Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invented an imaginary capability gap.In 2014, Conservatives invested $400 million to upgrade our CF-18s. Lieutenant-General Michael Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, has said that the CF-18s' useful life has been extended to 2025 and they can do the job.Meanwhile, the Liberals have fabricated a false narrative to sole-source the Super Hornet.Canadians deserve the truth. So, who is telling the truth? The Royal Canadian Air Force or the Liberals?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised a red herring there. Actually, it is entirely possible to protect vulnerable people and guarantee Canadians' rights. The Supreme Court recognized a charter right: medical assistance in dying. The Prime Minister's law removes that right. It is as simple as that. For 10 years, the Conservative government trampled on human rights. Canadians expected better from the Liberals.How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that his government is behaving exactly like the Conservatives?
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be. In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has world-class assessment consultation and standards for energy projects.Unfortunately, the Liberals and some anti-energy mayors do not seem to have figured that out yet. The Liberals create more complications and uncertainty by adding an extra layer at the end of the independent science-based review process.Canadians need pipelines. These unnecessary delays do not help. Will the Liberals stop interfering and leave evidence-based decision making to the experts?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military and the dangerous world it operates in. He naively pulled our jets out of the fight against ISIS, then the Liberals cut billions from defence spending. Now the Prime Minister is choosing what kind of fighter plane our pilots will fly.How can Canadians have any faith that he will pick the best plane for our men and women in uniform when he does not even understand the value they bring to a fight?
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees we need to replace the CF-18s. However, sole-sourced procurement is costly, bad for accountability and often ends up taking even longer to deliver the equipment we need. In opposition, the Liberals complained about the Conservatives when they sole-sourced procurement for the F-35s. Instead, they promised Canadians an open, transparent competition to replace the CF-18s.Why are the Liberals now doing an about-face, breaking their promise, and behaving just as badly as the Conservatives on procuring fighter jets?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be negligent if they didn't enforce the act.Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the only gap here is on the government benches. The government seems to be suffering from an imaginary problem. Among their many gaps, the Liberals have a capability gap.On April 14, General Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that the CF-18s' useful life had been extended to 2025.Can the minister confirm that this is a ploy to allow the Liberals to keep an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, while most Canadians are law-abiding citizens, we learned today of another service that KPMG provides to its wealthy clients. This time, it is recommending its tax avoidance scheme not only to avoid taxes, but also to allow its clients to avoid paying divorce settlements and alimony. It is shameful. How can the Liberals continue to protect KPMG? When is the minister going to do whatever it takes to bring to justice not only KPMG's millionaire clients, but also the firm itself and its unscrupulous accountants, for developing this tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man?
Mr. Speaker, more than 200 Quebec farmers are still waiting for foreign workers to arrive in order to harvest their crops. At present, 1,000 workers are required. In my riding alone, Les Frères Riopel family farm has lost almost $5,000 in crops to date, and it is not the only one. Even though the applications were submitted in November, the visas will not be ready before mid-June. The only reason for that is incompetence.Has the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food heard of the verb to act? Will he stop working in isolation and do what has to be done so that the workers can be in the fields by the end of
Mr. Speaker, is it just me or does this whole fighter jet story feel like Groundhog Day?After slamming the Conservatives for buying the F-35s without a call for tenders, the Liberals are gearing up to do the same thing. To replace our aging CF-18s, they are going to buy Super Hornets and, surprise-surprise, without going to tender.Why are the Liberals acting so much like the Conservatives?Why are the Liberals making the same mistakes as the previous government?Is there anyone at the controls?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just revealed that he is playing political games with a bill that is about reducing suffering. That is shameful.The Prime Minister talks of a middle ground, but since when do we compromise on human rights, human rights which have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court when applying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? For a party that loves to wrap itself in that charter, why is the Prime Minister pushing a bill which he knows goes against the charter?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken their promise for a fair and transparent competition to replace our CF-18s and are sole-sourcing the Boeing Super Hornet instead.Maybe we should not be surprised. Boeing officials have met 10 times since February with senior political staff, including Public Works, National Defence, Industry, and the PMO. Half of those meetings included the senior policy adviser of the Minister of National Defence.Why have the Liberals rigged the process to replace our fighter jets and allowed Boeing to jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military personnel and the dangerous world in which they operate. He naively pulled our fighter jets out of the fight against ISIS. Then the Liberals cut billions of dollars from national defence spending. Now the Prime Minister wants to choose what kind of fighter jets we should get. Why should Canadians believe that he will pick the best fighter jets for our military personnel when he does not even understand the value they bring to combat?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages said that taxpayer-funded Air Canada is violating its legal obligation to provide services in French. This is no surprise, because for 45 years, Air Canada has been at the top of Canadian institutions that have no regard for francophones. This is yet another example of Canada's failed official languages policy. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage force Air Canada to obey the law, or will she do the same thing as her colleague from the Department of Transport and let the company thumb its nose at Quebeckers, just like it thumbed its nose at Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians pay their share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals are avoiding paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it must change.CRA is investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes, and the massive investment in our latest budget will help stop the organizations that create and promote such schemes for the rich.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution the member. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker, countless Liberals have defended the million dollars the infrastructure minister spent on sky palace 2.0. The average Canadian household only spends a couple of thousand dollars on furniture. The Liberals are so out of touch with everyday Canadians that the minister spent half a million dollars on furniture alone for one office.When will the Liberals realize that the money they are blowing is taxpayer money and not their own personal entitlement funds?
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are making upstream emissions a condition of pipeline approval. No other major infrastructure is held to the same bar, certainly not big city rail, and foreign oil imports are not either.Provinces already regulate upstream emissions. Canada produces the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world. When will the Liberals stop blocking Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it. However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do know is that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the mark when it came to providing Canadians and our armed forces with the equipment they needed. The Conservatives threw their lot in with a plane that does not work and is a long way from ever working.In the meantime, our armed forces are unable to keep Canada's promises to NATO and NORAD. We inherited this problem and we will solve it.
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures. Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, l wish the member opposite would in fact ask questions in the fisheries portfolio that speak to the important economic interests that this department represents from coast to coast to coast in Canada, instead of fabricating and inventing conflicts of interest where none exists.
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes. Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said the issue of electoral reform is too complicated for Canadians to vote on. However, he has it completely backwards. Canadians are smart. They are smart enough to understand what their vote means and they are smart enough to say yes or no. Therefore, will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his Liberals know best attitude, put his trust in Canadians, and commit to a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
Mr. Speaker, another day, another scandal involving KPMG. It appears it was not enough for KPMG to just advise clients on how to evade paying taxes, now it has been caught devising schemes so clients could dodge their support, divorce, or alimony obligations.Just how many more scandals do we need before the government finally launches a full investigation into the actions of KPMG?
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich from the Conservatives who, when in government, completely botched their procurement process. They were unable to deliver the kinds of planes and equipment that the Canadian Forces needed and instead continued to play politics when what Canadians needed was the right equipment at the right price. They left us a mess that we are going to fix, because that is why Canadians elected us.
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced. More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect governments and ministers to act at the highest ethical standards. That is exactly what every minister of this government has done. Within hours of the Prime Minister asking me to assume these responsibilities, I proactively reached out to the Ethics Commissioner. I asked for her advice as to what measures could be put in place to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. Nor would there be an appearance of a conflict of interest. I will be following her advice at every moment, as I always have.
Mr. Speaker, now the softwood lumber industry is paying the price of the Liberals' inaction.We know that the former Liberal government and the United States ended up in a dispute that resulted in countervailing duties of 37%. Our government was able to bring those duties down to 10% on average, thanks to an agreement we reached in 2006.Can the Prime Minister commit to securing an agreement that will be good for Canada's forestry industry, an agreement he will soon be signing with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that the former Conservative government completely bungled our relationship with the United States. They did not agree on anything.As we all know, our relationship with the United States is the Canadian government's most important international relationship, which is why we immediately started working on restoring a positive relationship with the United States, so that we can work on files that have a real impact on people's lives, such as softwood lumber, jobs, and innovation.That is what we are working on for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, one of the most respected constitutional experts in the country stated that the bill on medical assistance in dying is unconstitutional.He added his voice to those of the Barreau du Québec, the Alberta Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. A lot of people are saying the same thing.Why does the Prime Minister want to force people who are suffering to take their cases to court? Why does he persist when he knows he is wrong?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, trusting Canadians means trusting them with open consultations, not a closed question. It means engaging with Canadians on the kinds of values that underpin our electoral system, talking about complex nuanced issues with Canadians so they can better inform the decisions we take here in the House.On our side of the House, it is all about listening to and respecting Canadians, which cannot be said for when the previous government made changes to our electoral system.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the government to defend the rights and freedoms of Canadians but also to protect the most vulnerable.Medical assistance in dying represents an important step in the evolution of our society, and it is important that it be done right. For that reason we tried to find the right balance and to introduce conditions and a responsible bill that will defend the interests and the choices of Canadians while protecting the most vulnerable. That is what we did.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a problem with foreign agricultural workers. The officials in my department are working very hard. They told me today that these workers will arrive on June 25 or earlier. I believe they will be here in time to do the work.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not take action immediately. They waited until April to introduce their bill.Bill C-14 is unconstitutional. It would be challenged for years in the courts. The Carter family has said it feels betrayed by the government and by the Prime Minister. Here in the House, the Prime Minister refused to accept amendments that would fix the bill and make it charter compliant.I have a simple question. Is the Prime Minister going to accept those exact changes if they now come from the unelected Senate?
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians decide who is playing politics on this particular issue. We are focused on putting forward a significant change in Canadian society that both defends Canadians' rights and freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable. This is a big step in the course of our society, and this is one that we have made, listening to Canadians, listening to opposition parties, in the full understanding that this step will be followed by others in the coming years. This step was an important one to get right. That is exactly what Canadians expected of us and we delivered.
Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal. Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right. Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government did nothing about the softwood lumber issue for years. We had to start by re-establishing good relationships with the U.S. government. Since forming the government, we have worked hard to deal with this matter. We continue to work hard on this because the previous government did not want to talk about softwood lumber. The only thing it wanted to talk to the Americans about was the pipeline. That was rather frustrating for the Americans and for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.What further contributions will Canada make?
Mr. Speaker, the capability gap was created in collaboration with lobbyists. Since February, Boeing had 10 meetings with senior political staff. More than half of those meetings were with the senior policy adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Prime Minister. That many meetings with the same group smells fishy to me.The government claimed to want to be open and transparent, but did it rig the process to replace our CF-18s to help Boeing jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, by appointing the Liberal House leader as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Prime Minister has placed his part-time minister into a precarious position. The minister is in a conflict of interest whenever he is dealing with the Irving family. They have numerous fisheries interests in Atlantic Canada, and Irving Shipyards is a key supplier to the Canadian Coast Guard.Why did the Prime Minister put his part-time Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard into a full-time conflict of interest?
Mr. Speaker, as we do in every situation, we listen to suggestions and amendments from all parliamentarians, including from the Senate. We accepted a number of amendments at committee from opposition parties and we continue to look forward to a fulsome debate in an informed way on this extremely important issue.Canadians expected us to balance the rights of Canadians with the defence of the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to seeing what suggestions the more independent and less partisan Senate has to make on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that the KPMG schemes were denounced by the Canada Revenue Agency.Our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are keeping this promise through our historic $444-million investment.We are committed to developing a fairer tax system for Canadians. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard to protect Canadians and the bodies of water from coast to coast to coast.I recently had the pleasure of taking part in an announcement in Sydney with regard to the Coast Guard college. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard update us on what is being done to ensure that the college in Westmount has the resources and facilities it needs to continue producing qualified personnel?
Mr. Speaker, I invite the Prime Minister to hit the history books and read about what happened with softwood lumber in the past.The Liberals completely abandoned the regions, including my own region, on the softwood lumber file before 2006. We had an agreement that ended in October 2015. The former minister was already working on moving this issue forward. That is the truth. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec asked the federal government to consider the changes to the system that issues timber supply and forest management agreements in Quebec.Will the Prime Minister commit to signing an agreement that will make Quebec happy and that will take into account the new reality in Quebec and the rest of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our CF-18s and we will do our due diligence to do so. There is a capability gap that was created by the previous government and we will ensure that we will fill this gap.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure this morning to meet with a mayor of a major Canadian city, Vancouver. I have also heard from the mayors of other Canadian cities who hold a different view on pipelines and major energy projects.The sensible thing to do is to establish an independent panel of experts from western Canada to talk to mayors and others who have an opinion, after which the government will decide what it believes to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, before November 4, 2015, Infrastructure Canada did not have a dedicated, stand-alone minister's office. We did not have a stand-alone DM's office, and we did not have a space for our staff members. The expenditures the member is referring to were to provide office space for the minister and the deputy minister and a space for all of our staff members, as well as to consolidate them on one floor. The department followed all the Treasury Board procurement guidelines. All contracts over $10,000 have been proactively disclosed.
Mr. Speaker, it seems like the Minister of Democratic Institutions cannot even keep her talking points straight for a single answer. She has told the House that she wants to hear from Canadians, while in the same answer has stated that politicians should make the decision. Which is it? Politicians making the decision, or will the minister actually drop the talking points and leave this decision directly in the hands of Canadians through a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's latest excuse to deny Canadians the final say in a new voting system from just earlier in this question period is, we need open consultations, not a closed question. This, of course, completely contradicts the minister who yesterday said that consultations were only step one of a three-stage process. Therefore, at some point, when stages one and two are done, a closed question will be appropriate, something like this, Should election 2019 take place under the voting system proposed by the government, yes or no? Is that not a reasonable question?
Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that our two official languages are very important to this government. Enforcing the Official Languages Act is, of course, a priority for this government.Under the circumstances, it goes without saying that Air Canada must obey the law. The status quo is unacceptable. That is why I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, on this issue, to ensure that the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages will be examined. This work will, I hope, be done in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic. Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House. Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be is to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome is one that makes sense for all of us.Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.
Mr. Speaker, as I also stated in the past, even though we are launching a defence review, replacing our fighters and the national shipbuilding strategy are going to be going on a separate path, and that is what we have been doing. We are working very hard on that. We are doing all the thorough analysis. When all that work is done, we will be making the announcement for that.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the clarity bill felt that it would be necessary to hold a referendum before any changes could be made to the voting system. He said, Precedent makes holding a referendum necessary in Canada: changing the voting system would require popular support.Three quarters of the population share that opinion.Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions tell us what she told the minister behind closed doors to make him go back on his own words?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe the environment and the economy go together.I was very proud to stand with the Minister of Natural Resources when we announced interim principles that would rebuild the trust necessary so we could get resources to market in a sustainable way, in the 21st century. That also includes taking into account greenhouse gas emissions, because we need to do our part to tackle climate change. That is the right thing to do. That is the thing to do for our children. Also, it makes economic sense.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, whereas the Conservative government refused to do anything about this important issue despite the Supreme Court's ruling, we got to work immediately. We consulted Canadians and listened to their concerns. We sought to strike a balance between defending rights and freedoms and protecting the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we did with this bill. We recognize that this is an important stage in our society's development and that we have to travel this road responsibly. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are proud to have done it for Canada today.
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the part-time Minister of Fisheries has an admitted conflict of interest whenever it comes to the Irving family in New Brunswick. The Irvings have interests in fisheries habitat work, are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on Atlantic salmon. Irving Shipyards is also an important Coast Guard supplier. When will the Prime Minister replace this part-time Minister of Fisheries with someone who can actually work on all of the files?
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my outstanding colleague from SydneyVictoria for his strong support of the Canadian Coast Guard.The Canadian Coast Guard in Sydney has been a world leader in the field of maritime studies for over 50 years. The member, on our behalf, announced $32 million on the weekend for a cleaner, greener college. These investments will reduce the facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%.The college is a top-notch facility, an example to other countries, and we are very proud of the work being done there.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Prime Minister has repeatedly contradicted his minister's hints that a referendum might be okay. Yesterday his objection was, This process is more complex than the yes or no of a referendum. I promised myself that I would not raise quantum computing or one-armed planks in question period, but facts are facts, and in this universe the decision whether or not to endorse a new voting system that his government will propose really is a binary decision, yes or no. Based on this new information, will the Prime Minister now agree to hold a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could explain to the House what would be the appropriate rules in terms of recognizing people in the gallery. For example, let us say that Gerald Regan, the former premier of Nova Scotia, were in the gallery today. Would it be appropriate for the Chair to recognize a former premier in the gallery?
Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invented an imaginary capability gap.In 2014, Conservatives invested $400 million to upgrade our CF-18s. Lieutenant-General Michael Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, has said that the CF-18s' useful life has been extended to 2025 and they can do the job.Meanwhile, the Liberals have fabricated a false narrative to sole-source the Super Hornet.Canadians deserve the truth. So, who is telling the truth? The Royal Canadian Air Force or the Liberals?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised a red herring there. Actually, it is entirely possible to protect vulnerable people and guarantee Canadians' rights. The Supreme Court recognized a charter right: medical assistance in dying. The Prime Minister's law removes that right. It is as simple as that. For 10 years, the Conservative government trampled on human rights. Canadians expected better from the Liberals.How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that his government is behaving exactly like the Conservatives?
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be. In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has world-class assessment consultation and standards for energy projects.Unfortunately, the Liberals and some anti-energy mayors do not seem to have figured that out yet. The Liberals create more complications and uncertainty by adding an extra layer at the end of the independent science-based review process.Canadians need pipelines. These unnecessary delays do not help. Will the Liberals stop interfering and leave evidence-based decision making to the experts?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military and the dangerous world it operates in. He naively pulled our jets out of the fight against ISIS, then the Liberals cut billions from defence spending. Now the Prime Minister is choosing what kind of fighter plane our pilots will fly.How can Canadians have any faith that he will pick the best plane for our men and women in uniform when he does not even understand the value they bring to a fight?
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees we need to replace the CF-18s. However, sole-sourced procurement is costly, bad for accountability and often ends up taking even longer to deliver the equipment we need. In opposition, the Liberals complained about the Conservatives when they sole-sourced procurement for the F-35s. Instead, they promised Canadians an open, transparent competition to replace the CF-18s.Why are the Liberals now doing an about-face, breaking their promise, and behaving just as badly as the Conservatives on procuring fighter jets?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be negligent if they didn't enforce the act.Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the only gap here is on the government benches. The government seems to be suffering from an imaginary problem. Among their many gaps, the Liberals have a capability gap.On April 14, General Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that the CF-18s' useful life had been extended to 2025.Can the minister confirm that this is a ploy to allow the Liberals to keep an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, while most Canadians are law-abiding citizens, we learned today of another service that KPMG provides to its wealthy clients. This time, it is recommending its tax avoidance scheme not only to avoid taxes, but also to allow its clients to avoid paying divorce settlements and alimony. It is shameful. How can the Liberals continue to protect KPMG? When is the minister going to do whatever it takes to bring to justice not only KPMG's millionaire clients, but also the firm itself and its unscrupulous accountants, for developing this tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man?
Mr. Speaker, more than 200 Quebec farmers are still waiting for foreign workers to arrive in order to harvest their crops. At present, 1,000 workers are required. In my riding alone, Les Frères Riopel family farm has lost almost $5,000 in crops to date, and it is not the only one. Even though the applications were submitted in November, the visas will not be ready before mid-June. The only reason for that is incompetence.Has the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food heard of the verb to act? Will he stop working in isolation and do what has to be done so that the workers can be in the fields by the end of
Mr. Speaker, is it just me or does this whole fighter jet story feel like Groundhog Day?After slamming the Conservatives for buying the F-35s without a call for tenders, the Liberals are gearing up to do the same thing. To replace our aging CF-18s, they are going to buy Super Hornets and, surprise-surprise, without going to tender.Why are the Liberals acting so much like the Conservatives?Why are the Liberals making the same mistakes as the previous government?Is there anyone at the controls?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just revealed that he is playing political games with a bill that is about reducing suffering. That is shameful.The Prime Minister talks of a middle ground, but since when do we compromise on human rights, human rights which have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court when applying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? For a party that loves to wrap itself in that charter, why is the Prime Minister pushing a bill which he knows goes against the charter?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken their promise for a fair and transparent competition to replace our CF-18s and are sole-sourcing the Boeing Super Hornet instead.Maybe we should not be surprised. Boeing officials have met 10 times since February with senior political staff, including Public Works, National Defence, Industry, and the PMO. Half of those meetings included the senior policy adviser of the Minister of National Defence.Why have the Liberals rigged the process to replace our fighter jets and allowed Boeing to jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military personnel and the dangerous world in which they operate. He naively pulled our fighter jets out of the fight against ISIS. Then the Liberals cut billions of dollars from national defence spending. Now the Prime Minister wants to choose what kind of fighter jets we should get. Why should Canadians believe that he will pick the best fighter jets for our military personnel when he does not even understand the value they bring to combat?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages said that taxpayer-funded Air Canada is violating its legal obligation to provide services in French. This is no surprise, because for 45 years, Air Canada has been at the top of Canadian institutions that have no regard for francophones. This is yet another example of Canada's failed official languages policy. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage force Air Canada to obey the law, or will she do the same thing as her colleague from the Department of Transport and let the company thumb its nose at Quebeckers, just like it thumbed its nose at Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians pay their share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals are avoiding paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it must change.CRA is investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes, and the massive investment in our latest budget will help stop the organizations that create and promote such schemes for the rich.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution the member. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker, countless Liberals have defended the million dollars the infrastructure minister spent on sky palace 2.0. The average Canadian household only spends a couple of thousand dollars on furniture. The Liberals are so out of touch with everyday Canadians that the minister spent half a million dollars on furniture alone for one office.When will the Liberals realize that the money they are blowing is taxpayer money and not their own personal entitlement funds?
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are making upstream emissions a condition of pipeline approval. No other major infrastructure is held to the same bar, certainly not big city rail, and foreign oil imports are not either.Provinces already regulate upstream emissions. Canada produces the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world. When will the Liberals stop blocking Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it. However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do know is that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the mark when it came to providing Canadians and our armed forces with the equipment they needed. The Conservatives threw their lot in with a plane that does not work and is a long way from ever working.In the meantime, our armed forces are unable to keep Canada's promises to NATO and NORAD. We inherited this problem and we will solve it.
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures. Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, l wish the member opposite would in fact ask questions in the fisheries portfolio that speak to the important economic interests that this department represents from coast to coast to coast in Canada, instead of fabricating and inventing conflicts of interest where none exists.
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes. Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said the issue of electoral reform is too complicated for Canadians to vote on. However, he has it completely backwards. Canadians are smart. They are smart enough to understand what their vote means and they are smart enough to say yes or no. Therefore, will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his Liberals know best attitude, put his trust in Canadians, and commit to a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
Mr. Speaker, another day, another scandal involving KPMG. It appears it was not enough for KPMG to just advise clients on how to evade paying taxes, now it has been caught devising schemes so clients could dodge their support, divorce, or alimony obligations.Just how many more scandals do we need before the government finally launches a full investigation into the actions of KPMG?
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich from the Conservatives who, when in government, completely botched their procurement process. They were unable to deliver the kinds of planes and equipment that the Canadian Forces needed and instead continued to play politics when what Canadians needed was the right equipment at the right price. They left us a mess that we are going to fix, because that is why Canadians elected us.
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced. More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect governments and ministers to act at the highest ethical standards. That is exactly what every minister of this government has done. Within hours of the Prime Minister asking me to assume these responsibilities, I proactively reached out to the Ethics Commissioner. I asked for her advice as to what measures could be put in place to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. Nor would there be an appearance of a conflict of interest. I will be following her advice at every moment, as I always have.
Mr. Speaker, now the softwood lumber industry is paying the price of the Liberals' inaction.We know that the former Liberal government and the United States ended up in a dispute that resulted in countervailing duties of 37%. Our government was able to bring those duties down to 10% on average, thanks to an agreement we reached in 2006.Can the Prime Minister commit to securing an agreement that will be good for Canada's forestry industry, an agreement he will soon be signing with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that the former Conservative government completely bungled our relationship with the United States. They did not agree on anything.As we all know, our relationship with the United States is the Canadian government's most important international relationship, which is why we immediately started working on restoring a positive relationship with the United States, so that we can work on files that have a real impact on people's lives, such as softwood lumber, jobs, and innovation.That is what we are working on for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, one of the most respected constitutional experts in the country stated that the bill on medical assistance in dying is unconstitutional.He added his voice to those of the Barreau du Québec, the Alberta Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. A lot of people are saying the same thing.Why does the Prime Minister want to force people who are suffering to take their cases to court? Why does he persist when he knows he is wrong?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, trusting Canadians means trusting them with open consultations, not a closed question. It means engaging with Canadians on the kinds of values that underpin our electoral system, talking about complex nuanced issues with Canadians so they can better inform the decisions we take here in the House.On our side of the House, it is all about listening to and respecting Canadians, which cannot be said for when the previous government made changes to our electoral system.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the government to defend the rights and freedoms of Canadians but also to protect the most vulnerable.Medical assistance in dying represents an important step in the evolution of our society, and it is important that it be done right. For that reason we tried to find the right balance and to introduce conditions and a responsible bill that will defend the interests and the choices of Canadians while protecting the most vulnerable. That is what we did.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a problem with foreign agricultural workers. The officials in my department are working very hard. They told me today that these workers will arrive on June 25 or earlier. I believe they will be here in time to do the work.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not take action immediately. They waited until April to introduce their bill.Bill C-14 is unconstitutional. It would be challenged for years in the courts. The Carter family has said it feels betrayed by the government and by the Prime Minister. Here in the House, the Prime Minister refused to accept amendments that would fix the bill and make it charter compliant.I have a simple question. Is the Prime Minister going to accept those exact changes if they now come from the unelected Senate?
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians decide who is playing politics on this particular issue. We are focused on putting forward a significant change in Canadian society that both defends Canadians' rights and freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable. This is a big step in the course of our society, and this is one that we have made, listening to Canadians, listening to opposition parties, in the full understanding that this step will be followed by others in the coming years. This step was an important one to get right. That is exactly what Canadians expected of us and we delivered.
Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal. Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right. Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government did nothing about the softwood lumber issue for years. We had to start by re-establishing good relationships with the U.S. government. Since forming the government, we have worked hard to deal with this matter. We continue to work hard on this because the previous government did not want to talk about softwood lumber. The only thing it wanted to talk to the Americans about was the pipeline. That was rather frustrating for the Americans and for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.What further contributions will Canada make?
Mr. Speaker, the capability gap was created in collaboration with lobbyists. Since February, Boeing had 10 meetings with senior political staff. More than half of those meetings were with the senior policy adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Prime Minister. That many meetings with the same group smells fishy to me.The government claimed to want to be open and transparent, but did it rig the process to replace our CF-18s to help Boeing jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, by appointing the Liberal House leader as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Prime Minister has placed his part-time minister into a precarious position. The minister is in a conflict of interest whenever he is dealing with the Irving family. They have numerous fisheries interests in Atlantic Canada, and Irving Shipyards is a key supplier to the Canadian Coast Guard.Why did the Prime Minister put his part-time Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard into a full-time conflict of interest?
Mr. Speaker, as we do in every situation, we listen to suggestions and amendments from all parliamentarians, including from the Senate. We accepted a number of amendments at committee from opposition parties and we continue to look forward to a fulsome debate in an informed way on this extremely important issue.Canadians expected us to balance the rights of Canadians with the defence of the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to seeing what suggestions the more independent and less partisan Senate has to make on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that the KPMG schemes were denounced by the Canada Revenue Agency.Our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are keeping this promise through our historic $444-million investment.We are committed to developing a fairer tax system for Canadians. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard to protect Canadians and the bodies of water from coast to coast to coast.I recently had the pleasure of taking part in an announcement in Sydney with regard to the Coast Guard college. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard update us on what is being done to ensure that the college in Westmount has the resources and facilities it needs to continue producing qualified personnel?
Mr. Speaker, I invite the Prime Minister to hit the history books and read about what happened with softwood lumber in the past.The Liberals completely abandoned the regions, including my own region, on the softwood lumber file before 2006. We had an agreement that ended in October 2015. The former minister was already working on moving this issue forward. That is the truth. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec asked the federal government to consider the changes to the system that issues timber supply and forest management agreements in Quebec.Will the Prime Minister commit to signing an agreement that will make Quebec happy and that will take into account the new reality in Quebec and the rest of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our CF-18s and we will do our due diligence to do so. There is a capability gap that was created by the previous government and we will ensure that we will fill this gap.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure this morning to meet with a mayor of a major Canadian city, Vancouver. I have also heard from the mayors of other Canadian cities who hold a different view on pipelines and major energy projects.The sensible thing to do is to establish an independent panel of experts from western Canada to talk to mayors and others who have an opinion, after which the government will decide what it believes to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, before November 4, 2015, Infrastructure Canada did not have a dedicated, stand-alone minister's office. We did not have a stand-alone DM's office, and we did not have a space for our staff members. The expenditures the member is referring to were to provide office space for the minister and the deputy minister and a space for all of our staff members, as well as to consolidate them on one floor. The department followed all the Treasury Board procurement guidelines. All contracts over $10,000 have been proactively disclosed.
Mr. Speaker, it seems like the Minister of Democratic Institutions cannot even keep her talking points straight for a single answer. She has told the House that she wants to hear from Canadians, while in the same answer has stated that politicians should make the decision. Which is it? Politicians making the decision, or will the minister actually drop the talking points and leave this decision directly in the hands of Canadians through a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's latest excuse to deny Canadians the final say in a new voting system from just earlier in this question period is, we need open consultations, not a closed question. This, of course, completely contradicts the minister who yesterday said that consultations were only step one of a three-stage process. Therefore, at some point, when stages one and two are done, a closed question will be appropriate, something like this, Should election 2019 take place under the voting system proposed by the government, yes or no? Is that not a reasonable question?
Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that our two official languages are very important to this government. Enforcing the Official Languages Act is, of course, a priority for this government.Under the circumstances, it goes without saying that Air Canada must obey the law. The status quo is unacceptable. That is why I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, on this issue, to ensure that the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages will be examined. This work will, I hope, be done in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic. Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House. Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be is to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome is one that makes sense for all of us.Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.
Mr. Speaker, as I also stated in the past, even though we are launching a defence review, replacing our fighters and the national shipbuilding strategy are going to be going on a separate path, and that is what we have been doing. We are working very hard on that. We are doing all the thorough analysis. When all that work is done, we will be making the announcement for that.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the clarity bill felt that it would be necessary to hold a referendum before any changes could be made to the voting system. He said, Precedent makes holding a referendum necessary in Canada: changing the voting system would require popular support.Three quarters of the population share that opinion.Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions tell us what she told the minister behind closed doors to make him go back on his own words?
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe the environment and the economy go together.I was very proud to stand with the Minister of Natural Resources when we announced interim principles that would rebuild the trust necessary so we could get resources to market in a sustainable way, in the 21st century. That also includes taking into account greenhouse gas emissions, because we need to do our part to tackle climate change. That is the right thing to do. That is the thing to do for our children. Also, it makes economic sense.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, whereas the Conservative government refused to do anything about this important issue despite the Supreme Court's ruling, we got to work immediately. We consulted Canadians and listened to their concerns. We sought to strike a balance between defending rights and freedoms and protecting the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we did with this bill. We recognize that this is an important stage in our society's development and that we have to travel this road responsibly. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are proud to have done it for Canada today.
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the part-time Minister of Fisheries has an admitted conflict of interest whenever it comes to the Irving family in New Brunswick. The Irvings have interests in fisheries habitat work, are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on Atlantic salmon. Irving Shipyards is also an important Coast Guard supplier. When will the Prime Minister replace this part-time Minister of Fisheries with someone who can actually work on all of the files?
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my outstanding colleague from SydneyVictoria for his strong support of the Canadian Coast Guard.The Canadian Coast Guard in Sydney has been a world leader in the field of maritime studies for over 50 years. The member, on our behalf, announced $32 million on the weekend for a cleaner, greener college. These investments will reduce the facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%.The college is a top-notch facility, an example to other countries, and we are very proud of the work being done there.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Prime Minister has repeatedly contradicted his minister's hints that a referendum might be okay. Yesterday his objection was, This process is more complex than the yes or no of a referendum. I promised myself that I would not raise quantum computing or one-armed planks in question period, but facts are facts, and in this universe the decision whether or not to endorse a new voting system that his government will propose really is a binary decision, yes or no. Based on this new information, will the Prime Minister now agree to hold a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could explain to the House what would be the appropriate rules in terms of recognizing people in the gallery. For example, let us say that Gerald Regan, the former premier of Nova Scotia, were in the gallery today. Would it be appropriate for the Chair to recognize a former premier in the gallery?
Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.
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Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees we need to replace the CF-18s. However, sole-sourced procurement is costly, bad for accountability and often ends up taking even longer to deliver the equipment we need. In opposition, the Liberals complained about the Conservatives when they sole-sourced procurement for the F-35s. Instead, they promised Canadians an open, transparent competition to replace the CF-18s.Why are the Liberals now doing an about-face, breaking their promise, and behaving just as badly as the Conservatives on procuring fighter jets?
Mr. Speaker, as I also stated in the past, even though we are launching a defence review, replacing our fighters and the national shipbuilding strategy are going to be going on a separate path, and that is what we have been doing. We are working very hard on that. We are doing all the thorough analysis. When all that work is done, we will be making the announcement for that.
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do know is that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the mark when it came to providing Canadians and our armed forces with the equipment they needed. The Conservatives threw their lot in with a plane that does not work and is a long way from ever working.In the meantime, our armed forces are unable to keep Canada's promises to NATO and NORAD. We inherited this problem and we will solve it.
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard to protect Canadians and the bodies of water from coast to coast to coast.I recently had the pleasure of taking part in an announcement in Sydney with regard to the Coast Guard college. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard update us on what is being done to ensure that the college in Westmount has the resources and facilities it needs to continue producing qualified personnel?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our CF-18s and we will do our due diligence to do so. There is a capability gap that was created by the previous government and we will ensure that we will fill this gap.
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government did nothing about the softwood lumber issue for years. We had to start by re-establishing good relationships with the U.S. government. Since forming the government, we have worked hard to deal with this matter. We continue to work hard on this because the previous government did not want to talk about softwood lumber. The only thing it wanted to talk to the Americans about was the pipeline. That was rather frustrating for the Americans and for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a problem with foreign agricultural workers. The officials in my department are working very hard. They told me today that these workers will arrive on June 25 or earlier. I believe they will be here in time to do the work.
Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House. Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be is to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome is one that makes sense for all of us.Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures. Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic. Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Mr. Speaker, countless Liberals have defended the million dollars the infrastructure minister spent on sky palace 2.0. The average Canadian household only spends a couple of thousand dollars on furniture. The Liberals are so out of touch with everyday Canadians that the minister spent half a million dollars on furniture alone for one office.When will the Liberals realize that the money they are blowing is taxpayer money and not their own personal entitlement funds?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just revealed that he is playing political games with a bill that is about reducing suffering. That is shameful.The Prime Minister talks of a middle ground, but since when do we compromise on human rights, human rights which have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court when applying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? For a party that loves to wrap itself in that charter, why is the Prime Minister pushing a bill which he knows goes against the charter?
Mr. Speaker, by appointing the Liberal House leader as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Prime Minister has placed his part-time minister into a precarious position. The minister is in a conflict of interest whenever he is dealing with the Irving family. They have numerous fisheries interests in Atlantic Canada, and Irving Shipyards is a key supplier to the Canadian Coast Guard.Why did the Prime Minister put his part-time Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard into a full-time conflict of interest?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that the KPMG schemes were denounced by the Canada Revenue Agency.Our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are keeping this promise through our historic $444-million investment.We are committed to developing a fairer tax system for Canadians. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure this morning to meet with a mayor of a major Canadian city, Vancouver. I have also heard from the mayors of other Canadian cities who hold a different view on pipelines and major energy projects.The sensible thing to do is to establish an independent panel of experts from western Canada to talk to mayors and others who have an opinion, after which the government will decide what it believes to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Mr. Speaker, before November 4, 2015, Infrastructure Canada did not have a dedicated, stand-alone minister's office. We did not have a stand-alone DM's office, and we did not have a space for our staff members. The expenditures the member is referring to were to provide office space for the minister and the deputy minister and a space for all of our staff members, as well as to consolidate them on one floor. The department followed all the Treasury Board procurement guidelines. All contracts over $10,000 have been proactively disclosed.
Mr. Speaker, Canada has world-class assessment consultation and standards for energy projects.Unfortunately, the Liberals and some anti-energy mayors do not seem to have figured that out yet. The Liberals create more complications and uncertainty by adding an extra layer at the end of the independent science-based review process.Canadians need pipelines. These unnecessary delays do not help. Will the Liberals stop interfering and leave evidence-based decision making to the experts?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages said that taxpayer-funded Air Canada is violating its legal obligation to provide services in French. This is no surprise, because for 45 years, Air Canada has been at the top of Canadian institutions that have no regard for francophones. This is yet another example of Canada's failed official languages policy. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage force Air Canada to obey the law, or will she do the same thing as her colleague from the Department of Transport and let the company thumb its nose at Quebeckers, just like it thumbed its nose at Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich from the Conservatives who, when in government, completely botched their procurement process. They were unable to deliver the kinds of planes and equipment that the Canadian Forces needed and instead continued to play politics when what Canadians needed was the right equipment at the right price. They left us a mess that we are going to fix, because that is why Canadians elected us.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invented an imaginary capability gap.In 2014, Conservatives invested $400 million to upgrade our CF-18s. Lieutenant-General Michael Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, has said that the CF-18s' useful life has been extended to 2025 and they can do the job.Meanwhile, the Liberals have fabricated a false narrative to sole-source the Super Hornet.Canadians deserve the truth. So, who is telling the truth? The Royal Canadian Air Force or the Liberals?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised a red herring there. Actually, it is entirely possible to protect vulnerable people and guarantee Canadians' rights. The Supreme Court recognized a charter right: medical assistance in dying. The Prime Minister's law removes that right. It is as simple as that. For 10 years, the Conservative government trampled on human rights. Canadians expected better from the Liberals.How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that his government is behaving exactly like the Conservatives?
Mr. Speaker, it seems like the Minister of Democratic Institutions cannot even keep her talking points straight for a single answer. She has told the House that she wants to hear from Canadians, while in the same answer has stated that politicians should make the decision. Which is it? Politicians making the decision, or will the minister actually drop the talking points and leave this decision directly in the hands of Canadians through a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the clarity bill felt that it would be necessary to hold a referendum before any changes could be made to the voting system. He said, Precedent makes holding a referendum necessary in Canada: changing the voting system would require popular support.Three quarters of the population share that opinion.Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions tell us what she told the minister behind closed doors to make him go back on his own words?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, trusting Canadians means trusting them with open consultations, not a closed question. It means engaging with Canadians on the kinds of values that underpin our electoral system, talking about complex nuanced issues with Canadians so they can better inform the decisions we take here in the House.On our side of the House, it is all about listening to and respecting Canadians, which cannot be said for when the previous government made changes to our electoral system.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken their promise for a fair and transparent competition to replace our CF-18s and are sole-sourcing the Boeing Super Hornet instead.Maybe we should not be surprised. Boeing officials have met 10 times since February with senior political staff, including Public Works, National Defence, Industry, and the PMO. Half of those meetings included the senior policy adviser of the Minister of National Defence.Why have the Liberals rigged the process to replace our fighter jets and allowed Boeing to jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, is it just me or does this whole fighter jet story feel like Groundhog Day?After slamming the Conservatives for buying the F-35s without a call for tenders, the Liberals are gearing up to do the same thing. To replace our aging CF-18s, they are going to buy Super Hornets and, surprise-surprise, without going to tender.Why are the Liberals acting so much like the Conservatives?Why are the Liberals making the same mistakes as the previous government?Is there anyone at the controls?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's latest excuse to deny Canadians the final say in a new voting system from just earlier in this question period is, we need open consultations, not a closed question. This, of course, completely contradicts the minister who yesterday said that consultations were only step one of a three-stage process. Therefore, at some point, when stages one and two are done, a closed question will be appropriate, something like this, Should election 2019 take place under the voting system proposed by the government, yes or no? Is that not a reasonable question?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are making upstream emissions a condition of pipeline approval. No other major infrastructure is held to the same bar, certainly not big city rail, and foreign oil imports are not either.Provinces already regulate upstream emissions. Canada produces the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world. When will the Liberals stop blocking Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, more than 200 Quebec farmers are still waiting for foreign workers to arrive in order to harvest their crops. At present, 1,000 workers are required. In my riding alone, Les Frères Riopel family farm has lost almost $5,000 in crops to date, and it is not the only one. Even though the applications were submitted in November, the visas will not be ready before mid-June. The only reason for that is incompetence.Has the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food heard of the verb to act? Will he stop working in isolation and do what has to be done so that the workers can be in the fields by the end of
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military personnel and the dangerous world in which they operate. He naively pulled our fighter jets out of the fight against ISIS. Then the Liberals cut billions of dollars from national defence spending. Now the Prime Minister wants to choose what kind of fighter jets we should get. Why should Canadians believe that he will pick the best fighter jets for our military personnel when he does not even understand the value they bring to combat?
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.What further contributions will Canada make?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be negligent if they didn't enforce the act.Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it. However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not take action immediately. They waited until April to introduce their bill.Bill C-14 is unconstitutional. It would be challenged for years in the courts. The Carter family has said it feels betrayed by the government and by the Prime Minister. Here in the House, the Prime Minister refused to accept amendments that would fix the bill and make it charter compliant.I have a simple question. Is the Prime Minister going to accept those exact changes if they now come from the unelected Senate?
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes. Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military and the dangerous world it operates in. He naively pulled our jets out of the fight against ISIS, then the Liberals cut billions from defence spending. Now the Prime Minister is choosing what kind of fighter plane our pilots will fly.How can Canadians have any faith that he will pick the best plane for our men and women in uniform when he does not even understand the value they bring to a fight?
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said the issue of electoral reform is too complicated for Canadians to vote on. However, he has it completely backwards. Canadians are smart. They are smart enough to understand what their vote means and they are smart enough to say yes or no. Therefore, will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his Liberals know best attitude, put his trust in Canadians, and commit to a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the capability gap was created in collaboration with lobbyists. Since February, Boeing had 10 meetings with senior political staff. More than half of those meetings were with the senior policy adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Prime Minister. That many meetings with the same group smells fishy to me.The government claimed to want to be open and transparent, but did it rig the process to replace our CF-18s to help Boeing jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, one of the most respected constitutional experts in the country stated that the bill on medical assistance in dying is unconstitutional.He added his voice to those of the Barreau du Québec, the Alberta Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. A lot of people are saying the same thing.Why does the Prime Minister want to force people who are suffering to take their cases to court? Why does he persist when he knows he is wrong?
Mr. Speaker, as we do in every situation, we listen to suggestions and amendments from all parliamentarians, including from the Senate. We accepted a number of amendments at committee from opposition parties and we continue to look forward to a fulsome debate in an informed way on this extremely important issue.Canadians expected us to balance the rights of Canadians with the defence of the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to seeing what suggestions the more independent and less partisan Senate has to make on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect governments and ministers to act at the highest ethical standards. That is exactly what every minister of this government has done. Within hours of the Prime Minister asking me to assume these responsibilities, I proactively reached out to the Ethics Commissioner. I asked for her advice as to what measures could be put in place to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. Nor would there be an appearance of a conflict of interest. I will be following her advice at every moment, as I always have.
Mr. Speaker, while most Canadians are law-abiding citizens, we learned today of another service that KPMG provides to its wealthy clients. This time, it is recommending its tax avoidance scheme not only to avoid taxes, but also to allow its clients to avoid paying divorce settlements and alimony. It is shameful. How can the Liberals continue to protect KPMG? When is the minister going to do whatever it takes to bring to justice not only KPMG's millionaire clients, but also the firm itself and its unscrupulous accountants, for developing this tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man?
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians decide who is playing politics on this particular issue. We are focused on putting forward a significant change in Canadian society that both defends Canadians' rights and freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable. This is a big step in the course of our society, and this is one that we have made, listening to Canadians, listening to opposition parties, in the full understanding that this step will be followed by others in the coming years. This step was an important one to get right. That is exactly what Canadians expected of us and we delivered.
Mr. Speaker, the part-time Minister of Fisheries has an admitted conflict of interest whenever it comes to the Irving family in New Brunswick. The Irvings have interests in fisheries habitat work, are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on Atlantic salmon. Irving Shipyards is also an important Coast Guard supplier. When will the Prime Minister replace this part-time Minister of Fisheries with someone who can actually work on all of the files?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that the former Conservative government completely bungled our relationship with the United States. They did not agree on anything.As we all know, our relationship with the United States is the Canadian government's most important international relationship, which is why we immediately started working on restoring a positive relationship with the United States, so that we can work on files that have a real impact on people's lives, such as softwood lumber, jobs, and innovation.That is what we are working on for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, now the softwood lumber industry is paying the price of the Liberals' inaction.We know that the former Liberal government and the United States ended up in a dispute that resulted in countervailing duties of 37%. Our government was able to bring those duties down to 10% on average, thanks to an agreement we reached in 2006.Can the Prime Minister commit to securing an agreement that will be good for Canada's forestry industry, an agreement he will soon be signing with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Prime Minister has repeatedly contradicted his minister's hints that a referendum might be okay. Yesterday his objection was, This process is more complex than the yes or no of a referendum. I promised myself that I would not raise quantum computing or one-armed planks in question period, but facts are facts, and in this universe the decision whether or not to endorse a new voting system that his government will propose really is a binary decision, yes or no. Based on this new information, will the Prime Minister now agree to hold a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, l wish the member opposite would in fact ask questions in the fisheries portfolio that speak to the important economic interests that this department represents from coast to coast to coast in Canada, instead of fabricating and inventing conflicts of interest where none exists.
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe the environment and the economy go together.I was very proud to stand with the Minister of Natural Resources when we announced interim principles that would rebuild the trust necessary so we could get resources to market in a sustainable way, in the 21st century. That also includes taking into account greenhouse gas emissions, because we need to do our part to tackle climate change. That is the right thing to do. That is the thing to do for our children. Also, it makes economic sense.
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional
Mr. Speaker, the only gap here is on the government benches. The government seems to be suffering from an imaginary problem. Among their many gaps, the Liberals have a capability gap.On April 14, General Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that the CF-18s' useful life had been extended to 2025.Can the minister confirm that this is a ploy to allow the Liberals to keep an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced. More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could explain to the House what would be the appropriate rules in terms of recognizing people in the gallery. For example, let us say that Gerald Regan, the former premier of Nova Scotia, were in the gallery today. Would it be appropriate for the Chair to recognize a former premier in the gallery?
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the government to defend the rights and freedoms of Canadians but also to protect the most vulnerable.Medical assistance in dying represents an important step in the evolution of our society, and it is important that it be done right. For that reason we tried to find the right balance and to introduce conditions and a responsible bill that will defend the interests and the choices of Canadians while protecting the most vulnerable. That is what we did.
Mr. Speaker, another day, another scandal involving KPMG. It appears it was not enough for KPMG to just advise clients on how to evade paying taxes, now it has been caught devising schemes so clients could dodge their support, divorce, or alimony obligations.Just how many more scandals do we need before the government finally launches a full investigation into the actions of KPMG?
Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal. Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right. Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, whereas the Conservative government refused to do anything about this important issue despite the Supreme Court's ruling, we got to work immediately. We consulted Canadians and listened to their concerns. We sought to strike a balance between defending rights and freedoms and protecting the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we did with this bill. We recognize that this is an important stage in our society's development and that we have to travel this road responsibly. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are proud to have done it for Canada today.
Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.
Mr. Speaker, I invite the Prime Minister to hit the history books and read about what happened with softwood lumber in the past.The Liberals completely abandoned the regions, including my own region, on the softwood lumber file before 2006. We had an agreement that ended in October 2015. The former minister was already working on moving this issue forward. That is the truth. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec asked the federal government to consider the changes to the system that issues timber supply and forest management agreements in Quebec.Will the Prime Minister commit to signing an agreement that will make Quebec happy and that will take into account the new reality in Quebec and the rest of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians pay their share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals are avoiding paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it must change.CRA is investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes, and the massive investment in our latest budget will help stop the organizations that create and promote such schemes for the rich.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution the member. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be. In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that our two official languages are very important to this government. Enforcing the Official Languages Act is, of course, a priority for this government.Under the circumstances, it goes without saying that Air Canada must obey the law. The status quo is unacceptable. That is why I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, on this issue, to ensure that the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages will be examined. This work will, I hope, be done in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my outstanding colleague from SydneyVictoria for his strong support of the Canadian Coast Guard.The Canadian Coast Guard in Sydney has been a world leader in the field of maritime studies for over 50 years. The member, on our behalf, announced $32 million on the weekend for a cleaner, greener college. These investments will reduce the facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%.The college is a top-notch facility, an example to other countries, and we are very proud of the work being done there.
Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees we need to replace the CF-18s. However, sole-sourced procurement is costly, bad for accountability and often ends up taking even longer to deliver the equipment we need. In opposition, the Liberals complained about the Conservatives when they sole-sourced procurement for the F-35s. Instead, they promised Canadians an open, transparent competition to replace the CF-18s.Why are the Liberals now doing an about-face, breaking their promise, and behaving just as badly as the Conservatives on procuring fighter jets?
Mr. Speaker, as I also stated in the past, even though we are launching a defence review, replacing our fighters and the national shipbuilding strategy are going to be going on a separate path, and that is what we have been doing. We are working very hard on that. We are doing all the thorough analysis. When all that work is done, we will be making the announcement for that.
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do know is that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the mark when it came to providing Canadians and our armed forces with the equipment they needed. The Conservatives threw their lot in with a plane that does not work and is a long way from ever working.In the meantime, our armed forces are unable to keep Canada's promises to NATO and NORAD. We inherited this problem and we will solve it.
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard to protect Canadians and the bodies of water from coast to coast to coast.I recently had the pleasure of taking part in an announcement in Sydney with regard to the Coast Guard college. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard update us on what is being done to ensure that the college in Westmount has the resources and facilities it needs to continue producing qualified personnel?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our CF-18s and we will do our due diligence to do so. There is a capability gap that was created by the previous government and we will ensure that we will fill this gap.
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government did nothing about the softwood lumber issue for years. We had to start by re-establishing good relationships with the U.S. government. Since forming the government, we have worked hard to deal with this matter. We continue to work hard on this because the previous government did not want to talk about softwood lumber. The only thing it wanted to talk to the Americans about was the pipeline. That was rather frustrating for the Americans and for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a problem with foreign agricultural workers. The officials in my department are working very hard. They told me today that these workers will arrive on June 25 or earlier. I believe they will be here in time to do the work.
Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House. Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be is to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome is one that makes sense for all of us.Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures. Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic. Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Mr. Speaker, countless Liberals have defended the million dollars the infrastructure minister spent on sky palace 2.0. The average Canadian household only spends a couple of thousand dollars on furniture. The Liberals are so out of touch with everyday Canadians that the minister spent half a million dollars on furniture alone for one office.When will the Liberals realize that the money they are blowing is taxpayer money and not their own personal entitlement funds?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just revealed that he is playing political games with a bill that is about reducing suffering. That is shameful.The Prime Minister talks of a middle ground, but since when do we compromise on human rights, human rights which have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court when applying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? For a party that loves to wrap itself in that charter, why is the Prime Minister pushing a bill which he knows goes against the charter?
Mr. Speaker, by appointing the Liberal House leader as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Prime Minister has placed his part-time minister into a precarious position. The minister is in a conflict of interest whenever he is dealing with the Irving family. They have numerous fisheries interests in Atlantic Canada, and Irving Shipyards is a key supplier to the Canadian Coast Guard.Why did the Prime Minister put his part-time Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard into a full-time conflict of interest?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that the KPMG schemes were denounced by the Canada Revenue Agency.Our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are keeping this promise through our historic $444-million investment.We are committed to developing a fairer tax system for Canadians. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure this morning to meet with a mayor of a major Canadian city, Vancouver. I have also heard from the mayors of other Canadian cities who hold a different view on pipelines and major energy projects.The sensible thing to do is to establish an independent panel of experts from western Canada to talk to mayors and others who have an opinion, after which the government will decide what it believes to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Mr. Speaker, before November 4, 2015, Infrastructure Canada did not have a dedicated, stand-alone minister's office. We did not have a stand-alone DM's office, and we did not have a space for our staff members. The expenditures the member is referring to were to provide office space for the minister and the deputy minister and a space for all of our staff members, as well as to consolidate them on one floor. The department followed all the Treasury Board procurement guidelines. All contracts over $10,000 have been proactively disclosed.
Mr. Speaker, Canada has world-class assessment consultation and standards for energy projects.Unfortunately, the Liberals and some anti-energy mayors do not seem to have figured that out yet. The Liberals create more complications and uncertainty by adding an extra layer at the end of the independent science-based review process.Canadians need pipelines. These unnecessary delays do not help. Will the Liberals stop interfering and leave evidence-based decision making to the experts?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages said that taxpayer-funded Air Canada is violating its legal obligation to provide services in French. This is no surprise, because for 45 years, Air Canada has been at the top of Canadian institutions that have no regard for francophones. This is yet another example of Canada's failed official languages policy. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage force Air Canada to obey the law, or will she do the same thing as her colleague from the Department of Transport and let the company thumb its nose at Quebeckers, just like it thumbed its nose at Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich from the Conservatives who, when in government, completely botched their procurement process. They were unable to deliver the kinds of planes and equipment that the Canadian Forces needed and instead continued to play politics when what Canadians needed was the right equipment at the right price. They left us a mess that we are going to fix, because that is why Canadians elected us.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invented an imaginary capability gap.In 2014, Conservatives invested $400 million to upgrade our CF-18s. Lieutenant-General Michael Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, has said that the CF-18s' useful life has been extended to 2025 and they can do the job.Meanwhile, the Liberals have fabricated a false narrative to sole-source the Super Hornet.Canadians deserve the truth. So, who is telling the truth? The Royal Canadian Air Force or the Liberals?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised a red herring there. Actually, it is entirely possible to protect vulnerable people and guarantee Canadians' rights. The Supreme Court recognized a charter right: medical assistance in dying. The Prime Minister's law removes that right. It is as simple as that. For 10 years, the Conservative government trampled on human rights. Canadians expected better from the Liberals.How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that his government is behaving exactly like the Conservatives?
Mr. Speaker, it seems like the Minister of Democratic Institutions cannot even keep her talking points straight for a single answer. She has told the House that she wants to hear from Canadians, while in the same answer has stated that politicians should make the decision. Which is it? Politicians making the decision, or will the minister actually drop the talking points and leave this decision directly in the hands of Canadians through a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the clarity bill felt that it would be necessary to hold a referendum before any changes could be made to the voting system. He said, Precedent makes holding a referendum necessary in Canada: changing the voting system would require popular support.Three quarters of the population share that opinion.Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions tell us what she told the minister behind closed doors to make him go back on his own words?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, trusting Canadians means trusting them with open consultations, not a closed question. It means engaging with Canadians on the kinds of values that underpin our electoral system, talking about complex nuanced issues with Canadians so they can better inform the decisions we take here in the House.On our side of the House, it is all about listening to and respecting Canadians, which cannot be said for when the previous government made changes to our electoral system.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken their promise for a fair and transparent competition to replace our CF-18s and are sole-sourcing the Boeing Super Hornet instead.Maybe we should not be surprised. Boeing officials have met 10 times since February with senior political staff, including Public Works, National Defence, Industry, and the PMO. Half of those meetings included the senior policy adviser of the Minister of National Defence.Why have the Liberals rigged the process to replace our fighter jets and allowed Boeing to jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, is it just me or does this whole fighter jet story feel like Groundhog Day?After slamming the Conservatives for buying the F-35s without a call for tenders, the Liberals are gearing up to do the same thing. To replace our aging CF-18s, they are going to buy Super Hornets and, surprise-surprise, without going to tender.Why are the Liberals acting so much like the Conservatives?Why are the Liberals making the same mistakes as the previous government?Is there anyone at the controls?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's latest excuse to deny Canadians the final say in a new voting system from just earlier in this question period is, we need open consultations, not a closed question. This, of course, completely contradicts the minister who yesterday said that consultations were only step one of a three-stage process. Therefore, at some point, when stages one and two are done, a closed question will be appropriate, something like this, Should election 2019 take place under the voting system proposed by the government, yes or no? Is that not a reasonable question?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are making upstream emissions a condition of pipeline approval. No other major infrastructure is held to the same bar, certainly not big city rail, and foreign oil imports are not either.Provinces already regulate upstream emissions. Canada produces the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world. When will the Liberals stop blocking Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, more than 200 Quebec farmers are still waiting for foreign workers to arrive in order to harvest their crops. At present, 1,000 workers are required. In my riding alone, Les Frères Riopel family farm has lost almost $5,000 in crops to date, and it is not the only one. Even though the applications were submitted in November, the visas will not be ready before mid-June. The only reason for that is incompetence.Has the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food heard of the verb to act? Will he stop working in isolation and do what has to be done so that the workers can be in the fields by the end of
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military personnel and the dangerous world in which they operate. He naively pulled our fighter jets out of the fight against ISIS. Then the Liberals cut billions of dollars from national defence spending. Now the Prime Minister wants to choose what kind of fighter jets we should get. Why should Canadians believe that he will pick the best fighter jets for our military personnel when he does not even understand the value they bring to combat?
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.What further contributions will Canada make?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be negligent if they didn't enforce the act.Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it. However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not take action immediately. They waited until April to introduce their bill.Bill C-14 is unconstitutional. It would be challenged for years in the courts. The Carter family has said it feels betrayed by the government and by the Prime Minister. Here in the House, the Prime Minister refused to accept amendments that would fix the bill and make it charter compliant.I have a simple question. Is the Prime Minister going to accept those exact changes if they now come from the unelected Senate?
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes. Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military and the dangerous world it operates in. He naively pulled our jets out of the fight against ISIS, then the Liberals cut billions from defence spending. Now the Prime Minister is choosing what kind of fighter plane our pilots will fly.How can Canadians have any faith that he will pick the best plane for our men and women in uniform when he does not even understand the value they bring to a fight?
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said the issue of electoral reform is too complicated for Canadians to vote on. However, he has it completely backwards. Canadians are smart. They are smart enough to understand what their vote means and they are smart enough to say yes or no. Therefore, will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his Liberals know best attitude, put his trust in Canadians, and commit to a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the capability gap was created in collaboration with lobbyists. Since February, Boeing had 10 meetings with senior political staff. More than half of those meetings were with the senior policy adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Prime Minister. That many meetings with the same group smells fishy to me.The government claimed to want to be open and transparent, but did it rig the process to replace our CF-18s to help Boeing jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, one of the most respected constitutional experts in the country stated that the bill on medical assistance in dying is unconstitutional.He added his voice to those of the Barreau du Québec, the Alberta Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. A lot of people are saying the same thing.Why does the Prime Minister want to force people who are suffering to take their cases to court? Why does he persist when he knows he is wrong?
Mr. Speaker, as we do in every situation, we listen to suggestions and amendments from all parliamentarians, including from the Senate. We accepted a number of amendments at committee from opposition parties and we continue to look forward to a fulsome debate in an informed way on this extremely important issue.Canadians expected us to balance the rights of Canadians with the defence of the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to seeing what suggestions the more independent and less partisan Senate has to make on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect governments and ministers to act at the highest ethical standards. That is exactly what every minister of this government has done. Within hours of the Prime Minister asking me to assume these responsibilities, I proactively reached out to the Ethics Commissioner. I asked for her advice as to what measures could be put in place to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. Nor would there be an appearance of a conflict of interest. I will be following her advice at every moment, as I always have.
Mr. Speaker, while most Canadians are law-abiding citizens, we learned today of another service that KPMG provides to its wealthy clients. This time, it is recommending its tax avoidance scheme not only to avoid taxes, but also to allow its clients to avoid paying divorce settlements and alimony. It is shameful. How can the Liberals continue to protect KPMG? When is the minister going to do whatever it takes to bring to justice not only KPMG's millionaire clients, but also the firm itself and its unscrupulous accountants, for developing this tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man?
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians decide who is playing politics on this particular issue. We are focused on putting forward a significant change in Canadian society that both defends Canadians' rights and freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable. This is a big step in the course of our society, and this is one that we have made, listening to Canadians, listening to opposition parties, in the full understanding that this step will be followed by others in the coming years. This step was an important one to get right. That is exactly what Canadians expected of us and we delivered.
Mr. Speaker, the part-time Minister of Fisheries has an admitted conflict of interest whenever it comes to the Irving family in New Brunswick. The Irvings have interests in fisheries habitat work, are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on Atlantic salmon. Irving Shipyards is also an important Coast Guard supplier. When will the Prime Minister replace this part-time Minister of Fisheries with someone who can actually work on all of the files?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that the former Conservative government completely bungled our relationship with the United States. They did not agree on anything.As we all know, our relationship with the United States is the Canadian government's most important international relationship, which is why we immediately started working on restoring a positive relationship with the United States, so that we can work on files that have a real impact on people's lives, such as softwood lumber, jobs, and innovation.That is what we are working on for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, now the softwood lumber industry is paying the price of the Liberals' inaction.We know that the former Liberal government and the United States ended up in a dispute that resulted in countervailing duties of 37%. Our government was able to bring those duties down to 10% on average, thanks to an agreement we reached in 2006.Can the Prime Minister commit to securing an agreement that will be good for Canada's forestry industry, an agreement he will soon be signing with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Prime Minister has repeatedly contradicted his minister's hints that a referendum might be okay. Yesterday his objection was, This process is more complex than the yes or no of a referendum. I promised myself that I would not raise quantum computing or one-armed planks in question period, but facts are facts, and in this universe the decision whether or not to endorse a new voting system that his government will propose really is a binary decision, yes or no. Based on this new information, will the Prime Minister now agree to hold a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, l wish the member opposite would in fact ask questions in the fisheries portfolio that speak to the important economic interests that this department represents from coast to coast to coast in Canada, instead of fabricating and inventing conflicts of interest where none exists.
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe the environment and the economy go together.I was very proud to stand with the Minister of Natural Resources when we announced interim principles that would rebuild the trust necessary so we could get resources to market in a sustainable way, in the 21st century. That also includes taking into account greenhouse gas emissions, because we need to do our part to tackle climate change. That is the right thing to do. That is the thing to do for our children. Also, it makes economic sense.
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional
Mr. Speaker, the only gap here is on the government benches. The government seems to be suffering from an imaginary problem. Among their many gaps, the Liberals have a capability gap.On April 14, General Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that the CF-18s' useful life had been extended to 2025.Can the minister confirm that this is a ploy to allow the Liberals to keep an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced. More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could explain to the House what would be the appropriate rules in terms of recognizing people in the gallery. For example, let us say that Gerald Regan, the former premier of Nova Scotia, were in the gallery today. Would it be appropriate for the Chair to recognize a former premier in the gallery?
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the government to defend the rights and freedoms of Canadians but also to protect the most vulnerable.Medical assistance in dying represents an important step in the evolution of our society, and it is important that it be done right. For that reason we tried to find the right balance and to introduce conditions and a responsible bill that will defend the interests and the choices of Canadians while protecting the most vulnerable. That is what we did.
Mr. Speaker, another day, another scandal involving KPMG. It appears it was not enough for KPMG to just advise clients on how to evade paying taxes, now it has been caught devising schemes so clients could dodge their support, divorce, or alimony obligations.Just how many more scandals do we need before the government finally launches a full investigation into the actions of KPMG?
Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal. Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right. Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, whereas the Conservative government refused to do anything about this important issue despite the Supreme Court's ruling, we got to work immediately. We consulted Canadians and listened to their concerns. We sought to strike a balance between defending rights and freedoms and protecting the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we did with this bill. We recognize that this is an important stage in our society's development and that we have to travel this road responsibly. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are proud to have done it for Canada today.
Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.
Mr. Speaker, I invite the Prime Minister to hit the history books and read about what happened with softwood lumber in the past.The Liberals completely abandoned the regions, including my own region, on the softwood lumber file before 2006. We had an agreement that ended in October 2015. The former minister was already working on moving this issue forward. That is the truth. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec asked the federal government to consider the changes to the system that issues timber supply and forest management agreements in Quebec.Will the Prime Minister commit to signing an agreement that will make Quebec happy and that will take into account the new reality in Quebec and the rest of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians pay their share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals are avoiding paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it must change.CRA is investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes, and the massive investment in our latest budget will help stop the organizations that create and promote such schemes for the rich.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution the member. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be. In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that our two official languages are very important to this government. Enforcing the Official Languages Act is, of course, a priority for this government.Under the circumstances, it goes without saying that Air Canada must obey the law. The status quo is unacceptable. That is why I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, on this issue, to ensure that the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages will be examined. This work will, I hope, be done in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my outstanding colleague from SydneyVictoria for his strong support of the Canadian Coast Guard.The Canadian Coast Guard in Sydney has been a world leader in the field of maritime studies for over 50 years. The member, on our behalf, announced $32 million on the weekend for a cleaner, greener college. These investments will reduce the facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%.The college is a top-notch facility, an example to other countries, and we are very proud of the work being done there.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my outstanding colleague from SydneyVictoria for his strong support of the Canadian Coast Guard.The Canadian Coast Guard in Sydney has been a world leader in the field of maritime studies for over 50 years. The member, on our behalf, announced $32 million on the weekend for a cleaner, greener college. These investments will reduce the facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%.The college is a top-notch facility, an example to other countries, and we are very proud of the work being done there.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that our two official languages are very important to this government. Enforcing the Official Languages Act is, of course, a priority for this government.Under the circumstances, it goes without saying that Air Canada must obey the law. The status quo is unacceptable. That is why I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, on this issue, to ensure that the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages will be examined. This work will, I hope, be done in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be. In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians pay their share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals are avoiding paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it must change.CRA is investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes, and the massive investment in our latest budget will help stop the organizations that create and promote such schemes for the rich.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution the member. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, I invite the Prime Minister to hit the history books and read about what happened with softwood lumber in the past.The Liberals completely abandoned the regions, including my own region, on the softwood lumber file before 2006. We had an agreement that ended in October 2015. The former minister was already working on moving this issue forward. That is the truth. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec asked the federal government to consider the changes to the system that issues timber supply and forest management agreements in Quebec.Will the Prime Minister commit to signing an agreement that will make Quebec happy and that will take into account the new reality in Quebec and the rest of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, whereas the Conservative government refused to do anything about this important issue despite the Supreme Court's ruling, we got to work immediately. We consulted Canadians and listened to their concerns. We sought to strike a balance between defending rights and freedoms and protecting the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we did with this bill. We recognize that this is an important stage in our society's development and that we have to travel this road responsibly. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are proud to have done it for Canada today.
Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal. Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right. Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.
Mr. Speaker, another day, another scandal involving KPMG. It appears it was not enough for KPMG to just advise clients on how to evade paying taxes, now it has been caught devising schemes so clients could dodge their support, divorce, or alimony obligations.Just how many more scandals do we need before the government finally launches a full investigation into the actions of KPMG?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the government to defend the rights and freedoms of Canadians but also to protect the most vulnerable.Medical assistance in dying represents an important step in the evolution of our society, and it is important that it be done right. For that reason we tried to find the right balance and to introduce conditions and a responsible bill that will defend the interests and the choices of Canadians while protecting the most vulnerable. That is what we did.
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could explain to the House what would be the appropriate rules in terms of recognizing people in the gallery. For example, let us say that Gerald Regan, the former premier of Nova Scotia, were in the gallery today. Would it be appropriate for the Chair to recognize a former premier in the gallery?
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced. More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Mr. Speaker, the only gap here is on the government benches. The government seems to be suffering from an imaginary problem. Among their many gaps, the Liberals have a capability gap.On April 14, General Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that the CF-18s' useful life had been extended to 2025.Can the minister confirm that this is a ploy to allow the Liberals to keep an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe the environment and the economy go together.I was very proud to stand with the Minister of Natural Resources when we announced interim principles that would rebuild the trust necessary so we could get resources to market in a sustainable way, in the 21st century. That also includes taking into account greenhouse gas emissions, because we need to do our part to tackle climate change. That is the right thing to do. That is the thing to do for our children. Also, it makes economic sense.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, l wish the member opposite would in fact ask questions in the fisheries portfolio that speak to the important economic interests that this department represents from coast to coast to coast in Canada, instead of fabricating and inventing conflicts of interest where none exists.
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Prime Minister has repeatedly contradicted his minister's hints that a referendum might be okay. Yesterday his objection was, This process is more complex than the yes or no of a referendum. I promised myself that I would not raise quantum computing or one-armed planks in question period, but facts are facts, and in this universe the decision whether or not to endorse a new voting system that his government will propose really is a binary decision, yes or no. Based on this new information, will the Prime Minister now agree to hold a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, now the softwood lumber industry is paying the price of the Liberals' inaction.We know that the former Liberal government and the United States ended up in a dispute that resulted in countervailing duties of 37%. Our government was able to bring those duties down to 10% on average, thanks to an agreement we reached in 2006.Can the Prime Minister commit to securing an agreement that will be good for Canada's forestry industry, an agreement he will soon be signing with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that the former Conservative government completely bungled our relationship with the United States. They did not agree on anything.As we all know, our relationship with the United States is the Canadian government's most important international relationship, which is why we immediately started working on restoring a positive relationship with the United States, so that we can work on files that have a real impact on people's lives, such as softwood lumber, jobs, and innovation.That is what we are working on for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the part-time Minister of Fisheries has an admitted conflict of interest whenever it comes to the Irving family in New Brunswick. The Irvings have interests in fisheries habitat work, are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on Atlantic salmon. Irving Shipyards is also an important Coast Guard supplier. When will the Prime Minister replace this part-time Minister of Fisheries with someone who can actually work on all of the files?
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians decide who is playing politics on this particular issue. We are focused on putting forward a significant change in Canadian society that both defends Canadians' rights and freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable. This is a big step in the course of our society, and this is one that we have made, listening to Canadians, listening to opposition parties, in the full understanding that this step will be followed by others in the coming years. This step was an important one to get right. That is exactly what Canadians expected of us and we delivered.
Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
Mr. Speaker, while most Canadians are law-abiding citizens, we learned today of another service that KPMG provides to its wealthy clients. This time, it is recommending its tax avoidance scheme not only to avoid taxes, but also to allow its clients to avoid paying divorce settlements and alimony. It is shameful. How can the Liberals continue to protect KPMG? When is the minister going to do whatever it takes to bring to justice not only KPMG's millionaire clients, but also the firm itself and its unscrupulous accountants, for developing this tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect governments and ministers to act at the highest ethical standards. That is exactly what every minister of this government has done. Within hours of the Prime Minister asking me to assume these responsibilities, I proactively reached out to the Ethics Commissioner. I asked for her advice as to what measures could be put in place to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. Nor would there be an appearance of a conflict of interest. I will be following her advice at every moment, as I always have.
Mr. Speaker, as we do in every situation, we listen to suggestions and amendments from all parliamentarians, including from the Senate. We accepted a number of amendments at committee from opposition parties and we continue to look forward to a fulsome debate in an informed way on this extremely important issue.Canadians expected us to balance the rights of Canadians with the defence of the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to seeing what suggestions the more independent and less partisan Senate has to make on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, one of the most respected constitutional experts in the country stated that the bill on medical assistance in dying is unconstitutional.He added his voice to those of the Barreau du Québec, the Alberta Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. A lot of people are saying the same thing.Why does the Prime Minister want to force people who are suffering to take their cases to court? Why does he persist when he knows he is wrong?
Mr. Speaker, the capability gap was created in collaboration with lobbyists. Since February, Boeing had 10 meetings with senior political staff. More than half of those meetings were with the senior policy adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Prime Minister. That many meetings with the same group smells fishy to me.The government claimed to want to be open and transparent, but did it rig the process to replace our CF-18s to help Boeing jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said the issue of electoral reform is too complicated for Canadians to vote on. However, he has it completely backwards. Canadians are smart. They are smart enough to understand what their vote means and they are smart enough to say yes or no. Therefore, will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his Liberals know best attitude, put his trust in Canadians, and commit to a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military and the dangerous world it operates in. He naively pulled our jets out of the fight against ISIS, then the Liberals cut billions from defence spending. Now the Prime Minister is choosing what kind of fighter plane our pilots will fly.How can Canadians have any faith that he will pick the best plane for our men and women in uniform when he does not even understand the value they bring to a fight?
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes. Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not take action immediately. They waited until April to introduce their bill.Bill C-14 is unconstitutional. It would be challenged for years in the courts. The Carter family has said it feels betrayed by the government and by the Prime Minister. Here in the House, the Prime Minister refused to accept amendments that would fix the bill and make it charter compliant.I have a simple question. Is the Prime Minister going to accept those exact changes if they now come from the unelected Senate?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it. However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be negligent if they didn't enforce the act.Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military personnel and the dangerous world in which they operate. He naively pulled our fighter jets out of the fight against ISIS. Then the Liberals cut billions of dollars from national defence spending. Now the Prime Minister wants to choose what kind of fighter jets we should get. Why should Canadians believe that he will pick the best fighter jets for our military personnel when he does not even understand the value they bring to combat?
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.What further contributions will Canada make?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Mr. Speaker, more than 200 Quebec farmers are still waiting for foreign workers to arrive in order to harvest their crops. At present, 1,000 workers are required. In my riding alone, Les Frères Riopel family farm has lost almost $5,000 in crops to date, and it is not the only one. Even though the applications were submitted in November, the visas will not be ready before mid-June. The only reason for that is incompetence.Has the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food heard of the verb to act? Will he stop working in isolation and do what has to be done so that the workers can be in the fields by the end of
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are making upstream emissions a condition of pipeline approval. No other major infrastructure is held to the same bar, certainly not big city rail, and foreign oil imports are not either.Provinces already regulate upstream emissions. Canada produces the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world. When will the Liberals stop blocking Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's latest excuse to deny Canadians the final say in a new voting system from just earlier in this question period is, we need open consultations, not a closed question. This, of course, completely contradicts the minister who yesterday said that consultations were only step one of a three-stage process. Therefore, at some point, when stages one and two are done, a closed question will be appropriate, something like this, Should election 2019 take place under the voting system proposed by the government, yes or no? Is that not a reasonable question?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken their promise for a fair and transparent competition to replace our CF-18s and are sole-sourcing the Boeing Super Hornet instead.Maybe we should not be surprised. Boeing officials have met 10 times since February with senior political staff, including Public Works, National Defence, Industry, and the PMO. Half of those meetings included the senior policy adviser of the Minister of National Defence.Why have the Liberals rigged the process to replace our fighter jets and allowed Boeing to jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, is it just me or does this whole fighter jet story feel like Groundhog Day?After slamming the Conservatives for buying the F-35s without a call for tenders, the Liberals are gearing up to do the same thing. To replace our aging CF-18s, they are going to buy Super Hornets and, surprise-surprise, without going to tender.Why are the Liberals acting so much like the Conservatives?Why are the Liberals making the same mistakes as the previous government?Is there anyone at the controls?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, trusting Canadians means trusting them with open consultations, not a closed question. It means engaging with Canadians on the kinds of values that underpin our electoral system, talking about complex nuanced issues with Canadians so they can better inform the decisions we take here in the House.On our side of the House, it is all about listening to and respecting Canadians, which cannot be said for when the previous government made changes to our electoral system.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the clarity bill felt that it would be necessary to hold a referendum before any changes could be made to the voting system. He said, Precedent makes holding a referendum necessary in Canada: changing the voting system would require popular support.Three quarters of the population share that opinion.Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions tell us what she told the minister behind closed doors to make him go back on his own words?
Mr. Speaker, it seems like the Minister of Democratic Institutions cannot even keep her talking points straight for a single answer. She has told the House that she wants to hear from Canadians, while in the same answer has stated that politicians should make the decision. Which is it? Politicians making the decision, or will the minister actually drop the talking points and leave this decision directly in the hands of Canadians through a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised a red herring there. Actually, it is entirely possible to protect vulnerable people and guarantee Canadians' rights. The Supreme Court recognized a charter right: medical assistance in dying. The Prime Minister's law removes that right. It is as simple as that. For 10 years, the Conservative government trampled on human rights. Canadians expected better from the Liberals.How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that his government is behaving exactly like the Conservatives?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invented an imaginary capability gap.In 2014, Conservatives invested $400 million to upgrade our CF-18s. Lieutenant-General Michael Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, has said that the CF-18s' useful life has been extended to 2025 and they can do the job.Meanwhile, the Liberals have fabricated a false narrative to sole-source the Super Hornet.Canadians deserve the truth. So, who is telling the truth? The Royal Canadian Air Force or the Liberals?
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich from the Conservatives who, when in government, completely botched their procurement process. They were unable to deliver the kinds of planes and equipment that the Canadian Forces needed and instead continued to play politics when what Canadians needed was the right equipment at the right price. They left us a mess that we are going to fix, because that is why Canadians elected us.
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages said that taxpayer-funded Air Canada is violating its legal obligation to provide services in French. This is no surprise, because for 45 years, Air Canada has been at the top of Canadian institutions that have no regard for francophones. This is yet another example of Canada's failed official languages policy. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage force Air Canada to obey the law, or will she do the same thing as her colleague from the Department of Transport and let the company thumb its nose at Quebeckers, just like it thumbed its nose at Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has world-class assessment consultation and standards for energy projects.Unfortunately, the Liberals and some anti-energy mayors do not seem to have figured that out yet. The Liberals create more complications and uncertainty by adding an extra layer at the end of the independent science-based review process.Canadians need pipelines. These unnecessary delays do not help. Will the Liberals stop interfering and leave evidence-based decision making to the experts?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just revealed that he is playing political games with a bill that is about reducing suffering. That is shameful.The Prime Minister talks of a middle ground, but since when do we compromise on human rights, human rights which have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court when applying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? For a party that loves to wrap itself in that charter, why is the Prime Minister pushing a bill which he knows goes against the charter?
Mr. Speaker, by appointing the Liberal House leader as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Prime Minister has placed his part-time minister into a precarious position. The minister is in a conflict of interest whenever he is dealing with the Irving family. They have numerous fisheries interests in Atlantic Canada, and Irving Shipyards is a key supplier to the Canadian Coast Guard.Why did the Prime Minister put his part-time Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard into a full-time conflict of interest?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that the KPMG schemes were denounced by the Canada Revenue Agency.Our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are keeping this promise through our historic $444-million investment.We are committed to developing a fairer tax system for Canadians. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure this morning to meet with a mayor of a major Canadian city, Vancouver. I have also heard from the mayors of other Canadian cities who hold a different view on pipelines and major energy projects.The sensible thing to do is to establish an independent panel of experts from western Canada to talk to mayors and others who have an opinion, after which the government will decide what it believes to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Mr. Speaker, before November 4, 2015, Infrastructure Canada did not have a dedicated, stand-alone minister's office. We did not have a stand-alone DM's office, and we did not have a space for our staff members. The expenditures the member is referring to were to provide office space for the minister and the deputy minister and a space for all of our staff members, as well as to consolidate them on one floor. The department followed all the Treasury Board procurement guidelines. All contracts over $10,000 have been proactively disclosed.
Mr. Speaker, countless Liberals have defended the million dollars the infrastructure minister spent on sky palace 2.0. The average Canadian household only spends a couple of thousand dollars on furniture. The Liberals are so out of touch with everyday Canadians that the minister spent half a million dollars on furniture alone for one office.When will the Liberals realize that the money they are blowing is taxpayer money and not their own personal entitlement funds?
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic. Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures. Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House. Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be is to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome is one that makes sense for all of us.Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a problem with foreign agricultural workers. The officials in my department are working very hard. They told me today that these workers will arrive on June 25 or earlier. I believe they will be here in time to do the work.
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government did nothing about the softwood lumber issue for years. We had to start by re-establishing good relationships with the U.S. government. Since forming the government, we have worked hard to deal with this matter. We continue to work hard on this because the previous government did not want to talk about softwood lumber. The only thing it wanted to talk to the Americans about was the pipeline. That was rather frustrating for the Americans and for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our CF-18s and we will do our due diligence to do so. There is a capability gap that was created by the previous government and we will ensure that we will fill this gap.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard to protect Canadians and the bodies of water from coast to coast to coast.I recently had the pleasure of taking part in an announcement in Sydney with regard to the Coast Guard college. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard update us on what is being done to ensure that the college in Westmount has the resources and facilities it needs to continue producing qualified personnel?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do know is that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the mark when it came to providing Canadians and our armed forces with the equipment they needed. The Conservatives threw their lot in with a plane that does not work and is a long way from ever working.In the meantime, our armed forces are unable to keep Canada's promises to NATO and NORAD. We inherited this problem and we will solve it.
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
Mr. Speaker, as I also stated in the past, even though we are launching a defence review, replacing our fighters and the national shipbuilding strategy are going to be going on a separate path, and that is what we have been doing. We are working very hard on that. We are doing all the thorough analysis. When all that work is done, we will be making the announcement for that.
Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees we need to replace the CF-18s. However, sole-sourced procurement is costly, bad for accountability and often ends up taking even longer to deliver the equipment we need. In opposition, the Liberals complained about the Conservatives when they sole-sourced procurement for the F-35s. Instead, they promised Canadians an open, transparent competition to replace the CF-18s.Why are the Liberals now doing an about-face, breaking their promise, and behaving just as badly as the Conservatives on procuring fighter jets?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my outstanding colleague from SydneyVictoria for his strong support of the Canadian Coast Guard.The Canadian Coast Guard in Sydney has been a world leader in the field of maritime studies for over 50 years. The member, on our behalf, announced $32 million on the weekend for a cleaner, greener college. These investments will reduce the facility's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by over 20%.The college is a top-notch facility, an example to other countries, and we are very proud of the work being done there.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her good question.Supporting francophone immigration is a priority for our government and for me, and I am proud to say that we are launching an improved version of this program. The new program will make it easier to hire francophone workers and will support the vitality of francophone minority communities.
Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that our two official languages are very important to this government. Enforcing the Official Languages Act is, of course, a priority for this government.Under the circumstances, it goes without saying that Air Canada must obey the law. The status quo is unacceptable. That is why I will work with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, on this issue, to ensure that the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages will be examined. This work will, I hope, be done in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
Mr. Speaker, we will put to one side the reason people were laughing. I think it was perhaps because they thought I was funny.However, in answer to the member's question, we do not consider anything to do with our resources for refugees to be amusing. I mentioned just a minute ago that we have committed $600 million to settlement for refugees in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. The language training is important, and we have committed the funding for that language training to occur.
Mr. Speaker, having grown up in government housing as part of an immigrant family, I know how generous Canadians can be. In my riding, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church has raised thousands of dollars to sponsor Syrian refugees. They rented an apartment and arranged a phone plan, day care spaces, and groceries for a year, but because of Liberal mismanagement, this family has not been processed. They have had to release the apartment, and thousands of dollars have been wasted.Will the minister apologize to refugees across this country or just use them shamelessly for more photo ops?
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day. I am looking forward to the vote following question period where we all put our confidence in a parliamentary committee made up of all parties whose responsibility it is to reach out to all our constituents and bring their voices and their values into the conversation about electoral reform. I look forward to this co-operative and collaborative style of governance for many years to come.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing the CF-18s. As I stated, they should have been replaced a long time ago. Maybe the hon. member should have been asking the questions when they were in government.The capability gap took place in front of us, and in 2025, the CF-18s will not be able to fly, and it is important that we move very quickly in filling this capability gap.
Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadians pay their share of taxes, but some wealthy individuals are avoiding paying their fair share. That is unacceptable and it must change.CRA is investigating the taxpayers identified in the KPMG schemes, and the massive investment in our latest budget will help stop the organizations that create and promote such schemes for the rich.This matter is before the courts, so I would caution the member. I want to reassure all Canadians that no one can shirk their obligations.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of what our government has done for refugees.We have accepted four times as many refugees as the previous government. We have accepted more than 25,000 Syrian refugees. We will be accepting a total of 44 refugees. A total of 99% have already found permanent housing, and they have made a lot of progress in terms of language and employment. I am proud of what we have accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, I invite the Prime Minister to hit the history books and read about what happened with softwood lumber in the past.The Liberals completely abandoned the regions, including my own region, on the softwood lumber file before 2006. We had an agreement that ended in October 2015. The former minister was already working on moving this issue forward. That is the truth. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec asked the federal government to consider the changes to the system that issues timber supply and forest management agreements in Quebec.Will the Prime Minister commit to signing an agreement that will make Quebec happy and that will take into account the new reality in Quebec and the rest of Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I have here a very interesting, thorough, and relevant document in both official languages. I ask for the consent of the House to table this document from my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the Clarity Act, regarding the importance of holding a referendum on any changes a government makes to the voting system.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, whereas the Conservative government refused to do anything about this important issue despite the Supreme Court's ruling, we got to work immediately. We consulted Canadians and listened to their concerns. We sought to strike a balance between defending rights and freedoms and protecting the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we did with this bill. We recognize that this is an important stage in our society's development and that we have to travel this road responsibly. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are proud to have done it for Canada today.
Mr. Speaker, I have no notes at my disposal. Let us review what we are here to do. Canadians have elected us to come to this place and to represent them with dignity and with full co-operation. That is what we are doing today. A committee will come together, made up of all parliamentarians, to reach out to Canadians and to hear from them first on what values and what aspirations they have for their electoral system. Let us recognize our responsibility to do this work right. Once again, I am really looking forward to the vote.
Mr. Speaker, another day, another scandal involving KPMG. It appears it was not enough for KPMG to just advise clients on how to evade paying taxes, now it has been caught devising schemes so clients could dodge their support, divorce, or alimony obligations.Just how many more scandals do we need before the government finally launches a full investigation into the actions of KPMG?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the government to defend the rights and freedoms of Canadians but also to protect the most vulnerable.Medical assistance in dying represents an important step in the evolution of our society, and it is important that it be done right. For that reason we tried to find the right balance and to introduce conditions and a responsible bill that will defend the interests and the choices of Canadians while protecting the most vulnerable. That is what we did.
Mr. Speaker, francophone communities across the country have always contributed to Canada's culture and history.However, the francophone immigration program established in 2012, known as the francophone significant benefit program, was abandoned after only two years. Francophone immigration is important in many regions, such as Madawaska and Restigouche.Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain what measures are being taken to encourage francophone immigration to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could explain to the House what would be the appropriate rules in terms of recognizing people in the gallery. For example, let us say that Gerald Regan, the former premier of Nova Scotia, were in the gallery today. Would it be appropriate for the Chair to recognize a former premier in the gallery?
Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability. We will achieve that in partnership with the first nations' leadership and organizations. We know that top-down solutions do not work.In the meantime, the member knows that first nation governments will continue their long-standing reporting of audited statements to our department, including chiefs' and councillors' salaries, and any first nation member can get that information from our department.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the CF-18 will be extended to 2025. We do need replacements. They should have been replaced a long time ago. We have to start the process soon because our fighters have been flying for some time. They should have been replaced. More capability gaps have been created, just like in the shipbuilding program.
Mr. Speaker, we have said, and I will say again, that language training is key to success. We have committed $600 million to resettlement in 2016-17 and an additional $37 million for Syrian refugees. There has been no cut. There is a three-year rolling average, where provinces that receive more, get more, and provinces that receive less, get less. That is fair. In addition, there are millions more dollars to accommodate language training for Syrian refugees.
Mr. Speaker, the only gap here is on the government benches. The government seems to be suffering from an imaginary problem. Among their many gaps, the Liberals have a capability gap.On April 14, General Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said that the CF-18s' useful life had been extended to 2025.Can the minister confirm that this is a ploy to allow the Liberals to keep an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, I have already commented on photo ops, but the general point is that because of the overwhelming generosity of Canadians, I am probably the only immigration minister in the world whose main challenge it is to bring refugees into this country quickly enough to satisfy the immense demand by Canadians to support them. So this is a very good thing. It reflects the generosity of our country.However, at the same time, I have committed to bring in all of those Syrian refugees whose applications were submitted before March 31 of this year, and we have committed additional
Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government, we believe the environment and the economy go together.I was very proud to stand with the Minister of Natural Resources when we announced interim principles that would rebuild the trust necessary so we could get resources to market in a sustainable way, in the 21st century. That also includes taking into account greenhouse gas emissions, because we need to do our part to tackle climate change. That is the right thing to do. That is the thing to do for our children. Also, it makes economic sense.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, l wish the member opposite would in fact ask questions in the fisheries portfolio that speak to the important economic interests that this department represents from coast to coast to coast in Canada, instead of fabricating and inventing conflicts of interest where none exists.
Mr. Speaker, of course, the application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. It goes without saying that Air Canada absolutely must comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act. It is unacceptable that these problems that have been going on for years have still not been dealt with and are compromising the service to which Canadians are entitled.I will have the opportunity to work on this issue with my colleague, the Minister of Transport, and we will consider all of the recommendations in this report.
Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Prime Minister has repeatedly contradicted his minister's hints that a referendum might be okay. Yesterday his objection was, This process is more complex than the yes or no of a referendum. I promised myself that I would not raise quantum computing or one-armed planks in question period, but facts are facts, and in this universe the decision whether or not to endorse a new voting system that his government will propose really is a binary decision, yes or no. Based on this new information, will the Prime Minister now agree to hold a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, now the softwood lumber industry is paying the price of the Liberals' inaction.We know that the former Liberal government and the United States ended up in a dispute that resulted in countervailing duties of 37%. Our government was able to bring those duties down to 10% on average, thanks to an agreement we reached in 2006.Can the Prime Minister commit to securing an agreement that will be good for Canada's forestry industry, an agreement he will soon be signing with the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know very well that the former Conservative government completely bungled our relationship with the United States. They did not agree on anything.As we all know, our relationship with the United States is the Canadian government's most important international relationship, which is why we immediately started working on restoring a positive relationship with the United States, so that we can work on files that have a real impact on people's lives, such as softwood lumber, jobs, and innovation.That is what we are working on for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the part-time Minister of Fisheries has an admitted conflict of interest whenever it comes to the Irving family in New Brunswick. The Irvings have interests in fisheries habitat work, are involved in the Atlantic Salmon Federation, and the minister's advisory panel on Atlantic salmon. Irving Shipyards is also an important Coast Guard supplier. When will the Prime Minister replace this part-time Minister of Fisheries with someone who can actually work on all of the files?
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians decide who is playing politics on this particular issue. We are focused on putting forward a significant change in Canadian society that both defends Canadians' rights and freedoms while protecting the most vulnerable. This is a big step in the course of our society, and this is one that we have made, listening to Canadians, listening to opposition parties, in the full understanding that this step will be followed by others in the coming years. This step was an important one to get right. That is exactly what Canadians expected of us and we delivered.
Mr. Speaker, as always, we remain open and receptive to respectful and reasonable arguments. Today, we take step one of a long journey for which we are all responsible to ensure that as we move forward toward modernizing our electoral system and our democratic institutions, the voices of our constituents are included in our decision-making process. Let us focus on step one, one step at a time.
Mr. Speaker, while the people across the aisle laugh at something like this, we have refugees in front of committee who are saying that they are isolated. Members are laughing right now, too. This is not a laughing matter.The fact that the government has not provided language training for refugees is shameful. When is it going to help the Calgary Board of Education? When is it going to help some of these agencies that cannot provide these services? It has spent over $1 billion, and it has not gotten the job done.
Mr. Speaker, while most Canadians are law-abiding citizens, we learned today of another service that KPMG provides to its wealthy clients. This time, it is recommending its tax avoidance scheme not only to avoid taxes, but also to allow its clients to avoid paying divorce settlements and alimony. It is shameful. How can the Liberals continue to protect KPMG? When is the minister going to do whatever it takes to bring to justice not only KPMG's millionaire clients, but also the firm itself and its unscrupulous accountants, for developing this tax avoidance scheme on the Isle of Man?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect governments and ministers to act at the highest ethical standards. That is exactly what every minister of this government has done. Within hours of the Prime Minister asking me to assume these responsibilities, I proactively reached out to the Ethics Commissioner. I asked for her advice as to what measures could be put in place to ensure that there was no conflict of interest. Nor would there be an appearance of a conflict of interest. I will be following her advice at every moment, as I always have.
Mr. Speaker, as we do in every situation, we listen to suggestions and amendments from all parliamentarians, including from the Senate. We accepted a number of amendments at committee from opposition parties and we continue to look forward to a fulsome debate in an informed way on this extremely important issue.Canadians expected us to balance the rights of Canadians with the defence of the most vulnerable. That is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to seeing what suggestions the more independent and less partisan Senate has to make on this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, one of the most respected constitutional experts in the country stated that the bill on medical assistance in dying is unconstitutional.He added his voice to those of the Barreau du Québec, the Alberta Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. A lot of people are saying the same thing.Why does the Prime Minister want to force people who are suffering to take their cases to court? Why does he persist when he knows he is wrong?
Mr. Speaker, the capability gap was created in collaboration with lobbyists. Since February, Boeing had 10 meetings with senior political staff. More than half of those meetings were with the senior policy adviser to the Minister of National Defence and the Prime Minister. That many meetings with the same group smells fishy to me.The government claimed to want to be open and transparent, but did it rig the process to replace our CF-18s to help Boeing jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said the issue of electoral reform is too complicated for Canadians to vote on. However, he has it completely backwards. Canadians are smart. They are smart enough to understand what their vote means and they are smart enough to say yes or no. Therefore, will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his Liberals know best attitude, put his trust in Canadians, and commit to a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military and the dangerous world it operates in. He naively pulled our jets out of the fight against ISIS, then the Liberals cut billions from defence spending. Now the Prime Minister is choosing what kind of fighter plane our pilots will fly.How can Canadians have any faith that he will pick the best plane for our men and women in uniform when he does not even understand the value they bring to a fight?
Mr. Speaker, by the minister's own admission, language is key to Syrian refugees' success. Amer Alhendawi has been here for almost a year, and he is still waiting for an ESL class. Thousands of refugees across the country have the same problem. Vancouver Community College has over 800 people on its wait list. It was forced to cancel classes because of an 8.5% funding cut by the federal government.How can the minister expect refugees to join the workforce if they cannot even access language training?
Mr. Speaker, we should have replaced those fighters long before, so we did not even have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on extending the program. It has been close to 30 years that we have been flying these airplanes. Our men and women deserve the right equipment, and our government will deliver on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals did not take action immediately. They waited until April to introduce their bill.Bill C-14 is unconstitutional. It would be challenged for years in the courts. The Carter family has said it feels betrayed by the government and by the Prime Minister. Here in the House, the Prime Minister refused to accept amendments that would fix the bill and make it charter compliant.I have a simple question. Is the Prime Minister going to accept those exact changes if they now come from the unelected Senate?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's colleague stood in his place in the House and wanted the government to approve a pipeline project that had not yet been installed with a regulator. He believed that the responsible thing for a government to do was to assess a project before a single Canadian had the opportunity to express a point of view.We think a better idea is to have a transparent process, with predictable timelines and ways in which Canadians can let government know what they think is in the national interest, after which the government will decide.
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are excited for the job security that comes with over 1,100 kilometres of high-grade steel for the northern gateway pipeline. Thank goodness for energy east, its 4,600 kilometres of steel pipe and the 14,000 construction jobs that come with it. However, wait, the Liberals voted against energy east, and the Prime Minister killed northern gateway.Why are the Liberals saying no to building new pipelines and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs said she knew exactly how first nations feel about transparency. Yet a member of Odanak First Nation said that without the transparency act, It's not difficult for First Nations to get information on how their money is spent, it's impossible....Beverly Brown of Squamish First Nation said the government would be negligent if they didn't enforce the act.Would the minister tell these individuals why they do not deserve easily available information, like all other Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not understand our military personnel and the dangerous world in which they operate. He naively pulled our fighter jets out of the fight against ISIS. Then the Liberals cut billions of dollars from national defence spending. Now the Prime Minister wants to choose what kind of fighter jets we should get. Why should Canadians believe that he will pick the best fighter jets for our military personnel when he does not even understand the value they bring to combat?
Mr. Speaker, as World Refugee Day approaches, the refugee crisis in Europe is only getting worse.We all remember the young Alan Kurdi, whose photo was published around the world, but this kind of tragedy is taking place every day. Since the beginning of the year, almost 2,500 men, women, and children have died in the same way. The entire international community is being asked to do more.What further contributions will Canada make?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's steel industry provides 22,000 direct jobs, with an average salary of $75,000 per year. Another 100,000 indirect jobs are associated with the industry.According to Canadian Steel Producers Association, the value chain stretches all the way back to eastern Canada, to where iron ore is mined in Quebec and Labrador before being poured into primary steel forms in Ontario.Why are the Liberals killing jobs in our steel mills, mines, and factories across Canada that benefit from new pipelines?
Mr. Speaker, more than 200 Quebec farmers are still waiting for foreign workers to arrive in order to harvest their crops. At present, 1,000 workers are required. In my riding alone, Les Frères Riopel family farm has lost almost $5,000 in crops to date, and it is not the only one. Even though the applications were submitted in November, the visas will not be ready before mid-June. The only reason for that is incompetence.Has the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food heard of the verb to act? Will he stop working in isolation and do what has to be done so that the workers can be in the fields by the end of
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are making upstream emissions a condition of pipeline approval. No other major infrastructure is held to the same bar, certainly not big city rail, and foreign oil imports are not either.Provinces already regulate upstream emissions. Canada produces the most socially and environmentally responsible oil and gas in the world. When will the Liberals stop blocking Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's latest excuse to deny Canadians the final say in a new voting system from just earlier in this question period is, we need open consultations, not a closed question. This, of course, completely contradicts the minister who yesterday said that consultations were only step one of a three-stage process. Therefore, at some point, when stages one and two are done, a closed question will be appropriate, something like this, Should election 2019 take place under the voting system proposed by the government, yes or no? Is that not a reasonable question?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that 20% of the gross domestic product of Canada is in the natural resources sector. We understand that prosperity for western Canadians and, indeed, right across the country depends on responsible and sustainable natural resource development.The government understands that we have to protect the environment and create jobs for a prosperous future for Canada. That is what we intend to do.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken their promise for a fair and transparent competition to replace our CF-18s and are sole-sourcing the Boeing Super Hornet instead.Maybe we should not be surprised. Boeing officials have met 10 times since February with senior political staff, including Public Works, National Defence, Industry, and the PMO. Half of those meetings included the senior policy adviser of the Minister of National Defence.Why have the Liberals rigged the process to replace our fighter jets and allowed Boeing to jump the queue?
Mr. Speaker, is it just me or does this whole fighter jet story feel like Groundhog Day?After slamming the Conservatives for buying the F-35s without a call for tenders, the Liberals are gearing up to do the same thing. To replace our aging CF-18s, they are going to buy Super Hornets and, surprise-surprise, without going to tender.Why are the Liberals acting so much like the Conservatives?Why are the Liberals making the same mistakes as the previous government?Is there anyone at the controls?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, trusting Canadians means trusting them with open consultations, not a closed question. It means engaging with Canadians on the kinds of values that underpin our electoral system, talking about complex nuanced issues with Canadians so they can better inform the decisions we take here in the House.On our side of the House, it is all about listening to and respecting Canadians, which cannot be said for when the previous government made changes to our electoral system.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and father of the clarity bill felt that it would be necessary to hold a referendum before any changes could be made to the voting system. He said, Precedent makes holding a referendum necessary in Canada: changing the voting system would require popular support.Three quarters of the population share that opinion.Can the Minister of Democratic Institutions tell us what she told the minister behind closed doors to make him go back on his own words?
Mr. Speaker, it seems like the Minister of Democratic Institutions cannot even keep her talking points straight for a single answer. She has told the House that she wants to hear from Canadians, while in the same answer has stated that politicians should make the decision. Which is it? Politicians making the decision, or will the minister actually drop the talking points and leave this decision directly in the hands of Canadians through a referendum?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised a red herring there. Actually, it is entirely possible to protect vulnerable people and guarantee Canadians' rights. The Supreme Court recognized a charter right: medical assistance in dying. The Prime Minister's law removes that right. It is as simple as that. For 10 years, the Conservative government trampled on human rights. Canadians expected better from the Liberals.How can the Prime Minister justify the fact that his government is behaving exactly like the Conservatives?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invented an imaginary capability gap.In 2014, Conservatives invested $400 million to upgrade our CF-18s. Lieutenant-General Michael Hood, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, has said that the CF-18s' useful life has been extended to 2025 and they can do the job.Meanwhile, the Liberals have fabricated a false narrative to sole-source the Super Hornet.Canadians deserve the truth. So, who is telling the truth? The Royal Canadian Air Force or the Liberals?
Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich from the Conservatives who, when in government, completely botched their procurement process. They were unable to deliver the kinds of planes and equipment that the Canadian Forces needed and instead continued to play politics when what Canadians needed was the right equipment at the right price. They left us a mess that we are going to fix, because that is why Canadians elected us.
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Official Languages said that taxpayer-funded Air Canada is violating its legal obligation to provide services in French. This is no surprise, because for 45 years, Air Canada has been at the top of Canadian institutions that have no regard for francophones. This is yet another example of Canada's failed official languages policy. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage force Air Canada to obey the law, or will she do the same thing as her colleague from the Department of Transport and let the company thumb its nose at Quebeckers, just like it thumbed its nose at Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has world-class assessment consultation and standards for energy projects.Unfortunately, the Liberals and some anti-energy mayors do not seem to have figured that out yet. The Liberals create more complications and uncertainty by adding an extra layer at the end of the independent science-based review process.Canadians need pipelines. These unnecessary delays do not help. Will the Liberals stop interfering and leave evidence-based decision making to the experts?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just revealed that he is playing political games with a bill that is about reducing suffering. That is shameful.The Prime Minister talks of a middle ground, but since when do we compromise on human rights, human rights which have been guaranteed by the Supreme Court when applying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms? For a party that loves to wrap itself in that charter, why is the Prime Minister pushing a bill which he knows goes against the charter?
Mr. Speaker, by appointing the Liberal House leader as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Prime Minister has placed his part-time minister into a precarious position. The minister is in a conflict of interest whenever he is dealing with the Irving family. They have numerous fisheries interests in Atlantic Canada, and Irving Shipyards is a key supplier to the Canadian Coast Guard.Why did the Prime Minister put his part-time Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard into a full-time conflict of interest?
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that the KPMG schemes were denounced by the Canada Revenue Agency.Our government is committed to fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. We are keeping this promise through our historic $444-million investment.We are committed to developing a fairer tax system for Canadians. That is what we promised we would do, and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure this morning to meet with a mayor of a major Canadian city, Vancouver. I have also heard from the mayors of other Canadian cities who hold a different view on pipelines and major energy projects.The sensible thing to do is to establish an independent panel of experts from western Canada to talk to mayors and others who have an opinion, after which the government will decide what it believes to be in the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, if the government wanted to send somebody somewhere for a photo op, I suspect there are people in this aisle it would probably send before it sent me.
Mr. Speaker, before November 4, 2015, Infrastructure Canada did not have a dedicated, stand-alone minister's office. We did not have a stand-alone DM's office, and we did not have a space for our staff members. The expenditures the member is referring to were to provide office space for the minister and the deputy minister and a space for all of our staff members, as well as to consolidate them on one floor. The department followed all the Treasury Board procurement guidelines. All contracts over $10,000 have been proactively disclosed.
Mr. Speaker, countless Liberals have defended the million dollars the infrastructure minister spent on sky palace 2.0. The average Canadian household only spends a couple of thousand dollars on furniture. The Liberals are so out of touch with everyday Canadians that the minister spent half a million dollars on furniture alone for one office.When will the Liberals realize that the money they are blowing is taxpayer money and not their own personal entitlement funds?
As I stated before, Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to replacing our CF-18s because it is long overdue. They should have been replaced a long time ago.In terms of meeting officials from various companies, the hon. member should also know that on our trip to Singapore the CEO of Lockheed was actually with us at that conference. I met with her and sat with her at that table as well.
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Davenport, the residents are always seeking alternative ways to get around that are affordable, that avoid congested streets, and that minimize their environmental footprint.More bike paths would move residents across our riding and connect them to public transit and the downtown core. Bike paths are cheaper infrastructure investments relative to other modes of transport.Would the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities inform the House about the government's initiatives with respect to cycling and public transportation investments for the people in Davenport?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the hon. member for Davenport for her enthusiasm on this topic. Our government is investing $60 billion over the next 10 years in public transit and green and social infrastructure. The city of Toronto will receive $840 million in phase one, which can include active transportation, as we currently develop our second term, phase two, long-term plan.Bike paths can also be funded through existing programs, such as the gas tax fund.
Mr. Speaker, today the Commissioner of Official Languages tabled a scathing report on Air Canada.Air Canada is a real delinquent when it comes to official languages and has been for 45 years. After hundreds of complaints, audits, and court challenges, the Commissioner came to the conclusion that nothing is working. If we want things to change, we need new legislative measures. Will the Liberals commit today to taking action to resolve this problem once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the process of electoral reform requires the attention and the care of all members of the House. Today we will be voting on establishing an all-party committee whose responsibility it will be is to reach out to our constituents, particularly those who have not been included in this conversation in the past, to ensure that the process and the outcome is one that makes sense for all of us.Let us focus on the work of the committee. There is a lot riding on this. We are all counting on it to do this work. I am looking forward to the vote today.
Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there is a problem with foreign agricultural workers. The officials in my department are working very hard. They told me today that these workers will arrive on June 25 or earlier. I believe they will be here in time to do the work.
Mr. Speaker, again, the Conservative government did nothing about the softwood lumber issue for years. We had to start by re-establishing good relationships with the U.S. government. Since forming the government, we have worked hard to deal with this matter. We continue to work hard on this because the previous government did not want to talk about softwood lumber. The only thing it wanted to talk to the Americans about was the pipeline. That was rather frustrating for the Americans and for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, we are committed to replacing our CF-18s and we will do our due diligence to do so. There is a capability gap that was created by the previous government and we will ensure that we will fill this gap.
Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard work hard to protect Canadians and the bodies of water from coast to coast to coast.I recently had the pleasure of taking part in an announcement in Sydney with regard to the Coast Guard college. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard update us on what is being done to ensure that the college in Westmount has the resources and facilities it needs to continue producing qualified personnel?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do know is that, for 10 years, the Conservatives completely missed the mark when it came to providing Canadians and our armed forces with the equipment they needed. The Conservatives threw their lot in with a plane that does not work and is a long way from ever working.In the meantime, our armed forces are unable to keep Canada's promises to NATO and NORAD. We inherited this problem and we will solve it.
Mr. Speaker, if there has been no cut to the Vancouver Community College, why has it been forced to cancel language training services for over 220 immigrants and refugees? That is shameful.Yesterday, when the minister stood here and glibly claimed that he had a plan to address language training, was he looking at these cuts, or was he just planning his next photo op?
Mr. Speaker, as I also stated in the past, even though we are launching a defence review, replacing our fighters and the national shipbuilding strategy are going to be going on a separate path, and that is what we have been doing. We are working very hard on that. We are doing all the thorough analysis. When all that work is done, we will be making the announcement for that.
Mr. Speaker, everyone agrees we need to replace the CF-18s. However, sole-sourced procurement is costly, bad for accountability and often ends up taking even longer to deliver the equipment we need. In opposition, the Liberals complained about the Conservatives when they sole-sourced procurement for the F-35s. Instead, they promised Canadians an open, transparent competition to replace the CF-18s.Why are the Liberals now doing an about-face, breaking their promise, and behaving just as badly as the Conservatives on procuring fighter jets?