Dan Albas

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 18th, 2020]

With regard to the government's plan to declare single-use plastics as a harmful substance: (a) what is the timeline for implementing such a declaration; (b) has there been any analysis of the trade implications of such a declaration, and, if so, who conducted the analysis, and what were the findings; (c) has there been a job impact analysis prepared, and, if so, who conducted the analysis, and what were the findings; (d) if this plan is implemented, what are the projected job impacts in Canada's petrochemical industry; (e) were there consultations undertaken with the provinces on such a declaration, and, if so, what are the details; (f) what is the policy justification to use environmental protection legislation to ban a consumer good, which is regulated provincially; and (g) has a legal analysis been conducted to ensure the legality of such a declaration, and, if so, who conducted the analysis and what were the findings?

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 18th, 2020]

With regard to the government's announcement in the Speech from the Throne to create one million jobs through environmentally focused measures: (a) what sectors will these jobs be in, and how many jobs are expected to be created in each sector; (b) what is the breakdown of where these jobs are expected to be created by province or territory and municipal region; (c) what is the breakdown of the educational attainment required for these jobs; (d) what is the projected cost to create these jobs; (e) is it the government's intent to employ unemployed retail and hospitality workers to build green infrastructure; (f) what is the projected cost to retrain a million workers for these jobs; (g) what is the demographic balance of people who currently work in the green energy sector; (h) what is the demographic balance of people currently most unemployed due to the crisis; (i) will there be private sector investment to create these jobs or will it be solely government funding; (j) how long does the government anticipate it will take to train unemployed retail, hospitality, and entertainment workers to build green infrastructure; and (k) what is the projected cost of this training?

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the member has spoken up about the way the Chinese government aggressively takes its own initiative throughout the world.

We have been saying to the Liberal government that more must be done to protect our citizens in Canada. One of the things that I heard at the special committee on Canada-China relations was that when foreign agents were intimidating our citizens or were trying to impose the will of the Chinese government, there was no central agency or phone number to take their information. Many law enforcement agencies will say that they handle property crime, theft and some other acts of violence, but we do not handle intimidation by a foreign state.

There is a role to be played by the Canadian government. Does the member believe that more needs to be done so our intelligence agencies can act on this intelligence to force these agents out in the open?

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member's contribution to this important debate, particularly regarding the intimidation aimed at Canadian citizens by foreign actors specifically.

When I was on the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations, we heard from many people who have suffered this intimidation. One thing that was raised is what happens when someone complains that they are being intimidated or threatened by these agents. When this is raised with law enforcement, law enforcement says that it handles criminal cases. There is no one agency assigned to look at this, and that is one of the suggestions that was made.

Does the member believe that the federal government should designate an entity so that we can truly have a serious approach to foreign interference and intimidation against Canadian citizens?

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I respect the member's views on many of these issues. He has been the chair of the public safety committee among other things.

The member raised specifically some of the research and development that happens on Canadian universities. I absolutely agree with the member that the intimidation of individual Canadians, whether on campus or anywhere in the country, is a non-starter.

I was touring a facility that any of us would jump at an opportunity to see. I asked if the government could do anything. It specifically said that it had asked its security apparatus and political leaders to tell it who it could partner with and under what situations. This is a lingering issue. It is causing not just the intimidation of our citizens but also causing issues with universities as to who they can partner with on research, particularly Chinese companies that may have national security legislation applied to them.

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the member's intervention today specifically spoke to the opportunities for telecommunications in Canada, for us to see greater energy efficiency and for many of our cities to jump on the opportunity for 5G offers. The problem is that we are talking about billions of dollars of investment. If the government is in a situation where it cannot tell a telecommunications company whether the equipment it would like to use is allowed in Canada due to national security concerns, it throws everything off.

The member has made a good case for why we need 5G developed in our cities and throughout the country, but he has failed to speak to why the government has dragged its feet when it comes to standing with our Five Eyes allies and being able to give clear direction to Canadian companies to build a safe, secure network that protects the privacy of Canadians.

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate this member's contribution to the argument today. He has a long history, not just in this place but also in serving to protect the public interest.

One area that concerns me is that I believe, right out, that the government should say “no way” to Huawei, and follow with our Five Eyes partners. By simply not making the decision, we have billions of dollars of potential investment to upgrade Canadians' access to 5G technology and the government has not done anything.

Does the member believe that the government needs to be clear on this question, and the sooner the better, to allow these investments to be made?

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the member's contribution today has been valuable. Obviously, our values and our democracy are extremely important to my constituents, so I want to side with her in speaking for her constituents.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs said that he took very seriously some of these troubling reports of intimidation of Canadian citizens by those operatives on behalf of communist China and that the Minister of Public Safety was seized with the issue as well as various agencies of government. However, the special committee with respect to Canada-China relations, on which I am a member, heard that when people made phone calls to their local police, whether it be RCMP or another authority, they were often told that it was not their job. CSIS has said, on background, that there is no one organizing this work.

The government is saying one thing and the government agencies, which are responsible for protecting our citizens, are doing something separate. What does the member believe needs to happen?

[Business of Supply, November 17th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, in December 2019 I spoke in favour of a Canada-China special relations committee, because the Minister of Foreign Affairs had said publicly that there was no framework on China. Unfortunately, due to the prorogation by the government, that particular committee lost a lot of time. During that time, just prior to the prorogation, we heard at the committee from citizens who said that they had been intimidated by Communist Chinese government operatives here in Canada. Yesterday, the Minister of Immigration said he had never cancelled any permit to be in Canada.

Does the member believe that the government is allowing this kind of intimidation and has been silent? How many more times do we need to hear that this is a problem in Canada before the government acts?

I would like the member to speak on this concern.

[Judges Act, November 16th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to engage with my colleague again on both her speech and on her earlier answer to my question.

My question pertains to Crown copyright. The Speaker of our House has the ability to say where Hansard and our committee testimony can be protected by the copyright powers given to him under the Crown copyright. The same goes in every province, where the courthouses can set up how they will let their rulings be accessible to the public. For example, in some courthouses, people must present their requests in person, which COVID-19 makes very difficult. Other provinces allow all the documentation to be available online. Right now we do not have that.

Instead of the member talking about the investments the government has made, does she believe that the federal government can make a useful measure and help this issue to step forward so every citizen in Canada will have the same access to the same level of documentation? Actually, there is a bill on the Order Paper by an NDP member to abolish Crown copyright. Does she believe this would be a good thing for our citizenry?