Marc Garneau

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives may like to talk about security but they are the ones that slashed $390 million from the Canada Border Services Agency budget. They claim to be full of compassion but they are the ones who took medical aid away from families and children who came to Canada as refugees. This hypocrisy and them pretending to care about refugees is completely false. Canadians need to know that.

Mr. Speaker, I really cannot believe what I just heard from the Harper Conservatives who for 10 years did not do a single thing to modernize freight rail legislation to allow our grain to move far more effectively. In fact, they have voted against Bill C-49 on every possible occasion, and have caused an additional 11-day delay because they did not want to let it pass on May 11. The Conservatives call themselves friends of the farmers. It is total hypocrisy.

Mr. Speaker, our colleague should be ashamed of his partisan posturing. We will always defend our industries and Canadian workers. We will impose trade restrictions of up to $16.16 billion worth of U.S. imports, and today we are beginning a 15-day consultation period with Canadians on our countermeasures.Steel and aluminum workers can count on the support of their government.

Mr. Speaker, I think that all Canadians are troubled by the images they have been seeing from the United States. All children's lives are precious, and we must do everything we can to avoid separating children form their parents. When a family of asylum seekers comes to our country, we do everything we can to avoid separating them, and in the rare cases in which detention is necessary, we try to minimize the length of this detention.

Mr. Speaker, these tariffs are unacceptable, and we will take strong action to protect Canada's interests.These tariffs will hurt American workers and the industry. The United States actually has a surplus in the steel and aluminum trade with Canada. Canada is a reliable supplier of steel and aluminum for the American defence and security sector.The idea that Canada could constitute a threat to national security is frankly absurd. Canadian workers need to know that their government will always have their backs.

Mr. Speaker, that is some highly worrisome rhetoric coming from the Conservative benches. They are the ones perpetuating the myth that people are trying to jump the queue when they know very well that asylum seekers are treated completely differently from other asylum seekers. They are the ones who floated the ridiculous idea of creating an official point of entry 9,000 kilometres long with fewer security officers. While they are busy fearmongering, we are going to ensure that Canadians are kept safe and that Canadian and international laws are—

Mr. Speaker, to be frank, my colleague has been spouting all sorts of nonsense about irregular migrants every day in the House. We have implemented a strong program in co-operation with the provinces. We are working with the provinces on a triage system. We have rolled out the initial compensation packages for the provinces. I would like our colleague opposite to ask more constructive and less negative questions about asylum seekers because we are all working together on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, we have described the measures that we have taken to date and the new measures that we are implementing.My colleague's reference to a refugee camp at the Lacolle border crossing is quite frankly ridiculous. It is not only ridiculous, but it is also dangerous and irresponsible to make those kind of statements here in the House. It is a temporary camp in case there are a lot more asylum seekers. If we did not set up this camp, Canadians would think that we are irresponsible. We are taking the necessary measures to be prepared for every eventuality, even though we are working on decreasing the number of asylum seekers in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are actively reviewing the situation with respect to our contract with Saudi Arabia.We have frozen exports before when we suspected that these arms would be used to violate human rights.We will not hesitate to use the same procedure in future if we are convinced that these arms will be used to violate human rights.

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely proud of the passengers' bill of rights.Our government believes that when someone buys a ticket, they have certain rights. I encourage my colleague, who is clearly unfamiliar with the content of the bill of rights, to go to the official Canadian Transportation Agency site and get the facts before saying such ridiculous things.

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely proud of the passengers' bill of rights.Our government believes that when someone buys a ticket, they have certain rights. I encourage my colleague, who is clearly unfamiliar with the content of the bill of rights, to go to the official Canadian Transportation Agency site and get the facts before saying such ridiculous things.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.Mr. Speaker, to finish off, we firmly believe that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. That is the job of government in getting our resources to international markets. Only by engaging Canadians and conducting deeper consultations with indigenous people are we going to get there.

Mr. Speaker, VIA Rail is responsible for passenger traffic across this country. It must do so based on a number of factors. At the moment, as we know, VIA Rail does pass through Saskatchewan. The Canadian goes from the eastern part of Canada all the way to Vancouver, so VIA Rail, as far as I know, still goes through Saskatchewan.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I think that all Canadians are troubled by the images coming out of the United States. The lives of these children are precious. We must think of their safety and well-being first.We have spared no effort to improve Canada's immigration detention system and to limit the use of detention as much as possible. What is happening in the United States is simply unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, we want to get our western farmers' grain to market as quickly as possible, unlike the previous government, which for 10 years did not do a darn thing to move grain and other commodities more efficiently. By the way, they voted against Bill C-49 and I would ask them to speak to their colleagues in the other House to speed up the process with Bill C-49.In the meantime, the Minister of Agriculture and I have spoken to CN and CP, and told them that they have to do better. They are doing better, but we will watch them very carefully.

Mr. Speaker, as members know, here in Canada, we welcome refugees who are fleeing persecution and who fear for their lives if they go back to their home country. We are the second largest country in the world, and our values motivate us to welcome those fleeing persecution. At the same time, we are making sure the rules are being followed. People who do not follow the rules will be sent back to their homeland. We are very clear on this.

Mr. Speaker, last week, we announced strong measures to protect our steel and aluminum workers. We clearly said that we will be there for them. Steel and aluminum are extremely important industries for Canada. We do not accept the decision made by the United States for the absolutely ridiculous reason of national security. We will be there to defend the interests of our steel and aluminum workers.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way should know better. This is not the time to be partisan. This is about Canadian workers.We have been unequivocal. These tariffs are completely unacceptable. The Canadian and American economies are so closely linked that these tariffs will harm workers on both sides of the border. We will defend our steel and aluminum industry, as well as Canadian workers. We will impose trade restriction measures of up to $16.6 billion worth of U.S. imports. The U.S. tariffs are in violation—

Mr. Speaker, again, I recommend that my colleague choose his words carefully, because false information and incendiary rhetoric only fan the flames of fear and division.In Canada, we have a refugee system that we are proud of, but it very clearly comes with eligibility criteria that we respect. Anyone who comes here irregularly is arrested and subjected to a criminal background check.

Mr. Speaker, this gives me a chance to repeat what I said.The reason we imposed closure yesterday was very clear. Last Friday, the NDP tried to kill this bill. In our fine democracy, we know full well that there are still many stages for Bill C-10 to go through before it reaches the end of the process. We are going to move to committee stage where we will listen to witnesses. Then there will be report stage, followed by third reading. The bill will then follow the same process in the Senate. There is still a lot of time for everyone to be heard.

Mr. Speaker, our position is clear: we will always be a welcoming country, but we have also put eligibility rules in place. I also want everyone to know that anyone who crosses the border irregularly will be arrested and subjected to a criminal background check. As many experts have pointed out recently, I would ask my opposition colleague to choose his words carefully, because misinformation and inflammatory language only fan the flames of fear and—

Mr. Speaker, when we are investing hundreds of millions, or even billions, of taxpayer dollars, we want the best deal for Quebeckers and Canadians. I am talking about taxpayer money.When companies submit bids, they are aware of the criteria and the process right from the beginning. The opposition is asking us to interfere politically, violate our laws and, ultimately, hurt Canadians, which is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hard-working member from the Sioux. We deeply care about transport connectivity in our regions.That is why we are investing $58 million in our regional airports, including the Rouyn-Noranda airport in Quebec, the Gods River airport in Manitoba, the Points North Landing airport in Saskatchewan, the Terrace-Kitimat airport in British Columbia, the Red Sucker Lake airport in Manitoba, the Magdalen Island airport in Quebec, the Wabush airport in Labrador, and the Yellowknife airport in the Northwest Territories. It is a long list.

Mr. Speaker, after years of weak growth, our government's approach to managing the Canadian economy is fundamentally different from that of the Conservatives. We know that many Canadians are suffering because of the recent economic slowdown. That slowdown makes our plan more important than ever. We will stimulate the economy, create jobs, and put Canada back on the right path.

Mr. Speaker, occasionally incidents such as this do happen, and we have made it clear to the owner of the ship that it is responsible for the cleanup, and we will make sure that it does happen.

Mr. Speaker, NDP attacks always lack credibility because New Democrats do not understand the importance of free trade agreements. Liberals do understand it.It turns out that Canadians are very satisfied with the agreement we spent the last 14 months negotiating. Why? Because it ushers in a period of long-term stability with access to the biggest markets in the world. That is something worth celebrating.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the only party in the House that has failed Albertans is the Conservative Party. It coasted through 10 years of high oil prices and just could not deliver.We are going to deliver, but we are going to do it by taking into account the fact that we can develop our economy while being respectful of our environment. That is the approach we are taking, an intelligent, scientifically based approach. That is the proper approach for this government to take.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to quote someone else. According to the executive director of the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, it is completely irresponsible to make Quebeckers believe that they are threatened by a huge influx of migrants. A rigorous process is in place to protect those fleeing persecution and to ensure that those who abuse our system are turned away.

Mr. Speaker, our government remains determined to ensure the safety of Canadians and to secure our borders. Canadians can count on it.The Conservatives' proposals would militarize the border in violation of international law. Those are not serious solutions. We will continue to ensure that Canadian law is enforced and that our international obligations are met.

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but my hon. colleague is blowing smoke here. We have met with a number of groups ever since I put out that report. As I said, I put it out on February 25, because I wanted to hear back from western grain farmers, from the shippers, and from the railroads. I wanted to hear from everybody. Believe me, my schedule shows that I am meeting a whole bunch of them. I encourage my hon. colleague to relax. I am doing my work.

Not at all, Mr. Speaker.Because Quebec and Manitoba decided to drop their lawsuit against Air Canada, we were able to make amendments to the Air Canada Public Participation Act, through Bill C-10. That is what we are doing.However, I remind my colleague that Air Canada is still required to perform maintenance in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba.

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely proud of Bill C-64. We are the first government to take concrete action to deal with the issue of abandoned and wrecked vessels. In fact, I went to British Columbia, to my colleague's riding of Ladysmith, if I am not mistaken, and announced that nine boats are going to be removed from the water there. We will be doing this on a regular basis. We are also going to ratify the Nairobi convention, which is another powerful tool to deal with owners so they take responsibility for their vessels.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, clearly stated, we made the decision to make a significant contribution to the coalition to destroy the Islamic State, but we will do so in an integrated and comprehensive manner. As soon as the plan is ready, Canadians will support it.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I think the minister did not know that we had introduced time allocation yesterday at second reading of the bill, specifically because the NDP tried to kill the bill using an amendment last Friday.The good news is that several steps remain in the parliamentary process. The bill will go to committee, where we will hear from witnesses. Then comes the report stage and third reading. After that, the Senate repeats the entire process. There are many steps left in the process.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to discuss this important issue with the United States. We have initiated certain discussions, but there is nothing official. However, we are working very closely with them, as well as with Quebec and Ontario. Once the asylum seekers are in Canada, they have to be integrated into society.

Mr. Speaker, we have been unequivocal. These tariffs are completely unacceptable. The Canadian and American economies are so closely linked that these tariffs will harm workers on both sides of the border. We will defend our steel and aluminum industry, as well as Canadian workers. The American decision goes against NAFTA and the WTO rules. We will do everything we can to dispute it. Canadian workers can count on their government.

Mr. Speaker, that was a great question, and I want to thank the member for Alfred-Pellan for doing such a terrific job for the people of Laval.Yes, we want to reduce greenhouse gases by making zero-emission vehicles more affordable and more readily available. That is why we are very proud to announce an incentive of up to $5,000 for vehicles with a retail price of less than $45,000. Unlike Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who have no plan for dealing with climate change and do not seem to care about their children and grandchildren, we actually do have a plan, and today's announcement is great news.

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is the only one spreading this conspiracy. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada fully investigated the Lac-Mégantic tragedy.I met with families who lost a son or daughter, a father or mother, a brother or sister. I can honestly say that the people of Lac-Mégantic want to look to the future, and that is what we will do.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that Canadians understand the very strong position taken by the government against the United States tariffs imposed on aluminum and steel. They know that we are there to protect them. They know that we are there to provide protection while these tariffs are on. They know that we have imposed counter-tariffs of $16 billion on these 232 measures, which are completely unjustified.Canadians know that the government is there for them.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleagues that we have the backs of our steel and aluminum workers. We find that the decision made by the United States is totally unacceptable, and we have made that very clear. To invoke national security as the grounds on which to do this is absolutely preposterous.We will defend the interests of our aluminum and steel workers, and our Canadian steel and aluminum industry.

Mr. Speaker, our government believes in world-leading marine safety. That is why we put in place the oceans protection plan. As part of that, we believe we should use a polluter pay principle. That is why we are using the ship-source oil polluter fund as the mechanism by which compensation is provided for oil cleanup. This is an important fund that is industry-funded so we make sure that middle-class Canadians do not pay for this.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians saw how hard it was to negotiate this new agreement and achieve the lifting of tariffs. This was a task that all of our country was involved in. During that time, many Canadian families had real worries about whether they would lose their jobs. Canada did its job. We have a new NAFTA deal that is a win-win-win outcome. We have a full lifting of the tariffs. It is astonishingly irresponsible that the NDP seems prepared to plunge our country into a new negotiation and period of uncertainty.

Mr. Speaker, we have been unequivocal. These tariffs are completely unacceptable. The Canadian and American economies are so closely linked that these tariffs will harm workers on both sides of the border. We will defend our industries, as well as Canadian workers. We will impose trade restriction measures of up to $16.6 billion worth of U.S. imports. This American decision is contrary to NAFTA and WTO rules, and we will do everything we can to dispute it. We want Canadian workers to know that their government will stand up for them.

Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Leman-Langlois, the director of Université Laval's international security centre, said, the message that is currently being sent by political parties lends credence to the myth that immigrants are treated better than Canadians. He said, and I quote: I think it is rather dangerous.... They are normalizing the attitude that there is reason to be suspicious of immigrants and that it might not be a good idea to let a large number of immigrants come into Quebec in a short period of time. I encourage my colleague opposite to choose his words carefully.

Mr. Speaker, I would rather not have to repeat myself, but our government and our Prime Minister know that the people of Lac-Mégantic were deeply traumatized by the 2013 disaster, which took the lives of 47 people.I have visited the town three times. I met with its citizens and listened to them. I am working hard on this matter. We want to speed up the process if we can, but we must do our due diligence. As soon as we have something to report, we will make an announcement.

Mr. Speaker, Canadian steel and aluminum workers have our full support. These tariffs are completely unacceptable. In response, we intend to impose tariffs against imports of steel, aluminum, and other products from the U.S. This means that we are imposing dollar-for-dollar tariffs for every dollar levied against Canadians by the U.S. As the Prime Minister told steel and aluminum workers when he visited their manufacturing plants across the country, this government will always stand up for them.

Mr. Speaker, as we have said time and time again, this project is in the national interest. We cannot make that any clearer. That is why we are going to move it forward and ensure that it is built. We are currently talking to our partners. I can also say that Harper's Conservatives were unable to accomplish anything on this file for 10 years. They did not even initiate discussions with indigenous peoples. They did not develop environmental strategies. We believe in developing both the economy and the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Trois-Rivières for his weekly question on the high-frequency train.I will give him the same answer. Our government, which is a responsible government, is giving very serious consideration to the high-frequency train proposal. As soon as we have something to report, we will make an announcement. He will be one of the first to know.

Mr. Speaker, the reason we chose Groupe St-Pierre is that we want to get rid of the Kathryn Spirit as quickly as possible. It has been there for five years, and it is time to take action. The previous government did not deal with this issue, but we will. We will pay $7.9 million to build an embankment to isolate the ship from the St. Lawrence River. In the spring, we will put out a tender for the ship's dismantling.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his passion on this issue.As the member knows, the City of Montreal has been in contact with CP Rail. Those talks failed, and now the City of Montreal is going to request arbitration through the Canadian Transportation Agency. That is how this matter will be resolved. That is the procedure in place, and we will abide by it.

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the House that we are 40 Quebec members and we are here to defend Quebec. For starters, there is the Prime Minister, six cabinet ministers and 33 members working very hard in Quebec’s interests. We are here to defend the interests of Quebec, and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to go into the details of negotiations, but I can assure members that our chief negotiator is working with all serious partners in this venture, and when we have a decision, we will let everyone know about it.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Harper Conservatives a question.Yesterday, the member for Milton said that 600 people had crossed the border illegally. I would like to know where she got that information, because I do not have the same numbers. It is wrong to tell untruths in the House. I would like to know where she got that number.

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to visit Lac-Mégantic last Saturday. I truly understand that the residents are having a hard time. They went through a terrible tragedy, and we know that the reconstruction will take time. We will be there to help them rebuild their lives, their community, and their town. A study on the possibility of bypassing the town is currently being conducted. We will wait for the results before making a decision.

Mr. Speaker, what we are doing is investing to protect thousands of jobs in Alberta and across the country. For 10 years, the Conservatives' rigid ideology kept them from building pipelines to transport our resources anywhere other than the United States. They failed in their duty to Canadian workers. When the Prime Minister went to Fort McMurray and met with energy sector workers, he told them the government would have their backs. This investment is an investment in hard-working Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure everyone that the government is aware of the importance of rail safety and we remind all those who cross railway tracks illegally by going under or over fences that they are doing something illegal and dangerous. Last year, there were 46 rail fatalities and 19 people lost their lives at railway crossings. It is a very dangerous thing to do.There are already mechanisms in place to consider the need for railway crossings.

Mr. Speaker, we are looking at this matter very seriously. It comes at a time when the Canada Transportation Act review has been submitted, something which I tabled in the House on February 25, a very serious document with a large number of recommendations, some of which touch upon grain transportation.I can assure my colleague that we are looking at this matter very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, as we have said time and time again, this project is in the national interest. We cannot make that any clearer. That is why we are going to move it forward and ensure that it is built. We are currently talking to our partners. I can also say that Harper's Conservatives were unable to accomplish anything on this file for 10 years. They did not even initiate discussions with indigenous peoples. They did not develop environmental strategies. We believe in developing both the economy and the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his commitment to the issue of the vulnerability of cyclists and pedestrians, which is a very serious subject.We published a suite of measures that can be taken at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. At the federal level, we are currently conducting pilot projects aimed at improving sightlines for truck drivers and heavy vehicle operators. Once that is complete, we will make a decision.I encourage municipalities and provinces to increase measures to make pedestrians and cyclists less vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague that I take my mandate extremely seriously with respect to the navigable waters act. I remember spending all night long with my hon. colleague—

Mr. Speaker, in the 21st century the only way to get big projects like pipelines built is to do them responsibly and sustainably. That is the hard lesson we learned from the failed approach of the members opposite, who for 10 years were unable to deliver for the province of Alberta and unable to get resources—

Mr. Speaker, I regret my colleague's performance. The matter was studied extensively. I will repeat that rail safety is my top priority. I have been working on this file for five years, and we have completed all phases of this process. This was a very terrible experience for the people of Lac-Mégantic. They do not need to relive it.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to noise caused by aircraft, we always encourage people in the region to talk with the airport authorities to come to a conclusion.There are rules, and I encourage the two parties to sit down and talk.

Mr. Speaker, safety obviously is a key priority, and our thoughts are still with the victims and the families of the victims of this tragic accident.As members know, the Transportation Safety Board investigated this accident and made a number of recommendations. We always value its recommendations. Earlier this week, the government put out an RFP for a feasibility study on the possible use of event data recorders on commercial buses.

Mr. Speaker, we in this government care deeply about rail safety, especially after the tragic events at Lac-Mégantic. I can assure the member that we are looking into this at the moment. Transport Canada officials are specifically looking at this case. We will report back when we have the final verdict.

Mr. Speaker, I would rather not have to repeat myself, but our government and our Prime Minister know that the people of Lac-Mégantic were deeply traumatized by the 2013 disaster, which took the lives of 47 people.I have visited the town three times. I met with its citizens and listened to them. I am working hard on this matter. We want to speed up the process if we can, but we must do our due diligence. As soon as we have something to report, we will make an announcement.

Mr. Speaker, I feel the same way as my colleague who just asked the question. At the federal level, we definitely have jurisdiction over the criminal act of dangerous driving, but the provinces and territories are responsible for fines and demerit points for those who use cell phones while driving. Personally, I would encourage the provinces and territories to introduce penalties that reflect the severity of the actions in question.

Madam Speaker, my colleague informed me of the problem. We are looking into that situation and the situations of other ports under federal jurisdiction.

Madam Speaker, I want to give the colleague a lesson in history. During 10 years, the previous government announced in 2007, with great fanfare, its sectorial policy to improve the environment. The Conservatives had 10 years to put it in place. It was announced in 2007. Over 10 years, they implemented two out of the six sectors. That is their terrible record with respect to the environment. The Conservatives have nothing to tell us.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.There are 89 designated airports in Canada, where security is provided by Transport Canada. The previous government implemented a mechanism whereby other non-designated airports can have access to the same security system on a cost-recovery basis. I know that the Sherbrooke airport is one of the six airports that applied.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government that did nothing for 10 years, we actually brought forward Bill C-49, which, by the way, that side voted against. It was intended to have fair rail legislation for the movement of grain.I was speaking to CN this morning and in actual fact, the amount of grain transported at this point in time is only 3% behind the average of the past three years. Last week was particularly bad, but the situation is improving.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kildonan—St. Paul for her advocacy for Manitobans.The Harper Conservatives pretend to be the friends of our grain farmers, but for 10 long years they did not do anything. In fact, when we brought in freight rail legislation to help our farmers and shippers, the Conservatives voted against it.Our grain farmers and other producers in this country should know that this government has their backs.

Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, I was mandated to establish a formal moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic on the north coast of British Columbia. I am doing this in concert with my colleagues, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard; the Minister of Environment; and the Minister of Natural Resources. We are proceeding with consultations with first nations, with environmental groups, and with the shipping industry. We are doing our homework.When we have something to say, we will say it.

Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians were given a choice between a plan to grow the economy and cuts to balance the budget at any price. They chose economic growth and support for the middle class.Imagine the alternative: the opposition parties would be making budget cuts at the worst possible time. That would lead to job losses, cuts to programs in every region of the country, and it could even lead to a recession. Canadians made the right choice.

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister clearly stated this morning, we have no intention of reopening the constitutional debate. Our position has not changed, and the Prime Minister was very clear.Our priority is to grow Canada's economy and Quebec's economy and create jobs for the middle class and those working hard to join it. That is the mandate that Quebeckers and Canadians have given us. We take this mandate very seriously.

Mr. Speaker, should I remind the Conservatives that in the last three and a half years, we have created one million jobs?

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but my hon. colleague is blowing smoke here. We have met with a number of groups ever since I put out that report. As I said, I put it out on February 25, because I wanted to hear back from western grain farmers, from the shippers, and from the railroads. I wanted to hear from everybody. Believe me, my schedule shows that I am meeting a whole bunch of them. I encourage my hon. colleague to relax. I am doing my work.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hard-working member from the Sioux. We deeply care about transport connectivity in our regions.That is why we are investing $58 million in our regional airports, including the Rouyn-Noranda airport in Quebec, the Gods River airport in Manitoba, the Points North Landing airport in Saskatchewan, the Terrace-Kitimat airport in British Columbia, the Red Sucker Lake airport in Manitoba, the Magdalen Island airport in Quebec, the Wabush airport in Labrador, and the Yellowknife airport in the Northwest Territories. It is a long list.

Mr. Speaker, before a decision was made about the Mascouche airport, the proponent commissioned a Léger survey, which indicated that 64% of the people in the Mascouche and Terrebonne area were in favour of developing this airport. We did due diligence in the public interest.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives told us many times to back down, sign a bad deal and basically just capitulate. Canadians can be glad that we did not follow their example. If we had taken their advice, we would have an agreement with no chapter 19, the supply management system would have been completely dismantled, there would have been demands that would have decimated our auto sector, and a sunset clause would have made investing in Canada impossible. Thank God we did not listen to them.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the importance of an efficient and reliable rail system to transport grain for our farmers.That is why we put Bill C-49 in place, unlike the previous government that did absolutely nothing for 10 years. I have been in touch with CN and CP. I was in touch with CN this morning. The month of February was particularly difficult, but at this point I feel that, looking to the future, the grain situation will certainly improve in the months to come.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, a few months ago, the Prime Minister committed to trying to speed up the process. That is why I had the opportunity to speak with Premier Couillard recently. I am also in talks with Minister Coiteux, and I speak regularly with the mayor of Lac-Mégantic, Mr. Cloutier.We are determining whether we can speed up the process. We just announced a BAPE study that will begin on May 23 and will last two months. We want to do everything we can to improve the process. The federal, municipal, and provincial governments are working together.

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is a bit confused, so let me clarify it for him. The grain is moving, by the way. However, at the moment, we are going to present to Canadians and about 300 important stakeholders what this report looked at for the past 18 months. We will ask them what their opinion is, and we will make the decisions later on this year on how to go forward on Canada's national transportation system. The member should stand by; it is coming soon.

Mr. Speaker, we made a promise that we would formalize an oil tanker ban for the north coast of British Columbia, and we are delivering on that promise. Last Friday, we tabled legislation that would mean large oil tankers carrying crude oil and other persistent oils would not be able to unload or load in ports along the north coast of British Columbia. This is delivering on a promise we made for the people of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, we are working very closely with the Government of Quebec. Twelve days ago, I announced that we would be setting up a task force to discuss the costs that Quebec has been forced to absorb. Furthermore, we are also discussing a triage system to determine if it is possible to send some claimants to other provinces or to Quebec regions where there is a labour shortage.I wonder if my colleague opposite is suggesting that we build a wall.

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. The oceans protection plan is a world-leading plan that will bring marine safety to levels in Canada that are not seen anywhere else in the world. Yes, we are committed to coastal communities. We are committed to abandoned vessel removal. We are committed to restoring the southern resident killer whales. We are committed to having a faster response in case of any problems along our coastal areas. This is a program that the people of B.C., the coastal people of B.C., are welcoming. This is something that has never been done in any other country.

Mr. Speaker, as we, unlike the previous government, promised, we made the decision to dismantle the Kathryn Spirit. We provided funding to build the cofferdam, which was done some time ago, and we are now in the process of finding a contractor to dismantle this vessel. Naturally, we will keep the environmental impact in mind during the dismantling process. This government keeps its promises.

Mr. Speaker, we disagree with the tariffs imposed by the United States. We are standing up for our aluminum and steel workers. We have been clear about the measures we will take in the next few weeks in response to what the United States has done. We are here for Quebec and Canadian workers. We fully reject the reason given by the United States to justify its tariffs.

Madam Speaker, the concept of high-frequency rail is one that we are looking into and have already invested $3.3 million in. That speaks to how much we value this study on the Québec City-Windsor corridor. Studying the viability of such a project is complex work. We are in the process of doing so. We are doing our homework and when we are finished, we will make an announcement.

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are actively reviewing the situation with respect to our contract with Saudi Arabia.We have frozen exports before when we suspected that these arms would be used to violate human rights.We will not hesitate to use the same procedure in future if we are convinced that these arms will be used to violate human rights.

Madam Speaker, the Liberal government took action a year ago.I am the one who brought together the provinces and territories to talk about the very serious topic of vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists. As I have said many times, we are launching federal initiatives, including pilot projects, to increase the visibility of the trucks and other heavy vehicles travelling through our cities.I congratulate Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie on its initiative. We would like to see more municipalities and provinces follow its lead.

Mr. Speaker, the reason we chose Groupe St-Pierre is that we want to get rid of the Kathryn Spirit as quickly as possible. It has been there for five years, and it is time to take action. The previous government did not deal with this issue, but we will. We will pay $7.9 million to build an embankment to isolate the ship from the St. Lawrence River. In the spring, we will put out a tender for the ship's dismantling.

Mr. Speaker, Canada, as a member of the International Maritime Organization, complies with safety standards for internationally operated vessels, including LNG tankers, when they operate in Canadian waters. This includes the IMO's international code for the construction of ships carrying liquified gases in bulk. We further enforce international requirements on foreign vessels operating in Canada through the port state control program.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague that we have this in hand. We have been working very hard with the shipping community, the farmers, the railways, in the past year, with enormous amounts of consultation. We are very aware of the schedule. We will be bringing forward modern freight rail legislation quite shortly.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives may like to talk about security but they are the ones that slashed $390 million from the Canada Border Services Agency budget. They claim to be full of compassion but they are the ones who took medical aid away from families and children who came to Canada as refugees. This hypocrisy and them pretending to care about refugees is completely false. Canadians need to know that.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, my mandate letter requires me to establish a formal moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic on the north coast of British Columbia. I am doing this in concert with my colleagues, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Minister of Natural Resources. We are working on that right now.We are also consulting with first nations, environmental groups, and the shipping industry. When we have something to say, we will say it.

Mr. Speaker, I share the member's concern for the safety of our roads. In fact, this past week, we told Fiat Chrysler that we considered four of its models were dangerous and had defects in them. We have gone forward. This is one example. We have many other examples.We believe it is important for Canadians to know when there are defects in different models of cars. We will continue to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I know she works very hard advocating for social housing. During the election campaign, our party promised to invest heavily in social infrastructure, including not just affordable housing, but also social housing. We know there is a pressing need to build new social housing and renovate existing social housing.

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. I had the opportunity this morning to make a 20-minute speech, but the official opposition members have obviously had difficulty understanding the basis of our decision with respect to the tripartite agreement. We made it very clear that we were achieving the right balance between commercial interests and the interests of the community. We do care about local issues. Unfortunately, the current opposition does not seem to share the same approach.

Mr. Speaker, I believe my colleague's comments got off track. The reality is that we are very proud of the 40 Liberal members from Quebec, who represent the interests of our province.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I remind her that there is a mechanism for people to request that the Canadian Transportation Agency create railroad crossings.If my colleague needs information on this process, I would be happy to provide it.

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Bloc Québécois does not understand our obligations under free trade agreements.VIA Rail, a Crown corporation, put out a tender and three companies bid on it. The company selected made the best offer with the best availability, best price and best product. That is how things work. The criteria were very well detailed beforehand and a decision was made. That is how it works.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to thank the three people who did an excellent job reviewing the Rail Safety Act. I am very proud of the fact that we released the report a year ahead of schedule. I am sure my NDP colleague knows we are not like the Conservatives. We recognize the value of consultation. We will continue holding consultations until we feel Canadians have been adequately consulted. Then we will make decisions.

Mr. Speaker, we have not made any decisions regarding our ports and airports. I can guarantee that any decisions we make in the future regarding our airports will be in the best interests of travellers. That is our priority. In the case of ports, any decisions will be in the best interest of Canada's economy.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is certainly very passionate, but so am I. We are proud of the fact that 40 members of the House, including the Prime Minister, six government ministers, and 33 MPs who proudly represent their ridings, are here to defend Quebec's interests. We are very proud of that.

Mr. Speaker, the rights of farmers have always been a priority for our government. I look forward to going to the great city of Edmonton on Wednesday to talk about some very important issues, which I am sure will be of great interest to them. Members should stand by for more details, and we will see how that goes.

Mr. Speaker, I would be delighted to do it and I thank the member for Steveston—Richmond East for his excellent question.I am incredibly proud of Canada's oceans protection plan. This is an unprecedented plan that will ensure world-class marine safety and protect our pristine coastline. That is why I was delighted to be in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago to announce, amongst other things, the plan that we have called “let's talk oceans protection plan”. It is an online tool that will allow Canadians to express themselves. We are looking forward to their feedback. I encourage all Canadians to go online and “let's talk oceans protection plan”.

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the changes we have made to the Canadian navigable waters act, an act that had been gutted by the previous government, an act in which Canadians no longer had confidence. We have restored the protection in the navigable waters act, and Canadians can be very proud of the fact that we are looking after their interests with respect to navigation.

Mr. Speaker, no, we do not plan to change this rule. To us, passenger safety is always a top priority. I want to correct my colleague. We are not getting rid of the function of checking the check pilots of the airlines. The member misunderstands what we have decided to do. Using a risk-based approach, we periodically conduct an airline safety audit. It is a much more intelligent approach and it is the approach that our government has adopted to ensure passenger safety.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to rail passenger service for Canadians. We have always been committed to it. I am a regular rail user. Once a week I go between Montreal and Toronto. I have had the pleasure of going across the country from Halifax to Vancouver. In fact, I would encourage Canadians who have never taken the train to go out and try that mode of transport. I think they would find it a very pleasant way to move across and to enjoy this magnificent country.

I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Louis for his excellent question and for his dedication to all water-related issues. He is known for his expertise in that area.As we know, the Harper Conservatives did absolutely nothing to address this matter. That is why our government, under the oceans protection plan, developed a national strategy to prevent incidents like the Kathryn Spirit occurring again.That is why, on Ocotober 12, I was very proud to announce that we have dismantled the Kathryn Spirit and thus kept our promise to the people of Beauharnois.

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that everyone in this chamber, on both sides of the House, is delighted with the news today that Air Canada has decided to purchase 45 airplanes from the C-series 300 and has options for 30 more.We care deeply about the Bombardier aircraft. I, myself, have had the pleasure of sitting in the cockpit. This is the best airplane in the world in its class, and all of us should be hoping that Bombardier is going to be selling hundreds of these aircraft in the months and years to come.

Mr. Speaker, bilingualism is very important to our government, as is respect for official languages. Federal services must be provided in accordance with the Official Languages Act. Airport security is important and CATSA does good work, but it must also do so by providing service in both languages with courtesy and respect, of course.

Mr. Speaker, we were delighted to hear recently that Air Canada intends to buy 45 airplanes from the C Series because it believes in this aircraft, which, by the way, is the best in its class in the world. We can also be proud of the fact that the Quebec government is intending to drop its litigation against Air Canada. We are making progress in creating jobs in the aerospace industry in this country. I would like to know why the member for Beauce thinks that the CSeries is not an airplane that anyone wants to buy.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Alfred—Pellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.

Mr. Speaker, as a Canadian, I am proud of Canada's refugee policy. We can all be proud of this policy, which welcomes those fleeing persecution. We do have rules and they must be followed. We will see to it that these rules are followed to ensure the integrity of our immigration system, Canadians' safety, and respect for national and international rules.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the fact that our oceans protection plan goes way beyond anything that has ever been done in this country. I recognize that the issue that has been brought up by the member is an issue that is occurring more and more. It is certainly something we can look at, but I am very proud of the fact that we have made an unprecedented commitment to marine safety on the three coasts of our country. This is a new first for Canada.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the chair of the Transportation Safety Board recognized that Canada has one of the safest transportation systems in the world.We think so, too. At Transport Canada, our top priority is the safety of all modes of transportation. That will continue to be our focus. We are especially pleased that the Transportation Safety Board removed three major items from the Watchlist yesterday. That is progress.We will continue our efforts to make our transportation system safer—

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, respecting jurisdiction means working with the provinces. That is why I was very happy to be in Halifax on Sunday working with the Province of Nova Scotia to announce two major transportation corridor projects. Our federal government is working with the provinces to make life better for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for his excellent question and his commitment to the Port of Halifax. We in the Liberal government believe in modern infrastructure for transportation and efficient trade corridors. It is good for the economy. That is why I was so pleased to announce two historic investments in the Port of Halifax to make it even more efficient and, incidentally, to reduce truck traffic in the Halifax area. We are all about creating good, middle-class jobs and growing the economy.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted with the great news that came out last week concerning the fact that Air Canada decided to purchase 45 CSeries jets, and possibly 30 more, and that it will be undertaking the maintenance of those aircraft in Quebec for the next 20 years at least. This is great news for Bombardier. This is great news for Quebec. This is great news for the aerospace industry. Everybody should be very happy about it.

Mr. Speaker, for this government, offering more choice at lower cost with better service is one of our priorities. That is why I was particularly glad to announce the expansion of the air transport agreement between Israel and Canada. We are adding up to seven more flights on a weekly basis. This is not only good for moving people and goods; it is good for business and it is good for our strong relationship between Canada and Israel.

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian knows that buying an airline ticket entitles the purchaser to a certain level of treatment. That is why we are very proud of bringing in air passenger rights.They were announced in Bill C-49 and we also announced that we were going to consult Canadians. Some 13 million Canadians travel by plane. It is the right thing to do and the Canadian Transportation Agency initiated the process yesterday.

Mr. Speaker, we did not give ourselves a mandate.One of the sixty recommendations set out in the report on the Canada Transportation Act raised this issue.We are currently analyzing the situation. No decisions have been made and, if a decision is made, it will be in the best interests of travellers, airports, and our airlines.

Madam Speaker, as I have said many times, our priority is service to passengers.That is why we are trying to reduce costs for passengers to ensure they can have more options and to reduce wait times at security and customs. We are even planning to create an air passenger rights regime.Service to passengers will remain our priority as we explore the options.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I can reassure my colleague that we are working on this file. We allocated $3.3 million in the 2016 budget to examine the possibility of a high-frequency train between Windsor and Quebec City. This issue is top of mind these days. We will be able to make decisions once we have completed our study.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. It allows me to repeat that we took an undertaking during the last election to the people of Toronto, who care about the development of their waterfront, that we would not reopen the tripartite agreement. We have kept that promise and we are very proud of it.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly can. I would like to thank my colleague from Oakville North—Burlington for her important question and for her involvement in this file.Safety is very important to us and of course our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.That is why I am very pleased to announce that the federal government is working with its provincial and territorial counterparts. We have created a working group to address the issue and reduce the number of accidents. We are working on this file in order to improve the situation—

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley for his strong advocacy on behalf of Manitobans.It is with great pleasure that I announce that VIA Rail service to Churchill has now been restored and the first train since the washout arrived at Churchill station today. We said we were committed to restoring VIA Rail to the Hudson Bay rail line: promise made, a promise kept.

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely proud of Bill C-64, which addresses a long-standing issue that has not been taken care of by previous governments; that is the question of abandoned and derelict vessels. We have come up with an excellent bill. In fact, it has been through the committee in which my colleague had the chance to participate. We are very proud of this bill and we hope the NDP and the Harper Conservatives will support the bill as we move it through report stage, third reading, and then quickly on to the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of our collaboration with the Province of Quebec, especially because of its maritime strategy. In fact, I spoke with Minister Jean D'Amour and Premier Couillard about the idea of divesting the ports. As hon. members know, they announced that they would be interested in five ports. Negotiations will get under way soon. The federal and provincial governments will be working on this together; I am sure that it will be a good partnership.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Laurentides—Labelle for his excellent question. As members know, we want to promote the best boating safety practices when Canadians take to the water. We want to reach as many people as possible. That is why we are very pleased to have announced additional funding for public awareness programs that will reach as many Canadians as possible and contribute to boating safety.We want Canadians to enjoy water-related activities. We want them to know the rules and to have a chance to take to our beautiful waterways.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question, especially since I believe innovation in the transport sector is extremely important, so that we can improve safety on our roads and boost the Canadian economy. Connected and automated vehicles and the regulation of these vehicles are fundamental sectors of innovation.I am also pleased that the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications accepted my proposal to carry out comprehensive studies on these vehicles.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to quote the NDP member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. He told the Canadian negotiators that he just wanted to congratulate everyone in the room for their fantastic work. He then said that the USMCA represents the best possible agreement and protects Canadian workers. We agree. This agreement is in keeping with the commitments we made concerning stability, maintaining employment, growth and protecting thousands of Canadian jobs.

Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. When a Canadian purchases a ticket, sometimes at considerable expense, he or she expects to be treated with fairness and respect. In a sense, a contract has been signed. I was very proud today to table, on behalf of the Government of Canada, new legislation that will ensure that we have passenger rights. People can be assured that, if any of those passenger rights are violated, the passengers will be suitably and properly compensated in a timely manner.

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to. I thank my colleague from Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her excellent question.We are very proud that the World Anti-Doping Agency is going to stay in Montreal until at least 2031. This is a good example of co-operation between three levels of government. The City of Montreal, the Province of Quebec, and the federal government worked with Montréal International to keep this agency in the great Canadian city of Montreal until at least 2031.

Mr. Speaker, that is a great question from my colleague for South Shore—St. Margarets.We in this government believe that local stakeholders are much better positioned to take over the remaining Transport Canada-owned ports, because they are more sensitive to the local needs, so we are delighted that the Province of Nova Scotia has decided to take over the Port of Liverpool. This will be good for the community of Liverpool and the Port of Liverpool. It will create jobs. It is great for their marine sector.

Mr. Speaker, this reminds me that last Tuesday I attended a reception hosted by Unifor to celebrate the USMCA. To my surprise, the leader of the NDP was there too to join in the festivities. His Quebec lieutenant, the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, said at the microphone that it was a very good deal.What is the NDP's position on this matter?

Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that La Pocatière is getting $500 million for the AZUR train contract.It is also important to remember that we need to spend taxpayers' money responsibly. That is an obligation that we have. In this case, VIA Rail chose the best product in terms of cost, quality and availability. Taxpayers expect us to spend their money responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, our government believes in world-leading marine safety. That is why we put in place the oceans protection plan. As part of that, we believe we should use a polluter pay principle. That is why we are using the ship-source oil polluter fund as the mechanism by which compensation is provided for oil cleanup. This is an important fund that is industry-funded so we make sure that middle-class Canadians do not pay for this.

Mr. Speaker, we in this government are committed to improving passenger rail service to make it safe, secure, efficient, and reliable. That is why we are investing in infrastructure for VIA Rail, like $1.6 million for Kingston station, where my hon. colleague comes from, $2.5 million for the train stations in Sarnia and London, $15 million for the maintenance centres in Toronto and Montreal. Anybody who goes to the Ottawa train station, where I take the train every week, will see that there is—

Mr. Speaker, naturally I am very pleased to learn that Air Canada is going to invest in Bombardier's C Series aircraft. That is good news. It is also going to support the implementation of a centre of excellence for the next 20 years. That too is good news. When I was answering the question from the hon. member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, I heard the hon. member for Beauce say that no one wants to buy the C Series. I would like him to explain what he means.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche for that excellent question.This government is committed to the safe and secure operation of this new technology as more and more drones are taking to the skies.We are staying on top of this issue and providing the necessary leadership with regard to the regulation, classification, marking, and registration of drones. We will have more to say about this in the coming months.

Mr. Speaker, I have a bit of déjà vu here. I reject the premise of the question, of course, because we are taking a new open and transparent approach that is merit-based, that also takes into account diversity, including gender diversity. The Port of Halifax is extremely important for Canada's economy. I am very proud of the five people who we have named because of their professionalism. This is good for the Port of Halifax.

Mr. Speaker, of course, as a new government, we are looking at all sorts of options. In the case of airports, we will certainly not do anything unless it is in the best interests of airline passengers. When it comes to our ports, which are extremely important economic drivers, once again, we will not make any decisions that are not in the best interests of our ports and our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for South Shore—St. Margarets for her advocacy, particularly with respect to abandoned and derelict vessels.Our government is committed to improving marine safety as well as the safety of shipping on all our three coasts. It is also providing economic opportunity.We were very proud to announce a week ago the oceans protection plan, a $1.5 billion investment over the next five years. This is good for our coasts for generations to come. We are very happy we have involved our indigenous communities, coastal nations, as well local communities on our coasts.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that my colleague recognizes the excellent work of the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency. I am very pleased that his leader went to Lacolle for the first time last week and that he acknowledged the excellent work of these two organizations, which have been working for over a year on ensuring that we can process asylum claims.As far as our relations with the U.S. are concerned, we are in constant contact with our neighbours to the south.

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the role that our Canadian Forces are performing in Iraq to defeat Daesh. Our training, advise, and assist role is an extremely important one to the coalition, as well as the other roles we are fulfilling. We are doing our job at the moment within the coalition. It is important that we do not jeopardize the operational security of our forces, considering that Daesh is an extremely sophisticated organization in gathering intelligence. We have to protect our troops.

Mr. Speaker, again, to address the issue, I want to correct my colleague. We are not getting rid of the function of checking the check pilots of the airlines, who check their own pilots. We are continuing to use this approach, because it is an intelligent, risk-based approach. It is one that we feel will, in the most economical fashion, address our requirements while not sacrificing in any way safety. We are a modern transport ministry and we are working in a modern way.