Debates of Feb. 21st, 2020

Natural Resources

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

Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government bought the Trans Mountain pipeline, it told Canadians it would cost $7.4 billion. A recent report that explains why the cost has risen to $13 billion is being hidden from Canadians.

Economist Robyn Allan has shown that this new cost means that there will be no added benefits for the Canadian treasury from this pipeline and the $500 million that the government claims will be available annually for climate action is pure fiction.

From the start, the government has been loose with the facts about this project. When will it release the report and come clean with Canadians?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, at a time when most of our energy exports go to the United States and the economies of Alberta and Saskatchewan are struggling, Canadians know that we need to open up new international markets. Getting our resources to global markets in a way that is efficient and safe is in Canada's best interest.

The TMX project will create thousands of good, middle-class jobs, accelerate Canada's clean-energy transition and open up new avenues for indigenous economic prosperity. We are confident that the project remains a responsible investment and that it will generate a positive return for Canadians.

Post-Secondary Education

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, post-secondary students in Canada graduate burdened with debt from high tuition fees and the high cost of living. The interest rate they pay on their student loans is almost double the rate paid on the average home mortgage. By comparison, in northern European countries, university is tuition-free and students receive financial support. These economies have seen the benefits. Students in Canada need debt relief now.

Will the government, at the very least eliminate, the interest on federal student loans and give our students a break?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that education is vital to succeeding in our modern workforce and that is why we are investing in Canadians and their futures.

To help Canadians reach their full potential, we will increase the Canada student grant by $1,200, extend Canada's student loan repayment grace period from six months to two years after graduation, give parents with their own student loans a repayment grace period until their child turns five and increase the threshold of the repayment assistance program, so students do not need to start repaying their loans until they are making over $35,000.

That is how we are helping the middle class and those working hard to join it.

Human Organ Trafficking

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to table a petition in support of Bill S-204 in the Senate, which is similar to Bill S-240 from the last Parliament. This bill seeks to address the horrific practice of forced organ harvesting and trafficking. It would make it a criminal offence for a Canadian to go abroad and receive an organ for which there has not been consent. It would also create a mechanism by which people could be deemed inadmissible to Canada because of their involvement in organ harvesting and trafficking.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from 120 young people in my riding who point out that the impacts of climate change are accelerating in Canada and around the world, leading to Canada declaring a climate emergency. Canadian youth are anxious about being left with an uncertain future. They point out that Canada has endorsed the Paris Agreement to limit a global temperature rise to well below 2°C, yet greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise in Canada. They also point out that subsidizing fossil fuel production is not compatible with the stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons to take meaningful steps to support the future of young Canadians and fulfill Canada's obligation under the Paris Agreement by adopting a detailed climate action strategy that includes legislated, science-based targets for a greenhouse gas reduction and implementing a comprehensive and steadily rising national carbon price beyond 2022 that rises to at least $150 per tonne by 2030.

Atlantic Halibut Fishery

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition calling for permission for the responsible fishing of Atlantic halibut in the Saguenay Fjord. The fact that 888 signatures were gathered in less than two weeks is an indication of the enthusiasm for this fish.

Atlantic halibut is fished commercially, and recreational fishers are aware of the importance of fishing responsibly for a sustainable fishery.

In less than two months, ice fishing generates economic spinoffs to the tune of $6 million a year in my riding. The possibility of fishing Atlantic halibut there would have a significant impact on that activity. Everyone in my riding is hoping for a favourable ruling.

Opioids

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

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to table this petition on behalf of constituents from Courtenay, Parksville, Qualicum and Port Alberni. They are concerned about the over 12,500 Canadians who have died as a result of an opioid overdose or fentanyl–poisoned sources. The number of preventable deaths has surpassed the total number of deaths of all public health emergencies in the last 20 years, including SARS, H1N1 and Ebola. The current war on drugs has been costly and grossly ineffective. The petitioners cite that it has resulted in a widespread stigma toward addiction and those who use illicit drugs.

First, they are calling on the government to declare the current opioid overdose and fentanyl-poisoning crisis a national public health emergency under the Emergencies Act in order to manage and resource it, with the aim to reduce and eliminate preventable deaths.

Second, they would like to reform current drug policy to decriminalize personal possession.

Third, they would like to create, with urgency and immediacy, a system to provide safe, unadulterated access to substances so people who use substances experimentally, recreationally or chronically are not at imminent risk of overdose due to a contaminated source.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if a revised response to Question No. 50, originally tabled on January 27, 2020, could be made an order for return, this return would be tabled immediately.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Question No. 50

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

With regard to contracts granted by any department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity, since January 1, 2017, to the Pembina Institute: (a) who authorized the contract; (b) what are the contracts' references and file numbers; (c) what are the dates of the contracts; (d) what are the descriptions of the services provided; (e) what are the delivery dates; (f) what are the original contracts' values; and (g) what are the final contracts' values, if different from the original contracts' values?

(Return tabled)

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on that particular question, I too would like to extend my personal apology to the member for Red Deer—Mountain View

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Response by Natural Resources Minister to Order Paper Question

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we get to the next item of business, the Chair would like to come back to the question of privilege raised on February 19, 2020, by the member for Red Deer—Mountain View, concerning the government's response to a written question, Question No. 50.

In light of the Minister of Natural Resources’s apology to the House yesterday and the tabling of a revised response to the written question, I consider the matter closed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act and the Canada Border Services Agency Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

When the House last had this question before it for consideration, the hon. member for Langley—Aldergrove had two minutes remaining in the time for questions and comments, so we will return to that and I will invite questions and comments.

The hon. member for Cariboo—Prince George.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our hon. colleague from Langley—Aldergrove is a new member of Parliament. I want to ask him his opinion.

I listened intently to his intervention on Bill C-3. What has his experience been with the Liberal government in the last three months, since his election? When the Liberals say they are going to consult, can we trust them to really do that? Can we actually trust the government to do what it says it is going to do?

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government said that relations with indigenous peoples is its number one priority, yet in four years it has not even been able to determine who speaks for indigenous peoples.

The Wet'suwet'en nations have agreed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline and now we have hereditary chiefs protesting that. However, we think that we have a contract with the Wet'suwet'en people and that they are in full agreement.

No, I do not think that the Liberal government can be trusted for proper consultation. It certainly would have solved that problem by now.

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-3, in the last Parliament being Bill C-98, which was introduced in its last days.

I will say at the outset that I will be supporting this legislation. I believe the majority, an overwhelming number of members in the House, will be doing that.

To start off my comments in the House today, as I have listened to the debate not only today but over the course of the last few weeks in this legislation, I think members of the opposition have rightfully questioned some of the processes for this.

Again, as I mentioned, this is something that I believe many communities have been asking for. I will get into the specifics of my riding of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, but it was very frustrating to see the legislation tabled at the last minute, only a few weeks before the end of the last Parliament, but of course I am happy to see it now back in this Parliament.

We have heard some concerns from the customs and immigration national union about those who are on the front lines not being consulted, yet wanting to make sure that they are consulted in this process. Of course, it is an oversight body of their work. I think that, as a part of the consultation, it would be a natural body for the government to bring in and include when talking about a piece of legislation such as this.

From a technocratic perspective, over the last few weeks as this was being debated I have done some interventions and made comments related to making sure that this oversight body works. I mean that in the sense of being timely and responsive to the resolution of the complaints or challenges that come forward.

Very frankly we have seen this before with different government departments or oversight bodies. If individuals who file complaints are not getting their issues resolved in a timely manner, their confidence in the oversight body will not exist. They may not complain when valid complaints should come forward. We have to question the effectiveness of this.

I think that a lot of members who have raised that issue want to ensure that this legislation goes through. When it does, for lack of a better word, we will be the oversight of the oversight, to make sure that it achieves what we want to do.

I want to focus on my riding specifically of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry and the importance of this legislation. I will make the bold statement that this legislation may impact my riding the most of any riding in the country. I acknowledge that this involves oversight for both the RCMP and CBSA, but I will focus on the CBSA aspect.

As members may be aware, my riding is home to a port of entry in the city of Cornwall that travels through a first nations community: the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.

We have a bit of a unique geographic set-up with our port of entry. Cornwall Island for many years hosted the port of entry. In 2009, there was some back and forth with some challenges there, and the border was shut down for several months while a new location was worked out.

What happened was that the port of entry moved from Cornwall Island to the city of Cornwall. The challenge that it presents now is that first nations community members, people who are visiting Akwesasne or coming from Akwesasne to the city of Cornwall or the counties and out past there, have to go through a port of entry to enter into Canada.

This is the number one issue when I speak with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne in my riding, the grand chief and council members. We are working on myriad different issues together, and I have appreciated their co-operation as I have reached out. We are working on some issues with Canada Post, land claims and economic development, but the port of entry is the number one concern.

I had a conversation recently with Grand Chief Abram Benedict about this piece of legislation. The council provided a letter almost four years ago to the previous minister of public safety, Ralph Goodale, that spoke about the need for this type of legislation. In the letter is a statistic that says 70% of the daily traffic that goes through the port of entry in my riding, and that deals with CBSA officials on the front lines, are members of Akwesasne who are actually Canadian citizens and may be going to the city of Cornwall for groceries, gas, dinner or other services.

As my colleagues can imagine, it is a very frustrating situation for residents. I have echoed what the grand chief and council have said, that it is a physical barrier between Cornwall Island, the city of Cornwall and the rest of Canada. If one is accessing the 401 it is a physical barrier, but it is also a social, cultural and economic barrier in terms of ease of traffic.

I bring that back to talk about the importance of this bill because the members of Akwesasne and CBSA have thousands of interactions on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, over the course of the last 10 or 11 years, there have been some incidents and complaints, and there has not really been that oversight process to have those concerns addressed and resolved in a timely manner.

I will note the continued progress of the advocacy that the council has done on this. There was news in my riding at the beginning of the year that the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the CBSA have partnered for a better border experience. It was covered in the Cornwall Seaway News and the Cornwall Standard Freeholder in my riding. While that is a step in the right direction, in terms of that dialogue and process, this oversight agency is something that has been asked for by my community.

I should clarify it is not just the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the residents of Cornwall Island who are asking for this. Leaders in the city of Cornwall are asking as well.

People who are business owners want to see a proper, smooth flow for economic and social reasons. While this is a step in the right direction, I am going to be making sure in my riding and my community that, as complaints arise about experiences and exchanges that happen on the front lines of CBSA, those issues are addressed through this channel in a timely manner.

If resolutions come out of these recommendations to do better and to change processes at the port of entry, in Cornwall for example, those are done and followed through in a timely manner.

The relationship the CBSA workers have with the community in the Cornwall area is strong. I want to finish by thanking the CBSA workers on the front lines, not just in the city of Cornwall and the port of entry there, but across the country.

They have a very challenging job to do, very often in trying circumstances. We debate issues of a national portfolio here in Ottawa. For example, we talk about guns smuggled in from the United States, and about drugs and human trafficking. There are so many issues that our CBSA officials have to deal with to protect our country on a daily basis.

My message, as I wrap up my comments here today, is to thank those front-line workers. This oversight would be a win-win for them in terms of some of the protections they would have as well. I want to thank Grand Chief Abram Benedict for reaching out and chatting with me recently about this legislation. I want to thank him for putting this on the radar and sharing the local experience of what we have in my riding and our port of entry and how this legislation can go about.

I am looking forward to this. I think, by the sounds of the debate over the course of the last few weeks, this will go through. I am looking forward to it going to committee. After my conversations with the grand chief, I am hoping that he may be a witness. He can make sure that members of the committee who review the legislation understand the support for it from my riding, but also understand some of the challenges we specifically have.

We will find ways to make sure that the intention is always there, through legislation, to do better and to make sure this is actually working, that the complaints process responses are timely, that there are resolutions and that there are outcomes.

We will make sure that this is not just a forum to say we have complaint resolution without resolving some of the challenges we face. We certainly think it is in the best interests of all Canadians, including the people in the city of Cornwall and the first nations community of Akwesasne. For the flow of the relationship, when we talk about reconciliation, this is a very tangible item that could help move us another step forward.

I am pleased to speak to this today, and look forward to the questions and comments from my colleagues.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. He talked about guns at the border.

Does he realize that the rules could be tightened to prevent gun trafficking on the black market?

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my comments, there is a wide array of things that CBSA workers have to confront. They are really at the front lines of that. I am looking forward, in my many briefings and introductory meetings I am having as a new member, to meeting with the national CBSA president, and also with our local port of entry on that topic. When we talk about illegal guns coming into the market from the United States, Cornwall and that port of entry is certainly challenged by that.

I do not mean to divert from that, but there is a circumstance in my riding and the port of entry there that I have learned about in my new role over the last couple of years because Akwesasne has raised awareness of it. One of the big challenges we have in my riding is human trafficking. It is unbelievable to think that it is hidden from the public light. It was not until I came into this role that I saw some of the true challenges that are there.

I look forward to working with CBSA and seeing some of the measures we can take through protections and avoidance of smuggled guns coming in. However, in my riding, human trafficking is a big issue as well. I look forward to working with my colleagues in addressing those issues.