. Gingras' life. This event has likely helped confirm your career choice. I am confident that you will be an excellent paramedic, and I hope you will chose to remain in Salaberry—Suroît. I join the Gingras family in extending our most heartfelt thanks. I understand Ms. Gingras is doing better every day and I wish her a speedy recovery.

Sikh Sewa Society

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize the incredible work of an organization with roots in Brampton, the Sikh Sewa Society, which provides free meals for the less fortunate in our community. Weekly, it serves over 400 meals and has been doing so each and every Sunday for the past four years.

The mission of the Sikh Sewa Society is to have an open platform for citizens of all ages, races, cultures and faiths, with a simple motivation of selfless service for the whole of humanity. The Sikh Sewa Society aligns its mandate with the core teachings of Sikhism, including working hard, giving back and serving our communities. Its actions are an inspiration to many Canadians.

I would like to extend kudos to the organization's volunteers and founders, including Peel Regional Police Officer Manjit Singh Basran, Gurjeet Singh and Parmjit Singh Aujla. Their profound dedication to the betterment of our community does not go unnoticed and is much appreciated.

In this new Parliament, may all of us in the House not lose sight of the importance of our role in serving those who have allowed us to serve them.

Sunnidale Winterama

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House today to celebrate an important community event in my riding, the Sunnidale Winterama. The event, which kicks off tonight in the town of New Lowell, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. Winterama is organized by a small, dedicated group of volunteers from the area who work hard to put on an exceptional weekend of activities. There is something for everyone, from kids' games and a free fireworks show to community dinners and a charitable silent auction.

Winterama is also a major showcase for small business at the crafts market and an excellent opportunity for our many talented local musicians who are playing at events throughout this weekend.

My family and I look forward to seeing many familiar faces at the spaghetti dinner tomorrow night.

I thank the many hard-working volunteers and community members who have helped make this event possible this year and the past 45 great years.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the downing of Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 was a national tragedy that struck very close to home. Pillars of the North Shore community were lost and families are going through a time of unimaginable grief.

In the aftermath of this heartbreaking tragedy, fellow Canadians have stepped up to support their Iranian Canadian neighbours. Nowhere was this more evident than the memorial organized by Nasreen Filsoof of the Canadian Iranian Foundation. Hundreds gathered to remember the 57 Canadians and 29 permanent residents who were on this flight.

The North Shore Jewish community posted this important event at the Har El synagogue. It is fitting that these two communities came together to support each other and that we recognize both this tragedy and the Holocaust this week.

While this event might have been surprising just about anywhere else in the world, it is another poignant example of national unity and a reason we should all be proud to be Canadian. When one community suffers, it is felt across our country. We support them so they are not alone.

Citizens Advisory Committee Awareness Week

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Correctional Service of Canada celebrated Citizens Advisory Committee Awareness Week. This citizen-led movement ensures that the public is involved in corrections, increasing openness and transparency.

I would like to thank the over 400 Canadians who volunteered with the citizens advisory committees across the country. I applaud their dedication in the institutions and parole offices. I am proud of the work they do in my own riding and of course those across the entire country. Please join me in thanking all the citizens advisory committee members for their tireless efforts and contributions to public safety for all Canadians.

Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, just three days ago, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada released the review panel's report on CN's proposed truck-rail hub in Milton. The panel determined that this project is likely to have a significant and adverse environmental impact on air quality and human health in the Halton region. It is now in front of the federal cabinet for a review and decision. The review panel recognized this project will have a negative environmental impact. The region of Halton has concluded this project will negatively impact the communities of Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills. Most importantly, the people of Halton have voiced their strong opposition to this project.

I am calling on the Liberal government and Liberal members from Halton region to do the right thing, protect the environment and listen to the people of Halton region.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are mourning the victims of flight PS752. In Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, this tragedy hit at the heart of our community with the loss of three members of the Hamidi family: Ardalan Ebnoddin-Hamidi, Niloofar Razzaghi and their son Kamyar Ebnoddin-Hamidi.

Over the past few years, I came to know the Hamidi family as engaged community supporters. In particular, Kam spent many hours volunteering with me this past fall. He was following in the footsteps of his parents, developing the same commitment to community activism.

I feel their loss deeply and offer my sincerest condolences to their friends and family.

Salmon Fisheries

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's fisheries have declined significantly in recent years, despite Liberal promises to reverse those trends.

Threats to Pacific salmon stocks grew exponentially last year with the discovery of the Big Bar slide on the Fraser River. Efforts to capture salmon and move them around the blockage benefited a few fish, but few survived the ordeal.

After six months of Liberal promises, work has finally begun to remove the blockage and hopefully avert the extinction of these salmon stocks. I thank the engineers and workers currently working to fix Big Bar, but I also join many Canadians in wondering why it took over half a year for the government to get to work on this urgent job.

All along the government has promised to resource this work, but its delays cost the essential loss of resource time.

This is only one of the challenges facing our fisheries and we will be holding the government to account on the actions it takes or does not take on the file.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, something that is often overlooked is the impact of the carbon tax on farms and agriculture. Who is going to feed Canadians when the government continues to raise taxes and tax farmers out of business?

I am disappointed that yet again the Liberals are overlooking the struggles of millions of Canadians. Vague platitudes will not put food on the table.

The carbon tax is failing farmers and it does not reduce emissions, especially in our rural ridings: all pain, no grain.

The carbon tax makes everything more expensive. I had a farmer send me a bill. In one month he had to pay over $7,000 in carbon tax to dry his grain. Profit margins are already so low for so many farmers and the Liberals want to tax them more, squeeze everything out of them.

As the member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, I promise to stand up for farmers and fight Trudeau's job-killing carbon tax.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind hon. members, when referring to someone else in the chamber, not to refer to the member by his or her name, but rather by title or riding.

The hon. member for Vancouver East.

Housing

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for many Canadians, having a home people can afford that fits their needs is becoming harder and harder. For some, it is impossible. There is a problem all across the country.

Yesterday, Ottawa declared a housing and homelessness emergency. Women's shelters are having to turn away victims of domestic violence. We see people sleeping in tents out of desperation. In Vancouver East, we have had a tent city at Oppenheimer Park for more than a year.

There is no recognition of the overwhelming homeless population in urban, rural and northern indigenous communities.

For the Liberals, when something is urgent for their corporate friends, they will go to any lengths to make it happen. However, for Canadians who need a place to live, they have to wait.

Enough is enough. We need to see a substantive increase in funding for the national housing strategy and a dedicated program led by indigenous peoples for indigenous peoples.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this Sunday is the Super Bowl, and like many Quebeckers, I will be glued to my TV.

All Quebeckers will be watching an exceptional doctor very closely. I am proud to say that this doctor hails from the riding of Beloeil—Chambly. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a guard for the Kansas City Chiefs, will be guarding his team's star quarterback all the way to victory. The quarterback is pretty remarkable himself.

The great number 76 could become the first Quebecker to wear one of those famous championship rings. He is the first football player who is also a medical doctor.

Dr. Duvernay-Tardif is the ultimate student athlete. He is proof that we can help and encourage young Quebeckers and tell them that with a little effort and perseverance they can create an unbelievable future for themselves. This is exactly what Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is looking to spark, through the foundation that bears his name and that provides scholarships to young athletes.

This Sunday, we will all be cheering, “Go, Chiefs, go!”

Finance

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are seeing just out of touch with ordinary Canadians the Liberal government is, giving $50 million to Mastercard.

If we were to create a Liberal credit card commercial, it might sound like this: Canada's deficit, $27 billion; Canada's debt, $800 billion; new fridges for Loblaws, $12 million; an airport in Cape Breton for millionaires, $18 million; Mastercard quarterly revenues, $4.4 billion; Mastercard size by market value in the United States, bigger than Walmart; Canada's Prime Minister giving Mastercard $50 million tax dollars, priceless.

There are some things money cannot buy, but for everything else there is the Liberals.

How can the Prime Minister justify this reckless borrowing, using the Canadian taxpayer credit card, to give Mastercard a single dime of our tax dollars?

Neil Peart

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on January 7, Canada and music lost a virtuoso, legend and hero to millions of air drummers the world over.

Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist for Rush, succumbed to glioblastoma after a three and a half year fight and tragically only four and a half years after Rush's final concert.

Rush was a band that was universally loved in Quebec and across Canada. The band recorded some famous albums in Morin-Heights, in the Laurentians, and put on one of its most legendary concerts at the Montreal Forum.

A member of the Order of Canada and of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Neil Peart was generally recognized as the best rock drummer in the world and the driving force behind one of the most successful touring bands of all time.

I offer our condolences to his family and all his fans in between the bright lights and the far, unlit unknown.

I thank him for his words and his music.

Public Safety

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, House Leader of the Official Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, in a hotel room in Quebec City, 22-year-old Marylène Lévesque was brutally murdered. The 51-year-old accused, who had murdered his wife 15 years prior, was on day parole and had been encouraged by his parole officer to hire Marylène for sex.

Will those Liberals, at a minimum, condemn unreservedly what the Parole Board and this parole officer did and commit to correcting this so it never happens again?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said previously, we extend our deepest condolences to the family. We understand and we share the concerns of Canadians about this case.

Public safety must always be our first consideration in all parole decisions. The Parole Board makes these decisions independently.

In response to the concerns that are being raised, I have asked the chair of the Parole Board and the commissioner of Correctional Service Canada to initiate a full investigation and a review to determine the circumstances that have led to this tragic case and to ensure that all established protocols were in fact followed.