Debates of Nov. 4th, 2024

Environment and Sustainable Development

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent for his speech. I too am very proud to represent Quebeckers.

I would like to ask him a question about the planned radioactive waste dump in Chalk River. There is a great deal of public concern about it. Several municipalities have spoken against the project, as have several Algonquin first nations.

What does my colleague make of the issue of social licence?

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

Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the question from my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie, who also proudly represents Quebec and knows what it means to be a Quebecker, as do the Bloc Québécois, Conservative and Liberal members. No one has any lessons to teach about Quebec nationalism or about being a Quebecker to anyone here in the House. I am sorry, but I do not take kindly to that.

On the issue of social licence, the member is absolutely right. That is why there were inquiries and consultations. Some people were in favour of the project, while others were against it. It is part of the public debate. It is always suspicious when everyone agrees on a particular topic. It is okay to have disagreements. We call that democracy. However, there comes a time when we have to choose, and our choice was based on the historical record.

We think that Chalk River's record over its 80 years of existence is acceptable. Of course we have to take people's concerns into account and respect them. We must not shove this project down their throats, but we must also allow them to benefit from this project, just as millions of people around the world have been able to benefit from the isotopes made here in Chalk River.

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague had some reservations when the issue of the near-surface disposal facility arose. The member who asked a prior question from the Bloc talked about a catastrophic failure. I do not believe he has actually gone there or understands that there is no active reactor on site.

Did my colleague take the time to go to Chalk River to have all his questions answered? It does not sound as though anyone else in this chamber has.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will answer in English. I respect my colleague who asked the question; by the way, she is the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, which is where Chalk River is. She knows a few things about that.

I had the pleasure and, I would say, the professionalism to have been at Chalk River. I was there on March 22; yes, I asked a lot of questions. I was asking why we have to put it there when there are a billion places we could put it here in Canada. We have the Canadian Shield. We have a lot of places for that.

However, based on the experience of the 88 years that we have, I think this is the safest place.

Furthermore, nuclear waste will not have to be transported if this can be done very close to the laboratory.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have been sitting here listening to the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Green Party spread anti-nuclear energy propaganda, attacking an industry that is part of my community and that means jobs and energy in my community. I am very happy to stand here and correct the record. Durham is home to the Darlington nuclear facility. We are home to members of the Power Workers' Union and UA Local 401, the hard-working men and women who put their time and energy into powering our region and powering our province. To sit here and listen to the Bloc Québécois and their buddies in the other parties spread anti-nuclear messaging is mind-blowing.

They go to great lengths to promote a conflict between economic growth and environmental stewardship. We would think they would respect an industry proving that those two things are not at odds with one another. In fact, we are proving, locally in Durham and in the nuclear industry across Canada, that we can pursue economic growth and environmental stewardship hand in hand. Instead of appreciating that and celebrating the hard-working men and women who make that possible, we are getting slander from the other parties of the House.

Let me be very clear. The Bloc Québécois has, through its dissenting report, tried to couch this as some sort of generational issue. I will quote from its introductory paragraph: “The Canadian governance of radioactive waste raises important issues that will have a significant impact on future generations.” Let us talk about those future generations. Let us talk about the young people in our country right now who are proving that we can pursue economic growth and environmental stewardship hand in hand.

I would like to share what someone from the North American Young Generation in Nuclear said, a constituent of mine, Matthew Mairinger. He said very clearly that nuclear energy has the lowest CO2 emissions by energy source and the highest capacity factor, operates 24-7, has among the lowest land footprints per energy produced and provides well-paying, stable careers for those in the community. As a young professional supporting nuclear energy, he feels it is one of the best ways he is helping society move forward.

This is from a young man who works in the nuclear energy industry, but he is far from alone. The data shows that the nuclear industry generates over $2 billion in labour income and $2.5 billion in direct and secondary economic activity annually in this country. The sector also contributes $1.5 billion in tax revenue to federal and provincial governments, accounting for approximately 89,000 jobs nationwide. This goes back to the young people of this country.

Do members know that around 40% of the workers in the nuclear industry are under the age of 40? This is a young industry made up of hard-working people who believe that economic growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. That is why it is very important that we stand for this industry, not just because of my local economy in Durham, but because of what these young people are doing for the country as a whole.

When Bloc Québécois members say they are very concerned about future generations, pretending that this is some generational battle, they are not looking at the math, they are not looking at the facts and there are not looking at the stats, which show that this industry is creating opportunity for young men and women all across our country.

I would like to continue with some additional points about the environmental impact of the nuclear industry. Over 180 private sector suppliers, 95% of which are based in Canada, benefit from international nuclear projects that utilize Canadian intellectual property and manufactured goods. All the concerns that Bloc members are pretending to have about the environment are easily dismissed when we factor in the worldwide effect of Canadian energy. That is not just nuclear, but in this case, we are going to emphasize nuclear.

We are making it easier for countries all around the world to displace high-emission sources of energy with clean Canadian energy. The Bloc wants to pit nuclear against other forms of energy as if we are all competing. The reality is that the menu of options that Canada can give the world so it can have cleaner energy sources is incredible.

I want to emphasize once again that the hard-working men and women in the nuclear industry, including in my home community of Durham, deserve strong advocacy at the federal level. They deserve a strong voice shining a light on all the wonderful work they are doing every day, including to power places like where we stand right now.

I strongly and very clearly would like to oppose the anti-nuclear energy propaganda the House has been hearing over the last several hours. It is ill-informed and it is misrepresenting what is best for our country and what is best for the young people who, again, believe very strongly in pursuing economic growth and environmental stewardship hand in hand.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings at this time and put forthwith the question on the motion now before the House.

The question is on the motion.

If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded division.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Pursuant to Standing Order 45, the recorded division stands deferred until Tuesday, November 5, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

Public Safety

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents.

I rise for the 55th time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime. The community of Swan River is struggling with the rising rate of crime in the area. Statistics Canada reports that after nine years of the Liberal government, violent crime has risen by over 50% and gang-related homicides have nearly doubled. Within the last five years, the town's crime severity index has increased by over 50%.

The people of Swan River see the devastating effects this crime has on the community's safety and economic stability. The people of Swan River are calling for jail not bail for violent repeat offenders. The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies that directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to remind all hon. members, please, that during this rubric of petitions, it is important to summarize the petition. Also, please, although the hon. member did mention that he supports his people, it is important just to let other members know not to say they support or do not support the petition at hand.

Government Priorities

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to present a petition signed by the great people of Pickering, Ajax and Whitby.

Petitioners call on the Government of Canada to end all wasteful spending that is fuelling inflation and the cost of living crisis, confront the bureaucrats and the gatekeepers who prevent new housing construction and ensure all federal infrastructure funds be earmarked for increased home construction.

Ship Recycling

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

Mr. Speaker, I again rise on behalf of frustrated constituents of mine from Union Bay on Vancouver Island, who are trying to draw the House's attention and the government's attention to the fact that Canada does not have strong laws when it comes to shipbreaking and ship recycling. In fact, we have extremely weak ones, if anything.

Petitioners are calling on the government to develop enforceable federal standards to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of ship recycling that meet or exceed those set out in the EU ship recycling regulations, provide assistance through loans or grants to long-term reputable ship recycling companies that are closed-contained in a floating dry dock to facilitate implementation of new federal standards into their operations, and develop a strategy for recycling end-of-life for federally owned marine vessels.

Petitioners cite the significant risk to workers and the environment associated with ship recycling due to the presence of a wide variety of hazardous materials in end-of-life marine vessels. Also, unlike other jurisdictions, Canada lacks standards on ship recycling and unregulated ship recycling activities, which are putting our oceans, coastal communities like where I live on Vancouver Island and workers at risk. The lack of domestic oversight of ship recycling and the disposal of end-of-life marine vessels frustrates Canada's ability to ensure compliance with its international obligations under the Basel Convention.

Gender Equality

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, to be brief, the petitioners in my constituency are very concerned about the inequality in pay for work of equal value, which has been ongoing for decades. In this country, women still receive 21¢ less than men for every dollar, on average, for doing basically the same work. In order to ensure that women and children are not living in poverty, we must have pay equity.

The petitioners urge the House of Commons to enact effective pay equality and pay equity for all women in Canada.

The House resumed consideration of the motion, of the amendment and of the amendment to the amendment.

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has been a month that the House has been at a complete standstill, paralyzed in the business of looking out for Canadians and of actually solving the problems that the House should be seized with. It may not be the worst news in the world. Certainly, many want to see the government take a walk after nine years; I hope Canadians can finally decide to send the government packing in a soon-to-come carbon tax election. Therefore, it may not be the worst thing.

After nine years of the government and its destructive policies, we have been at a standstill for a brief while. The government of the day, the Liberals and their NDP counterparts, can no longer ruin the lives of Canadians even more than they have, at least in the short term. In nine years, the government has doubled the cost of housing and rent. It has doubled a mortgage payment in this country over the course of the last nine years.

We have inflation and interest rates burning out of control because of the government's irresponsible spending. We do not have a revenue problem in this country; we have a spending problem. The Liberal government spends more than it has on things we do not want or need. Two million people are eating from a food bank in a single month. Hundreds of tent cities are popping up in Toronto and all across the country, from coast to coast to coast.

We have crime, drugs, chaos and disorder in our streets. There are violent offenders turned out on bail as soon as they commit a crime. We saw this weekend, in Toronto, a scene from what seemed to be a movie. Police were chasing down criminals who stole a car, who hurt a police horse, who put citizens shopping on a weekend at risk and who ruined a business, all to find out that these culprits were out on bail because of the government's weak bail policy.

Today, the justice minister told the House that he is not responsible for any of it, that he is not responsible for Bill C-75, which allows that to happen. He also cannot count; he was trying to make slogans using three words or four words. I do not know what that answer was, but the issue is that the justice minister in this country does not think he is responsible for the justice system.

We could be speaking about anything else in the House. However, it is because the Liberal government will not turn the documents over to the police that we are here debating this, and we will continue to do that until they hand them over.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying to everyone celebrating, happy Bandi Chhor Diwas and happy Diwali. Tonight, Liberals will be celebrating Bandi Chhor Diwas and Diwali on the Hill because no one can take away the light of Canadians. We know that light will conquer darkness. We know that hope will conquer fear. We know that knowledge will beat ignorance any single day.

Today, I know the member has given so many comments about what we could be doing. Taking the time to really appreciate Canadians and everything that they offer is important to be doing. The Conservatives choose to be debating privilege, rather than policies and bills that could be helping Canadians and yet, they want to play partisan politics. Does the member agree that light will conquer darkness, hope will conquer fear and that we should be celebrating the diversity of our country?

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish my hon. colleague happy Diwali; and a happy holiday season to all colleagues in this House.

To answer the member's question, light will trample darkness and good will win over evil when Canadians get their chance and their say in a carbon tax election and when these guys finally hit the road and stop ruining the lives of Canadians. Until then, no matter who they are, no matter why they celebrate and no matter what language they speak or when they came to this country, there is a place for people in the Conservative Party and more and more Canadians are realizing that, and thank goodness.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am puzzled by the last comment from the member of Parliament for Waterloo. Deepak Obhrai, who was a wonderful Conservative member of Parliament, whom we miss, used to host Diwali on the Hill. What happened—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Thornhill.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I invite the hon. member to Diwali by the Conservatives tomorrow, and I hope to see her there. I am not sure whether she is going to come, but she is welcome, as everyone else is.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I thank the hon. member for Thornhill for the invitation.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Telecommunications

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that with fraud, many people have not come forward because they felt the stigma, the shame and the embarrassment of dealing with fraud. It is like dealing with mental health. We need to do a better job to change the public's outlook when it comes to sharing about fraud because fraud is happening, and it is sophisticated. It is happening because of organized crime, which is using highly sophisticated devices and attitudes to go after vulnerable people. I am going to talk a little bit about that tonight.

Recently, a senior in my riding, Peggy Christian from Courtenay, was scammed out of $100,000, her life savings. She was tricked into making wire transfers in huge amounts to scammers from Thailand, while her bank, Coast Capital Savings on Vancouver Island, did not have the protocols or the safeguards in place to protect Peggy. Peggy, who was 76 at the time, had been with Coast Capital Savings for more than 30 years. She had never gotten any transfers like this, and it should have been caught. Now, Peggy has had to sell her house and cut her costs in half just to stay above water, and her bank and the Canadian government have failed to return what she has lost.

This is a heartbreaking story that should never have happened. We know that, often, when Canadians are victimized by scams, the Canadian government punishes the victim, not the perpetrator, and I am going to tell a story about that as well.

In 2022, Canadian investors, as members have probably heard, were swept into what has been described as a more than $300-million Ponzi scheme, allegedly perpetrated by Greg Martel. Many of those investors, who come from all walks of life, are struggling to move on from their losses.

One of my constituents, Lana McKenzie, invested in that Ponzi scheme. She was already hurting from the scam, and she was actually hit again when the the CRA taxed her based on the fraudulent T5s that Lana had received from the scammer himself. Ever since then, Lana has been fighting for fairness from the CRA, but the federal government, instead of acting swiftly, has been moving incredibly slowly on Lana and other victims' objections at a time when many of those victims are already financially vulnerable.

They are living with the shame, but have come forward with courage, and I applaud them for having the courage to come forward. At the same time, we have seen no evidence that the federal government is working to return the alleged perpetrator, Greg Martel, from overseas, so he can face justice. Much of that stolen money has never been returned, and the government has not used the levers through Interpol to go after him.

We know that online fraud is impacting more and more Canadians. In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that it had observed $530 million in reported victim losses. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre also received nearly 91,000 reports from Canadians that same year. According to the RCMP, fraud was the second largest contributor to the severity of crime last year. The rate of fraud, in 2023, went up by 12% and the rate of extortion went up by 35%.

It should not be so easy for Canadians to get scammed, and it should not be so hard for victims to recoup their losses. The government needs to do a lot more. We need to make sure that the banks, which benefit from these illegitimate transactions, are being held to account as well. We can look at the recent case of TD in the U.S., which allowed criminal activity because it profited from them. In fact, Merrick Garland, the U.S. attorney general, said, “TD Bank created an environment that allowed financial crime to flourish. By making its services convenient for criminals, it became one.” That is how bad it is getting.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to be here for adjournment debate with my friend and colleague from Courtenay—Alberni. Before I start, I would like to extend my sympathies to Peggy, who has experienced this fraud in her life. I have had constituents in my riding as well who have lost sizable amounts of their life savings to these heartless scammers. It is a disgusting practice and we certainly need to find solutions.

We carry these little devices around in our pockets now and take for granted that we can achieve so much on that phone. However, for people who are less familiar with that technology, because it has just been in the last 5% or 10% of their lives that it has become commonplace to have a very high-powered computer in their pocket with the capacity of going into their bank account and everything, it is intimidating. I think the onset of that technology has caused a lot of harm across our society with respect to seniors and fraudulent activity. Therefore, I offer my condolences to the member's constituent.

Fraudulent telephone calls are a significant source of concern for Canadians. They are not just annoying but very damaging as well. That is why our government continues to take concrete actions to combat these crimes. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Canada's national independent telecommunications regulator, has developed a series of requirements for industry to combat fraudulent telecommunications and help protect Canadians.

The CRTC works with telecommunications companies to block incoming scam calls. For example, the CRTC approved a proposal from Bell Canada to permanently implement a call-blocking solution that uses artificial intelligence to prevent scam calls originating from outside of Canada from ever reaching Canadians. I am happy to share that from January 2020 to November 2023, this program prevented over 1.6 billion calls from reaching Canadians. That is a large number.

The CRTC also requires service providers to block calls when the originating phone number does not conform to a standard numbering plan, a common sign of a fraudulent call.

Furthermore, the CRTC is also working to improve a call traceback solution used to trace unsolicited calls back to their point of origin. As part of this process, in late February, the CRTC launched public consultations to identify solutions to particular operational issues with the traceback process. We know this approach to combatting fraud calls requires close collaboration with industry, tech leaders and experts. The CRTC is also working with industry to alert Canadians if an incoming call might be part of a scam. This approach, known as STIR/SHAKEN, works by notifying Canadians whether an incoming call originates from a real number. While it is not currently possible to authenticate all incoming calls, this approach will become more effective as telecom companies upgrade their networks and more Canadians use telephones that work with this approach.

Beyond the initiatives taken by the CRTC, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Competition Bureau are responsible for the enforcement of activities. Their work is facilitated by that of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, which is jointly operated by the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Competition Bureau, which enables law enforcement agencies to investigate complex fraud schemes by collecting information on fraud-related issues.

The government is also taking steps to enhance the quality of information on fraud in Canada by improving the processes by which Canadians can report fraud. For example, the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre and the CAFC are developing a new national crime and fraud reporting system to improve the processes used to report fraud and cybercrime incidents to law enforcement. It is expected to be fully operational in the coming months and will help improve the quality of data on fraud in Canada, as well as making it easier for Canadians to report fraud.

The Government of Canada will always work to protect Canadians. It will continue to use the tools at its disposal to combat these crimes, but it goes without saying that it has to do more. It has to protect seniors. They are most commonly the victims of these crimes and I am in favour of any action to do that.

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

Mr. Speaker, as of November 1, Canada introduced the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, who is meant to help resolve scam issues with banks. That is a great start, but since the ombudsperson's recommendations are non-binding, it is only a half measure. We have a financial system that rewards criminals and costs Canadians. We need to hold big banks to account and make sure there is a cost to doing business with criminals.

We need to make it easier for Canadians to work with the CRA to correct their finances after being victims of fraud. My colleague the member for Windsor West has called for a first ministers conference to tackle cybercrime.

It is high time the federal government takes these instances of online fraud and extortion seriously instead of just putting the burden on Canadians. Bell, Rogers and Telus need to be held accountable for being a portal to crime and the CRTC needs to do much more. We know the Conservatives are not going to go after those big players. It is high time the Liberals hold them to account.