Debates of Feb. 14th, 2023

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely unacceptable to say that asylum seekers are taking advantage of the system. The reality is that these people are fleeing violence and looking for a safe haven.

Our government will always work for vulnerable people and we are proud of the work we have accomplished. We hope that the Bloc Québécois is on board.

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

Mr. Speaker, not only is that our view as well but we hold the same positions as migrants who are calling for the suspension of the safe third country agreement. That is the crux of the impasse at Roxham Road.

Migrants are being exploited. Children are crossing alone in winter. People are being detained indefinitely. The United States is on one side of the border. They know that it is dangerous, but will not lift a finger because it suits them. The federal government is on the other side, incapable of moving beyond rhetoric and of understanding that this is not how to welcome people with dignity.

What is being done? When will the minister realize that there is only one solution? Nothing will change until the safe third country agreement is suspended.

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, the Bloc Québécois has lost all credibility, because it believes that asylum seekers cross that border for an all-inclusive vacation package and that the situation asylum seekers must face is a joke.

This is no joke to us. It is serious. We are working on it. We are speaking with our American counterparts, and we will modernize this agreement.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the government now believes that it no longer needs the Auditor General's advice.

The Auditor General identified $27 billion of COVID support payments that should be investigated, except that the CRA says that it is not worth the effort to review those payments. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is now ringing the alarm bells saying that he, too, is concerned that the CRA will not review these payments.

Will the government finally take the advice of the Auditor General, review these COVID payments and make sure that Canadians recover the improper payments paid by this government?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I have a very good working relationship with the national revenue critic for the Conservatives, but he knows very well, with regard to the CRA, and this was verified at the public accounts committee some days ago, that this verification work is ongoing. I have said that many times in the House. I am glad to repeat it again.

The government instructed the CRA to carry out that work. Every member in the House voted in that direction, so let us let that work continue. Instead, the Conservatives are continuing to play political games to undermine a very important public institution in this country. It is not acceptable.

Public Services and Procurement

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, government services are broken. Liberals have significantly grown the size of the public service while still giving billions of dollars to outside consultants, yet nothing seems to work.

The Prime Minister has admitted that he personally recruited Dominic Barton and provided him with preferential access, access that his company, McKinsey, used to do over $100 million in business with the government.

How can the Liberals explain the fact that the public service is larger, and the services that Canadians receive are declining, yet Liberals are still able to find so much money for their well-connected friends?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the use of contracts by the government, which is done independently, at arms length, by the public service, is something that is incredibly important in the provision of services.

I would say to the member opposite that right now there are almost two million more Canadians who have jobs who did not when the Conservatives were there. There are 2.7 million Canadians who are not in poverty now, who were when the Conservatives were in power. The idea that progress is not being made is not substantiated by fact.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, hiring more people at McKinsey is not a jobs plan.

The House leader should listen to his Prime Minister because the Prime Minister said of Dominic Barton, “we recruited him”. Now, Dominic Barton admitted in testimony that Andrew Pickersgill, the head of McKinsey's Canadian operations, supplied analysts to the Prime Minister's growth council. McKinsey then used that access to set up sales meetings. The Prime Minister recruited McKinsey's leaders and gave them privileged access to government that allowed them to get over $100 million in contracts.

Will the House leader stop this charade and admit what the Prime Minister has already admitted, which is that it was these Liberal politicians who brought in McKinsey?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, on numerous occasions the member opposite has inferred that political interference would be something that they would engage in to tell the public service who they would engage in contracts.

Let me say that, on this side of the House, we will tolerate no such action. The independence of the public service in engaging contracts is absolutely important. The number of conspiracy theories the member has peddled have been disproven in front of committee. There are forums on Reddit where he can continue to pursue these, but I would suggest that the House of Commons is not the appropriate forum.

The Economy

[Anju Dhillon, Liberal, Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although inflation has declined steadily over the past seven months, many Canadians are still struggling with the cost of living.

Can the the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance inform the House about what the government is doing to help Canadians deal with this global phenomenon?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague from Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for his question and hard work.

Throughout the world, people are going through tough economic times and Canadians are no exception. That is why we reduced child care costs, doubled the GST credit, eliminated interest on student loans, gave a one-time top-up of $500 for rent and helped 500,000 young Canadians with dental care.

We are taking action and keeping the promises we made to Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal trade minister had former Liberal minister Michael Chan chair her election campaigns. It turns out Mr. Chan is on a CSIS watch list for alleged connections to a spy network of the Chinese Communist regime, and the Prime Minister's senior staff, including Katie Telford, were told to warn the trade minister to be cautious in her dealings with Mr. Chan. The trade minister refused to answer the question yesterday, so I will ask again.

Why did the minister ignore the warnings from the PMO and Canada's intelligence service about having Mr. Chan chair her campaign, even though he had ties to spies for Communist China?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, embedded in the question is a false notion that I think all members, I would hope, would want to reject. That is that any member of Parliament is not completely and totally committed to Canadian democracy. The idea that there is anybody in the House who would tolerate foreign interference in any form is simply inaccurate and not appropriate to put forward as a supposition.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, obviously some members are more concerned than others. Let us be clear. It is our national intelligence service that has alleged that former Liberal minister Michael Chan has direct connections to a spy network from Communist China. That is why he is on its watch list. He also chaired campaigns for the Liberal trade minister. The Prime Minister was warned about Liberal minister Michael Chan and was told to warn the trade minister.

Who is the Liberal trade minister taking her advice from if she is ignoring the PMO and CSIS?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I think that we need to be very careful when we talk to one another about casting aspersions about our loyalty to this country and our loyalty to democracy.

It is a presumption in every question we ask that every member is—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to thank all those who went quiet all of a sudden, as well as the person who did not see me rise and kept going.

The hon. government House leader may begin from the top, please.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the supposition is that the member they are questioning, the minister they are questioning, is not loyal to her country, is not loyal to Canada or to our democracy, and is somehow subservient to a foreign force.

Let me be very clear. I would not say this to any member on the other side. We may disagree on policy, but to suggest that anybody here is not loyal to our democracy, to try to cast aspersions on a member of this place, to say that they do not have this country at their core interests, is unacceptable.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. The Liberal Minister of International Trade was found guilty of contravening the Conflict of Interest Act for awarding a contract worth several thousand dollars to her best friend. We learned this week that the same minister hired a former Liberal cabinet minister, Michael Chan, to work on her election campaign.

The problem is that CSIS informed the Liberals that Mr. Chan is on a watch list because of his connections. With whom? With the Chinese Communist regime.

Why has the minister not yet resigned from her position for blindly following the bad examples set by her Prime Minister?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, this is completely unacceptable. There is no one in the House who is not loyal to our country.

It is clear that not only the minister, but every member of the House is entirely loyal to Canada and to our democracy. It is unacceptable to say otherwise.

Northern Affairs

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, isolated Arctic and northern communities face complex food security challenges, including access to local food options.

As a member of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, I know that northern and indigenous partners are implementing innovative solutions to address the mounting challenges they face, including food sovereignty in their communities.

Could the minister update the House on the work our government is doing in partnership to address food security in the north and the Arctic?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Fredericton for her important question. I know how hard she works, and I know she is absolutely passionate about this issue.

All Canadians, no matter where they live, deserve access to healthy and affordable food all year round. Just this month, increased subsidy rates are reducing the cost of food in communities across the north and the Arctic. Our government is funding the harvester support grant. It supported over 5,500 harvesters, 150 hunts and 120 food-sharing initiatives in its first year. Together, we are delivering locally led solutions for the north, by the north.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, Nunavut communities want to be part of the solution for climate emergency. They want to stop relying on unreliable and outdated diesel plants.

The Kivalliq hydro-fibre link is an Inuit-led project that would transition several Nunavut communities off diesel to renewable energy. The government needs to keep its promises and continue to invest so that this project could become a reality.

Will the Prime Minister commit to the Kivalliq hydro-fibre link in the 2023 budget?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government is absolutely committed to transitioning northern and Arctic communities to clean, reliable and renewable energy. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the remote and indigenous clean energy hub. We have developed the indigenous climate leadership initiative.

Just last week I had a fantastic meeting with the Kivalliq hydro group. We have invested significant sums in the Kivalliq project, as well as in the Atlin project in Yukon and Taltson in Northwest Territories. There is a lot of work to do, but we are going in the right direction.

Labour

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

Mr. Speaker, there has been radio silence from the Prime Minister since Alberta energy workers called out the government to get serious about a clean energy future.

Joe Biden's clean energy tech investments are transforming the American economy. Alberta workers have been clear. There is a huge opportunity to create a sustainable future rooted in clean tech and good-paying union jobs. However, that means the government actually comes to the table with investments.

Could the Minister of Natural Resources tell us if the government actually has a plan? Is it ready to commit, in this coming budget, the funds necessary for a clean energy economy?