Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the minister spends more time slinging partisan mud and personal attacks than improving Canada's environment. The Liberals have broken more economic promises than we can count. They killed northern gateway, energy east, and are letting Kinder Morgan die a slow and painful death. Now they are creating an environmental review process that is filled with more uncertainty than ever before, discouraging investment in Canada.When will the minister finally stop her partisan attacks and rebuild investor confidence in Canada's resource sector?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government gave vague answers on what their plan was in the aftermath of the trial over Colten Boushie's killing. We must address the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries and judicial benches. This situation is a crisis of trust and the jury trial in the case of Colten Boushie increases mistrust of the justice system for indigenous peoples.I will repeat. What is the government's specific plan to ensure that indigenous peoples are treated fairly by our justice system?
Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across the country are being put at risk because the Prime Minister is sitting on the sidelines while an approved energy project faces uncertainty and delay. He refuses to stand up to the opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and now the B.C. wine industry is becoming collateral damage as a result. We need less talk and more action from this Prime Minister. Will he tell Canadians what his actual plan is, or is his real plan to let others kill this project and the thousands of jobs that go along with it?
Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have never seen so much inequality in this country as under this Prime Minister's watch.The truth is that this Prime Minister simply does not know how to say no to wealthy Canadians who want to escape taxes by taking their money overseas. That hurts Canadians: Canadians who cannot pay for medication, Canadians who are on the streets because there is so little affordable housing, and indigenous communities that have no drinking water.Why does the Prime Minister not take action on tax havens so Canadians can have pharmacare, affordable housing, and safe drinking water?
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties, without any advance notice to Canada or any other nation. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including on a recent trade mission by the Minister of International Trade, who brought it up on every occasion.This week I was in Saskatchewan meeting with the pulse farmers and announced funding for market development. What we want to do is to create more markets for the pulse industry in this country.
Well, Mr. Speaker, the more we dig into the new environmental review process the uglier it gets. The minister appears to have embedded in the bill provisions that will empower her to delay, suspend, and veto a project before it ever undergoes a full science-based review. That is not a streamlined process; that is a minister-knows-best process, which is based on politics and not science. How can we trust a process based on the minister's whims? Will the minister now agree to remove her veto power from the bill?
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was a priority for Paul Martin, either.The Minister of National Revenue can spew all the rhetoric she wants and say that her government is combatting tax avoidance and tax evasion, but the truth is, when it comes to fighting tax havens internationally, Canada is part of the problem, not part of the solution. While the OECD agreement that the minister referred to provides for the exchange of information, Canada has signed an agreement with a country that does not even require income tax returns. When will the Liberals start taking this a little more seriously and scrap their agreement with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda?
Mr. Speaker, they are bashing in an open door. They cannot take yes for an answer. I guess we can say it one more time. We want the pipeline to proceed. We have approved it. We have approved it with conditions. We are investing a billion and a half dollars in the oceans protection plan. We are working with indigenous communities up and down the line. What is the opposition doing? The opposition is chilling investor confidence with a record that opposition members should be ashamed of.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about tax avoidance.Canadian investments totalled $68 billion in Barbados, $48 billion in the Cayman Islands, $39 billion in Bermuda, and $20 billion in the Bahamas.Average taxpayers pay their taxes while the government makes life easy for rich people who hide their money in the Caribbean.Rather than go after little fish who are doing their part, when will the government stop fattening up the financial sharks?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. In honour of this day, the Liberals are refusing to create a trust similar to PACA for perishable goods. In addition, there is still not not even a hint of support for milk producers in response to the loopholes opened in CETA, not to mention the potential loopholes to come in NAFTA and the TPP. The government should be ashamed today.When will the government fulfill its promises to our family farms and implement safeguards to ensure that the people who feed our families every day can also feed their own families?
Mr. Speaker, I will be clear: fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is a priority for our government.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem with no simple solution, contrary to what my colleagues opposite seem to think. We adhere to all provisions of the international standard for automatic exchange of information with OECD partners. Starting this year, we will have access to even more information supplied by our partners. I remind my colleagues opposite that under their government, former minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn announced publicly that this was not a priority.
Mr. Speaker, energy workers, the B.C. wine industry, and national unity are all being threatened by this escalating dispute, yet the Prime Minister actually said, I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case. What a sorry excuse for national leadership. Why does the Prime Minister not opine that the rule of law will be upheld? Why does he not opine that innocent bystanders will not be collateral damage in this dispute? Why does he not get off the sidelines and fight for the jobs that we lost because of his inaction?
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, they are still signing treaties with tax havens. That is a fact.The Prime Minister could act now on certain issues. More than $3 billion is being lost due to tax loopholes like stock option deductions. More than $10 billion in tax dollars are ending up in tax havens, while Canadians go without housing and medication and many first nations communities have no clean drinking water. It is a matter of choice. Will the Prime Minister take action on these unfair loopholes?
Mr. Speaker, the war of words between the United States and North Korea and the growing tensions with Russia have led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist to set the hands of the doomsday clock at two minutes to midnight. Obviously, the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons, and Canada should participate in the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve that goal.Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that Canada signs the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is supported by 120 countries?
Mr. Speaker, the new version of Canada's food guide that was introduced by the Liberal government seems to be based on ideology rather than science.We are concerned about the impact that the lack of consultation and the refusal to consult with Canada's agriculture and agrifood partners will have on Canadians' health.Will the government reconsider its narrow-minded and ill-advised approach and finally hold broader consultations on the food guide with all agriculture and agrifood stakeholders for the good of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any difficulty repeating the government's position, and I do not know why members opposite cannot take yes for an answer. Yes, we think the pipeline is a good idea. Yes, we approved the pipeline. Yes, we intervened at the National Energy Board when it wanted to delay the pipeline. We want the pipeline built. How about members of the opposition? What chill are they putting on investment by their incessant questions?
Mr. Speaker, after dragging their feet for two years, the Liberals are proposing a new environmental assessment process, but it includes some nasty surprises.Timelines for studies are even shorter than under the Conservatives and, more importantly, the minister is not bound by the recommendations resulting from assessments. Even if citizens oppose a project, even if it is scientifically proven to be a bad project, the minister can approve it anyway.Is the notion of national interest the Liberals' loophole for approving whatever they want, despite the will of the people, despite the science, and despite input from indigenous peoples?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if he just keeps saying the same thing over and over. It is not actually a plan, it is not actually going to get done, and it means absolutely nothing. Liberals obviously will not stand up for their own approval of a pipeline clearly in the national interest. The minister is saying that the recent consultations are legitimate and there is nothing to be seen here, but it is clearly an attempt to continue to delay the project. Deliver the plan and confirm: When will construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline begin?
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily rich to hear the party opposite talk about science. The Conservatives never ever took into account science or indigenous knowledge. They never listened to Canadians. They never respected the rights of indigenous people. They could not get good projects built.We understand that the environment and the economy go together, that decisions need to be made on science and indigenous knowledge, and that we need good projects to go ahead. That is exactly what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that we will get the pipelines built. We know it is in the country's interest. This situation is interesting because we know there are people in British Columbia who oppose the pipelines. I am telling them that the pipelines will be built anyway. When Alberta Conservatives go on about the pipeline not being built, however, they are undermining the process and creating uncertainty. We have said it before, and we will say it again: we will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, for a party that says it likes to stand with farmers, its talking points are sure falling short. Creating a PACA-like deemed trust for producers of perishable goods in Canada is what our produce growers want. Two parliamentary committees, agriculture and finance, unanimously recommended that greater measures are needed to protect Canadian produce growers, but Liberal ministers will not even consider it. On Canada's Agriculture Day, will the government stop breaking its election promises, put the money where its mouth is, and support our produce growers and small businesses?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest. It will create jobs across the country and provide provinces with access to global markets. The dispute between Alberta and British Columbia has escalated solely because the Prime Minister has failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to leave the country while this crisis came to a head. Every day of inaction by the Liberals fuels the national conflict. When will the Prime Minister shelve the rhetoric, get Alberta and B.C. together, and set a date for construction to begin?
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps saying that it is a strong advocate for the middle class, but it is in cahoots with the wealthy to help them get richer at the expense of the poor, who are being forced to cover the government's outlandish spending. We just learned that the government has given access to new tax havens in Granada and in Antigua and Barbuda.When will this government be truly transparent with taxpayers, honestly work in their interests, and stop signing agreements with tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just keeps saying that the pipeline will be built, I guess by magic, since Kinder Morgan says it is slowing down its operations, slowing down spending, and delaying it for more than a year. More delays continue to threaten this project every single day. The application was first filed over 2,000 days ago. The pipeline, clearly in the national interest, was approved over 440 days ago, and these delays continue to pile up and pile up. It is just words and no action.Where is the plan? Table it on Thursday. And how many more days will it be before construction begins in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have and will continue to take action on tax avoidance and tax evasion, but it is nice that the members opposite are bringing up pharmacare, because we recognize on this side of the House that Canadians pay too much for prescription drugs, and our government is taking bold action now to bring down prices. We joined the provinces and territories as a member of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of public drug plans. Through budget 2017, we are investing over $140 million to help improve access to pharmaceuticals and to support innovations within the health care system. We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians can better afford the
Again, Mr. Speaker, for 10 years those members talked up the energy industry but actually could not deliver for it. What was I doing? I went down to Washington, D.C., to make the pitch for Keystone XL to a group of American Democrats. That is what I was doing while I was leader of the third party.I have continued to focus on delivering it. I have focused on making sure we protect the environment and grow the economy together. That is exactly what we are doing and that is why they keep talking down our chances of getting that pipeline built. We will get it built.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberals have broken their trust with veterans. Brian Forbes, chairman of the National Council of the Veterans Associations, had this to say about the Liberal promises. He said, It's fair to say the disappointment (with the new plan) has been immense because it just didn't do the trick.... If you're going to make a promise to provide lifetime pensions, then do it.Despite the Liberals' rhetoric, veterans consider the promises made to them to be broken. Why is the Prime Minister the only one convinced that they have kept their promises to veterans?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently since we came into government, building on the work that has occurred over decades advocated by indigenous peoples and the like to ultimately improve our criminal justice system. We will propose broad-based reform to the criminal justice system and we have, as I stated yesterday, committed to looking at the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries. We are moving forward with that and we will listen to all the voices with respect to that particular issue and move forward in an appropriate way.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain project will create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit every part of the country. Before that can happen, however, the Prime Minister needs to address the situation instead of letting it deteriorate, which is what he is doing. Thousands of jobs are on the line because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. On top of all that, last week, Canada lost a contract worth hundreds of millions in Mirabel, and NAFTA talks are stalling. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how he is planning to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, the changes to the Navigation Protection Act proposed by the minister will delay and increase red tape and costs for rural municipalities building vital infrastructure. The Liberals' changes also reflect their lack of understanding of the importance of resource development to Canada's economy. Why are the Liberals opposing responsible resource development and delaying vital infrastructure projects in rural communities across Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I find it humorous that members opposite are talking about showing leadership. For 10 years they did not get anything built and when they approved the northern gateway pipeline, which was not a very good pipeline, they did it by press release in the middle of the night. When we approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I stood at a press conference, announced it myself, and then crossed the country taking responsibility for it and demonstrating that it is in the national interest.For 10 years they had a failed process that could not get things built. We know that by restoring public trust, by protecting the environment, we can grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, agriculture, especially in my province of Manitoba, is an integral part of the community.We are all very proud of our agriculture contributions to Canada and beyond. Products like Bothwell cheese and HyLife pork are world-class products with excellent nutritional value. However, the Liberal government seems to disagree. The new Canadian food guide is an attack on meat and dairy producers. Why have the Liberals chosen to downplay the vital role of meat and dairy products in the diets of Canadians? Why this attack on science?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly encourage the party opposite to stop the partisan attacks.We understand that the environment and the economy go together. We have also created over half a million jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate since we have been tracking unemployment rates. We are also tackling climate change. We are committed to reconciliation with indigenous people. We make decisions on science. We protect our animals, our waters, and our air. Environment and the economy have to go together. Why does the party opposite not come to the party?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that the government is committed to the financial success of our fruit and vegetable farmers. We will be creating a single dispute resolution body, which should resolve the majority of non-payment incidents faced by our producers. Working with farmers, today we are going to make a number of announcements that will indicate just how much more we fully support the agriculture and agrifood sector across the country.
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite want to know what steps we will take. We will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately those are just words and platitudes that the government is utilizing.Right now, as we speak, industry is responding to the uncertainty and instability that the government's lack of action is causing. Kinder Morgan has already indicated that it is going to be delaying and slowing its investments in the pipeline. The message to the world is that Canada is not open for business.The Prime Minister can make these concerns go away by showing a bit of leadership. It is simple. When will he guarantee the construction of the pipeline in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says it in Edmonton, we say it in Vancouver, we say it in Regina, and we say it in St. John's, Newfoundland. We say it in every region of the country. Why do we say it in every region of the country? We say it because the message is a national one and it is clear. We will move our resources to market sustainably. We will expand export markets. We will work with indigenous peoples. We will protect the environment. We are the only party in this chamber that will do all three of those things.
Mr. Speaker, tax evasion and tax avoidance are priorities for this government, which is why we invested over $1 billion in our last two budgets. That is in contrast to our opposition colleagues, whose goal in life is to ask two questions during question period and then wither away on the opposition benches. Members on this side are going to work for Quebeckers and Canadians. Tax avoidance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to actually strengthen the environmental assessment process gutted by the Conservatives. It is still in place. They promised to remove political considerations from assessments and base decisions on project approvals on scientific evidence, yet Bill C-69 retains the government's ability to disregard scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, identification of adverse impacts, health risks, and community concerns, and still deem the project to be in the public interest. How can the Minister of Environment defend this bill as a strengthened law?
Mr. Speaker, my question was about the lack of accountability of the Canada Revenue Agency.The government is actually acting exactly the same way that the previous government did, not only in protecting the unaccountable Canada Revenue Agency, but also in withholding information on tax havens.Canada just signed two new tax treaties, with Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. What do those tax treaties do? They allow corporations to set up subsidiaries in those low-tax countries where their worldwide profits will be attributed, and they will bring those profits back into Canada tax free.Why are Liberals continuing to sign those tax-avoidance agreements?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the TPPCPTPTPP, or however many more P's they want to add.Canadian producers are becoming increasingly concerned. More than two weeks after the announcement of an agreement regarding the trans-Pacific partnership, there has been radio silence on compensation programs. In fact, 80% of dairy farmers do not have access to the program cobbled together by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Nothing for egg producers, or poultry farmers. The Conservative government put $4 billion on the table. The Liberals have no plan. How is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food going to ensure that no new concessions will be made to the Americans under NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, today we should be celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate our farmers and ranchers across the country.Farmers and their families work hard to feed their community, our country, and the world. Unfortunately, that is not a priority for this government.The Minister of Finance treated farmers like tax cheats, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not taking part in international negotiations, and the Minister of Health does not want to hear what farmers have to say about the new food guide.Will the Liberal government finally do the right thing and listen to what farmers have to say about their future?
Mr. Speaker, all words from the minister and still no action plan.The trade war between B.C. and Alberta is escalating every day. While this crisis develops, the Prime Minister crosses his fingers and hopes the provinces will just work it out instead of having to demonstrate any real national leadership himself. Wishful thinking will not get this pipeline built. It has been 441 days since this project was approved. When will the Prime Minister open his eyes and start supporting hard-working Canadian families who are depending on this project?
Mr. Speaker, we have seen real improvements over the last couple of years for middle-class Canadians, more confidence, and among the lowest unemployment rates in the last four years. However, there is more work to do. On February 27, we are going to announce the next budget to continue our plan.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to answer the member's question by talking about what we are doing on social housing. Working with the provinces, we are investing $40 billion in affordable social housing across the country. These are historic and unprecedented investments. We are investing in our indigenous communities to end boil water advisories nationwide by 2021. We are also investing in Canadians in need and middle-class Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We are going to continue to invest in those in need.
Mr. Speaker, we listened carefully to Canadians for two years. We listened to indigenous peoples. We listened to scientists. We listened to industry. We listened to environmentalists.We know that we have a good process. We will be making decisions based on science. We will be partnering with indigenous peoples. We will listen to communities. We will make decisions based on those facts.We know that the economy and the environment go hand in hand, and we will always stand up for both.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of heat and light in the Prime Minister's kind words but the reality is that he is not getting anything done. Let us take a bit of a review.Five months ago, the Liberals botched the energy east pipeline and that was 14,000 jobs on a $15 billion project. Now we have another crisis and another 37,000 jobs. Clearly, the Prime Minister does not actually feel moved by the industry's concerns. Maybe he is going to be moved by the fact that it is 50,000 jobs.Seriously, how many more well-paying Canadian jobs do we need to put in jeopardy to get him moving?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate the food we love and showcase our world-class farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast, of which I am one myself. Canadian agriculture is stronger, more innovative, and more diverse than ever and our government is committed to continuing this growth and investing in the future of Canadian farmers.Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about today's announcement to build a strong future for Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.
Mr. Speaker, the British Columbia government says it is going to consult people. The Government of Canada has already consulted tens of thousands of people, and Canadians agree with us that this pipeline is in Canada's interest because of the jobs it creates, because of the expansion of export markets, and because of the $1.5 billion invested in a world-class oceans protection plan. We have intervened with the proponent of the National Energy Board when we thought it would lead to delays. There will be no unnecessary delays. This pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, Canada has traditionally been a leader on the world stage on nuclear disarmament at the same time as being an active member of NATO. Since a core tenet of NATO is to create the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons, there is clearly no obstacle to Canada signing the nuclear prohibition treaty. Therefore, will the Prime Minister now take bold action, sign the nuclear prohibition treaty, and then instruct our NATO ambassador to start working to get all of our NATO allies behind this treaty so Canada can help the world move back from the brink of nuclear disaster?
Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally supports global nuclear disarmament. We continue to support efforts that substantially contribute to this goal.We recently announced an additional $1.5 million for the International Atomic Energy Agency to support its important work on non-proliferation. We are committed to work that will take concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world. This includes the important work that Canada is doing on a treaty that will help to halt the production of material for nuclear weapons. Canada has and remains an important player in the global nuclear disarmament movement.
Mr. Speaker, we understand that it is important that the data used by the parliamentary budget officer be reliable and accurate. That is why we have enhanced the position of the PBO and made him an officer of Parliament after Harper's Conservatives spent years undermining his credibility.As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO and will, by the end of the month, provide it its data in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy. We will continue to support and respect the work of officers of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on two points of order. First, I find that the comments made by the Minister of National Revenue about my interventions were not entirely respectful and, consequently, she was disrespectful to the constituents of my riding, Joliette. I ask that she withdraw her comments.
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years the plan we have put in place for Canadians has made real improvements for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives implemented a rigorous environmental assessment process enabling Canada to meet its economic and energy needs, all while ensuring that approval decisions are based on science. With Bill C-69, the Liberals are trying to turn this process upside down, even though it works very well.Can the minister tell us which projects approved under the former process she does not agree with? Which projects would she like to see fail?
Mr. Speaker, let us examine the Conservative record on this file: in 10 years, not one kilometre of pipe built to tidewater, an erosion of public trust in the regulatory system that we are going to fix, insufficient consultation with indigenous communities, court case after court case that said they blew it. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, Canada strongly supports worldwide nuclear disarmament and continues to support efforts in that area. We recently announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency in its important work. We are fully committed to making meaningful progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world, and that includes our work toward a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. That is the firm stand that Canada has taken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, this is a good agreement on Agriculture Day. We should all celebrate in the House that this is going to be good for our country. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will be signing the CPTPP in March, and we will proceed with ratification. However, let me again say what this entails for Canadians. We have opened up a market of more than 500 million people, 40% of the world economy. This is a great day for agriculture. This is a great day for Canada. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will have our position in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain pipeline project is an important project. It is a $7.4 billion investment and 37,000 good-paying Canadian jobs. There is much opposition to this project. They are saying that they are going to interrupt it and delay, and the government is silent throughout this whole time. What is the impact of that? Industry is watching closely, and as well there is a growing crisis among our provinces.Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians relying on these jobs, bring certainty, and unveil his plan to allow construction to start this spring?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the dairy industry. Our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and to supporting a health framework based on healthy choices. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. Canada's food guide is being updated as part of the healthy eating strategy, and we are working with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. Health Canada is committed to making decisions based on the best data available.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians expect, we are moving forward to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. We put close to $1 billion in our first two budgets towards the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.That is exactly what we are continuing to do. We will continue to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. That is what Canadians expect of us.
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. After all, it was our government that invested nearly $1 billion in the last two budgets.The Canada Revenue Agency is now able to assess the risk of all large multinational corporations annually. Every year, it reviews every transaction over $10,000 in four regions that are deemed high-risk. The first two are the Isle of Man and Guernsey.As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,090 taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we will make sure that the environment and the economy go together. Unlike what the previous government did, we have taken action exactly on that. We have moved forward on a national plan to reduce carbon emissions. We have moved forward on historic oceans protection. We are moving forward on projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will get our resources to new markets safely and securely. That is what Canadians expect. That is why I have been across the country speaking with premiers, speaking with Canadians, hearing from both sides of the argument, and remaining steadfast. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today because I am a charitable person and I want to give the Liberal government one more chance to honour a promise and look after our produce farmers. If you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House call on the government to honour its election promise to implement a PACA-like deemed trust for perishable goods, which Canadian produce growers have called for repeatedly and which both the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously recommended to the government.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, as I have said many times, we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that is going to protect it. We are going to put programs in place in order to make sure that our food and vegetable sector are also in the trade to export around the world. We also put a program in place after CETA to make sure that the dairy industry itself was on the cutting edge, $250 million. We put another $100 million in place to make sure that the processing sector was in place. We have and will continue to
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question and for his interest in international development and our youth. Our government wants to offer young Canadians a personally and professionally rewarding international experience. That is why I recently announced that about 20 Canadian organizations will be sharing more than $34 million to offer 1,800 youth internships in developing countries. I myself did a similar internship in Morocco, and I urge all young Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: that this House call on the government to not apply federal tax provisions that allow the active business income from a Canadian company's foreign subsidiary in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Granada, to be paid to the Canadian parent company in the form of dividends that are exempt from Canadian taxes. I am sure there will be unanimous consent for that.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. For the past 70 years, Canada's food guide has been one of the most trusted sources of information for Canadians. As a part of the healthy eating strategy, work today on the Canada food guide is well under way. We are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. I was pleased to meet with people from the dairy industry yesterday. They are going to be appearing as witnesses at the health committee in a very timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister informed us yesterday that the Canada Revenue Agency is finally going to share its data with the parliamentary budget officer after making him wait for 62 months. It may be too early to celebrate, however, and this agreement does not address the main problem, which is the agency's refusal to be transparent and accountable.The agency acts as though it is not accountable to Parliament. The privacy of taxpayers must be protected. However, we have a major problem when agency officials use legislation to shield themselves from parliamentarians rather than to protect taxpayers.When will the Liberals make the agency accountable to Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with the dairy industry of Canada and had a very productive meeting.Our government is committed to safeguarding Canadians' health and supporting a health framework that makes the healthy choice the easier choice. For 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information for Canadians. As part of the healthy eating strategy, Canada's food guide is in the process of being updated, and we are collaborating with Canadians and experts in all fields. Health Canada is committed to using the best available data to make decisions about Canada's food guide.
Mr. Speaker, the results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is helping Canadians create jobs and it is growing our economy. However, we still have some work to do.Over 500,000 jobs have been created since the government came to office, and Canada is leading the G7 in growth. Canadians are feeling more confident about their future.Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps that we are taking to strengthen Canada's middle class and help those working hard to join it?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work for our farmers and ranchers throughout this country. Today, I am celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by launching six federal programs under the Canadian agricultural partnership. The partnership will drive a strong agenda for the future of Canadian agriculture. These investments will ensure Canadian agriculture remains a leader in job creation and innovation and to make sure that we reach our target of $75 billion of agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025.
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Engineers Without Borders released the results of a survey of young Canadians about greater global development. The results showed that responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, promoting access to healthcare for women, children, and youth, and promoting gender equality are key policies that Canada should pursue. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House how Canada plans to make this vision a reality?
Mr. Speaker, our party makes decisions based on science, and the party opposite makes decisions based on science fiction. For projects to move forward, we must make decisions based on science, we must listen to Canadians, and we must work with indigenous peoples. Otherwise, these projects will not move forward. The environment and the economy go hand in hand. I hope that, one day, the party opposite will understand this.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We continue to defend supply management. In fact, with the exception of some members of the official opposition, everyone in the House but the Conservative Party believes in supply management. Our position on this issue is clear. We have always defended the system, including during NAFTA negotiations, and we will continue to defend it.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will soon be meeting with officials in India to hopefully discuss trade, in between selfies and photo ops.Recent changes to India's import policies resulted in debilitating tariffs on Canadian pulse exports, putting critical trade agreements and market access in serious jeopardy. With pulse exports to India worth over $1.5 billion, it is critical for Canada to work on a clear agreement.Will the Prime Minister include the agriculture minister on this important trade mission?
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to defend the new environmental assessment act we are proposing. I am certainly interested in hearing any proposed changes that may come from the other side that can make it stronger, but we believe we have got it spot on. We understand we need to make decisions based on science and traditional knowledge, that we need to be respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and partnering from the start, that we need to be listening to communities, and that we need good projects to go ahead. On one hand, we have a party that does not understand that we need to ensure we protect the environment. We have another party that does not understand that projects need to go ahead. That is where we
Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. colleague that we have been listening to farmers and that we are responding to farmers. In fact, we invested $100 million in agricultural science. That is much better than cutting some money in agricultural science. An innovations fund of $1.1 billion is available to agriculture. We have agreed with the provinces and territories to put the CAP, the Canadian agricultural partnership, in place; $3 billion for the agriculture and agrifood sector; and it goes on. In order to increase trade, we have approved CETA and we have agreed to the CPTPP.
Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?
Mr. Speaker, an increased pain and suffering award, an increased income replacement, increased estate exemption for veterans funerals and burials, an education benefit of up to $80,000, redesigned career transition, a recognition benefit for caregivers, a centre for excellence for PTSD, 460 more staff, 10 offices, and a pension for life, for everything the Conservatives took away that I listed yesterday, we are delivering on real benefits and services. Veterans deserve more than words. They
Mr. Speaker, we live in a federation where provincial governments have strong points of view, and they are elected to speak on behalf of their own constituencies, the people who elected them, and their own interpretation of their provincial interests. There is only one government that speaks on behalf of the national interest, and that is the Government of Canada. We acted in the national interest when we approved this pipeline, and, in those months that have intervened, nothing has changed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you were to seek it you would find unanimous support for the following motion. I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, any recorded division in respect of an item of private members' business deferred to Wednesday, February 14, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business, pursuant to Standing Order 93(1) or 98(4), shall be deemed deferred anew until Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.
Mr. Speaker, the minister spends more time slinging partisan mud and personal attacks than improving Canada's environment. The Liberals have broken more economic promises than we can count. They killed northern gateway, energy east, and are letting Kinder Morgan die a slow and painful death. Now they are creating an environmental review process that is filled with more uncertainty than ever before, discouraging investment in Canada.When will the minister finally stop her partisan attacks and rebuild investor confidence in Canada's resource sector?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government gave vague answers on what their plan was in the aftermath of the trial over Colten Boushie's killing. We must address the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries and judicial benches. This situation is a crisis of trust and the jury trial in the case of Colten Boushie increases mistrust of the justice system for indigenous peoples.I will repeat. What is the government's specific plan to ensure that indigenous peoples are treated fairly by our justice system?
Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across the country are being put at risk because the Prime Minister is sitting on the sidelines while an approved energy project faces uncertainty and delay. He refuses to stand up to the opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and now the B.C. wine industry is becoming collateral damage as a result. We need less talk and more action from this Prime Minister. Will he tell Canadians what his actual plan is, or is his real plan to let others kill this project and the thousands of jobs that go along with it?
Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have never seen so much inequality in this country as under this Prime Minister's watch.The truth is that this Prime Minister simply does not know how to say no to wealthy Canadians who want to escape taxes by taking their money overseas. That hurts Canadians: Canadians who cannot pay for medication, Canadians who are on the streets because there is so little affordable housing, and indigenous communities that have no drinking water.Why does the Prime Minister not take action on tax havens so Canadians can have pharmacare, affordable housing, and safe drinking water?
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties, without any advance notice to Canada or any other nation. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including on a recent trade mission by the Minister of International Trade, who brought it up on every occasion.This week I was in Saskatchewan meeting with the pulse farmers and announced funding for market development. What we want to do is to create more markets for the pulse industry in this country.
Well, Mr. Speaker, the more we dig into the new environmental review process the uglier it gets. The minister appears to have embedded in the bill provisions that will empower her to delay, suspend, and veto a project before it ever undergoes a full science-based review. That is not a streamlined process; that is a minister-knows-best process, which is based on politics and not science. How can we trust a process based on the minister's whims? Will the minister now agree to remove her veto power from the bill?
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was a priority for Paul Martin, either.The Minister of National Revenue can spew all the rhetoric she wants and say that her government is combatting tax avoidance and tax evasion, but the truth is, when it comes to fighting tax havens internationally, Canada is part of the problem, not part of the solution. While the OECD agreement that the minister referred to provides for the exchange of information, Canada has signed an agreement with a country that does not even require income tax returns. When will the Liberals start taking this a little more seriously and scrap their agreement with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda?
Mr. Speaker, they are bashing in an open door. They cannot take yes for an answer. I guess we can say it one more time. We want the pipeline to proceed. We have approved it. We have approved it with conditions. We are investing a billion and a half dollars in the oceans protection plan. We are working with indigenous communities up and down the line. What is the opposition doing? The opposition is chilling investor confidence with a record that opposition members should be ashamed of.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about tax avoidance.Canadian investments totalled $68 billion in Barbados, $48 billion in the Cayman Islands, $39 billion in Bermuda, and $20 billion in the Bahamas.Average taxpayers pay their taxes while the government makes life easy for rich people who hide their money in the Caribbean.Rather than go after little fish who are doing their part, when will the government stop fattening up the financial sharks?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. In honour of this day, the Liberals are refusing to create a trust similar to PACA for perishable goods. In addition, there is still not not even a hint of support for milk producers in response to the loopholes opened in CETA, not to mention the potential loopholes to come in NAFTA and the TPP. The government should be ashamed today.When will the government fulfill its promises to our family farms and implement safeguards to ensure that the people who feed our families every day can also feed their own families?
Mr. Speaker, I will be clear: fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is a priority for our government.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem with no simple solution, contrary to what my colleagues opposite seem to think. We adhere to all provisions of the international standard for automatic exchange of information with OECD partners. Starting this year, we will have access to even more information supplied by our partners. I remind my colleagues opposite that under their government, former minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn announced publicly that this was not a priority.
Mr. Speaker, energy workers, the B.C. wine industry, and national unity are all being threatened by this escalating dispute, yet the Prime Minister actually said, I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case. What a sorry excuse for national leadership. Why does the Prime Minister not opine that the rule of law will be upheld? Why does he not opine that innocent bystanders will not be collateral damage in this dispute? Why does he not get off the sidelines and fight for the jobs that we lost because of his inaction?
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, they are still signing treaties with tax havens. That is a fact.The Prime Minister could act now on certain issues. More than $3 billion is being lost due to tax loopholes like stock option deductions. More than $10 billion in tax dollars are ending up in tax havens, while Canadians go without housing and medication and many first nations communities have no clean drinking water. It is a matter of choice. Will the Prime Minister take action on these unfair loopholes?
Mr. Speaker, the war of words between the United States and North Korea and the growing tensions with Russia have led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist to set the hands of the doomsday clock at two minutes to midnight. Obviously, the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons, and Canada should participate in the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve that goal.Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that Canada signs the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is supported by 120 countries?
Mr. Speaker, the new version of Canada's food guide that was introduced by the Liberal government seems to be based on ideology rather than science.We are concerned about the impact that the lack of consultation and the refusal to consult with Canada's agriculture and agrifood partners will have on Canadians' health.Will the government reconsider its narrow-minded and ill-advised approach and finally hold broader consultations on the food guide with all agriculture and agrifood stakeholders for the good of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any difficulty repeating the government's position, and I do not know why members opposite cannot take yes for an answer. Yes, we think the pipeline is a good idea. Yes, we approved the pipeline. Yes, we intervened at the National Energy Board when it wanted to delay the pipeline. We want the pipeline built. How about members of the opposition? What chill are they putting on investment by their incessant questions?
Mr. Speaker, after dragging their feet for two years, the Liberals are proposing a new environmental assessment process, but it includes some nasty surprises.Timelines for studies are even shorter than under the Conservatives and, more importantly, the minister is not bound by the recommendations resulting from assessments. Even if citizens oppose a project, even if it is scientifically proven to be a bad project, the minister can approve it anyway.Is the notion of national interest the Liberals' loophole for approving whatever they want, despite the will of the people, despite the science, and despite input from indigenous peoples?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if he just keeps saying the same thing over and over. It is not actually a plan, it is not actually going to get done, and it means absolutely nothing. Liberals obviously will not stand up for their own approval of a pipeline clearly in the national interest. The minister is saying that the recent consultations are legitimate and there is nothing to be seen here, but it is clearly an attempt to continue to delay the project. Deliver the plan and confirm: When will construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline begin?
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily rich to hear the party opposite talk about science. The Conservatives never ever took into account science or indigenous knowledge. They never listened to Canadians. They never respected the rights of indigenous people. They could not get good projects built.We understand that the environment and the economy go together, that decisions need to be made on science and indigenous knowledge, and that we need good projects to go ahead. That is exactly what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that we will get the pipelines built. We know it is in the country's interest. This situation is interesting because we know there are people in British Columbia who oppose the pipelines. I am telling them that the pipelines will be built anyway. When Alberta Conservatives go on about the pipeline not being built, however, they are undermining the process and creating uncertainty. We have said it before, and we will say it again: we will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, for a party that says it likes to stand with farmers, its talking points are sure falling short. Creating a PACA-like deemed trust for producers of perishable goods in Canada is what our produce growers want. Two parliamentary committees, agriculture and finance, unanimously recommended that greater measures are needed to protect Canadian produce growers, but Liberal ministers will not even consider it. On Canada's Agriculture Day, will the government stop breaking its election promises, put the money where its mouth is, and support our produce growers and small businesses?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest. It will create jobs across the country and provide provinces with access to global markets. The dispute between Alberta and British Columbia has escalated solely because the Prime Minister has failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to leave the country while this crisis came to a head. Every day of inaction by the Liberals fuels the national conflict. When will the Prime Minister shelve the rhetoric, get Alberta and B.C. together, and set a date for construction to begin?
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps saying that it is a strong advocate for the middle class, but it is in cahoots with the wealthy to help them get richer at the expense of the poor, who are being forced to cover the government's outlandish spending. We just learned that the government has given access to new tax havens in Granada and in Antigua and Barbuda.When will this government be truly transparent with taxpayers, honestly work in their interests, and stop signing agreements with tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just keeps saying that the pipeline will be built, I guess by magic, since Kinder Morgan says it is slowing down its operations, slowing down spending, and delaying it for more than a year. More delays continue to threaten this project every single day. The application was first filed over 2,000 days ago. The pipeline, clearly in the national interest, was approved over 440 days ago, and these delays continue to pile up and pile up. It is just words and no action.Where is the plan? Table it on Thursday. And how many more days will it be before construction begins in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have and will continue to take action on tax avoidance and tax evasion, but it is nice that the members opposite are bringing up pharmacare, because we recognize on this side of the House that Canadians pay too much for prescription drugs, and our government is taking bold action now to bring down prices. We joined the provinces and territories as a member of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of public drug plans. Through budget 2017, we are investing over $140 million to help improve access to pharmaceuticals and to support innovations within the health care system. We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians can better afford the
Again, Mr. Speaker, for 10 years those members talked up the energy industry but actually could not deliver for it. What was I doing? I went down to Washington, D.C., to make the pitch for Keystone XL to a group of American Democrats. That is what I was doing while I was leader of the third party.I have continued to focus on delivering it. I have focused on making sure we protect the environment and grow the economy together. That is exactly what we are doing and that is why they keep talking down our chances of getting that pipeline built. We will get it built.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberals have broken their trust with veterans. Brian Forbes, chairman of the National Council of the Veterans Associations, had this to say about the Liberal promises. He said, It's fair to say the disappointment (with the new plan) has been immense because it just didn't do the trick.... If you're going to make a promise to provide lifetime pensions, then do it.Despite the Liberals' rhetoric, veterans consider the promises made to them to be broken. Why is the Prime Minister the only one convinced that they have kept their promises to veterans?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently since we came into government, building on the work that has occurred over decades advocated by indigenous peoples and the like to ultimately improve our criminal justice system. We will propose broad-based reform to the criminal justice system and we have, as I stated yesterday, committed to looking at the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries. We are moving forward with that and we will listen to all the voices with respect to that particular issue and move forward in an appropriate way.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain project will create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit every part of the country. Before that can happen, however, the Prime Minister needs to address the situation instead of letting it deteriorate, which is what he is doing. Thousands of jobs are on the line because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. On top of all that, last week, Canada lost a contract worth hundreds of millions in Mirabel, and NAFTA talks are stalling. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how he is planning to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, the changes to the Navigation Protection Act proposed by the minister will delay and increase red tape and costs for rural municipalities building vital infrastructure. The Liberals' changes also reflect their lack of understanding of the importance of resource development to Canada's economy. Why are the Liberals opposing responsible resource development and delaying vital infrastructure projects in rural communities across Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I find it humorous that members opposite are talking about showing leadership. For 10 years they did not get anything built and when they approved the northern gateway pipeline, which was not a very good pipeline, they did it by press release in the middle of the night. When we approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I stood at a press conference, announced it myself, and then crossed the country taking responsibility for it and demonstrating that it is in the national interest.For 10 years they had a failed process that could not get things built. We know that by restoring public trust, by protecting the environment, we can grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, agriculture, especially in my province of Manitoba, is an integral part of the community.We are all very proud of our agriculture contributions to Canada and beyond. Products like Bothwell cheese and HyLife pork are world-class products with excellent nutritional value. However, the Liberal government seems to disagree. The new Canadian food guide is an attack on meat and dairy producers. Why have the Liberals chosen to downplay the vital role of meat and dairy products in the diets of Canadians? Why this attack on science?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly encourage the party opposite to stop the partisan attacks.We understand that the environment and the economy go together. We have also created over half a million jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate since we have been tracking unemployment rates. We are also tackling climate change. We are committed to reconciliation with indigenous people. We make decisions on science. We protect our animals, our waters, and our air. Environment and the economy have to go together. Why does the party opposite not come to the party?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that the government is committed to the financial success of our fruit and vegetable farmers. We will be creating a single dispute resolution body, which should resolve the majority of non-payment incidents faced by our producers. Working with farmers, today we are going to make a number of announcements that will indicate just how much more we fully support the agriculture and agrifood sector across the country.
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite want to know what steps we will take. We will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately those are just words and platitudes that the government is utilizing.Right now, as we speak, industry is responding to the uncertainty and instability that the government's lack of action is causing. Kinder Morgan has already indicated that it is going to be delaying and slowing its investments in the pipeline. The message to the world is that Canada is not open for business.The Prime Minister can make these concerns go away by showing a bit of leadership. It is simple. When will he guarantee the construction of the pipeline in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says it in Edmonton, we say it in Vancouver, we say it in Regina, and we say it in St. John's, Newfoundland. We say it in every region of the country. Why do we say it in every region of the country? We say it because the message is a national one and it is clear. We will move our resources to market sustainably. We will expand export markets. We will work with indigenous peoples. We will protect the environment. We are the only party in this chamber that will do all three of those things.
Mr. Speaker, tax evasion and tax avoidance are priorities for this government, which is why we invested over $1 billion in our last two budgets. That is in contrast to our opposition colleagues, whose goal in life is to ask two questions during question period and then wither away on the opposition benches. Members on this side are going to work for Quebeckers and Canadians. Tax avoidance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work on that.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to actually strengthen the environmental assessment process gutted by the Conservatives. It is still in place. They promised to remove political considerations from assessments and base decisions on project approvals on scientific evidence, yet Bill C-69 retains the government's ability to disregard scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, identification of adverse impacts, health risks, and community concerns, and still deem the project to be in the public interest. How can the Minister of Environment defend this bill as a strengthened law?
Mr. Speaker, my question was about the lack of accountability of the Canada Revenue Agency.The government is actually acting exactly the same way that the previous government did, not only in protecting the unaccountable Canada Revenue Agency, but also in withholding information on tax havens.Canada just signed two new tax treaties, with Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. What do those tax treaties do? They allow corporations to set up subsidiaries in those low-tax countries where their worldwide profits will be attributed, and they will bring those profits back into Canada tax free.Why are Liberals continuing to sign those tax-avoidance agreements?
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the TPPCPTPTPP, or however many more P's they want to add.Canadian producers are becoming increasingly concerned. More than two weeks after the announcement of an agreement regarding the trans-Pacific partnership, there has been radio silence on compensation programs. In fact, 80% of dairy farmers do not have access to the program cobbled together by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Nothing for egg producers, or poultry farmers. The Conservative government put $4 billion on the table. The Liberals have no plan. How is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food going to ensure that no new concessions will be made to the Americans under NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, today we should be celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate our farmers and ranchers across the country.Farmers and their families work hard to feed their community, our country, and the world. Unfortunately, that is not a priority for this government.The Minister of Finance treated farmers like tax cheats, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not taking part in international negotiations, and the Minister of Health does not want to hear what farmers have to say about the new food guide.Will the Liberal government finally do the right thing and listen to what farmers have to say about their future?
Mr. Speaker, all words from the minister and still no action plan.The trade war between B.C. and Alberta is escalating every day. While this crisis develops, the Prime Minister crosses his fingers and hopes the provinces will just work it out instead of having to demonstrate any real national leadership himself. Wishful thinking will not get this pipeline built. It has been 441 days since this project was approved. When will the Prime Minister open his eyes and start supporting hard-working Canadian families who are depending on this project?
Mr. Speaker, we have seen real improvements over the last couple of years for middle-class Canadians, more confidence, and among the lowest unemployment rates in the last four years. However, there is more work to do. On February 27, we are going to announce the next budget to continue our plan.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to answer the member's question by talking about what we are doing on social housing. Working with the provinces, we are investing $40 billion in affordable social housing across the country. These are historic and unprecedented investments. We are investing in our indigenous communities to end boil water advisories nationwide by 2021. We are also investing in Canadians in need and middle-class Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We are going to continue to invest in those in need.
Mr. Speaker, we listened carefully to Canadians for two years. We listened to indigenous peoples. We listened to scientists. We listened to industry. We listened to environmentalists.We know that we have a good process. We will be making decisions based on science. We will be partnering with indigenous peoples. We will listen to communities. We will make decisions based on those facts.We know that the economy and the environment go hand in hand, and we will always stand up for both.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of heat and light in the Prime Minister's kind words but the reality is that he is not getting anything done. Let us take a bit of a review.Five months ago, the Liberals botched the energy east pipeline and that was 14,000 jobs on a $15 billion project. Now we have another crisis and another 37,000 jobs. Clearly, the Prime Minister does not actually feel moved by the industry's concerns. Maybe he is going to be moved by the fact that it is 50,000 jobs.Seriously, how many more well-paying Canadian jobs do we need to put in jeopardy to get him moving?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate the food we love and showcase our world-class farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast, of which I am one myself. Canadian agriculture is stronger, more innovative, and more diverse than ever and our government is committed to continuing this growth and investing in the future of Canadian farmers.Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about today's announcement to build a strong future for Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.
Mr. Speaker, the British Columbia government says it is going to consult people. The Government of Canada has already consulted tens of thousands of people, and Canadians agree with us that this pipeline is in Canada's interest because of the jobs it creates, because of the expansion of export markets, and because of the $1.5 billion invested in a world-class oceans protection plan. We have intervened with the proponent of the National Energy Board when we thought it would lead to delays. There will be no unnecessary delays. This pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, Canada has traditionally been a leader on the world stage on nuclear disarmament at the same time as being an active member of NATO. Since a core tenet of NATO is to create the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons, there is clearly no obstacle to Canada signing the nuclear prohibition treaty. Therefore, will the Prime Minister now take bold action, sign the nuclear prohibition treaty, and then instruct our NATO ambassador to start working to get all of our NATO allies behind this treaty so Canada can help the world move back from the brink of nuclear disaster?
Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally supports global nuclear disarmament. We continue to support efforts that substantially contribute to this goal.We recently announced an additional $1.5 million for the International Atomic Energy Agency to support its important work on non-proliferation. We are committed to work that will take concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world. This includes the important work that Canada is doing on a treaty that will help to halt the production of material for nuclear weapons. Canada has and remains an important player in the global nuclear disarmament movement.
Mr. Speaker, we understand that it is important that the data used by the parliamentary budget officer be reliable and accurate. That is why we have enhanced the position of the PBO and made him an officer of Parliament after Harper's Conservatives spent years undermining his credibility.As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO and will, by the end of the month, provide it its data in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy. We will continue to support and respect the work of officers of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on two points of order. First, I find that the comments made by the Minister of National Revenue about my interventions were not entirely respectful and, consequently, she was disrespectful to the constituents of my riding, Joliette. I ask that she withdraw her comments.
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years the plan we have put in place for Canadians has made real improvements for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives implemented a rigorous environmental assessment process enabling Canada to meet its economic and energy needs, all while ensuring that approval decisions are based on science. With Bill C-69, the Liberals are trying to turn this process upside down, even though it works very well.Can the minister tell us which projects approved under the former process she does not agree with? Which projects would she like to see fail?
Mr. Speaker, let us examine the Conservative record on this file: in 10 years, not one kilometre of pipe built to tidewater, an erosion of public trust in the regulatory system that we are going to fix, insufficient consultation with indigenous communities, court case after court case that said they blew it. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, Canada strongly supports worldwide nuclear disarmament and continues to support efforts in that area. We recently announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency in its important work. We are fully committed to making meaningful progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world, and that includes our work toward a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. That is the firm stand that Canada has taken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, this is a good agreement on Agriculture Day. We should all celebrate in the House that this is going to be good for our country. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will be signing the CPTPP in March, and we will proceed with ratification. However, let me again say what this entails for Canadians. We have opened up a market of more than 500 million people, 40% of the world economy. This is a great day for agriculture. This is a great day for Canada. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will have our position in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain pipeline project is an important project. It is a $7.4 billion investment and 37,000 good-paying Canadian jobs. There is much opposition to this project. They are saying that they are going to interrupt it and delay, and the government is silent throughout this whole time. What is the impact of that? Industry is watching closely, and as well there is a growing crisis among our provinces.Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians relying on these jobs, bring certainty, and unveil his plan to allow construction to start this spring?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the dairy industry. Our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and to supporting a health framework based on healthy choices. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. Canada's food guide is being updated as part of the healthy eating strategy, and we are working with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. Health Canada is committed to making decisions based on the best data available.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians expect, we are moving forward to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. We put close to $1 billion in our first two budgets towards the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.That is exactly what we are continuing to do. We will continue to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. That is what Canadians expect of us.
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. After all, it was our government that invested nearly $1 billion in the last two budgets.The Canada Revenue Agency is now able to assess the risk of all large multinational corporations annually. Every year, it reviews every transaction over $10,000 in four regions that are deemed high-risk. The first two are the Isle of Man and Guernsey.As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,090 taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we will make sure that the environment and the economy go together. Unlike what the previous government did, we have taken action exactly on that. We have moved forward on a national plan to reduce carbon emissions. We have moved forward on historic oceans protection. We are moving forward on projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will get our resources to new markets safely and securely. That is what Canadians expect. That is why I have been across the country speaking with premiers, speaking with Canadians, hearing from both sides of the argument, and remaining steadfast. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today because I am a charitable person and I want to give the Liberal government one more chance to honour a promise and look after our produce farmers. If you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House call on the government to honour its election promise to implement a PACA-like deemed trust for perishable goods, which Canadian produce growers have called for repeatedly and which both the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously recommended to the government.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, as I have said many times, we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that is going to protect it. We are going to put programs in place in order to make sure that our food and vegetable sector are also in the trade to export around the world. We also put a program in place after CETA to make sure that the dairy industry itself was on the cutting edge, $250 million. We put another $100 million in place to make sure that the processing sector was in place. We have and will continue to
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question and for his interest in international development and our youth. Our government wants to offer young Canadians a personally and professionally rewarding international experience. That is why I recently announced that about 20 Canadian organizations will be sharing more than $34 million to offer 1,800 youth internships in developing countries. I myself did a similar internship in Morocco, and I urge all young Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: that this House call on the government to not apply federal tax provisions that allow the active business income from a Canadian company's foreign subsidiary in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Granada, to be paid to the Canadian parent company in the form of dividends that are exempt from Canadian taxes. I am sure there will be unanimous consent for that.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. For the past 70 years, Canada's food guide has been one of the most trusted sources of information for Canadians. As a part of the healthy eating strategy, work today on the Canada food guide is well under way. We are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. I was pleased to meet with people from the dairy industry yesterday. They are going to be appearing as witnesses at the health committee in a very timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister informed us yesterday that the Canada Revenue Agency is finally going to share its data with the parliamentary budget officer after making him wait for 62 months. It may be too early to celebrate, however, and this agreement does not address the main problem, which is the agency's refusal to be transparent and accountable.The agency acts as though it is not accountable to Parliament. The privacy of taxpayers must be protected. However, we have a major problem when agency officials use legislation to shield themselves from parliamentarians rather than to protect taxpayers.When will the Liberals make the agency accountable to Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with the dairy industry of Canada and had a very productive meeting.Our government is committed to safeguarding Canadians' health and supporting a health framework that makes the healthy choice the easier choice. For 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information for Canadians. As part of the healthy eating strategy, Canada's food guide is in the process of being updated, and we are collaborating with Canadians and experts in all fields. Health Canada is committed to using the best available data to make decisions about Canada's food guide.
Mr. Speaker, the results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is helping Canadians create jobs and it is growing our economy. However, we still have some work to do.Over 500,000 jobs have been created since the government came to office, and Canada is leading the G7 in growth. Canadians are feeling more confident about their future.Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps that we are taking to strengthen Canada's middle class and help those working hard to join it?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work for our farmers and ranchers throughout this country. Today, I am celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by launching six federal programs under the Canadian agricultural partnership. The partnership will drive a strong agenda for the future of Canadian agriculture. These investments will ensure Canadian agriculture remains a leader in job creation and innovation and to make sure that we reach our target of $75 billion of agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025.
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Engineers Without Borders released the results of a survey of young Canadians about greater global development. The results showed that responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, promoting access to healthcare for women, children, and youth, and promoting gender equality are key policies that Canada should pursue. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House how Canada plans to make this vision a reality?
Mr. Speaker, our party makes decisions based on science, and the party opposite makes decisions based on science fiction. For projects to move forward, we must make decisions based on science, we must listen to Canadians, and we must work with indigenous peoples. Otherwise, these projects will not move forward. The environment and the economy go hand in hand. I hope that, one day, the party opposite will understand this.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We continue to defend supply management. In fact, with the exception of some members of the official opposition, everyone in the House but the Conservative Party believes in supply management. Our position on this issue is clear. We have always defended the system, including during NAFTA negotiations, and we will continue to defend it.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will soon be meeting with officials in India to hopefully discuss trade, in between selfies and photo ops.Recent changes to India's import policies resulted in debilitating tariffs on Canadian pulse exports, putting critical trade agreements and market access in serious jeopardy. With pulse exports to India worth over $1.5 billion, it is critical for Canada to work on a clear agreement.Will the Prime Minister include the agriculture minister on this important trade mission?
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to defend the new environmental assessment act we are proposing. I am certainly interested in hearing any proposed changes that may come from the other side that can make it stronger, but we believe we have got it spot on. We understand we need to make decisions based on science and traditional knowledge, that we need to be respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and partnering from the start, that we need to be listening to communities, and that we need good projects to go ahead. On one hand, we have a party that does not understand that we need to ensure we protect the environment. We have another party that does not understand that projects need to go ahead. That is where we
Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. colleague that we have been listening to farmers and that we are responding to farmers. In fact, we invested $100 million in agricultural science. That is much better than cutting some money in agricultural science. An innovations fund of $1.1 billion is available to agriculture. We have agreed with the provinces and territories to put the CAP, the Canadian agricultural partnership, in place; $3 billion for the agriculture and agrifood sector; and it goes on. In order to increase trade, we have approved CETA and we have agreed to the CPTPP.
Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?
Mr. Speaker, an increased pain and suffering award, an increased income replacement, increased estate exemption for veterans funerals and burials, an education benefit of up to $80,000, redesigned career transition, a recognition benefit for caregivers, a centre for excellence for PTSD, 460 more staff, 10 offices, and a pension for life, for everything the Conservatives took away that I listed yesterday, we are delivering on real benefits and services. Veterans deserve more than words. They
Mr. Speaker, we live in a federation where provincial governments have strong points of view, and they are elected to speak on behalf of their own constituencies, the people who elected them, and their own interpretation of their provincial interests. There is only one government that speaks on behalf of the national interest, and that is the Government of Canada. We acted in the national interest when we approved this pipeline, and, in those months that have intervened, nothing has changed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you were to seek it you would find unanimous support for the following motion. I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, any recorded division in respect of an item of private members' business deferred to Wednesday, February 14, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business, pursuant to Standing Order 93(1) or 98(4), shall be deemed deferred anew until Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest. It will create jobs across the country and provide provinces with access to global markets. The dispute between Alberta and British Columbia has escalated solely because the Prime Minister has failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to leave the country while this crisis came to a head. Every day of inaction by the Liberals fuels the national conflict. When will the Prime Minister shelve the rhetoric, get Alberta and B.C. together, and set a date for construction to begin?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to actually strengthen the environmental assessment process gutted by the Conservatives. It is still in place. They promised to remove political considerations from assessments and base decisions on project approvals on scientific evidence, yet Bill C-69 retains the government's ability to disregard scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, identification of adverse impacts, health risks, and community concerns, and still deem the project to be in the public interest. How can the Minister of Environment defend this bill as a strengthened law?
Mr. Speaker, after dragging their feet for two years, the Liberals are proposing a new environmental assessment process, but it includes some nasty surprises.Timelines for studies are even shorter than under the Conservatives and, more importantly, the minister is not bound by the recommendations resulting from assessments. Even if citizens oppose a project, even if it is scientifically proven to be a bad project, the minister can approve it anyway.Is the notion of national interest the Liberals' loophole for approving whatever they want, despite the will of the people, despite the science, and despite input from indigenous peoples?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately those are just words and platitudes that the government is utilizing.Right now, as we speak, industry is responding to the uncertainty and instability that the government's lack of action is causing. Kinder Morgan has already indicated that it is going to be delaying and slowing its investments in the pipeline. The message to the world is that Canada is not open for business.The Prime Minister can make these concerns go away by showing a bit of leadership. It is simple. When will he guarantee the construction of the pipeline in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties, without any advance notice to Canada or any other nation. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including on a recent trade mission by the Minister of International Trade, who brought it up on every occasion.This week I was in Saskatchewan meeting with the pulse farmers and announced funding for market development. What we want to do is to create more markets for the pulse industry in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberals have broken their trust with veterans. Brian Forbes, chairman of the National Council of the Veterans Associations, had this to say about the Liberal promises. He said, It's fair to say the disappointment (with the new plan) has been immense because it just didn't do the trick.... If you're going to make a promise to provide lifetime pensions, then do it.Despite the Liberals' rhetoric, veterans consider the promises made to them to be broken. Why is the Prime Minister the only one convinced that they have kept their promises to veterans?
Mr. Speaker, they are bashing in an open door. They cannot take yes for an answer. I guess we can say it one more time. We want the pipeline to proceed. We have approved it. We have approved it with conditions. We are investing a billion and a half dollars in the oceans protection plan. We are working with indigenous communities up and down the line. What is the opposition doing? The opposition is chilling investor confidence with a record that opposition members should be ashamed of.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you were to seek it you would find unanimous support for the following motion. I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, any recorded division in respect of an item of private members' business deferred to Wednesday, February 14, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business, pursuant to Standing Order 93(1) or 98(4), shall be deemed deferred anew until Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.
Mr. Speaker, today we should be celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate our farmers and ranchers across the country.Farmers and their families work hard to feed their community, our country, and the world. Unfortunately, that is not a priority for this government.The Minister of Finance treated farmers like tax cheats, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not taking part in international negotiations, and the Minister of Health does not want to hear what farmers have to say about the new food guide.Will the Liberal government finally do the right thing and listen to what farmers have to say about their future?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives implemented a rigorous environmental assessment process enabling Canada to meet its economic and energy needs, all while ensuring that approval decisions are based on science. With Bill C-69, the Liberals are trying to turn this process upside down, even though it works very well.Can the minister tell us which projects approved under the former process she does not agree with? Which projects would she like to see fail?
Mr. Speaker, I find it humorous that members opposite are talking about showing leadership. For 10 years they did not get anything built and when they approved the northern gateway pipeline, which was not a very good pipeline, they did it by press release in the middle of the night. When we approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I stood at a press conference, announced it myself, and then crossed the country taking responsibility for it and demonstrating that it is in the national interest.For 10 years they had a failed process that could not get things built. We know that by restoring public trust, by protecting the environment, we can grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently since we came into government, building on the work that has occurred over decades advocated by indigenous peoples and the like to ultimately improve our criminal justice system. We will propose broad-based reform to the criminal justice system and we have, as I stated yesterday, committed to looking at the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries. We are moving forward with that and we will listen to all the voices with respect to that particular issue and move forward in an appropriate way.
Mr. Speaker, energy workers, the B.C. wine industry, and national unity are all being threatened by this escalating dispute, yet the Prime Minister actually said, I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case. What a sorry excuse for national leadership. Why does the Prime Minister not opine that the rule of law will be upheld? Why does he not opine that innocent bystanders will not be collateral damage in this dispute? Why does he not get off the sidelines and fight for the jobs that we lost because of his inaction?
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite want to know what steps we will take. We will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, our party makes decisions based on science, and the party opposite makes decisions based on science fiction. For projects to move forward, we must make decisions based on science, we must listen to Canadians, and we must work with indigenous peoples. Otherwise, these projects will not move forward. The environment and the economy go hand in hand. I hope that, one day, the party opposite will understand this.
Mr. Speaker, the war of words between the United States and North Korea and the growing tensions with Russia have led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist to set the hands of the doomsday clock at two minutes to midnight. Obviously, the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons, and Canada should participate in the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve that goal.Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that Canada signs the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is supported by 120 countries?
Mr. Speaker, tax evasion and tax avoidance are priorities for this government, which is why we invested over $1 billion in our last two budgets. That is in contrast to our opposition colleagues, whose goal in life is to ask two questions during question period and then wither away on the opposition benches. Members on this side are going to work for Quebeckers and Canadians. Tax avoidance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work on that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on two points of order. First, I find that the comments made by the Minister of National Revenue about my interventions were not entirely respectful and, consequently, she was disrespectful to the constituents of my riding, Joliette. I ask that she withdraw her comments.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly encourage the party opposite to stop the partisan attacks.We understand that the environment and the economy go together. We have also created over half a million jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate since we have been tracking unemployment rates. We are also tackling climate change. We are committed to reconciliation with indigenous people. We make decisions on science. We protect our animals, our waters, and our air. Environment and the economy have to go together. Why does the party opposite not come to the party?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has traditionally been a leader on the world stage on nuclear disarmament at the same time as being an active member of NATO. Since a core tenet of NATO is to create the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons, there is clearly no obstacle to Canada signing the nuclear prohibition treaty. Therefore, will the Prime Minister now take bold action, sign the nuclear prohibition treaty, and then instruct our NATO ambassador to start working to get all of our NATO allies behind this treaty so Canada can help the world move back from the brink of nuclear disaster?
Mr. Speaker, my question was about the lack of accountability of the Canada Revenue Agency.The government is actually acting exactly the same way that the previous government did, not only in protecting the unaccountable Canada Revenue Agency, but also in withholding information on tax havens.Canada just signed two new tax treaties, with Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. What do those tax treaties do? They allow corporations to set up subsidiaries in those low-tax countries where their worldwide profits will be attributed, and they will bring those profits back into Canada tax free.Why are Liberals continuing to sign those tax-avoidance agreements?
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was a priority for Paul Martin, either.The Minister of National Revenue can spew all the rhetoric she wants and say that her government is combatting tax avoidance and tax evasion, but the truth is, when it comes to fighting tax havens internationally, Canada is part of the problem, not part of the solution. While the OECD agreement that the minister referred to provides for the exchange of information, Canada has signed an agreement with a country that does not even require income tax returns. When will the Liberals start taking this a little more seriously and scrap their agreement with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda?
Mr. Speaker, the minister spends more time slinging partisan mud and personal attacks than improving Canada's environment. The Liberals have broken more economic promises than we can count. They killed northern gateway, energy east, and are letting Kinder Morgan die a slow and painful death. Now they are creating an environmental review process that is filled with more uncertainty than ever before, discouraging investment in Canada.When will the minister finally stop her partisan attacks and rebuild investor confidence in Canada's resource sector?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says it in Edmonton, we say it in Vancouver, we say it in Regina, and we say it in St. John's, Newfoundland. We say it in every region of the country. Why do we say it in every region of the country? We say it because the message is a national one and it is clear. We will move our resources to market sustainably. We will expand export markets. We will work with indigenous peoples. We will protect the environment. We are the only party in this chamber that will do all three of those things.
Mr. Speaker, I will be clear: fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is a priority for our government.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem with no simple solution, contrary to what my colleagues opposite seem to think. We adhere to all provisions of the international standard for automatic exchange of information with OECD partners. Starting this year, we will have access to even more information supplied by our partners. I remind my colleagues opposite that under their government, former minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn announced publicly that this was not a priority.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: that this House call on the government to not apply federal tax provisions that allow the active business income from a Canadian company's foreign subsidiary in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Granada, to be paid to the Canadian parent company in the form of dividends that are exempt from Canadian taxes. I am sure there will be unanimous consent for that.
Again, Mr. Speaker, for 10 years those members talked up the energy industry but actually could not deliver for it. What was I doing? I went down to Washington, D.C., to make the pitch for Keystone XL to a group of American Democrats. That is what I was doing while I was leader of the third party.I have continued to focus on delivering it. I have focused on making sure we protect the environment and grow the economy together. That is exactly what we are doing and that is why they keep talking down our chances of getting that pipeline built. We will get it built.
Mr. Speaker, the changes to the Navigation Protection Act proposed by the minister will delay and increase red tape and costs for rural municipalities building vital infrastructure. The Liberals' changes also reflect their lack of understanding of the importance of resource development to Canada's economy. Why are the Liberals opposing responsible resource development and delaying vital infrastructure projects in rural communities across Canada?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government gave vague answers on what their plan was in the aftermath of the trial over Colten Boushie's killing. We must address the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries and judicial benches. This situation is a crisis of trust and the jury trial in the case of Colten Boushie increases mistrust of the justice system for indigenous peoples.I will repeat. What is the government's specific plan to ensure that indigenous peoples are treated fairly by our justice system?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will soon be meeting with officials in India to hopefully discuss trade, in between selfies and photo ops.Recent changes to India's import policies resulted in debilitating tariffs on Canadian pulse exports, putting critical trade agreements and market access in serious jeopardy. With pulse exports to India worth over $1.5 billion, it is critical for Canada to work on a clear agreement.Will the Prime Minister include the agriculture minister on this important trade mission?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister informed us yesterday that the Canada Revenue Agency is finally going to share its data with the parliamentary budget officer after making him wait for 62 months. It may be too early to celebrate, however, and this agreement does not address the main problem, which is the agency's refusal to be transparent and accountable.The agency acts as though it is not accountable to Parliament. The privacy of taxpayers must be protected. However, we have a major problem when agency officials use legislation to shield themselves from parliamentarians rather than to protect taxpayers.When will the Liberals make the agency accountable to Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, they are still signing treaties with tax havens. That is a fact.The Prime Minister could act now on certain issues. More than $3 billion is being lost due to tax loopholes like stock option deductions. More than $10 billion in tax dollars are ending up in tax havens, while Canadians go without housing and medication and many first nations communities have no clean drinking water. It is a matter of choice. Will the Prime Minister take action on these unfair loopholes?
Mr. Speaker, the British Columbia government says it is going to consult people. The Government of Canada has already consulted tens of thousands of people, and Canadians agree with us that this pipeline is in Canada's interest because of the jobs it creates, because of the expansion of export markets, and because of the $1.5 billion invested in a world-class oceans protection plan. We have intervened with the proponent of the National Energy Board when we thought it would lead to delays. There will be no unnecessary delays. This pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, all words from the minister and still no action plan.The trade war between B.C. and Alberta is escalating every day. While this crisis develops, the Prime Minister crosses his fingers and hopes the provinces will just work it out instead of having to demonstrate any real national leadership himself. Wishful thinking will not get this pipeline built. It has been 441 days since this project was approved. When will the Prime Minister open his eyes and start supporting hard-working Canadian families who are depending on this project?
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years the plan we have put in place for Canadians has made real improvements for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. colleague that we have been listening to farmers and that we are responding to farmers. In fact, we invested $100 million in agricultural science. That is much better than cutting some money in agricultural science. An innovations fund of $1.1 billion is available to agriculture. We have agreed with the provinces and territories to put the CAP, the Canadian agricultural partnership, in place; $3 billion for the agriculture and agrifood sector; and it goes on. In order to increase trade, we have approved CETA and we have agreed to the CPTPP.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We continue to defend supply management. In fact, with the exception of some members of the official opposition, everyone in the House but the Conservative Party believes in supply management. Our position on this issue is clear. We have always defended the system, including during NAFTA negotiations, and we will continue to defend it.
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if he just keeps saying the same thing over and over. It is not actually a plan, it is not actually going to get done, and it means absolutely nothing. Liberals obviously will not stand up for their own approval of a pipeline clearly in the national interest. The minister is saying that the recent consultations are legitimate and there is nothing to be seen here, but it is clearly an attempt to continue to delay the project. Deliver the plan and confirm: When will construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline begin?
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Engineers Without Borders released the results of a survey of young Canadians about greater global development. The results showed that responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, promoting access to healthcare for women, children, and youth, and promoting gender equality are key policies that Canada should pursue. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House how Canada plans to make this vision a reality?
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps saying that it is a strong advocate for the middle class, but it is in cahoots with the wealthy to help them get richer at the expense of the poor, who are being forced to cover the government's outlandish spending. We just learned that the government has given access to new tax havens in Granada and in Antigua and Barbuda.When will this government be truly transparent with taxpayers, honestly work in their interests, and stop signing agreements with tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question and for his interest in international development and our youth. Our government wants to offer young Canadians a personally and professionally rewarding international experience. That is why I recently announced that about 20 Canadian organizations will be sharing more than $34 million to offer 1,800 youth internships in developing countries. I myself did a similar internship in Morocco, and I urge all young Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, the results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is helping Canadians create jobs and it is growing our economy. However, we still have some work to do.Over 500,000 jobs have been created since the government came to office, and Canada is leading the G7 in growth. Canadians are feeling more confident about their future.Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps that we are taking to strengthen Canada's middle class and help those working hard to join it?
Mr. Speaker, let us examine the Conservative record on this file: in 10 years, not one kilometre of pipe built to tidewater, an erosion of public trust in the regulatory system that we are going to fix, insufficient consultation with indigenous communities, court case after court case that said they blew it. We are going to get it right.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about tax avoidance.Canadian investments totalled $68 billion in Barbados, $48 billion in the Cayman Islands, $39 billion in Bermuda, and $20 billion in the Bahamas.Average taxpayers pay their taxes while the government makes life easy for rich people who hide their money in the Caribbean.Rather than go after little fish who are doing their part, when will the government stop fattening up the financial sharks?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work for our farmers and ranchers throughout this country. Today, I am celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by launching six federal programs under the Canadian agricultural partnership. The partnership will drive a strong agenda for the future of Canadian agriculture. These investments will ensure Canadian agriculture remains a leader in job creation and innovation and to make sure that we reach our target of $75 billion of agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025.
Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?
Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally supports global nuclear disarmament. We continue to support efforts that substantially contribute to this goal.We recently announced an additional $1.5 million for the International Atomic Energy Agency to support its important work on non-proliferation. We are committed to work that will take concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world. This includes the important work that Canada is doing on a treaty that will help to halt the production of material for nuclear weapons. Canada has and remains an important player in the global nuclear disarmament movement.
Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across the country are being put at risk because the Prime Minister is sitting on the sidelines while an approved energy project faces uncertainty and delay. He refuses to stand up to the opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and now the B.C. wine industry is becoming collateral damage as a result. We need less talk and more action from this Prime Minister. Will he tell Canadians what his actual plan is, or is his real plan to let others kill this project and the thousands of jobs that go along with it?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that the government is committed to the financial success of our fruit and vegetable farmers. We will be creating a single dispute resolution body, which should resolve the majority of non-payment incidents faced by our producers. Working with farmers, today we are going to make a number of announcements that will indicate just how much more we fully support the agriculture and agrifood sector across the country.
Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have never seen so much inequality in this country as under this Prime Minister's watch.The truth is that this Prime Minister simply does not know how to say no to wealthy Canadians who want to escape taxes by taking their money overseas. That hurts Canadians: Canadians who cannot pay for medication, Canadians who are on the streets because there is so little affordable housing, and indigenous communities that have no drinking water.Why does the Prime Minister not take action on tax havens so Canadians can have pharmacare, affordable housing, and safe drinking water?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have and will continue to take action on tax avoidance and tax evasion, but it is nice that the members opposite are bringing up pharmacare, because we recognize on this side of the House that Canadians pay too much for prescription drugs, and our government is taking bold action now to bring down prices. We joined the provinces and territories as a member of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of public drug plans. Through budget 2017, we are investing over $140 million to help improve access to pharmaceuticals and to support innovations within the health care system. We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians can better afford the
Mr. Speaker, for a party that says it likes to stand with farmers, its talking points are sure falling short. Creating a PACA-like deemed trust for producers of perishable goods in Canada is what our produce growers want. Two parliamentary committees, agriculture and finance, unanimously recommended that greater measures are needed to protect Canadian produce growers, but Liberal ministers will not even consider it. On Canada's Agriculture Day, will the government stop breaking its election promises, put the money where its mouth is, and support our produce growers and small businesses?
Mr. Speaker, Canada strongly supports worldwide nuclear disarmament and continues to support efforts in that area. We recently announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency in its important work. We are fully committed to making meaningful progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world, and that includes our work toward a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. That is the firm stand that Canada has taken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain pipeline project is an important project. It is a $7.4 billion investment and 37,000 good-paying Canadian jobs. There is much opposition to this project. They are saying that they are going to interrupt it and delay, and the government is silent throughout this whole time. What is the impact of that? Industry is watching closely, and as well there is a growing crisis among our provinces.Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians relying on these jobs, bring certainty, and unveil his plan to allow construction to start this spring?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain project will create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit every part of the country. Before that can happen, however, the Prime Minister needs to address the situation instead of letting it deteriorate, which is what he is doing. Thousands of jobs are on the line because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. On top of all that, last week, Canada lost a contract worth hundreds of millions in Mirabel, and NAFTA talks are stalling. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how he is planning to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that it is important that the data used by the parliamentary budget officer be reliable and accurate. That is why we have enhanced the position of the PBO and made him an officer of Parliament after Harper's Conservatives spent years undermining his credibility.As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO and will, by the end of the month, provide it its data in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy. We will continue to support and respect the work of officers of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. In honour of this day, the Liberals are refusing to create a trust similar to PACA for perishable goods. In addition, there is still not not even a hint of support for milk producers in response to the loopholes opened in CETA, not to mention the potential loopholes to come in NAFTA and the TPP. The government should be ashamed today.When will the government fulfill its promises to our family farms and implement safeguards to ensure that the people who feed our families every day can also feed their own families?
Mr. Speaker, we have seen real improvements over the last couple of years for middle-class Canadians, more confidence, and among the lowest unemployment rates in the last four years. However, there is more work to do. On February 27, we are going to announce the next budget to continue our plan.
Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that we will get the pipelines built. We know it is in the country's interest. This situation is interesting because we know there are people in British Columbia who oppose the pipelines. I am telling them that the pipelines will be built anyway. When Alberta Conservatives go on about the pipeline not being built, however, they are undermining the process and creating uncertainty. We have said it before, and we will say it again: we will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we will make sure that the environment and the economy go together. Unlike what the previous government did, we have taken action exactly on that. We have moved forward on a national plan to reduce carbon emissions. We have moved forward on historic oceans protection. We are moving forward on projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will get our resources to new markets safely and securely. That is what Canadians expect. That is why I have been across the country speaking with premiers, speaking with Canadians, hearing from both sides of the argument, and remaining steadfast. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. After all, it was our government that invested nearly $1 billion in the last two budgets.The Canada Revenue Agency is now able to assess the risk of all large multinational corporations annually. Every year, it reviews every transaction over $10,000 in four regions that are deemed high-risk. The first two are the Isle of Man and Guernsey.As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,090 taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just keeps saying that the pipeline will be built, I guess by magic, since Kinder Morgan says it is slowing down its operations, slowing down spending, and delaying it for more than a year. More delays continue to threaten this project every single day. The application was first filed over 2,000 days ago. The pipeline, clearly in the national interest, was approved over 440 days ago, and these delays continue to pile up and pile up. It is just words and no action.Where is the plan? Table it on Thursday. And how many more days will it be before construction begins in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to defend the new environmental assessment act we are proposing. I am certainly interested in hearing any proposed changes that may come from the other side that can make it stronger, but we believe we have got it spot on. We understand we need to make decisions based on science and traditional knowledge, that we need to be respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and partnering from the start, that we need to be listening to communities, and that we need good projects to go ahead. On one hand, we have a party that does not understand that we need to ensure we protect the environment. We have another party that does not understand that projects need to go ahead. That is where we
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to answer the member's question by talking about what we are doing on social housing. Working with the provinces, we are investing $40 billion in affordable social housing across the country. These are historic and unprecedented investments. We are investing in our indigenous communities to end boil water advisories nationwide by 2021. We are also investing in Canadians in need and middle-class Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We are going to continue to invest in those in need.
Mr. Speaker, the new version of Canada's food guide that was introduced by the Liberal government seems to be based on ideology rather than science.We are concerned about the impact that the lack of consultation and the refusal to consult with Canada's agriculture and agrifood partners will have on Canadians' health.Will the government reconsider its narrow-minded and ill-advised approach and finally hold broader consultations on the food guide with all agriculture and agrifood stakeholders for the good of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, as I have said many times, we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that is going to protect it. We are going to put programs in place in order to make sure that our food and vegetable sector are also in the trade to export around the world. We also put a program in place after CETA to make sure that the dairy industry itself was on the cutting edge, $250 million. We put another $100 million in place to make sure that the processing sector was in place. We have and will continue to
Mr. Speaker, we listened carefully to Canadians for two years. We listened to indigenous peoples. We listened to scientists. We listened to industry. We listened to environmentalists.We know that we have a good process. We will be making decisions based on science. We will be partnering with indigenous peoples. We will listen to communities. We will make decisions based on those facts.We know that the economy and the environment go hand in hand, and we will always stand up for both.
Well, Mr. Speaker, the more we dig into the new environmental review process the uglier it gets. The minister appears to have embedded in the bill provisions that will empower her to delay, suspend, and veto a project before it ever undergoes a full science-based review. That is not a streamlined process; that is a minister-knows-best process, which is based on politics and not science. How can we trust a process based on the minister's whims? Will the minister now agree to remove her veto power from the bill?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. For the past 70 years, Canada's food guide has been one of the most trusted sources of information for Canadians. As a part of the healthy eating strategy, work today on the Canada food guide is well under way. We are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. I was pleased to meet with people from the dairy industry yesterday. They are going to be appearing as witnesses at the health committee in a very timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate the food we love and showcase our world-class farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast, of which I am one myself. Canadian agriculture is stronger, more innovative, and more diverse than ever and our government is committed to continuing this growth and investing in the future of Canadian farmers.Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about today's announcement to build a strong future for Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of heat and light in the Prime Minister's kind words but the reality is that he is not getting anything done. Let us take a bit of a review.Five months ago, the Liberals botched the energy east pipeline and that was 14,000 jobs on a $15 billion project. Now we have another crisis and another 37,000 jobs. Clearly, the Prime Minister does not actually feel moved by the industry's concerns. Maybe he is going to be moved by the fact that it is 50,000 jobs.Seriously, how many more well-paying Canadian jobs do we need to put in jeopardy to get him moving?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any difficulty repeating the government's position, and I do not know why members opposite cannot take yes for an answer. Yes, we think the pipeline is a good idea. Yes, we approved the pipeline. Yes, we intervened at the National Energy Board when it wanted to delay the pipeline. We want the pipeline built. How about members of the opposition? What chill are they putting on investment by their incessant questions?
Mr. Speaker, we live in a federation where provincial governments have strong points of view, and they are elected to speak on behalf of their own constituencies, the people who elected them, and their own interpretation of their provincial interests. There is only one government that speaks on behalf of the national interest, and that is the Government of Canada. We acted in the national interest when we approved this pipeline, and, in those months that have intervened, nothing has changed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today because I am a charitable person and I want to give the Liberal government one more chance to honour a promise and look after our produce farmers. If you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House call on the government to honour its election promise to implement a PACA-like deemed trust for perishable goods, which Canadian produce growers have called for repeatedly and which both the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously recommended to the government.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the TPPCPTPTPP, or however many more P's they want to add.Canadian producers are becoming increasingly concerned. More than two weeks after the announcement of an agreement regarding the trans-Pacific partnership, there has been radio silence on compensation programs. In fact, 80% of dairy farmers do not have access to the program cobbled together by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Nothing for egg producers, or poultry farmers. The Conservative government put $4 billion on the table. The Liberals have no plan. How is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food going to ensure that no new concessions will be made to the Americans under NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, an increased pain and suffering award, an increased income replacement, increased estate exemption for veterans funerals and burials, an education benefit of up to $80,000, redesigned career transition, a recognition benefit for caregivers, a centre for excellence for PTSD, 460 more staff, 10 offices, and a pension for life, for everything the Conservatives took away that I listed yesterday, we are delivering on real benefits and services. Veterans deserve more than words. They
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily rich to hear the party opposite talk about science. The Conservatives never ever took into account science or indigenous knowledge. They never listened to Canadians. They never respected the rights of indigenous people. They could not get good projects built.We understand that the environment and the economy go together, that decisions need to be made on science and indigenous knowledge, and that we need good projects to go ahead. That is exactly what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, agriculture, especially in my province of Manitoba, is an integral part of the community.We are all very proud of our agriculture contributions to Canada and beyond. Products like Bothwell cheese and HyLife pork are world-class products with excellent nutritional value. However, the Liberal government seems to disagree. The new Canadian food guide is an attack on meat and dairy producers. Why have the Liberals chosen to downplay the vital role of meat and dairy products in the diets of Canadians? Why this attack on science?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with the dairy industry of Canada and had a very productive meeting.Our government is committed to safeguarding Canadians' health and supporting a health framework that makes the healthy choice the easier choice. For 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information for Canadians. As part of the healthy eating strategy, Canada's food guide is in the process of being updated, and we are collaborating with Canadians and experts in all fields. Health Canada is committed to using the best available data to make decisions about Canada's food guide.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians expect, we are moving forward to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. We put close to $1 billion in our first two budgets towards the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.That is exactly what we are continuing to do. We will continue to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. That is what Canadians expect of us.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the dairy industry. Our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and to supporting a health framework based on healthy choices. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. Canada's food guide is being updated as part of the healthy eating strategy, and we are working with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. Health Canada is committed to making decisions based on the best data available.
Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, this is a good agreement on Agriculture Day. We should all celebrate in the House that this is going to be good for our country. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will be signing the CPTPP in March, and we will proceed with ratification. However, let me again say what this entails for Canadians. We have opened up a market of more than 500 million people, 40% of the world economy. This is a great day for agriculture. This is a great day for Canada. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will have our position in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest. It will create jobs across the country and provide provinces with access to global markets. The dispute between Alberta and British Columbia has escalated solely because the Prime Minister has failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to leave the country while this crisis came to a head. Every day of inaction by the Liberals fuels the national conflict. When will the Prime Minister shelve the rhetoric, get Alberta and B.C. together, and set a date for construction to begin?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to actually strengthen the environmental assessment process gutted by the Conservatives. It is still in place. They promised to remove political considerations from assessments and base decisions on project approvals on scientific evidence, yet Bill C-69 retains the government's ability to disregard scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, identification of adverse impacts, health risks, and community concerns, and still deem the project to be in the public interest. How can the Minister of Environment defend this bill as a strengthened law?
Mr. Speaker, after dragging their feet for two years, the Liberals are proposing a new environmental assessment process, but it includes some nasty surprises.Timelines for studies are even shorter than under the Conservatives and, more importantly, the minister is not bound by the recommendations resulting from assessments. Even if citizens oppose a project, even if it is scientifically proven to be a bad project, the minister can approve it anyway.Is the notion of national interest the Liberals' loophole for approving whatever they want, despite the will of the people, despite the science, and despite input from indigenous peoples?
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately those are just words and platitudes that the government is utilizing.Right now, as we speak, industry is responding to the uncertainty and instability that the government's lack of action is causing. Kinder Morgan has already indicated that it is going to be delaying and slowing its investments in the pipeline. The message to the world is that Canada is not open for business.The Prime Minister can make these concerns go away by showing a bit of leadership. It is simple. When will he guarantee the construction of the pipeline in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties, without any advance notice to Canada or any other nation. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including on a recent trade mission by the Minister of International Trade, who brought it up on every occasion.This week I was in Saskatchewan meeting with the pulse farmers and announced funding for market development. What we want to do is to create more markets for the pulse industry in this country.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberals have broken their trust with veterans. Brian Forbes, chairman of the National Council of the Veterans Associations, had this to say about the Liberal promises. He said, It's fair to say the disappointment (with the new plan) has been immense because it just didn't do the trick.... If you're going to make a promise to provide lifetime pensions, then do it.Despite the Liberals' rhetoric, veterans consider the promises made to them to be broken. Why is the Prime Minister the only one convinced that they have kept their promises to veterans?
Mr. Speaker, they are bashing in an open door. They cannot take yes for an answer. I guess we can say it one more time. We want the pipeline to proceed. We have approved it. We have approved it with conditions. We are investing a billion and a half dollars in the oceans protection plan. We are working with indigenous communities up and down the line. What is the opposition doing? The opposition is chilling investor confidence with a record that opposition members should be ashamed of.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you were to seek it you would find unanimous support for the following motion. I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, any recorded division in respect of an item of private members' business deferred to Wednesday, February 14, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business, pursuant to Standing Order 93(1) or 98(4), shall be deemed deferred anew until Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.
Mr. Speaker, today we should be celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate our farmers and ranchers across the country.Farmers and their families work hard to feed their community, our country, and the world. Unfortunately, that is not a priority for this government.The Minister of Finance treated farmers like tax cheats, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not taking part in international negotiations, and the Minister of Health does not want to hear what farmers have to say about the new food guide.Will the Liberal government finally do the right thing and listen to what farmers have to say about their future?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives implemented a rigorous environmental assessment process enabling Canada to meet its economic and energy needs, all while ensuring that approval decisions are based on science. With Bill C-69, the Liberals are trying to turn this process upside down, even though it works very well.Can the minister tell us which projects approved under the former process she does not agree with? Which projects would she like to see fail?
Mr. Speaker, I find it humorous that members opposite are talking about showing leadership. For 10 years they did not get anything built and when they approved the northern gateway pipeline, which was not a very good pipeline, they did it by press release in the middle of the night. When we approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I stood at a press conference, announced it myself, and then crossed the country taking responsibility for it and demonstrating that it is in the national interest.For 10 years they had a failed process that could not get things built. We know that by restoring public trust, by protecting the environment, we can grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently since we came into government, building on the work that has occurred over decades advocated by indigenous peoples and the like to ultimately improve our criminal justice system. We will propose broad-based reform to the criminal justice system and we have, as I stated yesterday, committed to looking at the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries. We are moving forward with that and we will listen to all the voices with respect to that particular issue and move forward in an appropriate way.
Mr. Speaker, energy workers, the B.C. wine industry, and national unity are all being threatened by this escalating dispute, yet the Prime Minister actually said, I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case. What a sorry excuse for national leadership. Why does the Prime Minister not opine that the rule of law will be upheld? Why does he not opine that innocent bystanders will not be collateral damage in this dispute? Why does he not get off the sidelines and fight for the jobs that we lost because of his inaction?
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite want to know what steps we will take. We will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, our party makes decisions based on science, and the party opposite makes decisions based on science fiction. For projects to move forward, we must make decisions based on science, we must listen to Canadians, and we must work with indigenous peoples. Otherwise, these projects will not move forward. The environment and the economy go hand in hand. I hope that, one day, the party opposite will understand this.
Mr. Speaker, the war of words between the United States and North Korea and the growing tensions with Russia have led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist to set the hands of the doomsday clock at two minutes to midnight. Obviously, the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons, and Canada should participate in the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve that goal.Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that Canada signs the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is supported by 120 countries?
Mr. Speaker, tax evasion and tax avoidance are priorities for this government, which is why we invested over $1 billion in our last two budgets. That is in contrast to our opposition colleagues, whose goal in life is to ask two questions during question period and then wither away on the opposition benches. Members on this side are going to work for Quebeckers and Canadians. Tax avoidance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work on that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on two points of order. First, I find that the comments made by the Minister of National Revenue about my interventions were not entirely respectful and, consequently, she was disrespectful to the constituents of my riding, Joliette. I ask that she withdraw her comments.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly encourage the party opposite to stop the partisan attacks.We understand that the environment and the economy go together. We have also created over half a million jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate since we have been tracking unemployment rates. We are also tackling climate change. We are committed to reconciliation with indigenous people. We make decisions on science. We protect our animals, our waters, and our air. Environment and the economy have to go together. Why does the party opposite not come to the party?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has traditionally been a leader on the world stage on nuclear disarmament at the same time as being an active member of NATO. Since a core tenet of NATO is to create the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons, there is clearly no obstacle to Canada signing the nuclear prohibition treaty. Therefore, will the Prime Minister now take bold action, sign the nuclear prohibition treaty, and then instruct our NATO ambassador to start working to get all of our NATO allies behind this treaty so Canada can help the world move back from the brink of nuclear disaster?
Mr. Speaker, my question was about the lack of accountability of the Canada Revenue Agency.The government is actually acting exactly the same way that the previous government did, not only in protecting the unaccountable Canada Revenue Agency, but also in withholding information on tax havens.Canada just signed two new tax treaties, with Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. What do those tax treaties do? They allow corporations to set up subsidiaries in those low-tax countries where their worldwide profits will be attributed, and they will bring those profits back into Canada tax free.Why are Liberals continuing to sign those tax-avoidance agreements?
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was a priority for Paul Martin, either.The Minister of National Revenue can spew all the rhetoric she wants and say that her government is combatting tax avoidance and tax evasion, but the truth is, when it comes to fighting tax havens internationally, Canada is part of the problem, not part of the solution. While the OECD agreement that the minister referred to provides for the exchange of information, Canada has signed an agreement with a country that does not even require income tax returns. When will the Liberals start taking this a little more seriously and scrap their agreement with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda?
Mr. Speaker, the minister spends more time slinging partisan mud and personal attacks than improving Canada's environment. The Liberals have broken more economic promises than we can count. They killed northern gateway, energy east, and are letting Kinder Morgan die a slow and painful death. Now they are creating an environmental review process that is filled with more uncertainty than ever before, discouraging investment in Canada.When will the minister finally stop her partisan attacks and rebuild investor confidence in Canada's resource sector?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says it in Edmonton, we say it in Vancouver, we say it in Regina, and we say it in St. John's, Newfoundland. We say it in every region of the country. Why do we say it in every region of the country? We say it because the message is a national one and it is clear. We will move our resources to market sustainably. We will expand export markets. We will work with indigenous peoples. We will protect the environment. We are the only party in this chamber that will do all three of those things.
Mr. Speaker, I will be clear: fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is a priority for our government.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem with no simple solution, contrary to what my colleagues opposite seem to think. We adhere to all provisions of the international standard for automatic exchange of information with OECD partners. Starting this year, we will have access to even more information supplied by our partners. I remind my colleagues opposite that under their government, former minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn announced publicly that this was not a priority.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: that this House call on the government to not apply federal tax provisions that allow the active business income from a Canadian company's foreign subsidiary in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Granada, to be paid to the Canadian parent company in the form of dividends that are exempt from Canadian taxes. I am sure there will be unanimous consent for that.
Again, Mr. Speaker, for 10 years those members talked up the energy industry but actually could not deliver for it. What was I doing? I went down to Washington, D.C., to make the pitch for Keystone XL to a group of American Democrats. That is what I was doing while I was leader of the third party.I have continued to focus on delivering it. I have focused on making sure we protect the environment and grow the economy together. That is exactly what we are doing and that is why they keep talking down our chances of getting that pipeline built. We will get it built.
Mr. Speaker, the changes to the Navigation Protection Act proposed by the minister will delay and increase red tape and costs for rural municipalities building vital infrastructure. The Liberals' changes also reflect their lack of understanding of the importance of resource development to Canada's economy. Why are the Liberals opposing responsible resource development and delaying vital infrastructure projects in rural communities across Canada?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government gave vague answers on what their plan was in the aftermath of the trial over Colten Boushie's killing. We must address the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries and judicial benches. This situation is a crisis of trust and the jury trial in the case of Colten Boushie increases mistrust of the justice system for indigenous peoples.I will repeat. What is the government's specific plan to ensure that indigenous peoples are treated fairly by our justice system?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will soon be meeting with officials in India to hopefully discuss trade, in between selfies and photo ops.Recent changes to India's import policies resulted in debilitating tariffs on Canadian pulse exports, putting critical trade agreements and market access in serious jeopardy. With pulse exports to India worth over $1.5 billion, it is critical for Canada to work on a clear agreement.Will the Prime Minister include the agriculture minister on this important trade mission?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister informed us yesterday that the Canada Revenue Agency is finally going to share its data with the parliamentary budget officer after making him wait for 62 months. It may be too early to celebrate, however, and this agreement does not address the main problem, which is the agency's refusal to be transparent and accountable.The agency acts as though it is not accountable to Parliament. The privacy of taxpayers must be protected. However, we have a major problem when agency officials use legislation to shield themselves from parliamentarians rather than to protect taxpayers.When will the Liberals make the agency accountable to Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, they are still signing treaties with tax havens. That is a fact.The Prime Minister could act now on certain issues. More than $3 billion is being lost due to tax loopholes like stock option deductions. More than $10 billion in tax dollars are ending up in tax havens, while Canadians go without housing and medication and many first nations communities have no clean drinking water. It is a matter of choice. Will the Prime Minister take action on these unfair loopholes?
Mr. Speaker, the British Columbia government says it is going to consult people. The Government of Canada has already consulted tens of thousands of people, and Canadians agree with us that this pipeline is in Canada's interest because of the jobs it creates, because of the expansion of export markets, and because of the $1.5 billion invested in a world-class oceans protection plan. We have intervened with the proponent of the National Energy Board when we thought it would lead to delays. There will be no unnecessary delays. This pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, all words from the minister and still no action plan.The trade war between B.C. and Alberta is escalating every day. While this crisis develops, the Prime Minister crosses his fingers and hopes the provinces will just work it out instead of having to demonstrate any real national leadership himself. Wishful thinking will not get this pipeline built. It has been 441 days since this project was approved. When will the Prime Minister open his eyes and start supporting hard-working Canadian families who are depending on this project?
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years the plan we have put in place for Canadians has made real improvements for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. colleague that we have been listening to farmers and that we are responding to farmers. In fact, we invested $100 million in agricultural science. That is much better than cutting some money in agricultural science. An innovations fund of $1.1 billion is available to agriculture. We have agreed with the provinces and territories to put the CAP, the Canadian agricultural partnership, in place; $3 billion for the agriculture and agrifood sector; and it goes on. In order to increase trade, we have approved CETA and we have agreed to the CPTPP.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We continue to defend supply management. In fact, with the exception of some members of the official opposition, everyone in the House but the Conservative Party believes in supply management. Our position on this issue is clear. We have always defended the system, including during NAFTA negotiations, and we will continue to defend it.
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if he just keeps saying the same thing over and over. It is not actually a plan, it is not actually going to get done, and it means absolutely nothing. Liberals obviously will not stand up for their own approval of a pipeline clearly in the national interest. The minister is saying that the recent consultations are legitimate and there is nothing to be seen here, but it is clearly an attempt to continue to delay the project. Deliver the plan and confirm: When will construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline begin?
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Engineers Without Borders released the results of a survey of young Canadians about greater global development. The results showed that responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, promoting access to healthcare for women, children, and youth, and promoting gender equality are key policies that Canada should pursue. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House how Canada plans to make this vision a reality?
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps saying that it is a strong advocate for the middle class, but it is in cahoots with the wealthy to help them get richer at the expense of the poor, who are being forced to cover the government's outlandish spending. We just learned that the government has given access to new tax havens in Granada and in Antigua and Barbuda.When will this government be truly transparent with taxpayers, honestly work in their interests, and stop signing agreements with tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question and for his interest in international development and our youth. Our government wants to offer young Canadians a personally and professionally rewarding international experience. That is why I recently announced that about 20 Canadian organizations will be sharing more than $34 million to offer 1,800 youth internships in developing countries. I myself did a similar internship in Morocco, and I urge all young Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, the results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is helping Canadians create jobs and it is growing our economy. However, we still have some work to do.Over 500,000 jobs have been created since the government came to office, and Canada is leading the G7 in growth. Canadians are feeling more confident about their future.Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps that we are taking to strengthen Canada's middle class and help those working hard to join it?
Mr. Speaker, let us examine the Conservative record on this file: in 10 years, not one kilometre of pipe built to tidewater, an erosion of public trust in the regulatory system that we are going to fix, insufficient consultation with indigenous communities, court case after court case that said they blew it. We are going to get it right.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about tax avoidance.Canadian investments totalled $68 billion in Barbados, $48 billion in the Cayman Islands, $39 billion in Bermuda, and $20 billion in the Bahamas.Average taxpayers pay their taxes while the government makes life easy for rich people who hide their money in the Caribbean.Rather than go after little fish who are doing their part, when will the government stop fattening up the financial sharks?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work for our farmers and ranchers throughout this country. Today, I am celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by launching six federal programs under the Canadian agricultural partnership. The partnership will drive a strong agenda for the future of Canadian agriculture. These investments will ensure Canadian agriculture remains a leader in job creation and innovation and to make sure that we reach our target of $75 billion of agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025.
Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?
Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally supports global nuclear disarmament. We continue to support efforts that substantially contribute to this goal.We recently announced an additional $1.5 million for the International Atomic Energy Agency to support its important work on non-proliferation. We are committed to work that will take concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world. This includes the important work that Canada is doing on a treaty that will help to halt the production of material for nuclear weapons. Canada has and remains an important player in the global nuclear disarmament movement.
Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across the country are being put at risk because the Prime Minister is sitting on the sidelines while an approved energy project faces uncertainty and delay. He refuses to stand up to the opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and now the B.C. wine industry is becoming collateral damage as a result. We need less talk and more action from this Prime Minister. Will he tell Canadians what his actual plan is, or is his real plan to let others kill this project and the thousands of jobs that go along with it?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that the government is committed to the financial success of our fruit and vegetable farmers. We will be creating a single dispute resolution body, which should resolve the majority of non-payment incidents faced by our producers. Working with farmers, today we are going to make a number of announcements that will indicate just how much more we fully support the agriculture and agrifood sector across the country.
Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have never seen so much inequality in this country as under this Prime Minister's watch.The truth is that this Prime Minister simply does not know how to say no to wealthy Canadians who want to escape taxes by taking their money overseas. That hurts Canadians: Canadians who cannot pay for medication, Canadians who are on the streets because there is so little affordable housing, and indigenous communities that have no drinking water.Why does the Prime Minister not take action on tax havens so Canadians can have pharmacare, affordable housing, and safe drinking water?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have and will continue to take action on tax avoidance and tax evasion, but it is nice that the members opposite are bringing up pharmacare, because we recognize on this side of the House that Canadians pay too much for prescription drugs, and our government is taking bold action now to bring down prices. We joined the provinces and territories as a member of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of public drug plans. Through budget 2017, we are investing over $140 million to help improve access to pharmaceuticals and to support innovations within the health care system. We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians can better afford the
Mr. Speaker, for a party that says it likes to stand with farmers, its talking points are sure falling short. Creating a PACA-like deemed trust for producers of perishable goods in Canada is what our produce growers want. Two parliamentary committees, agriculture and finance, unanimously recommended that greater measures are needed to protect Canadian produce growers, but Liberal ministers will not even consider it. On Canada's Agriculture Day, will the government stop breaking its election promises, put the money where its mouth is, and support our produce growers and small businesses?
Mr. Speaker, Canada strongly supports worldwide nuclear disarmament and continues to support efforts in that area. We recently announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency in its important work. We are fully committed to making meaningful progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world, and that includes our work toward a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. That is the firm stand that Canada has taken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain pipeline project is an important project. It is a $7.4 billion investment and 37,000 good-paying Canadian jobs. There is much opposition to this project. They are saying that they are going to interrupt it and delay, and the government is silent throughout this whole time. What is the impact of that? Industry is watching closely, and as well there is a growing crisis among our provinces.Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians relying on these jobs, bring certainty, and unveil his plan to allow construction to start this spring?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain project will create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit every part of the country. Before that can happen, however, the Prime Minister needs to address the situation instead of letting it deteriorate, which is what he is doing. Thousands of jobs are on the line because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. On top of all that, last week, Canada lost a contract worth hundreds of millions in Mirabel, and NAFTA talks are stalling. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how he is planning to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that it is important that the data used by the parliamentary budget officer be reliable and accurate. That is why we have enhanced the position of the PBO and made him an officer of Parliament after Harper's Conservatives spent years undermining his credibility.As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO and will, by the end of the month, provide it its data in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy. We will continue to support and respect the work of officers of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. In honour of this day, the Liberals are refusing to create a trust similar to PACA for perishable goods. In addition, there is still not not even a hint of support for milk producers in response to the loopholes opened in CETA, not to mention the potential loopholes to come in NAFTA and the TPP. The government should be ashamed today.When will the government fulfill its promises to our family farms and implement safeguards to ensure that the people who feed our families every day can also feed their own families?
Mr. Speaker, we have seen real improvements over the last couple of years for middle-class Canadians, more confidence, and among the lowest unemployment rates in the last four years. However, there is more work to do. On February 27, we are going to announce the next budget to continue our plan.
Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that we will get the pipelines built. We know it is in the country's interest. This situation is interesting because we know there are people in British Columbia who oppose the pipelines. I am telling them that the pipelines will be built anyway. When Alberta Conservatives go on about the pipeline not being built, however, they are undermining the process and creating uncertainty. We have said it before, and we will say it again: we will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we will make sure that the environment and the economy go together. Unlike what the previous government did, we have taken action exactly on that. We have moved forward on a national plan to reduce carbon emissions. We have moved forward on historic oceans protection. We are moving forward on projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will get our resources to new markets safely and securely. That is what Canadians expect. That is why I have been across the country speaking with premiers, speaking with Canadians, hearing from both sides of the argument, and remaining steadfast. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. After all, it was our government that invested nearly $1 billion in the last two budgets.The Canada Revenue Agency is now able to assess the risk of all large multinational corporations annually. Every year, it reviews every transaction over $10,000 in four regions that are deemed high-risk. The first two are the Isle of Man and Guernsey.As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,090 taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just keeps saying that the pipeline will be built, I guess by magic, since Kinder Morgan says it is slowing down its operations, slowing down spending, and delaying it for more than a year. More delays continue to threaten this project every single day. The application was first filed over 2,000 days ago. The pipeline, clearly in the national interest, was approved over 440 days ago, and these delays continue to pile up and pile up. It is just words and no action.Where is the plan? Table it on Thursday. And how many more days will it be before construction begins in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to defend the new environmental assessment act we are proposing. I am certainly interested in hearing any proposed changes that may come from the other side that can make it stronger, but we believe we have got it spot on. We understand we need to make decisions based on science and traditional knowledge, that we need to be respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and partnering from the start, that we need to be listening to communities, and that we need good projects to go ahead. On one hand, we have a party that does not understand that we need to ensure we protect the environment. We have another party that does not understand that projects need to go ahead. That is where we
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to answer the member's question by talking about what we are doing on social housing. Working with the provinces, we are investing $40 billion in affordable social housing across the country. These are historic and unprecedented investments. We are investing in our indigenous communities to end boil water advisories nationwide by 2021. We are also investing in Canadians in need and middle-class Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We are going to continue to invest in those in need.
Mr. Speaker, the new version of Canada's food guide that was introduced by the Liberal government seems to be based on ideology rather than science.We are concerned about the impact that the lack of consultation and the refusal to consult with Canada's agriculture and agrifood partners will have on Canadians' health.Will the government reconsider its narrow-minded and ill-advised approach and finally hold broader consultations on the food guide with all agriculture and agrifood stakeholders for the good of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, as I have said many times, we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that is going to protect it. We are going to put programs in place in order to make sure that our food and vegetable sector are also in the trade to export around the world. We also put a program in place after CETA to make sure that the dairy industry itself was on the cutting edge, $250 million. We put another $100 million in place to make sure that the processing sector was in place. We have and will continue to
Mr. Speaker, we listened carefully to Canadians for two years. We listened to indigenous peoples. We listened to scientists. We listened to industry. We listened to environmentalists.We know that we have a good process. We will be making decisions based on science. We will be partnering with indigenous peoples. We will listen to communities. We will make decisions based on those facts.We know that the economy and the environment go hand in hand, and we will always stand up for both.
Well, Mr. Speaker, the more we dig into the new environmental review process the uglier it gets. The minister appears to have embedded in the bill provisions that will empower her to delay, suspend, and veto a project before it ever undergoes a full science-based review. That is not a streamlined process; that is a minister-knows-best process, which is based on politics and not science. How can we trust a process based on the minister's whims? Will the minister now agree to remove her veto power from the bill?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. For the past 70 years, Canada's food guide has been one of the most trusted sources of information for Canadians. As a part of the healthy eating strategy, work today on the Canada food guide is well under way. We are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. I was pleased to meet with people from the dairy industry yesterday. They are going to be appearing as witnesses at the health committee in a very timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate the food we love and showcase our world-class farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast, of which I am one myself. Canadian agriculture is stronger, more innovative, and more diverse than ever and our government is committed to continuing this growth and investing in the future of Canadian farmers.Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about today's announcement to build a strong future for Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of heat and light in the Prime Minister's kind words but the reality is that he is not getting anything done. Let us take a bit of a review.Five months ago, the Liberals botched the energy east pipeline and that was 14,000 jobs on a $15 billion project. Now we have another crisis and another 37,000 jobs. Clearly, the Prime Minister does not actually feel moved by the industry's concerns. Maybe he is going to be moved by the fact that it is 50,000 jobs.Seriously, how many more well-paying Canadian jobs do we need to put in jeopardy to get him moving?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any difficulty repeating the government's position, and I do not know why members opposite cannot take yes for an answer. Yes, we think the pipeline is a good idea. Yes, we approved the pipeline. Yes, we intervened at the National Energy Board when it wanted to delay the pipeline. We want the pipeline built. How about members of the opposition? What chill are they putting on investment by their incessant questions?
Mr. Speaker, we live in a federation where provincial governments have strong points of view, and they are elected to speak on behalf of their own constituencies, the people who elected them, and their own interpretation of their provincial interests. There is only one government that speaks on behalf of the national interest, and that is the Government of Canada. We acted in the national interest when we approved this pipeline, and, in those months that have intervened, nothing has changed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today because I am a charitable person and I want to give the Liberal government one more chance to honour a promise and look after our produce farmers. If you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House call on the government to honour its election promise to implement a PACA-like deemed trust for perishable goods, which Canadian produce growers have called for repeatedly and which both the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously recommended to the government.
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the TPPCPTPTPP, or however many more P's they want to add.Canadian producers are becoming increasingly concerned. More than two weeks after the announcement of an agreement regarding the trans-Pacific partnership, there has been radio silence on compensation programs. In fact, 80% of dairy farmers do not have access to the program cobbled together by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Nothing for egg producers, or poultry farmers. The Conservative government put $4 billion on the table. The Liberals have no plan. How is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food going to ensure that no new concessions will be made to the Americans under NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, an increased pain and suffering award, an increased income replacement, increased estate exemption for veterans funerals and burials, an education benefit of up to $80,000, redesigned career transition, a recognition benefit for caregivers, a centre for excellence for PTSD, 460 more staff, 10 offices, and a pension for life, for everything the Conservatives took away that I listed yesterday, we are delivering on real benefits and services. Veterans deserve more than words. They
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily rich to hear the party opposite talk about science. The Conservatives never ever took into account science or indigenous knowledge. They never listened to Canadians. They never respected the rights of indigenous people. They could not get good projects built.We understand that the environment and the economy go together, that decisions need to be made on science and indigenous knowledge, and that we need good projects to go ahead. That is exactly what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, agriculture, especially in my province of Manitoba, is an integral part of the community.We are all very proud of our agriculture contributions to Canada and beyond. Products like Bothwell cheese and HyLife pork are world-class products with excellent nutritional value. However, the Liberal government seems to disagree. The new Canadian food guide is an attack on meat and dairy producers. Why have the Liberals chosen to downplay the vital role of meat and dairy products in the diets of Canadians? Why this attack on science?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with the dairy industry of Canada and had a very productive meeting.Our government is committed to safeguarding Canadians' health and supporting a health framework that makes the healthy choice the easier choice. For 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information for Canadians. As part of the healthy eating strategy, Canada's food guide is in the process of being updated, and we are collaborating with Canadians and experts in all fields. Health Canada is committed to using the best available data to make decisions about Canada's food guide.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians expect, we are moving forward to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. We put close to $1 billion in our first two budgets towards the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.That is exactly what we are continuing to do. We will continue to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. That is what Canadians expect of us.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the dairy industry. Our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and to supporting a health framework based on healthy choices. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. Canada's food guide is being updated as part of the healthy eating strategy, and we are working with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. Health Canada is committed to making decisions based on the best data available.
Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, this is a good agreement on Agriculture Day. We should all celebrate in the House that this is going to be good for our country. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will be signing the CPTPP in March, and we will proceed with ratification. However, let me again say what this entails for Canadians. We have opened up a market of more than 500 million people, 40% of the world economy. This is a great day for agriculture. This is a great day for Canada. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will have our position in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.
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Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.
Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, this is a good agreement on Agriculture Day. We should all celebrate in the House that this is going to be good for our country. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will be signing the CPTPP in March, and we will proceed with ratification. However, let me again say what this entails for Canadians. We have opened up a market of more than 500 million people, 40% of the world economy. This is a great day for agriculture. This is a great day for Canada. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will have our position in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the dairy industry. Our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and to supporting a health framework based on healthy choices. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. Canada's food guide is being updated as part of the healthy eating strategy, and we are working with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. Health Canada is committed to making decisions based on the best data available.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians expect, we are moving forward to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. We put close to $1 billion in our first two budgets towards the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.That is exactly what we are continuing to do. We will continue to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. That is what Canadians expect of us.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with the dairy industry of Canada and had a very productive meeting.Our government is committed to safeguarding Canadians' health and supporting a health framework that makes the healthy choice the easier choice. For 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information for Canadians. As part of the healthy eating strategy, Canada's food guide is in the process of being updated, and we are collaborating with Canadians and experts in all fields. Health Canada is committed to using the best available data to make decisions about Canada's food guide.
Mr. Speaker, agriculture, especially in my province of Manitoba, is an integral part of the community.We are all very proud of our agriculture contributions to Canada and beyond. Products like Bothwell cheese and HyLife pork are world-class products with excellent nutritional value. However, the Liberal government seems to disagree. The new Canadian food guide is an attack on meat and dairy producers. Why have the Liberals chosen to downplay the vital role of meat and dairy products in the diets of Canadians? Why this attack on science?
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily rich to hear the party opposite talk about science. The Conservatives never ever took into account science or indigenous knowledge. They never listened to Canadians. They never respected the rights of indigenous people. They could not get good projects built.We understand that the environment and the economy go together, that decisions need to be made on science and indigenous knowledge, and that we need good projects to go ahead. That is exactly what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, an increased pain and suffering award, an increased income replacement, increased estate exemption for veterans funerals and burials, an education benefit of up to $80,000, redesigned career transition, a recognition benefit for caregivers, a centre for excellence for PTSD, 460 more staff, 10 offices, and a pension for life, for everything the Conservatives took away that I listed yesterday, we are delivering on real benefits and services. Veterans deserve more than words. They
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the TPPCPTPTPP, or however many more P's they want to add.Canadian producers are becoming increasingly concerned. More than two weeks after the announcement of an agreement regarding the trans-Pacific partnership, there has been radio silence on compensation programs. In fact, 80% of dairy farmers do not have access to the program cobbled together by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Nothing for egg producers, or poultry farmers. The Conservative government put $4 billion on the table. The Liberals have no plan. How is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food going to ensure that no new concessions will be made to the Americans under NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today because I am a charitable person and I want to give the Liberal government one more chance to honour a promise and look after our produce farmers. If you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House call on the government to honour its election promise to implement a PACA-like deemed trust for perishable goods, which Canadian produce growers have called for repeatedly and which both the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously recommended to the government.
Mr. Speaker, we live in a federation where provincial governments have strong points of view, and they are elected to speak on behalf of their own constituencies, the people who elected them, and their own interpretation of their provincial interests. There is only one government that speaks on behalf of the national interest, and that is the Government of Canada. We acted in the national interest when we approved this pipeline, and, in those months that have intervened, nothing has changed.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of heat and light in the Prime Minister's kind words but the reality is that he is not getting anything done. Let us take a bit of a review.Five months ago, the Liberals botched the energy east pipeline and that was 14,000 jobs on a $15 billion project. Now we have another crisis and another 37,000 jobs. Clearly, the Prime Minister does not actually feel moved by the industry's concerns. Maybe he is going to be moved by the fact that it is 50,000 jobs.Seriously, how many more well-paying Canadian jobs do we need to put in jeopardy to get him moving?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any difficulty repeating the government's position, and I do not know why members opposite cannot take yes for an answer. Yes, we think the pipeline is a good idea. Yes, we approved the pipeline. Yes, we intervened at the National Energy Board when it wanted to delay the pipeline. We want the pipeline built. How about members of the opposition? What chill are they putting on investment by their incessant questions?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate the food we love and showcase our world-class farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast, of which I am one myself. Canadian agriculture is stronger, more innovative, and more diverse than ever and our government is committed to continuing this growth and investing in the future of Canadian farmers.Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about today's announcement to build a strong future for Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. For the past 70 years, Canada's food guide has been one of the most trusted sources of information for Canadians. As a part of the healthy eating strategy, work today on the Canada food guide is well under way. We are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. I was pleased to meet with people from the dairy industry yesterday. They are going to be appearing as witnesses at the health committee in a very timely manner.
Well, Mr. Speaker, the more we dig into the new environmental review process the uglier it gets. The minister appears to have embedded in the bill provisions that will empower her to delay, suspend, and veto a project before it ever undergoes a full science-based review. That is not a streamlined process; that is a minister-knows-best process, which is based on politics and not science. How can we trust a process based on the minister's whims? Will the minister now agree to remove her veto power from the bill?
Mr. Speaker, we listened carefully to Canadians for two years. We listened to indigenous peoples. We listened to scientists. We listened to industry. We listened to environmentalists.We know that we have a good process. We will be making decisions based on science. We will be partnering with indigenous peoples. We will listen to communities. We will make decisions based on those facts.We know that the economy and the environment go hand in hand, and we will always stand up for both.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, as I have said many times, we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that is going to protect it. We are going to put programs in place in order to make sure that our food and vegetable sector are also in the trade to export around the world. We also put a program in place after CETA to make sure that the dairy industry itself was on the cutting edge, $250 million. We put another $100 million in place to make sure that the processing sector was in place. We have and will continue to
Mr. Speaker, the new version of Canada's food guide that was introduced by the Liberal government seems to be based on ideology rather than science.We are concerned about the impact that the lack of consultation and the refusal to consult with Canada's agriculture and agrifood partners will have on Canadians' health.Will the government reconsider its narrow-minded and ill-advised approach and finally hold broader consultations on the food guide with all agriculture and agrifood stakeholders for the good of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to answer the member's question by talking about what we are doing on social housing. Working with the provinces, we are investing $40 billion in affordable social housing across the country. These are historic and unprecedented investments. We are investing in our indigenous communities to end boil water advisories nationwide by 2021. We are also investing in Canadians in need and middle-class Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We are going to continue to invest in those in need.
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to defend the new environmental assessment act we are proposing. I am certainly interested in hearing any proposed changes that may come from the other side that can make it stronger, but we believe we have got it spot on. We understand we need to make decisions based on science and traditional knowledge, that we need to be respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and partnering from the start, that we need to be listening to communities, and that we need good projects to go ahead. On one hand, we have a party that does not understand that we need to ensure we protect the environment. We have another party that does not understand that projects need to go ahead. That is where we
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just keeps saying that the pipeline will be built, I guess by magic, since Kinder Morgan says it is slowing down its operations, slowing down spending, and delaying it for more than a year. More delays continue to threaten this project every single day. The application was first filed over 2,000 days ago. The pipeline, clearly in the national interest, was approved over 440 days ago, and these delays continue to pile up and pile up. It is just words and no action.Where is the plan? Table it on Thursday. And how many more days will it be before construction begins in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. After all, it was our government that invested nearly $1 billion in the last two budgets.The Canada Revenue Agency is now able to assess the risk of all large multinational corporations annually. Every year, it reviews every transaction over $10,000 in four regions that are deemed high-risk. The first two are the Isle of Man and Guernsey.As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,090 taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we will make sure that the environment and the economy go together. Unlike what the previous government did, we have taken action exactly on that. We have moved forward on a national plan to reduce carbon emissions. We have moved forward on historic oceans protection. We are moving forward on projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will get our resources to new markets safely and securely. That is what Canadians expect. That is why I have been across the country speaking with premiers, speaking with Canadians, hearing from both sides of the argument, and remaining steadfast. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that we will get the pipelines built. We know it is in the country's interest. This situation is interesting because we know there are people in British Columbia who oppose the pipelines. I am telling them that the pipelines will be built anyway. When Alberta Conservatives go on about the pipeline not being built, however, they are undermining the process and creating uncertainty. We have said it before, and we will say it again: we will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain pipeline project is an important project. It is a $7.4 billion investment and 37,000 good-paying Canadian jobs. There is much opposition to this project. They are saying that they are going to interrupt it and delay, and the government is silent throughout this whole time. What is the impact of that? Industry is watching closely, and as well there is a growing crisis among our provinces.Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians relying on these jobs, bring certainty, and unveil his plan to allow construction to start this spring?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain project will create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit every part of the country. Before that can happen, however, the Prime Minister needs to address the situation instead of letting it deteriorate, which is what he is doing. Thousands of jobs are on the line because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. On top of all that, last week, Canada lost a contract worth hundreds of millions in Mirabel, and NAFTA talks are stalling. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how he is planning to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that it is important that the data used by the parliamentary budget officer be reliable and accurate. That is why we have enhanced the position of the PBO and made him an officer of Parliament after Harper's Conservatives spent years undermining his credibility.As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO and will, by the end of the month, provide it its data in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy. We will continue to support and respect the work of officers of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. In honour of this day, the Liberals are refusing to create a trust similar to PACA for perishable goods. In addition, there is still not not even a hint of support for milk producers in response to the loopholes opened in CETA, not to mention the potential loopholes to come in NAFTA and the TPP. The government should be ashamed today.When will the government fulfill its promises to our family farms and implement safeguards to ensure that the people who feed our families every day can also feed their own families?
Mr. Speaker, we have seen real improvements over the last couple of years for middle-class Canadians, more confidence, and among the lowest unemployment rates in the last four years. However, there is more work to do. On February 27, we are going to announce the next budget to continue our plan.
Mr. Speaker, Canada strongly supports worldwide nuclear disarmament and continues to support efforts in that area. We recently announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency in its important work. We are fully committed to making meaningful progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world, and that includes our work toward a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. That is the firm stand that Canada has taken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, for a party that says it likes to stand with farmers, its talking points are sure falling short. Creating a PACA-like deemed trust for producers of perishable goods in Canada is what our produce growers want. Two parliamentary committees, agriculture and finance, unanimously recommended that greater measures are needed to protect Canadian produce growers, but Liberal ministers will not even consider it. On Canada's Agriculture Day, will the government stop breaking its election promises, put the money where its mouth is, and support our produce growers and small businesses?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have and will continue to take action on tax avoidance and tax evasion, but it is nice that the members opposite are bringing up pharmacare, because we recognize on this side of the House that Canadians pay too much for prescription drugs, and our government is taking bold action now to bring down prices. We joined the provinces and territories as a member of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of public drug plans. Through budget 2017, we are investing over $140 million to help improve access to pharmaceuticals and to support innovations within the health care system. We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians can better afford the
Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have never seen so much inequality in this country as under this Prime Minister's watch.The truth is that this Prime Minister simply does not know how to say no to wealthy Canadians who want to escape taxes by taking their money overseas. That hurts Canadians: Canadians who cannot pay for medication, Canadians who are on the streets because there is so little affordable housing, and indigenous communities that have no drinking water.Why does the Prime Minister not take action on tax havens so Canadians can have pharmacare, affordable housing, and safe drinking water?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that the government is committed to the financial success of our fruit and vegetable farmers. We will be creating a single dispute resolution body, which should resolve the majority of non-payment incidents faced by our producers. Working with farmers, today we are going to make a number of announcements that will indicate just how much more we fully support the agriculture and agrifood sector across the country.
Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across the country are being put at risk because the Prime Minister is sitting on the sidelines while an approved energy project faces uncertainty and delay. He refuses to stand up to the opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and now the B.C. wine industry is becoming collateral damage as a result. We need less talk and more action from this Prime Minister. Will he tell Canadians what his actual plan is, or is his real plan to let others kill this project and the thousands of jobs that go along with it?
Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally supports global nuclear disarmament. We continue to support efforts that substantially contribute to this goal.We recently announced an additional $1.5 million for the International Atomic Energy Agency to support its important work on non-proliferation. We are committed to work that will take concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world. This includes the important work that Canada is doing on a treaty that will help to halt the production of material for nuclear weapons. Canada has and remains an important player in the global nuclear disarmament movement.
Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work for our farmers and ranchers throughout this country. Today, I am celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by launching six federal programs under the Canadian agricultural partnership. The partnership will drive a strong agenda for the future of Canadian agriculture. These investments will ensure Canadian agriculture remains a leader in job creation and innovation and to make sure that we reach our target of $75 billion of agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about tax avoidance.Canadian investments totalled $68 billion in Barbados, $48 billion in the Cayman Islands, $39 billion in Bermuda, and $20 billion in the Bahamas.Average taxpayers pay their taxes while the government makes life easy for rich people who hide their money in the Caribbean.Rather than go after little fish who are doing their part, when will the government stop fattening up the financial sharks?
Mr. Speaker, let us examine the Conservative record on this file: in 10 years, not one kilometre of pipe built to tidewater, an erosion of public trust in the regulatory system that we are going to fix, insufficient consultation with indigenous communities, court case after court case that said they blew it. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, the results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is helping Canadians create jobs and it is growing our economy. However, we still have some work to do.Over 500,000 jobs have been created since the government came to office, and Canada is leading the G7 in growth. Canadians are feeling more confident about their future.Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps that we are taking to strengthen Canada's middle class and help those working hard to join it?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question and for his interest in international development and our youth. Our government wants to offer young Canadians a personally and professionally rewarding international experience. That is why I recently announced that about 20 Canadian organizations will be sharing more than $34 million to offer 1,800 youth internships in developing countries. I myself did a similar internship in Morocco, and I urge all young Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps saying that it is a strong advocate for the middle class, but it is in cahoots with the wealthy to help them get richer at the expense of the poor, who are being forced to cover the government's outlandish spending. We just learned that the government has given access to new tax havens in Granada and in Antigua and Barbuda.When will this government be truly transparent with taxpayers, honestly work in their interests, and stop signing agreements with tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Engineers Without Borders released the results of a survey of young Canadians about greater global development. The results showed that responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, promoting access to healthcare for women, children, and youth, and promoting gender equality are key policies that Canada should pursue. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House how Canada plans to make this vision a reality?
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if he just keeps saying the same thing over and over. It is not actually a plan, it is not actually going to get done, and it means absolutely nothing. Liberals obviously will not stand up for their own approval of a pipeline clearly in the national interest. The minister is saying that the recent consultations are legitimate and there is nothing to be seen here, but it is clearly an attempt to continue to delay the project. Deliver the plan and confirm: When will construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline begin?
Mr. Speaker, the British Columbia government says it is going to consult people. The Government of Canada has already consulted tens of thousands of people, and Canadians agree with us that this pipeline is in Canada's interest because of the jobs it creates, because of the expansion of export markets, and because of the $1.5 billion invested in a world-class oceans protection plan. We have intervened with the proponent of the National Energy Board when we thought it would lead to delays. There will be no unnecessary delays. This pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, all words from the minister and still no action plan.The trade war between B.C. and Alberta is escalating every day. While this crisis develops, the Prime Minister crosses his fingers and hopes the provinces will just work it out instead of having to demonstrate any real national leadership himself. Wishful thinking will not get this pipeline built. It has been 441 days since this project was approved. When will the Prime Minister open his eyes and start supporting hard-working Canadian families who are depending on this project?
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years the plan we have put in place for Canadians has made real improvements for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. colleague that we have been listening to farmers and that we are responding to farmers. In fact, we invested $100 million in agricultural science. That is much better than cutting some money in agricultural science. An innovations fund of $1.1 billion is available to agriculture. We have agreed with the provinces and territories to put the CAP, the Canadian agricultural partnership, in place; $3 billion for the agriculture and agrifood sector; and it goes on. In order to increase trade, we have approved CETA and we have agreed to the CPTPP.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We continue to defend supply management. In fact, with the exception of some members of the official opposition, everyone in the House but the Conservative Party believes in supply management. Our position on this issue is clear. We have always defended the system, including during NAFTA negotiations, and we will continue to defend it.
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, they are still signing treaties with tax havens. That is a fact.The Prime Minister could act now on certain issues. More than $3 billion is being lost due to tax loopholes like stock option deductions. More than $10 billion in tax dollars are ending up in tax havens, while Canadians go without housing and medication and many first nations communities have no clean drinking water. It is a matter of choice. Will the Prime Minister take action on these unfair loopholes?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister informed us yesterday that the Canada Revenue Agency is finally going to share its data with the parliamentary budget officer after making him wait for 62 months. It may be too early to celebrate, however, and this agreement does not address the main problem, which is the agency's refusal to be transparent and accountable.The agency acts as though it is not accountable to Parliament. The privacy of taxpayers must be protected. However, we have a major problem when agency officials use legislation to shield themselves from parliamentarians rather than to protect taxpayers.When will the Liberals make the agency accountable to Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will soon be meeting with officials in India to hopefully discuss trade, in between selfies and photo ops.Recent changes to India's import policies resulted in debilitating tariffs on Canadian pulse exports, putting critical trade agreements and market access in serious jeopardy. With pulse exports to India worth over $1.5 billion, it is critical for Canada to work on a clear agreement.Will the Prime Minister include the agriculture minister on this important trade mission?
Mr. Speaker, the changes to the Navigation Protection Act proposed by the minister will delay and increase red tape and costs for rural municipalities building vital infrastructure. The Liberals' changes also reflect their lack of understanding of the importance of resource development to Canada's economy. Why are the Liberals opposing responsible resource development and delaying vital infrastructure projects in rural communities across Canada?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government gave vague answers on what their plan was in the aftermath of the trial over Colten Boushie's killing. We must address the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries and judicial benches. This situation is a crisis of trust and the jury trial in the case of Colten Boushie increases mistrust of the justice system for indigenous peoples.I will repeat. What is the government's specific plan to ensure that indigenous peoples are treated fairly by our justice system?
Again, Mr. Speaker, for 10 years those members talked up the energy industry but actually could not deliver for it. What was I doing? I went down to Washington, D.C., to make the pitch for Keystone XL to a group of American Democrats. That is what I was doing while I was leader of the third party.I have continued to focus on delivering it. I have focused on making sure we protect the environment and grow the economy together. That is exactly what we are doing and that is why they keep talking down our chances of getting that pipeline built. We will get it built.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: that this House call on the government to not apply federal tax provisions that allow the active business income from a Canadian company's foreign subsidiary in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Granada, to be paid to the Canadian parent company in the form of dividends that are exempt from Canadian taxes. I am sure there will be unanimous consent for that.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says it in Edmonton, we say it in Vancouver, we say it in Regina, and we say it in St. John's, Newfoundland. We say it in every region of the country. Why do we say it in every region of the country? We say it because the message is a national one and it is clear. We will move our resources to market sustainably. We will expand export markets. We will work with indigenous peoples. We will protect the environment. We are the only party in this chamber that will do all three of those things.
Mr. Speaker, I will be clear: fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is a priority for our government.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem with no simple solution, contrary to what my colleagues opposite seem to think. We adhere to all provisions of the international standard for automatic exchange of information with OECD partners. Starting this year, we will have access to even more information supplied by our partners. I remind my colleagues opposite that under their government, former minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn announced publicly that this was not a priority.
Mr. Speaker, the minister spends more time slinging partisan mud and personal attacks than improving Canada's environment. The Liberals have broken more economic promises than we can count. They killed northern gateway, energy east, and are letting Kinder Morgan die a slow and painful death. Now they are creating an environmental review process that is filled with more uncertainty than ever before, discouraging investment in Canada.When will the minister finally stop her partisan attacks and rebuild investor confidence in Canada's resource sector?
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was a priority for Paul Martin, either.The Minister of National Revenue can spew all the rhetoric she wants and say that her government is combatting tax avoidance and tax evasion, but the truth is, when it comes to fighting tax havens internationally, Canada is part of the problem, not part of the solution. While the OECD agreement that the minister referred to provides for the exchange of information, Canada has signed an agreement with a country that does not even require income tax returns. When will the Liberals start taking this a little more seriously and scrap their agreement with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda?
Mr. Speaker, my question was about the lack of accountability of the Canada Revenue Agency.The government is actually acting exactly the same way that the previous government did, not only in protecting the unaccountable Canada Revenue Agency, but also in withholding information on tax havens.Canada just signed two new tax treaties, with Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. What do those tax treaties do? They allow corporations to set up subsidiaries in those low-tax countries where their worldwide profits will be attributed, and they will bring those profits back into Canada tax free.Why are Liberals continuing to sign those tax-avoidance agreements?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has traditionally been a leader on the world stage on nuclear disarmament at the same time as being an active member of NATO. Since a core tenet of NATO is to create the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons, there is clearly no obstacle to Canada signing the nuclear prohibition treaty. Therefore, will the Prime Minister now take bold action, sign the nuclear prohibition treaty, and then instruct our NATO ambassador to start working to get all of our NATO allies behind this treaty so Canada can help the world move back from the brink of nuclear disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly encourage the party opposite to stop the partisan attacks.We understand that the environment and the economy go together. We have also created over half a million jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate since we have been tracking unemployment rates. We are also tackling climate change. We are committed to reconciliation with indigenous people. We make decisions on science. We protect our animals, our waters, and our air. Environment and the economy have to go together. Why does the party opposite not come to the party?
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite want to know what steps we will take. We will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, our party makes decisions based on science, and the party opposite makes decisions based on science fiction. For projects to move forward, we must make decisions based on science, we must listen to Canadians, and we must work with indigenous peoples. Otherwise, these projects will not move forward. The environment and the economy go hand in hand. I hope that, one day, the party opposite will understand this.
Mr. Speaker, the war of words between the United States and North Korea and the growing tensions with Russia have led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist to set the hands of the doomsday clock at two minutes to midnight. Obviously, the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons, and Canada should participate in the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve that goal.Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that Canada signs the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is supported by 120 countries?
Mr. Speaker, tax evasion and tax avoidance are priorities for this government, which is why we invested over $1 billion in our last two budgets. That is in contrast to our opposition colleagues, whose goal in life is to ask two questions during question period and then wither away on the opposition benches. Members on this side are going to work for Quebeckers and Canadians. Tax avoidance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work on that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on two points of order. First, I find that the comments made by the Minister of National Revenue about my interventions were not entirely respectful and, consequently, she was disrespectful to the constituents of my riding, Joliette. I ask that she withdraw her comments.
Mr. Speaker, energy workers, the B.C. wine industry, and national unity are all being threatened by this escalating dispute, yet the Prime Minister actually said, I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case. What a sorry excuse for national leadership. Why does the Prime Minister not opine that the rule of law will be upheld? Why does he not opine that innocent bystanders will not be collateral damage in this dispute? Why does he not get off the sidelines and fight for the jobs that we lost because of his inaction?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently since we came into government, building on the work that has occurred over decades advocated by indigenous peoples and the like to ultimately improve our criminal justice system. We will propose broad-based reform to the criminal justice system and we have, as I stated yesterday, committed to looking at the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries. We are moving forward with that and we will listen to all the voices with respect to that particular issue and move forward in an appropriate way.
Mr. Speaker, I find it humorous that members opposite are talking about showing leadership. For 10 years they did not get anything built and when they approved the northern gateway pipeline, which was not a very good pipeline, they did it by press release in the middle of the night. When we approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I stood at a press conference, announced it myself, and then crossed the country taking responsibility for it and demonstrating that it is in the national interest.For 10 years they had a failed process that could not get things built. We know that by restoring public trust, by protecting the environment, we can grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives implemented a rigorous environmental assessment process enabling Canada to meet its economic and energy needs, all while ensuring that approval decisions are based on science. With Bill C-69, the Liberals are trying to turn this process upside down, even though it works very well.Can the minister tell us which projects approved under the former process she does not agree with? Which projects would she like to see fail?
Mr. Speaker, today we should be celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate our farmers and ranchers across the country.Farmers and their families work hard to feed their community, our country, and the world. Unfortunately, that is not a priority for this government.The Minister of Finance treated farmers like tax cheats, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not taking part in international negotiations, and the Minister of Health does not want to hear what farmers have to say about the new food guide.Will the Liberal government finally do the right thing and listen to what farmers have to say about their future?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you were to seek it you would find unanimous support for the following motion. I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, any recorded division in respect of an item of private members' business deferred to Wednesday, February 14, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business, pursuant to Standing Order 93(1) or 98(4), shall be deemed deferred anew until Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.
Mr. Speaker, they are bashing in an open door. They cannot take yes for an answer. I guess we can say it one more time. We want the pipeline to proceed. We have approved it. We have approved it with conditions. We are investing a billion and a half dollars in the oceans protection plan. We are working with indigenous communities up and down the line. What is the opposition doing? The opposition is chilling investor confidence with a record that opposition members should be ashamed of.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberals have broken their trust with veterans. Brian Forbes, chairman of the National Council of the Veterans Associations, had this to say about the Liberal promises. He said, It's fair to say the disappointment (with the new plan) has been immense because it just didn't do the trick.... If you're going to make a promise to provide lifetime pensions, then do it.Despite the Liberals' rhetoric, veterans consider the promises made to them to be broken. Why is the Prime Minister the only one convinced that they have kept their promises to veterans?
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties, without any advance notice to Canada or any other nation. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including on a recent trade mission by the Minister of International Trade, who brought it up on every occasion.This week I was in Saskatchewan meeting with the pulse farmers and announced funding for market development. What we want to do is to create more markets for the pulse industry in this country.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately those are just words and platitudes that the government is utilizing.Right now, as we speak, industry is responding to the uncertainty and instability that the government's lack of action is causing. Kinder Morgan has already indicated that it is going to be delaying and slowing its investments in the pipeline. The message to the world is that Canada is not open for business.The Prime Minister can make these concerns go away by showing a bit of leadership. It is simple. When will he guarantee the construction of the pipeline in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, after dragging their feet for two years, the Liberals are proposing a new environmental assessment process, but it includes some nasty surprises.Timelines for studies are even shorter than under the Conservatives and, more importantly, the minister is not bound by the recommendations resulting from assessments. Even if citizens oppose a project, even if it is scientifically proven to be a bad project, the minister can approve it anyway.Is the notion of national interest the Liberals' loophole for approving whatever they want, despite the will of the people, despite the science, and despite input from indigenous peoples?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to actually strengthen the environmental assessment process gutted by the Conservatives. It is still in place. They promised to remove political considerations from assessments and base decisions on project approvals on scientific evidence, yet Bill C-69 retains the government's ability to disregard scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, identification of adverse impacts, health risks, and community concerns, and still deem the project to be in the public interest. How can the Minister of Environment defend this bill as a strengthened law?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest. It will create jobs across the country and provide provinces with access to global markets. The dispute between Alberta and British Columbia has escalated solely because the Prime Minister has failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to leave the country while this crisis came to a head. Every day of inaction by the Liberals fuels the national conflict. When will the Prime Minister shelve the rhetoric, get Alberta and B.C. together, and set a date for construction to begin?
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.
Mr. Speaker, as the member has said, this is a good agreement on Agriculture Day. We should all celebrate in the House that this is going to be good for our country. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will be signing the CPTPP in March, and we will proceed with ratification. However, let me again say what this entails for Canadians. We have opened up a market of more than 500 million people, 40% of the world economy. This is a great day for agriculture. This is a great day for Canada. Thanks to the Prime Minister, we will have our position in the Asia Pacific region.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with stakeholders from the dairy industry. Our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and to supporting a health framework based on healthy choices. For over 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information on healthy eating. Canada's food guide is being updated as part of the healthy eating strategy, and we are working with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. Health Canada is committed to making decisions based on the best data available.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians expect, we are moving forward to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. We put close to $1 billion in our first two budgets towards the Canada Revenue Agency to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes.That is exactly what we are continuing to do. We will continue to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes. That is what Canadians expect of us.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with the dairy industry of Canada and had a very productive meeting.Our government is committed to safeguarding Canadians' health and supporting a health framework that makes the healthy choice the easier choice. For 70 years, Canada's food guide has been Canada's most trusted source of information for Canadians. As part of the healthy eating strategy, Canada's food guide is in the process of being updated, and we are collaborating with Canadians and experts in all fields. Health Canada is committed to using the best available data to make decisions about Canada's food guide.
Mr. Speaker, agriculture, especially in my province of Manitoba, is an integral part of the community.We are all very proud of our agriculture contributions to Canada and beyond. Products like Bothwell cheese and HyLife pork are world-class products with excellent nutritional value. However, the Liberal government seems to disagree. The new Canadian food guide is an attack on meat and dairy producers. Why have the Liberals chosen to downplay the vital role of meat and dairy products in the diets of Canadians? Why this attack on science?
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily rich to hear the party opposite talk about science. The Conservatives never ever took into account science or indigenous knowledge. They never listened to Canadians. They never respected the rights of indigenous people. They could not get good projects built.We understand that the environment and the economy go together, that decisions need to be made on science and indigenous knowledge, and that we need good projects to go ahead. That is exactly what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, an increased pain and suffering award, an increased income replacement, increased estate exemption for veterans funerals and burials, an education benefit of up to $80,000, redesigned career transition, a recognition benefit for caregivers, a centre for excellence for PTSD, 460 more staff, 10 offices, and a pension for life, for everything the Conservatives took away that I listed yesterday, we are delivering on real benefits and services. Veterans deserve more than words. They
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the TPPCPTPTPP, or however many more P's they want to add.Canadian producers are becoming increasingly concerned. More than two weeks after the announcement of an agreement regarding the trans-Pacific partnership, there has been radio silence on compensation programs. In fact, 80% of dairy farmers do not have access to the program cobbled together by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Nothing for egg producers, or poultry farmers. The Conservative government put $4 billion on the table. The Liberals have no plan. How is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food going to ensure that no new concessions will be made to the Americans under NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order today because I am a charitable person and I want to give the Liberal government one more chance to honour a promise and look after our produce farmers. If you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that the House call on the government to honour its election promise to implement a PACA-like deemed trust for perishable goods, which Canadian produce growers have called for repeatedly and which both the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food unanimously recommended to the government.
Mr. Speaker, we live in a federation where provincial governments have strong points of view, and they are elected to speak on behalf of their own constituencies, the people who elected them, and their own interpretation of their provincial interests. There is only one government that speaks on behalf of the national interest, and that is the Government of Canada. We acted in the national interest when we approved this pipeline, and, in those months that have intervened, nothing has changed.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of heat and light in the Prime Minister's kind words but the reality is that he is not getting anything done. Let us take a bit of a review.Five months ago, the Liberals botched the energy east pipeline and that was 14,000 jobs on a $15 billion project. Now we have another crisis and another 37,000 jobs. Clearly, the Prime Minister does not actually feel moved by the industry's concerns. Maybe he is going to be moved by the fact that it is 50,000 jobs.Seriously, how many more well-paying Canadian jobs do we need to put in jeopardy to get him moving?
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any difficulty repeating the government's position, and I do not know why members opposite cannot take yes for an answer. Yes, we think the pipeline is a good idea. Yes, we approved the pipeline. Yes, we intervened at the National Energy Board when it wanted to delay the pipeline. We want the pipeline built. How about members of the opposition? What chill are they putting on investment by their incessant questions?
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate the food we love and showcase our world-class farmers, ranchers, and growers from coast to coast to coast, of which I am one myself. Canadian agriculture is stronger, more innovative, and more diverse than ever and our government is committed to continuing this growth and investing in the future of Canadian farmers.Could the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about today's announcement to build a strong future for Canadian agriculture?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and supporting an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. For the past 70 years, Canada's food guide has been one of the most trusted sources of information for Canadians. As a part of the healthy eating strategy, work today on the Canada food guide is well under way. We are engaging with Canadians, experts, and stakeholders. I was pleased to meet with people from the dairy industry yesterday. They are going to be appearing as witnesses at the health committee in a very timely manner.
Well, Mr. Speaker, the more we dig into the new environmental review process the uglier it gets. The minister appears to have embedded in the bill provisions that will empower her to delay, suspend, and veto a project before it ever undergoes a full science-based review. That is not a streamlined process; that is a minister-knows-best process, which is based on politics and not science. How can we trust a process based on the minister's whims? Will the minister now agree to remove her veto power from the bill?
Mr. Speaker, we listened carefully to Canadians for two years. We listened to indigenous peoples. We listened to scientists. We listened to industry. We listened to environmentalists.We know that we have a good process. We will be making decisions based on science. We will be partnering with indigenous peoples. We will listen to communities. We will make decisions based on those facts.We know that the economy and the environment go hand in hand, and we will always stand up for both.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is, as I have said many times, we are the party that implemented supply management and we are the government that is going to protect it. We are going to put programs in place in order to make sure that our food and vegetable sector are also in the trade to export around the world. We also put a program in place after CETA to make sure that the dairy industry itself was on the cutting edge, $250 million. We put another $100 million in place to make sure that the processing sector was in place. We have and will continue to
Mr. Speaker, the new version of Canada's food guide that was introduced by the Liberal government seems to be based on ideology rather than science.We are concerned about the impact that the lack of consultation and the refusal to consult with Canada's agriculture and agrifood partners will have on Canadians' health.Will the government reconsider its narrow-minded and ill-advised approach and finally hold broader consultations on the food guide with all agriculture and agrifood stakeholders for the good of all Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to answer the member's question by talking about what we are doing on social housing. Working with the provinces, we are investing $40 billion in affordable social housing across the country. These are historic and unprecedented investments. We are investing in our indigenous communities to end boil water advisories nationwide by 2021. We are also investing in Canadians in need and middle-class Canadians through the Canada child benefit. We are going to continue to invest in those in need.
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to defend the new environmental assessment act we are proposing. I am certainly interested in hearing any proposed changes that may come from the other side that can make it stronger, but we believe we have got it spot on. We understand we need to make decisions based on science and traditional knowledge, that we need to be respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and partnering from the start, that we need to be listening to communities, and that we need good projects to go ahead. On one hand, we have a party that does not understand that we need to ensure we protect the environment. We have another party that does not understand that projects need to go ahead. That is where we
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the Prime Minister that I am a proud Conservative from Quebec, in case he does not know. I quite like our friends from Alberta, too.If the Prime Minister knows this matter is urgent, if he knows that the natural resources sector is important to our economy and our country, if he knows that thousands of jobs are at stake, then the question is a simple one. We do not want words. We want to know exactly what steps the Prime Minister will take to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. It is a day where across Canada we celebrate our producers and thank them for all they do. However, our farmers and ranchers are not celebrating because the Liberals have shut them out of the discussion on the Canada food guide. Our producers put their heart and soul into producing quality food for Canadians, however, it is these folks who will be directly impacted by these ill-advised decisions. In the spirit of this important day, will the Liberals reverse this ideological decision and listen to the agriculture sector and health experts to ensure we have a balanced approach to the Canadian food guide?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just keeps saying that the pipeline will be built, I guess by magic, since Kinder Morgan says it is slowing down its operations, slowing down spending, and delaying it for more than a year. More delays continue to threaten this project every single day. The application was first filed over 2,000 days ago. The pipeline, clearly in the national interest, was approved over 440 days ago, and these delays continue to pile up and pile up. It is just words and no action.Where is the plan? Table it on Thursday. And how many more days will it be before construction begins in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. After all, it was our government that invested nearly $1 billion in the last two budgets.The Canada Revenue Agency is now able to assess the risk of all large multinational corporations annually. Every year, it reviews every transaction over $10,000 in four regions that are deemed high-risk. The first two are the Isle of Man and Guernsey.As far as offshore compliance is concerned, as of December 31, 2017, the CRA had audited more than 1,090 taxpayers
Mr. Speaker, we have always said that we will make sure that the environment and the economy go together. Unlike what the previous government did, we have taken action exactly on that. We have moved forward on a national plan to reduce carbon emissions. We have moved forward on historic oceans protection. We are moving forward on projects like the Kinder Morgan pipeline that will get our resources to new markets safely and securely. That is what Canadians expect. That is why I have been across the country speaking with premiers, speaking with Canadians, hearing from both sides of the argument, and remaining steadfast. The Kinder Morgan pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that we will get the pipelines built. We know it is in the country's interest. This situation is interesting because we know there are people in British Columbia who oppose the pipelines. I am telling them that the pipelines will be built anyway. When Alberta Conservatives go on about the pipeline not being built, however, they are undermining the process and creating uncertainty. We have said it before, and we will say it again: we will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain pipeline project is an important project. It is a $7.4 billion investment and 37,000 good-paying Canadian jobs. There is much opposition to this project. They are saying that they are going to interrupt it and delay, and the government is silent throughout this whole time. What is the impact of that? Industry is watching closely, and as well there is a growing crisis among our provinces.Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadians relying on these jobs, bring certainty, and unveil his plan to allow construction to start this spring?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain project will create tens of thousands of jobs and benefit every part of the country. Before that can happen, however, the Prime Minister needs to address the situation instead of letting it deteriorate, which is what he is doing. Thousands of jobs are on the line because of our Prime Minister's lack of leadership. On top of all that, last week, Canada lost a contract worth hundreds of millions in Mirabel, and NAFTA talks are stalling. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how he is planning to resolve the crisis in Alberta and British Columbia?
Mr. Speaker, we understand that it is important that the data used by the parliamentary budget officer be reliable and accurate. That is why we have enhanced the position of the PBO and made him an officer of Parliament after Harper's Conservatives spent years undermining his credibility.As far as the CRA's data is concerned, the Agency has concluded an agreement with the PBO and will, by the end of the month, provide it its data in a manner geared to protect Canadians' privacy. We will continue to support and respect the work of officers of Parliament.
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day. In honour of this day, the Liberals are refusing to create a trust similar to PACA for perishable goods. In addition, there is still not not even a hint of support for milk producers in response to the loopholes opened in CETA, not to mention the potential loopholes to come in NAFTA and the TPP. The government should be ashamed today.When will the government fulfill its promises to our family farms and implement safeguards to ensure that the people who feed our families every day can also feed their own families?
Mr. Speaker, we have seen real improvements over the last couple of years for middle-class Canadians, more confidence, and among the lowest unemployment rates in the last four years. However, there is more work to do. On February 27, we are going to announce the next budget to continue our plan.
Mr. Speaker, Canada strongly supports worldwide nuclear disarmament and continues to support efforts in that area. We recently announced an additional investment of $1.5 million to support the International Atomic Energy Agency in its important work. We are fully committed to making meaningful progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world, and that includes our work toward a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. That is the firm stand that Canada has taken on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, for a party that says it likes to stand with farmers, its talking points are sure falling short. Creating a PACA-like deemed trust for producers of perishable goods in Canada is what our produce growers want. Two parliamentary committees, agriculture and finance, unanimously recommended that greater measures are needed to protect Canadian produce growers, but Liberal ministers will not even consider it. On Canada's Agriculture Day, will the government stop breaking its election promises, put the money where its mouth is, and support our produce growers and small businesses?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have and will continue to take action on tax avoidance and tax evasion, but it is nice that the members opposite are bringing up pharmacare, because we recognize on this side of the House that Canadians pay too much for prescription drugs, and our government is taking bold action now to bring down prices. We joined the provinces and territories as a member of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates lower drug prices on behalf of public drug plans. Through budget 2017, we are investing over $140 million to help improve access to pharmaceuticals and to support innovations within the health care system. We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians can better afford the
Mr. Speaker, the truth is, we have never seen so much inequality in this country as under this Prime Minister's watch.The truth is that this Prime Minister simply does not know how to say no to wealthy Canadians who want to escape taxes by taking their money overseas. That hurts Canadians: Canadians who cannot pay for medication, Canadians who are on the streets because there is so little affordable housing, and indigenous communities that have no drinking water.Why does the Prime Minister not take action on tax havens so Canadians can have pharmacare, affordable housing, and safe drinking water?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that the government is committed to the financial success of our fruit and vegetable farmers. We will be creating a single dispute resolution body, which should resolve the majority of non-payment incidents faced by our producers. Working with farmers, today we are going to make a number of announcements that will indicate just how much more we fully support the agriculture and agrifood sector across the country.
Mr. Speaker, thousands of jobs across the country are being put at risk because the Prime Minister is sitting on the sidelines while an approved energy project faces uncertainty and delay. He refuses to stand up to the opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline, and now the B.C. wine industry is becoming collateral damage as a result. We need less talk and more action from this Prime Minister. Will he tell Canadians what his actual plan is, or is his real plan to let others kill this project and the thousands of jobs that go along with it?
Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally supports global nuclear disarmament. We continue to support efforts that substantially contribute to this goal.We recently announced an additional $1.5 million for the International Atomic Energy Agency to support its important work on non-proliferation. We are committed to work that will take concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world. This includes the important work that Canada is doing on a treaty that will help to halt the production of material for nuclear weapons. Canada has and remains an important player in the global nuclear disarmament movement.
Mr. Speaker, the trans-Pacific partnership is a vital agreement. It will give our agriculture and agribusiness exporters unprecedented market access to high value markets like Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It will also give us a competitive advantage over the United States. However, there is very real concern that Canada could miss out on these vital new markets if we are not one of the first members to ratify the agreement. On Canada's Agriculture Day, can the Liberals assure our agriculture and agrifood exporters that they will sign the TPP later next month and will ratify it next summer?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for MiramichiGrand Lake for his hard work for our farmers and ranchers throughout this country. Today, I am celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by launching six federal programs under the Canadian agricultural partnership. The partnership will drive a strong agenda for the future of Canadian agriculture. These investments will ensure Canadian agriculture remains a leader in job creation and innovation and to make sure that we reach our target of $75 billion of agriculture and agri-food exports by 2025.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about tax avoidance.Canadian investments totalled $68 billion in Barbados, $48 billion in the Cayman Islands, $39 billion in Bermuda, and $20 billion in the Bahamas.Average taxpayers pay their taxes while the government makes life easy for rich people who hide their money in the Caribbean.Rather than go after little fish who are doing their part, when will the government stop fattening up the financial sharks?
Mr. Speaker, let us examine the Conservative record on this file: in 10 years, not one kilometre of pipe built to tidewater, an erosion of public trust in the regulatory system that we are going to fix, insufficient consultation with indigenous communities, court case after court case that said they blew it. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, the results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is helping Canadians create jobs and it is growing our economy. However, we still have some work to do.Over 500,000 jobs have been created since the government came to office, and Canada is leading the G7 in growth. Canadians are feeling more confident about their future.Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps that we are taking to strengthen Canada's middle class and help those working hard to join it?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question and for his interest in international development and our youth. Our government wants to offer young Canadians a personally and professionally rewarding international experience. That is why I recently announced that about 20 Canadian organizations will be sharing more than $34 million to offer 1,800 youth internships in developing countries. I myself did a similar internship in Morocco, and I urge all young Canadians to apply.
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps saying that it is a strong advocate for the middle class, but it is in cahoots with the wealthy to help them get richer at the expense of the poor, who are being forced to cover the government's outlandish spending. We just learned that the government has given access to new tax havens in Granada and in Antigua and Barbuda.When will this government be truly transparent with taxpayers, honestly work in their interests, and stop signing agreements with tax havens?
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Engineers Without Borders released the results of a survey of young Canadians about greater global development. The results showed that responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters, promoting access to healthcare for women, children, and youth, and promoting gender equality are key policies that Canada should pursue. Can the Minister of International Development tell the House how Canada plans to make this vision a reality?
Mr. Speaker, it does not matter if he just keeps saying the same thing over and over. It is not actually a plan, it is not actually going to get done, and it means absolutely nothing. Liberals obviously will not stand up for their own approval of a pipeline clearly in the national interest. The minister is saying that the recent consultations are legitimate and there is nothing to be seen here, but it is clearly an attempt to continue to delay the project. Deliver the plan and confirm: When will construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline begin?
Mr. Speaker, the British Columbia government says it is going to consult people. The Government of Canada has already consulted tens of thousands of people, and Canadians agree with us that this pipeline is in Canada's interest because of the jobs it creates, because of the expansion of export markets, and because of the $1.5 billion invested in a world-class oceans protection plan. We have intervened with the proponent of the National Energy Board when we thought it would lead to delays. There will be no unnecessary delays. This pipeline will be built.
Mr. Speaker, all words from the minister and still no action plan.The trade war between B.C. and Alberta is escalating every day. While this crisis develops, the Prime Minister crosses his fingers and hopes the provinces will just work it out instead of having to demonstrate any real national leadership himself. Wishful thinking will not get this pipeline built. It has been 441 days since this project was approved. When will the Prime Minister open his eyes and start supporting hard-working Canadian families who are depending on this project?
Mr. Speaker, over the last couple of years the plan we have put in place for Canadians has made real improvements for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I assure my hon. colleague that we have been listening to farmers and that we are responding to farmers. In fact, we invested $100 million in agricultural science. That is much better than cutting some money in agricultural science. An innovations fund of $1.1 billion is available to agriculture. We have agreed with the provinces and territories to put the CAP, the Canadian agricultural partnership, in place; $3 billion for the agriculture and agrifood sector; and it goes on. In order to increase trade, we have approved CETA and we have agreed to the CPTPP.
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We continue to defend supply management. In fact, with the exception of some members of the official opposition, everyone in the House but the Conservative Party believes in supply management. Our position on this issue is clear. We have always defended the system, including during NAFTA negotiations, and we will continue to defend it.
Mr. Speaker, to make matters worse, they are still signing treaties with tax havens. That is a fact.The Prime Minister could act now on certain issues. More than $3 billion is being lost due to tax loopholes like stock option deductions. More than $10 billion in tax dollars are ending up in tax havens, while Canadians go without housing and medication and many first nations communities have no clean drinking water. It is a matter of choice. Will the Prime Minister take action on these unfair loopholes?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister informed us yesterday that the Canada Revenue Agency is finally going to share its data with the parliamentary budget officer after making him wait for 62 months. It may be too early to celebrate, however, and this agreement does not address the main problem, which is the agency's refusal to be transparent and accountable.The agency acts as though it is not accountable to Parliament. The privacy of taxpayers must be protected. However, we have a major problem when agency officials use legislation to shield themselves from parliamentarians rather than to protect taxpayers.When will the Liberals make the agency accountable to Parliament?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will soon be meeting with officials in India to hopefully discuss trade, in between selfies and photo ops.Recent changes to India's import policies resulted in debilitating tariffs on Canadian pulse exports, putting critical trade agreements and market access in serious jeopardy. With pulse exports to India worth over $1.5 billion, it is critical for Canada to work on a clear agreement.Will the Prime Minister include the agriculture minister on this important trade mission?
Mr. Speaker, the changes to the Navigation Protection Act proposed by the minister will delay and increase red tape and costs for rural municipalities building vital infrastructure. The Liberals' changes also reflect their lack of understanding of the importance of resource development to Canada's economy. Why are the Liberals opposing responsible resource development and delaying vital infrastructure projects in rural communities across Canada?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government gave vague answers on what their plan was in the aftermath of the trial over Colten Boushie's killing. We must address the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries and judicial benches. This situation is a crisis of trust and the jury trial in the case of Colten Boushie increases mistrust of the justice system for indigenous peoples.I will repeat. What is the government's specific plan to ensure that indigenous peoples are treated fairly by our justice system?
Again, Mr. Speaker, for 10 years those members talked up the energy industry but actually could not deliver for it. What was I doing? I went down to Washington, D.C., to make the pitch for Keystone XL to a group of American Democrats. That is what I was doing while I was leader of the third party.I have continued to focus on delivering it. I have focused on making sure we protect the environment and grow the economy together. That is exactly what we are doing and that is why they keep talking down our chances of getting that pipeline built. We will get it built.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: that this House call on the government to not apply federal tax provisions that allow the active business income from a Canadian company's foreign subsidiary in Antigua and Barbuda, as well as Granada, to be paid to the Canadian parent company in the form of dividends that are exempt from Canadian taxes. I am sure there will be unanimous consent for that.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says it in Edmonton, we say it in Vancouver, we say it in Regina, and we say it in St. John's, Newfoundland. We say it in every region of the country. Why do we say it in every region of the country? We say it because the message is a national one and it is clear. We will move our resources to market sustainably. We will expand export markets. We will work with indigenous peoples. We will protect the environment. We are the only party in this chamber that will do all three of those things.
Mr. Speaker, I will be clear: fighting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance is a priority for our government.We are working closely with our international partners because this is a global problem with no simple solution, contrary to what my colleagues opposite seem to think. We adhere to all provisions of the international standard for automatic exchange of information with OECD partners. Starting this year, we will have access to even more information supplied by our partners. I remind my colleagues opposite that under their government, former minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn announced publicly that this was not a priority.
Mr. Speaker, the minister spends more time slinging partisan mud and personal attacks than improving Canada's environment. The Liberals have broken more economic promises than we can count. They killed northern gateway, energy east, and are letting Kinder Morgan die a slow and painful death. Now they are creating an environmental review process that is filled with more uncertainty than ever before, discouraging investment in Canada.When will the minister finally stop her partisan attacks and rebuild investor confidence in Canada's resource sector?
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was a priority for Paul Martin, either.The Minister of National Revenue can spew all the rhetoric she wants and say that her government is combatting tax avoidance and tax evasion, but the truth is, when it comes to fighting tax havens internationally, Canada is part of the problem, not part of the solution. While the OECD agreement that the minister referred to provides for the exchange of information, Canada has signed an agreement with a country that does not even require income tax returns. When will the Liberals start taking this a little more seriously and scrap their agreement with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda?
Mr. Speaker, my question was about the lack of accountability of the Canada Revenue Agency.The government is actually acting exactly the same way that the previous government did, not only in protecting the unaccountable Canada Revenue Agency, but also in withholding information on tax havens.Canada just signed two new tax treaties, with Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. What do those tax treaties do? They allow corporations to set up subsidiaries in those low-tax countries where their worldwide profits will be attributed, and they will bring those profits back into Canada tax free.Why are Liberals continuing to sign those tax-avoidance agreements?
Mr. Speaker, Canada has traditionally been a leader on the world stage on nuclear disarmament at the same time as being an active member of NATO. Since a core tenet of NATO is to create the conditions for a world free of nuclear weapons, there is clearly no obstacle to Canada signing the nuclear prohibition treaty. Therefore, will the Prime Minister now take bold action, sign the nuclear prohibition treaty, and then instruct our NATO ambassador to start working to get all of our NATO allies behind this treaty so Canada can help the world move back from the brink of nuclear disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I certainly encourage the party opposite to stop the partisan attacks.We understand that the environment and the economy go together. We have also created over half a million jobs. We have the lowest unemployment rate since we have been tracking unemployment rates. We are also tackling climate change. We are committed to reconciliation with indigenous people. We make decisions on science. We protect our animals, our waters, and our air. Environment and the economy have to go together. Why does the party opposite not come to the party?
Mr. Speaker, the members opposite want to know what steps we will take. We will get the pipeline built.
Mr. Speaker, our party makes decisions based on science, and the party opposite makes decisions based on science fiction. For projects to move forward, we must make decisions based on science, we must listen to Canadians, and we must work with indigenous peoples. Otherwise, these projects will not move forward. The environment and the economy go hand in hand. I hope that, one day, the party opposite will understand this.
Mr. Speaker, the war of words between the United States and North Korea and the growing tensions with Russia have led the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist to set the hands of the doomsday clock at two minutes to midnight. Obviously, the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons, and Canada should participate in the diplomatic efforts being made to achieve that goal.Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring that Canada signs the nuclear weapons ban treaty, which is supported by 120 countries?
Mr. Speaker, tax evasion and tax avoidance are priorities for this government, which is why we invested over $1 billion in our last two budgets. That is in contrast to our opposition colleagues, whose goal in life is to ask two questions during question period and then wither away on the opposition benches. Members on this side are going to work for Quebeckers and Canadians. Tax avoidance is a priority for us, and we will continue to work on that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on two points of order. First, I find that the comments made by the Minister of National Revenue about my interventions were not entirely respectful and, consequently, she was disrespectful to the constituents of my riding, Joliette. I ask that she withdraw her comments.
Mr. Speaker, energy workers, the B.C. wine industry, and national unity are all being threatened by this escalating dispute, yet the Prime Minister actually said, I'm not going to opine on disagreements between the provinces in this case. What a sorry excuse for national leadership. Why does the Prime Minister not opine that the rule of law will be upheld? Why does he not opine that innocent bystanders will not be collateral damage in this dispute? Why does he not get off the sidelines and fight for the jobs that we lost because of his inaction?
Mr. Speaker, we have been working diligently since we came into government, building on the work that has occurred over decades advocated by indigenous peoples and the like to ultimately improve our criminal justice system. We will propose broad-based reform to the criminal justice system and we have, as I stated yesterday, committed to looking at the under-representation of indigenous peoples on juries. We are moving forward with that and we will listen to all the voices with respect to that particular issue and move forward in an appropriate way.
Mr. Speaker, I find it humorous that members opposite are talking about showing leadership. For 10 years they did not get anything built and when they approved the northern gateway pipeline, which was not a very good pipeline, they did it by press release in the middle of the night. When we approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline, I stood at a press conference, announced it myself, and then crossed the country taking responsibility for it and demonstrating that it is in the national interest.For 10 years they had a failed process that could not get things built. We know that by restoring public trust, by protecting the environment, we can grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives implemented a rigorous environmental assessment process enabling Canada to meet its economic and energy needs, all while ensuring that approval decisions are based on science. With Bill C-69, the Liberals are trying to turn this process upside down, even though it works very well.Can the minister tell us which projects approved under the former process she does not agree with? Which projects would she like to see fail?
Mr. Speaker, today we should be celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day, a day to celebrate our farmers and ranchers across the country.Farmers and their families work hard to feed their community, our country, and the world. Unfortunately, that is not a priority for this government.The Minister of Finance treated farmers like tax cheats, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is not taking part in international negotiations, and the Minister of Health does not want to hear what farmers have to say about the new food guide.Will the Liberal government finally do the right thing and listen to what farmers have to say about their future?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you were to seek it you would find unanimous support for the following motion. I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, any recorded division in respect of an item of private members' business deferred to Wednesday, February 14, 2018, immediately before the time provided for private members' business, pursuant to Standing Order 93(1) or 98(4), shall be deemed deferred anew until Wednesday, February 14, 2018, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.
Mr. Speaker, they are bashing in an open door. They cannot take yes for an answer. I guess we can say it one more time. We want the pipeline to proceed. We have approved it. We have approved it with conditions. We are investing a billion and a half dollars in the oceans protection plan. We are working with indigenous communities up and down the line. What is the opposition doing? The opposition is chilling investor confidence with a record that opposition members should be ashamed of.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberals have broken their trust with veterans. Brian Forbes, chairman of the National Council of the Veterans Associations, had this to say about the Liberal promises. He said, It's fair to say the disappointment (with the new plan) has been immense because it just didn't do the trick.... If you're going to make a promise to provide lifetime pensions, then do it.Despite the Liberals' rhetoric, veterans consider the promises made to them to be broken. Why is the Prime Minister the only one convinced that they have kept their promises to veterans?
Mr. Speaker, we are extremely concerned and disappointed with India's increase in import duties, without any advance notice to Canada or any other nation. We are raising our concerns with the Government of India, including on a recent trade mission by the Minister of International Trade, who brought it up on every occasion.This week I was in Saskatchewan meeting with the pulse farmers and announced funding for market development. What we want to do is to create more markets for the pulse industry in this country.
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately those are just words and platitudes that the government is utilizing.Right now, as we speak, industry is responding to the uncertainty and instability that the government's lack of action is causing. Kinder Morgan has already indicated that it is going to be delaying and slowing its investments in the pipeline. The message to the world is that Canada is not open for business.The Prime Minister can make these concerns go away by showing a bit of leadership. It is simple. When will he guarantee the construction of the pipeline in Burnaby?
Mr. Speaker, after dragging their feet for two years, the Liberals are proposing a new environmental assessment process, but it includes some nasty surprises.Timelines for studies are even shorter than under the Conservatives and, more importantly, the minister is not bound by the recommendations resulting from assessments. Even if citizens oppose a project, even if it is scientifically proven to be a bad project, the minister can approve it anyway.Is the notion of national interest the Liberals' loophole for approving whatever they want, despite the will of the people, despite the science, and despite input from indigenous peoples?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised to actually strengthen the environmental assessment process gutted by the Conservatives. It is still in place. They promised to remove political considerations from assessments and base decisions on project approvals on scientific evidence, yet Bill C-69 retains the government's ability to disregard scientific evidence, traditional knowledge, identification of adverse impacts, health risks, and community concerns, and still deem the project to be in the public interest. How can the Minister of Environment defend this bill as a strengthened law?
Mr. Speaker, the Trans Mountain expansion project is in the national interest. It will create jobs across the country and provide provinces with access to global markets. The dispute between Alberta and British Columbia has escalated solely because the Prime Minister has failed to show any leadership, choosing instead to leave the country while this crisis came to a head. Every day of inaction by the Liberals fuels the national conflict. When will the Prime Minister shelve the rhetoric, get Alberta and B.C. together, and set a date for construction to begin?