Debates of Dec. 2nd, 2021

Public Safety

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first congratulate the member for his appointment as the official critic to industry.

There is a very important decision to be made for this country. There is no more important decision than when it comes to securing our network, not just for this generation but for future generations. When it comes to security, Canadians at home know that we will make no compromise. National security comes first. We will ensure that we make the very best decision, not only for this generation, but for future generations of Canadians.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister's kind words, but he needs to pay attention to this file. It is time he banned Huawei. All of our allies have banned Huawei, yet Canada stands all alone in waffling on the issue. For over two years, the government has promised a decision, which is going to come in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, our telecoms have spent billions of dollars on Huawei equipment.

When will the minister finally grow a spine and say no way to Huawei?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I think I was very kind to the member, and I am very surprised by his words, but this is politics.

Canadians at home know that on this side of the House we take national security very seriously. We will take the best decision for this generation and future generations when it comes to protecting our network.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Office has estimated that, if the Liberal government had acted on its promises, all boil water advisories would have ended in 2020. Indeed, the Prime Minister failed on his promise to end all advisories nine months ago. Worse, the Minister of Indigenous Services said yesterday that she refuses to set a deadline for ending the remaining 44 on-reserve boil advisories. In fact, she wants to hold more consultations.

If the minister could not drink water in her home, how much longer would she wait?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, it is without a doubt that everyone deserves clean drinking water, no matter where they live in this country. That is why we have invested billions of dollars in clean drinking water, in partnership with first nations communities across the country. We have also committed to 100% of operations and maintenance funding. We are working with the partners who are still experiencing clean drinking water advisories and we will get this done.

My deadline is as soon as possible.

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

Mr. Speaker, these promises of funding mean nothing when a child cannot drink clean water. We all know that one cannot run a business, a farm, a school, a hospital, a community or even a household without clean water. Sadly, as of October 15, 44 long-term boil water advisories on reserve still exist. In fact, the PBO report highlights that proposed spending on water and waste-water maintenance and operations over the next five years suggest annual funding gaps of $138 million.

Rather than misleading indigenous communities, when will the government finally get the job done?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the member knows this, but in November 2015, when we came into power, there were 105 long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on first nations across this country. We worked with communities, each with its own set of specific challenges. We allocated billions of dollars, and we have been able to lift the majority of those water advisories.

We will continue until we get the job done. That is a promise made. We will keep that promise.

Seniors

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that low-income seniors have been the hardest hit during the pandemic, but today it is less the pandemic and more the government's inconsistency and lack of compassion that is hitting them the hardest.

Today, working seniors have to choose which drug to cut in order to be able to pay their bills at the end of the month, because the federal government cut their guaranteed income supplement. Some are having a hard time paying for their rent or their groceries. They are being penalized in their benefits calculation for receiving the CERB to which they were entitled.

When will the minister finally fix this situation?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree just how challenging this pandemic has been on seniors. Every single step of the way, our government has been there to support seniors, especially those who are most vulnerable by strengthening their GIS.

We have also moved very quickly to provide immediate and direct financial supports to seniors this year. When it comes to CERB and GIS, we are aware of this issue. I want to assure the hon. member that we are working extremely hard on this to find the right solution to help those who are affected, and as always, we will be there for them.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the red flag was raised during the construction holiday.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that his ministers were working on it, but seniors are waiting and the holiday season is fast approaching. The government is denying some of the least fortunate seniors several hundred dollars a month because of its own lack of judgment. While we in Quebec are starting to talk about generosity, Christmas drives and Christmas hampers, Ottawa is cutting working seniors' benefits.

Will the minister finally look at what is happening and ensure, as we are proposing, that for the purposes of calculating the GIS, the CERB will simply be considered working income?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, strengthening income security for seniors has been a priority for our government, and that is why our government strengthened GIS for vulnerable seniors. We provided one-time payments during the pandemic to help seniors afford the things that they needed. We will be increasing support through OAS for those who are age 75 and above. We recognize that GIS adjustments have been hard on some seniors this year. I can assure the hon. member and all members in this House that we are working hard to find a solution to help those affected. As always, we will be here for them.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Employment is seriously behind in processing labour market impact assessments.

Yes, it has hired more staff, but why has it not informed the Department of Immigration about these delays? There is a severe labour shortage, yet the Department of Immigration is sending out notices to workers telling them that they must leave Canada within 90 days because they have not received LMIAs on time.

What do these two ministers have to say? I am asking them here in the House, because neither of them has had the decency to reply to my emails.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, this year we accepted a record number of foreign workers.

We set the most ambitious immigration target in our history. This year, we have already supported over 345,000 new permanent residents. Month after month, we are supporting a record number of immigrants, who are contributing to our community. We will continue to innovate and modernize our system, because we know that immigration is vital to our economic recovery.

Employment

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the labour shortage in Brantford—Brant is devastating. Manufacturers, restaurants and many other businesses are not able to fill hundreds, if not thousands, of positions. As a result, fewer products and services are available to the constituents in my riding, and business owners are losing their income. Rather than addressing labour shortages and many other economic challenges, the Liberals decided to hold an election in the middle of a pandemic.

Why did the Prime Minister prioritize his political ambition over the interests of Canadian businesses?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, because of the strength of our economy, some sectors are outpacing their ability to find workers. That is why we have made the largest investment in training for workers in Canadian history.

Moving forward, we absolutely have a plan to address these labour shortages by welcoming talented workers to Canada: $10-a-day child care that will allow parents to return to work; support for training and youth programs; keeping experienced workers in the workforce; boosting the participation of diverse Canadians; and addressing the specific needs of evolving sectors. We are on it.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, with rising inflation and supply chain issues, economic and financial recovery is the priority for the coming years. However, the Liberals created more uncertainty for Canadian agriculture when they announced a severe fertilizer reduction, despite farmers proven track record of environmental leadership.

MNP estimates potential losses of $48 billion, including $4.6 billion in Saskatchewan. There will also be shortages of supply, processing and exports.

Why does the government insist on making food more expensive and limiting how much farmers can grow?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure members that we are working hard on supporting farmers on different fronts. We want to be there to help them be more resilient to face climate change. This is why we have invested almost half a billion dollars in measures to provide farmers with incentives and to make it more affordable for them to buy more energy efficient equipment.

Housing

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, housing is a priority for many Quebeckers, including my constituents in Hochelaga.

Would the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion tell the House what the government will be doing to make sure people in my riding and across Quebec can access safe, affordable housing?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Hochelaga for her question.

I was in Quebec recently to talk to stakeholders about their housing needs. In May, I had the pleasure of joining my colleague to make an important announcement about $100 million for more than 500 affordable housing units.

We will keep working to make sure every Canadian has an affordable place to call home.

Aviation Industry

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are changing the instrument approach procedures for many small aerodromes across the country, including the Ponoka airport in my riding. This change is purely bureaucratic to align with international standards that do not reflect the reality of how these facilities are used in Canada, but the impacts are very real.

In Central Alberta, it would double the number of days medical evacuation and transport aircraft cannot use these airfields. This is a disaster waiting to happen during a pandemic.

Why is the government risking the lives of Canadians with this make-work bureaucratic project?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my colleague, and all Canadians, that our government has been working collaboratively with stakeholders in the aviation sector. They stepped up during the pandemic. When we had an economic and public health crisis, workers in the aviation sector stepped up and ensured that supply chains were resilient.

We will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure the safety of all and the strength of our economic growth.

Natural Resources

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, uranium mining and nuclear energy will play an important role in any rational greenhouse gas reduction strategy.

A recent report by Clean Energy Canada suggests that Canada’s nuclear output will need to increase drastically to reach this government’s 2050 net-zero goal.

Will the Minister of Natural Resources inform the House if the Minister of Environment and Climate Change fully supports nuclear energy expansion or does the Minister of Environment continue to be a science denier?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, our government has very ambitious climate targets in one of the world's most detailed and concrete climate plans.

In the transition to a low-carbon economy and to a net-zero future, we must consider all non-emitting technologies, including wind, solar, hydro and, yes, nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is already an important part of Canada's non-emitting energy mix and supports many Canadian jobs along the supply chain. Canada's nuclear industry is a leader in driving the development, for example, of small modular reactors.

Our government will continue to work with Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and others in supporting the assessment and development of this technology.

Veterans Affairs

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a former case manager came forward from Veterans Affairs two weeks ago, alleging the department had “overwhelming caseloads, a lack of support and is a toxic work environment.” Last week, the union representing Veterans Affairs staff put out a statement saying that case managers were near a breaking point.

Was the minister aware of the problems within his own department? If he was not, why not? If he was, why did he not act?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that our government places the highest priority on ensuring that veterans and their families receive the support and services they should. That is why we have hired over 450 case managers since we formed the government, and we intend, and will do more, to ensure the veterans in our country receive the remuneration they deserve.