Debates of May 19th, 2022

Public Works and Government Services—Main Estimates, 2022-23

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister see any contradiction between the buy clean strategy and the government's relentless commitment to its purchase and expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am very happy that we have a buy clean strategy. In addition to that, we have a national clean electricity initiative. We have an energy services acquisition program. We have many initiatives that we are undertaking as a government, because it is important for us to meet our targets and we want to show leadership in this regard.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, in budget 2022, the federal government announced that Public Services and Procurement Canada “will develop new tools, guidelines, and targets to support the adoption of green procurement across the federal government”. How does the recently announced $10-million loan guarantee for the Trans Mountain pipeline fit into this new commitment?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, we are focusing on doing what we can in procurement in order to contribute to meeting the targets that are there. This is an all-of-government approach. PSPC has a role to play. I have gone over the numbers with respect to initiatives that we are taking in order to meet our targets, and this work is significant.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I do appreciate the role that PSPC has to play and the work that the minister is doing in it.

My final question is this: How are we to trust any of these strategies and commitments, though, in light of the reality of the same commitments to expanding and building the Trans Mountain pipeline?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would put forward the stat that we have accomplished to date as evidence of the initiatives that we are taking and the progress we are making, which is a 57.6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings as compared to the baseline laid out in 2005-06. We are going to continue to work on these and other important initiatives in PSPC in order to reach the targets.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Chair, I thank the minister for her genuine contribution to this conversation. I will cede the rest of my time to the member for Courtenay—Alberni.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Qujannamiik, Iksivautaq, Iksivautaq meaning “chair”.

I will be splitting my time with the member for Courtenay—Alberni. My first set of questions will be regarding Canada Post.

Does the minister know how many post offices are operated in Nunavut?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Chair, I do not know the exact number, but I am happy to provide that number to the member.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, does the minister know what percentage of post offices in Canada are in indigenous communities?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am really pleased about the pilot we are running in an indigenous community in Canada. This is a hub. It is going to add extra resources and innovative supports. I am looking forward to the results of that pilot.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, does the minister know how many banks are operated in Nunavut?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, what I would say in response to that question is that the pilot we are running actually includes a postal banking service because we know this has been raised. We look forward to the results of what this pilot reveals.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, I do look forward to that information.

I will help the minister with some of these questions. Nunavut has 25 post offices in all 25 communities. It has eight banks. I am quite sure that the realities are similar in indigenous communities.

I am going to ask the minister a yes-or-no question. Does the minister agree that access to affordable, quality banking is a challenge for Nunavut and for indigenous communities?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am not going to purport to know the experience of indigenous people in those communities. I am happy to work with the member to have discussions so that we can determine pathways forward that are going to respond to those needs and issues.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that learning this information and addressing the systemic inequity can address reconciliation with indigenous peoples?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am always willing to learn, and I think learning is a very important part of our journey on reconciliation.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, is the minister aware that Australia has operated a postal operating system that offers over 3,500 post offices with access to banking services?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I know that banking services have been discussed repeatedly and that there are models out there. Again, this is why the pilot is important. We are running pilots like this in order to gather information to determine pathways forward with respect to ensuring that Canadians are receiving the supports and services they need from Canada Post.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that it is within her mandate to work with Canada Post to develop a postal banking system?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I believe it is in my mandate to work with Canada Post to deliver services that Canadians need and to continue to ensure that those services are delivered in a way that allows Canada Post to be self-sustaining.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that Canada needs to do more to reconcile with indigenous people in Canada?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, absolutely, 100%.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Chair, can the government instruct banks like First Nations Bank, TD Bank and Scotiabank to open branches in places like my riding?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am happy to have conversations with the member with respect to the issues she is raising in the area of banking.