Most toxic speeches
Madam Speaker, my constituents are sick and tired of the current Liberal government. They are sick and tired of exploding deficits. They are sick and tired of tax hikes. They are sick and tired of attacks on our way of life. How much further are these Liberals prepared to go to alienate Canadians before they realize the damage they have done? When will they kill Bill C-69, the bill that will kill energy development in Canada?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?
Madam Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources questioned the intelligence of anyone who thinks that it was the Liberals who killed northern gateway. Of course it was the Liberals. They killed it with a shipping ban and a ministerial order. The Prime Minister always opposed northern gateway in opposition, and when he became Prime Minister, he killed it. Now the Liberals want to kill all future pipelines with the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69. Will the minister apologize for questioning people's intelligence and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, today the UN Committee Against Torture released a report confirming what we have known all along. Indigenous women continue to be coerced into sterilization in Canada. This is sickening. While the Liberal government continues to speak its empty talking points, indigenous women in this country are still subjected to the harm of ongoing colonialism and systemic discrimination. This is simply wrong. When will the Liberal government put a stop to the savage act of robbing indigenous women of their dignity, health and humanity.
Madam Speaker, that is not all. Here is some more bad news.Yesterday, the Liberals rejected a resolution passed by the first nations chiefs to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw sterilization. How can this be truth and reconciliation?The UN Committee Against Torture has confirmed that Canada is guilty of torturing indigenous women by forced sterilization. Do the Liberals not understand that this is a stain on our country, a stain on every one of us in the House? Why are the Liberals tolerating forced sterilization of indigenous women?
Madam Speaker, according to a Department of Public Safety report, fully 86% of participants agreed that the government should completely wipe out, not merely suspend, criminal records for minor offences, particularly convictions for cannabis possession. Half a million Canadians have criminal records for this. They continue to face significant barriers to employment and housing for an activity that is now entirely legal. These Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness.Will the Liberals commit to expunging criminal records for cannabis possession?
Madam Speaker, forced sterilization of any woman is absolutely unacceptable. Our government believes firmly that everyone must receive culturally safe health services, no matter where they live. The coerced sterilization of indigenous women is a serious violation of human rights and completely unacceptable. We are taking a public health approach to this issue, as outlined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. We are investing in public health approaches in indigenous communities. The existing provisions in the Criminal Code do capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including coerced sterilization.
Madam Speaker, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources, and he should answer my question.The fact is that almost half a million barrels per day flow to new markets through pipelines approved by Conservatives. More than 8,000 kilometres of pipelines were built under Conservatives, while these Liberals have already blocked 7,000 kilometres of pipeline, and they have not added a single new inch. The Bank of Canada governor says the value of Canada's oil and gas sector has shrunk by 42% since the Liberals were elected. That is a crisis they created, and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will cripple the industry.Will they scrap the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for LaurentidesLabelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. AlbertEdmonton actually defending drinking and driving.Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?
Madam Speaker, 1.2 million barrels each day are flowing through pipelines approved by Conservatives. It is zero new barrels for the Liberals.Today the Prime Minister is meeting with the premiers. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick all want a west-to-east pipeline to bring Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and exports to Europe, but the Liberals' no-more-pipelines bill is standing in the way and will harm the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Will the Liberals finally at least listen to the premiers and scrap their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this issue. Removing the stigma of a criminal record for people who have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens and encouraging their reintegration enhances public safety for all Canadians. Individuals who were previously criminalized for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed meaningful participation in their communities, good, stable jobs and to become fully contributing members of society. That is why the Government of Canada intends to offer specific recourse, allowing individuals to immediately apply for pardons after completing their sentences and making it free to apply.
Madam Speaker, the government boasts about its record, but the facts tell a different story.The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report confirming that indigenous women are still being forced into sterilization, here, in Canada, in 2018. The Prime Minister keeps talking about what he calls his most important relationship, yet nothing is being done to truly protect these women.Instead of boasting about its record, will the government take action that will put an end to these appalling and dehumanizing practices?
Madam Speaker, the coerced sterilization of indigenous women is clearly a violation of human rights. Our Minister of Indigenous Services met with one of the senators yesterday to further discuss this issue. To date, our government is ensuring that every mother knows that she is entitled to an escort during childbirth. We are investing in services, such as the maternal child health program, to support healthy pregnancies and healthy births. We are investing for the first time in midwifery and we are implementing all of the TRC's calls to action. We will continue ongoing work with all of our partners to improve access to culturally safe health care services and support
Madam Speaker, in 2015, after 10 years of cuts, Canadians had a clear choice: continue with the austerity that cost jobs or continue with the tax breaks that helped only the wealthy. That was what the Conservatives were offering. What a disgrace.However, we offered Canadians a better choice. We invested in hard-working Canadians to support and create opportunities for the middle class and those working every day to join it.Could the parliamentary secretary inform the House of our plan's many benefits for Canadian workers?
Madam Speaker, in June, the House voted in favour of our motion to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity.It has been reported that one of the IRGC commanders had been ordering hit squads to kill politicians in Iraq that the Iranian regime disapproved of. At the same time, they are holding a Canadian permanent resident in a notorious prison, despite the regime's own acknowledgement that there is no evidence.Why have the Liberals not listed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity?
Madam Speaker, the last time we checked, there was no war going on in upstate New York. This is a failure of epic proportions, a social and financial debacle that is damaging Canada's reputation as a safe refuge for the world's most vulnerable, with a fair, compassionate and orderly immigration and refugee system. The Prime Minister needs to fix this mess he has created, but in the meantime, he cannot keep downloading the costs of illegal border crossers onto the provinces. When will the Prime Minister take some responsibility? Why should the taxpayers of Ontario and Quebec pay for his crisis?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had four years to get the job done, and they have not done anything on pipelines. Today in my riding, families are struggling to make ends meet, food banks are running low, and this month, families will choose between making their car payments or heating their homes.The Prime Minister said that Canadians are better off under his plan, but his no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a threat to the livelihoods of Canadians who work in the energy sector. When will the Liberals finally put families first and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?
Madam Speaker, if the Liberals want us to believe they take the cybersecurity of Canadians seriously, they should just simply take action and ban Huawei. Chinese law demands that this company co-operate with the Chinese government and spy on Canadians. How many more allies and experts have to raise this as a crisis before the government does the right thing and bans Huawei from our 5G network?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised compensation for farmers. Lo and behold, yesterday they announced additional compensation in the form of a lottery. As today's demonstrations show, that it clearly not enough. That is nonsense.On top of that, how can farmers hope to be pre-selected when they do not even have access to high-speed Internet? Only between 1,000 and 1,500 projects will be approved, when 6,500 farms in Quebec and 17,000 across the country have been seriously affected. The Liberals simply do not get it.Will they finally take real action to meet our farmers' needs, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, yesterday I stood in Parliament with leaders from the John Howard Society. They said pardons do not provide enough protection for people with criminal records. They said this: If people's convictions are expunged, rather than pardoned...they will be able to respond 'no' to any questions about their criminal historyno matter how the question is phrased. The government admits that black and indigenous Canadians have been disproportionately burdened with criminal records for possession. The application of this law has been fundamentally unjust, so will the government do what is just by erasing their records?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?
Madam Speaker, another day and another ally is taking a stand against Huawei, with the news that Japan will ban it from government contracts. BT in the U.K. is also removing all Huawei tech from its existing mobile network.For months, we have been asking the government to stand with Canadians and protect their cybersecurity. Why do the Liberals keep refusing to do the right thing and ban Huawei from our next generation of 5G technology?
Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.Will the government reverse course?
Madam Speaker, the report he talked about today shows that wages only went up 1.2% while inflation is 2.4%. In other words, the cost of living is rising twice as fast as wages, which is a real wage cut for Canadians. Furthermore, the carbon tax will add additional costs onto Canadians. The government admits that it will bring in a new carbon tax price in the year 2022, only a few years from now. How much will that tax cost in higher gas and home heating prices for struggling families?
Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border. What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has launched proceedings to create an Internet code of conduct to protect consumers.The problem is that without warning and little notice, it has put the public and experts on an impossible timeline to contribute meaningful input. Even worse, the CRTC is withholding crucial information to allow experts to do their job. The CRTC's irrational approach has become a debacle.Are the Liberals really serious about consumer protection, or is this process smoke and mirrors? Will the minister extend the deadline to allow the public and experts reasonable time to make submissions to the CRTC and ensure that a code of conduct is done properly?
Madam Speaker, we completely agree with the party opposite that the situation right now is completely unacceptable, not only to indigenous women, but also to all women in Canada.As I said, the existing provisions in the Criminal Code capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including this situation.That includes the situation vis-à-vis coerced sterilization with respect to indigenous women, which has been highlighted, which needs to be addressed and will be addressed.
Madam Speaker, the forced sterilization of some indigenous women is a human rights violation.We know that indigenous patients face systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination. We all have a role to play in ensuring that indigenous patients receive quality care without being subject to prejudice, primarily by ensuring that health care professionals receive cultural competency training, as set out in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?
Madam Speaker, I would simply point out that there is a global migration of literally tens of millions of people, who are fleeing war and persecution around the world, and every country is being impacted by this. In addition, the suggestion that a tweet has impacted an international phenomenon is, quite frankly, absurd. I would encourage the member to perhaps become better informed of this issue around the world.
Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?
Madam Speaker, I will tell the member what we will not do. We will not do what the Conservatives did during their tenure when 230,000 people came to this country seeking asylum. What did they do? They cut the budget of the CBSA and the budgets of those agencies and departments responsible for managing this migration. Then they went a step further. They cut health care for those same individuals, for those families and their children. It was a move that our courts described as cruel and unusual.
Madam Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.In any of the discussions we have with the Government of Iran, we are ensuring that we maintain the focus on human rights and making sure that those citizens who are unjustly detained are returned.Our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violations of human and democratic rights.
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out
Madam Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Abitibi. I heard from a number of stakeholders, including the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or and several members of the tourism sector, that they are worried about NAV Canada's plan to eliminate air traffic controller night-shift positions in this area.I would like the minister to reassure the people of Abitibi and clearly tell them that the government will not let NAV Canada entrust the safety of the public to robots just to save a few dollars.
Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?
Madam Speaker, last week the Liberals promised they would not agree to the U.S. oversight clause in the USMCA, but sure enough they signed the agreement with the clause included. American oversight of our Canadian dairy system undermines our food sovereignty and betrays our farmers. This is the third time the Liberals have signed an agreement giving away access to our domestic dairy market, and now Americans can dictate our dairy policies. Is the government unable to keep its promises, or do the Liberals just not care about our farmers, producers and supply management system?
Madam Speaker, I would like to address the parliamentary secretary's response to my colleague.The Liberal government just said that it was satisfied with the existing provisions in the Criminal Code. The existing Criminal Code provisions clearly do not work, however, since this appalling practice is still going on in Canada.The Liberals rejected the resolution passed by first nations chiefs yesterday, on Thursday. We cannot, in good conscience, remain silent in the face of this injustice.When will the government listen to the chiefs, address this problem and put an end to this unacceptable situation?
Madam Speaker, what the minister ought to know is that this is a problem that his government created. It is not fair that taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec must foot the bill for a crisis their governments did not create and do not have the power to fix. It is not fair that this crisis is causing years' long processing delays at the Immigration and Refugee Board for the world's most vulnerable, who are fleeing violence and persecution but who choose to enter Canada legally. When will the Prime Minister take action to restore fairness and order to Canada's asylum system that he has broken?
Madam Speaker, auto companies will build the electric and autonomous cars of the future, but sadly, not in Oshawa. Twice this week, Liberals refused to let MPs study this very important issue. Twice this week the Prime Minister was asked to release his plan for affected auto workers in Oshawa. Again, nothing. It has been two weeks, and the Prime Minister still has not even bothered to call Oshawa's mayor to offer his support.For the third time this week, will the Prime Minister release his plan for affected auto workers before Christmas, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, a pardon is a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated and it can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as committing another offence. The effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Madam Speaker, it was reported this morning that Quebec is demanding that the federal government pay it back nearly $300 million for providing care for illegal migrants. In case the Prime Minister has not realized it yet, his government urgently needs to take action once and for all to resolve all the problems he himself created at our border. If he fails to act, the bills will just keep piling up.When is he going to take action, and what is he going to tell the Quebec government, which should not have to pay for his mistakes?
Madam Speaker, I have a specific question. Yesterday the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party met for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of the House, because it is time we recognized the absolute urgency of climate change. There is no time to argue. We need to set aside partisan politics and launch no less than a war effort to combat climate change. No one party can meet this challenge alone. We need to come together. Taking a non-partisan approach is a message that will make all the difference. Would the Prime Minister agree to participate in a non-partisan effort and convene a summit of all party leaders to combat climate change?Our children are watching us.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from HullAylmer for his question.Indeed, under 10 years of Conservative rule, our country posted its worst economic performance, virtually across the board, in many decades. The Conservatives still do not have a plan for our economy, but we can see our plan is working. For example, just this morning we got some very encouraging employment figures.Since 2015, over 600,000 full-time jobs have been created in this country, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level ever recorded. More Canadians are working. Our economy is the strongest in the G7 and because of our plan, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more
Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the provinces must be respected. It was the Prime Minister who decided to do nothing. He is the one who created the problem in January 2017 and he is the one who is currently doing nothing to fix it. Quebec has a $295-million bill for 2017-18. Quebec should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes and failures.Will the government immediately reimburse the Government of Quebec?
Madam Speaker, we are focused on fixing the flawed process that led to a number of pipelines not moving forward. Ninety-nine per cent of Alberta's oil is sold to one single customer, which is the United States. That was the case under the previous government, because it failed to build a single pipeline to non-U.S. markets, because it had a process in place that was so flawed. We are going to fix that. The focus of Bill C-69 is to do exactly that: put a better process in place so we can move forward on building pipelines.
Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.
Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pegged the cost of the Prime Minister's illegal border crossing crisis at a staggering $1.1 billion. Today, Quebec confirmed that the crisis has cost its taxpayers $300 million since last year. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ontario is demanding to cover its costscost estimates that the PBO concluded are completely reasonable.Why has the Prime Minister failed to take concrete action to end this crisis by not closing the loophole of the safe third country agreement?
Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.
Madam Speaker, the report to which the hon. member refers actually points out that 94,000 new jobs were added to the Canadian economy just last month. That brings the total of full-time jobs up to almost 700,000 since we took office. At the same time, we are growing the economy, we are moving forward with a plan to protect our environment that will put a price on pollution, the details of which are transparent and are on our website, that will actually leave middle-class families better off. If the hon. member does not accept the answer from me, I suggest that he talk to Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who can confirm that this is the case.
Madam Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunications networks very seriously. We have invested more than $725 million to fund a new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure secure and resilient cyber systems and to encourage innovation. The Communications Security Establishment has provided advice on the 4G network and will continue to do so on the 5G network. Together with Canadian and international partners, Canada's national security agency is constantly working to identify threats, and we will continue to listen to its advice.
Madam Speaker, our government has defended our supply management system from strong American attempts to see it dismantled. We have worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. We understand there will be impacts on our farmers and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to help them continue to succeed.The dairy working groups have been announced. They will develop strategies to fully and fairly support producers and processors and ensure that the sector can innovate, grow and remain competitive and be sustainable for future generations.
Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.
Madam Speaker, the government has given Canadians a wage cut. The data out just today shows that inflation is rising twice as fast as wage growth, and that is before the average tax increase of $800 for a Canadian family. Then, in January, the carbon tax will take effect. That will add, in the short term, 11¢ a litre to gas and $250 to a home heating bill. Will the government tell us what will be the full price of the carbon tax when it is completely implemented in the year 2022?
Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.
Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward with a plan that is going to help protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. That includes an overhaul of our environmental assessment process to restore the confidence that was lost under 10 years of Stephen Harper's government. During that 10 years, 99% of the resources that were extracted in our natural resource sector were going to the U.S. After 10 years, it remains that way today. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to incorporate key feedback from indigenous peoples and protect our environment. I note in particular that the Assembly of First Nations just gave a ringing endorsement to this approach.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as our indigenous people or our indigenous communities continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.
Madam Speaker, I have watched the hon. member for months try to trick Canadians into thinking there is going to be an increased cost as a result of our plan. We are implementing a plan that will actually result in a net benefit to middle-class families. When we are moving forward with a plan, it is actually a feature of our federal law that this money goes back into the pockets of families. I will watch very closely in the next campaign when the hon. member campaigns on a commitment to take that money from the families in his community.
Madam Speaker, our government has introduced $350 million in support for dairy producers and processors across Canada. These programs have already begun helping producers and processors increase their productivity and their competitiveness, and adapt to the economic and trade agreement with the European Union. We have delivered more than $129 million to 1,900 dairy producers across the country so far. Applications for the second phase of the program will be accepted beginning in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.
Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said Ottawa for Oshawa. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.
Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned a number of times in the House, our sympathies go out to the workers in Oshawa and everyone else affected by this closure. We are disappointed in the closure, but we have assured the people of Ottawa that we will look at every possibility and work with General Motors and any other company moving forward. As far as investments in the auto industry go, as far as the car of the future goes, the future for Ontario is bright and promising. GM has invested in Markham, and we will continue to work with all automakers and everyone in industry and the artificial intelligence industry to ensure the auto of the future
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has had nearly two years to review EORN's broadband network proposal. Twenty-five per cent of eastern Ontario homes and businesses cannot access broadband services. Business investment and retention, job creation, education, health care, and basically the overall quality of life of residents in my riding, depend on access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellular service. Will the minister confirm that rural broadband and cellular service is a top priority, and what is he doing to work with the province to ensure that this gets done?
Madam Speaker, let me take the opportunity to correct the hon. member. We approved Enbridge Line 3. That is under way now. That will add 370,000 barrels per day of capacity to get our resources to the U.S. On top of that, we are moving forward in responding to the court's decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way. We are making sure that we are responding to the issue of marine safety. We are making sure that we are responding, in a meaningful way, to engage with indigenous communities to deal with their concerns.
Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs. The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest. I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for SaanichGulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.
Madam Speaker, once again, let me reiterate and reassure everyone in the House, as well as Canadians, that we will never compromise our national security. We will listen to our national security agencies. We will take their advice. We will move forward.Balanced with that is the fact that we are investing in telecommunications services, which we promised Canadians we would do to improve the quality of coverage and services no matter where they live. 5G is an important part of that picture.We will take the advice of our national security agencies, who will give us the same kinds of advice on 5G that they did on 4G.
Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate that the member should know that one of the pipelines she cited as being built under the Conservatives' tenure was actually built in 1976. All they did was reverse the flow of the pipeline. If that is their record, that clearly demonstrates how they have failed to get anything done. We are moving forward on building pipeline capacity by approving Enbridge Line 3 as well as moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way.
Madam Speaker, as the member ought to know, the safe third country agreement is a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the United States. There have been ongoing discussions between our two governments with respect to improving and enhancing the existing agreement. While those discussions take place, we can maintain our commitment to ensure that the Canadian law is upheld, the security of the country is maintained and that we are working closely with the provinces that are impacted by this influx. I also want to acknowledge the excellent work done by officials of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto.
Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.
Madam Speaker, let us share some good news about what is happening in Alberta today. Alberta gained 36,500 new full-time jobs in the month of November. This month was the largest single month for full-time job gains in Alberta on record.As far as northern gateway is concerned, it was the Federal Court of Appeal that overturned the decision made by the previous government under the flawed process it followed.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question on today of all days. I note, in particular, that Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy has added 94,000 new jobs in just the past month. One of the reasons we are seeing this is because we are implementing smart economic policies, because we recognize that we can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. That is why we are moving on an overhaul of the environmental assessment process to ensure that projects move forward in the right way. After 10 years of governance under Stephen Harper, Canadians lost faith that the environment would be protected and rejected development projects on that basis. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to see our economy grow and our environment protected.
Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The safety and security of of our transportation networks is our top priority. Transport Canada is working with NAV Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. NAV Canada is conducting a second round of consultations on this issue in the community. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has a long track record of consulting Canadians and working well within the areas of its jurisdiction, including telecommunications and consumer protection.We have every confidence that it will continue to do so. The minister is aware of this process, and we will continue to watch it.
Madam Speaker, broadband connectivity and cell connectivity remains a top priority for this government. Through our connect to innovate program, we have invested $500 million across Canada, and that leveraged other investments in that industry. We have managed with 180 projects to connect more than 900 rural communities across Canada. That is many more than the 300 communities initially targeted, including 190 indigenous communities. We invested $10 million in eastern Ontario to connect 21 communities, including one indigenous community and 38 institutions. We are living up to our promises of
Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.
Madam Speaker, my constituents are sick and tired of the current Liberal government. They are sick and tired of exploding deficits. They are sick and tired of tax hikes. They are sick and tired of attacks on our way of life. How much further are these Liberals prepared to go to alienate Canadians before they realize the damage they have done? When will they kill Bill C-69, the bill that will kill energy development in Canada?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?
Madam Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources questioned the intelligence of anyone who thinks that it was the Liberals who killed northern gateway. Of course it was the Liberals. They killed it with a shipping ban and a ministerial order. The Prime Minister always opposed northern gateway in opposition, and when he became Prime Minister, he killed it. Now the Liberals want to kill all future pipelines with the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69. Will the minister apologize for questioning people's intelligence and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, today the UN Committee Against Torture released a report confirming what we have known all along. Indigenous women continue to be coerced into sterilization in Canada. This is sickening. While the Liberal government continues to speak its empty talking points, indigenous women in this country are still subjected to the harm of ongoing colonialism and systemic discrimination. This is simply wrong. When will the Liberal government put a stop to the savage act of robbing indigenous women of their dignity, health and humanity.
Madam Speaker, that is not all. Here is some more bad news.Yesterday, the Liberals rejected a resolution passed by the first nations chiefs to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw sterilization. How can this be truth and reconciliation?The UN Committee Against Torture has confirmed that Canada is guilty of torturing indigenous women by forced sterilization. Do the Liberals not understand that this is a stain on our country, a stain on every one of us in the House? Why are the Liberals tolerating forced sterilization of indigenous women?
Madam Speaker, according to a Department of Public Safety report, fully 86% of participants agreed that the government should completely wipe out, not merely suspend, criminal records for minor offences, particularly convictions for cannabis possession. Half a million Canadians have criminal records for this. They continue to face significant barriers to employment and housing for an activity that is now entirely legal. These Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness.Will the Liberals commit to expunging criminal records for cannabis possession?
Madam Speaker, forced sterilization of any woman is absolutely unacceptable. Our government believes firmly that everyone must receive culturally safe health services, no matter where they live. The coerced sterilization of indigenous women is a serious violation of human rights and completely unacceptable. We are taking a public health approach to this issue, as outlined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. We are investing in public health approaches in indigenous communities. The existing provisions in the Criminal Code do capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including coerced sterilization.
Madam Speaker, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources, and he should answer my question.The fact is that almost half a million barrels per day flow to new markets through pipelines approved by Conservatives. More than 8,000 kilometres of pipelines were built under Conservatives, while these Liberals have already blocked 7,000 kilometres of pipeline, and they have not added a single new inch. The Bank of Canada governor says the value of Canada's oil and gas sector has shrunk by 42% since the Liberals were elected. That is a crisis they created, and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will cripple the industry.Will they scrap the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for LaurentidesLabelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. AlbertEdmonton actually defending drinking and driving.Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?
Madam Speaker, 1.2 million barrels each day are flowing through pipelines approved by Conservatives. It is zero new barrels for the Liberals.Today the Prime Minister is meeting with the premiers. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick all want a west-to-east pipeline to bring Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and exports to Europe, but the Liberals' no-more-pipelines bill is standing in the way and will harm the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Will the Liberals finally at least listen to the premiers and scrap their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this issue. Removing the stigma of a criminal record for people who have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens and encouraging their reintegration enhances public safety for all Canadians. Individuals who were previously criminalized for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed meaningful participation in their communities, good, stable jobs and to become fully contributing members of society. That is why the Government of Canada intends to offer specific recourse, allowing individuals to immediately apply for pardons after completing their sentences and making it free to apply.
Madam Speaker, the government boasts about its record, but the facts tell a different story.The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report confirming that indigenous women are still being forced into sterilization, here, in Canada, in 2018. The Prime Minister keeps talking about what he calls his most important relationship, yet nothing is being done to truly protect these women.Instead of boasting about its record, will the government take action that will put an end to these appalling and dehumanizing practices?
Madam Speaker, the coerced sterilization of indigenous women is clearly a violation of human rights. Our Minister of Indigenous Services met with one of the senators yesterday to further discuss this issue. To date, our government is ensuring that every mother knows that she is entitled to an escort during childbirth. We are investing in services, such as the maternal child health program, to support healthy pregnancies and healthy births. We are investing for the first time in midwifery and we are implementing all of the TRC's calls to action. We will continue ongoing work with all of our partners to improve access to culturally safe health care services and support
Madam Speaker, in 2015, after 10 years of cuts, Canadians had a clear choice: continue with the austerity that cost jobs or continue with the tax breaks that helped only the wealthy. That was what the Conservatives were offering. What a disgrace.However, we offered Canadians a better choice. We invested in hard-working Canadians to support and create opportunities for the middle class and those working every day to join it.Could the parliamentary secretary inform the House of our plan's many benefits for Canadian workers?
Madam Speaker, in June, the House voted in favour of our motion to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity.It has been reported that one of the IRGC commanders had been ordering hit squads to kill politicians in Iraq that the Iranian regime disapproved of. At the same time, they are holding a Canadian permanent resident in a notorious prison, despite the regime's own acknowledgement that there is no evidence.Why have the Liberals not listed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity?
Madam Speaker, the last time we checked, there was no war going on in upstate New York. This is a failure of epic proportions, a social and financial debacle that is damaging Canada's reputation as a safe refuge for the world's most vulnerable, with a fair, compassionate and orderly immigration and refugee system. The Prime Minister needs to fix this mess he has created, but in the meantime, he cannot keep downloading the costs of illegal border crossers onto the provinces. When will the Prime Minister take some responsibility? Why should the taxpayers of Ontario and Quebec pay for his crisis?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had four years to get the job done, and they have not done anything on pipelines. Today in my riding, families are struggling to make ends meet, food banks are running low, and this month, families will choose between making their car payments or heating their homes.The Prime Minister said that Canadians are better off under his plan, but his no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a threat to the livelihoods of Canadians who work in the energy sector. When will the Liberals finally put families first and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?
Madam Speaker, if the Liberals want us to believe they take the cybersecurity of Canadians seriously, they should just simply take action and ban Huawei. Chinese law demands that this company co-operate with the Chinese government and spy on Canadians. How many more allies and experts have to raise this as a crisis before the government does the right thing and bans Huawei from our 5G network?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised compensation for farmers. Lo and behold, yesterday they announced additional compensation in the form of a lottery. As today's demonstrations show, that it clearly not enough. That is nonsense.On top of that, how can farmers hope to be pre-selected when they do not even have access to high-speed Internet? Only between 1,000 and 1,500 projects will be approved, when 6,500 farms in Quebec and 17,000 across the country have been seriously affected. The Liberals simply do not get it.Will they finally take real action to meet our farmers' needs, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, yesterday I stood in Parliament with leaders from the John Howard Society. They said pardons do not provide enough protection for people with criminal records. They said this: If people's convictions are expunged, rather than pardoned...they will be able to respond 'no' to any questions about their criminal historyno matter how the question is phrased. The government admits that black and indigenous Canadians have been disproportionately burdened with criminal records for possession. The application of this law has been fundamentally unjust, so will the government do what is just by erasing their records?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?
Madam Speaker, another day and another ally is taking a stand against Huawei, with the news that Japan will ban it from government contracts. BT in the U.K. is also removing all Huawei tech from its existing mobile network.For months, we have been asking the government to stand with Canadians and protect their cybersecurity. Why do the Liberals keep refusing to do the right thing and ban Huawei from our next generation of 5G technology?
Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.Will the government reverse course?
Madam Speaker, the report he talked about today shows that wages only went up 1.2% while inflation is 2.4%. In other words, the cost of living is rising twice as fast as wages, which is a real wage cut for Canadians. Furthermore, the carbon tax will add additional costs onto Canadians. The government admits that it will bring in a new carbon tax price in the year 2022, only a few years from now. How much will that tax cost in higher gas and home heating prices for struggling families?
Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border. What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has launched proceedings to create an Internet code of conduct to protect consumers.The problem is that without warning and little notice, it has put the public and experts on an impossible timeline to contribute meaningful input. Even worse, the CRTC is withholding crucial information to allow experts to do their job. The CRTC's irrational approach has become a debacle.Are the Liberals really serious about consumer protection, or is this process smoke and mirrors? Will the minister extend the deadline to allow the public and experts reasonable time to make submissions to the CRTC and ensure that a code of conduct is done properly?
Madam Speaker, we completely agree with the party opposite that the situation right now is completely unacceptable, not only to indigenous women, but also to all women in Canada.As I said, the existing provisions in the Criminal Code capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including this situation.That includes the situation vis-à-vis coerced sterilization with respect to indigenous women, which has been highlighted, which needs to be addressed and will be addressed.
Madam Speaker, the forced sterilization of some indigenous women is a human rights violation.We know that indigenous patients face systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination. We all have a role to play in ensuring that indigenous patients receive quality care without being subject to prejudice, primarily by ensuring that health care professionals receive cultural competency training, as set out in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?
Madam Speaker, I would simply point out that there is a global migration of literally tens of millions of people, who are fleeing war and persecution around the world, and every country is being impacted by this. In addition, the suggestion that a tweet has impacted an international phenomenon is, quite frankly, absurd. I would encourage the member to perhaps become better informed of this issue around the world.
Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?
Madam Speaker, I will tell the member what we will not do. We will not do what the Conservatives did during their tenure when 230,000 people came to this country seeking asylum. What did they do? They cut the budget of the CBSA and the budgets of those agencies and departments responsible for managing this migration. Then they went a step further. They cut health care for those same individuals, for those families and their children. It was a move that our courts described as cruel and unusual.
Madam Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.In any of the discussions we have with the Government of Iran, we are ensuring that we maintain the focus on human rights and making sure that those citizens who are unjustly detained are returned.Our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violations of human and democratic rights.
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out
Madam Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Abitibi. I heard from a number of stakeholders, including the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or and several members of the tourism sector, that they are worried about NAV Canada's plan to eliminate air traffic controller night-shift positions in this area.I would like the minister to reassure the people of Abitibi and clearly tell them that the government will not let NAV Canada entrust the safety of the public to robots just to save a few dollars.
Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?
Madam Speaker, last week the Liberals promised they would not agree to the U.S. oversight clause in the USMCA, but sure enough they signed the agreement with the clause included. American oversight of our Canadian dairy system undermines our food sovereignty and betrays our farmers. This is the third time the Liberals have signed an agreement giving away access to our domestic dairy market, and now Americans can dictate our dairy policies. Is the government unable to keep its promises, or do the Liberals just not care about our farmers, producers and supply management system?
Madam Speaker, I would like to address the parliamentary secretary's response to my colleague.The Liberal government just said that it was satisfied with the existing provisions in the Criminal Code. The existing Criminal Code provisions clearly do not work, however, since this appalling practice is still going on in Canada.The Liberals rejected the resolution passed by first nations chiefs yesterday, on Thursday. We cannot, in good conscience, remain silent in the face of this injustice.When will the government listen to the chiefs, address this problem and put an end to this unacceptable situation?
Madam Speaker, what the minister ought to know is that this is a problem that his government created. It is not fair that taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec must foot the bill for a crisis their governments did not create and do not have the power to fix. It is not fair that this crisis is causing years' long processing delays at the Immigration and Refugee Board for the world's most vulnerable, who are fleeing violence and persecution but who choose to enter Canada legally. When will the Prime Minister take action to restore fairness and order to Canada's asylum system that he has broken?
Madam Speaker, auto companies will build the electric and autonomous cars of the future, but sadly, not in Oshawa. Twice this week, Liberals refused to let MPs study this very important issue. Twice this week the Prime Minister was asked to release his plan for affected auto workers in Oshawa. Again, nothing. It has been two weeks, and the Prime Minister still has not even bothered to call Oshawa's mayor to offer his support.For the third time this week, will the Prime Minister release his plan for affected auto workers before Christmas, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, a pardon is a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated and it can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as committing another offence. The effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Madam Speaker, it was reported this morning that Quebec is demanding that the federal government pay it back nearly $300 million for providing care for illegal migrants. In case the Prime Minister has not realized it yet, his government urgently needs to take action once and for all to resolve all the problems he himself created at our border. If he fails to act, the bills will just keep piling up.When is he going to take action, and what is he going to tell the Quebec government, which should not have to pay for his mistakes?
Madam Speaker, I have a specific question. Yesterday the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party met for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of the House, because it is time we recognized the absolute urgency of climate change. There is no time to argue. We need to set aside partisan politics and launch no less than a war effort to combat climate change. No one party can meet this challenge alone. We need to come together. Taking a non-partisan approach is a message that will make all the difference. Would the Prime Minister agree to participate in a non-partisan effort and convene a summit of all party leaders to combat climate change?Our children are watching us.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from HullAylmer for his question.Indeed, under 10 years of Conservative rule, our country posted its worst economic performance, virtually across the board, in many decades. The Conservatives still do not have a plan for our economy, but we can see our plan is working. For example, just this morning we got some very encouraging employment figures.Since 2015, over 600,000 full-time jobs have been created in this country, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level ever recorded. More Canadians are working. Our economy is the strongest in the G7 and because of our plan, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more
Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the provinces must be respected. It was the Prime Minister who decided to do nothing. He is the one who created the problem in January 2017 and he is the one who is currently doing nothing to fix it. Quebec has a $295-million bill for 2017-18. Quebec should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes and failures.Will the government immediately reimburse the Government of Quebec?
Madam Speaker, we are focused on fixing the flawed process that led to a number of pipelines not moving forward. Ninety-nine per cent of Alberta's oil is sold to one single customer, which is the United States. That was the case under the previous government, because it failed to build a single pipeline to non-U.S. markets, because it had a process in place that was so flawed. We are going to fix that. The focus of Bill C-69 is to do exactly that: put a better process in place so we can move forward on building pipelines.
Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.
Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pegged the cost of the Prime Minister's illegal border crossing crisis at a staggering $1.1 billion. Today, Quebec confirmed that the crisis has cost its taxpayers $300 million since last year. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ontario is demanding to cover its costscost estimates that the PBO concluded are completely reasonable.Why has the Prime Minister failed to take concrete action to end this crisis by not closing the loophole of the safe third country agreement?
Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.
Madam Speaker, the report to which the hon. member refers actually points out that 94,000 new jobs were added to the Canadian economy just last month. That brings the total of full-time jobs up to almost 700,000 since we took office. At the same time, we are growing the economy, we are moving forward with a plan to protect our environment that will put a price on pollution, the details of which are transparent and are on our website, that will actually leave middle-class families better off. If the hon. member does not accept the answer from me, I suggest that he talk to Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who can confirm that this is the case.
Madam Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunications networks very seriously. We have invested more than $725 million to fund a new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure secure and resilient cyber systems and to encourage innovation. The Communications Security Establishment has provided advice on the 4G network and will continue to do so on the 5G network. Together with Canadian and international partners, Canada's national security agency is constantly working to identify threats, and we will continue to listen to its advice.
Madam Speaker, our government has defended our supply management system from strong American attempts to see it dismantled. We have worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. We understand there will be impacts on our farmers and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to help them continue to succeed.The dairy working groups have been announced. They will develop strategies to fully and fairly support producers and processors and ensure that the sector can innovate, grow and remain competitive and be sustainable for future generations.
Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.
Madam Speaker, the government has given Canadians a wage cut. The data out just today shows that inflation is rising twice as fast as wage growth, and that is before the average tax increase of $800 for a Canadian family. Then, in January, the carbon tax will take effect. That will add, in the short term, 11¢ a litre to gas and $250 to a home heating bill. Will the government tell us what will be the full price of the carbon tax when it is completely implemented in the year 2022?
Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.
Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward with a plan that is going to help protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. That includes an overhaul of our environmental assessment process to restore the confidence that was lost under 10 years of Stephen Harper's government. During that 10 years, 99% of the resources that were extracted in our natural resource sector were going to the U.S. After 10 years, it remains that way today. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to incorporate key feedback from indigenous peoples and protect our environment. I note in particular that the Assembly of First Nations just gave a ringing endorsement to this approach.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as our indigenous people or our indigenous communities continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.
Madam Speaker, I have watched the hon. member for months try to trick Canadians into thinking there is going to be an increased cost as a result of our plan. We are implementing a plan that will actually result in a net benefit to middle-class families. When we are moving forward with a plan, it is actually a feature of our federal law that this money goes back into the pockets of families. I will watch very closely in the next campaign when the hon. member campaigns on a commitment to take that money from the families in his community.
Madam Speaker, our government has introduced $350 million in support for dairy producers and processors across Canada. These programs have already begun helping producers and processors increase their productivity and their competitiveness, and adapt to the economic and trade agreement with the European Union. We have delivered more than $129 million to 1,900 dairy producers across the country so far. Applications for the second phase of the program will be accepted beginning in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.
Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said Ottawa for Oshawa. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.
Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned a number of times in the House, our sympathies go out to the workers in Oshawa and everyone else affected by this closure. We are disappointed in the closure, but we have assured the people of Ottawa that we will look at every possibility and work with General Motors and any other company moving forward. As far as investments in the auto industry go, as far as the car of the future goes, the future for Ontario is bright and promising. GM has invested in Markham, and we will continue to work with all automakers and everyone in industry and the artificial intelligence industry to ensure the auto of the future
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has had nearly two years to review EORN's broadband network proposal. Twenty-five per cent of eastern Ontario homes and businesses cannot access broadband services. Business investment and retention, job creation, education, health care, and basically the overall quality of life of residents in my riding, depend on access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellular service. Will the minister confirm that rural broadband and cellular service is a top priority, and what is he doing to work with the province to ensure that this gets done?
Madam Speaker, let me take the opportunity to correct the hon. member. We approved Enbridge Line 3. That is under way now. That will add 370,000 barrels per day of capacity to get our resources to the U.S. On top of that, we are moving forward in responding to the court's decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way. We are making sure that we are responding to the issue of marine safety. We are making sure that we are responding, in a meaningful way, to engage with indigenous communities to deal with their concerns.
Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs. The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest. I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for SaanichGulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.
Madam Speaker, once again, let me reiterate and reassure everyone in the House, as well as Canadians, that we will never compromise our national security. We will listen to our national security agencies. We will take their advice. We will move forward.Balanced with that is the fact that we are investing in telecommunications services, which we promised Canadians we would do to improve the quality of coverage and services no matter where they live. 5G is an important part of that picture.We will take the advice of our national security agencies, who will give us the same kinds of advice on 5G that they did on 4G.
Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate that the member should know that one of the pipelines she cited as being built under the Conservatives' tenure was actually built in 1976. All they did was reverse the flow of the pipeline. If that is their record, that clearly demonstrates how they have failed to get anything done. We are moving forward on building pipeline capacity by approving Enbridge Line 3 as well as moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way.
Madam Speaker, as the member ought to know, the safe third country agreement is a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the United States. There have been ongoing discussions between our two governments with respect to improving and enhancing the existing agreement. While those discussions take place, we can maintain our commitment to ensure that the Canadian law is upheld, the security of the country is maintained and that we are working closely with the provinces that are impacted by this influx. I also want to acknowledge the excellent work done by officials of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto.
Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.
Madam Speaker, let us share some good news about what is happening in Alberta today. Alberta gained 36,500 new full-time jobs in the month of November. This month was the largest single month for full-time job gains in Alberta on record.As far as northern gateway is concerned, it was the Federal Court of Appeal that overturned the decision made by the previous government under the flawed process it followed.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question on today of all days. I note, in particular, that Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy has added 94,000 new jobs in just the past month. One of the reasons we are seeing this is because we are implementing smart economic policies, because we recognize that we can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. That is why we are moving on an overhaul of the environmental assessment process to ensure that projects move forward in the right way. After 10 years of governance under Stephen Harper, Canadians lost faith that the environment would be protected and rejected development projects on that basis. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to see our economy grow and our environment protected.
Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The safety and security of of our transportation networks is our top priority. Transport Canada is working with NAV Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. NAV Canada is conducting a second round of consultations on this issue in the community. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has a long track record of consulting Canadians and working well within the areas of its jurisdiction, including telecommunications and consumer protection.We have every confidence that it will continue to do so. The minister is aware of this process, and we will continue to watch it.
Madam Speaker, broadband connectivity and cell connectivity remains a top priority for this government. Through our connect to innovate program, we have invested $500 million across Canada, and that leveraged other investments in that industry. We have managed with 180 projects to connect more than 900 rural communities across Canada. That is many more than the 300 communities initially targeted, including 190 indigenous communities. We invested $10 million in eastern Ontario to connect 21 communities, including one indigenous community and 38 institutions. We are living up to our promises of
Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.
Most negative speeches
Madam Speaker, today the UN Committee Against Torture released a report confirming what we have known all along. Indigenous women continue to be coerced into sterilization in Canada. This is sickening. While the Liberal government continues to speak its empty talking points, indigenous women in this country are still subjected to the harm of ongoing colonialism and systemic discrimination. This is simply wrong. When will the Liberal government put a stop to the savage act of robbing indigenous women of their dignity, health and humanity.
Madam Speaker, my constituents are sick and tired of the current Liberal government. They are sick and tired of exploding deficits. They are sick and tired of tax hikes. They are sick and tired of attacks on our way of life. How much further are these Liberals prepared to go to alienate Canadians before they realize the damage they have done? When will they kill Bill C-69, the bill that will kill energy development in Canada?
Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?
Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border. What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Madam Speaker, yesterday I stood in Parliament with leaders from the John Howard Society. They said pardons do not provide enough protection for people with criminal records. They said this: If people's convictions are expunged, rather than pardoned...they will be able to respond 'no' to any questions about their criminal historyno matter how the question is phrased. The government admits that black and indigenous Canadians have been disproportionately burdened with criminal records for possession. The application of this law has been fundamentally unjust, so will the government do what is just by erasing their records?
Madam Speaker, we are focused on fixing the flawed process that led to a number of pipelines not moving forward. Ninety-nine per cent of Alberta's oil is sold to one single customer, which is the United States. That was the case under the previous government, because it failed to build a single pipeline to non-U.S. markets, because it had a process in place that was so flawed. We are going to fix that. The focus of Bill C-69 is to do exactly that: put a better process in place so we can move forward on building pipelines.
Madam Speaker, that is not all. Here is some more bad news.Yesterday, the Liberals rejected a resolution passed by the first nations chiefs to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw sterilization. How can this be truth and reconciliation?The UN Committee Against Torture has confirmed that Canada is guilty of torturing indigenous women by forced sterilization. Do the Liberals not understand that this is a stain on our country, a stain on every one of us in the House? Why are the Liberals tolerating forced sterilization of indigenous women?
Madam Speaker, I will tell the member what we will not do. We will not do what the Conservatives did during their tenure when 230,000 people came to this country seeking asylum. What did they do? They cut the budget of the CBSA and the budgets of those agencies and departments responsible for managing this migration. Then they went a step further. They cut health care for those same individuals, for those families and their children. It was a move that our courts described as cruel and unusual.
Madam Speaker, it was reported this morning that Quebec is demanding that the federal government pay it back nearly $300 million for providing care for illegal migrants. In case the Prime Minister has not realized it yet, his government urgently needs to take action once and for all to resolve all the problems he himself created at our border. If he fails to act, the bills will just keep piling up.When is he going to take action, and what is he going to tell the Quebec government, which should not have to pay for his mistakes?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?
Madam Speaker, what the minister ought to know is that this is a problem that his government created. It is not fair that taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec must foot the bill for a crisis their governments did not create and do not have the power to fix. It is not fair that this crisis is causing years' long processing delays at the Immigration and Refugee Board for the world's most vulnerable, who are fleeing violence and persecution but who choose to enter Canada legally. When will the Prime Minister take action to restore fairness and order to Canada's asylum system that he has broken?
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has launched proceedings to create an Internet code of conduct to protect consumers.The problem is that without warning and little notice, it has put the public and experts on an impossible timeline to contribute meaningful input. Even worse, the CRTC is withholding crucial information to allow experts to do their job. The CRTC's irrational approach has become a debacle.Are the Liberals really serious about consumer protection, or is this process smoke and mirrors? Will the minister extend the deadline to allow the public and experts reasonable time to make submissions to the CRTC and ensure that a code of conduct is done properly?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for LaurentidesLabelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. AlbertEdmonton actually defending drinking and driving.Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Madam Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources questioned the intelligence of anyone who thinks that it was the Liberals who killed northern gateway. Of course it was the Liberals. They killed it with a shipping ban and a ministerial order. The Prime Minister always opposed northern gateway in opposition, and when he became Prime Minister, he killed it. Now the Liberals want to kill all future pipelines with the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69. Will the minister apologize for questioning people's intelligence and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?
Madam Speaker, forced sterilization of any woman is absolutely unacceptable. Our government believes firmly that everyone must receive culturally safe health services, no matter where they live. The coerced sterilization of indigenous women is a serious violation of human rights and completely unacceptable. We are taking a public health approach to this issue, as outlined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. We are investing in public health approaches in indigenous communities. The existing provisions in the Criminal Code do capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including coerced sterilization.
Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned a number of times in the House, our sympathies go out to the workers in Oshawa and everyone else affected by this closure. We are disappointed in the closure, but we have assured the people of Ottawa that we will look at every possibility and work with General Motors and any other company moving forward. As far as investments in the auto industry go, as far as the car of the future goes, the future for Ontario is bright and promising. GM has invested in Markham, and we will continue to work with all automakers and everyone in industry and the artificial intelligence industry to ensure the auto of the future
Madam Speaker, we completely agree with the party opposite that the situation right now is completely unacceptable, not only to indigenous women, but also to all women in Canada.As I said, the existing provisions in the Criminal Code capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including this situation.That includes the situation vis-à-vis coerced sterilization with respect to indigenous women, which has been highlighted, which needs to be addressed and will be addressed.
Madam Speaker, according to a Department of Public Safety report, fully 86% of participants agreed that the government should completely wipe out, not merely suspend, criminal records for minor offences, particularly convictions for cannabis possession. Half a million Canadians have criminal records for this. They continue to face significant barriers to employment and housing for an activity that is now entirely legal. These Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness.Will the Liberals commit to expunging criminal records for cannabis possession?
Madam Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Abitibi. I heard from a number of stakeholders, including the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or and several members of the tourism sector, that they are worried about NAV Canada's plan to eliminate air traffic controller night-shift positions in this area.I would like the minister to reassure the people of Abitibi and clearly tell them that the government will not let NAV Canada entrust the safety of the public to robots just to save a few dollars.
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out
Madam Speaker, 1.2 million barrels each day are flowing through pipelines approved by Conservatives. It is zero new barrels for the Liberals.Today the Prime Minister is meeting with the premiers. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick all want a west-to-east pipeline to bring Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and exports to Europe, but the Liberals' no-more-pipelines bill is standing in the way and will harm the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Will the Liberals finally at least listen to the premiers and scrap their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would simply point out that there is a global migration of literally tens of millions of people, who are fleeing war and persecution around the world, and every country is being impacted by this. In addition, the suggestion that a tweet has impacted an international phenomenon is, quite frankly, absurd. I would encourage the member to perhaps become better informed of this issue around the world.
Madam Speaker, last week the Liberals promised they would not agree to the U.S. oversight clause in the USMCA, but sure enough they signed the agreement with the clause included. American oversight of our Canadian dairy system undermines our food sovereignty and betrays our farmers. This is the third time the Liberals have signed an agreement giving away access to our domestic dairy market, and now Americans can dictate our dairy policies. Is the government unable to keep its promises, or do the Liberals just not care about our farmers, producers and supply management system?
Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said Ottawa for Oshawa. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.
Madam Speaker, the forced sterilization of some indigenous women is a human rights violation.We know that indigenous patients face systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination. We all have a role to play in ensuring that indigenous patients receive quality care without being subject to prejudice, primarily by ensuring that health care professionals receive cultural competency training, as set out in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Madam Speaker, I have a specific question. Yesterday the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party met for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of the House, because it is time we recognized the absolute urgency of climate change. There is no time to argue. We need to set aside partisan politics and launch no less than a war effort to combat climate change. No one party can meet this challenge alone. We need to come together. Taking a non-partisan approach is a message that will make all the difference. Would the Prime Minister agree to participate in a non-partisan effort and convene a summit of all party leaders to combat climate change?Our children are watching us.
Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pegged the cost of the Prime Minister's illegal border crossing crisis at a staggering $1.1 billion. Today, Quebec confirmed that the crisis has cost its taxpayers $300 million since last year. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ontario is demanding to cover its costscost estimates that the PBO concluded are completely reasonable.Why has the Prime Minister failed to take concrete action to end this crisis by not closing the loophole of the safe third country agreement?
Madam Speaker, I would like to address the parliamentary secretary's response to my colleague.The Liberal government just said that it was satisfied with the existing provisions in the Criminal Code. The existing Criminal Code provisions clearly do not work, however, since this appalling practice is still going on in Canada.The Liberals rejected the resolution passed by first nations chiefs yesterday, on Thursday. We cannot, in good conscience, remain silent in the face of this injustice.When will the government listen to the chiefs, address this problem and put an end to this unacceptable situation?
Madam Speaker, let us share some good news about what is happening in Alberta today. Alberta gained 36,500 new full-time jobs in the month of November. This month was the largest single month for full-time job gains in Alberta on record.As far as northern gateway is concerned, it was the Federal Court of Appeal that overturned the decision made by the previous government under the flawed process it followed.
Madam Speaker, I have watched the hon. member for months try to trick Canadians into thinking there is going to be an increased cost as a result of our plan. We are implementing a plan that will actually result in a net benefit to middle-class families. When we are moving forward with a plan, it is actually a feature of our federal law that this money goes back into the pockets of families. I will watch very closely in the next campaign when the hon. member campaigns on a commitment to take that money from the families in his community.
Madam Speaker, the last time we checked, there was no war going on in upstate New York. This is a failure of epic proportions, a social and financial debacle that is damaging Canada's reputation as a safe refuge for the world's most vulnerable, with a fair, compassionate and orderly immigration and refugee system. The Prime Minister needs to fix this mess he has created, but in the meantime, he cannot keep downloading the costs of illegal border crossers onto the provinces. When will the Prime Minister take some responsibility? Why should the taxpayers of Ontario and Quebec pay for his crisis?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from HullAylmer for his question.Indeed, under 10 years of Conservative rule, our country posted its worst economic performance, virtually across the board, in many decades. The Conservatives still do not have a plan for our economy, but we can see our plan is working. For example, just this morning we got some very encouraging employment figures.Since 2015, over 600,000 full-time jobs have been created in this country, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level ever recorded. More Canadians are working. Our economy is the strongest in the G7 and because of our plan, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more
Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised compensation for farmers. Lo and behold, yesterday they announced additional compensation in the form of a lottery. As today's demonstrations show, that it clearly not enough. That is nonsense.On top of that, how can farmers hope to be pre-selected when they do not even have access to high-speed Internet? Only between 1,000 and 1,500 projects will be approved, when 6,500 farms in Quebec and 17,000 across the country have been seriously affected. The Liberals simply do not get it.Will they finally take real action to meet our farmers' needs, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, the government boasts about its record, but the facts tell a different story.The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report confirming that indigenous women are still being forced into sterilization, here, in Canada, in 2018. The Prime Minister keeps talking about what he calls his most important relationship, yet nothing is being done to truly protect these women.Instead of boasting about its record, will the government take action that will put an end to these appalling and dehumanizing practices?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the provinces must be respected. It was the Prime Minister who decided to do nothing. He is the one who created the problem in January 2017 and he is the one who is currently doing nothing to fix it. Quebec has a $295-million bill for 2017-18. Quebec should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes and failures.Will the government immediately reimburse the Government of Quebec?
Madam Speaker, the report he talked about today shows that wages only went up 1.2% while inflation is 2.4%. In other words, the cost of living is rising twice as fast as wages, which is a real wage cut for Canadians. Furthermore, the carbon tax will add additional costs onto Canadians. The government admits that it will bring in a new carbon tax price in the year 2022, only a few years from now. How much will that tax cost in higher gas and home heating prices for struggling families?
Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate that the member should know that one of the pipelines she cited as being built under the Conservatives' tenure was actually built in 1976. All they did was reverse the flow of the pipeline. If that is their record, that clearly demonstrates how they have failed to get anything done. We are moving forward on building pipeline capacity by approving Enbridge Line 3 as well as moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way.
Madam Speaker, the report to which the hon. member refers actually points out that 94,000 new jobs were added to the Canadian economy just last month. That brings the total of full-time jobs up to almost 700,000 since we took office. At the same time, we are growing the economy, we are moving forward with a plan to protect our environment that will put a price on pollution, the details of which are transparent and are on our website, that will actually leave middle-class families better off. If the hon. member does not accept the answer from me, I suggest that he talk to Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who can confirm that this is the case.
Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?
Madam Speaker, the government has given Canadians a wage cut. The data out just today shows that inflation is rising twice as fast as wage growth, and that is before the average tax increase of $800 for a Canadian family. Then, in January, the carbon tax will take effect. That will add, in the short term, 11¢ a litre to gas and $250 to a home heating bill. Will the government tell us what will be the full price of the carbon tax when it is completely implemented in the year 2022?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The safety and security of of our transportation networks is our top priority. Transport Canada is working with NAV Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. NAV Canada is conducting a second round of consultations on this issue in the community. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has a long track record of consulting Canadians and working well within the areas of its jurisdiction, including telecommunications and consumer protection.We have every confidence that it will continue to do so. The minister is aware of this process, and we will continue to watch it.
Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?
Madam Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunications networks very seriously. We have invested more than $725 million to fund a new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure secure and resilient cyber systems and to encourage innovation. The Communications Security Establishment has provided advice on the 4G network and will continue to do so on the 5G network. Together with Canadian and international partners, Canada's national security agency is constantly working to identify threats, and we will continue to listen to its advice.
Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward with a plan that is going to help protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. That includes an overhaul of our environmental assessment process to restore the confidence that was lost under 10 years of Stephen Harper's government. During that 10 years, 99% of the resources that were extracted in our natural resource sector were going to the U.S. After 10 years, it remains that way today. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to incorporate key feedback from indigenous peoples and protect our environment. I note in particular that the Assembly of First Nations just gave a ringing endorsement to this approach.
Madam Speaker, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources, and he should answer my question.The fact is that almost half a million barrels per day flow to new markets through pipelines approved by Conservatives. More than 8,000 kilometres of pipelines were built under Conservatives, while these Liberals have already blocked 7,000 kilometres of pipeline, and they have not added a single new inch. The Bank of Canada governor says the value of Canada's oil and gas sector has shrunk by 42% since the Liberals were elected. That is a crisis they created, and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will cripple the industry.Will they scrap the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for SaanichGulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest. I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.
Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.
Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.
Madam Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.In any of the discussions we have with the Government of Iran, we are ensuring that we maintain the focus on human rights and making sure that those citizens who are unjustly detained are returned.Our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violations of human and democratic rights.
Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this issue. Removing the stigma of a criminal record for people who have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens and encouraging their reintegration enhances public safety for all Canadians. Individuals who were previously criminalized for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed meaningful participation in their communities, good, stable jobs and to become fully contributing members of society. That is why the Government of Canada intends to offer specific recourse, allowing individuals to immediately apply for pardons after completing their sentences and making it free to apply.
Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?
Madam Speaker, if the Liberals want us to believe they take the cybersecurity of Canadians seriously, they should just simply take action and ban Huawei. Chinese law demands that this company co-operate with the Chinese government and spy on Canadians. How many more allies and experts have to raise this as a crisis before the government does the right thing and bans Huawei from our 5G network?
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.
Madam Speaker, another day and another ally is taking a stand against Huawei, with the news that Japan will ban it from government contracts. BT in the U.K. is also removing all Huawei tech from its existing mobile network.For months, we have been asking the government to stand with Canadians and protect their cybersecurity. Why do the Liberals keep refusing to do the right thing and ban Huawei from our next generation of 5G technology?
Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has had nearly two years to review EORN's broadband network proposal. Twenty-five per cent of eastern Ontario homes and businesses cannot access broadband services. Business investment and retention, job creation, education, health care, and basically the overall quality of life of residents in my riding, depend on access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellular service. Will the minister confirm that rural broadband and cellular service is a top priority, and what is he doing to work with the province to ensure that this gets done?
Madam Speaker, our government has introduced $350 million in support for dairy producers and processors across Canada. These programs have already begun helping producers and processors increase their productivity and their competitiveness, and adapt to the economic and trade agreement with the European Union. We have delivered more than $129 million to 1,900 dairy producers across the country so far. Applications for the second phase of the program will be accepted beginning in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question on today of all days. I note, in particular, that Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy has added 94,000 new jobs in just the past month. One of the reasons we are seeing this is because we are implementing smart economic policies, because we recognize that we can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. That is why we are moving on an overhaul of the environmental assessment process to ensure that projects move forward in the right way. After 10 years of governance under Stephen Harper, Canadians lost faith that the environment would be protected and rejected development projects on that basis. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to see our economy grow and our environment protected.
Madam Speaker, once again, let me reiterate and reassure everyone in the House, as well as Canadians, that we will never compromise our national security. We will listen to our national security agencies. We will take their advice. We will move forward.Balanced with that is the fact that we are investing in telecommunications services, which we promised Canadians we would do to improve the quality of coverage and services no matter where they live. 5G is an important part of that picture.We will take the advice of our national security agencies, who will give us the same kinds of advice on 5G that they did on 4G.
Madam Speaker, our government has defended our supply management system from strong American attempts to see it dismantled. We have worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. We understand there will be impacts on our farmers and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to help them continue to succeed.The dairy working groups have been announced. They will develop strategies to fully and fairly support producers and processors and ensure that the sector can innovate, grow and remain competitive and be sustainable for future generations.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had four years to get the job done, and they have not done anything on pipelines. Today in my riding, families are struggling to make ends meet, food banks are running low, and this month, families will choose between making their car payments or heating their homes.The Prime Minister said that Canadians are better off under his plan, but his no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a threat to the livelihoods of Canadians who work in the energy sector. When will the Liberals finally put families first and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.Will the government reverse course?
Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker, the coerced sterilization of indigenous women is clearly a violation of human rights. Our Minister of Indigenous Services met with one of the senators yesterday to further discuss this issue. To date, our government is ensuring that every mother knows that she is entitled to an escort during childbirth. We are investing in services, such as the maternal child health program, to support healthy pregnancies and healthy births. We are investing for the first time in midwifery and we are implementing all of the TRC's calls to action. We will continue ongoing work with all of our partners to improve access to culturally safe health care services and support
Madam Speaker, a pardon is a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated and it can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as committing another offence. The effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Madam Speaker, auto companies will build the electric and autonomous cars of the future, but sadly, not in Oshawa. Twice this week, Liberals refused to let MPs study this very important issue. Twice this week the Prime Minister was asked to release his plan for affected auto workers in Oshawa. Again, nothing. It has been two weeks, and the Prime Minister still has not even bothered to call Oshawa's mayor to offer his support.For the third time this week, will the Prime Minister release his plan for affected auto workers before Christmas, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, in 2015, after 10 years of cuts, Canadians had a clear choice: continue with the austerity that cost jobs or continue with the tax breaks that helped only the wealthy. That was what the Conservatives were offering. What a disgrace.However, we offered Canadians a better choice. We invested in hard-working Canadians to support and create opportunities for the middle class and those working every day to join it.Could the parliamentary secretary inform the House of our plan's many benefits for Canadian workers?
Madam Speaker, broadband connectivity and cell connectivity remains a top priority for this government. Through our connect to innovate program, we have invested $500 million across Canada, and that leveraged other investments in that industry. We have managed with 180 projects to connect more than 900 rural communities across Canada. That is many more than the 300 communities initially targeted, including 190 indigenous communities. We invested $10 million in eastern Ontario to connect 21 communities, including one indigenous community and 38 institutions. We are living up to our promises of
Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs. The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.
Madam Speaker, in June, the House voted in favour of our motion to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity.It has been reported that one of the IRGC commanders had been ordering hit squads to kill politicians in Iraq that the Iranian regime disapproved of. At the same time, they are holding a Canadian permanent resident in a notorious prison, despite the regime's own acknowledgement that there is no evidence.Why have the Liberals not listed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?
Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.
Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as our indigenous people or our indigenous communities continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.
Madam Speaker, let me take the opportunity to correct the hon. member. We approved Enbridge Line 3. That is under way now. That will add 370,000 barrels per day of capacity to get our resources to the U.S. On top of that, we are moving forward in responding to the court's decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way. We are making sure that we are responding to the issue of marine safety. We are making sure that we are responding, in a meaningful way, to engage with indigenous communities to deal with their concerns.
Madam Speaker, as the member ought to know, the safe third country agreement is a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the United States. There have been ongoing discussions between our two governments with respect to improving and enhancing the existing agreement. While those discussions take place, we can maintain our commitment to ensure that the Canadian law is upheld, the security of the country is maintained and that we are working closely with the provinces that are impacted by this influx. I also want to acknowledge the excellent work done by officials of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto.
Madam Speaker, today the UN Committee Against Torture released a report confirming what we have known all along. Indigenous women continue to be coerced into sterilization in Canada. This is sickening. While the Liberal government continues to speak its empty talking points, indigenous women in this country are still subjected to the harm of ongoing colonialism and systemic discrimination. This is simply wrong. When will the Liberal government put a stop to the savage act of robbing indigenous women of their dignity, health and humanity.
Madam Speaker, my constituents are sick and tired of the current Liberal government. They are sick and tired of exploding deficits. They are sick and tired of tax hikes. They are sick and tired of attacks on our way of life. How much further are these Liberals prepared to go to alienate Canadians before they realize the damage they have done? When will they kill Bill C-69, the bill that will kill energy development in Canada?
Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?
Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border. What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Madam Speaker, yesterday I stood in Parliament with leaders from the John Howard Society. They said pardons do not provide enough protection for people with criminal records. They said this: If people's convictions are expunged, rather than pardoned...they will be able to respond 'no' to any questions about their criminal historyno matter how the question is phrased. The government admits that black and indigenous Canadians have been disproportionately burdened with criminal records for possession. The application of this law has been fundamentally unjust, so will the government do what is just by erasing their records?
Madam Speaker, we are focused on fixing the flawed process that led to a number of pipelines not moving forward. Ninety-nine per cent of Alberta's oil is sold to one single customer, which is the United States. That was the case under the previous government, because it failed to build a single pipeline to non-U.S. markets, because it had a process in place that was so flawed. We are going to fix that. The focus of Bill C-69 is to do exactly that: put a better process in place so we can move forward on building pipelines.
Madam Speaker, that is not all. Here is some more bad news.Yesterday, the Liberals rejected a resolution passed by the first nations chiefs to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw sterilization. How can this be truth and reconciliation?The UN Committee Against Torture has confirmed that Canada is guilty of torturing indigenous women by forced sterilization. Do the Liberals not understand that this is a stain on our country, a stain on every one of us in the House? Why are the Liberals tolerating forced sterilization of indigenous women?
Madam Speaker, I will tell the member what we will not do. We will not do what the Conservatives did during their tenure when 230,000 people came to this country seeking asylum. What did they do? They cut the budget of the CBSA and the budgets of those agencies and departments responsible for managing this migration. Then they went a step further. They cut health care for those same individuals, for those families and their children. It was a move that our courts described as cruel and unusual.
Madam Speaker, it was reported this morning that Quebec is demanding that the federal government pay it back nearly $300 million for providing care for illegal migrants. In case the Prime Minister has not realized it yet, his government urgently needs to take action once and for all to resolve all the problems he himself created at our border. If he fails to act, the bills will just keep piling up.When is he going to take action, and what is he going to tell the Quebec government, which should not have to pay for his mistakes?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?
Madam Speaker, what the minister ought to know is that this is a problem that his government created. It is not fair that taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec must foot the bill for a crisis their governments did not create and do not have the power to fix. It is not fair that this crisis is causing years' long processing delays at the Immigration and Refugee Board for the world's most vulnerable, who are fleeing violence and persecution but who choose to enter Canada legally. When will the Prime Minister take action to restore fairness and order to Canada's asylum system that he has broken?
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has launched proceedings to create an Internet code of conduct to protect consumers.The problem is that without warning and little notice, it has put the public and experts on an impossible timeline to contribute meaningful input. Even worse, the CRTC is withholding crucial information to allow experts to do their job. The CRTC's irrational approach has become a debacle.Are the Liberals really serious about consumer protection, or is this process smoke and mirrors? Will the minister extend the deadline to allow the public and experts reasonable time to make submissions to the CRTC and ensure that a code of conduct is done properly?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for LaurentidesLabelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. AlbertEdmonton actually defending drinking and driving.Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Madam Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources questioned the intelligence of anyone who thinks that it was the Liberals who killed northern gateway. Of course it was the Liberals. They killed it with a shipping ban and a ministerial order. The Prime Minister always opposed northern gateway in opposition, and when he became Prime Minister, he killed it. Now the Liberals want to kill all future pipelines with the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69. Will the minister apologize for questioning people's intelligence and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?
Madam Speaker, forced sterilization of any woman is absolutely unacceptable. Our government believes firmly that everyone must receive culturally safe health services, no matter where they live. The coerced sterilization of indigenous women is a serious violation of human rights and completely unacceptable. We are taking a public health approach to this issue, as outlined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. We are investing in public health approaches in indigenous communities. The existing provisions in the Criminal Code do capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including coerced sterilization.
Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned a number of times in the House, our sympathies go out to the workers in Oshawa and everyone else affected by this closure. We are disappointed in the closure, but we have assured the people of Ottawa that we will look at every possibility and work with General Motors and any other company moving forward. As far as investments in the auto industry go, as far as the car of the future goes, the future for Ontario is bright and promising. GM has invested in Markham, and we will continue to work with all automakers and everyone in industry and the artificial intelligence industry to ensure the auto of the future
Madam Speaker, we completely agree with the party opposite that the situation right now is completely unacceptable, not only to indigenous women, but also to all women in Canada.As I said, the existing provisions in the Criminal Code capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including this situation.That includes the situation vis-à-vis coerced sterilization with respect to indigenous women, which has been highlighted, which needs to be addressed and will be addressed.
Madam Speaker, according to a Department of Public Safety report, fully 86% of participants agreed that the government should completely wipe out, not merely suspend, criminal records for minor offences, particularly convictions for cannabis possession. Half a million Canadians have criminal records for this. They continue to face significant barriers to employment and housing for an activity that is now entirely legal. These Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness.Will the Liberals commit to expunging criminal records for cannabis possession?
Madam Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Abitibi. I heard from a number of stakeholders, including the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or and several members of the tourism sector, that they are worried about NAV Canada's plan to eliminate air traffic controller night-shift positions in this area.I would like the minister to reassure the people of Abitibi and clearly tell them that the government will not let NAV Canada entrust the safety of the public to robots just to save a few dollars.
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out
Madam Speaker, 1.2 million barrels each day are flowing through pipelines approved by Conservatives. It is zero new barrels for the Liberals.Today the Prime Minister is meeting with the premiers. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick all want a west-to-east pipeline to bring Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and exports to Europe, but the Liberals' no-more-pipelines bill is standing in the way and will harm the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Will the Liberals finally at least listen to the premiers and scrap their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would simply point out that there is a global migration of literally tens of millions of people, who are fleeing war and persecution around the world, and every country is being impacted by this. In addition, the suggestion that a tweet has impacted an international phenomenon is, quite frankly, absurd. I would encourage the member to perhaps become better informed of this issue around the world.
Madam Speaker, last week the Liberals promised they would not agree to the U.S. oversight clause in the USMCA, but sure enough they signed the agreement with the clause included. American oversight of our Canadian dairy system undermines our food sovereignty and betrays our farmers. This is the third time the Liberals have signed an agreement giving away access to our domestic dairy market, and now Americans can dictate our dairy policies. Is the government unable to keep its promises, or do the Liberals just not care about our farmers, producers and supply management system?
Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said Ottawa for Oshawa. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.
Madam Speaker, the forced sterilization of some indigenous women is a human rights violation.We know that indigenous patients face systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination. We all have a role to play in ensuring that indigenous patients receive quality care without being subject to prejudice, primarily by ensuring that health care professionals receive cultural competency training, as set out in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Madam Speaker, I have a specific question. Yesterday the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party met for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of the House, because it is time we recognized the absolute urgency of climate change. There is no time to argue. We need to set aside partisan politics and launch no less than a war effort to combat climate change. No one party can meet this challenge alone. We need to come together. Taking a non-partisan approach is a message that will make all the difference. Would the Prime Minister agree to participate in a non-partisan effort and convene a summit of all party leaders to combat climate change?Our children are watching us.
Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pegged the cost of the Prime Minister's illegal border crossing crisis at a staggering $1.1 billion. Today, Quebec confirmed that the crisis has cost its taxpayers $300 million since last year. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ontario is demanding to cover its costscost estimates that the PBO concluded are completely reasonable.Why has the Prime Minister failed to take concrete action to end this crisis by not closing the loophole of the safe third country agreement?
Madam Speaker, I would like to address the parliamentary secretary's response to my colleague.The Liberal government just said that it was satisfied with the existing provisions in the Criminal Code. The existing Criminal Code provisions clearly do not work, however, since this appalling practice is still going on in Canada.The Liberals rejected the resolution passed by first nations chiefs yesterday, on Thursday. We cannot, in good conscience, remain silent in the face of this injustice.When will the government listen to the chiefs, address this problem and put an end to this unacceptable situation?
Madam Speaker, let us share some good news about what is happening in Alberta today. Alberta gained 36,500 new full-time jobs in the month of November. This month was the largest single month for full-time job gains in Alberta on record.As far as northern gateway is concerned, it was the Federal Court of Appeal that overturned the decision made by the previous government under the flawed process it followed.
Madam Speaker, I have watched the hon. member for months try to trick Canadians into thinking there is going to be an increased cost as a result of our plan. We are implementing a plan that will actually result in a net benefit to middle-class families. When we are moving forward with a plan, it is actually a feature of our federal law that this money goes back into the pockets of families. I will watch very closely in the next campaign when the hon. member campaigns on a commitment to take that money from the families in his community.
Madam Speaker, the last time we checked, there was no war going on in upstate New York. This is a failure of epic proportions, a social and financial debacle that is damaging Canada's reputation as a safe refuge for the world's most vulnerable, with a fair, compassionate and orderly immigration and refugee system. The Prime Minister needs to fix this mess he has created, but in the meantime, he cannot keep downloading the costs of illegal border crossers onto the provinces. When will the Prime Minister take some responsibility? Why should the taxpayers of Ontario and Quebec pay for his crisis?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from HullAylmer for his question.Indeed, under 10 years of Conservative rule, our country posted its worst economic performance, virtually across the board, in many decades. The Conservatives still do not have a plan for our economy, but we can see our plan is working. For example, just this morning we got some very encouraging employment figures.Since 2015, over 600,000 full-time jobs have been created in this country, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level ever recorded. More Canadians are working. Our economy is the strongest in the G7 and because of our plan, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more
Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised compensation for farmers. Lo and behold, yesterday they announced additional compensation in the form of a lottery. As today's demonstrations show, that it clearly not enough. That is nonsense.On top of that, how can farmers hope to be pre-selected when they do not even have access to high-speed Internet? Only between 1,000 and 1,500 projects will be approved, when 6,500 farms in Quebec and 17,000 across the country have been seriously affected. The Liberals simply do not get it.Will they finally take real action to meet our farmers' needs, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, the government boasts about its record, but the facts tell a different story.The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report confirming that indigenous women are still being forced into sterilization, here, in Canada, in 2018. The Prime Minister keeps talking about what he calls his most important relationship, yet nothing is being done to truly protect these women.Instead of boasting about its record, will the government take action that will put an end to these appalling and dehumanizing practices?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the provinces must be respected. It was the Prime Minister who decided to do nothing. He is the one who created the problem in January 2017 and he is the one who is currently doing nothing to fix it. Quebec has a $295-million bill for 2017-18. Quebec should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes and failures.Will the government immediately reimburse the Government of Quebec?
Madam Speaker, the report he talked about today shows that wages only went up 1.2% while inflation is 2.4%. In other words, the cost of living is rising twice as fast as wages, which is a real wage cut for Canadians. Furthermore, the carbon tax will add additional costs onto Canadians. The government admits that it will bring in a new carbon tax price in the year 2022, only a few years from now. How much will that tax cost in higher gas and home heating prices for struggling families?
Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate that the member should know that one of the pipelines she cited as being built under the Conservatives' tenure was actually built in 1976. All they did was reverse the flow of the pipeline. If that is their record, that clearly demonstrates how they have failed to get anything done. We are moving forward on building pipeline capacity by approving Enbridge Line 3 as well as moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way.
Madam Speaker, the report to which the hon. member refers actually points out that 94,000 new jobs were added to the Canadian economy just last month. That brings the total of full-time jobs up to almost 700,000 since we took office. At the same time, we are growing the economy, we are moving forward with a plan to protect our environment that will put a price on pollution, the details of which are transparent and are on our website, that will actually leave middle-class families better off. If the hon. member does not accept the answer from me, I suggest that he talk to Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who can confirm that this is the case.
Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?
Madam Speaker, the government has given Canadians a wage cut. The data out just today shows that inflation is rising twice as fast as wage growth, and that is before the average tax increase of $800 for a Canadian family. Then, in January, the carbon tax will take effect. That will add, in the short term, 11¢ a litre to gas and $250 to a home heating bill. Will the government tell us what will be the full price of the carbon tax when it is completely implemented in the year 2022?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The safety and security of of our transportation networks is our top priority. Transport Canada is working with NAV Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. NAV Canada is conducting a second round of consultations on this issue in the community. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has a long track record of consulting Canadians and working well within the areas of its jurisdiction, including telecommunications and consumer protection.We have every confidence that it will continue to do so. The minister is aware of this process, and we will continue to watch it.
Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?
Madam Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunications networks very seriously. We have invested more than $725 million to fund a new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure secure and resilient cyber systems and to encourage innovation. The Communications Security Establishment has provided advice on the 4G network and will continue to do so on the 5G network. Together with Canadian and international partners, Canada's national security agency is constantly working to identify threats, and we will continue to listen to its advice.
Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward with a plan that is going to help protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. That includes an overhaul of our environmental assessment process to restore the confidence that was lost under 10 years of Stephen Harper's government. During that 10 years, 99% of the resources that were extracted in our natural resource sector were going to the U.S. After 10 years, it remains that way today. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to incorporate key feedback from indigenous peoples and protect our environment. I note in particular that the Assembly of First Nations just gave a ringing endorsement to this approach.
Madam Speaker, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources, and he should answer my question.The fact is that almost half a million barrels per day flow to new markets through pipelines approved by Conservatives. More than 8,000 kilometres of pipelines were built under Conservatives, while these Liberals have already blocked 7,000 kilometres of pipeline, and they have not added a single new inch. The Bank of Canada governor says the value of Canada's oil and gas sector has shrunk by 42% since the Liberals were elected. That is a crisis they created, and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will cripple the industry.Will they scrap the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for SaanichGulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest. I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.
Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.
Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.
Madam Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.In any of the discussions we have with the Government of Iran, we are ensuring that we maintain the focus on human rights and making sure that those citizens who are unjustly detained are returned.Our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violations of human and democratic rights.
Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this issue. Removing the stigma of a criminal record for people who have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens and encouraging their reintegration enhances public safety for all Canadians. Individuals who were previously criminalized for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed meaningful participation in their communities, good, stable jobs and to become fully contributing members of society. That is why the Government of Canada intends to offer specific recourse, allowing individuals to immediately apply for pardons after completing their sentences and making it free to apply.
Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?
Madam Speaker, if the Liberals want us to believe they take the cybersecurity of Canadians seriously, they should just simply take action and ban Huawei. Chinese law demands that this company co-operate with the Chinese government and spy on Canadians. How many more allies and experts have to raise this as a crisis before the government does the right thing and bans Huawei from our 5G network?
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.
Madam Speaker, another day and another ally is taking a stand against Huawei, with the news that Japan will ban it from government contracts. BT in the U.K. is also removing all Huawei tech from its existing mobile network.For months, we have been asking the government to stand with Canadians and protect their cybersecurity. Why do the Liberals keep refusing to do the right thing and ban Huawei from our next generation of 5G technology?
Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has had nearly two years to review EORN's broadband network proposal. Twenty-five per cent of eastern Ontario homes and businesses cannot access broadband services. Business investment and retention, job creation, education, health care, and basically the overall quality of life of residents in my riding, depend on access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellular service. Will the minister confirm that rural broadband and cellular service is a top priority, and what is he doing to work with the province to ensure that this gets done?
Madam Speaker, our government has introduced $350 million in support for dairy producers and processors across Canada. These programs have already begun helping producers and processors increase their productivity and their competitiveness, and adapt to the economic and trade agreement with the European Union. We have delivered more than $129 million to 1,900 dairy producers across the country so far. Applications for the second phase of the program will be accepted beginning in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question on today of all days. I note, in particular, that Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy has added 94,000 new jobs in just the past month. One of the reasons we are seeing this is because we are implementing smart economic policies, because we recognize that we can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. That is why we are moving on an overhaul of the environmental assessment process to ensure that projects move forward in the right way. After 10 years of governance under Stephen Harper, Canadians lost faith that the environment would be protected and rejected development projects on that basis. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to see our economy grow and our environment protected.
Madam Speaker, once again, let me reiterate and reassure everyone in the House, as well as Canadians, that we will never compromise our national security. We will listen to our national security agencies. We will take their advice. We will move forward.Balanced with that is the fact that we are investing in telecommunications services, which we promised Canadians we would do to improve the quality of coverage and services no matter where they live. 5G is an important part of that picture.We will take the advice of our national security agencies, who will give us the same kinds of advice on 5G that they did on 4G.
Madam Speaker, our government has defended our supply management system from strong American attempts to see it dismantled. We have worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. We understand there will be impacts on our farmers and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to help them continue to succeed.The dairy working groups have been announced. They will develop strategies to fully and fairly support producers and processors and ensure that the sector can innovate, grow and remain competitive and be sustainable for future generations.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had four years to get the job done, and they have not done anything on pipelines. Today in my riding, families are struggling to make ends meet, food banks are running low, and this month, families will choose between making their car payments or heating their homes.The Prime Minister said that Canadians are better off under his plan, but his no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a threat to the livelihoods of Canadians who work in the energy sector. When will the Liberals finally put families first and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.Will the government reverse course?
Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker, the coerced sterilization of indigenous women is clearly a violation of human rights. Our Minister of Indigenous Services met with one of the senators yesterday to further discuss this issue. To date, our government is ensuring that every mother knows that she is entitled to an escort during childbirth. We are investing in services, such as the maternal child health program, to support healthy pregnancies and healthy births. We are investing for the first time in midwifery and we are implementing all of the TRC's calls to action. We will continue ongoing work with all of our partners to improve access to culturally safe health care services and support
Madam Speaker, a pardon is a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated and it can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as committing another offence. The effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Madam Speaker, auto companies will build the electric and autonomous cars of the future, but sadly, not in Oshawa. Twice this week, Liberals refused to let MPs study this very important issue. Twice this week the Prime Minister was asked to release his plan for affected auto workers in Oshawa. Again, nothing. It has been two weeks, and the Prime Minister still has not even bothered to call Oshawa's mayor to offer his support.For the third time this week, will the Prime Minister release his plan for affected auto workers before Christmas, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, in 2015, after 10 years of cuts, Canadians had a clear choice: continue with the austerity that cost jobs or continue with the tax breaks that helped only the wealthy. That was what the Conservatives were offering. What a disgrace.However, we offered Canadians a better choice. We invested in hard-working Canadians to support and create opportunities for the middle class and those working every day to join it.Could the parliamentary secretary inform the House of our plan's many benefits for Canadian workers?
Madam Speaker, broadband connectivity and cell connectivity remains a top priority for this government. Through our connect to innovate program, we have invested $500 million across Canada, and that leveraged other investments in that industry. We have managed with 180 projects to connect more than 900 rural communities across Canada. That is many more than the 300 communities initially targeted, including 190 indigenous communities. We invested $10 million in eastern Ontario to connect 21 communities, including one indigenous community and 38 institutions. We are living up to our promises of
Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs. The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.
Madam Speaker, in June, the House voted in favour of our motion to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity.It has been reported that one of the IRGC commanders had been ordering hit squads to kill politicians in Iraq that the Iranian regime disapproved of. At the same time, they are holding a Canadian permanent resident in a notorious prison, despite the regime's own acknowledgement that there is no evidence.Why have the Liberals not listed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?
Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.
Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as our indigenous people or our indigenous communities continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.
Madam Speaker, let me take the opportunity to correct the hon. member. We approved Enbridge Line 3. That is under way now. That will add 370,000 barrels per day of capacity to get our resources to the U.S. On top of that, we are moving forward in responding to the court's decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way. We are making sure that we are responding to the issue of marine safety. We are making sure that we are responding, in a meaningful way, to engage with indigenous communities to deal with their concerns.
Madam Speaker, as the member ought to know, the safe third country agreement is a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the United States. There have been ongoing discussions between our two governments with respect to improving and enhancing the existing agreement. While those discussions take place, we can maintain our commitment to ensure that the Canadian law is upheld, the security of the country is maintained and that we are working closely with the provinces that are impacted by this influx. I also want to acknowledge the excellent work done by officials of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto.
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Madam Speaker, as the member ought to know, the safe third country agreement is a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the United States. There have been ongoing discussions between our two governments with respect to improving and enhancing the existing agreement. While those discussions take place, we can maintain our commitment to ensure that the Canadian law is upheld, the security of the country is maintained and that we are working closely with the provinces that are impacted by this influx. I also want to acknowledge the excellent work done by officials of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto.
Madam Speaker, let me take the opportunity to correct the hon. member. We approved Enbridge Line 3. That is under way now. That will add 370,000 barrels per day of capacity to get our resources to the U.S. On top of that, we are moving forward in responding to the court's decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way. We are making sure that we are responding to the issue of marine safety. We are making sure that we are responding, in a meaningful way, to engage with indigenous communities to deal with their concerns.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as our indigenous people or our indigenous communities continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.
Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.
Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.
Madam Speaker, in June, the House voted in favour of our motion to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity.It has been reported that one of the IRGC commanders had been ordering hit squads to kill politicians in Iraq that the Iranian regime disapproved of. At the same time, they are holding a Canadian permanent resident in a notorious prison, despite the regime's own acknowledgement that there is no evidence.Why have the Liberals not listed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?
Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs. The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.
Madam Speaker, broadband connectivity and cell connectivity remains a top priority for this government. Through our connect to innovate program, we have invested $500 million across Canada, and that leveraged other investments in that industry. We have managed with 180 projects to connect more than 900 rural communities across Canada. That is many more than the 300 communities initially targeted, including 190 indigenous communities. We invested $10 million in eastern Ontario to connect 21 communities, including one indigenous community and 38 institutions. We are living up to our promises of
Madam Speaker, in 2015, after 10 years of cuts, Canadians had a clear choice: continue with the austerity that cost jobs or continue with the tax breaks that helped only the wealthy. That was what the Conservatives were offering. What a disgrace.However, we offered Canadians a better choice. We invested in hard-working Canadians to support and create opportunities for the middle class and those working every day to join it.Could the parliamentary secretary inform the House of our plan's many benefits for Canadian workers?
Madam Speaker, auto companies will build the electric and autonomous cars of the future, but sadly, not in Oshawa. Twice this week, Liberals refused to let MPs study this very important issue. Twice this week the Prime Minister was asked to release his plan for affected auto workers in Oshawa. Again, nothing. It has been two weeks, and the Prime Minister still has not even bothered to call Oshawa's mayor to offer his support.For the third time this week, will the Prime Minister release his plan for affected auto workers before Christmas, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, a pardon is a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated and it can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as committing another offence. The effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Madam Speaker, the coerced sterilization of indigenous women is clearly a violation of human rights. Our Minister of Indigenous Services met with one of the senators yesterday to further discuss this issue. To date, our government is ensuring that every mother knows that she is entitled to an escort during childbirth. We are investing in services, such as the maternal child health program, to support healthy pregnancies and healthy births. We are investing for the first time in midwifery and we are implementing all of the TRC's calls to action. We will continue ongoing work with all of our partners to improve access to culturally safe health care services and support
Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.Will the government reverse course?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had four years to get the job done, and they have not done anything on pipelines. Today in my riding, families are struggling to make ends meet, food banks are running low, and this month, families will choose between making their car payments or heating their homes.The Prime Minister said that Canadians are better off under his plan, but his no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a threat to the livelihoods of Canadians who work in the energy sector. When will the Liberals finally put families first and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, our government has defended our supply management system from strong American attempts to see it dismantled. We have worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. We understand there will be impacts on our farmers and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to help them continue to succeed.The dairy working groups have been announced. They will develop strategies to fully and fairly support producers and processors and ensure that the sector can innovate, grow and remain competitive and be sustainable for future generations.
Madam Speaker, once again, let me reiterate and reassure everyone in the House, as well as Canadians, that we will never compromise our national security. We will listen to our national security agencies. We will take their advice. We will move forward.Balanced with that is the fact that we are investing in telecommunications services, which we promised Canadians we would do to improve the quality of coverage and services no matter where they live. 5G is an important part of that picture.We will take the advice of our national security agencies, who will give us the same kinds of advice on 5G that they did on 4G.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question on today of all days. I note, in particular, that Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy has added 94,000 new jobs in just the past month. One of the reasons we are seeing this is because we are implementing smart economic policies, because we recognize that we can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. That is why we are moving on an overhaul of the environmental assessment process to ensure that projects move forward in the right way. After 10 years of governance under Stephen Harper, Canadians lost faith that the environment would be protected and rejected development projects on that basis. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to see our economy grow and our environment protected.
Madam Speaker, our government has introduced $350 million in support for dairy producers and processors across Canada. These programs have already begun helping producers and processors increase their productivity and their competitiveness, and adapt to the economic and trade agreement with the European Union. We have delivered more than $129 million to 1,900 dairy producers across the country so far. Applications for the second phase of the program will be accepted beginning in the new year.
Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has had nearly two years to review EORN's broadband network proposal. Twenty-five per cent of eastern Ontario homes and businesses cannot access broadband services. Business investment and retention, job creation, education, health care, and basically the overall quality of life of residents in my riding, depend on access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellular service. Will the minister confirm that rural broadband and cellular service is a top priority, and what is he doing to work with the province to ensure that this gets done?
Madam Speaker, another day and another ally is taking a stand against Huawei, with the news that Japan will ban it from government contracts. BT in the U.K. is also removing all Huawei tech from its existing mobile network.For months, we have been asking the government to stand with Canadians and protect their cybersecurity. Why do the Liberals keep refusing to do the right thing and ban Huawei from our next generation of 5G technology?
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.
Madam Speaker, if the Liberals want us to believe they take the cybersecurity of Canadians seriously, they should just simply take action and ban Huawei. Chinese law demands that this company co-operate with the Chinese government and spy on Canadians. How many more allies and experts have to raise this as a crisis before the government does the right thing and bans Huawei from our 5G network?
Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this issue. Removing the stigma of a criminal record for people who have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens and encouraging their reintegration enhances public safety for all Canadians. Individuals who were previously criminalized for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed meaningful participation in their communities, good, stable jobs and to become fully contributing members of society. That is why the Government of Canada intends to offer specific recourse, allowing individuals to immediately apply for pardons after completing their sentences and making it free to apply.
Madam Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.In any of the discussions we have with the Government of Iran, we are ensuring that we maintain the focus on human rights and making sure that those citizens who are unjustly detained are returned.Our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violations of human and democratic rights.
Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.
Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.
Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest. I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for SaanichGulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.
Madam Speaker, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources, and he should answer my question.The fact is that almost half a million barrels per day flow to new markets through pipelines approved by Conservatives. More than 8,000 kilometres of pipelines were built under Conservatives, while these Liberals have already blocked 7,000 kilometres of pipeline, and they have not added a single new inch. The Bank of Canada governor says the value of Canada's oil and gas sector has shrunk by 42% since the Liberals were elected. That is a crisis they created, and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will cripple the industry.Will they scrap the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward with a plan that is going to help protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. That includes an overhaul of our environmental assessment process to restore the confidence that was lost under 10 years of Stephen Harper's government. During that 10 years, 99% of the resources that were extracted in our natural resource sector were going to the U.S. After 10 years, it remains that way today. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to incorporate key feedback from indigenous peoples and protect our environment. I note in particular that the Assembly of First Nations just gave a ringing endorsement to this approach.
Madam Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunications networks very seriously. We have invested more than $725 million to fund a new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure secure and resilient cyber systems and to encourage innovation. The Communications Security Establishment has provided advice on the 4G network and will continue to do so on the 5G network. Together with Canadian and international partners, Canada's national security agency is constantly working to identify threats, and we will continue to listen to its advice.
Madam Speaker, the government has given Canadians a wage cut. The data out just today shows that inflation is rising twice as fast as wage growth, and that is before the average tax increase of $800 for a Canadian family. Then, in January, the carbon tax will take effect. That will add, in the short term, 11¢ a litre to gas and $250 to a home heating bill. Will the government tell us what will be the full price of the carbon tax when it is completely implemented in the year 2022?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The safety and security of of our transportation networks is our top priority. Transport Canada is working with NAV Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. NAV Canada is conducting a second round of consultations on this issue in the community. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has a long track record of consulting Canadians and working well within the areas of its jurisdiction, including telecommunications and consumer protection.We have every confidence that it will continue to do so. The minister is aware of this process, and we will continue to watch it.
Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?
Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?
Madam Speaker, the report to which the hon. member refers actually points out that 94,000 new jobs were added to the Canadian economy just last month. That brings the total of full-time jobs up to almost 700,000 since we took office. At the same time, we are growing the economy, we are moving forward with a plan to protect our environment that will put a price on pollution, the details of which are transparent and are on our website, that will actually leave middle-class families better off. If the hon. member does not accept the answer from me, I suggest that he talk to Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who can confirm that this is the case.
Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate that the member should know that one of the pipelines she cited as being built under the Conservatives' tenure was actually built in 1976. All they did was reverse the flow of the pipeline. If that is their record, that clearly demonstrates how they have failed to get anything done. We are moving forward on building pipeline capacity by approving Enbridge Line 3 as well as moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way.
Madam Speaker, the report he talked about today shows that wages only went up 1.2% while inflation is 2.4%. In other words, the cost of living is rising twice as fast as wages, which is a real wage cut for Canadians. Furthermore, the carbon tax will add additional costs onto Canadians. The government admits that it will bring in a new carbon tax price in the year 2022, only a few years from now. How much will that tax cost in higher gas and home heating prices for struggling families?
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the provinces must be respected. It was the Prime Minister who decided to do nothing. He is the one who created the problem in January 2017 and he is the one who is currently doing nothing to fix it. Quebec has a $295-million bill for 2017-18. Quebec should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes and failures.Will the government immediately reimburse the Government of Quebec?
Madam Speaker, the government boasts about its record, but the facts tell a different story.The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report confirming that indigenous women are still being forced into sterilization, here, in Canada, in 2018. The Prime Minister keeps talking about what he calls his most important relationship, yet nothing is being done to truly protect these women.Instead of boasting about its record, will the government take action that will put an end to these appalling and dehumanizing practices?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised compensation for farmers. Lo and behold, yesterday they announced additional compensation in the form of a lottery. As today's demonstrations show, that it clearly not enough. That is nonsense.On top of that, how can farmers hope to be pre-selected when they do not even have access to high-speed Internet? Only between 1,000 and 1,500 projects will be approved, when 6,500 farms in Quebec and 17,000 across the country have been seriously affected. The Liberals simply do not get it.Will they finally take real action to meet our farmers' needs, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from HullAylmer for his question.Indeed, under 10 years of Conservative rule, our country posted its worst economic performance, virtually across the board, in many decades. The Conservatives still do not have a plan for our economy, but we can see our plan is working. For example, just this morning we got some very encouraging employment figures.Since 2015, over 600,000 full-time jobs have been created in this country, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level ever recorded. More Canadians are working. Our economy is the strongest in the G7 and because of our plan, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more
Madam Speaker, the last time we checked, there was no war going on in upstate New York. This is a failure of epic proportions, a social and financial debacle that is damaging Canada's reputation as a safe refuge for the world's most vulnerable, with a fair, compassionate and orderly immigration and refugee system. The Prime Minister needs to fix this mess he has created, but in the meantime, he cannot keep downloading the costs of illegal border crossers onto the provinces. When will the Prime Minister take some responsibility? Why should the taxpayers of Ontario and Quebec pay for his crisis?
Madam Speaker, I have watched the hon. member for months try to trick Canadians into thinking there is going to be an increased cost as a result of our plan. We are implementing a plan that will actually result in a net benefit to middle-class families. When we are moving forward with a plan, it is actually a feature of our federal law that this money goes back into the pockets of families. I will watch very closely in the next campaign when the hon. member campaigns on a commitment to take that money from the families in his community.
Madam Speaker, let us share some good news about what is happening in Alberta today. Alberta gained 36,500 new full-time jobs in the month of November. This month was the largest single month for full-time job gains in Alberta on record.As far as northern gateway is concerned, it was the Federal Court of Appeal that overturned the decision made by the previous government under the flawed process it followed.
Madam Speaker, I would like to address the parliamentary secretary's response to my colleague.The Liberal government just said that it was satisfied with the existing provisions in the Criminal Code. The existing Criminal Code provisions clearly do not work, however, since this appalling practice is still going on in Canada.The Liberals rejected the resolution passed by first nations chiefs yesterday, on Thursday. We cannot, in good conscience, remain silent in the face of this injustice.When will the government listen to the chiefs, address this problem and put an end to this unacceptable situation?
Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pegged the cost of the Prime Minister's illegal border crossing crisis at a staggering $1.1 billion. Today, Quebec confirmed that the crisis has cost its taxpayers $300 million since last year. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ontario is demanding to cover its costscost estimates that the PBO concluded are completely reasonable.Why has the Prime Minister failed to take concrete action to end this crisis by not closing the loophole of the safe third country agreement?
Madam Speaker, I have a specific question. Yesterday the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party met for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of the House, because it is time we recognized the absolute urgency of climate change. There is no time to argue. We need to set aside partisan politics and launch no less than a war effort to combat climate change. No one party can meet this challenge alone. We need to come together. Taking a non-partisan approach is a message that will make all the difference. Would the Prime Minister agree to participate in a non-partisan effort and convene a summit of all party leaders to combat climate change?Our children are watching us.
Madam Speaker, the forced sterilization of some indigenous women is a human rights violation.We know that indigenous patients face systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination. We all have a role to play in ensuring that indigenous patients receive quality care without being subject to prejudice, primarily by ensuring that health care professionals receive cultural competency training, as set out in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Madam Speaker, I would simply point out that there is a global migration of literally tens of millions of people, who are fleeing war and persecution around the world, and every country is being impacted by this. In addition, the suggestion that a tweet has impacted an international phenomenon is, quite frankly, absurd. I would encourage the member to perhaps become better informed of this issue around the world.
Madam Speaker, last week the Liberals promised they would not agree to the U.S. oversight clause in the USMCA, but sure enough they signed the agreement with the clause included. American oversight of our Canadian dairy system undermines our food sovereignty and betrays our farmers. This is the third time the Liberals have signed an agreement giving away access to our domestic dairy market, and now Americans can dictate our dairy policies. Is the government unable to keep its promises, or do the Liberals just not care about our farmers, producers and supply management system?
Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said Ottawa for Oshawa. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.
Madam Speaker, 1.2 million barrels each day are flowing through pipelines approved by Conservatives. It is zero new barrels for the Liberals.Today the Prime Minister is meeting with the premiers. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick all want a west-to-east pipeline to bring Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and exports to Europe, but the Liberals' no-more-pipelines bill is standing in the way and will harm the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Will the Liberals finally at least listen to the premiers and scrap their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out
Madam Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Abitibi. I heard from a number of stakeholders, including the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or and several members of the tourism sector, that they are worried about NAV Canada's plan to eliminate air traffic controller night-shift positions in this area.I would like the minister to reassure the people of Abitibi and clearly tell them that the government will not let NAV Canada entrust the safety of the public to robots just to save a few dollars.
Madam Speaker, according to a Department of Public Safety report, fully 86% of participants agreed that the government should completely wipe out, not merely suspend, criminal records for minor offences, particularly convictions for cannabis possession. Half a million Canadians have criminal records for this. They continue to face significant barriers to employment and housing for an activity that is now entirely legal. These Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness.Will the Liberals commit to expunging criminal records for cannabis possession?
Madam Speaker, we completely agree with the party opposite that the situation right now is completely unacceptable, not only to indigenous women, but also to all women in Canada.As I said, the existing provisions in the Criminal Code capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including this situation.That includes the situation vis-à-vis coerced sterilization with respect to indigenous women, which has been highlighted, which needs to be addressed and will be addressed.
Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned a number of times in the House, our sympathies go out to the workers in Oshawa and everyone else affected by this closure. We are disappointed in the closure, but we have assured the people of Ottawa that we will look at every possibility and work with General Motors and any other company moving forward. As far as investments in the auto industry go, as far as the car of the future goes, the future for Ontario is bright and promising. GM has invested in Markham, and we will continue to work with all automakers and everyone in industry and the artificial intelligence industry to ensure the auto of the future
Madam Speaker, forced sterilization of any woman is absolutely unacceptable. Our government believes firmly that everyone must receive culturally safe health services, no matter where they live. The coerced sterilization of indigenous women is a serious violation of human rights and completely unacceptable. We are taking a public health approach to this issue, as outlined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. We are investing in public health approaches in indigenous communities. The existing provisions in the Criminal Code do capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including coerced sterilization.
Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?
Madam Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources questioned the intelligence of anyone who thinks that it was the Liberals who killed northern gateway. Of course it was the Liberals. They killed it with a shipping ban and a ministerial order. The Prime Minister always opposed northern gateway in opposition, and when he became Prime Minister, he killed it. Now the Liberals want to kill all future pipelines with the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69. Will the minister apologize for questioning people's intelligence and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for LaurentidesLabelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. AlbertEdmonton actually defending drinking and driving.Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has launched proceedings to create an Internet code of conduct to protect consumers.The problem is that without warning and little notice, it has put the public and experts on an impossible timeline to contribute meaningful input. Even worse, the CRTC is withholding crucial information to allow experts to do their job. The CRTC's irrational approach has become a debacle.Are the Liberals really serious about consumer protection, or is this process smoke and mirrors? Will the minister extend the deadline to allow the public and experts reasonable time to make submissions to the CRTC and ensure that a code of conduct is done properly?
Madam Speaker, what the minister ought to know is that this is a problem that his government created. It is not fair that taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec must foot the bill for a crisis their governments did not create and do not have the power to fix. It is not fair that this crisis is causing years' long processing delays at the Immigration and Refugee Board for the world's most vulnerable, who are fleeing violence and persecution but who choose to enter Canada legally. When will the Prime Minister take action to restore fairness and order to Canada's asylum system that he has broken?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?
Madam Speaker, it was reported this morning that Quebec is demanding that the federal government pay it back nearly $300 million for providing care for illegal migrants. In case the Prime Minister has not realized it yet, his government urgently needs to take action once and for all to resolve all the problems he himself created at our border. If he fails to act, the bills will just keep piling up.When is he going to take action, and what is he going to tell the Quebec government, which should not have to pay for his mistakes?
Madam Speaker, I will tell the member what we will not do. We will not do what the Conservatives did during their tenure when 230,000 people came to this country seeking asylum. What did they do? They cut the budget of the CBSA and the budgets of those agencies and departments responsible for managing this migration. Then they went a step further. They cut health care for those same individuals, for those families and their children. It was a move that our courts described as cruel and unusual.
Madam Speaker, that is not all. Here is some more bad news.Yesterday, the Liberals rejected a resolution passed by the first nations chiefs to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw sterilization. How can this be truth and reconciliation?The UN Committee Against Torture has confirmed that Canada is guilty of torturing indigenous women by forced sterilization. Do the Liberals not understand that this is a stain on our country, a stain on every one of us in the House? Why are the Liberals tolerating forced sterilization of indigenous women?
Madam Speaker, we are focused on fixing the flawed process that led to a number of pipelines not moving forward. Ninety-nine per cent of Alberta's oil is sold to one single customer, which is the United States. That was the case under the previous government, because it failed to build a single pipeline to non-U.S. markets, because it had a process in place that was so flawed. We are going to fix that. The focus of Bill C-69 is to do exactly that: put a better process in place so we can move forward on building pipelines.
Madam Speaker, yesterday I stood in Parliament with leaders from the John Howard Society. They said pardons do not provide enough protection for people with criminal records. They said this: If people's convictions are expunged, rather than pardoned...they will be able to respond 'no' to any questions about their criminal historyno matter how the question is phrased. The government admits that black and indigenous Canadians have been disproportionately burdened with criminal records for possession. The application of this law has been fundamentally unjust, so will the government do what is just by erasing their records?
Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border. What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?
Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, my constituents are sick and tired of the current Liberal government. They are sick and tired of exploding deficits. They are sick and tired of tax hikes. They are sick and tired of attacks on our way of life. How much further are these Liberals prepared to go to alienate Canadians before they realize the damage they have done? When will they kill Bill C-69, the bill that will kill energy development in Canada?
Madam Speaker, today the UN Committee Against Torture released a report confirming what we have known all along. Indigenous women continue to be coerced into sterilization in Canada. This is sickening. While the Liberal government continues to speak its empty talking points, indigenous women in this country are still subjected to the harm of ongoing colonialism and systemic discrimination. This is simply wrong. When will the Liberal government put a stop to the savage act of robbing indigenous women of their dignity, health and humanity.
Madam Speaker, as the member ought to know, the safe third country agreement is a bilateral agreement between ourselves and the United States. There have been ongoing discussions between our two governments with respect to improving and enhancing the existing agreement. While those discussions take place, we can maintain our commitment to ensure that the Canadian law is upheld, the security of the country is maintained and that we are working closely with the provinces that are impacted by this influx. I also want to acknowledge the excellent work done by officials of the City of Montreal and the City of Toronto.
Madam Speaker, let me take the opportunity to correct the hon. member. We approved Enbridge Line 3. That is under way now. That will add 370,000 barrels per day of capacity to get our resources to the U.S. On top of that, we are moving forward in responding to the court's decision on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way. We are making sure that we are responding to the issue of marine safety. We are making sure that we are responding, in a meaningful way, to engage with indigenous communities to deal with their concerns.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a quick point of order to remind people in the House that we should be respectful in communicating. Referring to indigenous populations as our indigenous people or our indigenous communities continues the colonial perspective. Therefore, I encourage members to refer to their notes.
Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.
Madam Speaker, we know that because of the price differential we are facing in Alberta, there is a very dire situation with which we need to deal. We are exploring all options that are in front of us. We will continue to make sure that whatever action we take, we do it in the most safe and responsible way, keeping the safety of the communities in mind as well.
Madam Speaker, in June, the House voted in favour of our motion to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity.It has been reported that one of the IRGC commanders had been ordering hit squads to kill politicians in Iraq that the Iranian regime disapproved of. At the same time, they are holding a Canadian permanent resident in a notorious prison, despite the regime's own acknowledgement that there is no evidence.Why have the Liberals not listed the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are making good use of parliamentary immunity to avoid answering simple, legitimate questions. Canadians expect government members and ministers to be immune to attempts of corruption.How are the trip to India, the real estate company, the minister and the member for Brampton East connected, and is the Prime Minister's Office at the centre of it all?
Madam Speaker, our government is committing to advancing self-determination and ensuring that first nations students have access to culturally appropriate, high-quality education that meets their needs. The evidence is clear that first nations-led education systems achieve better results for students. This week, the minister was honoured to sign an agreement in principle with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents a major step forward to greater self-determination and a brighter future, mostly importantly, for their students.
Madam Speaker, broadband connectivity and cell connectivity remains a top priority for this government. Through our connect to innovate program, we have invested $500 million across Canada, and that leveraged other investments in that industry. We have managed with 180 projects to connect more than 900 rural communities across Canada. That is many more than the 300 communities initially targeted, including 190 indigenous communities. We invested $10 million in eastern Ontario to connect 21 communities, including one indigenous community and 38 institutions. We are living up to our promises of
Madam Speaker, in 2015, after 10 years of cuts, Canadians had a clear choice: continue with the austerity that cost jobs or continue with the tax breaks that helped only the wealthy. That was what the Conservatives were offering. What a disgrace.However, we offered Canadians a better choice. We invested in hard-working Canadians to support and create opportunities for the middle class and those working every day to join it.Could the parliamentary secretary inform the House of our plan's many benefits for Canadian workers?
Madam Speaker, auto companies will build the electric and autonomous cars of the future, but sadly, not in Oshawa. Twice this week, Liberals refused to let MPs study this very important issue. Twice this week the Prime Minister was asked to release his plan for affected auto workers in Oshawa. Again, nothing. It has been two weeks, and the Prime Minister still has not even bothered to call Oshawa's mayor to offer his support.For the third time this week, will the Prime Minister release his plan for affected auto workers before Christmas, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, a pardon is a very effective tool. It is cheaper, it is faster, there is no fee, there is no wait time, the record is sealed and segregated and it can be reopened only in extraordinary circumstances, such as committing another offence. The effect of a pardon is protected by the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Madam Speaker, the coerced sterilization of indigenous women is clearly a violation of human rights. Our Minister of Indigenous Services met with one of the senators yesterday to further discuss this issue. To date, our government is ensuring that every mother knows that she is entitled to an escort during childbirth. We are investing in services, such as the maternal child health program, to support healthy pregnancies and healthy births. We are investing for the first time in midwifery and we are implementing all of the TRC's calls to action. We will continue ongoing work with all of our partners to improve access to culturally safe health care services and support
Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations update the House on the efforts to accelerate self-determination for indigenous people while closing the unacceptable education gap in our indigenous communities?
Madam Speaker, the government has lost its marbles. Right in the middle of COP24, where the whole world is preparing to fight climate change, the Prime Minister is talking about purchasing 7,000 railway cars at taxpayers' expense to export more oil from the tar sands.According to the lowest public estimate available, this will cost $840 million. Quebeckers do not want to spend one cent on buying trains for oil companies, which make massive profits at our expense.Will the government reverse course?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have had four years to get the job done, and they have not done anything on pipelines. Today in my riding, families are struggling to make ends meet, food banks are running low, and this month, families will choose between making their car payments or heating their homes.The Prime Minister said that Canadians are better off under his plan, but his no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, is a threat to the livelihoods of Canadians who work in the energy sector. When will the Liberals finally put families first and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, our government has defended our supply management system from strong American attempts to see it dismantled. We have worked hard to advance Canadian agricultural interests at the table. We understand there will be impacts on our farmers and we are committed to fully and fairly supporting them to help them continue to succeed.The dairy working groups have been announced. They will develop strategies to fully and fairly support producers and processors and ensure that the sector can innovate, grow and remain competitive and be sustainable for future generations.
Madam Speaker, once again, let me reiterate and reassure everyone in the House, as well as Canadians, that we will never compromise our national security. We will listen to our national security agencies. We will take their advice. We will move forward.Balanced with that is the fact that we are investing in telecommunications services, which we promised Canadians we would do to improve the quality of coverage and services no matter where they live. 5G is an important part of that picture.We will take the advice of our national security agencies, who will give us the same kinds of advice on 5G that they did on 4G.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to take this question on today of all days. I note, in particular, that Statistics Canada reported this morning that the Canadian economy has added 94,000 new jobs in just the past month. One of the reasons we are seeing this is because we are implementing smart economic policies, because we recognize that we can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. That is why we are moving on an overhaul of the environmental assessment process to ensure that projects move forward in the right way. After 10 years of governance under Stephen Harper, Canadians lost faith that the environment would be protected and rejected development projects on that basis. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to see our economy grow and our environment protected.
Madam Speaker, our government has introduced $350 million in support for dairy producers and processors across Canada. These programs have already begun helping producers and processors increase their productivity and their competitiveness, and adapt to the economic and trade agreement with the European Union. We have delivered more than $129 million to 1,900 dairy producers across the country so far. Applications for the second phase of the program will be accepted beginning in the new year.
Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has had nearly two years to review EORN's broadband network proposal. Twenty-five per cent of eastern Ontario homes and businesses cannot access broadband services. Business investment and retention, job creation, education, health care, and basically the overall quality of life of residents in my riding, depend on access to reliable, high-speed Internet and cellular service. Will the minister confirm that rural broadband and cellular service is a top priority, and what is he doing to work with the province to ensure that this gets done?
Madam Speaker, another day and another ally is taking a stand against Huawei, with the news that Japan will ban it from government contracts. BT in the U.K. is also removing all Huawei tech from its existing mobile network.For months, we have been asking the government to stand with Canadians and protect their cybersecurity. Why do the Liberals keep refusing to do the right thing and ban Huawei from our next generation of 5G technology?
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this past week, I had the opportunity to join him and others from different parties at the all-party climate change caucus meeting. As well, I note in particular that we are sending a delegation to Poland with representatives from different parties.While we are establishing a way to move forward, we are working on a plan that is actually going to protect our environment for future generations. We are phasing out coal more than 30 years ahead of schedule compared with the last government's plan. We are putting a price on pollution. We are investing in clean technology, making historic investments in public transit, and implementing over 50 measures that will make a meaningful difference, so we can ensure that our environment is protected for our kids and grandkids.
Madam Speaker, if the Liberals want us to believe they take the cybersecurity of Canadians seriously, they should just simply take action and ban Huawei. Chinese law demands that this company co-operate with the Chinese government and spy on Canadians. How many more allies and experts have to raise this as a crisis before the government does the right thing and bans Huawei from our 5G network?
Madam Speaker, sure, they will just write another cheque then.After buying a pipeline on the taxpayers' dime, the government wants to buy the oil companies trains for Christmas.Meanwhile, our dairy farmers are driving to Montreal on tractors to explain to the Prime Minister how the last three trade deals are going to cost them $450 million a year.Does the government realize that that is half the amount it wants to waste on trains for oil companies?Instead of spoiling the rich, will it compensate our farmers instead?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this issue. Removing the stigma of a criminal record for people who have shown themselves to be law-abiding citizens and encouraging their reintegration enhances public safety for all Canadians. Individuals who were previously criminalized for simple possession of cannabis should be allowed meaningful participation in their communities, good, stable jobs and to become fully contributing members of society. That is why the Government of Canada intends to offer specific recourse, allowing individuals to immediately apply for pardons after completing their sentences and making it free to apply.
Madam Speaker, we will always defend human rights and hold Iran to account for its actions.In any of the discussions we have with the Government of Iran, we are ensuring that we maintain the focus on human rights and making sure that those citizens who are unjustly detained are returned.Our government is committed to holding Iran to account for its violations of human and democratic rights.
Madam Speaker, we are committed to fully and fairly supporting our supply-managed sectors to help them succeed.That is the mission of the working groups formed with dairy farmers and processors and with egg and poultry farmers and processors.Together, we are going to help our farmers and processors in supply-managed sectors innovate, grow, and stay competitive and sustainable well into the future.
Madam Speaker, the member is confusing matters and he is doing it on purpose. That is not the right way to do things in the House. The member is well aware that the RCMP operates independently. The minister has answered these questions too.It is easy to tell when Conservative members are asking genuine questions and when they are just making stuff up, because they do not say the same things outside. This should all be even clearer because the Leader of the Opposition withdrew comments he made outside the House. Even so, they continue to do it here because they are protected.
Madam Speaker, we have put in place a $350-million aid package for dairy producers and processors across Quebec.These programs have already helped producers and processors improve their productivity and competitiveness and adjust to the agreement. So far, we have allocated over $129 million to more than 1,900 dairy producers across the country, including 876 farmers in Quebec for a total of nearly $50 million. The second phase of the program will be open for applications early in the new year.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for bringing this matter to our attention. Obviously, we are going to be looking at it through our historic plan for investment and infrastructure. I was in B.C. recently, in Sicamous. We have been investing in British Columbia. We will continue to invest. I would invite the member to send me a note. I am quite happy to follow up with the member. The people of British Columbia know we care for them. They know we care for the children of British Columbia. We will do a follow up on that to provide him an answer.
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to discuss these issues with the hon. member for SaanichGulf Islands. To start, it is important we flag the priority that is nature and conservation. I note that in budget 2018 we have set aside $1.35 billion, a historic investment for our country, in nature and conservation.With respect to the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the regulatory process has not started yet, but Canada will take part and our submissions will be a matter of the public record. In particular, we have established measures to protect the porcupine herd on our side of the border, including the creation of two national parks. We are moving forward with a plan to save the caribou for future generations.
Madam Speaker, I asked the Minister of Natural Resources, and he should answer my question.The fact is that almost half a million barrels per day flow to new markets through pipelines approved by Conservatives. More than 8,000 kilometres of pipelines were built under Conservatives, while these Liberals have already blocked 7,000 kilometres of pipeline, and they have not added a single new inch. The Bank of Canada governor says the value of Canada's oil and gas sector has shrunk by 42% since the Liberals were elected. That is a crisis they created, and their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69, will cripple the industry.Will they scrap the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward with a plan that is going to help protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. That includes an overhaul of our environmental assessment process to restore the confidence that was lost under 10 years of Stephen Harper's government. During that 10 years, 99% of the resources that were extracted in our natural resource sector were going to the U.S. After 10 years, it remains that way today. We are moving forward with a plan that is going to incorporate key feedback from indigenous peoples and protect our environment. I note in particular that the Assembly of First Nations just gave a ringing endorsement to this approach.
Madam Speaker, our government takes the security of Canada's telecommunications networks very seriously. We have invested more than $725 million to fund a new national cybersecurity strategy to ensure secure and resilient cyber systems and to encourage innovation. The Communications Security Establishment has provided advice on the 4G network and will continue to do so on the 5G network. Together with Canadian and international partners, Canada's national security agency is constantly working to identify threats, and we will continue to listen to its advice.
Madam Speaker, the government has given Canadians a wage cut. The data out just today shows that inflation is rising twice as fast as wage growth, and that is before the average tax increase of $800 for a Canadian family. Then, in January, the carbon tax will take effect. That will add, in the short term, 11¢ a litre to gas and $250 to a home heating bill. Will the government tell us what will be the full price of the carbon tax when it is completely implemented in the year 2022?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. The safety and security of of our transportation networks is our top priority. Transport Canada is working with NAV Canada on this file to ensure the safety of operations at these two airports. NAV Canada is conducting a second round of consultations on this issue in the community. No decision has been made, but no one is talking about cancelling night flights.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has a long track record of consulting Canadians and working well within the areas of its jurisdiction, including telecommunications and consumer protection.We have every confidence that it will continue to do so. The minister is aware of this process, and we will continue to watch it.
Madam Speaker, three kilometres of the West Fraser Road in my riding have been washed out and impassable for eight months. Over 250 indigenous and non-indigenous families are being put at risk. Children as young as five years of age are spending up to five hours per day on a school bus, because the government cannot get funding out the door.How is this acceptable for any government?
Madam Speaker, that is going to look really good at COP24.According to the lowest estimate, it is going to cost taxpayers $840 million to gift these trains to the oil companies, which are the richest in Canada.In the meantime, the Government of Quebec spent $300 million on the migrant crisis and the federal government is letting that situation deteriorate.Does the government realize that the compensation Quebec wants for handling the migrant crisis is less than half the minimum cost of these trains?Will it compensate Quebec instead of giving presents to the oil sands industry?
Madam Speaker, the report to which the hon. member refers actually points out that 94,000 new jobs were added to the Canadian economy just last month. That brings the total of full-time jobs up to almost 700,000 since we took office. At the same time, we are growing the economy, we are moving forward with a plan to protect our environment that will put a price on pollution, the details of which are transparent and are on our website, that will actually leave middle-class families better off. If the hon. member does not accept the answer from me, I suggest that he talk to Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who can confirm that this is the case.
Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate that the member should know that one of the pipelines she cited as being built under the Conservatives' tenure was actually built in 1976. All they did was reverse the flow of the pipeline. If that is their record, that clearly demonstrates how they have failed to get anything done. We are moving forward on building pipeline capacity by approving Enbridge Line 3 as well as moving forward on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the right way.
Madam Speaker, the report he talked about today shows that wages only went up 1.2% while inflation is 2.4%. In other words, the cost of living is rising twice as fast as wages, which is a real wage cut for Canadians. Furthermore, the carbon tax will add additional costs onto Canadians. The government admits that it will bring in a new carbon tax price in the year 2022, only a few years from now. How much will that tax cost in higher gas and home heating prices for struggling families?
Madam Speaker, it is very clear that the provinces must be respected. It was the Prime Minister who decided to do nothing. He is the one who created the problem in January 2017 and he is the one who is currently doing nothing to fix it. Quebec has a $295-million bill for 2017-18. Quebec should not have to pay for the Prime Minister's mistakes and failures.Will the government immediately reimburse the Government of Quebec?
Madam Speaker, the government boasts about its record, but the facts tell a different story.The United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report confirming that indigenous women are still being forced into sterilization, here, in Canada, in 2018. The Prime Minister keeps talking about what he calls his most important relationship, yet nothing is being done to truly protect these women.Instead of boasting about its record, will the government take action that will put an end to these appalling and dehumanizing practices?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted that he knew in advance about the arrest of a Huawei executive. In other words, he was briefed, but the Prime Minister expects Canadians to believe that he had no idea the RCMP were conducting an investigation into one of its own MPs, an MP whose name turned up on wiretaps regarding terrorist financing and drug-money laundering.Will the Prime Minister come clean and admit that he failed to act after being briefed on an MP within his caucus being linked to organized crime?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised compensation for farmers. Lo and behold, yesterday they announced additional compensation in the form of a lottery. As today's demonstrations show, that it clearly not enough. That is nonsense.On top of that, how can farmers hope to be pre-selected when they do not even have access to high-speed Internet? Only between 1,000 and 1,500 projects will be approved, when 6,500 farms in Quebec and 17,000 across the country have been seriously affected. The Liberals simply do not get it.Will they finally take real action to meet our farmers' needs, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from HullAylmer for his question.Indeed, under 10 years of Conservative rule, our country posted its worst economic performance, virtually across the board, in many decades. The Conservatives still do not have a plan for our economy, but we can see our plan is working. For example, just this morning we got some very encouraging employment figures.Since 2015, over 600,000 full-time jobs have been created in this country, and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6%, the lowest level ever recorded. More Canadians are working. Our economy is the strongest in the G7 and because of our plan, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more
Madam Speaker, the last time we checked, there was no war going on in upstate New York. This is a failure of epic proportions, a social and financial debacle that is damaging Canada's reputation as a safe refuge for the world's most vulnerable, with a fair, compassionate and orderly immigration and refugee system. The Prime Minister needs to fix this mess he has created, but in the meantime, he cannot keep downloading the costs of illegal border crossers onto the provinces. When will the Prime Minister take some responsibility? Why should the taxpayers of Ontario and Quebec pay for his crisis?
Madam Speaker, I have watched the hon. member for months try to trick Canadians into thinking there is going to be an increased cost as a result of our plan. We are implementing a plan that will actually result in a net benefit to middle-class families. When we are moving forward with a plan, it is actually a feature of our federal law that this money goes back into the pockets of families. I will watch very closely in the next campaign when the hon. member campaigns on a commitment to take that money from the families in his community.
Madam Speaker, let us share some good news about what is happening in Alberta today. Alberta gained 36,500 new full-time jobs in the month of November. This month was the largest single month for full-time job gains in Alberta on record.As far as northern gateway is concerned, it was the Federal Court of Appeal that overturned the decision made by the previous government under the flawed process it followed.
Madam Speaker, I would like to address the parliamentary secretary's response to my colleague.The Liberal government just said that it was satisfied with the existing provisions in the Criminal Code. The existing Criminal Code provisions clearly do not work, however, since this appalling practice is still going on in Canada.The Liberals rejected the resolution passed by first nations chiefs yesterday, on Thursday. We cannot, in good conscience, remain silent in the face of this injustice.When will the government listen to the chiefs, address this problem and put an end to this unacceptable situation?
Madam Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pegged the cost of the Prime Minister's illegal border crossing crisis at a staggering $1.1 billion. Today, Quebec confirmed that the crisis has cost its taxpayers $300 million since last year. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ontario is demanding to cover its costscost estimates that the PBO concluded are completely reasonable.Why has the Prime Minister failed to take concrete action to end this crisis by not closing the loophole of the safe third country agreement?
Madam Speaker, I have a specific question. Yesterday the leaders of the NDP, Bloc Québécois and Green Party met for the purpose of reaching out to the rest of the House, because it is time we recognized the absolute urgency of climate change. There is no time to argue. We need to set aside partisan politics and launch no less than a war effort to combat climate change. No one party can meet this challenge alone. We need to come together. Taking a non-partisan approach is a message that will make all the difference. Would the Prime Minister agree to participate in a non-partisan effort and convene a summit of all party leaders to combat climate change?Our children are watching us.
Madam Speaker, the forced sterilization of some indigenous women is a human rights violation.We know that indigenous patients face systemic barriers such as racism and discrimination. We all have a role to play in ensuring that indigenous patients receive quality care without being subject to prejudice, primarily by ensuring that health care professionals receive cultural competency training, as set out in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Madam Speaker, I would simply point out that there is a global migration of literally tens of millions of people, who are fleeing war and persecution around the world, and every country is being impacted by this. In addition, the suggestion that a tweet has impacted an international phenomenon is, quite frankly, absurd. I would encourage the member to perhaps become better informed of this issue around the world.
Madam Speaker, last week the Liberals promised they would not agree to the U.S. oversight clause in the USMCA, but sure enough they signed the agreement with the clause included. American oversight of our Canadian dairy system undermines our food sovereignty and betrays our farmers. This is the third time the Liberals have signed an agreement giving away access to our domestic dairy market, and now Americans can dictate our dairy policies. Is the government unable to keep its promises, or do the Liberals just not care about our farmers, producers and supply management system?
Madam Speaker, we have already answered this question. As the member should know, the RCMP operates independently of government. We on this side of the House respect its work and its independence.
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In responding earlier to the question from the member for Oshawa, I inadvertently misspoke and said Ottawa for Oshawa. I would ask that the record be corrected, and I apologize.
Madam Speaker, 1.2 million barrels each day are flowing through pipelines approved by Conservatives. It is zero new barrels for the Liberals.Today the Prime Minister is meeting with the premiers. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick all want a west-to-east pipeline to bring Canadian oil to Canadian refineries and exports to Europe, but the Liberals' no-more-pipelines bill is standing in the way and will harm the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Will the Liberals finally at least listen to the premiers and scrap their no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out
Madam Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Abitibi. I heard from a number of stakeholders, including the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or and several members of the tourism sector, that they are worried about NAV Canada's plan to eliminate air traffic controller night-shift positions in this area.I would like the minister to reassure the people of Abitibi and clearly tell them that the government will not let NAV Canada entrust the safety of the public to robots just to save a few dollars.
Madam Speaker, according to a Department of Public Safety report, fully 86% of participants agreed that the government should completely wipe out, not merely suspend, criminal records for minor offences, particularly convictions for cannabis possession. Half a million Canadians have criminal records for this. They continue to face significant barriers to employment and housing for an activity that is now entirely legal. These Canadians deserve freedom, not forgiveness.Will the Liberals commit to expunging criminal records for cannabis possession?
Madam Speaker, we completely agree with the party opposite that the situation right now is completely unacceptable, not only to indigenous women, but also to all women in Canada.As I said, the existing provisions in the Criminal Code capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including this situation.That includes the situation vis-à-vis coerced sterilization with respect to indigenous women, which has been highlighted, which needs to be addressed and will be addressed.
Madam Speaker, as we have mentioned a number of times in the House, our sympathies go out to the workers in Oshawa and everyone else affected by this closure. We are disappointed in the closure, but we have assured the people of Ottawa that we will look at every possibility and work with General Motors and any other company moving forward. As far as investments in the auto industry go, as far as the car of the future goes, the future for Ontario is bright and promising. GM has invested in Markham, and we will continue to work with all automakers and everyone in industry and the artificial intelligence industry to ensure the auto of the future
Madam Speaker, forced sterilization of any woman is absolutely unacceptable. Our government believes firmly that everyone must receive culturally safe health services, no matter where they live. The coerced sterilization of indigenous women is a serious violation of human rights and completely unacceptable. We are taking a public health approach to this issue, as outlined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. We are investing in public health approaches in indigenous communities. The existing provisions in the Criminal Code do capture a broad range of criminal behaviour, including coerced sterilization.
Madam Speaker, the member, as well as all other members, has been informed that the RCMP works independently of government. Government does not direct the RCMP or security agencies to take on investigations. We appreciate its independence and the work it does.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's claim that he was not aware of any RCMP investigation into one of his Liberal MPs regarding drug-money laundering and terrorist financing simply does not hold up.Since the Prime Minister says he had been informed of the imminent arrest of Huawei executives, when was he informed of the investigation into the member for Brampton East?
Madam Speaker, last week the Minister of Natural Resources questioned the intelligence of anyone who thinks that it was the Liberals who killed northern gateway. Of course it was the Liberals. They killed it with a shipping ban and a ministerial order. The Prime Minister always opposed northern gateway in opposition, and when he became Prime Minister, he killed it. Now the Liberals want to kill all future pipelines with the no-more-pipelines bill, Bill C-69. Will the minister apologize for questioning people's intelligence and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for LaurentidesLabelle for the outstanding work he and his entire office perform with Operation Red Nose.Tragically, impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of injury and death in Canada and yet it is very clear that not everyone has gotten the message. That is why it was particularly disappointing this week to hear the member for St. AlbertEdmonton actually defending drinking and driving.Our government is taking real action against impaired driving with the introduction of tough new measures, which have the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Madam Speaker, the CRTC has launched proceedings to create an Internet code of conduct to protect consumers.The problem is that without warning and little notice, it has put the public and experts on an impossible timeline to contribute meaningful input. Even worse, the CRTC is withholding crucial information to allow experts to do their job. The CRTC's irrational approach has become a debacle.Are the Liberals really serious about consumer protection, or is this process smoke and mirrors? Will the minister extend the deadline to allow the public and experts reasonable time to make submissions to the CRTC and ensure that a code of conduct is done properly?
Madam Speaker, what the minister ought to know is that this is a problem that his government created. It is not fair that taxpayers in Ontario and Quebec must foot the bill for a crisis their governments did not create and do not have the power to fix. It is not fair that this crisis is causing years' long processing delays at the Immigration and Refugee Board for the world's most vulnerable, who are fleeing violence and persecution but who choose to enter Canada legally. When will the Prime Minister take action to restore fairness and order to Canada's asylum system that he has broken?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal answer to European cheese being imported to Canada is a sort of milk lottery where the winner gets $1,000, $5,000, up to $100,000.Here is how it will work. Producers' names will be put in a hat and lucky winners whose name is drawn will be entitled to money from the federal government. Those who were eligible for a consolation prize in the first round, too bad, better luck next time.All the producers are affected by the concessions. Luck has nothing to do with it.How could the Minister of Agriculture accept such a stupid and unfair program?
Madam Speaker, it was reported this morning that Quebec is demanding that the federal government pay it back nearly $300 million for providing care for illegal migrants. In case the Prime Minister has not realized it yet, his government urgently needs to take action once and for all to resolve all the problems he himself created at our border. If he fails to act, the bills will just keep piling up.When is he going to take action, and what is he going to tell the Quebec government, which should not have to pay for his mistakes?
Madam Speaker, I will tell the member what we will not do. We will not do what the Conservatives did during their tenure when 230,000 people came to this country seeking asylum. What did they do? They cut the budget of the CBSA and the budgets of those agencies and departments responsible for managing this migration. Then they went a step further. They cut health care for those same individuals, for those families and their children. It was a move that our courts described as cruel and unusual.
Madam Speaker, that is not all. Here is some more bad news.Yesterday, the Liberals rejected a resolution passed by the first nations chiefs to amend the Criminal Code to outlaw sterilization. How can this be truth and reconciliation?The UN Committee Against Torture has confirmed that Canada is guilty of torturing indigenous women by forced sterilization. Do the Liberals not understand that this is a stain on our country, a stain on every one of us in the House? Why are the Liberals tolerating forced sterilization of indigenous women?
Madam Speaker, we are focused on fixing the flawed process that led to a number of pipelines not moving forward. Ninety-nine per cent of Alberta's oil is sold to one single customer, which is the United States. That was the case under the previous government, because it failed to build a single pipeline to non-U.S. markets, because it had a process in place that was so flawed. We are going to fix that. The focus of Bill C-69 is to do exactly that: put a better process in place so we can move forward on building pipelines.
Madam Speaker, yesterday I stood in Parliament with leaders from the John Howard Society. They said pardons do not provide enough protection for people with criminal records. They said this: If people's convictions are expunged, rather than pardoned...they will be able to respond 'no' to any questions about their criminal historyno matter how the question is phrased. The government admits that black and indigenous Canadians have been disproportionately burdened with criminal records for possession. The application of this law has been fundamentally unjust, so will the government do what is just by erasing their records?
Madam Speaker, just as the world realizes that we have to leave fossil fuels in the ground, the Trump administration has its sights set on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Something about those words should have given Trump a hint that we are not supposed to drill there. It is the place that is essential for the porcupine caribou's birthing and calving grounds. It is essential for the Gwich'in people on both sides of our border. What has the Government of Canada done to stand in the way of Donald Trump and his blind rush to develop the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Madam Speaker, this week, during National Safe Driving Week and in the Operation Red Nose season, the Conservatives are saying that there is nothing wrong with having a few beers and some chicken wings before getting behind the wheel of a car.As the Christmas season is upon us, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety inform the House of the measures our government is taking to prevent impaired driving?
Madam Speaker, Bill C-69 heaps additional regulation and uncertainty on Canada's resource and energy sectors. The policies of the Liberal government are driving investors completely out of this country. They have had a devastating effect on investor confidence, especially in my province of Saskatchewan and next door in Alberta. When will the Liberal government stand up for the Canadian energy sector and kill Bill C-69?
Madam Speaker, my constituents are sick and tired of the current Liberal government. They are sick and tired of exploding deficits. They are sick and tired of tax hikes. They are sick and tired of attacks on our way of life. How much further are these Liberals prepared to go to alienate Canadians before they realize the damage they have done? When will they kill Bill C-69, the bill that will kill energy development in Canada?
Madam Speaker, today the UN Committee Against Torture released a report confirming what we have known all along. Indigenous women continue to be coerced into sterilization in Canada. This is sickening. While the Liberal government continues to speak its empty talking points, indigenous women in this country are still subjected to the harm of ongoing colonialism and systemic discrimination. This is simply wrong. When will the Liberal government put a stop to the savage act of robbing indigenous women of their dignity, health and humanity.