Debates of Jan. 31st, 2020

Finance

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is well known that the Liberal government loves handing out corporate welfare, such as, $12 million to refrigerate Loblaws, $40 million to automate BlackBerry, $50 million to secure Mastercard, lobbied by donors and a former chief of staff to provide. However, it committed only $10 million to combat money laundering across Canada, a crisis estimated to be worth over $7 billion in my home province of British Columbia alone.

Does the Prime Minister like investing in corporate welfare more than he likes protecting Canada from corruption?

[William Amos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, Canadians are using connected devices more and they want to know that when they are using financial services and doing their banking their data and privacy are protected. That is why we are investing in a cybersecurity centre. That is why our government is leveraging hundreds of millions of dollars doing exactly what a government should do to protect Canadians.

We are going to ensure Canadians get those investments and that every taxpayer dollar leverages many more from the private sector. It is good governance.

Government Programs

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

Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer told us that the Liberals have no plan for investing tens of billions of dollars allocated to more than 50 programs falling under some 30 departments.

The investing in Canada plan is a failure in terms of wealth creation for the middle class, getting shovels in the ground, and monitoring and transparency.

Will the Prime Minister respect the wishes of the House and give the Auditor General the resources he needs to do his important work?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Madam Speaker, we have always said that openness and transparency are hallmarks of our government.

We welcome public and parliamentary scrutiny of our infrastructure program. The only failure was the Conservatives' campaign pledge to cut infrastructure investments.

I would like to know what the member opposite would like to cut. Is it the Montreal metro blue line, the Quebec City tramway, the Champlain Bridge or investments in affordable housing?

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

Madam Speaker, none of the above.

The Liberals are incapable of delivering projects on the ground. So far, nothing has been built. They are incapable of being accountable to Parliament or tabling a complete investment plan that breaks down the $186 billion in spending. Parliamentarians have spoken. The Auditor General must investigate this Liberal fiasco.

Instead of handing over $50 million to Mastercard, will the Prime Minister, who loves using Canadians as his own unlimited credit card, make sure that the Auditor General gets the necessary financial resources to carry out this task?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Madam Speaker, I will reiterate, we always welcome public and parliamentary oversight of our historic infrastructure program.

Investments in clean infrastructure, public transit and building resilient communities are investments in our culture. They create jobs and help grow our economy to offer our children a healthier future. We are going to stay the course.

Public Services and Procurement

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Madam Speaker, the government wants 3,900 civilian members of the RCMP to use Phoenix. They are being told that there are no more problems with Phoenix. However, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement said the opposite, and I quote: “Our government knows that employees and their families continue to experience stress and inconvenience due to pay issues.”

Why is the government imposing Phoenix on 3,900 civilian members of the RCMP without their consent, knowing that it is a source of stress and inconvenience?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, Canada's public servants deserve to be paid accurately and on time for their important work.

We have made progress stabilizing the pay system. Over the past two years, we have reduced the number of pending transactions by 39%. Over the same period of time, the backlog of transactions with financial implications has decreased by 43%.

We will continue working closely with the RCMP management to ensure a smooth transition. We continue to work with all departments and agencies to improve the timeliness and accuracy of HR data entries into the pay system.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have statistics too. Last year, 74% of employees had problems when they transferred to a different job. If that is an improvement, then I am happy I was not there when the system was first implemented.

The Phoenix system has been broken since day one. The Prime Minister asked two members of his cabinet to do away with this system once and for all. Yesterday, the Minister of Digital Government stated, and I quote: “We are working...to find a modern, reliable system.” In other words, Phoenix is not a modern and reliable system and never has been.

I would like to reiterate my question. Why add 3,9000 more employees to this system—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, we have taken significant steps to stabilize the Phoenix pay system, and we continue to move forward together with all stakeholders, including unions and employees. Our government remains determined to help employees and resolve problems as quickly as possible.

Public Safety

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

Madam Speaker, whenever a tragedy occurs, we should reflect on what we could have done to prevent it.

The murder of Marylène Levesque in Quebec City is one such case. We know that someone with a history of violence against women was involved. We also know that this person was permitted to go on day parole and interact with vulnerable women.

The Liberal government was warned by former parole officers that its reckless reforms would undermine public safety. When is the Liberal government going to take responsibility for its failure to protect innocent Canadians?

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

Madam Speaker, the tragic murder of Ms. Levesque should never have occurred.

A thorough investigation with external advisers will take place to determine all of the circumstances that gave rise to this horrendous, heinous crime. The investigation will be transparent and the findings will be shared with the public.

It is our foremost priority to keep Canadians safe. We will work tirelessly to prevent similar tragedies from ever occurring again.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Madam Speaker, Marylène Levesque was killed by a repeat violent offender out on parole. He was out because Liberal-appointed Parole Board members granted his release, despite knowing the plan to use sex workers to manage his risk to women. Let us just think about that.

This kind of incompetence is putting lives at risk by allowing dangerous offenders back on our streets. When will the minister fire those Parole Board members and launch an external investigation into those types of appointments?

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

Madam Speaker, public safety is the first and most important consideration for all parole decisions.

The Parole Board of Canada makes these decisions independently, based on long-standing criteria established to promote safe and effective reintegration into society for offenders.

In this tragic case, both the commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada and the chair of the Parole Board have undertaken to initiate a full investigation into all of the circumstances. If persons are found to have engaged in misconduct, they will be held accountable. If there are additional measures to be taken, we will take them.

Canada Summer Jobs Program

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Madam Speaker, after weeks of confusion the Liberals finally opened the Canada summer jobs program yesterday. First they cut hours to say they were funding more positions. Then they prevented church groups from applying. Now it is reported that the department is swimming in red tape and is in chaos.

When the member of Parliament for Carleton ran the program, it ran perfectly. How are the Liberals so terrible at running a summer jobs program for students?

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Madam Speaker, Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the education and experience they will need to succeed in their careers, keeping our economy growing and our middle class thriving.

We are excited about rolling out 70,000 jobs for our youth. That is why the Canada summer jobs program is an important part of our government's youth employment strategy. We are providing young Canadians with paid summer jobs where they can gain valuable experience and earn money to help pay for school.

I am pleased to share with the House that the application period is now open. I encourage—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

Canada-India Relations

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Namaste, Madam Speaker.

We have learned that part of the Prime Minister's disastrous 2018 trip to India was supposed to include a yoga summit with Bollywood celebrities and the Prime Minister of India.

While we now know that an invitation to a convicted terrorist and photo ops with elaborate wardrobe changes were all part of the government's well-calculated plans to improve relations with India, for some reason this event was cancelled.

Can the Prime Minister shed any light on why the yoga summit failed to launch?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, on this side of the House we know how important it is for Canadians to deliver a strong message on the world stage. Our Prime Minister does that, and he did that in India.

While the Conservatives are spending their energy and time playing with Canada's relationships abroad for partisan politics, we remain focused on actions that will benefit Canadians. That includes more than $1 billion in two-way trade investment with India that we announced during that visit. This will create 5,800 new Canadian jobs, work we are proud of.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, in northwest B.C. and across our province, wild salmon are the lifeblood of many communities. For generations they returned to our rivers in huge numbers, but as anyone out on the Skeena River last summer can tell us, wild salmon are in crisis, and the Liberal government is failing to act. We need funding for habitat restoration, for stock monitoring and for climate adaptation, and we need it now.

Will the government step up before it is too late?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Speaker, indeed, our government agrees that wild salmon is a priority, specifically on the west coast.

I think it is worth noting that the minister's first visit to British Columbia was with the Fraser management council, talking specifically about wild salmon and going up to Big Bar to look at the effects of the landslide. When it comes to funding, it was this government that put into place a $142-million salmon fund, along with the Province of British Columbia.

We are doing more than the previous government ever did and we are going to do more going forward. I look forward to working with that member.

Natural Resources

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Madam Speaker, resource workers are desperately looking for jobs to support their families but the government has no plan for their future. Look at the latest proposal in northern Alberta, the Teck frontier mine. Even the CEO of the company says that it makes no economic sense and it will make it impossible for Canada to meet its climate targets, especially with Jason Kenney's government in power.

When will the Liberals look to the future and deliver a real plan for Canadian workers and their communities?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Western Economic Diversification Canada) and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency)]

Madam Speaker, Canadians elected this government to protect the environment, grow the economy, advance reconciliation and create good jobs. We have done all of the above.

They also expect this government to oversee fair and thorough environmental assessments. This is a major project that is under active consideration by our government. Under the Canadian environmental assessment act, a decision must be made on the project by the end of February 2020, and we will do so.

Taxation

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Madam Speaker, our government is committed to supporting the middle class and creating an enabling environment to help others join the middle class.

In December, the finance minister tabled a ways and means motion that proposes lowering additional taxes for the middle class.

Could the minister explain what this change would mean for Canadians across the country?