House of Commons Hansard #5 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was support.
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that the forestry and softwood lumber industry is important to Quebec. We will continue to stand up for resilience and innovation within the Quebec forestry industry, which exports $10 million worth of forestry products annually and creates jobs for more than 60,000 workers in the province.
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, the worst part is that the Prime Minister met with President Biden just last week. Apparently they talked about softwood lumber. Even worse than the Prime Minister's failure to convince Mr. Biden to eliminate the duty is the fact that Biden doubled it, and his first target is Quebec's forestry industry.
Not only is the duty hike a threat to Quebec jobs, it will also increase the cost of lumber at a time when demand is still very high in North America. We saw the consequences of that last year.
What is the government going to do? What will it take for the Prime Minister to stand up for Quebec?
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for the forestry sector, and we will always stand up for its workers. We presented challenges before CUSMA at the WTO, where it has been ruled that Canada is a fair trading partner.
We absolutely denounce these tariffs. They are unfair, they are unjustified and they hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border. I have been speaking to Quebec industry and workers on this very matter, and I will continue to stand up for their interests.
Gary Vidal Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, with the announcement of softwood lumber tariffs doubling, we see again how this government is failing indigenous people. NorSask Forest Products, a 100% first nations-owned company in my riding, has millions of dollars held in tariffs. The government's failure to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement is costing the nine ownership nations the ability to invest in their communities.
I have been asking this question for two years, but I will ask again: Can the minister tell the leaders of these nations when they will get their money back and when these punitive softwood lumber tariffs will finally end?
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I have been speaking to the industry, including the industry represented and advocated by the indigenous softwood lumber members. The Conservatives can shout talking points all they like, but it is the Canadian softwood lumber industry, including the indigenous softwood lumber industry, that will give me and this government a negotiating mandate on this issue.
I will work closely with the industry, as I always have, and we will continue to pursue their interests.
Eric Melillo Conservative Kenora, ON
Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister visited Washington to meet with President Biden, and this week the U.S. has announced plans to double tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, threatening jobs in northern Ontario and across the country. It is either the Prime Minister does not care to stand up for Canadian workers or he is incapable of delivering results.
The government has said that it has raised this issue with the U.S. administration. Why is the President no taking him seriously?
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, this issue is a priority for our government. It is why we are pursuing litigation under chapter 10 of CUSMA—
Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Chris d'Entremont
I cannot hear the answer, so could the minister restart it?
The hon. Minister of International Trade.
Mary Ng Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, this issue is important. It is why we are pursuing it under chapter 10. However, this is only possible because this government fought hard to keep the dispute settlement mechanism in the new trade agreement so that we could stand up for Canadians.
I want to remind the House and Canadians that the Conservatives urged the government to capitulate to Donald Trump and get us a weaker deal. We did not.
Our government will always stand up for Canadian workers and the softwood lumber industry.
Jake Stewart Conservative Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
Mr. Speaker, over 22,000 New Brunswick jobs are going to feel the impact of this government's inability to stand up for them. There are thousands of jobs in Miramichi—Grand Lake and across the country that are now at severe risk because of the weakness of the current Prime Minister.
Printing more money, news flash, will not fix this issue. What will the Liberal government do to protect these hard-working forestry jobs?
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, my message to the forestry sector industry and the workers is that we will continue to stand up for their interests. We are interested in an outcome that is acceptable to the forestry industry and to the workers. We are going to work with the Canadian softwood lumber industry, as we have always done. It is they who will give us the mandate to take to the United States on this very issue.
I am going to keep working closely with industry. Together, we are going to take a team Canada approach, just as we have done all the way along, challenging on this issue and continuing to work on it.
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister just does not get it. My region and province have been suffering for years due to the inaction of the government on the softwood lumber dispute, yet when the Prime Minister promised hope and met with President Biden, the American leader said their relationship was easy and then jacked up the tariffs on Canadian wood.
Why did the Prime Minister not get a deal on softwood lumber when he met with the President? Failure is not an option for the workers in my area. Why is it for the Prime Minister?
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians will know who is defending them and who has always defended them.
When we retaliated against the U.S. on unfair U.S. aluminum and steel tariffs, the current Leader of the Opposition urged us to stop fighting back. When we were negotiating for a better CUSMA deal, the Conservatives wanted Canada to capitulate to Donald Trump. Our government has a proven track record of negotiating outcomes for the benefit of Canadian businesses and Canadian workers, whether it is renegotiating NAFTA, getting a good deal on CPTPP or getting a good deal on CETA. We are going to continue doing this work for Canadians.
Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities across Canada continue to be at the forefront of the climate crisis. The ongoing flooding in B.C. has devastated first nations communities that are waiting for help to clean up and a plan to face future climate events. This week I asked the government to listen to and work with indigenous leaders, such as Chief Roxanne Harris from Stz'uminus First Nation. Stz'uminus First Nation and others have not received the support they need.
When will the government follow through with its promises?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, my heart goes out to everyone who has suffered so tremendously through this flooding experience, including indigenous people who are disproportionately impacted not just by this climate-related event, but by many others.
My team has been working very closely to coordinate services with the Province of B.C. and has announced funding of $4.4 million through the emergency management assistance program to the First Nations' Emergency Services Society of British Columbia. This is built on the principle that indigenous people know how to support their communities, and we will continue to work through that indigenous-led lens.
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, extreme weather is hitting both the east and west coasts. The environment commissioner just released a scathing report on Canada's climate inaction. It said, “We cannot continue to go from failure to failure; we need actions and results, not just more [targets] and plans.” The Liberals have the worst record in the G7.
The Prime Minister claims to be a climate leader, so why is he continuing to give billions of dollars to big oil and gas? Why is he dragging his feet on fighting the climate crisis and supporting workers?
Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I challenge anyone in the House to show me a country that has done more in the last four years to fight climate change than Canada has done. There has been record-level investment in public transit. There has been record-level investment in—
The EnvironmentOral Questions
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, there has been record-level investment of $4 billion in electrification of transportation, in nature-based solutions and in adaptation to climate change. However, the fight is not over. We have lots more to do, and that is what we will be doing.
Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, on November 28 four years ago, people from my community and from across our country gathered here to witness our government's apology to the LGBTQ2 community, acknowledging Canada's role in systemic oppression, criminalization and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit people. There is so much more to be done.
Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth share with us what we are doing to support LGBTQ2 communities across Canada?
Marci Ien LiberalMinister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Toronto—Danforth for her incredible work and advocacy, and for highlighting this important date.
The discrimination that fuels homophobia, biphobia and transphobia must be eliminated, and the work starts right here in the House. That is why our government introduced the LGBTQ2 secretariat in 2017 and invested $7.1 million in budget 2021 to support its work and $15 million for a new LGBTQ2 projects fund. We will continue the work for the LGBTQ2 communities to create a Canada where everyone can live their authentic and true lives.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government wasted millions of dollars in the fight against COVID-19. However, it could recover some of those millions, such as the $100 million it overpaid to the Prime Minister's friend and former member Frank Baylis, or the $81 million it paid to Tango Communications Marketing, another Liberal Party friend. Both contracts were awarded without tender. Worse still, Tango Communications Marketing did not even deliver the products.
Since taxpayers' money does not grow on trees, will the Prime Minister take action and recover that money?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Innovation
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his re-election.
He will recall that our government invested $1 billion to rebuild Canada's biomanufacturing sector just 30 days after the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. What was the result? Medicago moved into Quebec City, where the member lives, Novavax will be produced in Montreal, and Moderna plans to set up a facility in Canada. We will continue to protect the health and safety of Canadians.