2016-10-05

Mr. Speaker, I have travelled the country, and everywhere I go Canadians are speaking out against the TPP. After having her letters repeatedly ignored, today, 12-year old Jada Malott has travelled from Windsor to bring her message right to the Prime Minister. She represents the generation that will have to live with the consequences of ratifying this bad deal: lost jobs, higher drug costs, and ISDS rules that will threaten our environmental laws. Why does the Prime Minister refuse to listen to Canadians like Jada, who do not want to pay for this bad deal?

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The government has kept its promise and launched a much needed and long overdue national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. The minister has appointed a commission to lead this inquiry, and although all of its members are extremely qualified, Inuit organizations have said they are concerned by the lack of Inuk representation. The minister has committed to including the Inuit perspective. Could she explain exactly how the Inuit perspective is going to be considered?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to end Harper's legal battles that discriminated against first nations. It has been seven years since the Supreme Court granted five Nuu-chah-nulth first nations the right to catch and sell fish.However, lawyers for the Minister of Justice continue to argue that these aboriginal rights should be restricted and minimized.Now the hereditary chiefs have taken unprecedented action, dismissed government officials, and told the Prime Minister he is no longer welcome on their lands. Will the Liberals finally act and honour their promise to negotiate fairly?

Mr. Speaker, jobs in my riding are being put at risk by the Liberal carbon tax. More than a third of families in my riding depend on jobs in the energy industry to put food on their table.What does the Prime Minister have to say to hard-working mums and dads who are seeing their neighbours' jobs eliminated and thinking they are next?

Mr. Speaker, at the time, the Minister of Justice was on the same side as the Assembly of First Nations in the fight to put an end to systemic discrimination against first nations children.One has to wonder what happened between October 19 and 20, 2015, because the minister is now unrecognizable. I am giving her another chance to do something other than adopt the old, woefully unacceptable plan presented by Stephen Harper.Can the minister tell us whether her government intends to fulfill its legal obligation to first nations children?

Mr. Speaker, industries like Entropex in my riding are closing, and others like CF Industries are already cancelling their expansions as a result of the Ontario Liberal carbon tax. Nova Chemicals is considering moving a $2 billion polyethylene project to the gulf coast where there are no job-killing carbon taxes. This additional federal carbon tax and the uncertainty around it will keep new businesses from choosing to do business here. When will the Liberals stop taking jobs away from everyday Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday on CBC, we heard about how the price of gas and heating oil will go up 11¢ a litre and 14¢ a litre, respectively. The government cannot make any promises about prices not going up.A tax on carbon means more money taken out of the pockets of Canadians. The Prime Minister is trying to sugar-coat the reality by saying it is “carbon pricing”, but Canadians are not fooled. This is a new tax. This is bad news for Canadians. They already pay their share of taxes. Will the Prime Minister guarantee Canadians today that the price of their groceries, gas, or heating will not go up because of this new tax?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, veteran Claude Lalancette restarted his hunger strike on the steps of Parliament Hill. This veteran has served our country proudly and has had to resort to repeated hunger strikes to get help.After his first hunger strike, the Liberals promised him a committee of veterans, civilians, and experts; then only days later, they reneged on that promise.In his own words he feels misused and misled, stating “They only used me for a photo op”.Is the Prime Minister aware that three of his ministers made a promise to Mr. Lalancette that they had no intention of keeping?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister falsely promised the Canadian middle class a family tax cut. Earlier this week, he dropped a bombshell on Canadians by imposing a massive carbon tax on them. This tax grab has not only completely wiped out the Prime Minister's so-called middle-class tax cut, it will seriously impact low- and middle-income Canadians through higher gas, heating, and electricity bills. My question is for the Prime Minister. Why the attack on working Canadians, and why the betrayal of his promise to lower taxes for Canadian families?

Mr. Speaker, we support the Paris agreement. In fact, we agree that it is a tax, but we do not believe it should be imposed on Canadians.The very idea of imposing a tax is very Liberal. The Liberals want more money so they can make the government even bigger, and then prove how good they are by giving Canadians their money back.Why not just leave that money in their pockets in the first place? Will the Prime Minister guarantee to the House today that the cost of living will not go up as a result of his new carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's hand-picked ambassador to the UN has made no secret that he is willing to play politics to gain a UN Security Council seat. The centrepiece to this horse-trading, of course, is our 600 Canadian troops. China wants to take control of all UN peacekeepers. China's abysmal human rights record and its sabre-rattling in the South China Sea show that its no partner for peace.Is a Security Council seat worth putting our troops under the command of the Chinese dictatorship?

Mr. Speaker, this summer I spent a lot of time talking to my constituents at farmers' markets and community activities all over my riding.One of the concerns they raised most often was about how junk foods and sugary drinks are marketed to children. I believe Quebec already has a law to address this health issue. Can the Minister of Health tell the House what her department is doing to stop this practice?

Mr. Speaker, Canada is committed to reviewing the services offered to children and families on reserves and working with first nations to reform those services.We know that the system is broken, as illustrated by the damning report issued by the British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth. We must take into account the comments of young people when transforming the system and incorporate their experiences into any new approach.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are pessimistic about the Prime Minister's announcement. He tried to sugarcoat it by renaming his new tax, but everyone knows it is a carbon tax. This is pretty bad news for taxpayers, who are already paying enough.Will the Prime Minister promise Canadians that the cost of groceries, gas, and heating will not go up because of his new carbon tax? Can he give them that guarantee today?

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations is not referring Yazidi refugees to Canada, but the government is blindly relying on it to provide names for its refugee initiative. At last count, only a few dozen Yazidis have come to Canada. Moreover, Operation Ezra has many Yazidi families identified and waiting to come to Canada, and the minister keeps promising them in phone calls that they will processed, but none has been.It is our moral duty to help the Yazidi victims of genocide. Why is the government ignoring it?

Mr. Speaker, out of those 30,000 refugees, nine cases were Yazidis, and that is unacceptable. Nadia Murad came to Canada to beg our government for help. She has called for help for Yazidis who are also being discriminated against by UN agents in refugee camps in Greece and Turkey.My question is for the Prime Minister. When he asked Nadia Murad for a photo opportunity in New York last week, what was it like to look into her eyes, see that haunted look, and tell her why he was not helping the Yazidi people?

Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit much coming from the party that voted against the lowering of taxes on the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1%, a party that continues to think it is better to send child benefit cheques to millionaires than to increase those cheques for the lowest income families.The fact is this government is focused on helping the middle class and on those working so hard to join the middle class, and we will remain so, despite the fearmongering from the other side.

Mr. Speaker, that response is troubling and unbelievable. It is hard to imagine that China, a nation that bullies everyone around it, might wind up in charge of UN peacekeepers, forces meant to maintain peace around the world.If China's efforts to win that coveted position are successful, all peacekeeping and civilian protection operations will be left up to the country with the worst human rights record. It is absurd. Do the Liberals support China's bid?

Mr. Speaker, brutal incarceration, torture, and executions are among the regular practices of the Chinese government. China now has its eyes on the UN's top peacekeeping job. It wants to take control of UN peacekeeping and rewrite the rules of the game. Will the Prime Minister be supporting his favourite dictatorship's bid to take control of UN peacekeeping and, ultimately, command of Canadian troops?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister accidentally told the truth, that this is a tax. He should listen to the director general of the Windsor mission, who said, “People have actually come in with their hydro bill in one hand and said 'If you can help me with food, then I can pay for some of this hydro bill before it gets cut off.'"The Liberal Green Energy Act has hammered Ontario's poor with skyrocketing electricity prices. Now the federal Liberal carbon tax will do the same to heating, gas, and grocery bills. Why is the Prime Minister forcing the poor to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families?

Mr. Speaker, we do not know how many Yazidi refugees have come to Canada, because when refugees come to Canada, we do not ask them their ethnicity or their religion. We do not discriminate by religion or ethnicity. What I do know is that we have admitted more than 30,000 Syrian refugees and we are taking concrete steps to pursue options in terms of the Yazidi refugees.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we need to grow the economy and create good jobs while protecting the environment. That is exactly what we have been working on since coming to power.I want to make it clear to the hon. member that our approach is neutral. It will be up to the provinces to decide how to redistribute that money to the people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Toronto—Danforth for her question. Our government is committed to helping families make better food choices. We will introduce new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. That is in addition to our commitment to improve labelling and bring in legislation to eliminate trans fats and reduce salt in processed foods.

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what Kathleen Wynne said about the Liberal Green Energy Act. Yet while the poor have hit the food bank, Liberals insiders have hit the jackpot, including former Liberal Party president, Mike Crawley, whose company got a half-billion-dollar green energy contract. The federal Liberals have a similar, regressive tax that will raise heat, gas, and grocery bills and give billionaire insiders green hand-outs to pay for it.Why is the Prime Minister taking from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?

Mr. Speaker, another promise made, another promise broken. Over 3,000 mothers were denied sickness benefits under the Harper government, but during the election campaign, the Liberals promised they would drop all federal opposition to their class action lawsuit. These women have waited and waited and waited, and had nothing from the government.Instead of spending millions fighting them in court, when will the government give these women the benefits they deserve?

Mr. Speaker, the NDP always likes to talk about targets and goals without ever talking about plans to achieve them or tangible things we need to do in order to protect the environment while creating economic growth.The NDP likes to talk about the environment, but it does not know how to create jobs for the middle class or help businesses succeed in a new world. That is why we are doing something tangible to show that Canada is serious about reducing emissions and creating economic growth that helps everyone. The members opposite are unable to do that.

Mr. Speaker, the goal of the labour department is to ensure that Canadians have a safe workplace and can all come home safe and sound. The goal was to ensure that all workplaces are safe. The Arva Flour Mill was inspected by a labour department inspector and found to be deficient in a number of areas. The owners of the mill are working with inspectors and others to rectify the situation.

Mr. Speaker, the worst thing for Canadians, our seniors, and all Canadian workers is the invention and introduction of a new tax. That is exactly what the Prime Minister announced last Monday in the House of Commons, even though he should have been working with the provinces and even though three environment ministers walked out of the meeting.Can the Prime Minister rise and acknowledge that inventing and imposing a new tax is the worst thing for Canadians? Why is he taking money out of taxpayers' pockets?

Are you kidding me? You're laughing.My friend, Marie, has three boys. Her husband just went on disability. They have a hard time making ends meet. She is trying to deal with it as best she can, but the money is just not there. Now she hears about more taxes.The reality is that the van has to be filled up to take the boys to hockey, so which one of the boys does not get to play hockey next year is the question. She does not understand why the government does not realize she has a tough situation, because if it did, it would not raise her taxes.What comfort does the government have to give her?

Mr. Speaker, the government seems to have forgotten the reality for remote, indigenous, and rural communities. Their food comes in by boat, by plane, and by ice road, and many of the communities use diesel-powered generators to keep the lights on. Communities that can least afford it are the ones that are going to be most impacted by this carbon tax.How can the government justify raising the high cost of living that is already there for our rural and remote communities?

Mr. Speaker, once again, those are fine words, but the reality is quite different. The government is taking the wrong path.A new tax is the worst thing that can happen to our job creators, our SMEs, and others who know what it means to create real jobs, and yet that is precisely the wrong path that this government is taking.Will the government acknowledge one thing? Imposing a tax is definitely not the way to go about creating jobs. Have you ever seen any jobs created because of a tax? We have not.

Mr. Speaker, I guess that was a yes. The Liberal platform mentions working with provinces 35 times, and that approach was appealing to Canadians after a decade of the antagonistic Stephen Harper form of federalism, but without even sitting down with the provinces, the Liberal government adopted Stephen Harper's cuts to health care transfers.Before the election, whenever the Prime Minister was specifically asked about Harper's health care cuts, he said he would not make any changes without first talking to the provinces.What happened to that promise?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about improving the lives of indigenous Canadians, but their actions are telling a very different story. They do not realize that food costs are already double in the north. A loaf of bread and a litre of milk cost double what we pay down here. This new tax is going to find its way into everything they buy every day.I have a more simple question. Have the Liberals done their homework, and will they table the costs that this will create for every indigenous community in this country?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's goal is to ensure that peacekeeping operations are carried out in a manner that protects civilians, which is why we want to be involved. For too long, Canada remained on the sidelines. If we want those operations to better protect people and promote peace, Canada must be there on its own terms and conditions. That is what we will do, along with the minister responsible for the Canadian Armed Forces. We are committed to ensuring that our troops are only deployed under conditions that correspond to our values and convictions.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not trust any of the provinces or territories. The Prime Minister has no idea how badly this carbon tax will impact hard-working Canadians. Northerners, farmers, the unemployed, and seniors on fixed incomes just cannot afford this, yet he still believes the only way to protect the environment is to increase taxes on these Canadians, the most vulnerable. Does the Prime Minister not realize that misguided tax increases actually hurt Canadian families who struggle to pay their bills every single month?

Mr. Speaker, later today we will be voting on the ratification of the Paris agreement, and I cannot help but wonder about Liberal efforts to help our young people. The Prime Minister promised 5,000 green jobs for young people, but fewer than a third that many have been created. The Liberals promised an EI premium holiday for employers that hire young people, but that measure was not even included in the budget. The youth unemployment rate is still too high.My question is for the Minister of Youth, who also happens to be the Prime Minister. How does he plan to create green jobs and address youth unemployment?

Mr. Speaker, it was great to be negotiating the Paris agreement with the member opposite. I am very excited to see how he is going to vote on it today.In an interview with CP yesterday, the Conservative environment critic lauded the B.C. Liberal government for using a price on carbon pollution to cut income taxes and other taxes. Then he said the problem is that other provinces are not committed to acting responsibly. I am delighted that he has endorsed the B.C. Liberal government's approach. Given that B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec already have a price on carbon pollution, could he let us know what province he does not trust?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we are going to create economic growth by creating new jobs in many sectors across the country.We are going to give the provinces the capacity to help those who need it. The federal government helped those in need by lowering taxes for the middle class, while increasing taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians.That is the kind of thing Canadians expect of their government. It is unfortunate that, once again, the members of the Conservative Party do not understand how to either grow the economy or protect the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard very poignantly about the high cost of living in the north. Just this week we heard from indigenous leaders, from Inuit leaders, who talked about how we need to tackle climate change, how we need to take action to protect their future, and how we need to be mindful of the circumstances in the north. Our government has made the commitment. If the party members opposite would like to read the Vancouver declaration, which we are supporting in tonight's vote, they would see it is very clear that we recognize the conditions of indigenous people and northern people. Once again, I hope they will support tonight's motion and vote in favour of the Paris agreement and the Vancouver declaration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her passion, which enables me to give specific details on the Canada child benefit. This is the most significant social policy innovation in a generation. It is going to take the families of 500,000 people in Canada, 300,000 of them children, out of poverty. It will lead to the largest reduction in child poverty ever in our history, which will lead to the lowest level of child poverty ever known in our nation.

Mr. Speaker, this year we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel in France. Our government is committed to honouring the soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who were killed in this brutal battle in the First World War. For this reason, we are investing $1 million in The Rooms, a beautiful museum in St. John's. Through online and on-site exhibitions, we will have the opportunity to learn more about the valour and the courage displayed by the young men of Newfoundland and Labrador in this—

Mr. Speaker, according to Cindy Blackstock, the Liberal government shortchanges first nations students by $130 million this year in foster care under Harper's plan. On education, the Prime Minister promised $2.6 billion over four years to first nations students. An INAC document showed the minister was given the plan to follow through on this promise, but the Liberals once again decided to pull the football out from under first nations children. They stretched that promise past the next election, shortchanging children by $800 million.When it comes to priorities, why squeeze money from children suffering under this broken system?

Mr. Speaker, we have guaranteed that this price on carbon will be revenue neutral for the federal government, and it will be up to the provinces to determine how they choose to reimburse their citizens for this progress on the environment and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the member for giving me the opportunity to say how concerned all members of the House are by the difficult circumstances some of our families find themselves in. I will have an important announcement to make on that matter soon. I just want to repeat that in the campaign, our government promised that it would be looking into EI special benefits, including maternity, parental, and compassionate care benefits.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for her passion in supporting business. If she really wants to support business, she should understand that the environment and the economy come together, and that is what we are doing.Let us go back to job creators—job creators like the Royal Bank, Tembec, Loblaws, Desjardins, Telus, the Aluminum Association of Canada, as well as other businesses. They have supported our plan to put a price on pollution because they recognize that is how we are going to create good jobs, how we are going to foster innovation, and how we are going to create the economy of the future.

This price on carbon will be—

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly proud of what our government has achieved in admitting more than 30,000 Syrian refugees in the space of less than a year. In terms of the Yazidis, my department will be conducting a mission to northern Iraq, where officials will interview potential Syrian refugees, and they will scope out the situation involving the Yazidis. We are on that job, and we certainly take it very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more tangible than targets and goals and that is exactly what is required by the Paris agreement and what is missing from the Liberals' motion.The government motion to ratify the Paris agreement does not mention anything about working with or consulting with indigenous communities. If it is a mistake, let us fix it together.Will the Prime Minister accept our amendment to include working with indigenous communities in our efforts to fight climate change?

Mr. Speaker, we do care for Canadians. That is why the first thing this government did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians. Nine million Canadians today pay less taxes because of this government. We went on to introduce the Canada child benefit, which is helping Canadian families. We then went on to enhance the Canada pension plan, or CPP, which is going to help Canadians now and in the future. This is a government that is working for middle-class families, and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, my friend Susan lives in Guelph, Ontario. She is a divorced mom. She has two kids, both in university, and she has noticed that hydro has gone up. She admits to me that she is a bit cash-strapped right now. She knows she has to get through the next four years while the girls are in university. She wants to keep the house, because they need it in order for them to go to school, but now she hears about some new taxes. She is concerned and does not understand why the government does not realize what her situation is, because if it did, it would never raise her taxes.What does the minister have to say to my friend Susan?

Mr. Speaker, how about the parties opposite listen to the job creators they care so much about?Job creators are calling on Canada to put a price on carbon emissions, as most of the world's biggest economies are doing. It is the most economically effective way to reduce emissions and stimulate clean innovation, and will be critical to Canada's success in a changing global economy.

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is a small family business without a workplace accident in 197 years. The minister said she was working with the community and the owner. There has been no contact with the owner or the community. The minister said small business has the right to compete and do well. However, it cannot compete and do well if she shuts it down. Will the minister do her job, grant an exemption from the federal labour code, and save the mill?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has that completely wrong, because the seat on the Security Council is a tool for our goal, and the goal is to have Canada fighting for inclusive growth everywhere, peace everywhere, and human rights everywhere. The seat on the UN Security Council is a tool for this goal, and it is great for Canada to have such a goal under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, carbon pricing uses the market to drive clean investment decisions. It encourages innovation and helps reduce emissions. As to the specifics of the member's question, we are listening to job creators, such as Loblaws, Canadian Tire, the big banks, Suncor, Enbridge, and Shell, who all support our decision to put a price on carbon.

Mr. Speaker, the ministers offered him an opportunity to testify before committee. That has been negotiated with the committee involved, and it will happen in the near future.

Again, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite are demonstrating how completely disconnected they are from the reality of Canadians.Canadians know that the way to build a strong economy and good jobs for the middle class, and those working hard to join it, is by being smart about the environment and by protecting it. The fact is, making sure that we are able to help the most vulnerable, to grow the economy, and to support Canadian families is at the heart of everything this government does and is at the heart of everything that party betrayed when it was in government.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, as the member highlights, for 10 years Mr. Harper did not engage with his provincial leadership, did not work with the provinces, and indeed, the lack of leadership from the federal government on the important issue of health care was alarming for provinces and for Canadians.That is why we are so pleased to have our Health minister work closely with her counterparts in the provinces to make sure that we have a health system that respects the Canada Health Act and responds to the needs of Canadians, now and in the future.

Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence remains a tragic reality for many women and girls in Canada. Statistics show that women continue to be at high risk of being victims of certain forms of violence. Experiencing violence has significant health and social impacts on the abused and their families, and it remains a significant barrier to achieving gender equality.Could the Minister of Status of Women please tell us what action the government is taking to address this issue?

Mr. Speaker, our government is determined to create a cleaner and more innovative economy, one that reduces emissions and protects our environment while creating well-paid jobs for the middle class and for those who work hard to join it.After decades of inaction and years of wasted opportunities, we are finally taking the action needed to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Scarborough Centre for her question and advocacy. Undeniably, the foundation of gender equality is the ability to live, grow, and thrive free from violence. That is why this government takes gender-based violence so seriously, and why developing a coordinated federal gender-based violence strategy is so important.Over the summer, I met with colleagues, advocates, and survivors like Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven, who are the founders of the Moose Hide Campaign, who generously shared their ideas and experiences. We cannot rest until all women and girls have the ability to succeed and thrive.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening I had a visit from Claude Lalancette, a veteran who fought bravely for us overseas. He was in tears, and he is clearly in very serious situation.He has been on a hunger strike for two days and has slept outside for two nights. The first was at the National War Memorial here in Ottawa, and the second was in front of Parliament itself. This situation concerns all members of the House. What is the Prime Minister going to do for Mr. Lalancette right now?

Mr. Speaker, after a year in office words are no longer enough. Canadians are judging the current government on results, or their absence. Of the over 40,000 Canadians deployed to Afghanistan, 158 made the ultimate sacrifice, including three brave young men from my riding of York—Simcoe. We have a solemn obligation to remember them and their service to our country.Last winter the veterans affairs minister denied he was cancelling plans for a memorial to those who served in the Afghanistan mission. He said, “rest assured it will be done.” It has been a year now. Where is the Afghanistan war memorial?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need economic growth and good jobs at the same time as we protect the environment. That is exactly what this government is showing leadership in doing, which was lacking for far too long from the previous government.What we are also guaranteeing is that this tax—

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to take this opportunity to repeat some of our commitments, as the hon. member kindly made an allusion to seniors' issues. We have signalled in the past few months how important seniors' issues are to our government. For instance, we have increased the guaranteed income supplement by up to $950 dollars per year, which is going to take 13,000 seniors out of poverty. We have also cancelled the change in the age of eligibility for old age security, which will prevent 100,000 seniors from falling into poverty.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to emphasize that our government understands that the only way to grow the economy is to do it in a sustainable way.That is why we are moving forward on what Canadians expect, a climate plan, while at the same time positioning ourselves so that we grow our economy, create clean jobs, and prepare ourselves for the future.Once again, do not listen to me; listen to the—

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister could not deny having broken his promise to present new targets, opting instead to adopt Stephen Harper's targets, which he once described as catastrophic.Today we are voting to ratify the Paris agreement, but the government's motion is missing a key requirement of the agreement, which is to set economy-wide emissions targets in absolute terms.Will the Prime Minister agree to add this key component?

Mr. Speaker, we take the health of members of the Canadian Forces and veterans very seriously. This is at the top of our list. I cannot comment on specific cases. The member will understand that is the case. However, we do have a range of programs that are in place, and I would encourage any soldiers who feel they need that program or support from Veteran Affairs to reach out.

Mr. Speaker, recognizing Canada's past contributions to peace and the dedication of the men and women who gave their lives to serve our country is a critical part of our heritage. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage please give the House details on the recently announced funding for a project honouring those who bravely fought in the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel?

Mr. Speaker, he did not say it, but he does not have to imitate it.The provinces and territories were surprised to learn that the Prime Minister refused to even respond to their request to meet and discuss the health transfers. They are now making a simple request: delay the Harper cuts by one year and retain the 6% increase for one more year.Will the Prime Minister agree, yes or no? The question is simple, and we want a straight answer for once.

Mr. Speaker, in fact, it is because we are re-engaging with China that we have an opportunity to make progress on human rights in China. Every human being has the same dignity and we need to be there to speak about universal human rights in China. The Prime Minister never misses an opportunity to do that, and neither do I, because it is the only approach to make progress.

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of this government's mandate, we have been working hand-in-hand with indigenous communities, understanding the true reconciliation, the nation-to-nation partnership that is necessary with indigenous peoples. Indeed, when we gathered for the first federal-provincial-territorial meeting in Ottawa, we included indigenous leaders. We did the same again in Vancouver. We will work together with indigenous leadership on all important files, especially around climate change.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with the work that our government has done with indigenous people, with northern peoples. On Monday, I had the opportunity to hear representatives from the Inuit organization as well as other indigenous and Métis organizations. We are committed to working with our northern peoples, with indigenous peoples, because they are the most impacted by climate change. That is why we are very excited today that we are actually taking action. I expect that the party opposite, which is so concerned about the plight of indigenous and northern people, will support the Paris agreement in tonight's vote.

Mr. Speaker, those ministers met with Mr. Lalancette in good faith, and they offered him the opportunity to testify before committee as a witness. That is what he has been offered and he agreed to that.Now there are issues that require extra work and extra diligence, and the department is involved—

Mr. Speaker, another friend of mine, Marie, has three boys—

Mr. Speaker, I would like to let the members of the House know that just this morning at the veterans stakeholders' meeting, the stakeholders were briefed about the options available for an Afghanistan monument. The discussions are under way, and we will move forward as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I salute the hon. member's young friend for her implication in Canadian politics.I would say, as regards the TPP, that we have heard, we are consulting, and we are still consulting as a government. We have heard a number of different opinions that vary from strong support to strong critique. When we are in a position to move forward on that file, the government will ask the House to ratify anything or approve anything that we do. However, for the time being, we have not yet made a decision on that.

Mr. Speaker, there are only seven days left before the deadline and there is still no softwood lumber agreement in sight. Yesterday, the Minister of International Trade was unable to tell us whether the government was working on a plan B to support the forestry industry.Forestry workers, whose jobs are in jeopardy, are wondering whether the government will support them.In the event of a dispute will the government support the industry, for example, by establishing an emergency loan guarantee program? Yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, we have been seeking a renewed relationship with first nations since day one. The minister is aware of this matter. We recently met with first nations representatives to discuss it. We are determined to remain engaged with first nations.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question and his advocacy on this.We have every confidence that the independent commissioners have the background, characteristics, and experience necessary to lead this inquiry and to incorporate the distinct voices of Inuit people. One of the commissioners was raised in Igloolik, speaks fluent Inuktitut, and will bring an important perspective to this commission. The commission has the power to create regional advisory committees to support cultural differences and distinctions-based approaches, including an Inuit advisory committee.

Mr. Speaker, health ministers across the country will be meeting in a few weeks to discuss how we can improve and protect our health system everywhere in Canada. It is important that the ministers be able to do their job. We believe in government by cabinet, and I have great confidence in my Minister of Health.

Mr. Speaker, the member will recognize that the document was dated the day after we were sworn in.First nations deserve the best start in life, and this begins with properly funding education. That is why budget 2016 provided $3.7 billion over five years for kindergarten to grade 12 first nations, which includes providing $824.1 million to implement first nations-led transformation in education and 118 school-related infrastructure programs.We will work nation to nation to ensure the goals set by first nations are achieved and first nations-led initiatives are supported.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question, because it gives me an opportunity to indicate that the number of green jobs under the Canada summer jobs program was well over 2,000, and counting as we do a survey. As well, by providing significant opportunities for young people to gain post-secondary education through our increased grants and our work with them to enhance co-ops and work placements, young people in Canada will finally have a chance to get into the workforce as we need them to.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question.All options will be considered. For months, there has been unprecedented co-operation with producers, industry workers, and the provinces and territories. We will continue to work closely with them.Even today, the minister is in Toronto meeting with her American counterpart, Michael Froman, and forestry industry representatives from across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the worst thing for Canadians, our seniors, and all Canadian workers is the invention and introduction of a new tax. That is exactly what the Prime Minister announced last Monday in the House of Commons, even though he should have been working with the provinces and even though three environment ministers walked out of the meeting.Can the Prime Minister rise and acknowledge that inventing and imposing a new tax is the worst thing for Canadians? Why is he taking money out of taxpayers' pockets?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister accidentally told the truth, that this is a tax. He should listen to the director general of the Windsor mission, who said, “People have actually come in with their hydro bill in one hand and said 'If you can help me with food, then I can pay for some of this hydro bill before it gets cut off.'"The Liberal Green Energy Act has hammered Ontario's poor with skyrocketing electricity prices. Now the federal Liberal carbon tax will do the same to heating, gas, and grocery bills. Why is the Prime Minister forcing the poor to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families?

Mr. Speaker, another promise made, another promise broken. Over 3,000 mothers were denied sickness benefits under the Harper government, but during the election campaign, the Liberals promised they would drop all federal opposition to their class action lawsuit. These women have waited and waited and waited, and had nothing from the government.Instead of spending millions fighting them in court, when will the government give these women the benefits they deserve?

Mr. Speaker, there are only seven days left before the deadline and there is still no softwood lumber agreement in sight. Yesterday, the Minister of International Trade was unable to tell us whether the government was working on a plan B to support the forestry industry.Forestry workers, whose jobs are in jeopardy, are wondering whether the government will support them.In the event of a dispute will the government support the industry, for example, by establishing an emergency loan guarantee program? Yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what Kathleen Wynne said about the Liberal Green Energy Act. Yet while the poor have hit the food bank, Liberals insiders have hit the jackpot, including former Liberal Party president, Mike Crawley, whose company got a half-billion-dollar green energy contract. The federal Liberals have a similar, regressive tax that will raise heat, gas, and grocery bills and give billionaire insiders green hand-outs to pay for it.Why is the Prime Minister taking from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?

Mr. Speaker, I have travelled the country, and everywhere I go Canadians are speaking out against the TPP. After having her letters repeatedly ignored, today, 12-year old Jada Malott has travelled from Windsor to bring her message right to the Prime Minister. She represents the generation that will have to live with the consequences of ratifying this bad deal: lost jobs, higher drug costs, and ISDS rules that will threaten our environmental laws. Why does the Prime Minister refuse to listen to Canadians like Jada, who do not want to pay for this bad deal?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not trust any of the provinces or territories. The Prime Minister has no idea how badly this carbon tax will impact hard-working Canadians. Northerners, farmers, the unemployed, and seniors on fixed incomes just cannot afford this, yet he still believes the only way to protect the environment is to increase taxes on these Canadians, the most vulnerable. Does the Prime Minister not realize that misguided tax increases actually hurt Canadian families who struggle to pay their bills every single month?

Mr. Speaker, once again, those are fine words, but the reality is quite different. The government is taking the wrong path.A new tax is the worst thing that can happen to our job creators, our SMEs, and others who know what it means to create real jobs, and yet that is precisely the wrong path that this government is taking.Will the government acknowledge one thing? Imposing a tax is definitely not the way to go about creating jobs. Have you ever seen any jobs created because of a tax? We have not.

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is a small family business without a workplace accident in 197 years. The minister said she was working with the community and the owner. There has been no contact with the owner or the community. The minister said small business has the right to compete and do well. However, it cannot compete and do well if she shuts it down. Will the minister do her job, grant an exemption from the federal labour code, and save the mill?

Mr. Speaker, that response is troubling and unbelievable. It is hard to imagine that China, a nation that bullies everyone around it, might wind up in charge of UN peacekeepers, forces meant to maintain peace around the world.If China's efforts to win that coveted position are successful, all peacekeeping and civilian protection operations will be left up to the country with the worst human rights record. It is absurd. Do the Liberals support China's bid?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are pessimistic about the Prime Minister's announcement. He tried to sugarcoat it by renaming his new tax, but everyone knows it is a carbon tax. This is pretty bad news for taxpayers, who are already paying enough.Will the Prime Minister promise Canadians that the cost of groceries, gas, and heating will not go up because of his new carbon tax? Can he give them that guarantee today?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister falsely promised the Canadian middle class a family tax cut. Earlier this week, he dropped a bombshell on Canadians by imposing a massive carbon tax on them. This tax grab has not only completely wiped out the Prime Minister's so-called middle-class tax cut, it will seriously impact low- and middle-income Canadians through higher gas, heating, and electricity bills. My question is for the Prime Minister. Why the attack on working Canadians, and why the betrayal of his promise to lower taxes for Canadian families?

Mr. Speaker, the NDP always likes to talk about targets and goals without ever talking about plans to achieve them or tangible things we need to do in order to protect the environment while creating economic growth.The NDP likes to talk about the environment, but it does not know how to create jobs for the middle class or help businesses succeed in a new world. That is why we are doing something tangible to show that Canada is serious about reducing emissions and creating economic growth that helps everyone. The members opposite are unable to do that.

Mr. Speaker, brutal incarceration, torture, and executions are among the regular practices of the Chinese government. China now has its eyes on the UN's top peacekeeping job. It wants to take control of UN peacekeeping and rewrite the rules of the game. Will the Prime Minister be supporting his favourite dictatorship's bid to take control of UN peacekeeping and, ultimately, command of Canadian troops?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister could not deny having broken his promise to present new targets, opting instead to adopt Stephen Harper's targets, which he once described as catastrophic.Today we are voting to ratify the Paris agreement, but the government's motion is missing a key requirement of the agreement, which is to set economy-wide emissions targets in absolute terms.Will the Prime Minister agree to add this key component?

Mr. Speaker, industries like Entropex in my riding are closing, and others like CF Industries are already cancelling their expansions as a result of the Ontario Liberal carbon tax. Nova Chemicals is considering moving a $2 billion polyethylene project to the gulf coast where there are no job-killing carbon taxes. This additional federal carbon tax and the uncertainty around it will keep new businesses from choosing to do business here. When will the Liberals stop taking jobs away from everyday Canadians?

This price on carbon will be—

Mr. Speaker, we have guaranteed that this price on carbon will be revenue neutral for the federal government, and it will be up to the provinces to determine how they choose to reimburse their citizens for this progress on the environment and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, another friend of mine, Marie, has three boys—

Mr. Speaker, in fact, it is because we are re-engaging with China that we have an opportunity to make progress on human rights in China. Every human being has the same dignity and we need to be there to speak about universal human rights in China. The Prime Minister never misses an opportunity to do that, and neither do I, because it is the only approach to make progress.

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations is not referring Yazidi refugees to Canada, but the government is blindly relying on it to provide names for its refugee initiative. At last count, only a few dozen Yazidis have come to Canada. Moreover, Operation Ezra has many Yazidi families identified and waiting to come to Canada, and the minister keeps promising them in phone calls that they will processed, but none has been.It is our moral duty to help the Yazidi victims of genocide. Why is the government ignoring it?

Mr. Speaker, according to Cindy Blackstock, the Liberal government shortchanges first nations students by $130 million this year in foster care under Harper's plan. On education, the Prime Minister promised $2.6 billion over four years to first nations students. An INAC document showed the minister was given the plan to follow through on this promise, but the Liberals once again decided to pull the football out from under first nations children. They stretched that promise past the next election, shortchanging children by $800 million.When it comes to priorities, why squeeze money from children suffering under this broken system?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday on CBC, we heard about how the price of gas and heating oil will go up 11¢ a litre and 14¢ a litre, respectively. The government cannot make any promises about prices not going up.A tax on carbon means more money taken out of the pockets of Canadians. The Prime Minister is trying to sugar-coat the reality by saying it is “carbon pricing”, but Canadians are not fooled. This is a new tax. This is bad news for Canadians. They already pay their share of taxes. Will the Prime Minister guarantee Canadians today that the price of their groceries, gas, or heating will not go up because of this new tax?

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The government has kept its promise and launched a much needed and long overdue national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. The minister has appointed a commission to lead this inquiry, and although all of its members are extremely qualified, Inuit organizations have said they are concerned by the lack of Inuk representation. The minister has committed to including the Inuit perspective. Could she explain exactly how the Inuit perspective is going to be considered?

Mr. Speaker, we take the health of members of the Canadian Forces and veterans very seriously. This is at the top of our list. I cannot comment on specific cases. The member will understand that is the case. However, we do have a range of programs that are in place, and I would encourage any soldiers who feel they need that program or support from Veteran Affairs to reach out.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is committed to reviewing the services offered to children and families on reserves and working with first nations to reform those services.We know that the system is broken, as illustrated by the damning report issued by the British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth. We must take into account the comments of young people when transforming the system and incorporate their experiences into any new approach.

Mr. Speaker, we do care for Canadians. That is why the first thing this government did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians. Nine million Canadians today pay less taxes because of this government. We went on to introduce the Canada child benefit, which is helping Canadian families. We then went on to enhance the Canada pension plan, or CPP, which is going to help Canadians now and in the future. This is a government that is working for middle-class families, and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit much coming from the party that voted against the lowering of taxes on the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1%, a party that continues to think it is better to send child benefit cheques to millionaires than to increase those cheques for the lowest income families.The fact is this government is focused on helping the middle class and on those working so hard to join the middle class, and we will remain so, despite the fearmongering from the other side.

Mr. Speaker, the ministers offered him an opportunity to testify before committee. That has been negotiated with the committee involved, and it will happen in the near future.

Mr. Speaker, later today we will be voting on the ratification of the Paris agreement, and I cannot help but wonder about Liberal efforts to help our young people. The Prime Minister promised 5,000 green jobs for young people, but fewer than a third that many have been created. The Liberals promised an EI premium holiday for employers that hire young people, but that measure was not even included in the budget. The youth unemployment rate is still too high.My question is for the Minister of Youth, who also happens to be the Prime Minister. How does he plan to create green jobs and address youth unemployment?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Toronto—Danforth for her question. Our government is committed to helping families make better food choices. We will introduce new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. That is in addition to our commitment to improve labelling and bring in legislation to eliminate trans fats and reduce salt in processed foods.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Scarborough Centre for her question and advocacy. Undeniably, the foundation of gender equality is the ability to live, grow, and thrive free from violence. That is why this government takes gender-based violence so seriously, and why developing a coordinated federal gender-based violence strategy is so important.Over the summer, I met with colleagues, advocates, and survivors like Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven, who are the founders of the Moose Hide Campaign, who generously shared their ideas and experiences. We cannot rest until all women and girls have the ability to succeed and thrive.

Mr. Speaker, out of those 30,000 refugees, nine cases were Yazidis, and that is unacceptable. Nadia Murad came to Canada to beg our government for help. She has called for help for Yazidis who are also being discriminated against by UN agents in refugee camps in Greece and Turkey.My question is for the Prime Minister. When he asked Nadia Murad for a photo opportunity in New York last week, what was it like to look into her eyes, see that haunted look, and tell her why he was not helping the Yazidi people?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about improving the lives of indigenous Canadians, but their actions are telling a very different story. They do not realize that food costs are already double in the north. A loaf of bread and a litre of milk cost double what we pay down here. This new tax is going to find its way into everything they buy every day.I have a more simple question. Have the Liberals done their homework, and will they table the costs that this will create for every indigenous community in this country?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has that completely wrong, because the seat on the Security Council is a tool for our goal, and the goal is to have Canada fighting for inclusive growth everywhere, peace everywhere, and human rights everywhere. The seat on the UN Security Council is a tool for this goal, and it is great for Canada to have such a goal under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question, because it gives me an opportunity to indicate that the number of green jobs under the Canada summer jobs program was well over 2,000, and counting as we do a survey. As well, by providing significant opportunities for young people to gain post-secondary education through our increased grants and our work with them to enhance co-ops and work placements, young people in Canada will finally have a chance to get into the workforce as we need them to.

Mr. Speaker, the government seems to have forgotten the reality for remote, indigenous, and rural communities. Their food comes in by boat, by plane, and by ice road, and many of the communities use diesel-powered generators to keep the lights on. Communities that can least afford it are the ones that are going to be most impacted by this carbon tax.How can the government justify raising the high cost of living that is already there for our rural and remote communities?

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the member for giving me the opportunity to say how concerned all members of the House are by the difficult circumstances some of our families find themselves in. I will have an important announcement to make on that matter soon. I just want to repeat that in the campaign, our government promised that it would be looking into EI special benefits, including maternity, parental, and compassionate care benefits.

Mr. Speaker, our government is determined to create a cleaner and more innovative economy, one that reduces emissions and protects our environment while creating well-paid jobs for the middle class and for those who work hard to join it.After decades of inaction and years of wasted opportunities, we are finally taking the action needed to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard very poignantly about the high cost of living in the north. Just this week we heard from indigenous leaders, from Inuit leaders, who talked about how we need to tackle climate change, how we need to take action to protect their future, and how we need to be mindful of the circumstances in the north. Our government has made the commitment. If the party members opposite would like to read the Vancouver declaration, which we are supporting in tonight's vote, they would see it is very clear that we recognize the conditions of indigenous people and northern people. Once again, I hope they will support tonight's motion and vote in favour of the Paris agreement and the Vancouver declaration.

Mr. Speaker, this year we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel in France. Our government is committed to honouring the soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who were killed in this brutal battle in the First World War. For this reason, we are investing $1 million in The Rooms, a beautiful museum in St. John's. Through online and on-site exhibitions, we will have the opportunity to learn more about the valour and the courage displayed by the young men of Newfoundland and Labrador in this—

Mr. Speaker, carbon pricing uses the market to drive clean investment decisions. It encourages innovation and helps reduce emissions. As to the specifics of the member's question, we are listening to job creators, such as Loblaws, Canadian Tire, the big banks, Suncor, Enbridge, and Shell, who all support our decision to put a price on carbon.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to emphasize that our government understands that the only way to grow the economy is to do it in a sustainable way.That is why we are moving forward on what Canadians expect, a climate plan, while at the same time positioning ourselves so that we grow our economy, create clean jobs, and prepare ourselves for the future.Once again, do not listen to me; listen to the—

Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence remains a tragic reality for many women and girls in Canada. Statistics show that women continue to be at high risk of being victims of certain forms of violence. Experiencing violence has significant health and social impacts on the abused and their families, and it remains a significant barrier to achieving gender equality.Could the Minister of Status of Women please tell us what action the government is taking to address this issue?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening I had a visit from Claude Lalancette, a veteran who fought bravely for us overseas. He was in tears, and he is clearly in very serious situation.He has been on a hunger strike for two days and has slept outside for two nights. The first was at the National War Memorial here in Ottawa, and the second was in front of Parliament itself. This situation concerns all members of the House. What is the Prime Minister going to do for Mr. Lalancette right now?

Mr. Speaker, at the time, the Minister of Justice was on the same side as the Assembly of First Nations in the fight to put an end to systemic discrimination against first nations children.One has to wonder what happened between October 19 and 20, 2015, because the minister is now unrecognizable. I am giving her another chance to do something other than adopt the old, woefully unacceptable plan presented by Stephen Harper.Can the minister tell us whether her government intends to fulfill its legal obligation to first nations children?

Mr. Speaker, recognizing Canada's past contributions to peace and the dedication of the men and women who gave their lives to serve our country is a critical part of our heritage. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage please give the House details on the recently announced funding for a project honouring those who bravely fought in the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for her passion in supporting business. If she really wants to support business, she should understand that the environment and the economy come together, and that is what we are doing.Let us go back to job creators—job creators like the Royal Bank, Tembec, Loblaws, Desjardins, Telus, the Aluminum Association of Canada, as well as other businesses. They have supported our plan to put a price on pollution because they recognize that is how we are going to create good jobs, how we are going to foster innovation, and how we are going to create the economy of the future.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need economic growth and good jobs at the same time as we protect the environment. That is exactly what this government is showing leadership in doing, which was lacking for far too long from the previous government.What we are also guaranteeing is that this tax—

Mr. Speaker, after a year in office words are no longer enough. Canadians are judging the current government on results, or their absence. Of the over 40,000 Canadians deployed to Afghanistan, 158 made the ultimate sacrifice, including three brave young men from my riding of York—Simcoe. We have a solemn obligation to remember them and their service to our country.Last winter the veterans affairs minister denied he was cancelling plans for a memorial to those who served in the Afghanistan mission. He said, “rest assured it will be done.” It has been a year now. Where is the Afghanistan war memorial?

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly proud of what our government has achieved in admitting more than 30,000 Syrian refugees in the space of less than a year. In terms of the Yazidis, my department will be conducting a mission to northern Iraq, where officials will interview potential Syrian refugees, and they will scope out the situation involving the Yazidis. We are on that job, and we certainly take it very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, my friend Susan lives in Guelph, Ontario. She is a divorced mom. She has two kids, both in university, and she has noticed that hydro has gone up. She admits to me that she is a bit cash-strapped right now. She knows she has to get through the next four years while the girls are in university. She wants to keep the house, because they need it in order for them to go to school, but now she hears about some new taxes. She is concerned and does not understand why the government does not realize what her situation is, because if it did, it would never raise her taxes.What does the minister have to say to my friend Susan?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we are going to create economic growth by creating new jobs in many sectors across the country.We are going to give the provinces the capacity to help those who need it. The federal government helped those in need by lowering taxes for the middle class, while increasing taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians.That is the kind of thing Canadians expect of their government. It is unfortunate that, once again, the members of the Conservative Party do not understand how to either grow the economy or protect the environment.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's hand-picked ambassador to the UN has made no secret that he is willing to play politics to gain a UN Security Council seat. The centrepiece to this horse-trading, of course, is our 600 Canadian troops. China wants to take control of all UN peacekeepers. China's abysmal human rights record and its sabre-rattling in the South China Sea show that its no partner for peace.Is a Security Council seat worth putting our troops under the command of the Chinese dictatorship?

Mr. Speaker, he did not say it, but he does not have to imitate it.The provinces and territories were surprised to learn that the Prime Minister refused to even respond to their request to meet and discuss the health transfers. They are now making a simple request: delay the Harper cuts by one year and retain the 6% increase for one more year.Will the Prime Minister agree, yes or no? The question is simple, and we want a straight answer for once.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question and his advocacy on this.We have every confidence that the independent commissioners have the background, characteristics, and experience necessary to lead this inquiry and to incorporate the distinct voices of Inuit people. One of the commissioners was raised in Igloolik, speaks fluent Inuktitut, and will bring an important perspective to this commission. The commission has the power to create regional advisory committees to support cultural differences and distinctions-based approaches, including an Inuit advisory committee.

Mr. Speaker, jobs in my riding are being put at risk by the Liberal carbon tax. More than a third of families in my riding depend on jobs in the energy industry to put food on their table.What does the Prime Minister have to say to hard-working mums and dads who are seeing their neighbours' jobs eliminated and thinking they are next?

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of this government's mandate, we have been working hand-in-hand with indigenous communities, understanding the true reconciliation, the nation-to-nation partnership that is necessary with indigenous peoples. Indeed, when we gathered for the first federal-provincial-territorial meeting in Ottawa, we included indigenous leaders. We did the same again in Vancouver. We will work together with indigenous leadership on all important files, especially around climate change.

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more tangible than targets and goals and that is exactly what is required by the Paris agreement and what is missing from the Liberals' motion.The government motion to ratify the Paris agreement does not mention anything about working with or consulting with indigenous communities. If it is a mistake, let us fix it together.Will the Prime Minister accept our amendment to include working with indigenous communities in our efforts to fight climate change?

Again, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite are demonstrating how completely disconnected they are from the reality of Canadians.Canadians know that the way to build a strong economy and good jobs for the middle class, and those working hard to join it, is by being smart about the environment and by protecting it. The fact is, making sure that we are able to help the most vulnerable, to grow the economy, and to support Canadian families is at the heart of everything this government does and is at the heart of everything that party betrayed when it was in government.

Mr. Speaker, I guess that was a yes. The Liberal platform mentions working with provinces 35 times, and that approach was appealing to Canadians after a decade of the antagonistic Stephen Harper form of federalism, but without even sitting down with the provinces, the Liberal government adopted Stephen Harper's cuts to health care transfers.Before the election, whenever the Prime Minister was specifically asked about Harper's health care cuts, he said he would not make any changes without first talking to the provinces.What happened to that promise?

Mr. Speaker, this summer I spent a lot of time talking to my constituents at farmers' markets and community activities all over my riding.One of the concerns they raised most often was about how junk foods and sugary drinks are marketed to children. I believe Quebec already has a law to address this health issue. Can the Minister of Health tell the House what her department is doing to stop this practice?

Mr. Speaker, we have been seeking a renewed relationship with first nations since day one. The minister is aware of this matter. We recently met with first nations representatives to discuss it. We are determined to remain engaged with first nations.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to let the members of the House know that just this morning at the veterans stakeholders' meeting, the stakeholders were briefed about the options available for an Afghanistan monument. The discussions are under way, and we will move forward as quickly as possible.

Are you kidding me? You're laughing.My friend, Marie, has three boys. Her husband just went on disability. They have a hard time making ends meet. She is trying to deal with it as best she can, but the money is just not there. Now she hears about more taxes.The reality is that the van has to be filled up to take the boys to hockey, so which one of the boys does not get to play hockey next year is the question. She does not understand why the government does not realize she has a tough situation, because if it did, it would not raise her taxes.What comfort does the government have to give her?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with the work that our government has done with indigenous people, with northern peoples. On Monday, I had the opportunity to hear representatives from the Inuit organization as well as other indigenous and Métis organizations. We are committed to working with our northern peoples, with indigenous peoples, because they are the most impacted by climate change. That is why we are very excited today that we are actually taking action. I expect that the party opposite, which is so concerned about the plight of indigenous and northern people, will support the Paris agreement in tonight's vote.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, veteran Claude Lalancette restarted his hunger strike on the steps of Parliament Hill. This veteran has served our country proudly and has had to resort to repeated hunger strikes to get help.After his first hunger strike, the Liberals promised him a committee of veterans, civilians, and experts; then only days later, they reneged on that promise.In his own words he feels misused and misled, stating “They only used me for a photo op”.Is the Prime Minister aware that three of his ministers made a promise to Mr. Lalancette that they had no intention of keeping?

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to take this opportunity to repeat some of our commitments, as the hon. member kindly made an allusion to seniors' issues. We have signalled in the past few months how important seniors' issues are to our government. For instance, we have increased the guaranteed income supplement by up to $950 dollars per year, which is going to take 13,000 seniors out of poverty. We have also cancelled the change in the age of eligibility for old age security, which will prevent 100,000 seniors from falling into poverty.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her passion, which enables me to give specific details on the Canada child benefit. This is the most significant social policy innovation in a generation. It is going to take the families of 500,000 people in Canada, 300,000 of them children, out of poverty. It will lead to the largest reduction in child poverty ever in our history, which will lead to the lowest level of child poverty ever known in our nation.

Mr. Speaker, those ministers met with Mr. Lalancette in good faith, and they offered him the opportunity to testify before committee as a witness. That is what he has been offered and he agreed to that.Now there are issues that require extra work and extra diligence, and the department is involved—

Mr. Speaker, I salute the hon. member's young friend for her implication in Canadian politics.I would say, as regards the TPP, that we have heard, we are consulting, and we are still consulting as a government. We have heard a number of different opinions that vary from strong support to strong critique. When we are in a position to move forward on that file, the government will ask the House to ratify anything or approve anything that we do. However, for the time being, we have not yet made a decision on that.

Mr. Speaker, it was great to be negotiating the Paris agreement with the member opposite. I am very excited to see how he is going to vote on it today.In an interview with CP yesterday, the Conservative environment critic lauded the B.C. Liberal government for using a price on carbon pollution to cut income taxes and other taxes. Then he said the problem is that other provinces are not committed to acting responsibly. I am delighted that he has endorsed the B.C. Liberal government's approach. Given that B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec already have a price on carbon pollution, could he let us know what province he does not trust?

Mr. Speaker, Canada's goal is to ensure that peacekeeping operations are carried out in a manner that protects civilians, which is why we want to be involved. For too long, Canada remained on the sidelines. If we want those operations to better protect people and promote peace, Canada must be there on its own terms and conditions. That is what we will do, along with the minister responsible for the Canadian Armed Forces. We are committed to ensuring that our troops are only deployed under conditions that correspond to our values and convictions.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, as the member highlights, for 10 years Mr. Harper did not engage with his provincial leadership, did not work with the provinces, and indeed, the lack of leadership from the federal government on the important issue of health care was alarming for provinces and for Canadians.That is why we are so pleased to have our Health minister work closely with her counterparts in the provinces to make sure that we have a health system that respects the Canada Health Act and responds to the needs of Canadians, now and in the future.

Mr. Speaker, how about the parties opposite listen to the job creators they care so much about?Job creators are calling on Canada to put a price on carbon emissions, as most of the world's biggest economies are doing. It is the most economically effective way to reduce emissions and stimulate clean innovation, and will be critical to Canada's success in a changing global economy.

Mr. Speaker, we support the Paris agreement. In fact, we agree that it is a tax, but we do not believe it should be imposed on Canadians.The very idea of imposing a tax is very Liberal. The Liberals want more money so they can make the government even bigger, and then prove how good they are by giving Canadians their money back.Why not just leave that money in their pockets in the first place? Will the Prime Minister guarantee to the House today that the cost of living will not go up as a result of his new carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question.All options will be considered. For months, there has been unprecedented co-operation with producers, industry workers, and the provinces and territories. We will continue to work closely with them.Even today, the minister is in Toronto meeting with her American counterpart, Michael Froman, and forestry industry representatives from across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the goal of the labour department is to ensure that Canadians have a safe workplace and can all come home safe and sound. The goal was to ensure that all workplaces are safe. The Arva Flour Mill was inspected by a labour department inspector and found to be deficient in a number of areas. The owners of the mill are working with inspectors and others to rectify the situation.

Mr. Speaker, the member will recognize that the document was dated the day after we were sworn in.First nations deserve the best start in life, and this begins with properly funding education. That is why budget 2016 provided $3.7 billion over five years for kindergarten to grade 12 first nations, which includes providing $824.1 million to implement first nations-led transformation in education and 118 school-related infrastructure programs.We will work nation to nation to ensure the goals set by first nations are achieved and first nations-led initiatives are supported.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we need to grow the economy and create good jobs while protecting the environment. That is exactly what we have been working on since coming to power.I want to make it clear to the hon. member that our approach is neutral. It will be up to the provinces to decide how to redistribute that money to the people.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to end Harper's legal battles that discriminated against first nations. It has been seven years since the Supreme Court granted five Nuu-chah-nulth first nations the right to catch and sell fish.However, lawyers for the Minister of Justice continue to argue that these aboriginal rights should be restricted and minimized.Now the hereditary chiefs have taken unprecedented action, dismissed government officials, and told the Prime Minister he is no longer welcome on their lands. Will the Liberals finally act and honour their promise to negotiate fairly?

Mr. Speaker, health ministers across the country will be meeting in a few weeks to discuss how we can improve and protect our health system everywhere in Canada. It is important that the ministers be able to do their job. We believe in government by cabinet, and I have great confidence in my Minister of Health.

Mr. Speaker, we do not know how many Yazidi refugees have come to Canada, because when refugees come to Canada, we do not ask them their ethnicity or their religion. We do not discriminate by religion or ethnicity. What I do know is that we have admitted more than 30,000 Syrian refugees and we are taking concrete steps to pursue options in terms of the Yazidi refugees.

Mr. Speaker, we do not know how many Yazidi refugees have come to Canada, because when refugees come to Canada, we do not ask them their ethnicity or their religion. We do not discriminate by religion or ethnicity. What I do know is that we have admitted more than 30,000 Syrian refugees and we are taking concrete steps to pursue options in terms of the Yazidi refugees.

Mr. Speaker, health ministers across the country will be meeting in a few weeks to discuss how we can improve and protect our health system everywhere in Canada. It is important that the ministers be able to do their job. We believe in government by cabinet, and I have great confidence in my Minister of Health.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to end Harper's legal battles that discriminated against first nations. It has been seven years since the Supreme Court granted five Nuu-chah-nulth first nations the right to catch and sell fish.However, lawyers for the Minister of Justice continue to argue that these aboriginal rights should be restricted and minimized.Now the hereditary chiefs have taken unprecedented action, dismissed government officials, and told the Prime Minister he is no longer welcome on their lands. Will the Liberals finally act and honour their promise to negotiate fairly?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we need to grow the economy and create good jobs while protecting the environment. That is exactly what we have been working on since coming to power.I want to make it clear to the hon. member that our approach is neutral. It will be up to the provinces to decide how to redistribute that money to the people.

Mr. Speaker, the member will recognize that the document was dated the day after we were sworn in.First nations deserve the best start in life, and this begins with properly funding education. That is why budget 2016 provided $3.7 billion over five years for kindergarten to grade 12 first nations, which includes providing $824.1 million to implement first nations-led transformation in education and 118 school-related infrastructure programs.We will work nation to nation to ensure the goals set by first nations are achieved and first nations-led initiatives are supported.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question.All options will be considered. For months, there has been unprecedented co-operation with producers, industry workers, and the provinces and territories. We will continue to work closely with them.Even today, the minister is in Toronto meeting with her American counterpart, Michael Froman, and forestry industry representatives from across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the goal of the labour department is to ensure that Canadians have a safe workplace and can all come home safe and sound. The goal was to ensure that all workplaces are safe. The Arva Flour Mill was inspected by a labour department inspector and found to be deficient in a number of areas. The owners of the mill are working with inspectors and others to rectify the situation.

Mr. Speaker, we support the Paris agreement. In fact, we agree that it is a tax, but we do not believe it should be imposed on Canadians.The very idea of imposing a tax is very Liberal. The Liberals want more money so they can make the government even bigger, and then prove how good they are by giving Canadians their money back.Why not just leave that money in their pockets in the first place? Will the Prime Minister guarantee to the House today that the cost of living will not go up as a result of his new carbon tax?

Mr. Speaker, how about the parties opposite listen to the job creators they care so much about?Job creators are calling on Canada to put a price on carbon emissions, as most of the world's biggest economies are doing. It is the most economically effective way to reduce emissions and stimulate clean innovation, and will be critical to Canada's success in a changing global economy.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, as the member highlights, for 10 years Mr. Harper did not engage with his provincial leadership, did not work with the provinces, and indeed, the lack of leadership from the federal government on the important issue of health care was alarming for provinces and for Canadians.That is why we are so pleased to have our Health minister work closely with her counterparts in the provinces to make sure that we have a health system that respects the Canada Health Act and responds to the needs of Canadians, now and in the future.

Mr. Speaker, Canada's goal is to ensure that peacekeeping operations are carried out in a manner that protects civilians, which is why we want to be involved. For too long, Canada remained on the sidelines. If we want those operations to better protect people and promote peace, Canada must be there on its own terms and conditions. That is what we will do, along with the minister responsible for the Canadian Armed Forces. We are committed to ensuring that our troops are only deployed under conditions that correspond to our values and convictions.

Mr. Speaker, it was great to be negotiating the Paris agreement with the member opposite. I am very excited to see how he is going to vote on it today.In an interview with CP yesterday, the Conservative environment critic lauded the B.C. Liberal government for using a price on carbon pollution to cut income taxes and other taxes. Then he said the problem is that other provinces are not committed to acting responsibly. I am delighted that he has endorsed the B.C. Liberal government's approach. Given that B.C., Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec already have a price on carbon pollution, could he let us know what province he does not trust?

Mr. Speaker, I salute the hon. member's young friend for her implication in Canadian politics.I would say, as regards the TPP, that we have heard, we are consulting, and we are still consulting as a government. We have heard a number of different opinions that vary from strong support to strong critique. When we are in a position to move forward on that file, the government will ask the House to ratify anything or approve anything that we do. However, for the time being, we have not yet made a decision on that.

Mr. Speaker, those ministers met with Mr. Lalancette in good faith, and they offered him the opportunity to testify before committee as a witness. That is what he has been offered and he agreed to that.Now there are issues that require extra work and extra diligence, and the department is involved—

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her passion, which enables me to give specific details on the Canada child benefit. This is the most significant social policy innovation in a generation. It is going to take the families of 500,000 people in Canada, 300,000 of them children, out of poverty. It will lead to the largest reduction in child poverty ever in our history, which will lead to the lowest level of child poverty ever known in our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to take this opportunity to repeat some of our commitments, as the hon. member kindly made an allusion to seniors' issues. We have signalled in the past few months how important seniors' issues are to our government. For instance, we have increased the guaranteed income supplement by up to $950 dollars per year, which is going to take 13,000 seniors out of poverty. We have also cancelled the change in the age of eligibility for old age security, which will prevent 100,000 seniors from falling into poverty.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, veteran Claude Lalancette restarted his hunger strike on the steps of Parliament Hill. This veteran has served our country proudly and has had to resort to repeated hunger strikes to get help.After his first hunger strike, the Liberals promised him a committee of veterans, civilians, and experts; then only days later, they reneged on that promise.In his own words he feels misused and misled, stating “They only used me for a photo op”.Is the Prime Minister aware that three of his ministers made a promise to Mr. Lalancette that they had no intention of keeping?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with the work that our government has done with indigenous people, with northern peoples. On Monday, I had the opportunity to hear representatives from the Inuit organization as well as other indigenous and Métis organizations. We are committed to working with our northern peoples, with indigenous peoples, because they are the most impacted by climate change. That is why we are very excited today that we are actually taking action. I expect that the party opposite, which is so concerned about the plight of indigenous and northern people, will support the Paris agreement in tonight's vote.

Are you kidding me? You're laughing.My friend, Marie, has three boys. Her husband just went on disability. They have a hard time making ends meet. She is trying to deal with it as best she can, but the money is just not there. Now she hears about more taxes.The reality is that the van has to be filled up to take the boys to hockey, so which one of the boys does not get to play hockey next year is the question. She does not understand why the government does not realize she has a tough situation, because if it did, it would not raise her taxes.What comfort does the government have to give her?

Mr. Speaker, this summer I spent a lot of time talking to my constituents at farmers' markets and community activities all over my riding.One of the concerns they raised most often was about how junk foods and sugary drinks are marketed to children. I believe Quebec already has a law to address this health issue. Can the Minister of Health tell the House what her department is doing to stop this practice?

Mr. Speaker, we have been seeking a renewed relationship with first nations since day one. The minister is aware of this matter. We recently met with first nations representatives to discuss it. We are determined to remain engaged with first nations.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to let the members of the House know that just this morning at the veterans stakeholders' meeting, the stakeholders were briefed about the options available for an Afghanistan monument. The discussions are under way, and we will move forward as quickly as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I guess that was a yes. The Liberal platform mentions working with provinces 35 times, and that approach was appealing to Canadians after a decade of the antagonistic Stephen Harper form of federalism, but without even sitting down with the provinces, the Liberal government adopted Stephen Harper's cuts to health care transfers.Before the election, whenever the Prime Minister was specifically asked about Harper's health care cuts, he said he would not make any changes without first talking to the provinces.What happened to that promise?

Again, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite are demonstrating how completely disconnected they are from the reality of Canadians.Canadians know that the way to build a strong economy and good jobs for the middle class, and those working hard to join it, is by being smart about the environment and by protecting it. The fact is, making sure that we are able to help the most vulnerable, to grow the economy, and to support Canadian families is at the heart of everything this government does and is at the heart of everything that party betrayed when it was in government.

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more tangible than targets and goals and that is exactly what is required by the Paris agreement and what is missing from the Liberals' motion.The government motion to ratify the Paris agreement does not mention anything about working with or consulting with indigenous communities. If it is a mistake, let us fix it together.Will the Prime Minister accept our amendment to include working with indigenous communities in our efforts to fight climate change?

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of this government's mandate, we have been working hand-in-hand with indigenous communities, understanding the true reconciliation, the nation-to-nation partnership that is necessary with indigenous peoples. Indeed, when we gathered for the first federal-provincial-territorial meeting in Ottawa, we included indigenous leaders. We did the same again in Vancouver. We will work together with indigenous leadership on all important files, especially around climate change.

Mr. Speaker, jobs in my riding are being put at risk by the Liberal carbon tax. More than a third of families in my riding depend on jobs in the energy industry to put food on their table.What does the Prime Minister have to say to hard-working mums and dads who are seeing their neighbours' jobs eliminated and thinking they are next?

Mr. Speaker, he did not say it, but he does not have to imitate it.The provinces and territories were surprised to learn that the Prime Minister refused to even respond to their request to meet and discuss the health transfers. They are now making a simple request: delay the Harper cuts by one year and retain the 6% increase for one more year.Will the Prime Minister agree, yes or no? The question is simple, and we want a straight answer for once.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question and his advocacy on this.We have every confidence that the independent commissioners have the background, characteristics, and experience necessary to lead this inquiry and to incorporate the distinct voices of Inuit people. One of the commissioners was raised in Igloolik, speaks fluent Inuktitut, and will bring an important perspective to this commission. The commission has the power to create regional advisory committees to support cultural differences and distinctions-based approaches, including an Inuit advisory committee.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's hand-picked ambassador to the UN has made no secret that he is willing to play politics to gain a UN Security Council seat. The centrepiece to this horse-trading, of course, is our 600 Canadian troops. China wants to take control of all UN peacekeepers. China's abysmal human rights record and its sabre-rattling in the South China Sea show that its no partner for peace.Is a Security Council seat worth putting our troops under the command of the Chinese dictatorship?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that we are going to create economic growth by creating new jobs in many sectors across the country.We are going to give the provinces the capacity to help those who need it. The federal government helped those in need by lowering taxes for the middle class, while increasing taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians.That is the kind of thing Canadians expect of their government. It is unfortunate that, once again, the members of the Conservative Party do not understand how to either grow the economy or protect the environment.

Mr. Speaker, my friend Susan lives in Guelph, Ontario. She is a divorced mom. She has two kids, both in university, and she has noticed that hydro has gone up. She admits to me that she is a bit cash-strapped right now. She knows she has to get through the next four years while the girls are in university. She wants to keep the house, because they need it in order for them to go to school, but now she hears about some new taxes. She is concerned and does not understand why the government does not realize what her situation is, because if it did, it would never raise her taxes.What does the minister have to say to my friend Susan?

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly proud of what our government has achieved in admitting more than 30,000 Syrian refugees in the space of less than a year. In terms of the Yazidis, my department will be conducting a mission to northern Iraq, where officials will interview potential Syrian refugees, and they will scope out the situation involving the Yazidis. We are on that job, and we certainly take it very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, after a year in office words are no longer enough. Canadians are judging the current government on results, or their absence. Of the over 40,000 Canadians deployed to Afghanistan, 158 made the ultimate sacrifice, including three brave young men from my riding of York—Simcoe. We have a solemn obligation to remember them and their service to our country.Last winter the veterans affairs minister denied he was cancelling plans for a memorial to those who served in the Afghanistan mission. He said, “rest assured it will be done.” It has been a year now. Where is the Afghanistan war memorial?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need economic growth and good jobs at the same time as we protect the environment. That is exactly what this government is showing leadership in doing, which was lacking for far too long from the previous government.What we are also guaranteeing is that this tax—

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for her passion in supporting business. If she really wants to support business, she should understand that the environment and the economy come together, and that is what we are doing.Let us go back to job creators—job creators like the Royal Bank, Tembec, Loblaws, Desjardins, Telus, the Aluminum Association of Canada, as well as other businesses. They have supported our plan to put a price on pollution because they recognize that is how we are going to create good jobs, how we are going to foster innovation, and how we are going to create the economy of the future.

Mr. Speaker, recognizing Canada's past contributions to peace and the dedication of the men and women who gave their lives to serve our country is a critical part of our heritage. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage please give the House details on the recently announced funding for a project honouring those who bravely fought in the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel?

Mr. Speaker, at the time, the Minister of Justice was on the same side as the Assembly of First Nations in the fight to put an end to systemic discrimination against first nations children.One has to wonder what happened between October 19 and 20, 2015, because the minister is now unrecognizable. I am giving her another chance to do something other than adopt the old, woefully unacceptable plan presented by Stephen Harper.Can the minister tell us whether her government intends to fulfill its legal obligation to first nations children?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening I had a visit from Claude Lalancette, a veteran who fought bravely for us overseas. He was in tears, and he is clearly in very serious situation.He has been on a hunger strike for two days and has slept outside for two nights. The first was at the National War Memorial here in Ottawa, and the second was in front of Parliament itself. This situation concerns all members of the House. What is the Prime Minister going to do for Mr. Lalancette right now?

Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence remains a tragic reality for many women and girls in Canada. Statistics show that women continue to be at high risk of being victims of certain forms of violence. Experiencing violence has significant health and social impacts on the abused and their families, and it remains a significant barrier to achieving gender equality.Could the Minister of Status of Women please tell us what action the government is taking to address this issue?

Mr. Speaker, carbon pricing uses the market to drive clean investment decisions. It encourages innovation and helps reduce emissions. As to the specifics of the member's question, we are listening to job creators, such as Loblaws, Canadian Tire, the big banks, Suncor, Enbridge, and Shell, who all support our decision to put a price on carbon.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to emphasize that our government understands that the only way to grow the economy is to do it in a sustainable way.That is why we are moving forward on what Canadians expect, a climate plan, while at the same time positioning ourselves so that we grow our economy, create clean jobs, and prepare ourselves for the future.Once again, do not listen to me; listen to the—

Mr. Speaker, this year we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Beaumont-Hamel in France. Our government is committed to honouring the soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who were killed in this brutal battle in the First World War. For this reason, we are investing $1 million in The Rooms, a beautiful museum in St. John's. Through online and on-site exhibitions, we will have the opportunity to learn more about the valour and the courage displayed by the young men of Newfoundland and Labrador in this—

Mr. Speaker, I have heard very poignantly about the high cost of living in the north. Just this week we heard from indigenous leaders, from Inuit leaders, who talked about how we need to tackle climate change, how we need to take action to protect their future, and how we need to be mindful of the circumstances in the north. Our government has made the commitment. If the party members opposite would like to read the Vancouver declaration, which we are supporting in tonight's vote, they would see it is very clear that we recognize the conditions of indigenous people and northern people. Once again, I hope they will support tonight's motion and vote in favour of the Paris agreement and the Vancouver declaration.

Mr. Speaker, our government is determined to create a cleaner and more innovative economy, one that reduces emissions and protects our environment while creating well-paid jobs for the middle class and for those who work hard to join it.After decades of inaction and years of wasted opportunities, we are finally taking the action needed to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the member for giving me the opportunity to say how concerned all members of the House are by the difficult circumstances some of our families find themselves in. I will have an important announcement to make on that matter soon. I just want to repeat that in the campaign, our government promised that it would be looking into EI special benefits, including maternity, parental, and compassionate care benefits.

Mr. Speaker, the government seems to have forgotten the reality for remote, indigenous, and rural communities. Their food comes in by boat, by plane, and by ice road, and many of the communities use diesel-powered generators to keep the lights on. Communities that can least afford it are the ones that are going to be most impacted by this carbon tax.How can the government justify raising the high cost of living that is already there for our rural and remote communities?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has that completely wrong, because the seat on the Security Council is a tool for our goal, and the goal is to have Canada fighting for inclusive growth everywhere, peace everywhere, and human rights everywhere. The seat on the UN Security Council is a tool for this goal, and it is great for Canada to have such a goal under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question, because it gives me an opportunity to indicate that the number of green jobs under the Canada summer jobs program was well over 2,000, and counting as we do a survey. As well, by providing significant opportunities for young people to gain post-secondary education through our increased grants and our work with them to enhance co-ops and work placements, young people in Canada will finally have a chance to get into the workforce as we need them to.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talk about improving the lives of indigenous Canadians, but their actions are telling a very different story. They do not realize that food costs are already double in the north. A loaf of bread and a litre of milk cost double what we pay down here. This new tax is going to find its way into everything they buy every day.I have a more simple question. Have the Liberals done their homework, and will they table the costs that this will create for every indigenous community in this country?

Mr. Speaker, out of those 30,000 refugees, nine cases were Yazidis, and that is unacceptable. Nadia Murad came to Canada to beg our government for help. She has called for help for Yazidis who are also being discriminated against by UN agents in refugee camps in Greece and Turkey.My question is for the Prime Minister. When he asked Nadia Murad for a photo opportunity in New York last week, what was it like to look into her eyes, see that haunted look, and tell her why he was not helping the Yazidi people?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Scarborough Centre for her question and advocacy. Undeniably, the foundation of gender equality is the ability to live, grow, and thrive free from violence. That is why this government takes gender-based violence so seriously, and why developing a coordinated federal gender-based violence strategy is so important.Over the summer, I met with colleagues, advocates, and survivors like Paul Lacerte and his daughter Raven, who are the founders of the Moose Hide Campaign, who generously shared their ideas and experiences. We cannot rest until all women and girls have the ability to succeed and thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Toronto—Danforth for her question. Our government is committed to helping families make better food choices. We will introduce new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. That is in addition to our commitment to improve labelling and bring in legislation to eliminate trans fats and reduce salt in processed foods.

Mr. Speaker, the ministers offered him an opportunity to testify before committee. That has been negotiated with the committee involved, and it will happen in the near future.

Mr. Speaker, later today we will be voting on the ratification of the Paris agreement, and I cannot help but wonder about Liberal efforts to help our young people. The Prime Minister promised 5,000 green jobs for young people, but fewer than a third that many have been created. The Liberals promised an EI premium holiday for employers that hire young people, but that measure was not even included in the budget. The youth unemployment rate is still too high.My question is for the Minister of Youth, who also happens to be the Prime Minister. How does he plan to create green jobs and address youth unemployment?

Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit much coming from the party that voted against the lowering of taxes on the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1%, a party that continues to think it is better to send child benefit cheques to millionaires than to increase those cheques for the lowest income families.The fact is this government is focused on helping the middle class and on those working so hard to join the middle class, and we will remain so, despite the fearmongering from the other side.

Mr. Speaker, we do care for Canadians. That is why the first thing this government did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians. Nine million Canadians today pay less taxes because of this government. We went on to introduce the Canada child benefit, which is helping Canadian families. We then went on to enhance the Canada pension plan, or CPP, which is going to help Canadians now and in the future. This is a government that is working for middle-class families, and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is committed to reviewing the services offered to children and families on reserves and working with first nations to reform those services.We know that the system is broken, as illustrated by the damning report issued by the British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth. We must take into account the comments of young people when transforming the system and incorporate their experiences into any new approach.

Mr. Speaker, we take the health of members of the Canadian Forces and veterans very seriously. This is at the top of our list. I cannot comment on specific cases. The member will understand that is the case. However, we do have a range of programs that are in place, and I would encourage any soldiers who feel they need that program or support from Veteran Affairs to reach out.

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The government has kept its promise and launched a much needed and long overdue national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women. The minister has appointed a commission to lead this inquiry, and although all of its members are extremely qualified, Inuit organizations have said they are concerned by the lack of Inuk representation. The minister has committed to including the Inuit perspective. Could she explain exactly how the Inuit perspective is going to be considered?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday on CBC, we heard about how the price of gas and heating oil will go up 11¢ a litre and 14¢ a litre, respectively. The government cannot make any promises about prices not going up.A tax on carbon means more money taken out of the pockets of Canadians. The Prime Minister is trying to sugar-coat the reality by saying it is “carbon pricing”, but Canadians are not fooled. This is a new tax. This is bad news for Canadians. They already pay their share of taxes. Will the Prime Minister guarantee Canadians today that the price of their groceries, gas, or heating will not go up because of this new tax?

Mr. Speaker, according to Cindy Blackstock, the Liberal government shortchanges first nations students by $130 million this year in foster care under Harper's plan. On education, the Prime Minister promised $2.6 billion over four years to first nations students. An INAC document showed the minister was given the plan to follow through on this promise, but the Liberals once again decided to pull the football out from under first nations children. They stretched that promise past the next election, shortchanging children by $800 million.When it comes to priorities, why squeeze money from children suffering under this broken system?

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations is not referring Yazidi refugees to Canada, but the government is blindly relying on it to provide names for its refugee initiative. At last count, only a few dozen Yazidis have come to Canada. Moreover, Operation Ezra has many Yazidi families identified and waiting to come to Canada, and the minister keeps promising them in phone calls that they will processed, but none has been.It is our moral duty to help the Yazidi victims of genocide. Why is the government ignoring it?

This price on carbon will be—

Mr. Speaker, we have guaranteed that this price on carbon will be revenue neutral for the federal government, and it will be up to the provinces to determine how they choose to reimburse their citizens for this progress on the environment and the economy.

Mr. Speaker, another friend of mine, Marie, has three boys—

Mr. Speaker, in fact, it is because we are re-engaging with China that we have an opportunity to make progress on human rights in China. Every human being has the same dignity and we need to be there to speak about universal human rights in China. The Prime Minister never misses an opportunity to do that, and neither do I, because it is the only approach to make progress.

Mr. Speaker, industries like Entropex in my riding are closing, and others like CF Industries are already cancelling their expansions as a result of the Ontario Liberal carbon tax. Nova Chemicals is considering moving a $2 billion polyethylene project to the gulf coast where there are no job-killing carbon taxes. This additional federal carbon tax and the uncertainty around it will keep new businesses from choosing to do business here. When will the Liberals stop taking jobs away from everyday Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister could not deny having broken his promise to present new targets, opting instead to adopt Stephen Harper's targets, which he once described as catastrophic.Today we are voting to ratify the Paris agreement, but the government's motion is missing a key requirement of the agreement, which is to set economy-wide emissions targets in absolute terms.Will the Prime Minister agree to add this key component?

Mr. Speaker, brutal incarceration, torture, and executions are among the regular practices of the Chinese government. China now has its eyes on the UN's top peacekeeping job. It wants to take control of UN peacekeeping and rewrite the rules of the game. Will the Prime Minister be supporting his favourite dictatorship's bid to take control of UN peacekeeping and, ultimately, command of Canadian troops?

Mr. Speaker, the NDP always likes to talk about targets and goals without ever talking about plans to achieve them or tangible things we need to do in order to protect the environment while creating economic growth.The NDP likes to talk about the environment, but it does not know how to create jobs for the middle class or help businesses succeed in a new world. That is why we are doing something tangible to show that Canada is serious about reducing emissions and creating economic growth that helps everyone. The members opposite are unable to do that.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister falsely promised the Canadian middle class a family tax cut. Earlier this week, he dropped a bombshell on Canadians by imposing a massive carbon tax on them. This tax grab has not only completely wiped out the Prime Minister's so-called middle-class tax cut, it will seriously impact low- and middle-income Canadians through higher gas, heating, and electricity bills. My question is for the Prime Minister. Why the attack on working Canadians, and why the betrayal of his promise to lower taxes for Canadian families?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are pessimistic about the Prime Minister's announcement. He tried to sugarcoat it by renaming his new tax, but everyone knows it is a carbon tax. This is pretty bad news for taxpayers, who are already paying enough.Will the Prime Minister promise Canadians that the cost of groceries, gas, and heating will not go up because of his new carbon tax? Can he give them that guarantee today?

Mr. Speaker, that response is troubling and unbelievable. It is hard to imagine that China, a nation that bullies everyone around it, might wind up in charge of UN peacekeepers, forces meant to maintain peace around the world.If China's efforts to win that coveted position are successful, all peacekeeping and civilian protection operations will be left up to the country with the worst human rights record. It is absurd. Do the Liberals support China's bid?

Mr. Speaker, the Arva Flour Mill is a small family business without a workplace accident in 197 years. The minister said she was working with the community and the owner. There has been no contact with the owner or the community. The minister said small business has the right to compete and do well. However, it cannot compete and do well if she shuts it down. Will the minister do her job, grant an exemption from the federal labour code, and save the mill?

Mr. Speaker, once again, those are fine words, but the reality is quite different. The government is taking the wrong path.A new tax is the worst thing that can happen to our job creators, our SMEs, and others who know what it means to create real jobs, and yet that is precisely the wrong path that this government is taking.Will the government acknowledge one thing? Imposing a tax is definitely not the way to go about creating jobs. Have you ever seen any jobs created because of a tax? We have not.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not trust any of the provinces or territories. The Prime Minister has no idea how badly this carbon tax will impact hard-working Canadians. Northerners, farmers, the unemployed, and seniors on fixed incomes just cannot afford this, yet he still believes the only way to protect the environment is to increase taxes on these Canadians, the most vulnerable. Does the Prime Minister not realize that misguided tax increases actually hurt Canadian families who struggle to pay their bills every single month?

Mr. Speaker, I have travelled the country, and everywhere I go Canadians are speaking out against the TPP. After having her letters repeatedly ignored, today, 12-year old Jada Malott has travelled from Windsor to bring her message right to the Prime Minister. She represents the generation that will have to live with the consequences of ratifying this bad deal: lost jobs, higher drug costs, and ISDS rules that will threaten our environmental laws. Why does the Prime Minister refuse to listen to Canadians like Jada, who do not want to pay for this bad deal?

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what Kathleen Wynne said about the Liberal Green Energy Act. Yet while the poor have hit the food bank, Liberals insiders have hit the jackpot, including former Liberal Party president, Mike Crawley, whose company got a half-billion-dollar green energy contract. The federal Liberals have a similar, regressive tax that will raise heat, gas, and grocery bills and give billionaire insiders green hand-outs to pay for it.Why is the Prime Minister taking from the have-nots to give to the have-yachts?

Mr. Speaker, there are only seven days left before the deadline and there is still no softwood lumber agreement in sight. Yesterday, the Minister of International Trade was unable to tell us whether the government was working on a plan B to support the forestry industry.Forestry workers, whose jobs are in jeopardy, are wondering whether the government will support them.In the event of a dispute will the government support the industry, for example, by establishing an emergency loan guarantee program? Yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, another promise made, another promise broken. Over 3,000 mothers were denied sickness benefits under the Harper government, but during the election campaign, the Liberals promised they would drop all federal opposition to their class action lawsuit. These women have waited and waited and waited, and had nothing from the government.Instead of spending millions fighting them in court, when will the government give these women the benefits they deserve?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister accidentally told the truth, that this is a tax. He should listen to the director general of the Windsor mission, who said, “People have actually come in with their hydro bill in one hand and said 'If you can help me with food, then I can pay for some of this hydro bill before it gets cut off.'"The Liberal Green Energy Act has hammered Ontario's poor with skyrocketing electricity prices. Now the federal Liberal carbon tax will do the same to heating, gas, and grocery bills. Why is the Prime Minister forcing the poor to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families?

Mr. Speaker, the worst thing for Canadians, our seniors, and all Canadian workers is the invention and introduction of a new tax. That is exactly what the Prime Minister announced last Monday in the House of Commons, even though he should have been working with the provinces and even though three environment ministers walked out of the meeting.Can the Prime Minister rise and acknowledge that inventing and imposing a new tax is the worst thing for Canadians? Why is he taking money out of taxpayers' pockets?