House of Commons Hansard #19 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was assault.

Topics

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Order, please.

It is pretty bad when I cannot hear the question and the heckling is coming from both sides.

The hon. member will please continue.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that self-determination and economic independence are important steps on the path to reconciliation.

Can the Prime Minister explain how allowing activists to block the independent decision-making power of indigenous Canadians supports reconciliation?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, reconciliation does not mean deciding who speaks for indigenous communities. It is respecting their own leadership and respecting their disagreements within their communities as we work with them constructively.

The members opposite want to pick and choose who speaks for indigenous communities. That is the broken way of governments past. We need to start from a place of respect and self-government, and that is what, on this side of the House, we understand. Unfortunately, it is the last thing that the people on the other side of the aisle understand.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Gary Vidal Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, does the Prime Minister think he actually knows more about what is best for indigenous Canadians than they do themselves?

The Coastal GasLink project will create hundreds of jobs, millions of investment in the local economy and provide a path to prosperity for the communities affected. We are talking about providing the hope of a better future. Instead of platitudes and empty promises, when will the Prime Minister support true reconciliation and allow indigenous Canadians to prosper by participating in the LNG project?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to be able to stand beside Premier Horgan a number of years ago and announce the largest private sector investment in Canada's history for LNG Canada. We understand the benefits that go to indigenous communities, and that is why we continue to move forward on that path.

At the same time, it would be a grave error for the Conservatives to continue to think that they can pick and choose who speaks for indigenous Canadians. We will continue to engage with a broad range of indigenous leadership and respect their choice in terms of leadership.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is funny to hear the Prime Minister talking about leadership because he has done everything but show leadership over the past two weeks.

All across the country, Canadians are suffering and business owners are in trouble. We spoke this morning with one of my constituents, Jean-François Bergeron, who is the CEO of Capital Propane. The situation is worse than in November. He had to cut services to his clients by 60%. Thirty new propane buses are sitting idle.

If the Prime Minister refuses to answer the official opposition, can he tell Mr. Bergeron when the blockades will come down?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I completely understand the concerns many Canadians have about shortages and layoffs.

We know that we need to put an end to this situation, but we need to resolve it peacefully. The overly aggressive approach the opposition is proposing will not resolve the challenges being faced by Mr. Bergeron and others.

We will always work peacefully to resolve this situation as best we can and as quickly as possible.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says “peacefully and rapidly”.

The Prime Minister has done absolutely nothing about this for two weeks, yet he has the nerve to use the word “rapidly”. Unfortunately, I will have to tell Mr. Bergeron that we have not received an answer to his question.

I do have another very simple question for the Prime Minister though. As the leader of the government of a nation governed by the rule of law, can he tell me one simple thing: Are the blockades illegal?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, clearly the situation before us is unacceptable. It is illegal to block rail lines, but resolving this situation is not as simple as the opposition would have it.

We cannot use force to make the situation go away. We have to resolve this situation peacefully so that it does not resurface in the months and years to come. That is our focus. That is what we are choosing to do, and those are the measures we are taking every day.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am confused. I hope the Prime Minister can help me. If I understood his response to my colleague correctly just now, the Prime Minister of Canada, who travels the world to get a seat on the UN Security Council, who is the indigenous people's best friend ever, apparently called the Wet'suwet'en leaders and they told him they did not want to see him. I find that unbelievable.

Did the Prime Minister really say that the Wet'suwet'en refused to have a meeting with him, the Prime Minister of Canada? If not, when is the meeting?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we have worked to arrange meetings between the Wet'suwet'en and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. Unfortunately, they are not available for a meeting at this time. That is why we are working on arranging this meeting. We will continue to work to resolve this situation peacefully and rapidly.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am almost speechless, but not quite.

The Prime Minister answers questions as if he were still in opposition. He criticizes economic problems, cuts and supply shortages. He admits this is illegal. We respond by telling him that he is the Prime Minister, not us. We ask him to talk to them, but he says they are not interested.

Is there a leadership problem?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are going to resolve this situation in a reasonable way, but—

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The right hon. Prime Minister.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, we are taking concrete steps to resolve this situation, and that includes meetings between the ministers and the representatives of the Wet'suwet'en. We know that the process is moving too slowly for many Canadians who are facing shortages and layoffs. We are going to keep doing everything we can to resolve this peacefully.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Mr. Speaker, because of the illegal blockades, CN Rail has had to lay off 500 workers. VIA has just announced 1,000 layoffs. In making that announcement, the VIA Rail CEO said, “In 42 years of existence, it is the first time that VIA...has to interrupt most of its services”. It is all because of the Prime Minister's lack of action and weak leadership.

How many more Canadian jobs have to be lost before he does his job and actually takes firm action?

Public SafetyOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the forceful solutions proposed by the members opposite will not result in better economic stability or better opportunities for Canadians. We know that the only path forward is to exhaust every possibility to resolve this situation peacefully, and that is exactly what we will stay focused on doing. Elevating the temperature and going in forcefully is not going to solve this before we have resolved every step peacefully first.

Public SafetyOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB

Mr. Speaker, job losses from these illegal blockades are growing by the hour. Last night, CN Rail announced 450 workers will be laid off. Today, VIA Rail announced another 1,000. When Canadian workers and families have their livelihoods and safety put at risk, the Prime Minister offers nothing but platitudes.

If these illegal rail blockades continue, Atlantic Canada will run out of propane, airports will run out of the de-icing fluids that keep us moving in the winter and water treatment facilities will soon lack chemical supplies that keep our drinking water safe.

When will the government finally stand up for Atlantic Canada?

Public SafetyOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, if we do not exhaust every possibility of resolving this situation peacefully, the disruptions to the Canadian economy and to hard-working Canadians and their jobs from coast to coast to coast could be massive and could last over the coming months.

That is why we are focused on resolving this situation peacefully and rapidly. We will continue to do everything we can to do that, including engaging directly with different indigenous leaders.

Public SafetyOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Chris d'Entremont Conservative West Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's weak leadership is hurting Nova Scotia. Acadian Seaplants, which employs over 400 people in my riding, has run out of propane and cannot ship its products to market. Autoport in Eastern Passage, which handles thousands of cars for the North American market and employs dozens of people, issued layoff notices. Even Royal Propane in Digby, a small business in West Nova that employs about 40 people supplying products, had to issue layoffs.

How many more jobs must be lost before the Prime Minister acts?

Public SafetyOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, resolving this situation peacefully is the way we need to stay focused to get through this situation. The forceful responses that the opposition is proposing would not make things better for those workers or for their region. It would make things worse for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is why we are exhausting every possibility to resolve this peacefully.

International TradeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Sherry Romanado Liberal Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canada is an attractive place for African countries that are drawn by its bilingualism, its economic opportunities and its many top-notch institutions of higher learning. Last week the Prime Minister and many of his ministers were in Africa to develop new business opportunities.

Could the Prime Minister please update the House on the actions our government is taking to expand trade between Ethiopia and Canada?

International TradeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne for her question and her hard work.

Expanding and diversifying trade between Canada and fast-growing African economies are a priority for our government. Trade between Canada and Ethiopia totalled $170 million in 2018.

We announced that we will be entering into negotiations towards a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement with Ethiopia, which will help further increase trade and investments for businesses in both countries.