Debates of Dec. 2nd, 2021

Fisheries and Oceans

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

The Supreme Court of Canada recognized the right of 35 first nations in Quebec's Gaspé region and Atlantic Canada to harvest for reasonable subsistence purposes. My department is working with communities to implement that right.

I have visited the Atlantic coast, and I have talked with Mi'kmaq indigenous fishery leaders. That was good, it was important, and I will keep doing more of the same.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's proposed marine protected area east of the Scotian shelf would spell the end of commercial fishing. This plan will put an end to the economic development of halibut, crab and lobster for both indigenous and non‑indigenous fishers.

Will the minister stop hurting commercial and indigenous fishers, and will she stop hurting Atlantic Canada's economy?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I am pleased to have the opportunity to say once again that economies based on fishing and fisheries production are very important to me and to my department. I know that it is also important to those living on the coast and to all fishing communities.

I will work closely with the communities, individuals and organizations, including indigenous peoples, to manage in a way—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. The hon. member for Rivière-du-Nord.

Public Safety

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I commend the government for wanting to participate in the summit on gun violence that the mayor of Montreal has convened for January 26. However, this should not stop the government from taking action in the meantime. It is a summit, not an excuse for buying time.

Quebec and Montreal have already asked the federal government to do more to combat gun trafficking. Today, it must tighten border controls. Today, this government must create the joint task force proposed by my Bloc Québécois colleague. It is the federal government's exclusive responsibility.

Will the minister take responsibility, yes or no?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

There have been too many tragedies involving gun violence. That is the problem we want to solve with our proposals and investments. We have already invested more than $350 million in additional resources at the border. This week, more than 60 firearms were seized by a joint operation of the RCMP and the Sûreté du Québec. There is co-operation happening.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister needs to do everything he can to stem firearms trafficking, but that is simply not the case right now.

We are even hearing this from customs officers. The president of their union said, and I quote: “Whether it be our detector dogs, our intelligence officers, our methods for combatting concealed weapons and so on, all this expertise is not being used between border crossings.”

There are ways to address this; solutions do exist. Expertise could be solicited and better used. When will the minister do just that and tighten border controls?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure all members of the House that this government is taking concrete action and is always looking for concrete solutions. We have added resources at the border. We have banned assault weapons. We have proposed new partnerships with the Quebec government and municipalities, including Montreal, to ban handguns, with an investment of at least $1 billion. We will continue on this path to address the issue.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, concrete proposals are exactly what we are offering the government, by calling for police forces to work together to fight gun trafficking.

However, the federal government is going in the opposite direction. Last year, the RCMP withdrew investigators from Quebec's national anti-organized crime squad. This summer, a retired police officer told La Presse that it is clear that the RCMP and the SQ are not talking as much today as they were a few years ago, adding that the forces still respect each other, but they do not talk to each other.

Why is the minister refusing to restore co-operation and create a joint task force?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, what my colleague is proposing in the House is already being done. There are several joint forums with the U.S. and several others with the Government of Quebec. There is a great deal of co-operation going on between our police forces to stop firearms trafficking at the border. Are there other opportunities? The answer is yes, absolutely, and, as I said before, my door is always open to explore them.

National Defence

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Russia has amassed an estimated 100,000 troops on the Ukraine border, and 32,000 in Russian-occupied Crimea. One-third of Russia's ground combat power is on the move. RT News reports that Russia is warning Ukraine that military action is highly possible.

Canada has a small training contingent in Ukraine of 200 troops. Last week, it was reported that the minister was considering additional troops and equipment. Today, CDS Eyre said no.

To the minister: What force options will be deployed to aid Ukraine, and who is in charge—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Minister of Defence.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, first, let me say that Canada will continue to remain steadfast in our support of Ukraine, especially in the face of unwanted Russian aggression. In doing so, Canada will consistently support NATO, our multilateral partnerships and the international rules-based order. We will continue to work with our partners and allies to uphold peace, security and our multilateral partnerships that protect democracy and peace around the world.

Natural Resources

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the United States is short on oil. President Biden has said he wants oil production increased. He has called on OPEC to pump more. He has released the petroleum reserve, and he has coordinated with other countries, but not Canada, to release their reserves. Last week, the most powerful senator in Washington, Democrat Joe Manchin, called on President Biden to approve Keystone XL.

Did the Prime Minister raise this issue with the President and with the congressional delegation he met with two weeks ago?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we are seized with a number of the issues raised by my hon. colleague. We are working very hard to support the endeavours of the industry and of workers and communities across western Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador. We raise these issues at every possible opportunity.

I raised a number of concerns with respect to the sector, including Line 5, with my colleague Secretary Granholm when I met with her at COP26, and we will certainly continue to advocate on behalf of Canadian interests.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the government, our relationship with Washington has declined. Our closest trading partner and ally needs more oil. How did we get into the ridiculous situation where the President is pleading with OPEC to pump more oil, where the President has ordered 50 million barrels to be released from the strategic petroleum reserve, and where the President is coordinating with countries, such as the United Kingdom, Japan and India, to release more oil? How did the government let this happen?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the government is working very hard to ensure the economic prosperity of all regions of this country. That very much includes the oil and gas-producing regions within this country. There are many, many things that we have done to ensure we are supporting and actively promoting the interests of the oil and gas sector in this country, including building the Trans Mountain pipeline, defending Canada's interests concerning Line 5 and supporting the KXL project.

We will continue to advocate on behalf of Canadian interests, working toward a future that will be a prosperous one for every province and territory in this country.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development's report was clear. The federal government is going from one failure to the next. The Liberals will never meet their own climate target. That is pathetic and irresponsible.

A study shows that this government is investing four and a half times more in fossil fuels than in renewable energy. Either the Liberals just do not get it or they are choosing to support an outdated energy source while people suffer the consequences of the climate crisis.

Are the Liberals waiting for us to be under water before they stop subsidizing the oil industry?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, our government has been making a sustained effort on a national scale to implement the necessary measures and to help Canada significantly reduce emissions so that all sectors and all regions of the country can participate and prosper.

We are taking meaningful climate action and developing climate solutions that will reduce pollution and create new jobs.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Joe Biden goes to COP26 promising a clean energy future backed with $2 trillion in investments for “good-paying union jobs”. Meanwhile, our Prime Minister goes from what the environment commissioner says is “failure to failure” as emissions continue to rise.

Under his watch, Canada is at the bottom of the G20 for renewable investments, down there with, wait for it, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Where are the mass of investments needed to ensure that energy workers and the families of this country are the leaders and not the losers of the coming transformation?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate my hon. colleague on his appointment as the critic for natural resources. I would say that no country in the G7 or the G20 has been as ambitious as this country with respect to climate action over the last six years. Certainly, that was acknowledged at COP26.

Where is the money? We have committed over $100 billion with respect to climate action that will result not only in the reduction of emissions but also in economic activity that will drive jobs and growth in all regions of this country. That certainly includes the work we have done with respect to the just transition on coal phase-out.

Certainly, the government has—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for London West.

The Economy

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, many families across Canada have been able to count on our government to support them, whether it is through introducing tax cuts for families, creating the Canada child benefit, or making life more affordable through the early learning and child care agreements.

Can the Minister of Finance tell the House when Canadians can expect a new fiscal and economic update?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the member to the House. Our government’s focus is to finish the fight against COVID and to support our recovery from the COVID recession. We know it is important to Canadians that we are careful and transparent with our nation's finances. That is why I am pleased to announce that I will be giving an economic and fiscal update to Canadians on December 14.

Public Safety

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr Speaker, Canada’s most trusted partners, the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, have all banned Huawei equipment from their 5G networks because of espionage and national security concerns, yet there is one country that stands alone in not having said no to Huawei. It is Canada.

For years the Prime Minister has promised a decision regarding Huawei, but as usual, he has failed to deliver. Why does he not take this seriously, and when will he finally say no to Huawei?