Debates of Dec. 2nd, 2022

Carbon Pricing

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member knows that she is to direct all questions and comments through the Chair and not directly to the government.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I hate to break it to the hon. member, but emissions are going down and we are on track to meet our carbon emissions targets, but let us talk about the Conservative record for just a little bit. For 10 long years, they did absolutely nothing about climate change. They blew up the Kyoto accord and blew up our emissions target. They cut $350 million from the climate change budget. They are not serious about climate change—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I just want to remind members again. This has happened during questions and during answers. I would ask members to please hold their thoughts when somebody else has the floor.

The hon. member for Repentigny.

The Environment

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, five days from the start of COP15, we would like to hear good news about biodiversity, but the good news is coming from the fossil fuel industry.

On Tuesday, Alberta's gas industry boasted about record production in November, 509 million cubic metres per day, and it is of course celebrating a 300% increase in profits.

At the same time, on Tuesday, with respect to biodiversity, the federal government reported that 20% of wildlife in Canada is threatened with extinction.

Should the gas industry be making a 300% increase in profits when 20% of species are at risk?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, we are working very hard with industry to get those emissions down. As the hon. member knows, we are capping emissions from the oil and gas sector, we are eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and we are inviting the world to COP15 in Montréal next week.

We also have very aggressive targets for biodiversity preservation because we know species are becoming extinct at a rapid rate globally and here in Canada. That is why we committed to 25% of our land and waters being preserved by 2025 and 30% of our wildlife by 2030.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, the report on wildlife identifies 2,253 species at risk, including the right whale. The government lacks ambition. What is the federal government doing to help the right whale five days away from the start of COP15 on biodiversity? It is approving exploratory drilling without an environmental assessment in the right whale's habitat off the coast of Newfoundland while it is inviting the entire world to COP15 on biodiversity at the same time that its report shows that biodiversity is plummeting.

Why is the federal government actively putting biodiversity at risk with more oil and gas exploration?

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Speaker, I share the member's concern about the North Atlantic right whale, which is an endangered species. Our government is taking decisive and necessary steps to protect them. We have implemented Canada's dynamic closure system to protect whales when they are sighted. We remove ghost gear to reduce entanglements. We are innovating on whale-safe gear to further protect these whales. We are aware of their situation, and I am working hard to make sure we are protecting them.

Firearms

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, the 2022 hunting season is drawing to a close, and hunters are celebrating a successful harvest of deer, moose and other game. However, here in Ottawa, the Liberals have set their sights on a very different target. With no warning and no consultation, the Liberals have announced their plan to ban hunting rifles and shotguns. The hunters have become the hunted.

Why does the Liberal government always punish law-abiding hunters and sport shooters, while giving bail and house arrest to violent, repeat offenders?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, in fact, my colleague from the Conservative Party is wrong. We are not targeting hunters. I met members of the hunting community this morning to assure them that what we are going after are the AR-15 style firearms, which have been used in far too many mass casualties across the country. More than that, we have a plan to tackle illegal smuggling at the border by investing—

[An hon. member]

You're a liar.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I heard that, and I would ask the hon. member for Lethbridge, after questions and comments, to apologize for her statement. She knows that is not acceptable in the House, and I hope she takes it seriously.

The hon. Minister of Public Safety.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am going to set the remark aside, and I hope my colleague will apologize for it. It has no place in this chamber. We are trying to have a responsible debate about how to keep Canadians safe.

We will continue to go after AR-15 style guns, which have no place in our communities. We will continue to invest in stopping the illegal smuggling of guns at our borders. Those are initiatives that the Conservatives have voted against and they should reverse their position.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I was hearing more voices than the minister's voice. I would say to members, again, whether they appreciate the answer or not, they are here to listen to the answer. They can follow up with a subsequent question.

The hon. member for Sturgeon River—Parkland.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, I will not take any lessons on firearms from a minister who visited a gun range and was too afraid to even touch a gun. The Liberals cannot tell the difference between a machine gun and a BB gun. While the Liberals plan to waste billions of dollars going after 100-year-old hunting rifles, smugglers continue to ship handguns by the thousands over our borders and they are being used on our streets.

Why are the Liberals so off target on tackling the real sources of violent crime?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, it is very regrettable that today, Conservatives are resorting to personal attacks on me and on members of our side, in the government, who represent hunters.

More to the point, I have met with families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, and I do not know how we look any of them in the eye and not do the smart and sensible things we are doing right now, which is to get AR-15 style guns out of our communities, to stop illegal smuggling at our borders and to stop gun crime from occurring at every instance.

The Conservatives have filibustered and have gone with falsehoods when they should be supporting these initiatives.

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Madam Speaker, last week, the Liberal government tabled an amendment to Bill C-21 that would prohibit hundreds of thousands of hunting rifles. This government wants to turn law-abiding hunters and farmers who use rifles as tools to feed their families and protect their livestock into criminals overnight.

Meanwhile, since the Prime Minister has taken office, violent crime has risen by 32% and gang-related homicides have increased by 92%.

When will the government focus on the illegal guns flooding our streets and the criminals who use them, and stop targeting law-abiding hunters and farmers?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Minister of Rural Economic Development]

Madam Speaker, I have been a hunter and fisher all my life. I have great memories of hunting with my dad and I wish he were here now, because he would support me 100%.

My friends and I have looked at the amendments to Bill C-21. We agree. Every time a firearm kills an innocent person, that hurts a law-abiding gun owner. My friends support Bill C-21. We all have to do our part to get assault-style weapons off this planet.

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Madam Speaker, let us talk about some facts. Just yesterday in the public safety committee, the Liberal government's own firearms expert who helped write Bill C-21 admitted on record that hunting rifles would be banned if this law is enacted.

Will the Liberals admit they have made a mistake, admit these amendments are affecting law-abiding hunters and farmers, and cancel Bill C-21?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, in fact the expert my colleague is referring to refuted many of the misnomers and the inaccuracies the Conservatives continue to perpetuate.

More to the point, we have a plan to eradicate gun violence once and for all. That includes investments at our borders to support CBSA. The Conservatives voted against.

That includes addressing gun crime at its root causes. We invested $250 million. The Conservatives voted against.

It also includes common-sense laws like Bill C-21, so that we can get those guns that have no place in our communities off our streets once and for all.

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

Madam Speaker, we need to keep our communities safe from handgun violence, and the government promised to do that. However, at the 11th hour, the government slipped an amendment into Bill C-21 that is not about dealing with handguns.

Instead, the government is now targeting rifles and shotguns with detachable clips. This is a huge overreach that would impact rural, northern and indigenous people, and the government needs to fix this.

Will the Attorney General ensure that this legislation on handguns is not going to target legitimate hunters and rural people?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, I can assure my colleague and the NDP, and, in fact, all parliamentarians who want to advance a responsible debate about this, that we are not going to target those guns which are used conventionally for hunting.

We are targeting those guns like AR-15 style firearms, which have caused too many casualties right across the country.

I know that my colleague and I, and others who are contributing to a responsible debate about this, will get there.

What is important is that we keep our streets safe from gun violence and that is exactly what we are going to do.

The Environment

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

Madam Speaker, again, I am warning the government of huge risks from unregulated shipbreaking. An oil spill was discovered on the shoreline of a shipbreaking facility in Union Bay on Vancouver Island. This facility has been operating despite legal challenges and objections from local governments and first nations.

Baynes Sound is critical to our local economy and ecosystems. It is home to over 50% of B.C. shellfish and is important for herring spawning.

The government's oceans protection plan is nowhere to be found.

Will the government finally act by creating by robust federal ship recycling regulations?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his environmental advocacy. We know that oil spills are a very serious thing in ocean environments. We have the oceans protection plan, over a billion dollars, as the hon. member will know.

I would like to take this issue up with him off-line and see what we can do about his particular situation.

Persons with Disabilities

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Madam Speaker, the prosperity of our communities is reliant on the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities. It is essential that Canadians with disabilities are empowered to live a meaningful, dignified and quality life. Organizations in Richmond Hill such as L'Arche Daybreak, OpenMind Alliance Academy and My MS Family of York Region have dedicated themselves to the well-being and inclusion of persons with disabilities and serve as an admirable example of how people of different intellectual disabilities can live and learn together.

As tomorrow marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion update the House on how our government is working to build a more inclusive and accessible Canada for everyone?