Debates of March 24th, 2021

Foreign Affairs

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working on Raif Badawi's case for years. I myself have spoken directly to the king and the prince to make sure they are taking our demands and concerns about Mr. Badawi's detention and safety seriously.

All Canadian MPs want Mr. Badawi and his family to be reunited, and we will continue to support them in every way we can. We are seized with this matter, and we continue to raise it at the highest levels. We will keep working with all parliamentarians and use every means at our disposal to bring Raif Badawi back to his family.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind members that the request of the House to grant citizenship to Raif Badawi was unanimous. That unanimity includes support from the Prime Minister.

To recap, Mr. Badawi's family and his lawyer asked that he be granted citizenship, the House of Commons unanimously agrees, the Minister of Immigration agrees, the Prime Minister agrees. Seriously, if everyone agrees, why is Mr. Badawi still not a citizen two months later? What is going on?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in a case like this, we will always try to do things that will help bring Mr. Badawi back to his family. That is always our priority.

We are well aware of all the wishes expressed by his family and by the House. We will do everything that is in the interest of Mr. Badawi and his family in order to reunite them, including conversations at the highest level to underscore Canadians' desire to see this family reunited.

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

Mr. Speaker, documents released last week by Global Affairs Canada paint a troubling picture of the naïveté of this government's foreign policy. After a bit of pressure was put on the government by the arms export lobby and by Turkish authorities, and after the government was told that these arms exports would be used for the defence of human rights, the government buckled and naively reversed its earlier decision and approved these arms exports to Turkey.

Will the Prime Minister now admit that this was a mistake?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, when reports first came out about the possible utilization of Canadian technology in unsanctioned areas, we suspended the relevant export permits to Turkey, because we take very seriously the responsibilities we have under some of the most restrictive and constraining regulations in the world around arms exports. We will continue to push for proper accountability and transparency in arms exports: a system that was left in a very shoddy state after 10 years of Conservative government, which we were able to tighten up. We will continue to ensure that we have full accountability and full transparency, including from our NATO allies such as Turkey.

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

Mr. Speaker, the documents also reveal something else troubling: The Liberal Party put its own self-interest first.

The documents reveal that when the foreign affairs minister met with his Turkish counterpart last September, the objective was not to discuss the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict, and it was not to discuss Syria or other regional conflicts. It was to promote the Liberal Party and Liberal insiders. It was to promote Bill Morneau's candidacy for the OECD. Nineteen staff were put on this job.

Does the Prime Minister think it appropriate to put the Liberal Party's interests ahead of Canada's?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the tradition of Canadian leadership in multilateral institutions around the world is one that Canadians of all political stripes have supported over the past many decades. It has been important to have Canadians serving in the highest instances of multilateral institutions to ensure and advance our values and our interests, and to demonstrate the competence and the commitment of Canada to shared global values, the rule of law and the growth of the economy in ways that, for example, recognize that climate change is an economic challenge that we all need to address together.

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

Mr. Speaker, in light of these revelations, will the Prime Minister promise not to make the same mistakes that contributed to fuelling the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and that were inconsistent with Canada's interests and values in the region?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to note that in the many conversations that I have had with Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, during this conflict, including when I met him several years ago, I told him that we will always be there for our Armenian brothers and sisters.

We know the challenges they are facing as a country, and we will always support them, because Armenia is a country that shares our values. We have deep ties with Armenia.

The Environment

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it was deeply troubling to hear the Conservative Party of Canada reject adding “climate change is real” to its policy book this past weekend. Whether we are talking about measures to get through this pandemic or addressing the serious issue of climate change, facts and science matter.

Can the Prime Minister please update the House, and all Canadians, on the importance of the environment when it comes to growing our economy?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Markham—Stouffville for her question and for her long-standing dedication to public health.

Unlike the Conservative members opposite, on this side of the House the debate is truly settled: Climate change is real. Unlike the party opposite, we, along with Canadians, investors, industry and economists, recognize that a plan for jobs and growth must include a plan for the environment. It is a simple fact, and one that almost all Canadians recognize. Unfortunately, the Conservative leader's party has once again chosen to reject that.

Natural Resources

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, Chevron Canada announced that it was exiting the Kitimat LNG after seven years and $3 billion. Why is investment fleeing this world-leading project? The Liberal appointee leading the Canada Infrastructure Bank said that risk and uncertainty are holding back private investment projects across the country.

It comes full circle. Liberals create risk and uncertainty and then blame investments fleeing Canada on risk and uncertainty. Can the Prime Minister please tell 4,500 more Canadian workers why their jobs are suddenly more risky and uncertain?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, global investors understand that climate change is real. The risk in their investments is often that there are mainstream parties in Canada, such as the Conservative Party of Canada, that do not accept that climate change is real and that we need to act. There are provinces across the country that continue to fight against the simple fact of putting a price on pollution as a way of moving forward to fight climate change and create good jobs. The resistance to understanding that climate change is real is the economic risk that all Canadians and investors face because of the Conservative party.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the day when the Prime Minister finally recognizes that reducing emissions is more than just increasing taxes and virtue signalling.

We have a real plan. This project, Kitimat LNG, would reduce 40 million tonnes a year, while at the same time displacing the influence of the bad actors right across the world. Not only that, capital is fleeing Canada. We are seeing that indigenous and non-indigenous communities are being hurt right across the country, and in fact 16 first nations had secured over half a billion dollars in commercial partnership agreements.

When will the Prime Minister finally get serious about reconciliation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, indigenous communities across the country have long understood that in order to have healthy communities, one must protect the environment. Canadians across the country understand that, in order to create jobs and growth, we need to fight climate change at the same time. Unfortunately, the Conservative party continues to misunderstand and not realize that the only way to move forward with a plan for jobs and growth for the economy is to also have a plan to fight climate change.

We will continue to do what is necessary to fight climate change while creating growth right across the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Prime Minister could update us on his two-billion-tree promise.

Also, the Prime Minister talks a good game about supporting reconciliation, yet indigenous families, businesses and communities are all being deprived by the Liberals. There are 16 first nations communities that have lost agreements in training, employment, contracting, environmental stewardship and many more areas. Indigenous people want certainty and opportunity. Instead, $35 billion has exited the country over the past five years.

Liberal policies are hindering reconciliation, so when will the Prime Minister stand up for indigenous communities and secure their future?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have continued to work with indigenous communities across the country in creating economic investments and opportunities, while at the same time investing in ending long-term drinking water advisories, in opening new schools and in creating opportunities for investments and partnerships. We have demonstrated that reconciliation goes a lot further than just trying to get them on board for a specific energy project that the Conservatives seem to want. It has to do with creating opportunities for growth long term, while at the same time fighting climate change and protecting the planet. That is what this Liberal government consistently does.

The Environment

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at its convention last week, the Conservative Party voted against recognizing that climate change is real. Pretending a problem does not exist is not a solution. It may even make it worse, whether it is a pandemic or climate change.

Could the Prime Minister explain why it is important to recognize that climate change is real and take action to fight it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne for this important question.

Perhaps the members opposite should spend less time questioning the science and instead go talk to people in Lac-Saint-Jean, who are seeing more and more forest fires, people in Montérégie and Outaouais, who have experienced two historic floods in the past few years, or any other Canadian who knows that climate change is real because they feel its effects every day.

While the Conservative Party refuses to acknowledge reality, we will take action for future generations by building a future that works for both the environment and the economy.

Infrastructure

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary budget officer slammed the government's Infrastructure Bank on its failure to get things built. He found that after four years, the bank had finalized investment in only two projects and spent only 3% of its budget. The billions of dollars of private funding that the Prime Minister promised, not a single cent has arrived.

The government's privatization agenda has left communities without desperately needed projects. Will the Prime Minister finally stop trying to help his corporate friends turn a profit and instead focus on the needs of communities?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I can understand that Skeena—Bulkley Valley is a long way from my home town of Montreal, but Montrealers see every day the construction going on with the electric transit system that is making a huge difference in Montreal already as it is being built. The Infrastructure Bank was a key partner in that, and we continue to invest in key projects right across the country.

We know that investing in public transit and investing in infrastructure is the way to create jobs now and opportunities for the future. We will continue to deliver for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for tabling the following document.

It is an email from Daniel Jean regarding the Minister of National Defence. Since the leader of the official opposition mentioned it, I am sure that all parliamentarians will be happy to read it once it is tabled.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind everyone that health and safety standards are very important in the House and that people must always sit two metres apart.

Although we were very pleased to see three government members in the House today, everybody must keep two metres apart.