Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said his only goal was to free every Canadian in trouble around the world. Ernest Fenwick Macintosh is a Canadian and a convicted pedophile. He is in jail in Nepal right now for sexually assaulting a child. In 1997, the government issued a passport when it should not have done so. Is this someone that the Liberals want to bring back to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I feel obligated to remind the Liberals of how barbaric ISIS terrorists are. This week they publicly beheaded a 15-year-old boy for listening to pop music. The U.S. State Department reported that ISIS used mustard gas in a deadly attack against Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga. The new Liberal plan puts our troops at increased risk and ignores the immediate security needs of innocent civilians.Now that our CF-18s can no longer take out ISIS from the air, will the Prime Minister be using reason to stop ISIS from carrying out these atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, does the delay-and-study party, a.k.a. the Liberals, understand that the people of Saskatchewan are hurting? The downturn in the oil and gas industry has left thousands of Saskatchewanians out of work. I see the devastating effects every time I drive in my riding. Now the Liberals are scheming to impose a carbon tax, against the will of Canadians in Saskatchewan. Why are they imposing a job-killing carbon tax at a time when people in the energy sector are losing their jobs daily?
Mr. Speaker, under our watch, four major pipeline projects were built, and the first thing they did was kill northern gateway.A new national carbon tax would devastate all aspects of the economy, making Canadians pay more for everything they buy, and it will drive out investment. Premier Brad Wall has warned that this new tax would hurt economic growth and cost jobs across the country. Saskatchewan has indicated it wants no part of this job-killing scheme. The Liberals talk about working with the provinces. Will the minister stand in the House and guarantee that Saskatchewan can opt out of this terrible idea?
Mr. Speaker, this government is certainly determined to strengthen all the programs that will educate Canadians against racism and intolerance, and to have a more tolerant and open-minded country, especially regarding our Jewish community.This being said, the attempt of the Conservatives to divide the House on this issue failed yesterday, and it will always fail as long as we have this government in place.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with hon. member opposite about the atrocities that ISIL is committing, but I would also remind him that with an enemy like this that commits these atrocities, we cannot take it out from the air. It can only be done on the ground. This is the reason we are tripling our training capacity and doubling our intelligence, so that we can actually work as part of a coalition and defeat ISIS finally.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked that question. Regarding an anti-armour capability, it should have been provided before the Liberal government was elected, when our ground troops went there in the first place. This capability was not there.I would also like to remind her that the reason we are putting this in is that in inclement weather, the air strikes cannot take place. If there is a threat that can only be taken care of by anti-armour capability, we need a portable system to do so, and that system is not in our inventory any more. This decision was made by the previous government and I am going to bring that capability back.
Mr. Speaker, every week that goes by, the Prime Minister breaks another election promise. Revenue-neutral tax cuts, deficits, balanced budgetsall broken promises. To make matters worse, the Prime Minister is spending billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on foreign vanity projects. Now we are hearing that he has a scheme to impose a harmful carbon tax on provinces like Saskatchewan at the absolutely worst time for our energy industry. Why is the Liberal government punishing Canadians at a time when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, it has been the same old story from this government for months. We even heard the story this morning: a plan for this, a plan for that.The only plan we can see is a plan to mess things up. This week we learned from public servants at Public Services and Procurement Canada that the Liberals' plan was to have tugboats and fireboats built outside Canada.Can the minister tell us why these boats should not be built here, in Canada, by Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?
Mr. Speaker, harassment within the RCMP is once again making headlines.Things are supposedly under control, but the problem is clearly systemic. Furthermore, the RCMP seems incapable of handling its internal complaints in a fair manner. There is no respect for victims, allegations are not taken seriously, and punishments are laughable.When will the government demand that the RCMP take things seriously?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence said that we need to be on the ground to combat the so-called Islamic State. Since he has confirmed that our soldiers are involved in ground operations where they could be exposed to enemy fire, he has the duty to protect them. However, he is withdrawing our CF-18s from the fight.Why is the minister asking our allies to take our place in protecting our soldiers?
Mr. Speaker, that will not bring down cell phone prices. Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world, yet the previous government failed to make any progress, and the Liberals have shown no interest.Yesterday the CRTC denied an appeal to spark real competition in the wireless sector by allowing new small players into the market. What action are Liberals going to take to stop Canadians from getting gouged? Will the minister step in to review this proposal?
Mr. Speaker, Canada will be there to give consular help to Canadians when it is appropriate, and all the help they are entitled to have.Who we want to free are those Canadians that are unfairly put in jail everywhere in the world. That is what I want to say. If it were not clear for my colleague, I am pleased to clarify it for him today. I hope he is clear on it now.
Mr. Speaker, a search for Zika virus prevention in Canada on the Health Canada website yields nothing. The United States, Brazil, and many other countries have shown their citizens that they have preventive measures in place. Here in Canada, however, we have heard nothing from the minister to explain to Canadians what she is doing to protect against Zika. Why has the minister done nothing to protect Canadians against this virus?
Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead. Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?
Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report from the National Bank of Canada, the Liberals are on track to add $90 billion to Canada's debt.In Manitoba, we have witnessed how runaway NDP deficits destroyed our province's credit rating while Premier Selinger raised taxes and drove away business. The tax-and-spend policies of the NDP in Manitoba did not work, so can the Minister of Finance tell us why the new Liberal government wants to burden Canadians by repeating the terrible NDP mistakes?
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is speaking in the House on the government's motion on the ISIS mission, the defence minister quietly issued a press release saying our CF-18s dropped their last bombs on Monday and were headed home. In his press release, the Minister of National Defence did not even thank or acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Canada's fighter jets. This comes before the House has even had a chance to vote on the motion.The Prime Minister promised a debate and a vote, knowing full well he would blatantly ignore the democratic will of Parliament. Why is the government more interested in retreat than debate?
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.
Mr. Speaker, harassment in any workplace is a serious issue. It must be dealt with fairly and immediately, but according to new reports, complaints about things like bullying and sexual touching were raised by former RCMP employees in 2014 and 2015 but were too often ignored. When fault was found, the penalties were just not credible. The RCMP investigating itself is just not working. Will the minister agree to take this on directly and order a full, independent review of harassment in the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, the March 2016 deadline for a new agreement on internal trade is fast approaching. I know government members like to tell us that they are working really hard while consulting on consultation, but Canada desperately needs a long overdue new agreement on internal trade.Will the Prime Minister announce a new agreement on internal trade when he meets with Canadian premiers next month in Vancouver, or will he promise more promises and come home empty-handed?
Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement recently stated that the new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy do not have to be built in Canada. Minister after minister, even today, has stood in this House and told us they have a plan, a plan to grow the economy and create jobs through infrastructure spending. Yet when they have the opportunity to do so, the first thing they do is look to send the jobs overseas instead of supporting our shipbuilding sector.Will the minister tell us why the Liberals would rather farm out jobs to foreign countries than create the high-paying jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the matter of the Zika virus epidemic is something that we have taken very seriously. My colleagues in the Public Health Agency of Canada have been very active on this file on a daily basis collaborating with our international partners at the World Health Organization. We have advised Canadians every day to make sure they are taking protective measures if it is necessary for them to travel to affected regions. We have also advised, if women are pregnant or considering pregnancy, that they avoid travel to affected countries. All of that information is available at travel.gc.ca.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I have sat down with the representatives, my counterparts, from the provinces and territories to talk about a pan-Canadian plan to tackle climate change but also to set our economy on a new path where we have sustainable growth. We have done this. The Prime Minister is meeting on March 3 with the premiers of the provinces, as well as the territories, to actually develop this pan-Canadian plan. We are well aware of the challenges faced by Saskatchewan and other provinces. That is why we are going to invest in green infrastructure and is how we are going to create clean jobs.
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire incident when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four of them. Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.What did the minister mean yesterday when he said that our special forces in Iraq needed anti-armour? Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?
Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on and that makes everyone angry, it is the lack of competition for wireless carriers.Yesterday, the CRTC refused to give small players access to the infrastructure they need to grow and develop. This means that there will be less competition, when more would certainly have been easier on Canadians' wallets.Can the minister tell us what he plans to do to ensure more competition, which will allow for broader coverage and lower prices?
Mr. Speaker, former Aveos employees feel betrayed. After winning two court cases against Air Canada to save their jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Mississauga, they have now learned that the government wants to change the law to relieve Air Canada of its obligations.Before the election, the Prime Minister promised to fight for these former employees. The Prime Minister's response yesterday totally missed the mark.Why is the government giving up on the 2,600 unemployed Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was pleased to see backbench members from across the aisle clearly condemn the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions movement and agree to support our motion. Will the frontbench Liberals be clear and unequivocal in fully condemning the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as our allies in Britain have already done, and will they launch an education program to inform Canadians of the anti-Semitic nature of the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated was the best course of action in his speech yesterday here in the House?
Mr. Speaker, this government's openness and transparency is refreshing after a decade of deceit and denial by the previous government. In fact, important financial information on numerous federal programs was kept hidden by the previous government, even when requested by the parliamentary budget officer.Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the actions he is taking to ensure that the PBO finally receives the information that has long been requested?
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that the CBC/Radio-Canada tower is officially for sale.This plan has raised some serious concerns from the beginning, and there has been no transparency. CBC/Radio-Canada's production capacity is at stake. Management has not offered any guarantees that it will be maintained.Can the government tell us whether it truly plans to hand a blank cheque to CBC/Radio-Canada? What guarantees will it require?
Mr. Speaker, for months the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been promising Canadians a Canada-wide climate-change plan. Despite repeated requests to do so, the minister has failed to deliver such a plan, another broken promise. At the same time, she is boasting about billion-dollar climate-change projects in foreign countries and scheming on a tax grab, which would impose more punishing carbon taxes on Canadians. My question is for the minister. As the broken promises pile up, why is she abandoning the thousands of working Canadians who are losing their jobs because of her policies?
Mr. Speaker, for people who are visually impaired and love to read, the good news is that there are 285,000 books in Braille, audio, and large print available around the world, in addition to what is already available at home. The problem is that the copyright laws keep those books out of this country. That is the bad news.Last spring our government introduced legislation to change copyright and implement the Marrakesh Treaty in order to make more than a quarter of a million books available to the visually impaired at zero cost to taxpayers.I wonder if the government would commit today to reintroducing this legislation and working with all parliamentarians to pass it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question even though I do not really understand it. If any party has been clear about its plan for the middle class, it is the current government.In December, we cut taxes for the middle class, which will help over nine million Canadians. We even told our colleagues opposite and all Canadians that the upcoming budget will include the Canadian benefit for families, which will start in July and help nine out of 10 families, as well as our infrastructure program. We have a comprehensive program to stimulate the economy and help children and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attack on labour rights included stripping the rights of workers to refuse unsafe work, and rolling back health and safety protections for federally regulated workers.These are fundamental labour rights that took generations to achieve. Yet, despite the Liberal election promises, the new government has failed to act. Instead of patting themselves on the back, will the Liberals give working Canadians a straight answer today for why they are refusing to reverse these Conservative attacks on the protection of workers?
Mr. Speaker, the government is out of touch with Canadians.In just 100 days, it has done nothing to help the most vulnerable in society. It has done nothing to help low-income families, and it continues to keep them in the dark.Why is the minister making moms and dads wait months to hear about their latest tax scheme? How are families supposed to plan their budgets when they are being told to hang in there until July 1?
Mr. Speaker, the absolute worst thing one can do during an economic downturn is to burden Canadians with higher taxes. The proposed national carbon tax would kneecap the energy sector. Canadians out of work across the country expect the government to grow the economy, not add additional burdens. This is a terrible idea that could not come at a worse time. Higher taxes on energy will make Canadian oil even less competitive on the world stage. Is the minister trying to completely destroy the western Canadian economy, or is he just doing it by accident?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.This issue is a top priority. Our goal is to maintain stable access to the American market for Canada's softwood lumber industry. We will work with our American partners, and we are working very hard on this issue. This specific issue has been raised with President Obama, Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Our officials are working very hard on this file. It is important for Quebec, for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Maritimes. We know it is important. We are hard at work.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need jobs. Bombardier has the potential to create much needed jobs if the Toronto Island airport is allowed to expand. However, the Minister of Transport has overruled the decision not only of Toronto City Council but of the Toronto port authority. He has blocked the expansion of the Toronto Island airport.Why is the Minister of Transport blocking Bombardier from creating jobs for Canadians and preventing the expansion of the Toronto Island airport?
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement, we stated that the bombing campaign by the CF-18s would end on February 22, but that the exact decision would be made by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the coalition. That decision was made for Monday. Also, the member opposite knows I actually made the announcement during the debate when the member opposite was standing right here in front of me. In that statement, I actually commended the great work of our CF-18 pilots at that time, and the press release was sent out after that.
Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the member opposite does not believe in a market mechanism that will help tackle climate change, create clean jobs, and stimulate innovation. More than 80% of Canadians will soon live in a jurisdiction where there is carbon pricing, and major Canadian corporations, as well as international corporations, already build the price of carbon into their investment decisions. We look forward to sitting down with the premiers, unlike the other government, to actually look into how we can move forward to have a real plan to grow our economy and tackle climate change.
Mr. Speaker, between 2006 and 2015, the Conservative government took an axe to Statistics Canada. More than 539 products were slashed, including crucial information needed to make informed policy decisions, such as information on food production, farm prices, GDP, and much more. All of these products are no longer available to researchers, scientists, policy-makers, and Canadians.Will the government bring back these crucial products, or will it continue the Conservative war on science?
Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals understood the importance they would not be abandoning 2,600 families, and that is what they are doing.Before the election, the Liberals promised they would defend Aveos jobs. Now the minister and the government say they will reopen the Air Canada Public Participation Act. This legislation was implemented to protect good aerospace jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mississauga. Why are the Liberals planning to remove these legal protections for thousands of good aerospace maintenance jobs across Canada? Why will they not stand up for these good Canadian jobs?
Mr. Speaker, innovative companies not only in British Columbia but right across this country rely on stock options to keep smart young Canadians working right here at home. If we do not keep our taxes competitive, these young people will simply go elsewhere.Shopify is a Canadian innovation success story, and we know that the CEO and many other CEOs have called on the Liberals to abandon their misguided plan to tax stock options.Will the Minister of Finance listen to the people who are actually creating the good jobs for these young people and cancel this misguided tax hike?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, and that is the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. We know that, from the outset, the Prime Minister has not stopped boasting about Quebec's experience in this regard. I would like to remind members that Quebec's experience ended with a free vote by MNAs. I know what I am talking about. I was there.Last week, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons announced, not in the House but in the paper, that the vote on this issue would be a party vote and that members would have to toe the party line. The Liberal members for Scarborough and Winnipeg have already said that this does not make any sense, and they are right.I appeal to the Liberal Party to use common sense and keep its word.Will the Liberals allow members to vote according to their conscience, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board just said, we were elected. Yes, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run a maximum deficit of $10 billion, and that has now become the minimum deficit.They were elected on the promise that they would make revenue-neutral tax changes, when in actual fact those changes are going to cost us $1.7 billion. They were also elected on a promise regarding the F-35s and we do not know what is happening with that. The answer may be yes or it may be no. My question is simple.What promise will they break next?
Mr. Speaker, as a coalition, we fight as a team. We defend each other as a team, as well. When we put our military package together for the coalition, we consulted, we looked at the gaps, and we provided the necessary capacity. This is the reason why, I will repeat, we are tripling our training capacity, providing intelligence, and even putting in additional capabilities, which I personally briefed my critic about over the phone on the day we made the announcement.
Mr. Speaker, all week long, we, the Conservative members, have asked the government questions about the state of the public finances and control of public spending. Unfortunately, we did not even come close to getting a reasonable answer. There was no answer. It is very clear that if the Prime Minister were in charge of a company, he would have lost his job a long time ago.When will the Prime Minister manage the government like a good father or mother would do?
Mr. Speaker, such a major transaction will require government approval. At the very least, the government should require transparency from CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers and Montrealers have an attachment to the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It has a unique status in our cultural history. The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors' plans could see the tower torn down. Can the government tell us whether it considered other options for using this building?
Mr. Speaker, across Canada individual governments have priced carbon. This has occurred for a long time. Unlike the previous government, we are actually doing something that seems quite unconventional by recent standards. We meet with the premiers and we work with the provincial governments. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that we have an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy industry here in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, air service, support, and the aeronautics industry is a key industry for Canada. This government understands that. We are working with all stakeholders. We will continue to do that. For instance, we are concerned with the recent issues around Bombardier. We are pleased to see Air Canada purchasing CS300 series planes from Bombardier. This is really important.Members should make no mistake about it. Our government understands the importance of the aeronautical industry, and we will continue to invest in it, support it, and work with its employees and stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, we ran on a growth agenda, and we understand it is very important that we work with our provincial and territorial counterparts. That is why I had the pleasure of meeting with them a few days ago to discuss this very important matter. We were able to make sure that we are making progress on meaningful areas to reduce barriers, to harmonize regulation. We have goodwill. We are co-operating with them. We are working with them, and I am very confident that we will have positive results to announce to Canadians in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we are certainly concerned about the situation in Saskatchewan and the job losses that are due to low commodity prices. However, unlike the previous government, we believe that the environment and the economy go together. That is why we are working with the provinces and territories to have a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change but to also stimulate innovation and grow a clean economy.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that our government did was to bring back the long-form census. That is a clear indication that we will bring back evidence-based decision-making in government to replace the Conservatives decision-based evidence-making, which was going on for 10 years, because we believe not only in open and transparent government but that we can make the best possible decisions when we have the best evidence.I agree with the hon. member, and we will continue to ensure that the Canadian government makes the best decisions with the best evidence.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to implement a plan that will stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We will continue to make significant investments to that end, because it is a priority for our government. It is even more important to recognize that it is a priority for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for Canadians. That is why there is a parliamentary committee studying and working on a report on the issue. We look forward to receiving the report. We will take that report seriously and we will work with members of Parliament from all parties in a non-partisan way on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the aerospace sector is very important to the Canadian economy. It employs close to 180,000 people. It contributes $29 billion to our GDP. That is why we are engaged with the company. We are looking at the business case. We are doing the due diligence. We are going to make sure we make the right decision in the best interests of Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for SydneyVictoria for his work on this file and for that tough question.The Conservatives refused to disclose information about their 2012 budget cuts to Canadians and to the parliamentary budget officer. Our government has released this information because government information belongs to Canadians. Our government will continue to be open and transparent with Canadians because we believe it is the right thing for a government to do, as we believe in open-by-default government.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way is right to state that the previous Conservative government had organized labour in its crosshairs. We saw that time and again, with Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 for example, which I am very pleased that our minister's first piece of legislation, Bill C-4, will repeal.We will continue to work on labour issues, fair wages, and the definition of danger. Those are important issues and we will continue to pursue them as we go forward.
Mr. Speaker, we are working with all regions of the country to create an environment where we can have economic growth.For instance, one of the most important issues is to have market access for Canadian petroleum. Under the previous government, the Conservatives were unsuccessful in getting one metre of access to tidewater for Canadian energy. That is because they refused to work with provinces. They refused to work with the environmental community, and they refused to work with aboriginal and first nations leaders. We are working with our partners and stakeholders because we know what it takes to actually make economic progress for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, unlike the previous government, our government believes that the environment and the economy go together. Unfortunately, under the previous government, because the Conservatives took a position against developing resources in a sustainable way and diversifying the economy, we actually were not able to create the jobs that we need to grow the economy of the future. What we are doing now is that we are going to be working with the provinces and the territories to develop a plan that tackles climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that also moves us forward to a lower-carbon economy with good, new jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very thoughtful question.I want to say that we do support the treaty, because we understand that many Canadians live with print disability. For these Canadians, it can be especially difficult to obtain access to the printed material they need to participate in the economy and our society.This government is working to address this challenge by facilitating, for persons with a print disability, published works around areas of audio and large print to provide greater accessibility and opportunities for all Canadians.I will continue to work with the member opposite on this very important matter and will make sure we advance it. As I said from the beginning, we do support this very important treaty.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Canada-Europe free trade agreement would be ratified this year. It is therefore time to put in place a compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers who will be penalized by this agreement. Will the Minister of Agriculture honour his government's commitments and set up that promised compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers, one that lives up to their expectations?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.On October 19, Canadians made a very clear choice: they chose growth. In December, we started to follow through on our plan by lowering taxes for the middle class, a measure that is benefiting more than nine million Canadians.In the upcoming budget, we will continue with the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. In addition to that, our infrastructure program will promote economic growth across the country.On October 19, Canadians made a clear choice. They chose growth.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we are doing the right thing by investing in infrastructure, by giving middle-income Canadians a break, and by helping low-income families with a new Canada child benefit. We are doing what economists like Larry Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, say is the right thing to do. We are doing what David Dodge, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, says is the right thing to do. We are listening to experts, not to the Conservatives from whom we inherited debt, deficits, and a low-growth economy.
Mr. Speaker, it is common in this place when a minister misspeaks and says something that is factually incorrect to correct the record as soon as possible. To assist the President of the Treasury Board with that, I would like to table the Fiscal Monitor from November from the Minister of Finance's own department which shows that the Conservative Party left the Liberals with a surplus. I would like to
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to wellness. We were proud to announce two new tools, the OSI resource for caregivers and the veterans' mental health tutorial. These online resources will help to better understand veterans' mental health issues and reduce stigma. These are just the first steps in a better approach.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question. I will reiterate that, as announced on November 12, 2015, the Government of Canada will not re-open the tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and Ports Toronto. All three parties of the tripartite agreement must concur on any amendments.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to investing in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that they are able to operate as a true blue-water force while also growing our economy and creating jobs. To support our electoral commitment to be more transparent and open, we will be providing regular updates to Parliament and the public on the progress of the shipbuilding strategy. We are always looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of procurement processes so we can save time and money.
Mr. Speaker, all options were considered for the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It is important that the Maison de Radio-Canada facilities be modern and adapted to the new media reality, with the shift to digital. We value CBC/Radio-Canada. We will reinvest in the corporation. I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm's-length corporation.
Mr. Speaker, when Canadian Forces members are deployed across the world, their spouses and their children are just as much a part of that deployment. They live it alongside our service men and women as if they were on the front lines also.Coming home, wounded or not, the primary support for forces members and veterans is their family. The government promised to do more to support families as they support veterans.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what steps he has taken to begin this work?
Mr. Speaker, a renewed federal fleet is a key enabler of important government priorities, including our sovereignty, preserving our fish stocks, monitoring the impact of climate change, and supporting the Canadian economy by creating jobs. To date, more than 300 Canadian companies have received work as a result of the shipbuilding strategy. The vessels will be built in Canada. It is estimated that the shipbuilding strategy will create up to 15,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in annual economic benefits over the next 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade confirmed that officials in her department are negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement because, as she said, It is essential for Canadians. Actually, for some Quebec communities, it is more than essential; it is vital. According to the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, 20,000 Quebeckers have lost their jobs in the forestry industry over the last decade.What will the minister do to ensure that the new agreement recognizes Quebec's forestry regime, which is vital to Quebec regions such as Abitibi and the North Shore, and to ensure that our regime is not considered a subsidy, as is the case in the United States?
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity actually to visit Shopify. It is an incredible Canadian success story, and what is encouraging is that they have a government that is really committed to a comprehensive innovation agenda, an agenda that will create opportunities for companies like Shopify to expand and go into operation.We have heard their concerns around stock options. We are engaged with them. More important, they are very excited about the fact that this government is going to be putting forward an innovation agenda that will really help companies grow and succeed here and be competitive globally as well.
Mr. Speaker, our government is not only standing up for Canadian jobs, we are actually investing in creating Canadian jobs. We are investing in science, we are investing in innovation, we are investing in infrastructure, the kinds of investments that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. We understand the importance of investing in Canadians and investing in Canadian innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are waiting for CBC/Radio-Canada to consult with its partners to evaluate all the options. We realize that Maison de Radio-Canada is very important to Montreal and that it is a meeting place for Canadians.We will reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada to help with the digital transformation and plan for the future. All reinvestments will be made in co-operation and consultation with the broadcaster and the artistic and cultural communities.
Mr. Speaker, we remain engaged with consumers. We remain engaged with the companies that have brought forward this proposal. We want to make sure that we create an environment for them to be able to provide their services.As I said, with respect to the CRTC, it is an independent tribunal and it will make its own decisions, but we want to promote competition, we want to promote choice, and we will continue to make sure we advance this file as part of our overall innovation agenda that will allow an opportunity for better choices for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. As he knows, the CRTC is an arm's-length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. However, for me, the telecommunications sector is an essential platform for innovation, particularly in this digital economy. That is why we continue to support competition, choice, and availability of services. We want to make sure we continue to foster a strong investment climate to make sure we have greater competition and better choice for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.The Government of Canada strongly supports free trade and the implementation of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. It will stimulate investment, open up new markets, create jobs, and benefit Canadian consumers. The agreement will improve market access for Canada's agricultural exports and imports.We will work with the departments involved and representatives from the provinces and territories to implement this agreement.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said his only goal was to free every Canadian in trouble around the world. Ernest Fenwick Macintosh is a Canadian and a convicted pedophile. He is in jail in Nepal right now for sexually assaulting a child. In 1997, the government issued a passport when it should not have done so. Is this someone that the Liberals want to bring back to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, I feel obligated to remind the Liberals of how barbaric ISIS terrorists are. This week they publicly beheaded a 15-year-old boy for listening to pop music. The U.S. State Department reported that ISIS used mustard gas in a deadly attack against Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga. The new Liberal plan puts our troops at increased risk and ignores the immediate security needs of innocent civilians.Now that our CF-18s can no longer take out ISIS from the air, will the Prime Minister be using reason to stop ISIS from carrying out these atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, does the delay-and-study party, a.k.a. the Liberals, understand that the people of Saskatchewan are hurting? The downturn in the oil and gas industry has left thousands of Saskatchewanians out of work. I see the devastating effects every time I drive in my riding. Now the Liberals are scheming to impose a carbon tax, against the will of Canadians in Saskatchewan. Why are they imposing a job-killing carbon tax at a time when people in the energy sector are losing their jobs daily?
Mr. Speaker, under our watch, four major pipeline projects were built, and the first thing they did was kill northern gateway.A new national carbon tax would devastate all aspects of the economy, making Canadians pay more for everything they buy, and it will drive out investment. Premier Brad Wall has warned that this new tax would hurt economic growth and cost jobs across the country. Saskatchewan has indicated it wants no part of this job-killing scheme. The Liberals talk about working with the provinces. Will the minister stand in the House and guarantee that Saskatchewan can opt out of this terrible idea?
Mr. Speaker, this government is certainly determined to strengthen all the programs that will educate Canadians against racism and intolerance, and to have a more tolerant and open-minded country, especially regarding our Jewish community.This being said, the attempt of the Conservatives to divide the House on this issue failed yesterday, and it will always fail as long as we have this government in place.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with hon. member opposite about the atrocities that ISIL is committing, but I would also remind him that with an enemy like this that commits these atrocities, we cannot take it out from the air. It can only be done on the ground. This is the reason we are tripling our training capacity and doubling our intelligence, so that we can actually work as part of a coalition and defeat ISIS finally.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked that question. Regarding an anti-armour capability, it should have been provided before the Liberal government was elected, when our ground troops went there in the first place. This capability was not there.I would also like to remind her that the reason we are putting this in is that in inclement weather, the air strikes cannot take place. If there is a threat that can only be taken care of by anti-armour capability, we need a portable system to do so, and that system is not in our inventory any more. This decision was made by the previous government and I am going to bring that capability back.
Mr. Speaker, every week that goes by, the Prime Minister breaks another election promise. Revenue-neutral tax cuts, deficits, balanced budgetsall broken promises. To make matters worse, the Prime Minister is spending billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on foreign vanity projects. Now we are hearing that he has a scheme to impose a harmful carbon tax on provinces like Saskatchewan at the absolutely worst time for our energy industry. Why is the Liberal government punishing Canadians at a time when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, it has been the same old story from this government for months. We even heard the story this morning: a plan for this, a plan for that.The only plan we can see is a plan to mess things up. This week we learned from public servants at Public Services and Procurement Canada that the Liberals' plan was to have tugboats and fireboats built outside Canada.Can the minister tell us why these boats should not be built here, in Canada, by Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?
Mr. Speaker, harassment within the RCMP is once again making headlines.Things are supposedly under control, but the problem is clearly systemic. Furthermore, the RCMP seems incapable of handling its internal complaints in a fair manner. There is no respect for victims, allegations are not taken seriously, and punishments are laughable.When will the government demand that the RCMP take things seriously?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence said that we need to be on the ground to combat the so-called Islamic State. Since he has confirmed that our soldiers are involved in ground operations where they could be exposed to enemy fire, he has the duty to protect them. However, he is withdrawing our CF-18s from the fight.Why is the minister asking our allies to take our place in protecting our soldiers?
Mr. Speaker, that will not bring down cell phone prices. Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world, yet the previous government failed to make any progress, and the Liberals have shown no interest.Yesterday the CRTC denied an appeal to spark real competition in the wireless sector by allowing new small players into the market. What action are Liberals going to take to stop Canadians from getting gouged? Will the minister step in to review this proposal?
Mr. Speaker, Canada will be there to give consular help to Canadians when it is appropriate, and all the help they are entitled to have.Who we want to free are those Canadians that are unfairly put in jail everywhere in the world. That is what I want to say. If it were not clear for my colleague, I am pleased to clarify it for him today. I hope he is clear on it now.
Mr. Speaker, a search for Zika virus prevention in Canada on the Health Canada website yields nothing. The United States, Brazil, and many other countries have shown their citizens that they have preventive measures in place. Here in Canada, however, we have heard nothing from the minister to explain to Canadians what she is doing to protect against Zika. Why has the minister done nothing to protect Canadians against this virus?
Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead. Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?
Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report from the National Bank of Canada, the Liberals are on track to add $90 billion to Canada's debt.In Manitoba, we have witnessed how runaway NDP deficits destroyed our province's credit rating while Premier Selinger raised taxes and drove away business. The tax-and-spend policies of the NDP in Manitoba did not work, so can the Minister of Finance tell us why the new Liberal government wants to burden Canadians by repeating the terrible NDP mistakes?
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is speaking in the House on the government's motion on the ISIS mission, the defence minister quietly issued a press release saying our CF-18s dropped their last bombs on Monday and were headed home. In his press release, the Minister of National Defence did not even thank or acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Canada's fighter jets. This comes before the House has even had a chance to vote on the motion.The Prime Minister promised a debate and a vote, knowing full well he would blatantly ignore the democratic will of Parliament. Why is the government more interested in retreat than debate?
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.
Mr. Speaker, harassment in any workplace is a serious issue. It must be dealt with fairly and immediately, but according to new reports, complaints about things like bullying and sexual touching were raised by former RCMP employees in 2014 and 2015 but were too often ignored. When fault was found, the penalties were just not credible. The RCMP investigating itself is just not working. Will the minister agree to take this on directly and order a full, independent review of harassment in the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, the March 2016 deadline for a new agreement on internal trade is fast approaching. I know government members like to tell us that they are working really hard while consulting on consultation, but Canada desperately needs a long overdue new agreement on internal trade.Will the Prime Minister announce a new agreement on internal trade when he meets with Canadian premiers next month in Vancouver, or will he promise more promises and come home empty-handed?
Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement recently stated that the new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy do not have to be built in Canada. Minister after minister, even today, has stood in this House and told us they have a plan, a plan to grow the economy and create jobs through infrastructure spending. Yet when they have the opportunity to do so, the first thing they do is look to send the jobs overseas instead of supporting our shipbuilding sector.Will the minister tell us why the Liberals would rather farm out jobs to foreign countries than create the high-paying jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the matter of the Zika virus epidemic is something that we have taken very seriously. My colleagues in the Public Health Agency of Canada have been very active on this file on a daily basis collaborating with our international partners at the World Health Organization. We have advised Canadians every day to make sure they are taking protective measures if it is necessary for them to travel to affected regions. We have also advised, if women are pregnant or considering pregnancy, that they avoid travel to affected countries. All of that information is available at travel.gc.ca.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I have sat down with the representatives, my counterparts, from the provinces and territories to talk about a pan-Canadian plan to tackle climate change but also to set our economy on a new path where we have sustainable growth. We have done this. The Prime Minister is meeting on March 3 with the premiers of the provinces, as well as the territories, to actually develop this pan-Canadian plan. We are well aware of the challenges faced by Saskatchewan and other provinces. That is why we are going to invest in green infrastructure and is how we are going to create clean jobs.
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire incident when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four of them. Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.What did the minister mean yesterday when he said that our special forces in Iraq needed anti-armour? Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?
Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on and that makes everyone angry, it is the lack of competition for wireless carriers.Yesterday, the CRTC refused to give small players access to the infrastructure they need to grow and develop. This means that there will be less competition, when more would certainly have been easier on Canadians' wallets.Can the minister tell us what he plans to do to ensure more competition, which will allow for broader coverage and lower prices?
Mr. Speaker, former Aveos employees feel betrayed. After winning two court cases against Air Canada to save their jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Mississauga, they have now learned that the government wants to change the law to relieve Air Canada of its obligations.Before the election, the Prime Minister promised to fight for these former employees. The Prime Minister's response yesterday totally missed the mark.Why is the government giving up on the 2,600 unemployed Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was pleased to see backbench members from across the aisle clearly condemn the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions movement and agree to support our motion. Will the frontbench Liberals be clear and unequivocal in fully condemning the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as our allies in Britain have already done, and will they launch an education program to inform Canadians of the anti-Semitic nature of the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated was the best course of action in his speech yesterday here in the House?
Mr. Speaker, this government's openness and transparency is refreshing after a decade of deceit and denial by the previous government. In fact, important financial information on numerous federal programs was kept hidden by the previous government, even when requested by the parliamentary budget officer.Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the actions he is taking to ensure that the PBO finally receives the information that has long been requested?
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that the CBC/Radio-Canada tower is officially for sale.This plan has raised some serious concerns from the beginning, and there has been no transparency. CBC/Radio-Canada's production capacity is at stake. Management has not offered any guarantees that it will be maintained.Can the government tell us whether it truly plans to hand a blank cheque to CBC/Radio-Canada? What guarantees will it require?
Mr. Speaker, for months the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been promising Canadians a Canada-wide climate-change plan. Despite repeated requests to do so, the minister has failed to deliver such a plan, another broken promise. At the same time, she is boasting about billion-dollar climate-change projects in foreign countries and scheming on a tax grab, which would impose more punishing carbon taxes on Canadians. My question is for the minister. As the broken promises pile up, why is she abandoning the thousands of working Canadians who are losing their jobs because of her policies?
Mr. Speaker, for people who are visually impaired and love to read, the good news is that there are 285,000 books in Braille, audio, and large print available around the world, in addition to what is already available at home. The problem is that the copyright laws keep those books out of this country. That is the bad news.Last spring our government introduced legislation to change copyright and implement the Marrakesh Treaty in order to make more than a quarter of a million books available to the visually impaired at zero cost to taxpayers.I wonder if the government would commit today to reintroducing this legislation and working with all parliamentarians to pass it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question even though I do not really understand it. If any party has been clear about its plan for the middle class, it is the current government.In December, we cut taxes for the middle class, which will help over nine million Canadians. We even told our colleagues opposite and all Canadians that the upcoming budget will include the Canadian benefit for families, which will start in July and help nine out of 10 families, as well as our infrastructure program. We have a comprehensive program to stimulate the economy and help children and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attack on labour rights included stripping the rights of workers to refuse unsafe work, and rolling back health and safety protections for federally regulated workers.These are fundamental labour rights that took generations to achieve. Yet, despite the Liberal election promises, the new government has failed to act. Instead of patting themselves on the back, will the Liberals give working Canadians a straight answer today for why they are refusing to reverse these Conservative attacks on the protection of workers?
Mr. Speaker, the government is out of touch with Canadians.In just 100 days, it has done nothing to help the most vulnerable in society. It has done nothing to help low-income families, and it continues to keep them in the dark.Why is the minister making moms and dads wait months to hear about their latest tax scheme? How are families supposed to plan their budgets when they are being told to hang in there until July 1?
Mr. Speaker, the absolute worst thing one can do during an economic downturn is to burden Canadians with higher taxes. The proposed national carbon tax would kneecap the energy sector. Canadians out of work across the country expect the government to grow the economy, not add additional burdens. This is a terrible idea that could not come at a worse time. Higher taxes on energy will make Canadian oil even less competitive on the world stage. Is the minister trying to completely destroy the western Canadian economy, or is he just doing it by accident?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.This issue is a top priority. Our goal is to maintain stable access to the American market for Canada's softwood lumber industry. We will work with our American partners, and we are working very hard on this issue. This specific issue has been raised with President Obama, Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Our officials are working very hard on this file. It is important for Quebec, for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Maritimes. We know it is important. We are hard at work.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need jobs. Bombardier has the potential to create much needed jobs if the Toronto Island airport is allowed to expand. However, the Minister of Transport has overruled the decision not only of Toronto City Council but of the Toronto port authority. He has blocked the expansion of the Toronto Island airport.Why is the Minister of Transport blocking Bombardier from creating jobs for Canadians and preventing the expansion of the Toronto Island airport?
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement, we stated that the bombing campaign by the CF-18s would end on February 22, but that the exact decision would be made by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the coalition. That decision was made for Monday. Also, the member opposite knows I actually made the announcement during the debate when the member opposite was standing right here in front of me. In that statement, I actually commended the great work of our CF-18 pilots at that time, and the press release was sent out after that.
Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the member opposite does not believe in a market mechanism that will help tackle climate change, create clean jobs, and stimulate innovation. More than 80% of Canadians will soon live in a jurisdiction where there is carbon pricing, and major Canadian corporations, as well as international corporations, already build the price of carbon into their investment decisions. We look forward to sitting down with the premiers, unlike the other government, to actually look into how we can move forward to have a real plan to grow our economy and tackle climate change.
Mr. Speaker, between 2006 and 2015, the Conservative government took an axe to Statistics Canada. More than 539 products were slashed, including crucial information needed to make informed policy decisions, such as information on food production, farm prices, GDP, and much more. All of these products are no longer available to researchers, scientists, policy-makers, and Canadians.Will the government bring back these crucial products, or will it continue the Conservative war on science?
Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals understood the importance they would not be abandoning 2,600 families, and that is what they are doing.Before the election, the Liberals promised they would defend Aveos jobs. Now the minister and the government say they will reopen the Air Canada Public Participation Act. This legislation was implemented to protect good aerospace jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mississauga. Why are the Liberals planning to remove these legal protections for thousands of good aerospace maintenance jobs across Canada? Why will they not stand up for these good Canadian jobs?
Mr. Speaker, innovative companies not only in British Columbia but right across this country rely on stock options to keep smart young Canadians working right here at home. If we do not keep our taxes competitive, these young people will simply go elsewhere.Shopify is a Canadian innovation success story, and we know that the CEO and many other CEOs have called on the Liberals to abandon their misguided plan to tax stock options.Will the Minister of Finance listen to the people who are actually creating the good jobs for these young people and cancel this misguided tax hike?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, and that is the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. We know that, from the outset, the Prime Minister has not stopped boasting about Quebec's experience in this regard. I would like to remind members that Quebec's experience ended with a free vote by MNAs. I know what I am talking about. I was there.Last week, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons announced, not in the House but in the paper, that the vote on this issue would be a party vote and that members would have to toe the party line. The Liberal members for Scarborough and Winnipeg have already said that this does not make any sense, and they are right.I appeal to the Liberal Party to use common sense and keep its word.Will the Liberals allow members to vote according to their conscience, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board just said, we were elected. Yes, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run a maximum deficit of $10 billion, and that has now become the minimum deficit.They were elected on the promise that they would make revenue-neutral tax changes, when in actual fact those changes are going to cost us $1.7 billion. They were also elected on a promise regarding the F-35s and we do not know what is happening with that. The answer may be yes or it may be no. My question is simple.What promise will they break next?
Mr. Speaker, as a coalition, we fight as a team. We defend each other as a team, as well. When we put our military package together for the coalition, we consulted, we looked at the gaps, and we provided the necessary capacity. This is the reason why, I will repeat, we are tripling our training capacity, providing intelligence, and even putting in additional capabilities, which I personally briefed my critic about over the phone on the day we made the announcement.
Mr. Speaker, all week long, we, the Conservative members, have asked the government questions about the state of the public finances and control of public spending. Unfortunately, we did not even come close to getting a reasonable answer. There was no answer. It is very clear that if the Prime Minister were in charge of a company, he would have lost his job a long time ago.When will the Prime Minister manage the government like a good father or mother would do?
Mr. Speaker, such a major transaction will require government approval. At the very least, the government should require transparency from CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers and Montrealers have an attachment to the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It has a unique status in our cultural history. The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors' plans could see the tower torn down. Can the government tell us whether it considered other options for using this building?
Mr. Speaker, across Canada individual governments have priced carbon. This has occurred for a long time. Unlike the previous government, we are actually doing something that seems quite unconventional by recent standards. We meet with the premiers and we work with the provincial governments. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that we have an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy industry here in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, air service, support, and the aeronautics industry is a key industry for Canada. This government understands that. We are working with all stakeholders. We will continue to do that. For instance, we are concerned with the recent issues around Bombardier. We are pleased to see Air Canada purchasing CS300 series planes from Bombardier. This is really important.Members should make no mistake about it. Our government understands the importance of the aeronautical industry, and we will continue to invest in it, support it, and work with its employees and stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, we ran on a growth agenda, and we understand it is very important that we work with our provincial and territorial counterparts. That is why I had the pleasure of meeting with them a few days ago to discuss this very important matter. We were able to make sure that we are making progress on meaningful areas to reduce barriers, to harmonize regulation. We have goodwill. We are co-operating with them. We are working with them, and I am very confident that we will have positive results to announce to Canadians in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we are certainly concerned about the situation in Saskatchewan and the job losses that are due to low commodity prices. However, unlike the previous government, we believe that the environment and the economy go together. That is why we are working with the provinces and territories to have a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change but to also stimulate innovation and grow a clean economy.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that our government did was to bring back the long-form census. That is a clear indication that we will bring back evidence-based decision-making in government to replace the Conservatives decision-based evidence-making, which was going on for 10 years, because we believe not only in open and transparent government but that we can make the best possible decisions when we have the best evidence.I agree with the hon. member, and we will continue to ensure that the Canadian government makes the best decisions with the best evidence.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to implement a plan that will stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We will continue to make significant investments to that end, because it is a priority for our government. It is even more important to recognize that it is a priority for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for Canadians. That is why there is a parliamentary committee studying and working on a report on the issue. We look forward to receiving the report. We will take that report seriously and we will work with members of Parliament from all parties in a non-partisan way on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the aerospace sector is very important to the Canadian economy. It employs close to 180,000 people. It contributes $29 billion to our GDP. That is why we are engaged with the company. We are looking at the business case. We are doing the due diligence. We are going to make sure we make the right decision in the best interests of Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for SydneyVictoria for his work on this file and for that tough question.The Conservatives refused to disclose information about their 2012 budget cuts to Canadians and to the parliamentary budget officer. Our government has released this information because government information belongs to Canadians. Our government will continue to be open and transparent with Canadians because we believe it is the right thing for a government to do, as we believe in open-by-default government.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way is right to state that the previous Conservative government had organized labour in its crosshairs. We saw that time and again, with Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 for example, which I am very pleased that our minister's first piece of legislation, Bill C-4, will repeal.We will continue to work on labour issues, fair wages, and the definition of danger. Those are important issues and we will continue to pursue them as we go forward.
Mr. Speaker, we are working with all regions of the country to create an environment where we can have economic growth.For instance, one of the most important issues is to have market access for Canadian petroleum. Under the previous government, the Conservatives were unsuccessful in getting one metre of access to tidewater for Canadian energy. That is because they refused to work with provinces. They refused to work with the environmental community, and they refused to work with aboriginal and first nations leaders. We are working with our partners and stakeholders because we know what it takes to actually make economic progress for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, unlike the previous government, our government believes that the environment and the economy go together. Unfortunately, under the previous government, because the Conservatives took a position against developing resources in a sustainable way and diversifying the economy, we actually were not able to create the jobs that we need to grow the economy of the future. What we are doing now is that we are going to be working with the provinces and the territories to develop a plan that tackles climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that also moves us forward to a lower-carbon economy with good, new jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very thoughtful question.I want to say that we do support the treaty, because we understand that many Canadians live with print disability. For these Canadians, it can be especially difficult to obtain access to the printed material they need to participate in the economy and our society.This government is working to address this challenge by facilitating, for persons with a print disability, published works around areas of audio and large print to provide greater accessibility and opportunities for all Canadians.I will continue to work with the member opposite on this very important matter and will make sure we advance it. As I said from the beginning, we do support this very important treaty.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Canada-Europe free trade agreement would be ratified this year. It is therefore time to put in place a compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers who will be penalized by this agreement. Will the Minister of Agriculture honour his government's commitments and set up that promised compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers, one that lives up to their expectations?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.On October 19, Canadians made a very clear choice: they chose growth. In December, we started to follow through on our plan by lowering taxes for the middle class, a measure that is benefiting more than nine million Canadians.In the upcoming budget, we will continue with the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. In addition to that, our infrastructure program will promote economic growth across the country.On October 19, Canadians made a clear choice. They chose growth.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we are doing the right thing by investing in infrastructure, by giving middle-income Canadians a break, and by helping low-income families with a new Canada child benefit. We are doing what economists like Larry Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, say is the right thing to do. We are doing what David Dodge, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, says is the right thing to do. We are listening to experts, not to the Conservatives from whom we inherited debt, deficits, and a low-growth economy.
Mr. Speaker, it is common in this place when a minister misspeaks and says something that is factually incorrect to correct the record as soon as possible. To assist the President of the Treasury Board with that, I would like to table the Fiscal Monitor from November from the Minister of Finance's own department which shows that the Conservative Party left the Liberals with a surplus. I would like to
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to wellness. We were proud to announce two new tools, the OSI resource for caregivers and the veterans' mental health tutorial. These online resources will help to better understand veterans' mental health issues and reduce stigma. These are just the first steps in a better approach.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question. I will reiterate that, as announced on November 12, 2015, the Government of Canada will not re-open the tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and Ports Toronto. All three parties of the tripartite agreement must concur on any amendments.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to investing in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that they are able to operate as a true blue-water force while also growing our economy and creating jobs. To support our electoral commitment to be more transparent and open, we will be providing regular updates to Parliament and the public on the progress of the shipbuilding strategy. We are always looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of procurement processes so we can save time and money.
Mr. Speaker, all options were considered for the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It is important that the Maison de Radio-Canada facilities be modern and adapted to the new media reality, with the shift to digital. We value CBC/Radio-Canada. We will reinvest in the corporation. I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm's-length corporation.
Mr. Speaker, when Canadian Forces members are deployed across the world, their spouses and their children are just as much a part of that deployment. They live it alongside our service men and women as if they were on the front lines also.Coming home, wounded or not, the primary support for forces members and veterans is their family. The government promised to do more to support families as they support veterans.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what steps he has taken to begin this work?
Mr. Speaker, a renewed federal fleet is a key enabler of important government priorities, including our sovereignty, preserving our fish stocks, monitoring the impact of climate change, and supporting the Canadian economy by creating jobs. To date, more than 300 Canadian companies have received work as a result of the shipbuilding strategy. The vessels will be built in Canada. It is estimated that the shipbuilding strategy will create up to 15,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in annual economic benefits over the next 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade confirmed that officials in her department are negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement because, as she said, It is essential for Canadians. Actually, for some Quebec communities, it is more than essential; it is vital. According to the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, 20,000 Quebeckers have lost their jobs in the forestry industry over the last decade.What will the minister do to ensure that the new agreement recognizes Quebec's forestry regime, which is vital to Quebec regions such as Abitibi and the North Shore, and to ensure that our regime is not considered a subsidy, as is the case in the United States?
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity actually to visit Shopify. It is an incredible Canadian success story, and what is encouraging is that they have a government that is really committed to a comprehensive innovation agenda, an agenda that will create opportunities for companies like Shopify to expand and go into operation.We have heard their concerns around stock options. We are engaged with them. More important, they are very excited about the fact that this government is going to be putting forward an innovation agenda that will really help companies grow and succeed here and be competitive globally as well.
Mr. Speaker, our government is not only standing up for Canadian jobs, we are actually investing in creating Canadian jobs. We are investing in science, we are investing in innovation, we are investing in infrastructure, the kinds of investments that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. We understand the importance of investing in Canadians and investing in Canadian innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are waiting for CBC/Radio-Canada to consult with its partners to evaluate all the options. We realize that Maison de Radio-Canada is very important to Montreal and that it is a meeting place for Canadians.We will reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada to help with the digital transformation and plan for the future. All reinvestments will be made in co-operation and consultation with the broadcaster and the artistic and cultural communities.
Mr. Speaker, we remain engaged with consumers. We remain engaged with the companies that have brought forward this proposal. We want to make sure that we create an environment for them to be able to provide their services.As I said, with respect to the CRTC, it is an independent tribunal and it will make its own decisions, but we want to promote competition, we want to promote choice, and we will continue to make sure we advance this file as part of our overall innovation agenda that will allow an opportunity for better choices for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. As he knows, the CRTC is an arm's-length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. However, for me, the telecommunications sector is an essential platform for innovation, particularly in this digital economy. That is why we continue to support competition, choice, and availability of services. We want to make sure we continue to foster a strong investment climate to make sure we have greater competition and better choice for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.The Government of Canada strongly supports free trade and the implementation of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. It will stimulate investment, open up new markets, create jobs, and benefit Canadian consumers. The agreement will improve market access for Canada's agricultural exports and imports.We will work with the departments involved and representatives from the provinces and territories to implement this agreement.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, every week that goes by, the Prime Minister breaks another election promise. Revenue-neutral tax cuts, deficits, balanced budgetsall broken promises. To make matters worse, the Prime Minister is spending billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on foreign vanity projects. Now we are hearing that he has a scheme to impose a harmful carbon tax on provinces like Saskatchewan at the absolutely worst time for our energy industry. Why is the Liberal government punishing Canadians at a time when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, does the delay-and-study party, a.k.a. the Liberals, understand that the people of Saskatchewan are hurting? The downturn in the oil and gas industry has left thousands of Saskatchewanians out of work. I see the devastating effects every time I drive in my riding. Now the Liberals are scheming to impose a carbon tax, against the will of Canadians in Saskatchewan. Why are they imposing a job-killing carbon tax at a time when people in the energy sector are losing their jobs daily?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.
Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead. Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?
Mr. Speaker, the absolute worst thing one can do during an economic downturn is to burden Canadians with higher taxes. The proposed national carbon tax would kneecap the energy sector. Canadians out of work across the country expect the government to grow the economy, not add additional burdens. This is a terrible idea that could not come at a worse time. Higher taxes on energy will make Canadian oil even less competitive on the world stage. Is the minister trying to completely destroy the western Canadian economy, or is he just doing it by accident?
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that the CBC/Radio-Canada tower is officially for sale.This plan has raised some serious concerns from the beginning, and there has been no transparency. CBC/Radio-Canada's production capacity is at stake. Management has not offered any guarantees that it will be maintained.Can the government tell us whether it truly plans to hand a blank cheque to CBC/Radio-Canada? What guarantees will it require?
Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report from the National Bank of Canada, the Liberals are on track to add $90 billion to Canada's debt.In Manitoba, we have witnessed how runaway NDP deficits destroyed our province's credit rating while Premier Selinger raised taxes and drove away business. The tax-and-spend policies of the NDP in Manitoba did not work, so can the Minister of Finance tell us why the new Liberal government wants to burden Canadians by repeating the terrible NDP mistakes?
Mr. Speaker, that will not bring down cell phone prices. Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world, yet the previous government failed to make any progress, and the Liberals have shown no interest.Yesterday the CRTC denied an appeal to spark real competition in the wireless sector by allowing new small players into the market. What action are Liberals going to take to stop Canadians from getting gouged? Will the minister step in to review this proposal?
Mr. Speaker, for months the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been promising Canadians a Canada-wide climate-change plan. Despite repeated requests to do so, the minister has failed to deliver such a plan, another broken promise. At the same time, she is boasting about billion-dollar climate-change projects in foreign countries and scheming on a tax grab, which would impose more punishing carbon taxes on Canadians. My question is for the minister. As the broken promises pile up, why is she abandoning the thousands of working Canadians who are losing their jobs because of her policies?
Mr. Speaker, as a coalition, we fight as a team. We defend each other as a team, as well. When we put our military package together for the coalition, we consulted, we looked at the gaps, and we provided the necessary capacity. This is the reason why, I will repeat, we are tripling our training capacity, providing intelligence, and even putting in additional capabilities, which I personally briefed my critic about over the phone on the day we made the announcement.
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, unlike the previous government, our government believes that the environment and the economy go together. Unfortunately, under the previous government, because the Conservatives took a position against developing resources in a sustainable way and diversifying the economy, we actually were not able to create the jobs that we need to grow the economy of the future. What we are doing now is that we are going to be working with the provinces and the territories to develop a plan that tackles climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that also moves us forward to a lower-carbon economy with good, new jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for SydneyVictoria for his work on this file and for that tough question.The Conservatives refused to disclose information about their 2012 budget cuts to Canadians and to the parliamentary budget officer. Our government has released this information because government information belongs to Canadians. Our government will continue to be open and transparent with Canadians because we believe it is the right thing for a government to do, as we believe in open-by-default government.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attack on labour rights included stripping the rights of workers to refuse unsafe work, and rolling back health and safety protections for federally regulated workers.These are fundamental labour rights that took generations to achieve. Yet, despite the Liberal election promises, the new government has failed to act. Instead of patting themselves on the back, will the Liberals give working Canadians a straight answer today for why they are refusing to reverse these Conservative attacks on the protection of workers?
Mr. Speaker, such a major transaction will require government approval. At the very least, the government should require transparency from CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers and Montrealers have an attachment to the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It has a unique status in our cultural history. The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors' plans could see the tower torn down. Can the government tell us whether it considered other options for using this building?
Mr. Speaker, it has been the same old story from this government for months. We even heard the story this morning: a plan for this, a plan for that.The only plan we can see is a plan to mess things up. This week we learned from public servants at Public Services and Procurement Canada that the Liberals' plan was to have tugboats and fireboats built outside Canada.Can the minister tell us why these boats should not be built here, in Canada, by Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board just said, we were elected. Yes, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run a maximum deficit of $10 billion, and that has now become the minimum deficit.They were elected on the promise that they would make revenue-neutral tax changes, when in actual fact those changes are going to cost us $1.7 billion. They were also elected on a promise regarding the F-35s and we do not know what is happening with that. The answer may be yes or it may be no. My question is simple.What promise will they break next?
Mr. Speaker, our government is not only standing up for Canadian jobs, we are actually investing in creating Canadian jobs. We are investing in science, we are investing in innovation, we are investing in infrastructure, the kinds of investments that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. We understand the importance of investing in Canadians and investing in Canadian innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question. I will reiterate that, as announced on November 12, 2015, the Government of Canada will not re-open the tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and Ports Toronto. All three parties of the tripartite agreement must concur on any amendments.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with hon. member opposite about the atrocities that ISIL is committing, but I would also remind him that with an enemy like this that commits these atrocities, we cannot take it out from the air. It can only be done on the ground. This is the reason we are tripling our training capacity and doubling our intelligence, so that we can actually work as part of a coalition and defeat ISIS finally.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question even though I do not really understand it. If any party has been clear about its plan for the middle class, it is the current government.In December, we cut taxes for the middle class, which will help over nine million Canadians. We even told our colleagues opposite and all Canadians that the upcoming budget will include the Canadian benefit for families, which will start in July and help nine out of 10 families, as well as our infrastructure program. We have a comprehensive program to stimulate the economy and help children and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this government is certainly determined to strengthen all the programs that will educate Canadians against racism and intolerance, and to have a more tolerant and open-minded country, especially regarding our Jewish community.This being said, the attempt of the Conservatives to divide the House on this issue failed yesterday, and it will always fail as long as we have this government in place.
Mr. Speaker, the March 2016 deadline for a new agreement on internal trade is fast approaching. I know government members like to tell us that they are working really hard while consulting on consultation, but Canada desperately needs a long overdue new agreement on internal trade.Will the Prime Minister announce a new agreement on internal trade when he meets with Canadian premiers next month in Vancouver, or will he promise more promises and come home empty-handed?
Mr. Speaker, across Canada individual governments have priced carbon. This has occurred for a long time. Unlike the previous government, we are actually doing something that seems quite unconventional by recent standards. We meet with the premiers and we work with the provincial governments. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that we have an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy industry here in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, harassment within the RCMP is once again making headlines.Things are supposedly under control, but the problem is clearly systemic. Furthermore, the RCMP seems incapable of handling its internal complaints in a fair manner. There is no respect for victims, allegations are not taken seriously, and punishments are laughable.When will the government demand that the RCMP take things seriously?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.This issue is a top priority. Our goal is to maintain stable access to the American market for Canada's softwood lumber industry. We will work with our American partners, and we are working very hard on this issue. This specific issue has been raised with President Obama, Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Our officials are working very hard on this file. It is important for Quebec, for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Maritimes. We know it is important. We are hard at work.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I have sat down with the representatives, my counterparts, from the provinces and territories to talk about a pan-Canadian plan to tackle climate change but also to set our economy on a new path where we have sustainable growth. We have done this. The Prime Minister is meeting on March 3 with the premiers of the provinces, as well as the territories, to actually develop this pan-Canadian plan. We are well aware of the challenges faced by Saskatchewan and other provinces. That is why we are going to invest in green infrastructure and is how we are going to create clean jobs.
Mr. Speaker, this government's openness and transparency is refreshing after a decade of deceit and denial by the previous government. In fact, important financial information on numerous federal programs was kept hidden by the previous government, even when requested by the parliamentary budget officer.Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the actions he is taking to ensure that the PBO finally receives the information that has long been requested?
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire incident when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four of them. Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.What did the minister mean yesterday when he said that our special forces in Iraq needed anti-armour? Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?
Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on and that makes everyone angry, it is the lack of competition for wireless carriers.Yesterday, the CRTC refused to give small players access to the infrastructure they need to grow and develop. This means that there will be less competition, when more would certainly have been easier on Canadians' wallets.Can the minister tell us what he plans to do to ensure more competition, which will allow for broader coverage and lower prices?
Mr. Speaker, all week long, we, the Conservative members, have asked the government questions about the state of the public finances and control of public spending. Unfortunately, we did not even come close to getting a reasonable answer. There was no answer. It is very clear that if the Prime Minister were in charge of a company, he would have lost his job a long time ago.When will the Prime Minister manage the government like a good father or mother would do?
Mr. Speaker, we are certainly concerned about the situation in Saskatchewan and the job losses that are due to low commodity prices. However, unlike the previous government, we believe that the environment and the economy go together. That is why we are working with the provinces and territories to have a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change but to also stimulate innovation and grow a clean economy.
Mr. Speaker, under our watch, four major pipeline projects were built, and the first thing they did was kill northern gateway.A new national carbon tax would devastate all aspects of the economy, making Canadians pay more for everything they buy, and it will drive out investment. Premier Brad Wall has warned that this new tax would hurt economic growth and cost jobs across the country. Saskatchewan has indicated it wants no part of this job-killing scheme. The Liberals talk about working with the provinces. Will the minister stand in the House and guarantee that Saskatchewan can opt out of this terrible idea?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, and that is the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. We know that, from the outset, the Prime Minister has not stopped boasting about Quebec's experience in this regard. I would like to remind members that Quebec's experience ended with a free vote by MNAs. I know what I am talking about. I was there.Last week, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons announced, not in the House but in the paper, that the vote on this issue would be a party vote and that members would have to toe the party line. The Liberal members for Scarborough and Winnipeg have already said that this does not make any sense, and they are right.I appeal to the Liberal Party to use common sense and keep its word.Will the Liberals allow members to vote according to their conscience, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need jobs. Bombardier has the potential to create much needed jobs if the Toronto Island airport is allowed to expand. However, the Minister of Transport has overruled the decision not only of Toronto City Council but of the Toronto port authority. He has blocked the expansion of the Toronto Island airport.Why is the Minister of Transport blocking Bombardier from creating jobs for Canadians and preventing the expansion of the Toronto Island airport?
Mr. Speaker, the matter of the Zika virus epidemic is something that we have taken very seriously. My colleagues in the Public Health Agency of Canada have been very active on this file on a daily basis collaborating with our international partners at the World Health Organization. We have advised Canadians every day to make sure they are taking protective measures if it is necessary for them to travel to affected regions. We have also advised, if women are pregnant or considering pregnancy, that they avoid travel to affected countries. All of that information is available at travel.gc.ca.
Mr. Speaker, it is common in this place when a minister misspeaks and says something that is factually incorrect to correct the record as soon as possible. To assist the President of the Treasury Board with that, I would like to table the Fiscal Monitor from November from the Minister of Finance's own department which shows that the Conservative Party left the Liberals with a surplus. I would like to
Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement recently stated that the new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy do not have to be built in Canada. Minister after minister, even today, has stood in this House and told us they have a plan, a plan to grow the economy and create jobs through infrastructure spending. Yet when they have the opportunity to do so, the first thing they do is look to send the jobs overseas instead of supporting our shipbuilding sector.Will the minister tell us why the Liberals would rather farm out jobs to foreign countries than create the high-paying jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for Canadians. That is why there is a parliamentary committee studying and working on a report on the issue. We look forward to receiving the report. We will take that report seriously and we will work with members of Parliament from all parties in a non-partisan way on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said his only goal was to free every Canadian in trouble around the world. Ernest Fenwick Macintosh is a Canadian and a convicted pedophile. He is in jail in Nepal right now for sexually assaulting a child. In 1997, the government issued a passport when it should not have done so. Is this someone that the Liberals want to bring back to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is speaking in the House on the government's motion on the ISIS mission, the defence minister quietly issued a press release saying our CF-18s dropped their last bombs on Monday and were headed home. In his press release, the Minister of National Defence did not even thank or acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Canada's fighter jets. This comes before the House has even had a chance to vote on the motion.The Prime Minister promised a debate and a vote, knowing full well he would blatantly ignore the democratic will of Parliament. Why is the government more interested in retreat than debate?
Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the member opposite does not believe in a market mechanism that will help tackle climate change, create clean jobs, and stimulate innovation. More than 80% of Canadians will soon live in a jurisdiction where there is carbon pricing, and major Canadian corporations, as well as international corporations, already build the price of carbon into their investment decisions. We look forward to sitting down with the premiers, unlike the other government, to actually look into how we can move forward to have a real plan to grow our economy and tackle climate change.
Mr. Speaker, I feel obligated to remind the Liberals of how barbaric ISIS terrorists are. This week they publicly beheaded a 15-year-old boy for listening to pop music. The U.S. State Department reported that ISIS used mustard gas in a deadly attack against Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga. The new Liberal plan puts our troops at increased risk and ignores the immediate security needs of innocent civilians.Now that our CF-18s can no longer take out ISIS from the air, will the Prime Minister be using reason to stop ISIS from carrying out these atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade confirmed that officials in her department are negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement because, as she said, It is essential for Canadians. Actually, for some Quebec communities, it is more than essential; it is vital. According to the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, 20,000 Quebeckers have lost their jobs in the forestry industry over the last decade.What will the minister do to ensure that the new agreement recognizes Quebec's forestry regime, which is vital to Quebec regions such as Abitibi and the North Shore, and to ensure that our regime is not considered a subsidy, as is the case in the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canada will be there to give consular help to Canadians when it is appropriate, and all the help they are entitled to have.Who we want to free are those Canadians that are unfairly put in jail everywhere in the world. That is what I want to say. If it were not clear for my colleague, I am pleased to clarify it for him today. I hope he is clear on it now.
Mr. Speaker, former Aveos employees feel betrayed. After winning two court cases against Air Canada to save their jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Mississauga, they have now learned that the government wants to change the law to relieve Air Canada of its obligations.Before the election, the Prime Minister promised to fight for these former employees. The Prime Minister's response yesterday totally missed the mark.Why is the government giving up on the 2,600 unemployed Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked that question. Regarding an anti-armour capability, it should have been provided before the Liberal government was elected, when our ground troops went there in the first place. This capability was not there.I would also like to remind her that the reason we are putting this in is that in inclement weather, the air strikes cannot take place. If there is a threat that can only be taken care of by anti-armour capability, we need a portable system to do so, and that system is not in our inventory any more. This decision was made by the previous government and I am going to bring that capability back.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we are doing the right thing by investing in infrastructure, by giving middle-income Canadians a break, and by helping low-income families with a new Canada child benefit. We are doing what economists like Larry Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, say is the right thing to do. We are doing what David Dodge, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, says is the right thing to do. We are listening to experts, not to the Conservatives from whom we inherited debt, deficits, and a low-growth economy.
Mr. Speaker, the government is out of touch with Canadians.In just 100 days, it has done nothing to help the most vulnerable in society. It has done nothing to help low-income families, and it continues to keep them in the dark.Why is the minister making moms and dads wait months to hear about their latest tax scheme? How are families supposed to plan their budgets when they are being told to hang in there until July 1?
Mr. Speaker, air service, support, and the aeronautics industry is a key industry for Canada. This government understands that. We are working with all stakeholders. We will continue to do that. For instance, we are concerned with the recent issues around Bombardier. We are pleased to see Air Canada purchasing CS300 series planes from Bombardier. This is really important.Members should make no mistake about it. Our government understands the importance of the aeronautical industry, and we will continue to invest in it, support it, and work with its employees and stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, harassment in any workplace is a serious issue. It must be dealt with fairly and immediately, but according to new reports, complaints about things like bullying and sexual touching were raised by former RCMP employees in 2014 and 2015 but were too often ignored. When fault was found, the penalties were just not credible. The RCMP investigating itself is just not working. Will the minister agree to take this on directly and order a full, independent review of harassment in the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, all options were considered for the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It is important that the Maison de Radio-Canada facilities be modern and adapted to the new media reality, with the shift to digital. We value CBC/Radio-Canada. We will reinvest in the corporation. I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm's-length corporation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.On October 19, Canadians made a very clear choice: they chose growth. In December, we started to follow through on our plan by lowering taxes for the middle class, a measure that is benefiting more than nine million Canadians.In the upcoming budget, we will continue with the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. In addition to that, our infrastructure program will promote economic growth across the country.On October 19, Canadians made a clear choice. They chose growth.
Mr. Speaker, a search for Zika virus prevention in Canada on the Health Canada website yields nothing. The United States, Brazil, and many other countries have shown their citizens that they have preventive measures in place. Here in Canada, however, we have heard nothing from the minister to explain to Canadians what she is doing to protect against Zika. Why has the minister done nothing to protect Canadians against this virus?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are waiting for CBC/Radio-Canada to consult with its partners to evaluate all the options. We realize that Maison de Radio-Canada is very important to Montreal and that it is a meeting place for Canadians.We will reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada to help with the digital transformation and plan for the future. All reinvestments will be made in co-operation and consultation with the broadcaster and the artistic and cultural communities.
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement, we stated that the bombing campaign by the CF-18s would end on February 22, but that the exact decision would be made by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the coalition. That decision was made for Monday. Also, the member opposite knows I actually made the announcement during the debate when the member opposite was standing right here in front of me. In that statement, I actually commended the great work of our CF-18 pilots at that time, and the press release was sent out after that.
Mr. Speaker, innovative companies not only in British Columbia but right across this country rely on stock options to keep smart young Canadians working right here at home. If we do not keep our taxes competitive, these young people will simply go elsewhere.Shopify is a Canadian innovation success story, and we know that the CEO and many other CEOs have called on the Liberals to abandon their misguided plan to tax stock options.Will the Minister of Finance listen to the people who are actually creating the good jobs for these young people and cancel this misguided tax hike?
Mr. Speaker, we are working with all regions of the country to create an environment where we can have economic growth.For instance, one of the most important issues is to have market access for Canadian petroleum. Under the previous government, the Conservatives were unsuccessful in getting one metre of access to tidewater for Canadian energy. That is because they refused to work with provinces. They refused to work with the environmental community, and they refused to work with aboriginal and first nations leaders. We are working with our partners and stakeholders because we know what it takes to actually make economic progress for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, between 2006 and 2015, the Conservative government took an axe to Statistics Canada. More than 539 products were slashed, including crucial information needed to make informed policy decisions, such as information on food production, farm prices, GDP, and much more. All of these products are no longer available to researchers, scientists, policy-makers, and Canadians.Will the government bring back these crucial products, or will it continue the Conservative war on science?
Mr. Speaker, for people who are visually impaired and love to read, the good news is that there are 285,000 books in Braille, audio, and large print available around the world, in addition to what is already available at home. The problem is that the copyright laws keep those books out of this country. That is the bad news.Last spring our government introduced legislation to change copyright and implement the Marrakesh Treaty in order to make more than a quarter of a million books available to the visually impaired at zero cost to taxpayers.I wonder if the government would commit today to reintroducing this legislation and working with all parliamentarians to pass it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to investing in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that they are able to operate as a true blue-water force while also growing our economy and creating jobs. To support our electoral commitment to be more transparent and open, we will be providing regular updates to Parliament and the public on the progress of the shipbuilding strategy. We are always looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of procurement processes so we can save time and money.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very thoughtful question.I want to say that we do support the treaty, because we understand that many Canadians live with print disability. For these Canadians, it can be especially difficult to obtain access to the printed material they need to participate in the economy and our society.This government is working to address this challenge by facilitating, for persons with a print disability, published works around areas of audio and large print to provide greater accessibility and opportunities for all Canadians.I will continue to work with the member opposite on this very important matter and will make sure we advance it. As I said from the beginning, we do support this very important treaty.
Mr. Speaker, a renewed federal fleet is a key enabler of important government priorities, including our sovereignty, preserving our fish stocks, monitoring the impact of climate change, and supporting the Canadian economy by creating jobs. To date, more than 300 Canadian companies have received work as a result of the shipbuilding strategy. The vessels will be built in Canada. It is estimated that the shipbuilding strategy will create up to 15,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in annual economic benefits over the next 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.The Government of Canada strongly supports free trade and the implementation of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. It will stimulate investment, open up new markets, create jobs, and benefit Canadian consumers. The agreement will improve market access for Canada's agricultural exports and imports.We will work with the departments involved and representatives from the provinces and territories to implement this agreement.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was pleased to see backbench members from across the aisle clearly condemn the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions movement and agree to support our motion. Will the frontbench Liberals be clear and unequivocal in fully condemning the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as our allies in Britain have already done, and will they launch an education program to inform Canadians of the anti-Semitic nature of the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated was the best course of action in his speech yesterday here in the House?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to wellness. We were proud to announce two new tools, the OSI resource for caregivers and the veterans' mental health tutorial. These online resources will help to better understand veterans' mental health issues and reduce stigma. These are just the first steps in a better approach.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. As he knows, the CRTC is an arm's-length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. However, for me, the telecommunications sector is an essential platform for innovation, particularly in this digital economy. That is why we continue to support competition, choice, and availability of services. We want to make sure we continue to foster a strong investment climate to make sure we have greater competition and better choice for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, when Canadian Forces members are deployed across the world, their spouses and their children are just as much a part of that deployment. They live it alongside our service men and women as if they were on the front lines also.Coming home, wounded or not, the primary support for forces members and veterans is their family. The government promised to do more to support families as they support veterans.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what steps he has taken to begin this work?
Mr. Speaker, we ran on a growth agenda, and we understand it is very important that we work with our provincial and territorial counterparts. That is why I had the pleasure of meeting with them a few days ago to discuss this very important matter. We were able to make sure that we are making progress on meaningful areas to reduce barriers, to harmonize regulation. We have goodwill. We are co-operating with them. We are working with them, and I am very confident that we will have positive results to announce to Canadians in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity actually to visit Shopify. It is an incredible Canadian success story, and what is encouraging is that they have a government that is really committed to a comprehensive innovation agenda, an agenda that will create opportunities for companies like Shopify to expand and go into operation.We have heard their concerns around stock options. We are engaged with them. More important, they are very excited about the fact that this government is going to be putting forward an innovation agenda that will really help companies grow and succeed here and be competitive globally as well.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way is right to state that the previous Conservative government had organized labour in its crosshairs. We saw that time and again, with Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 for example, which I am very pleased that our minister's first piece of legislation, Bill C-4, will repeal.We will continue to work on labour issues, fair wages, and the definition of danger. Those are important issues and we will continue to pursue them as we go forward.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the aerospace sector is very important to the Canadian economy. It employs close to 180,000 people. It contributes $29 billion to our GDP. That is why we are engaged with the company. We are looking at the business case. We are doing the due diligence. We are going to make sure we make the right decision in the best interests of Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to implement a plan that will stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We will continue to make significant investments to that end, because it is a priority for our government. It is even more important to recognize that it is a priority for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we remain engaged with consumers. We remain engaged with the companies that have brought forward this proposal. We want to make sure that we create an environment for them to be able to provide their services.As I said, with respect to the CRTC, it is an independent tribunal and it will make its own decisions, but we want to promote competition, we want to promote choice, and we will continue to make sure we advance this file as part of our overall innovation agenda that will allow an opportunity for better choices for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that our government did was to bring back the long-form census. That is a clear indication that we will bring back evidence-based decision-making in government to replace the Conservatives decision-based evidence-making, which was going on for 10 years, because we believe not only in open and transparent government but that we can make the best possible decisions when we have the best evidence.I agree with the hon. member, and we will continue to ensure that the Canadian government makes the best decisions with the best evidence.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence said that we need to be on the ground to combat the so-called Islamic State. Since he has confirmed that our soldiers are involved in ground operations where they could be exposed to enemy fire, he has the duty to protect them. However, he is withdrawing our CF-18s from the fight.Why is the minister asking our allies to take our place in protecting our soldiers?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Canada-Europe free trade agreement would be ratified this year. It is therefore time to put in place a compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers who will be penalized by this agreement. Will the Minister of Agriculture honour his government's commitments and set up that promised compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers, one that lives up to their expectations?
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.
Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals understood the importance they would not be abandoning 2,600 families, and that is what they are doing.Before the election, the Liberals promised they would defend Aveos jobs. Now the minister and the government say they will reopen the Air Canada Public Participation Act. This legislation was implemented to protect good aerospace jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mississauga. Why are the Liberals planning to remove these legal protections for thousands of good aerospace maintenance jobs across Canada? Why will they not stand up for these good Canadian jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.
Mr. Speaker, every week that goes by, the Prime Minister breaks another election promise. Revenue-neutral tax cuts, deficits, balanced budgetsall broken promises. To make matters worse, the Prime Minister is spending billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on foreign vanity projects. Now we are hearing that he has a scheme to impose a harmful carbon tax on provinces like Saskatchewan at the absolutely worst time for our energy industry. Why is the Liberal government punishing Canadians at a time when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, does the delay-and-study party, a.k.a. the Liberals, understand that the people of Saskatchewan are hurting? The downturn in the oil and gas industry has left thousands of Saskatchewanians out of work. I see the devastating effects every time I drive in my riding. Now the Liberals are scheming to impose a carbon tax, against the will of Canadians in Saskatchewan. Why are they imposing a job-killing carbon tax at a time when people in the energy sector are losing their jobs daily?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.
Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead. Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?
Mr. Speaker, the absolute worst thing one can do during an economic downturn is to burden Canadians with higher taxes. The proposed national carbon tax would kneecap the energy sector. Canadians out of work across the country expect the government to grow the economy, not add additional burdens. This is a terrible idea that could not come at a worse time. Higher taxes on energy will make Canadian oil even less competitive on the world stage. Is the minister trying to completely destroy the western Canadian economy, or is he just doing it by accident?
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that the CBC/Radio-Canada tower is officially for sale.This plan has raised some serious concerns from the beginning, and there has been no transparency. CBC/Radio-Canada's production capacity is at stake. Management has not offered any guarantees that it will be maintained.Can the government tell us whether it truly plans to hand a blank cheque to CBC/Radio-Canada? What guarantees will it require?
Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report from the National Bank of Canada, the Liberals are on track to add $90 billion to Canada's debt.In Manitoba, we have witnessed how runaway NDP deficits destroyed our province's credit rating while Premier Selinger raised taxes and drove away business. The tax-and-spend policies of the NDP in Manitoba did not work, so can the Minister of Finance tell us why the new Liberal government wants to burden Canadians by repeating the terrible NDP mistakes?
Mr. Speaker, that will not bring down cell phone prices. Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world, yet the previous government failed to make any progress, and the Liberals have shown no interest.Yesterday the CRTC denied an appeal to spark real competition in the wireless sector by allowing new small players into the market. What action are Liberals going to take to stop Canadians from getting gouged? Will the minister step in to review this proposal?
Mr. Speaker, for months the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been promising Canadians a Canada-wide climate-change plan. Despite repeated requests to do so, the minister has failed to deliver such a plan, another broken promise. At the same time, she is boasting about billion-dollar climate-change projects in foreign countries and scheming on a tax grab, which would impose more punishing carbon taxes on Canadians. My question is for the minister. As the broken promises pile up, why is she abandoning the thousands of working Canadians who are losing their jobs because of her policies?
Mr. Speaker, as a coalition, we fight as a team. We defend each other as a team, as well. When we put our military package together for the coalition, we consulted, we looked at the gaps, and we provided the necessary capacity. This is the reason why, I will repeat, we are tripling our training capacity, providing intelligence, and even putting in additional capabilities, which I personally briefed my critic about over the phone on the day we made the announcement.
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, unlike the previous government, our government believes that the environment and the economy go together. Unfortunately, under the previous government, because the Conservatives took a position against developing resources in a sustainable way and diversifying the economy, we actually were not able to create the jobs that we need to grow the economy of the future. What we are doing now is that we are going to be working with the provinces and the territories to develop a plan that tackles climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that also moves us forward to a lower-carbon economy with good, new jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for SydneyVictoria for his work on this file and for that tough question.The Conservatives refused to disclose information about their 2012 budget cuts to Canadians and to the parliamentary budget officer. Our government has released this information because government information belongs to Canadians. Our government will continue to be open and transparent with Canadians because we believe it is the right thing for a government to do, as we believe in open-by-default government.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attack on labour rights included stripping the rights of workers to refuse unsafe work, and rolling back health and safety protections for federally regulated workers.These are fundamental labour rights that took generations to achieve. Yet, despite the Liberal election promises, the new government has failed to act. Instead of patting themselves on the back, will the Liberals give working Canadians a straight answer today for why they are refusing to reverse these Conservative attacks on the protection of workers?
Mr. Speaker, such a major transaction will require government approval. At the very least, the government should require transparency from CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers and Montrealers have an attachment to the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It has a unique status in our cultural history. The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors' plans could see the tower torn down. Can the government tell us whether it considered other options for using this building?
Mr. Speaker, it has been the same old story from this government for months. We even heard the story this morning: a plan for this, a plan for that.The only plan we can see is a plan to mess things up. This week we learned from public servants at Public Services and Procurement Canada that the Liberals' plan was to have tugboats and fireboats built outside Canada.Can the minister tell us why these boats should not be built here, in Canada, by Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board just said, we were elected. Yes, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run a maximum deficit of $10 billion, and that has now become the minimum deficit.They were elected on the promise that they would make revenue-neutral tax changes, when in actual fact those changes are going to cost us $1.7 billion. They were also elected on a promise regarding the F-35s and we do not know what is happening with that. The answer may be yes or it may be no. My question is simple.What promise will they break next?
Mr. Speaker, our government is not only standing up for Canadian jobs, we are actually investing in creating Canadian jobs. We are investing in science, we are investing in innovation, we are investing in infrastructure, the kinds of investments that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. We understand the importance of investing in Canadians and investing in Canadian innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question. I will reiterate that, as announced on November 12, 2015, the Government of Canada will not re-open the tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and Ports Toronto. All three parties of the tripartite agreement must concur on any amendments.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with hon. member opposite about the atrocities that ISIL is committing, but I would also remind him that with an enemy like this that commits these atrocities, we cannot take it out from the air. It can only be done on the ground. This is the reason we are tripling our training capacity and doubling our intelligence, so that we can actually work as part of a coalition and defeat ISIS finally.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question even though I do not really understand it. If any party has been clear about its plan for the middle class, it is the current government.In December, we cut taxes for the middle class, which will help over nine million Canadians. We even told our colleagues opposite and all Canadians that the upcoming budget will include the Canadian benefit for families, which will start in July and help nine out of 10 families, as well as our infrastructure program. We have a comprehensive program to stimulate the economy and help children and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this government is certainly determined to strengthen all the programs that will educate Canadians against racism and intolerance, and to have a more tolerant and open-minded country, especially regarding our Jewish community.This being said, the attempt of the Conservatives to divide the House on this issue failed yesterday, and it will always fail as long as we have this government in place.
Mr. Speaker, the March 2016 deadline for a new agreement on internal trade is fast approaching. I know government members like to tell us that they are working really hard while consulting on consultation, but Canada desperately needs a long overdue new agreement on internal trade.Will the Prime Minister announce a new agreement on internal trade when he meets with Canadian premiers next month in Vancouver, or will he promise more promises and come home empty-handed?
Mr. Speaker, across Canada individual governments have priced carbon. This has occurred for a long time. Unlike the previous government, we are actually doing something that seems quite unconventional by recent standards. We meet with the premiers and we work with the provincial governments. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that we have an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy industry here in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, harassment within the RCMP is once again making headlines.Things are supposedly under control, but the problem is clearly systemic. Furthermore, the RCMP seems incapable of handling its internal complaints in a fair manner. There is no respect for victims, allegations are not taken seriously, and punishments are laughable.When will the government demand that the RCMP take things seriously?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.This issue is a top priority. Our goal is to maintain stable access to the American market for Canada's softwood lumber industry. We will work with our American partners, and we are working very hard on this issue. This specific issue has been raised with President Obama, Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Our officials are working very hard on this file. It is important for Quebec, for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Maritimes. We know it is important. We are hard at work.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I have sat down with the representatives, my counterparts, from the provinces and territories to talk about a pan-Canadian plan to tackle climate change but also to set our economy on a new path where we have sustainable growth. We have done this. The Prime Minister is meeting on March 3 with the premiers of the provinces, as well as the territories, to actually develop this pan-Canadian plan. We are well aware of the challenges faced by Saskatchewan and other provinces. That is why we are going to invest in green infrastructure and is how we are going to create clean jobs.
Mr. Speaker, this government's openness and transparency is refreshing after a decade of deceit and denial by the previous government. In fact, important financial information on numerous federal programs was kept hidden by the previous government, even when requested by the parliamentary budget officer.Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the actions he is taking to ensure that the PBO finally receives the information that has long been requested?
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire incident when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four of them. Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.What did the minister mean yesterday when he said that our special forces in Iraq needed anti-armour? Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?
Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on and that makes everyone angry, it is the lack of competition for wireless carriers.Yesterday, the CRTC refused to give small players access to the infrastructure they need to grow and develop. This means that there will be less competition, when more would certainly have been easier on Canadians' wallets.Can the minister tell us what he plans to do to ensure more competition, which will allow for broader coverage and lower prices?
Mr. Speaker, all week long, we, the Conservative members, have asked the government questions about the state of the public finances and control of public spending. Unfortunately, we did not even come close to getting a reasonable answer. There was no answer. It is very clear that if the Prime Minister were in charge of a company, he would have lost his job a long time ago.When will the Prime Minister manage the government like a good father or mother would do?
Mr. Speaker, we are certainly concerned about the situation in Saskatchewan and the job losses that are due to low commodity prices. However, unlike the previous government, we believe that the environment and the economy go together. That is why we are working with the provinces and territories to have a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change but to also stimulate innovation and grow a clean economy.
Mr. Speaker, under our watch, four major pipeline projects were built, and the first thing they did was kill northern gateway.A new national carbon tax would devastate all aspects of the economy, making Canadians pay more for everything they buy, and it will drive out investment. Premier Brad Wall has warned that this new tax would hurt economic growth and cost jobs across the country. Saskatchewan has indicated it wants no part of this job-killing scheme. The Liberals talk about working with the provinces. Will the minister stand in the House and guarantee that Saskatchewan can opt out of this terrible idea?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, and that is the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. We know that, from the outset, the Prime Minister has not stopped boasting about Quebec's experience in this regard. I would like to remind members that Quebec's experience ended with a free vote by MNAs. I know what I am talking about. I was there.Last week, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons announced, not in the House but in the paper, that the vote on this issue would be a party vote and that members would have to toe the party line. The Liberal members for Scarborough and Winnipeg have already said that this does not make any sense, and they are right.I appeal to the Liberal Party to use common sense and keep its word.Will the Liberals allow members to vote according to their conscience, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need jobs. Bombardier has the potential to create much needed jobs if the Toronto Island airport is allowed to expand. However, the Minister of Transport has overruled the decision not only of Toronto City Council but of the Toronto port authority. He has blocked the expansion of the Toronto Island airport.Why is the Minister of Transport blocking Bombardier from creating jobs for Canadians and preventing the expansion of the Toronto Island airport?
Mr. Speaker, the matter of the Zika virus epidemic is something that we have taken very seriously. My colleagues in the Public Health Agency of Canada have been very active on this file on a daily basis collaborating with our international partners at the World Health Organization. We have advised Canadians every day to make sure they are taking protective measures if it is necessary for them to travel to affected regions. We have also advised, if women are pregnant or considering pregnancy, that they avoid travel to affected countries. All of that information is available at travel.gc.ca.
Mr. Speaker, it is common in this place when a minister misspeaks and says something that is factually incorrect to correct the record as soon as possible. To assist the President of the Treasury Board with that, I would like to table the Fiscal Monitor from November from the Minister of Finance's own department which shows that the Conservative Party left the Liberals with a surplus. I would like to
Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement recently stated that the new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy do not have to be built in Canada. Minister after minister, even today, has stood in this House and told us they have a plan, a plan to grow the economy and create jobs through infrastructure spending. Yet when they have the opportunity to do so, the first thing they do is look to send the jobs overseas instead of supporting our shipbuilding sector.Will the minister tell us why the Liberals would rather farm out jobs to foreign countries than create the high-paying jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for Canadians. That is why there is a parliamentary committee studying and working on a report on the issue. We look forward to receiving the report. We will take that report seriously and we will work with members of Parliament from all parties in a non-partisan way on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said his only goal was to free every Canadian in trouble around the world. Ernest Fenwick Macintosh is a Canadian and a convicted pedophile. He is in jail in Nepal right now for sexually assaulting a child. In 1997, the government issued a passport when it should not have done so. Is this someone that the Liberals want to bring back to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is speaking in the House on the government's motion on the ISIS mission, the defence minister quietly issued a press release saying our CF-18s dropped their last bombs on Monday and were headed home. In his press release, the Minister of National Defence did not even thank or acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Canada's fighter jets. This comes before the House has even had a chance to vote on the motion.The Prime Minister promised a debate and a vote, knowing full well he would blatantly ignore the democratic will of Parliament. Why is the government more interested in retreat than debate?
Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the member opposite does not believe in a market mechanism that will help tackle climate change, create clean jobs, and stimulate innovation. More than 80% of Canadians will soon live in a jurisdiction where there is carbon pricing, and major Canadian corporations, as well as international corporations, already build the price of carbon into their investment decisions. We look forward to sitting down with the premiers, unlike the other government, to actually look into how we can move forward to have a real plan to grow our economy and tackle climate change.
Mr. Speaker, I feel obligated to remind the Liberals of how barbaric ISIS terrorists are. This week they publicly beheaded a 15-year-old boy for listening to pop music. The U.S. State Department reported that ISIS used mustard gas in a deadly attack against Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga. The new Liberal plan puts our troops at increased risk and ignores the immediate security needs of innocent civilians.Now that our CF-18s can no longer take out ISIS from the air, will the Prime Minister be using reason to stop ISIS from carrying out these atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade confirmed that officials in her department are negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement because, as she said, It is essential for Canadians. Actually, for some Quebec communities, it is more than essential; it is vital. According to the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, 20,000 Quebeckers have lost their jobs in the forestry industry over the last decade.What will the minister do to ensure that the new agreement recognizes Quebec's forestry regime, which is vital to Quebec regions such as Abitibi and the North Shore, and to ensure that our regime is not considered a subsidy, as is the case in the United States?
Mr. Speaker, Canada will be there to give consular help to Canadians when it is appropriate, and all the help they are entitled to have.Who we want to free are those Canadians that are unfairly put in jail everywhere in the world. That is what I want to say. If it were not clear for my colleague, I am pleased to clarify it for him today. I hope he is clear on it now.
Mr. Speaker, former Aveos employees feel betrayed. After winning two court cases against Air Canada to save their jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Mississauga, they have now learned that the government wants to change the law to relieve Air Canada of its obligations.Before the election, the Prime Minister promised to fight for these former employees. The Prime Minister's response yesterday totally missed the mark.Why is the government giving up on the 2,600 unemployed Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked that question. Regarding an anti-armour capability, it should have been provided before the Liberal government was elected, when our ground troops went there in the first place. This capability was not there.I would also like to remind her that the reason we are putting this in is that in inclement weather, the air strikes cannot take place. If there is a threat that can only be taken care of by anti-armour capability, we need a portable system to do so, and that system is not in our inventory any more. This decision was made by the previous government and I am going to bring that capability back.
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we are doing the right thing by investing in infrastructure, by giving middle-income Canadians a break, and by helping low-income families with a new Canada child benefit. We are doing what economists like Larry Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, say is the right thing to do. We are doing what David Dodge, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, says is the right thing to do. We are listening to experts, not to the Conservatives from whom we inherited debt, deficits, and a low-growth economy.
Mr. Speaker, the government is out of touch with Canadians.In just 100 days, it has done nothing to help the most vulnerable in society. It has done nothing to help low-income families, and it continues to keep them in the dark.Why is the minister making moms and dads wait months to hear about their latest tax scheme? How are families supposed to plan their budgets when they are being told to hang in there until July 1?
Mr. Speaker, air service, support, and the aeronautics industry is a key industry for Canada. This government understands that. We are working with all stakeholders. We will continue to do that. For instance, we are concerned with the recent issues around Bombardier. We are pleased to see Air Canada purchasing CS300 series planes from Bombardier. This is really important.Members should make no mistake about it. Our government understands the importance of the aeronautical industry, and we will continue to invest in it, support it, and work with its employees and stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, harassment in any workplace is a serious issue. It must be dealt with fairly and immediately, but according to new reports, complaints about things like bullying and sexual touching were raised by former RCMP employees in 2014 and 2015 but were too often ignored. When fault was found, the penalties were just not credible. The RCMP investigating itself is just not working. Will the minister agree to take this on directly and order a full, independent review of harassment in the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, all options were considered for the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It is important that the Maison de Radio-Canada facilities be modern and adapted to the new media reality, with the shift to digital. We value CBC/Radio-Canada. We will reinvest in the corporation. I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm's-length corporation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.On October 19, Canadians made a very clear choice: they chose growth. In December, we started to follow through on our plan by lowering taxes for the middle class, a measure that is benefiting more than nine million Canadians.In the upcoming budget, we will continue with the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. In addition to that, our infrastructure program will promote economic growth across the country.On October 19, Canadians made a clear choice. They chose growth.
Mr. Speaker, a search for Zika virus prevention in Canada on the Health Canada website yields nothing. The United States, Brazil, and many other countries have shown their citizens that they have preventive measures in place. Here in Canada, however, we have heard nothing from the minister to explain to Canadians what she is doing to protect against Zika. Why has the minister done nothing to protect Canadians against this virus?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are waiting for CBC/Radio-Canada to consult with its partners to evaluate all the options. We realize that Maison de Radio-Canada is very important to Montreal and that it is a meeting place for Canadians.We will reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada to help with the digital transformation and plan for the future. All reinvestments will be made in co-operation and consultation with the broadcaster and the artistic and cultural communities.
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement, we stated that the bombing campaign by the CF-18s would end on February 22, but that the exact decision would be made by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the coalition. That decision was made for Monday. Also, the member opposite knows I actually made the announcement during the debate when the member opposite was standing right here in front of me. In that statement, I actually commended the great work of our CF-18 pilots at that time, and the press release was sent out after that.
Mr. Speaker, innovative companies not only in British Columbia but right across this country rely on stock options to keep smart young Canadians working right here at home. If we do not keep our taxes competitive, these young people will simply go elsewhere.Shopify is a Canadian innovation success story, and we know that the CEO and many other CEOs have called on the Liberals to abandon their misguided plan to tax stock options.Will the Minister of Finance listen to the people who are actually creating the good jobs for these young people and cancel this misguided tax hike?
Mr. Speaker, we are working with all regions of the country to create an environment where we can have economic growth.For instance, one of the most important issues is to have market access for Canadian petroleum. Under the previous government, the Conservatives were unsuccessful in getting one metre of access to tidewater for Canadian energy. That is because they refused to work with provinces. They refused to work with the environmental community, and they refused to work with aboriginal and first nations leaders. We are working with our partners and stakeholders because we know what it takes to actually make economic progress for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, between 2006 and 2015, the Conservative government took an axe to Statistics Canada. More than 539 products were slashed, including crucial information needed to make informed policy decisions, such as information on food production, farm prices, GDP, and much more. All of these products are no longer available to researchers, scientists, policy-makers, and Canadians.Will the government bring back these crucial products, or will it continue the Conservative war on science?
Mr. Speaker, for people who are visually impaired and love to read, the good news is that there are 285,000 books in Braille, audio, and large print available around the world, in addition to what is already available at home. The problem is that the copyright laws keep those books out of this country. That is the bad news.Last spring our government introduced legislation to change copyright and implement the Marrakesh Treaty in order to make more than a quarter of a million books available to the visually impaired at zero cost to taxpayers.I wonder if the government would commit today to reintroducing this legislation and working with all parliamentarians to pass it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to investing in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that they are able to operate as a true blue-water force while also growing our economy and creating jobs. To support our electoral commitment to be more transparent and open, we will be providing regular updates to Parliament and the public on the progress of the shipbuilding strategy. We are always looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of procurement processes so we can save time and money.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very thoughtful question.I want to say that we do support the treaty, because we understand that many Canadians live with print disability. For these Canadians, it can be especially difficult to obtain access to the printed material they need to participate in the economy and our society.This government is working to address this challenge by facilitating, for persons with a print disability, published works around areas of audio and large print to provide greater accessibility and opportunities for all Canadians.I will continue to work with the member opposite on this very important matter and will make sure we advance it. As I said from the beginning, we do support this very important treaty.
Mr. Speaker, a renewed federal fleet is a key enabler of important government priorities, including our sovereignty, preserving our fish stocks, monitoring the impact of climate change, and supporting the Canadian economy by creating jobs. To date, more than 300 Canadian companies have received work as a result of the shipbuilding strategy. The vessels will be built in Canada. It is estimated that the shipbuilding strategy will create up to 15,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in annual economic benefits over the next 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.The Government of Canada strongly supports free trade and the implementation of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. It will stimulate investment, open up new markets, create jobs, and benefit Canadian consumers. The agreement will improve market access for Canada's agricultural exports and imports.We will work with the departments involved and representatives from the provinces and territories to implement this agreement.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was pleased to see backbench members from across the aisle clearly condemn the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions movement and agree to support our motion. Will the frontbench Liberals be clear and unequivocal in fully condemning the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as our allies in Britain have already done, and will they launch an education program to inform Canadians of the anti-Semitic nature of the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated was the best course of action in his speech yesterday here in the House?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to wellness. We were proud to announce two new tools, the OSI resource for caregivers and the veterans' mental health tutorial. These online resources will help to better understand veterans' mental health issues and reduce stigma. These are just the first steps in a better approach.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. As he knows, the CRTC is an arm's-length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. However, for me, the telecommunications sector is an essential platform for innovation, particularly in this digital economy. That is why we continue to support competition, choice, and availability of services. We want to make sure we continue to foster a strong investment climate to make sure we have greater competition and better choice for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, when Canadian Forces members are deployed across the world, their spouses and their children are just as much a part of that deployment. They live it alongside our service men and women as if they were on the front lines also.Coming home, wounded or not, the primary support for forces members and veterans is their family. The government promised to do more to support families as they support veterans.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what steps he has taken to begin this work?
Mr. Speaker, we ran on a growth agenda, and we understand it is very important that we work with our provincial and territorial counterparts. That is why I had the pleasure of meeting with them a few days ago to discuss this very important matter. We were able to make sure that we are making progress on meaningful areas to reduce barriers, to harmonize regulation. We have goodwill. We are co-operating with them. We are working with them, and I am very confident that we will have positive results to announce to Canadians in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity actually to visit Shopify. It is an incredible Canadian success story, and what is encouraging is that they have a government that is really committed to a comprehensive innovation agenda, an agenda that will create opportunities for companies like Shopify to expand and go into operation.We have heard their concerns around stock options. We are engaged with them. More important, they are very excited about the fact that this government is going to be putting forward an innovation agenda that will really help companies grow and succeed here and be competitive globally as well.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way is right to state that the previous Conservative government had organized labour in its crosshairs. We saw that time and again, with Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 for example, which I am very pleased that our minister's first piece of legislation, Bill C-4, will repeal.We will continue to work on labour issues, fair wages, and the definition of danger. Those are important issues and we will continue to pursue them as we go forward.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the aerospace sector is very important to the Canadian economy. It employs close to 180,000 people. It contributes $29 billion to our GDP. That is why we are engaged with the company. We are looking at the business case. We are doing the due diligence. We are going to make sure we make the right decision in the best interests of Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to implement a plan that will stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We will continue to make significant investments to that end, because it is a priority for our government. It is even more important to recognize that it is a priority for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we remain engaged with consumers. We remain engaged with the companies that have brought forward this proposal. We want to make sure that we create an environment for them to be able to provide their services.As I said, with respect to the CRTC, it is an independent tribunal and it will make its own decisions, but we want to promote competition, we want to promote choice, and we will continue to make sure we advance this file as part of our overall innovation agenda that will allow an opportunity for better choices for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that our government did was to bring back the long-form census. That is a clear indication that we will bring back evidence-based decision-making in government to replace the Conservatives decision-based evidence-making, which was going on for 10 years, because we believe not only in open and transparent government but that we can make the best possible decisions when we have the best evidence.I agree with the hon. member, and we will continue to ensure that the Canadian government makes the best decisions with the best evidence.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence said that we need to be on the ground to combat the so-called Islamic State. Since he has confirmed that our soldiers are involved in ground operations where they could be exposed to enemy fire, he has the duty to protect them. However, he is withdrawing our CF-18s from the fight.Why is the minister asking our allies to take our place in protecting our soldiers?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Canada-Europe free trade agreement would be ratified this year. It is therefore time to put in place a compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers who will be penalized by this agreement. Will the Minister of Agriculture honour his government's commitments and set up that promised compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers, one that lives up to their expectations?
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.
Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals understood the importance they would not be abandoning 2,600 families, and that is what they are doing.Before the election, the Liberals promised they would defend Aveos jobs. Now the minister and the government say they will reopen the Air Canada Public Participation Act. This legislation was implemented to protect good aerospace jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mississauga. Why are the Liberals planning to remove these legal protections for thousands of good aerospace maintenance jobs across Canada? Why will they not stand up for these good Canadian jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.
Most positive speeches
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.
Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals understood the importance they would not be abandoning 2,600 families, and that is what they are doing.Before the election, the Liberals promised they would defend Aveos jobs. Now the minister and the government say they will reopen the Air Canada Public Participation Act. This legislation was implemented to protect good aerospace jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mississauga. Why are the Liberals planning to remove these legal protections for thousands of good aerospace maintenance jobs across Canada? Why will they not stand up for these good Canadian jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence said that we need to be on the ground to combat the so-called Islamic State. Since he has confirmed that our soldiers are involved in ground operations where they could be exposed to enemy fire, he has the duty to protect them. However, he is withdrawing our CF-18s from the fight.Why is the minister asking our allies to take our place in protecting our soldiers?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Canada-Europe free trade agreement would be ratified this year. It is therefore time to put in place a compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers who will be penalized by this agreement. Will the Minister of Agriculture honour his government's commitments and set up that promised compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers, one that lives up to their expectations?
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that our government did was to bring back the long-form census. That is a clear indication that we will bring back evidence-based decision-making in government to replace the Conservatives decision-based evidence-making, which was going on for 10 years, because we believe not only in open and transparent government but that we can make the best possible decisions when we have the best evidence.I agree with the hon. member, and we will continue to ensure that the Canadian government makes the best decisions with the best evidence.
Mr. Speaker, we remain engaged with consumers. We remain engaged with the companies that have brought forward this proposal. We want to make sure that we create an environment for them to be able to provide their services.As I said, with respect to the CRTC, it is an independent tribunal and it will make its own decisions, but we want to promote competition, we want to promote choice, and we will continue to make sure we advance this file as part of our overall innovation agenda that will allow an opportunity for better choices for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to implement a plan that will stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We will continue to make significant investments to that end, because it is a priority for our government. It is even more important to recognize that it is a priority for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the aerospace sector is very important to the Canadian economy. It employs close to 180,000 people. It contributes $29 billion to our GDP. That is why we are engaged with the company. We are looking at the business case. We are doing the due diligence. We are going to make sure we make the right decision in the best interests of Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way is right to state that the previous Conservative government had organized labour in its crosshairs. We saw that time and again, with Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 for example, which I am very pleased that our minister's first piece of legislation, Bill C-4, will repeal.We will continue to work on labour issues, fair wages, and the definition of danger. Those are important issues and we will continue to pursue them as we go forward.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity actually to visit Shopify. It is an incredible Canadian success story, and what is encouraging is that they have a government that is really committed to a comprehensive innovation agenda, an agenda that will create opportunities for companies like Shopify to expand and go into operation.We have heard their concerns around stock options. We are engaged with them. More important, they are very excited about the fact that this government is going to be putting forward an innovation agenda that will really help companies grow and succeed here and be competitive globally as well.
Mr. Speaker, we ran on a growth agenda, and we understand it is very important that we work with our provincial and territorial counterparts. That is why I had the pleasure of meeting with them a few days ago to discuss this very important matter. We were able to make sure that we are making progress on meaningful areas to reduce barriers, to harmonize regulation. We have goodwill. We are co-operating with them. We are working with them, and I am very confident that we will have positive results to announce to Canadians in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, when Canadian Forces members are deployed across the world, their spouses and their children are just as much a part of that deployment. They live it alongside our service men and women as if they were on the front lines also.Coming home, wounded or not, the primary support for forces members and veterans is their family. The government promised to do more to support families as they support veterans.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what steps he has taken to begin this work?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. As he knows, the CRTC is an arm's-length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. However, for me, the telecommunications sector is an essential platform for innovation, particularly in this digital economy. That is why we continue to support competition, choice, and availability of services. We want to make sure we continue to foster a strong investment climate to make sure we have greater competition and better choice for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to wellness. We were proud to announce two new tools, the OSI resource for caregivers and the veterans' mental health tutorial. These online resources will help to better understand veterans' mental health issues and reduce stigma. These are just the first steps in a better approach.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was pleased to see backbench members from across the aisle clearly condemn the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions movement and agree to support our motion. Will the frontbench Liberals be clear and unequivocal in fully condemning the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as our allies in Britain have already done, and will they launch an education program to inform Canadians of the anti-Semitic nature of the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated was the best course of action in his speech yesterday here in the House?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.The Government of Canada strongly supports free trade and the implementation of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. It will stimulate investment, open up new markets, create jobs, and benefit Canadian consumers. The agreement will improve market access for Canada's agricultural exports and imports.We will work with the departments involved and representatives from the provinces and territories to implement this agreement.
Mr. Speaker, a renewed federal fleet is a key enabler of important government priorities, including our sovereignty, preserving our fish stocks, monitoring the impact of climate change, and supporting the Canadian economy by creating jobs. To date, more than 300 Canadian companies have received work as a result of the shipbuilding strategy. The vessels will be built in Canada. It is estimated that the shipbuilding strategy will create up to 15,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in annual economic benefits over the next 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very thoughtful question.I want to say that we do support the treaty, because we understand that many Canadians live with print disability. For these Canadians, it can be especially difficult to obtain access to the printed material they need to participate in the economy and our society.This government is working to address this challenge by facilitating, for persons with a print disability, published works around areas of audio and large print to provide greater accessibility and opportunities for all Canadians.I will continue to work with the member opposite on this very important matter and will make sure we advance it. As I said from the beginning, we do support this very important treaty.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to investing in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that they are able to operate as a true blue-water force while also growing our economy and creating jobs. To support our electoral commitment to be more transparent and open, we will be providing regular updates to Parliament and the public on the progress of the shipbuilding strategy. We are always looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of procurement processes so we can save time and money.
Mr. Speaker, for people who are visually impaired and love to read, the good news is that there are 285,000 books in Braille, audio, and large print available around the world, in addition to what is already available at home. The problem is that the copyright laws keep those books out of this country. That is the bad news.Last spring our government introduced legislation to change copyright and implement the Marrakesh Treaty in order to make more than a quarter of a million books available to the visually impaired at zero cost to taxpayers.I wonder if the government would commit today to reintroducing this legislation and working with all parliamentarians to pass it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, between 2006 and 2015, the Conservative government took an axe to Statistics Canada. More than 539 products were slashed, including crucial information needed to make informed policy decisions, such as information on food production, farm prices, GDP, and much more. All of these products are no longer available to researchers, scientists, policy-makers, and Canadians.Will the government bring back these crucial products, or will it continue the Conservative war on science?
Mr. Speaker, we are working with all regions of the country to create an environment where we can have economic growth.For instance, one of the most important issues is to have market access for Canadian petroleum. Under the previous government, the Conservatives were unsuccessful in getting one metre of access to tidewater for Canadian energy. That is because they refused to work with provinces. They refused to work with the environmental community, and they refused to work with aboriginal and first nations leaders. We are working with our partners and stakeholders because we know what it takes to actually make economic progress for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, innovative companies not only in British Columbia but right across this country rely on stock options to keep smart young Canadians working right here at home. If we do not keep our taxes competitive, these young people will simply go elsewhere.Shopify is a Canadian innovation success story, and we know that the CEO and many other CEOs have called on the Liberals to abandon their misguided plan to tax stock options.Will the Minister of Finance listen to the people who are actually creating the good jobs for these young people and cancel this misguided tax hike?
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement, we stated that the bombing campaign by the CF-18s would end on February 22, but that the exact decision would be made by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the coalition. That decision was made for Monday. Also, the member opposite knows I actually made the announcement during the debate when the member opposite was standing right here in front of me. In that statement, I actually commended the great work of our CF-18 pilots at that time, and the press release was sent out after that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are waiting for CBC/Radio-Canada to consult with its partners to evaluate all the options. We realize that Maison de Radio-Canada is very important to Montreal and that it is a meeting place for Canadians.We will reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada to help with the digital transformation and plan for the future. All reinvestments will be made in co-operation and consultation with the broadcaster and the artistic and cultural communities.
Mr. Speaker, a search for Zika virus prevention in Canada on the Health Canada website yields nothing. The United States, Brazil, and many other countries have shown their citizens that they have preventive measures in place. Here in Canada, however, we have heard nothing from the minister to explain to Canadians what she is doing to protect against Zika. Why has the minister done nothing to protect Canadians against this virus?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.On October 19, Canadians made a very clear choice: they chose growth. In December, we started to follow through on our plan by lowering taxes for the middle class, a measure that is benefiting more than nine million Canadians.In the upcoming budget, we will continue with the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. In addition to that, our infrastructure program will promote economic growth across the country.On October 19, Canadians made a clear choice. They chose growth.
Mr. Speaker, all options were considered for the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It is important that the Maison de Radio-Canada facilities be modern and adapted to the new media reality, with the shift to digital. We value CBC/Radio-Canada. We will reinvest in the corporation. I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm's-length corporation.
Mr. Speaker, harassment in any workplace is a serious issue. It must be dealt with fairly and immediately, but according to new reports, complaints about things like bullying and sexual touching were raised by former RCMP employees in 2014 and 2015 but were too often ignored. When fault was found, the penalties were just not credible. The RCMP investigating itself is just not working. Will the minister agree to take this on directly and order a full, independent review of harassment in the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, air service, support, and the aeronautics industry is a key industry for Canada. This government understands that. We are working with all stakeholders. We will continue to do that. For instance, we are concerned with the recent issues around Bombardier. We are pleased to see Air Canada purchasing CS300 series planes from Bombardier. This is really important.Members should make no mistake about it. Our government understands the importance of the aeronautical industry, and we will continue to invest in it, support it, and work with its employees and stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, the government is out of touch with Canadians.In just 100 days, it has done nothing to help the most vulnerable in society. It has done nothing to help low-income families, and it continues to keep them in the dark.Why is the minister making moms and dads wait months to hear about their latest tax scheme? How are families supposed to plan their budgets when they are being told to hang in there until July 1?
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we are doing the right thing by investing in infrastructure, by giving middle-income Canadians a break, and by helping low-income families with a new Canada child benefit. We are doing what economists like Larry Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, say is the right thing to do. We are doing what David Dodge, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, says is the right thing to do. We are listening to experts, not to the Conservatives from whom we inherited debt, deficits, and a low-growth economy.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked that question. Regarding an anti-armour capability, it should have been provided before the Liberal government was elected, when our ground troops went there in the first place. This capability was not there.I would also like to remind her that the reason we are putting this in is that in inclement weather, the air strikes cannot take place. If there is a threat that can only be taken care of by anti-armour capability, we need a portable system to do so, and that system is not in our inventory any more. This decision was made by the previous government and I am going to bring that capability back.
Mr. Speaker, former Aveos employees feel betrayed. After winning two court cases against Air Canada to save their jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Mississauga, they have now learned that the government wants to change the law to relieve Air Canada of its obligations.Before the election, the Prime Minister promised to fight for these former employees. The Prime Minister's response yesterday totally missed the mark.Why is the government giving up on the 2,600 unemployed Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, Canada will be there to give consular help to Canadians when it is appropriate, and all the help they are entitled to have.Who we want to free are those Canadians that are unfairly put in jail everywhere in the world. That is what I want to say. If it were not clear for my colleague, I am pleased to clarify it for him today. I hope he is clear on it now.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade confirmed that officials in her department are negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement because, as she said, It is essential for Canadians. Actually, for some Quebec communities, it is more than essential; it is vital. According to the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, 20,000 Quebeckers have lost their jobs in the forestry industry over the last decade.What will the minister do to ensure that the new agreement recognizes Quebec's forestry regime, which is vital to Quebec regions such as Abitibi and the North Shore, and to ensure that our regime is not considered a subsidy, as is the case in the United States?
Mr. Speaker, I feel obligated to remind the Liberals of how barbaric ISIS terrorists are. This week they publicly beheaded a 15-year-old boy for listening to pop music. The U.S. State Department reported that ISIS used mustard gas in a deadly attack against Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga. The new Liberal plan puts our troops at increased risk and ignores the immediate security needs of innocent civilians.Now that our CF-18s can no longer take out ISIS from the air, will the Prime Minister be using reason to stop ISIS from carrying out these atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the member opposite does not believe in a market mechanism that will help tackle climate change, create clean jobs, and stimulate innovation. More than 80% of Canadians will soon live in a jurisdiction where there is carbon pricing, and major Canadian corporations, as well as international corporations, already build the price of carbon into their investment decisions. We look forward to sitting down with the premiers, unlike the other government, to actually look into how we can move forward to have a real plan to grow our economy and tackle climate change.
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is speaking in the House on the government's motion on the ISIS mission, the defence minister quietly issued a press release saying our CF-18s dropped their last bombs on Monday and were headed home. In his press release, the Minister of National Defence did not even thank or acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Canada's fighter jets. This comes before the House has even had a chance to vote on the motion.The Prime Minister promised a debate and a vote, knowing full well he would blatantly ignore the democratic will of Parliament. Why is the government more interested in retreat than debate?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said his only goal was to free every Canadian in trouble around the world. Ernest Fenwick Macintosh is a Canadian and a convicted pedophile. He is in jail in Nepal right now for sexually assaulting a child. In 1997, the government issued a passport when it should not have done so. Is this someone that the Liberals want to bring back to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for Canadians. That is why there is a parliamentary committee studying and working on a report on the issue. We look forward to receiving the report. We will take that report seriously and we will work with members of Parliament from all parties in a non-partisan way on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement recently stated that the new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy do not have to be built in Canada. Minister after minister, even today, has stood in this House and told us they have a plan, a plan to grow the economy and create jobs through infrastructure spending. Yet when they have the opportunity to do so, the first thing they do is look to send the jobs overseas instead of supporting our shipbuilding sector.Will the minister tell us why the Liberals would rather farm out jobs to foreign countries than create the high-paying jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, it is common in this place when a minister misspeaks and says something that is factually incorrect to correct the record as soon as possible. To assist the President of the Treasury Board with that, I would like to table the Fiscal Monitor from November from the Minister of Finance's own department which shows that the Conservative Party left the Liberals with a surplus. I would like to
Mr. Speaker, the matter of the Zika virus epidemic is something that we have taken very seriously. My colleagues in the Public Health Agency of Canada have been very active on this file on a daily basis collaborating with our international partners at the World Health Organization. We have advised Canadians every day to make sure they are taking protective measures if it is necessary for them to travel to affected regions. We have also advised, if women are pregnant or considering pregnancy, that they avoid travel to affected countries. All of that information is available at travel.gc.ca.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, and that is the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. We know that, from the outset, the Prime Minister has not stopped boasting about Quebec's experience in this regard. I would like to remind members that Quebec's experience ended with a free vote by MNAs. I know what I am talking about. I was there.Last week, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons announced, not in the House but in the paper, that the vote on this issue would be a party vote and that members would have to toe the party line. The Liberal members for Scarborough and Winnipeg have already said that this does not make any sense, and they are right.I appeal to the Liberal Party to use common sense and keep its word.Will the Liberals allow members to vote according to their conscience, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need jobs. Bombardier has the potential to create much needed jobs if the Toronto Island airport is allowed to expand. However, the Minister of Transport has overruled the decision not only of Toronto City Council but of the Toronto port authority. He has blocked the expansion of the Toronto Island airport.Why is the Minister of Transport blocking Bombardier from creating jobs for Canadians and preventing the expansion of the Toronto Island airport?
Mr. Speaker, under our watch, four major pipeline projects were built, and the first thing they did was kill northern gateway.A new national carbon tax would devastate all aspects of the economy, making Canadians pay more for everything they buy, and it will drive out investment. Premier Brad Wall has warned that this new tax would hurt economic growth and cost jobs across the country. Saskatchewan has indicated it wants no part of this job-killing scheme. The Liberals talk about working with the provinces. Will the minister stand in the House and guarantee that Saskatchewan can opt out of this terrible idea?
Mr. Speaker, we are certainly concerned about the situation in Saskatchewan and the job losses that are due to low commodity prices. However, unlike the previous government, we believe that the environment and the economy go together. That is why we are working with the provinces and territories to have a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change but to also stimulate innovation and grow a clean economy.
Mr. Speaker, all week long, we, the Conservative members, have asked the government questions about the state of the public finances and control of public spending. Unfortunately, we did not even come close to getting a reasonable answer. There was no answer. It is very clear that if the Prime Minister were in charge of a company, he would have lost his job a long time ago.When will the Prime Minister manage the government like a good father or mother would do?
Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on and that makes everyone angry, it is the lack of competition for wireless carriers.Yesterday, the CRTC refused to give small players access to the infrastructure they need to grow and develop. This means that there will be less competition, when more would certainly have been easier on Canadians' wallets.Can the minister tell us what he plans to do to ensure more competition, which will allow for broader coverage and lower prices?
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire incident when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four of them. Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.What did the minister mean yesterday when he said that our special forces in Iraq needed anti-armour? Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?
Mr. Speaker, this government's openness and transparency is refreshing after a decade of deceit and denial by the previous government. In fact, important financial information on numerous federal programs was kept hidden by the previous government, even when requested by the parliamentary budget officer.Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the actions he is taking to ensure that the PBO finally receives the information that has long been requested?
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I have sat down with the representatives, my counterparts, from the provinces and territories to talk about a pan-Canadian plan to tackle climate change but also to set our economy on a new path where we have sustainable growth. We have done this. The Prime Minister is meeting on March 3 with the premiers of the provinces, as well as the territories, to actually develop this pan-Canadian plan. We are well aware of the challenges faced by Saskatchewan and other provinces. That is why we are going to invest in green infrastructure and is how we are going to create clean jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.This issue is a top priority. Our goal is to maintain stable access to the American market for Canada's softwood lumber industry. We will work with our American partners, and we are working very hard on this issue. This specific issue has been raised with President Obama, Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Our officials are working very hard on this file. It is important for Quebec, for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Maritimes. We know it is important. We are hard at work.
Mr. Speaker, harassment within the RCMP is once again making headlines.Things are supposedly under control, but the problem is clearly systemic. Furthermore, the RCMP seems incapable of handling its internal complaints in a fair manner. There is no respect for victims, allegations are not taken seriously, and punishments are laughable.When will the government demand that the RCMP take things seriously?
Mr. Speaker, across Canada individual governments have priced carbon. This has occurred for a long time. Unlike the previous government, we are actually doing something that seems quite unconventional by recent standards. We meet with the premiers and we work with the provincial governments. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that we have an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy industry here in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the March 2016 deadline for a new agreement on internal trade is fast approaching. I know government members like to tell us that they are working really hard while consulting on consultation, but Canada desperately needs a long overdue new agreement on internal trade.Will the Prime Minister announce a new agreement on internal trade when he meets with Canadian premiers next month in Vancouver, or will he promise more promises and come home empty-handed?
Mr. Speaker, this government is certainly determined to strengthen all the programs that will educate Canadians against racism and intolerance, and to have a more tolerant and open-minded country, especially regarding our Jewish community.This being said, the attempt of the Conservatives to divide the House on this issue failed yesterday, and it will always fail as long as we have this government in place.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question even though I do not really understand it. If any party has been clear about its plan for the middle class, it is the current government.In December, we cut taxes for the middle class, which will help over nine million Canadians. We even told our colleagues opposite and all Canadians that the upcoming budget will include the Canadian benefit for families, which will start in July and help nine out of 10 families, as well as our infrastructure program. We have a comprehensive program to stimulate the economy and help children and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board just said, we were elected. Yes, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run a maximum deficit of $10 billion, and that has now become the minimum deficit.They were elected on the promise that they would make revenue-neutral tax changes, when in actual fact those changes are going to cost us $1.7 billion. They were also elected on a promise regarding the F-35s and we do not know what is happening with that. The answer may be yes or it may be no. My question is simple.What promise will they break next?
Mr. Speaker, our government is not only standing up for Canadian jobs, we are actually investing in creating Canadian jobs. We are investing in science, we are investing in innovation, we are investing in infrastructure, the kinds of investments that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. We understand the importance of investing in Canadians and investing in Canadian innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question. I will reiterate that, as announced on November 12, 2015, the Government of Canada will not re-open the tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and Ports Toronto. All three parties of the tripartite agreement must concur on any amendments.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with hon. member opposite about the atrocities that ISIL is committing, but I would also remind him that with an enemy like this that commits these atrocities, we cannot take it out from the air. It can only be done on the ground. This is the reason we are tripling our training capacity and doubling our intelligence, so that we can actually work as part of a coalition and defeat ISIS finally.
Mr. Speaker, it has been the same old story from this government for months. We even heard the story this morning: a plan for this, a plan for that.The only plan we can see is a plan to mess things up. This week we learned from public servants at Public Services and Procurement Canada that the Liberals' plan was to have tugboats and fireboats built outside Canada.Can the minister tell us why these boats should not be built here, in Canada, by Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, such a major transaction will require government approval. At the very least, the government should require transparency from CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers and Montrealers have an attachment to the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It has a unique status in our cultural history. The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors' plans could see the tower torn down. Can the government tell us whether it considered other options for using this building?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attack on labour rights included stripping the rights of workers to refuse unsafe work, and rolling back health and safety protections for federally regulated workers.These are fundamental labour rights that took generations to achieve. Yet, despite the Liberal election promises, the new government has failed to act. Instead of patting themselves on the back, will the Liberals give working Canadians a straight answer today for why they are refusing to reverse these Conservative attacks on the protection of workers?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for SydneyVictoria for his work on this file and for that tough question.The Conservatives refused to disclose information about their 2012 budget cuts to Canadians and to the parliamentary budget officer. Our government has released this information because government information belongs to Canadians. Our government will continue to be open and transparent with Canadians because we believe it is the right thing for a government to do, as we believe in open-by-default government.
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, unlike the previous government, our government believes that the environment and the economy go together. Unfortunately, under the previous government, because the Conservatives took a position against developing resources in a sustainable way and diversifying the economy, we actually were not able to create the jobs that we need to grow the economy of the future. What we are doing now is that we are going to be working with the provinces and the territories to develop a plan that tackles climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that also moves us forward to a lower-carbon economy with good, new jobs.
Mr. Speaker, as a coalition, we fight as a team. We defend each other as a team, as well. When we put our military package together for the coalition, we consulted, we looked at the gaps, and we provided the necessary capacity. This is the reason why, I will repeat, we are tripling our training capacity, providing intelligence, and even putting in additional capabilities, which I personally briefed my critic about over the phone on the day we made the announcement.
Mr. Speaker, for months the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been promising Canadians a Canada-wide climate-change plan. Despite repeated requests to do so, the minister has failed to deliver such a plan, another broken promise. At the same time, she is boasting about billion-dollar climate-change projects in foreign countries and scheming on a tax grab, which would impose more punishing carbon taxes on Canadians. My question is for the minister. As the broken promises pile up, why is she abandoning the thousands of working Canadians who are losing their jobs because of her policies?
Mr. Speaker, that will not bring down cell phone prices. Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world, yet the previous government failed to make any progress, and the Liberals have shown no interest.Yesterday the CRTC denied an appeal to spark real competition in the wireless sector by allowing new small players into the market. What action are Liberals going to take to stop Canadians from getting gouged? Will the minister step in to review this proposal?
Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report from the National Bank of Canada, the Liberals are on track to add $90 billion to Canada's debt.In Manitoba, we have witnessed how runaway NDP deficits destroyed our province's credit rating while Premier Selinger raised taxes and drove away business. The tax-and-spend policies of the NDP in Manitoba did not work, so can the Minister of Finance tell us why the new Liberal government wants to burden Canadians by repeating the terrible NDP mistakes?
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that the CBC/Radio-Canada tower is officially for sale.This plan has raised some serious concerns from the beginning, and there has been no transparency. CBC/Radio-Canada's production capacity is at stake. Management has not offered any guarantees that it will be maintained.Can the government tell us whether it truly plans to hand a blank cheque to CBC/Radio-Canada? What guarantees will it require?
Mr. Speaker, the absolute worst thing one can do during an economic downturn is to burden Canadians with higher taxes. The proposed national carbon tax would kneecap the energy sector. Canadians out of work across the country expect the government to grow the economy, not add additional burdens. This is a terrible idea that could not come at a worse time. Higher taxes on energy will make Canadian oil even less competitive on the world stage. Is the minister trying to completely destroy the western Canadian economy, or is he just doing it by accident?
Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead. Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.
Mr. Speaker, does the delay-and-study party, a.k.a. the Liberals, understand that the people of Saskatchewan are hurting? The downturn in the oil and gas industry has left thousands of Saskatchewanians out of work. I see the devastating effects every time I drive in my riding. Now the Liberals are scheming to impose a carbon tax, against the will of Canadians in Saskatchewan. Why are they imposing a job-killing carbon tax at a time when people in the energy sector are losing their jobs daily?
Mr. Speaker, every week that goes by, the Prime Minister breaks another election promise. Revenue-neutral tax cuts, deficits, balanced budgetsall broken promises. To make matters worse, the Prime Minister is spending billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on foreign vanity projects. Now we are hearing that he has a scheme to impose a harmful carbon tax on provinces like Saskatchewan at the absolutely worst time for our energy industry. Why is the Liberal government punishing Canadians at a time when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his interest in this matter.During my recent visit to the Zaatari camp in Jordan, which houses 80,000 refugees, I was able to see firsthand the impressive work being done by our humanitarian partners, including the grocery store set up by the World Food Programme and the health clinic set up by the United Nations population fund, which has made it possible for 5,000 babies to be delivered safely.The work being done by UNICEF in regular and alternative schools in Jordan and Lebanon is also very impressive. Canadians can be proud of their contribution.
Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals understood the importance they would not be abandoning 2,600 families, and that is what they are doing.Before the election, the Liberals promised they would defend Aveos jobs. Now the minister and the government say they will reopen the Air Canada Public Participation Act. This legislation was implemented to protect good aerospace jobs in Winnipeg, Montreal, and Mississauga. Why are the Liberals planning to remove these legal protections for thousands of good aerospace maintenance jobs across Canada? Why will they not stand up for these good Canadian jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that we are concerned about harassment and we are working with RCMP officials to ensure that the RCMP provides a workplace free from harassment and sexual violence.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence said that we need to be on the ground to combat the so-called Islamic State. Since he has confirmed that our soldiers are involved in ground operations where they could be exposed to enemy fire, he has the duty to protect them. However, he is withdrawing our CF-18s from the fight.Why is the minister asking our allies to take our place in protecting our soldiers?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Canada-Europe free trade agreement would be ratified this year. It is therefore time to put in place a compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers who will be penalized by this agreement. Will the Minister of Agriculture honour his government's commitments and set up that promised compensation fund for Quebec's cheese producers, one that lives up to their expectations?
Mr. Speaker, one of the first things that our government did was to bring back the long-form census. That is a clear indication that we will bring back evidence-based decision-making in government to replace the Conservatives decision-based evidence-making, which was going on for 10 years, because we believe not only in open and transparent government but that we can make the best possible decisions when we have the best evidence.I agree with the hon. member, and we will continue to ensure that the Canadian government makes the best decisions with the best evidence.
Mr. Speaker, we remain engaged with consumers. We remain engaged with the companies that have brought forward this proposal. We want to make sure that we create an environment for them to be able to provide their services.As I said, with respect to the CRTC, it is an independent tribunal and it will make its own decisions, but we want to promote competition, we want to promote choice, and we will continue to make sure we advance this file as part of our overall innovation agenda that will allow an opportunity for better choices for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, we were elected with a mandate to implement a plan that will stimulate economic growth and create jobs. We will continue to make significant investments to that end, because it is a priority for our government. It is even more important to recognize that it is a priority for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the aerospace sector is very important to the Canadian economy. It employs close to 180,000 people. It contributes $29 billion to our GDP. That is why we are engaged with the company. We are looking at the business case. We are doing the due diligence. We are going to make sure we make the right decision in the best interests of Quebeckers and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way is right to state that the previous Conservative government had organized labour in its crosshairs. We saw that time and again, with Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 for example, which I am very pleased that our minister's first piece of legislation, Bill C-4, will repeal.We will continue to work on labour issues, fair wages, and the definition of danger. Those are important issues and we will continue to pursue them as we go forward.
Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity actually to visit Shopify. It is an incredible Canadian success story, and what is encouraging is that they have a government that is really committed to a comprehensive innovation agenda, an agenda that will create opportunities for companies like Shopify to expand and go into operation.We have heard their concerns around stock options. We are engaged with them. More important, they are very excited about the fact that this government is going to be putting forward an innovation agenda that will really help companies grow and succeed here and be competitive globally as well.
Mr. Speaker, we ran on a growth agenda, and we understand it is very important that we work with our provincial and territorial counterparts. That is why I had the pleasure of meeting with them a few days ago to discuss this very important matter. We were able to make sure that we are making progress on meaningful areas to reduce barriers, to harmonize regulation. We have goodwill. We are co-operating with them. We are working with them, and I am very confident that we will have positive results to announce to Canadians in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, when Canadian Forces members are deployed across the world, their spouses and their children are just as much a part of that deployment. They live it alongside our service men and women as if they were on the front lines also.Coming home, wounded or not, the primary support for forces members and veterans is their family. The government promised to do more to support families as they support veterans.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what steps he has taken to begin this work?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question. As he knows, the CRTC is an arm's-length administrative tribunal that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. However, for me, the telecommunications sector is an essential platform for innovation, particularly in this digital economy. That is why we continue to support competition, choice, and availability of services. We want to make sure we continue to foster a strong investment climate to make sure we have greater competition and better choice for consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Avalon for his advocacy on behalf of veterans and their families.The Prime Minister gave me a mandate to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Families are the cornerstone of a return to wellness. We were proud to announce two new tools, the OSI resource for caregivers and the veterans' mental health tutorial. These online resources will help to better understand veterans' mental health issues and reduce stigma. These are just the first steps in a better approach.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was pleased to see backbench members from across the aisle clearly condemn the anti-Semitic boycott, divest, and sanctions movement and agree to support our motion. Will the frontbench Liberals be clear and unequivocal in fully condemning the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as our allies in Britain have already done, and will they launch an education program to inform Canadians of the anti-Semitic nature of the boycott, divest, and sanctions movement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated was the best course of action in his speech yesterday here in the House?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.The Government of Canada strongly supports free trade and the implementation of the Canada-Europe free trade agreement. It will stimulate investment, open up new markets, create jobs, and benefit Canadian consumers. The agreement will improve market access for Canada's agricultural exports and imports.We will work with the departments involved and representatives from the provinces and territories to implement this agreement.
Mr. Speaker, a renewed federal fleet is a key enabler of important government priorities, including our sovereignty, preserving our fish stocks, monitoring the impact of climate change, and supporting the Canadian economy by creating jobs. To date, more than 300 Canadian companies have received work as a result of the shipbuilding strategy. The vessels will be built in Canada. It is estimated that the shipbuilding strategy will create up to 15,000 jobs and more than $2 billion in annual economic benefits over the next 30 years.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very thoughtful question.I want to say that we do support the treaty, because we understand that many Canadians live with print disability. For these Canadians, it can be especially difficult to obtain access to the printed material they need to participate in the economy and our society.This government is working to address this challenge by facilitating, for persons with a print disability, published works around areas of audio and large print to provide greater accessibility and opportunities for all Canadians.I will continue to work with the member opposite on this very important matter and will make sure we advance it. As I said from the beginning, we do support this very important treaty.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to fly over Saskatchewan. Perhaps he should stop in and feel the pain this province is undergoing right now. Saskatchewan continues to contribute, even in these tough economic times. Saskatchewan businesses were in Ottawa this week, not looking for handouts but pleading with the current government to stop its job-killing tax schemes. Saskatchewan wants to be competitive, and that does not include a carbon tax. Why do the Liberals insist, then, on inflicting crippling taxes that will send more people to the unemployment lines?
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to investing in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that they are able to operate as a true blue-water force while also growing our economy and creating jobs. To support our electoral commitment to be more transparent and open, we will be providing regular updates to Parliament and the public on the progress of the shipbuilding strategy. We are always looking for opportunities to increase the efficiency of procurement processes so we can save time and money.
Mr. Speaker, for people who are visually impaired and love to read, the good news is that there are 285,000 books in Braille, audio, and large print available around the world, in addition to what is already available at home. The problem is that the copyright laws keep those books out of this country. That is the bad news.Last spring our government introduced legislation to change copyright and implement the Marrakesh Treaty in order to make more than a quarter of a million books available to the visually impaired at zero cost to taxpayers.I wonder if the government would commit today to reintroducing this legislation and working with all parliamentarians to pass it as quickly as possible.
Mr. Speaker, between 2006 and 2015, the Conservative government took an axe to Statistics Canada. More than 539 products were slashed, including crucial information needed to make informed policy decisions, such as information on food production, farm prices, GDP, and much more. All of these products are no longer available to researchers, scientists, policy-makers, and Canadians.Will the government bring back these crucial products, or will it continue the Conservative war on science?
Mr. Speaker, we are working with all regions of the country to create an environment where we can have economic growth.For instance, one of the most important issues is to have market access for Canadian petroleum. Under the previous government, the Conservatives were unsuccessful in getting one metre of access to tidewater for Canadian energy. That is because they refused to work with provinces. They refused to work with the environmental community, and they refused to work with aboriginal and first nations leaders. We are working with our partners and stakeholders because we know what it takes to actually make economic progress for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, innovative companies not only in British Columbia but right across this country rely on stock options to keep smart young Canadians working right here at home. If we do not keep our taxes competitive, these young people will simply go elsewhere.Shopify is a Canadian innovation success story, and we know that the CEO and many other CEOs have called on the Liberals to abandon their misguided plan to tax stock options.Will the Minister of Finance listen to the people who are actually creating the good jobs for these young people and cancel this misguided tax hike?
Mr. Speaker, in the announcement, we stated that the bombing campaign by the CF-18s would end on February 22, but that the exact decision would be made by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the coalition. That decision was made for Monday. Also, the member opposite knows I actually made the announcement during the debate when the member opposite was standing right here in front of me. In that statement, I actually commended the great work of our CF-18 pilots at that time, and the press release was sent out after that.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.We are waiting for CBC/Radio-Canada to consult with its partners to evaluate all the options. We realize that Maison de Radio-Canada is very important to Montreal and that it is a meeting place for Canadians.We will reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada to help with the digital transformation and plan for the future. All reinvestments will be made in co-operation and consultation with the broadcaster and the artistic and cultural communities.
Mr. Speaker, a search for Zika virus prevention in Canada on the Health Canada website yields nothing. The United States, Brazil, and many other countries have shown their citizens that they have preventive measures in place. Here in Canada, however, we have heard nothing from the minister to explain to Canadians what she is doing to protect against Zika. Why has the minister done nothing to protect Canadians against this virus?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.On October 19, Canadians made a very clear choice: they chose growth. In December, we started to follow through on our plan by lowering taxes for the middle class, a measure that is benefiting more than nine million Canadians.In the upcoming budget, we will continue with the Canada child benefit, which will help nine out of 10 families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. In addition to that, our infrastructure program will promote economic growth across the country.On October 19, Canadians made a clear choice. They chose growth.
Mr. Speaker, all options were considered for the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It is important that the Maison de Radio-Canada facilities be modern and adapted to the new media reality, with the shift to digital. We value CBC/Radio-Canada. We will reinvest in the corporation. I would remind the House that CBC/Radio-Canada is an arm's-length corporation.
Mr. Speaker, harassment in any workplace is a serious issue. It must be dealt with fairly and immediately, but according to new reports, complaints about things like bullying and sexual touching were raised by former RCMP employees in 2014 and 2015 but were too often ignored. When fault was found, the penalties were just not credible. The RCMP investigating itself is just not working. Will the minister agree to take this on directly and order a full, independent review of harassment in the RCMP?
Mr. Speaker, air service, support, and the aeronautics industry is a key industry for Canada. This government understands that. We are working with all stakeholders. We will continue to do that. For instance, we are concerned with the recent issues around Bombardier. We are pleased to see Air Canada purchasing CS300 series planes from Bombardier. This is really important.Members should make no mistake about it. Our government understands the importance of the aeronautical industry, and we will continue to invest in it, support it, and work with its employees and stakeholders.
Mr. Speaker, the government is out of touch with Canadians.In just 100 days, it has done nothing to help the most vulnerable in society. It has done nothing to help low-income families, and it continues to keep them in the dark.Why is the minister making moms and dads wait months to hear about their latest tax scheme? How are families supposed to plan their budgets when they are being told to hang in there until July 1?
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we are doing the right thing by investing in infrastructure, by giving middle-income Canadians a break, and by helping low-income families with a new Canada child benefit. We are doing what economists like Larry Summers, former U.S. treasury secretary, say is the right thing to do. We are doing what David Dodge, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, says is the right thing to do. We are listening to experts, not to the Conservatives from whom we inherited debt, deficits, and a low-growth economy.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member opposite asked that question. Regarding an anti-armour capability, it should have been provided before the Liberal government was elected, when our ground troops went there in the first place. This capability was not there.I would also like to remind her that the reason we are putting this in is that in inclement weather, the air strikes cannot take place. If there is a threat that can only be taken care of by anti-armour capability, we need a portable system to do so, and that system is not in our inventory any more. This decision was made by the previous government and I am going to bring that capability back.
Mr. Speaker, former Aveos employees feel betrayed. After winning two court cases against Air Canada to save their jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg, and Mississauga, they have now learned that the government wants to change the law to relieve Air Canada of its obligations.Before the election, the Prime Minister promised to fight for these former employees. The Prime Minister's response yesterday totally missed the mark.Why is the government giving up on the 2,600 unemployed Aveos workers?
Mr. Speaker, Canada will be there to give consular help to Canadians when it is appropriate, and all the help they are entitled to have.Who we want to free are those Canadians that are unfairly put in jail everywhere in the world. That is what I want to say. If it were not clear for my colleague, I am pleased to clarify it for him today. I hope he is clear on it now.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of International Trade confirmed that officials in her department are negotiating a new softwood lumber agreement because, as she said, It is essential for Canadians. Actually, for some Quebec communities, it is more than essential; it is vital. According to the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, 20,000 Quebeckers have lost their jobs in the forestry industry over the last decade.What will the minister do to ensure that the new agreement recognizes Quebec's forestry regime, which is vital to Quebec regions such as Abitibi and the North Shore, and to ensure that our regime is not considered a subsidy, as is the case in the United States?
Mr. Speaker, I feel obligated to remind the Liberals of how barbaric ISIS terrorists are. This week they publicly beheaded a 15-year-old boy for listening to pop music. The U.S. State Department reported that ISIS used mustard gas in a deadly attack against Iraq's Kurdish peshmerga. The new Liberal plan puts our troops at increased risk and ignores the immediate security needs of innocent civilians.Now that our CF-18s can no longer take out ISIS from the air, will the Prime Minister be using reason to stop ISIS from carrying out these atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the member opposite does not believe in a market mechanism that will help tackle climate change, create clean jobs, and stimulate innovation. More than 80% of Canadians will soon live in a jurisdiction where there is carbon pricing, and major Canadian corporations, as well as international corporations, already build the price of carbon into their investment decisions. We look forward to sitting down with the premiers, unlike the other government, to actually look into how we can move forward to have a real plan to grow our economy and tackle climate change.
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is speaking in the House on the government's motion on the ISIS mission, the defence minister quietly issued a press release saying our CF-18s dropped their last bombs on Monday and were headed home. In his press release, the Minister of National Defence did not even thank or acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Canada's fighter jets. This comes before the House has even had a chance to vote on the motion.The Prime Minister promised a debate and a vote, knowing full well he would blatantly ignore the democratic will of Parliament. Why is the government more interested in retreat than debate?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said his only goal was to free every Canadian in trouble around the world. Ernest Fenwick Macintosh is a Canadian and a convicted pedophile. He is in jail in Nepal right now for sexually assaulting a child. In 1997, the government issued a passport when it should not have done so. Is this someone that the Liberals want to bring back to Canada?
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for Canadians. That is why there is a parliamentary committee studying and working on a report on the issue. We look forward to receiving the report. We will take that report seriously and we will work with members of Parliament from all parties in a non-partisan way on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement recently stated that the new ships for the Royal Canadian Navy do not have to be built in Canada. Minister after minister, even today, has stood in this House and told us they have a plan, a plan to grow the economy and create jobs through infrastructure spending. Yet when they have the opportunity to do so, the first thing they do is look to send the jobs overseas instead of supporting our shipbuilding sector.Will the minister tell us why the Liberals would rather farm out jobs to foreign countries than create the high-paying jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, it is common in this place when a minister misspeaks and says something that is factually incorrect to correct the record as soon as possible. To assist the President of the Treasury Board with that, I would like to table the Fiscal Monitor from November from the Minister of Finance's own department which shows that the Conservative Party left the Liberals with a surplus. I would like to
Mr. Speaker, the matter of the Zika virus epidemic is something that we have taken very seriously. My colleagues in the Public Health Agency of Canada have been very active on this file on a daily basis collaborating with our international partners at the World Health Organization. We have advised Canadians every day to make sure they are taking protective measures if it is necessary for them to travel to affected regions. We have also advised, if women are pregnant or considering pregnancy, that they avoid travel to affected countries. All of that information is available at travel.gc.ca.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, and that is the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. We know that, from the outset, the Prime Minister has not stopped boasting about Quebec's experience in this regard. I would like to remind members that Quebec's experience ended with a free vote by MNAs. I know what I am talking about. I was there.Last week, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons announced, not in the House but in the paper, that the vote on this issue would be a party vote and that members would have to toe the party line. The Liberal members for Scarborough and Winnipeg have already said that this does not make any sense, and they are right.I appeal to the Liberal Party to use common sense and keep its word.Will the Liberals allow members to vote according to their conscience, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need jobs. Bombardier has the potential to create much needed jobs if the Toronto Island airport is allowed to expand. However, the Minister of Transport has overruled the decision not only of Toronto City Council but of the Toronto port authority. He has blocked the expansion of the Toronto Island airport.Why is the Minister of Transport blocking Bombardier from creating jobs for Canadians and preventing the expansion of the Toronto Island airport?
Mr. Speaker, under our watch, four major pipeline projects were built, and the first thing they did was kill northern gateway.A new national carbon tax would devastate all aspects of the economy, making Canadians pay more for everything they buy, and it will drive out investment. Premier Brad Wall has warned that this new tax would hurt economic growth and cost jobs across the country. Saskatchewan has indicated it wants no part of this job-killing scheme. The Liberals talk about working with the provinces. Will the minister stand in the House and guarantee that Saskatchewan can opt out of this terrible idea?
Mr. Speaker, we are certainly concerned about the situation in Saskatchewan and the job losses that are due to low commodity prices. However, unlike the previous government, we believe that the environment and the economy go together. That is why we are working with the provinces and territories to have a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change but to also stimulate innovation and grow a clean economy.
Mr. Speaker, all week long, we, the Conservative members, have asked the government questions about the state of the public finances and control of public spending. Unfortunately, we did not even come close to getting a reasonable answer. There was no answer. It is very clear that if the Prime Minister were in charge of a company, he would have lost his job a long time ago.When will the Prime Minister manage the government like a good father or mother would do?
Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on and that makes everyone angry, it is the lack of competition for wireless carriers.Yesterday, the CRTC refused to give small players access to the infrastructure they need to grow and develop. This means that there will be less competition, when more would certainly have been easier on Canadians' wallets.Can the minister tell us what he plans to do to ensure more competition, which will allow for broader coverage and lower prices?
Mr. Speaker, the families of soldiers well remember the 2002 friendly fire incident when U.S. jets fired on Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, killing four of them. Our CF-18s would have known they were Canadian boots on the ground, and now we are back to relying on other countries for air cover.What did the minister mean yesterday when he said that our special forces in Iraq needed anti-armour? Did he withdraw the CF-18s before putting necessary protection in place for our soldiers on the ground?
Mr. Speaker, this government's openness and transparency is refreshing after a decade of deceit and denial by the previous government. In fact, important financial information on numerous federal programs was kept hidden by the previous government, even when requested by the parliamentary budget officer.Can the President of the Treasury Board inform the House of the actions he is taking to ensure that the PBO finally receives the information that has long been requested?
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I have sat down with the representatives, my counterparts, from the provinces and territories to talk about a pan-Canadian plan to tackle climate change but also to set our economy on a new path where we have sustainable growth. We have done this. The Prime Minister is meeting on March 3 with the premiers of the provinces, as well as the territories, to actually develop this pan-Canadian plan. We are well aware of the challenges faced by Saskatchewan and other provinces. That is why we are going to invest in green infrastructure and is how we are going to create clean jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.This issue is a top priority. Our goal is to maintain stable access to the American market for Canada's softwood lumber industry. We will work with our American partners, and we are working very hard on this issue. This specific issue has been raised with President Obama, Michael Froman, the U.S. trade representative, and Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Our officials are working very hard on this file. It is important for Quebec, for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Maritimes. We know it is important. We are hard at work.
Mr. Speaker, harassment within the RCMP is once again making headlines.Things are supposedly under control, but the problem is clearly systemic. Furthermore, the RCMP seems incapable of handling its internal complaints in a fair manner. There is no respect for victims, allegations are not taken seriously, and punishments are laughable.When will the government demand that the RCMP take things seriously?
Mr. Speaker, across Canada individual governments have priced carbon. This has occurred for a long time. Unlike the previous government, we are actually doing something that seems quite unconventional by recent standards. We meet with the premiers and we work with the provincial governments. We look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure that we have an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable energy industry here in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, the March 2016 deadline for a new agreement on internal trade is fast approaching. I know government members like to tell us that they are working really hard while consulting on consultation, but Canada desperately needs a long overdue new agreement on internal trade.Will the Prime Minister announce a new agreement on internal trade when he meets with Canadian premiers next month in Vancouver, or will he promise more promises and come home empty-handed?
Mr. Speaker, this government is certainly determined to strengthen all the programs that will educate Canadians against racism and intolerance, and to have a more tolerant and open-minded country, especially regarding our Jewish community.This being said, the attempt of the Conservatives to divide the House on this issue failed yesterday, and it will always fail as long as we have this government in place.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question even though I do not really understand it. If any party has been clear about its plan for the middle class, it is the current government.In December, we cut taxes for the middle class, which will help over nine million Canadians. We even told our colleagues opposite and all Canadians that the upcoming budget will include the Canadian benefit for families, which will start in July and help nine out of 10 families, as well as our infrastructure program. We have a comprehensive program to stimulate the economy and help children and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board just said, we were elected. Yes, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run a maximum deficit of $10 billion, and that has now become the minimum deficit.They were elected on the promise that they would make revenue-neutral tax changes, when in actual fact those changes are going to cost us $1.7 billion. They were also elected on a promise regarding the F-35s and we do not know what is happening with that. The answer may be yes or it may be no. My question is simple.What promise will they break next?
Mr. Speaker, our government is not only standing up for Canadian jobs, we are actually investing in creating Canadian jobs. We are investing in science, we are investing in innovation, we are investing in infrastructure, the kinds of investments that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. We understand the importance of investing in Canadians and investing in Canadian innovation.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for that question. I will reiterate that, as announced on November 12, 2015, the Government of Canada will not re-open the tripartite agreement between the federal government, the City of Toronto, and Ports Toronto. All three parties of the tripartite agreement must concur on any amendments.
Mr. Speaker, I agree with hon. member opposite about the atrocities that ISIL is committing, but I would also remind him that with an enemy like this that commits these atrocities, we cannot take it out from the air. It can only be done on the ground. This is the reason we are tripling our training capacity and doubling our intelligence, so that we can actually work as part of a coalition and defeat ISIS finally.
Mr. Speaker, it has been the same old story from this government for months. We even heard the story this morning: a plan for this, a plan for that.The only plan we can see is a plan to mess things up. This week we learned from public servants at Public Services and Procurement Canada that the Liberals' plan was to have tugboats and fireboats built outside Canada.Can the minister tell us why these boats should not be built here, in Canada, by Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, such a major transaction will require government approval. At the very least, the government should require transparency from CBC/Radio-Canada. Quebeckers and Montrealers have an attachment to the CBC/Radio-Canada tower. It has a unique status in our cultural history. The CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors' plans could see the tower torn down. Can the government tell us whether it considered other options for using this building?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attack on labour rights included stripping the rights of workers to refuse unsafe work, and rolling back health and safety protections for federally regulated workers.These are fundamental labour rights that took generations to achieve. Yet, despite the Liberal election promises, the new government has failed to act. Instead of patting themselves on the back, will the Liberals give working Canadians a straight answer today for why they are refusing to reverse these Conservative attacks on the protection of workers?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for SydneyVictoria for his work on this file and for that tough question.The Conservatives refused to disclose information about their 2012 budget cuts to Canadians and to the parliamentary budget officer. Our government has released this information because government information belongs to Canadians. Our government will continue to be open and transparent with Canadians because we believe it is the right thing for a government to do, as we believe in open-by-default government.
Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, unlike the previous government, our government believes that the environment and the economy go together. Unfortunately, under the previous government, because the Conservatives took a position against developing resources in a sustainable way and diversifying the economy, we actually were not able to create the jobs that we need to grow the economy of the future. What we are doing now is that we are going to be working with the provinces and the territories to develop a plan that tackles climate change, one of the biggest challenges of our generation, and that also moves us forward to a lower-carbon economy with good, new jobs.
Mr. Speaker, as a coalition, we fight as a team. We defend each other as a team, as well. When we put our military package together for the coalition, we consulted, we looked at the gaps, and we provided the necessary capacity. This is the reason why, I will repeat, we are tripling our training capacity, providing intelligence, and even putting in additional capabilities, which I personally briefed my critic about over the phone on the day we made the announcement.
Mr. Speaker, for months the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has been promising Canadians a Canada-wide climate-change plan. Despite repeated requests to do so, the minister has failed to deliver such a plan, another broken promise. At the same time, she is boasting about billion-dollar climate-change projects in foreign countries and scheming on a tax grab, which would impose more punishing carbon taxes on Canadians. My question is for the minister. As the broken promises pile up, why is she abandoning the thousands of working Canadians who are losing their jobs because of her policies?
Mr. Speaker, that will not bring down cell phone prices. Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world, yet the previous government failed to make any progress, and the Liberals have shown no interest.Yesterday the CRTC denied an appeal to spark real competition in the wireless sector by allowing new small players into the market. What action are Liberals going to take to stop Canadians from getting gouged? Will the minister step in to review this proposal?
Mr. Speaker, according to the recent report from the National Bank of Canada, the Liberals are on track to add $90 billion to Canada's debt.In Manitoba, we have witnessed how runaway NDP deficits destroyed our province's credit rating while Premier Selinger raised taxes and drove away business. The tax-and-spend policies of the NDP in Manitoba did not work, so can the Minister of Finance tell us why the new Liberal government wants to burden Canadians by repeating the terrible NDP mistakes?
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that the CBC/Radio-Canada tower is officially for sale.This plan has raised some serious concerns from the beginning, and there has been no transparency. CBC/Radio-Canada's production capacity is at stake. Management has not offered any guarantees that it will be maintained.Can the government tell us whether it truly plans to hand a blank cheque to CBC/Radio-Canada? What guarantees will it require?
Mr. Speaker, the absolute worst thing one can do during an economic downturn is to burden Canadians with higher taxes. The proposed national carbon tax would kneecap the energy sector. Canadians out of work across the country expect the government to grow the economy, not add additional burdens. This is a terrible idea that could not come at a worse time. Higher taxes on energy will make Canadian oil even less competitive on the world stage. Is the minister trying to completely destroy the western Canadian economy, or is he just doing it by accident?
Mr. Speaker, after first threatening Quebec with cutting equalization payments and transfers, the Premier of Saskatchewan is at it again, now saying that help for Bombardier should be conditional on Quebec allowing the energy east pipeline project to go ahead. Instead of aiding and abetting such a distasteful swap, will the government immediately provide some assistance to Bombardier, as it did for Ontario's automotive sector?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.Harassment is a serious issue that is unacceptable within the RCMP or within any other organization.I want to inform the House that two members of the RCMP have been suspended in connection with this issue.
Mr. Speaker, does the delay-and-study party, a.k.a. the Liberals, understand that the people of Saskatchewan are hurting? The downturn in the oil and gas industry has left thousands of Saskatchewanians out of work. I see the devastating effects every time I drive in my riding. Now the Liberals are scheming to impose a carbon tax, against the will of Canadians in Saskatchewan. Why are they imposing a job-killing carbon tax at a time when people in the energy sector are losing their jobs daily?
Mr. Speaker, every week that goes by, the Prime Minister breaks another election promise. Revenue-neutral tax cuts, deficits, balanced budgetsall broken promises. To make matters worse, the Prime Minister is spending billions of dollars of taxpayers' money on foreign vanity projects. Now we are hearing that he has a scheme to impose a harmful carbon tax on provinces like Saskatchewan at the absolutely worst time for our energy industry. Why is the Liberal government punishing Canadians at a time when hundreds of thousands of Canadians are losing their jobs?