Most toxic speeches
Madam Speaker, my riding of Medicine HatCardstonWarner is home to CFB Suffield. I was elected to stand up for all constituents, including those military personnel and civilian staff who bravely serve our country.The Minister of National Defence made a choice to embellish his service record, and he continually chooses to mislead Canadians. He has lost the respect, trust, and confidence not only of our military but also of Canadians. Without talking points, will the minister do the honourable thing and please step aside?
Some progress perhaps, Madam Speaker, but boil water advisories have been added since the Liberals took power.This week, Algonquin artist Samian denounced the Prime Minister's role and responsibility in violating the basic right to drinking water. Some progress is not enough.When will the government stop making pretty speeches and guarantee all indigenous communities access to clean drinking water?
Madam Speaker, taking credit for the feats of other brave Canadians is the straw that broke the camel's back. The minister has lost the support of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. No one supports him.It is sad to see the Minister of National Defence clinging on to his position like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. When you make a mistake, apologizing is not enough; the honourable thing to do is take appropriate action. Here, the only appropriate action is to step down. Will he step down, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the party opposite could not care less about the regions and jobs there. The Liberal government had an opportunity to sign a softwood lumber agreement with the former American administration, but it chose to play games with the Trump team instead. Well, the Liberals got the short end of the stick, and now the forestry industry is paying the price for their incompetence with a 24% hike in Canadian softwood lumber import prices.The Liberals had an agreement. Why did they let it slip through their fingers, and when will they finally take softwood lumber and our regions seriously?
Madam Speaker, clean drinking water is a right that all Canadians should be able to count on, but just two hours from Ottawa, almost half of the houses in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi do not have safe water, and it has been that way for almost 20 years. Shame on the government for not fixing the problem for all reserves. Our communities cannot wait any longer.When will the government make it a real priority and treat water like a human right?
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Saint-Jean to listen to the question. As a father, I teach my children to respect others and to never take credit for others' achievements. Engaging in such immoral and unacceptable behaviour would mean losing all trust and credibility.The minister chose to misrepresent the facts on several occasions. He continues to mislead Canadians. How can he have any credibility with members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can he continue to oversee the Department of Defence after losing the respect of every member of the armed forces?Why does he not resign?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have spent the last 18 months cozying up to dictators while Canadian citizens are detained and abused overseas. The latest case is China's arrest of Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen. China jails dissidents, oppresses minority Uighurs and Tibetans, uses arbitrary detention, and violates the religious rights of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Falun Gong worshippers like Sun Qian.Why are the Liberals negotiating an extradition treaty with China when it refuses to release Canadians wrongfully arrested?
Madam Speaker, when the Prime Minister stumbled onto a Saskatchewan farm last week, he was surprised that they used complicated tools like GPS. Producers have other tools that are just as important. One of the economic tools they have had for decades was the ability to defer income from cash grain tickets. Now the Liberals are moving to take that away, a move that punishes Canadian producers and rewards the government. Why is it that every time the Liberals make a move, they rip money out of Canadian pockets and just put it in their own hands?
Madam Speaker, the minister has the highest regard for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their service. He is now delivering on the broad mandate that he was given. He will soon unveil a new defence policy that will ensure that the military has the appropriate equipment and everything it needs on its missions to uphold Canada's sovereignty, to defend North America with NORAD, and to fulfill our international obligations to keep peace in the world.
Madam Speaker, last night the Prime Minister kicked his cash for access fundraising scheme back into high gear. However, just three nights ago, the Minister of National Defence bailed at the last minute, and for no good reason, on a high-profile fundraiser for Afghanistan vets. The Liberals are showing where their priorities are, and it is not with our military or our veterans. Why does the Liberal government make time for people with big cheques for the Liberal Party but cannot find time to attend fundraisers for our vets and troops?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal government has set up a task force to ponder the trials and tribulations of the Phoenix pay system.After a year, this is too little too late, and public servants themselves are the ones saying so. Contrary to what the Liberal government and the parliamentary secretary are claiming, there are still some public servants across this country who have not been paid for six months, including the Drouin family in Montreal. There has been absolutely no progress, and some very desperate cases remain outstanding.When will this government take urgent action to fix the problem once and for all?
Madam Speaker, it is too bad that the member for CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles did not attend last night's gala to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, because the minister received a very warm welcome. Even officer cadets wanted to meet him, have their picture taken with him, and hear what he had to say. The veterans and sailors who were there showed their support, and I saw this first-hand. The warm welcome he received demonstrates that his credibility remains intact with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Madam Speaker, Liberals pretend they want to ban omnibus bills but refuse to break up their omnibus budget bill. That is called hypocrisy. The Liberal omnibus budget bill would change almost 30 different laws, including restricting the PBO's mandate that Liberals once said needed to be a truly independent watchdog.Either the Liberals only pretended to care about transparency to get elected or they abandoned their principles once they did. Which is it?
Madam Speaker, contrary to what it promised, the Liberal government crammed a whole bunch of other stuff into its budget bill, and that makes it an omnibus bill. Among other things, the government is attacking the parliamentary budget officer by limiting his independence and his ability to launch investigations while in office. The government is also preventing all MPs from calling for investigations and studies into issues that it finds inconvenient. Curiously, it is directing the PBO to submit a plan to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.I have one simple question: what happens if they say no?
Madam Speaker, motivated by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the Minister of Transport moved up review of the Railway Safety Act by one year. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the last budget or in the rail safety improvement program to help those whose wounds have yet to heal: the people of Lac-Mégantic. The bypass and the Institut en culture de sécurité industrielle are two projects that can make all the difference.When will the Minister of Transport put his money where his mouth is and support real rail safety projects for Lac-Mégantic and Canada as a whole?
Madam Speaker, what the defence minister has not done yet is explain why he rewrote history. It was not a mistake; it was deliberate. His own spokesperson confirmed that the minister had personally inserted the word architect into that speech in India. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister mentioned the word honesty eight times. Clearly, he has not been honest, and his eagerness to take credit from others to pat himself on the back is an affront to our troops.When will the minister do the right thing? When will he step aside and put our troops ahead of himself?
Madam Speaker, those are the same worn out talking points we heard earlier today and we continue to get from the government.Here is what the experts are saying: There really isn't a case that's been made for the need for this bank overall, relative to existing tools that we have for infrastructure investment. That is from the policy shop of the former parliamentary budget officer.Why are the Liberals taking away $34 billion from communities across Canada to set up this unnecessary and unwanted new bureaucracy here in Ottawa?
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Madam Speaker, we all know that the defence minister misled Canadians by claiming at least twice that he was the architect of Operation Medusa. In doing so, he has lost all credibility, and he needs to step down. However, the Prime Minister has a responsibility as well. The Prime Minister needs to stand up for our military and put their interests first, ahead of protecting the Minister of National Defence. Does the Prime Minister realize that by not moving his defence minister out he is condoning his actions and sending a very troubling message to our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to stick with Stephen Harper's climate change targets that will not meet our international commitments. Worse, Environment Canada recently projected that we are set to miss even that low bar, exceeding our 2030 target by at least 30%. This was before the Liberals announced delays in implementing key measures, including the methane emission control regulations and the $1.2 billion to support climate action by the provinces. The solution is clear: ambitious targets, credible measures to deliver them, and transparency in reporting. When will Canadians see these actions?
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, Operation Medusa is just one example of the minister making false claims. There are reports that Canadian troops who are currently serving in the Sinai desert will see cuts to their danger pay starting next month. This is another example of a broken promise. The Minister of National Defence not only misleading Canadians, but misleading the very troops he is commanding.Can the minister not see that making false promises and false claims is actually causing hardship for our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, it is funny to hear the parliamentary secretary say only $15 billion. In their omnibus budget bill, the Liberals are creating the infrastructure bank and today we learn who is pulling the strings of this huge taxpayer trap.BlackRock is the biggest investor in the world. BlackRock helped the Liberal government create the infrastructure bank. BlackRock assisted the Liberal government with its public relations. BlackRock will be a client of the infrastructure bank and will make huge profits from it.Is the bank being established for the sake of our communities or for the people with club privilege? Who is running this government, BlackRock?
Madam Speaker, AECL delivers its mandate to a government-owned, contractor-operated model whereby the operation of its nuclear laboratories, including decommissioning and waste management work, is delivered by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.Under this model, AECL continues to own the land, facilities, assets, and liabilities, whereas the workforce, the licences, and all other aspects of running the site are part of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' business. AECL today is a small crown corporation whose role is to oversee the contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Madam Speaker, that is not very believable. In fact the defence minister cannot seem to tell the truth, even with the most basic of facts.This week there was a fundraiser for veterans. The Minister of National Defence was supposed to be there, but he said all of a sudden he could not go. Why? Lo and behold, suddenly he had a speech he had to write. He had a speech he had to write the same night as this event which he had known about for months. No one is buying that. He was not the architect of Operation Medusa, and he was not writing a speech on Tuesday night. He has lost all credibility. When will he step aside?
Madam Speaker, there was no answer.Another Trojan Horse in the Liberal omnibus budget is the infrastructure bank which aims to privatize infrastructure and services. Internal documents reveal that representatives from private corporations helped the Liberals set up this billion-dollar privatization bank. Liberals spent months working with private sector advisers preparing for a closed-door meeting at Toronto's Shangri-La Hotel, of course.Can the Liberal minister define conflict of interest?
Madam Speaker, after years of the Phoenix fiasco, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of workers. It is interesting that the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers the government can give us about when it will be able to solve it. Maybe that is because this broken system is actually creating new victims every single day.If the government will not tell us when all the current cases will be resolved, can it at least tell us when it intends to stop creating new ones?
Madam Speaker, in Lakeland, Al-Pac, near Athabasca, leads in pulp, paper, biofuels, and jobs, but the lumber mill near Boyle closed, cutting 11% of jobs and $12 million in annual revenue from town. It was the biggest employer. Canadian forestry provides more than 370,000 jobs in over 200 communities, but with no softwood lumber deal and new U.S. tariffs, livelihoods are at risk. Meanwhile, the Liberals add costs and red tape on energy, killing investment and jobs, while the U.S. ramps up. When will the Liberals finally champion Canadian jobs and Canadian resources?
Madam Speaker, we realize and certainly support it, and we are working hard to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadians, including indigenous Canadians. This is why we are making the commitments that we are. In budget 2016, 201 projects were completed in the country. In budget 2017, there is another $4 billion to be invested in clean drinking water. Our goal is to make sure that we have clean drinking water in all indigenous communities by 2021 in Canada, and we are going to work hard to meet that goal.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is a former reservist. He will always honour the service of our Canadian Armed Forces members, the ones with whom he served on his missions and those who served under other commanders or at other times.Today, the minister and the government are responsible for making sure that our Canadian Armed Forces have all the equipment they need to successfully carry out their missions and all the support they need to ensure their well-being. We conducted an extremely thorough defence policy review in which all members of Parliament had an opportunity to take part.
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, while the Minister of Status of Women spends millions on her office renovation, women in need are being left behind. This week at committee we heard testimony from the Canada's Building Trades Unions that no money is available to unions to help advance women in the skilled trades.The Liberals have failed to protect vulnerable women and to support their advancement in the skilled trades. When will the minister get her priorities straight?
Madam Speaker, the CRA continues to take important steps and is making progress in cracking down on tax cheats and ensuring a tax system that is more responsive and fair to all Canadians. Building on a previous investment of $444 million last year, budget 2017 invests an additional $524 million to crack down on tax evasion and to improve compliance. The additional funding will have an expected revenue impact of $2.5 billion over five years. This is what Canadians expect, and that is exactly what we will continue to do.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital, where it makes sense, to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada.The infrastructure bank, let us be clear, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank would be an optional tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory would be forced to use the bank, nor would they be punished for not doing so.This government takes counsel; it does not take orders.
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is certainly taking positive action, unlike the previous government that acted recklessly and left us this mess after it laid off 700 compensation advisors. That was supposed to save $70 million, but instead we were left with a broken pay system, one that our government is determined to fix.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot keep his head in the sand, pretending that Canadians still have confidence in the defence minister. Every time the minister enters a base, every time he rides on a plane, every time he steps on a ship, and every time he addresses our troops, it will haunt him. It will haunt him, because in those multiple moments he chose to embellish, he immediately lost respect, credibility, and the trust of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. The truth is that the minister knows it.For those reasons, will he do the honourable thing and step down?
Madam Speaker, as the MP for Gatineau and parliamentary secretary to the minister, I, like all members of the House, have heard stories from public servants in our ridings about the challenges they face because of issues with the pay system. These issues have caused real hardships for many public servants and their families, and many are issues that no family should have to face. Our government remains resolutely focused on addressing the issue and on deploying the resources, financial and human, needed to address this situation. That is what we are going to do, and that is what we are working on.
Madam Speaker, at the Canada Revenue Agency, there are fine statements of intent and then there is reality. With the Minister of National Revenue, there is talk and there is action. The minister claims that the fight against tax avoidance is a priority, but a CBC investigation has shown that the number of wealthy taxpayers who have managed not to pay any taxes has doubled since 2011.The minister says that the net is tightening around tax cheats. Give me a break. It is wide open, and the system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to hire tax avoidance experts.Does the minister intend to finally put an end to this two-tier system where the wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes? When will we begin to see some movement on this?
Madam Speaker, as a former police officer and a soldier, the Minister of National Defence served Canada in an exemplary fashion. Now as a Liberal minister, he has been caught misrepresenting his service to impress an audience.Can the minister tell Canadians why he felt it was so necessary to abandon the truth about his role in Afghanistan?
Madam Speaker, this government is probably one of the first governments to have a plan to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and to prevent new advisories. In budget 2016 investments, we have already had 201 projects in 159 communities, serving over 196,000 indigenous Canadians. In this year's budget, we added an additional $4 billion over 10 years. We are sticking to our goal to end long-term drinking water advisories.
Madam Speaker, budget 2017 changed the credit that small oil and gas companies get for resource exploration. This change will hurt a number of small businesses in Bow River and across Canada. The natural resource sector in Alberta is already struggling through tough times with low prices, and these Liberals just do not care.Why are the Liberals intent on phasing out Canadian oil and gas?
Madam Speaker, apparently, it can take years to have access to rulings of federal courts in French. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has been investigating this problem since 2007. Complaints have been piling up for 10 years. This is just further proof that the government is showing no leadership when it comes to official languages. Access to federal court rulings in one's first language is a right.My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and official languages. Does she plan to wait another 10 years before fixing this problem?
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has lost all credibility by taking credit for someone else's achievements. We still do not know why he did that. He never said. Since then, he has been trying to go about his business as though nothing happened, but something has changed. Our men and women in uniform are ashamed of the Minister of National Defence. He is also doing a dishonour to veterans. The person responsible for our troops cannot alter the truth whenever he feels like it. Will he resign?
Madam Speaker, the minister has proven his credibility through all of the work he has done to develop a new defence policy. The consultations he undertook had not happened in 20 years. This policy will help make sure that all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment, training, and respect they need to complete their missions as effectively as Canada is known for doing.
Madam Speaker, recently our government joined the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, for an important announcement. The city will be using more than $12.2 million in its annual allocation of the federal gas tax fund created by a Liberal government for improvements to its local roads, back lanes, and sidewalks this year. These projects will improve the quality of life of Winnipeg residents and tourists, through better roads, reduced traffic delays, faster commuting, and increases in the efficiency of the overall transportation network in the city.
Madam Speaker, when the Liberals said in the election that they were going to stop giving money to millionaires, they should have clarified they meant that is because they are giving it all to billionaires.We already knew about the Prime Minister's meetings with billionaires at Davos and at the Shangri-La Hotel, where he discussed the intimate details of this infrastructure bank. Today, Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail revealed the documents showing that the government has turned over control of the establishment of this bank to the same people who will profit from it. There is nothing wrong with profit, but reward should go with risk. This infrastructure bank will put $35 billion of risk on Canadian taxpayers so insiders can make a profit. Why?
Nakurmiik, Madam Speaker. Nakurmiik, my colleagues. I want to recognize the tremendous work and input my colleague from Nunavut has had with regard to nutrition north.As members know, we have been very engaged in consultations with those across the north. We know it is unacceptable that northerners are struggling to feed their families, and we have every intention of bringing forward a new program that will meet the needs of northerners.That program review is currently online. We have engaged with 3,500 people and had submissions. We are hoping, very soon, to be able to launch a new program.
Madam Speaker, our thoughts go out to those families, workers, and communities affected by this very challenging situation. We are taking immediate action to help companies, workers, and local communities affected by these unfair and punitive duties. We continue to work with our counterparts on the federal-provincial task force on softwood lumber to help Canadian forestry workers and communities affected. We will vigorously defend our industry and our workers from the impacts of this decision by the U.S. commerce department.
Madam Speaker, fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned about their livelihoods. Recent quota changes have created uncertainty and left many wondering how they will make ends meet. However, the fisheries minister does not seem to care. Twillingate fisherman Richard Gillett had to go on a hunger strike for more than a week to even get a phone call. When will the minister do the right thing and meet with Mr. Gillett?
Madam Speaker, make no mistake: our government wants to attract private capital to Canada, so that we can build more infrastructure across this great country and create good jobs for the middle class.The infrastructure bank is $15 billion out of more than a $180 billion transformational plan for the 21st century. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside our municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century. We are going to use a lot of tools, and the infrastructure bank is just one of them.
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions that the labour movement has made to gender equality in Canada. I am sure we can all agree that a healthy NGO centre is also vital to the well-being of women and girls in this country. That is why we have funded over 300 projects across the country to address gender-based violence and to improve economic outcomes and leadership for women and girls.I can assure my hon. colleague that should labour groups want to partner with NGOs, we welcome that.
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I understand that you are taking under advisement the admissibility of the amendment, moved by the member for Carleton, to the government's motion regarding the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-4, so I would like to very briefly offer my argument in support of the admissibility of that amendment. At page 532 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, A motion in amendment arises out of debate and is proposed either to modify the original motion in order to make it more acceptable to the House. I believe that the amendment would do just that. The Senate has amended Bill C-4 to uphold a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority. Why the government wanted to take this away in the first place is perplexing, since it is proposing secret ballot elections in House committees. At page 533 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, An amendment is out of order...if it is completely contrary to the main motion and would produce the same result as the defeat of the main motion. Madam Speaker, I believe this may be the reason for your deliberations on the matter. Would the defeat of the main motion to the Senate amendment made to Bill C-4 have the same effect as voting for the amendment proposed by my colleague? I believe that the answer is clearly no. If the government's motion were to be defeated, I would argue that nothing would happen. The government would need to come back with an alternative motion with a different proposition. However, if my colleague's amendment were to be adopted, both the House and the Senate will have adopted Bill C-4 in an identical form, and it would move to eventually receiving royal assent as amended.As the Journals of June 6, 1923, at page 437, state, the Speaker ruled that an amendment to alter the main question by submitting a proposition with the opposite conclusion is not an expanded negative and may be moved. This amendment indeed offers the opposite conclusion: that is, to accept the amendment made by the Senate that supports democracy. The government's motion rejects this democratic principle. Voting for or against the government's motion would have a different outcome than would voting for my colleague's amendment. Therefore, I ask that you, Madam Speaker, accept the amendment and allow this House to express its views on preserving a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority.
The parliamentary secretary mentions federal agencies, Madam Speaker, but we already know that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is examining this issue. That was not my question.We know that the public consultations have not yet begun, but that is not what we want to know. The time to act is now. It is better to be proactive today than radioactive tomorrow.Does the environment minister seriously think that it is a good idea to pile up mountains of nuclear waste and cover them with geotextile fabric?
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that safe solutions are in place for managing radioactive waste. Radioactive waste owners are responsible for developing and implementing fully funded solutions for the safe and secure management of their waste. Major waste owners are meeting their responsibilities for developing long-term solutions, and a number of radioactive waste management initiatives are under way, with rigorous oversight from federal regulatory agencies.
Madam Speaker, the Quebec minister of sustainable development told the National Assembly that his department was working on a nuclear emergency plan in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear waste disposal project in Chalk River, which is located along the very banks of the Ottawa River. However, the Ottawa River is the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers and Ontarians.Does the environment minister support the building of a nuclear waste disposal facility on the banks of the Ottawa River?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing money and plan to funnel it to foreign billionaires to subsidize their profits. Make no mistake, that is what the Liberal infrastructure bank will be doing. Randall Bartlett, the chief economist for the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, has rightly asked, Why are we privatizing the returns for those assets when they would be going to the public sector? It is a great question. Can we get an answer from the Liberal government?
Madam Speaker, I will tell members where we are delivering billions. We are delivering billions to families who need it the most, families who are seeking hard to join the middle class. With our family allocation through taxing the 1%, we have delivered billions to families who need it the most, for school supplies, for food. We are really proud of that record, and we will take that record to the next election.
Madam Speaker, the first responsibility of the Minister of National Defence and our government is to look after our troops and ensure that they have the support, training, and equipment to carry out the missions they are assigned.That has been the minister's objective for the past year and a half and that is what he strives to do every day. One of the key elements of his mandate is to put together a new defence policy. We will ensure that this policy is adequately funded.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the confidence of the Prime Minister and the entire caucus. All day yesterday, I heard about how credible the minister is. He established the process for a new defence policy that will help make sure that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have all the tools they need to successfully complete their missions.
Fifteen billion dollars, Madam Speaker. The parliamentary secretary should read division 18, clause 23 of the budget legislation, which says that it is $35 billion. That is $35 billion that, on the same page, will go to things like loan guarantees that ensure that potentially profitable projects, if they go wrong, will end up costing Canadian taxpayers a fortune. Why is the government privatizing profit while nationalizing risk?
Madam Speaker, our thoughts are with the Canadians affected by the flooding. Our government is always willing to assist any province or territory that asks for help.The government operations centre in my department is on standby. We are speaking to all of the provincial governments involved, including later today. The first call for assistance is up to the provincial government to determine. If asked, the Government of Canada will respond quickly.
Madam Speaker, as a government, we understand the challenges workers and their families in the energy sector have had over the last few years. Our support for the energy sector reflects a balanced approach that ensures the environment is protected and that good, well-paying jobs are there for Canadians. We did in one year what the previous government could not do in a decade: approve pipelines, while at the same protecting our oceans, pricing carbon pollution, and working with indigenous peoples. We believe our approach positions Canada and Canadians well.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring Canadians have access to justice in the official language of their choice. Budget 2017 proposes to provide $2 million over two years to the Courts Administration Service to enhance federal courts' ability to make decisions available in both English and French. This new funding is in addition to the new process that our government has already established for Supreme Court of Canada appointments, which includes a policy that judges should be functionally bilingual.
Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The broken nutrition north program continues to fail Nunavummiut. INAC released the What we heard report last week, which reiterates the many necessary changes that I and others have been advocating for years. It is my understanding that there have been further consultations held over the last few days. My question is not about these consultations. It is not about any future meetings or consultations.When can Nunavummiut expect the much-needed changes to the program to be made?
Madam Speaker, many waterfront communities are experiencing flooding that it is causing significant damage. Volunteers and first responders in both Quebec and Ontario have their hands full helping those affected, and we thank them for the great job they are doing.Can the Minister of Public Safety give us an update on what the federal government is doing to help the communities affected?
Madam Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. They will be paid retroactively. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. Our government is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution to fix the mess we inherited and to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.
Madam Speaker, improving this country's democracy means ensuring that political parties raise funds from the public in a more open and transparent manner. That is why we are taking action. Canadians have a right to know even more than they do now. Political parties and leadership campaigns will be required to promptly and publicly disclose fundraising event information.We will continue to take action to make government and all aspects of our democracy more open and transparent. I encourage all parties in this place to do what they can for openness and transparency.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada. The infrastructure bank, it bears repeating, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank will be yet another tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory will be forced to use the bank. It is one of the tools in our toolkit to create good jobs for the 21st century.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the minister admitted that he made a mistake in describing his role. He set the record straight in the House earlier this week and apologized.In no way were the minister's comments meant to take away from the role of former senior officers and fellow soldiers. He gave them a heartfelt apology. The minister is proud to have served his country as part of an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghan soldiers who successfully carried out Operation Medusa.
Madam Speaker, our government strongly supports the Canadian grain industry, which is a key driver of exports, jobs, and economic growth. With changes in recent years in grain marketing, the delivery of listed grain is now the responsibility of the private sector instead of the federal government.Budget 2017 launches consultations with farmers and stakeholders on this tax deferral, and we want to hear from farmers before moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the minister has been in consultation with experts, Canadians, and all MPs in order to develop a defence policy that will provide the military with the tools, training, and equipment it needs to defend Canada and North America and to secure peace around the world.
Madam Speaker, certainly the protection of human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy. Canada and China are not extradition partners. There are no extradition negotiations.As with all cases internationally, our government has a firm commitment to the protection of human rights. The rule of law and due process will continue to be paramount in all our engagements.
Madam Speaker, our government was elected on a platform of building sustainable communities in cities and towns all over this great country. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure for residents. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild their infrastructure for the residents who live in those communities. Can the minister provide an update on how the gas tax is benefiting the residents of Winnipeg?
Madam Speaker, it is worth repeating that this is but one tool in the arsenal that we have to deliver great quality jobs, great infrastructure, for, let us admit, infrastructure that in this country has been underappreciated for the last 10 years. The infrastructure bank is just $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion plan. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through our traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century, and we are proud of it.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I know that this is very important to him and his community.Our thoughts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy. Our government is firmly committed to improving rail safety. It is absolutely the minister's first priority. As he said, study of this file continues and that is why
Madam Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of the climate change plan that we were able to negotiate with the provinces and territories in consultation with indigenous peoples. This includes putting a price on pollution, making polluters pay. This includes phasing out coal by 2030. This includes historic investments in public transit, in green infrastructure, and in adaptation. This includes working with indigenous communities to get them off diesel. This includes historic investments in clean innovation. This will create good jobs and opportunities. We are extremely proud, and we will be moving forward.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making the parliamentary budget officer more independent, which is what the bill recently introduced in the House of Commons sets out to do.As I pointed out yesterday, we made it very clear that we are open to amendments. We are eager to get this bill to committee so it can be examined in detail and so the committee can discuss the good ideas we put forward about changes affecting the parliamentary budget officer.
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for ChicoutimiLe Fjord for his question and his outstanding work in the region.We have a responsibility to take care of our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by providing them with resources. On April 24, the Minister of National Defence announced the construction of two new buildings at Bagotville. The total investment of $95 million will improve the infrastructure and provide our military with the tools it needs to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, the implementing legislation gives flexibility to the bank. Our plan is to invest $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion transformational plan.It is worth repeating. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners. Where it makes sense, we are going to attract private capital for models that will serve citizens in a way that otherwise they would not be served.This is a great idea. This is an opportunity to get leverage from the private sector. We are going to do it all for Canadians to deliver a great infrastructure model for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House to respond to that question directly, because when it comes to omnibus legislation, we are the ones proposing the Speaker be able to separate omnibus legislation if there are concerns.When it comes to all measures in the budget implementation act, they are directly from the budget 2017 presented in the past in this place. When it comes to the independence of the parliamentary budget officer, we support independence. That is why we are saying, let us get the bill passed at second reading and send it to committee so it can do the work.
Madam Speaker, Resolute Forest Products has confirmed what everyone was afraid of: there will be job losses in the forestry industry because of this conflict.In my part of the country, in places like Chertsy, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, and Saint-Jean-de-Matha, my birthplace, everyone is worried. Today, the Prime Minister promised to support businesses and regions affected by the softwood lumber conflict.Will the government honour the Prime Minister's commitment to Quebec's forestry communities and act quickly to support the forestry sector by providing loan guarantees?
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, supporting the workers and communities that depend on forestry jobs is our top priority. Protecting forestry jobs means moving quickly to provide companies and communities with full access to existing loan guarantees and employment and economic diversification programs and expanding export markets while we fight these unfair tariffs on Canada's forestry industry.We will continue to work with the provinces through our federal-provincial task force to examine additional measures and to address the needs of affected workers and communities.
Madam Speaker, of course we are very concerned about the situation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We understand how much coastal communities rely on fisheries and oceans, and I am happy to report that the minister has been in contact. We are looking forward to discussions about Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. We understand this is a difficult time for the fish harvesters in communities affected by the recent fisheries management decision, but we are investing in science.
Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.
Madam Speaker, my riding of Medicine HatCardstonWarner is home to CFB Suffield. I was elected to stand up for all constituents, including those military personnel and civilian staff who bravely serve our country.The Minister of National Defence made a choice to embellish his service record, and he continually chooses to mislead Canadians. He has lost the respect, trust, and confidence not only of our military but also of Canadians. Without talking points, will the minister do the honourable thing and please step aside?
Some progress perhaps, Madam Speaker, but boil water advisories have been added since the Liberals took power.This week, Algonquin artist Samian denounced the Prime Minister's role and responsibility in violating the basic right to drinking water. Some progress is not enough.When will the government stop making pretty speeches and guarantee all indigenous communities access to clean drinking water?
Madam Speaker, taking credit for the feats of other brave Canadians is the straw that broke the camel's back. The minister has lost the support of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. No one supports him.It is sad to see the Minister of National Defence clinging on to his position like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. When you make a mistake, apologizing is not enough; the honourable thing to do is take appropriate action. Here, the only appropriate action is to step down. Will he step down, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the party opposite could not care less about the regions and jobs there. The Liberal government had an opportunity to sign a softwood lumber agreement with the former American administration, but it chose to play games with the Trump team instead. Well, the Liberals got the short end of the stick, and now the forestry industry is paying the price for their incompetence with a 24% hike in Canadian softwood lumber import prices.The Liberals had an agreement. Why did they let it slip through their fingers, and when will they finally take softwood lumber and our regions seriously?
Madam Speaker, clean drinking water is a right that all Canadians should be able to count on, but just two hours from Ottawa, almost half of the houses in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi do not have safe water, and it has been that way for almost 20 years. Shame on the government for not fixing the problem for all reserves. Our communities cannot wait any longer.When will the government make it a real priority and treat water like a human right?
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Saint-Jean to listen to the question. As a father, I teach my children to respect others and to never take credit for others' achievements. Engaging in such immoral and unacceptable behaviour would mean losing all trust and credibility.The minister chose to misrepresent the facts on several occasions. He continues to mislead Canadians. How can he have any credibility with members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can he continue to oversee the Department of Defence after losing the respect of every member of the armed forces?Why does he not resign?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have spent the last 18 months cozying up to dictators while Canadian citizens are detained and abused overseas. The latest case is China's arrest of Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen. China jails dissidents, oppresses minority Uighurs and Tibetans, uses arbitrary detention, and violates the religious rights of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Falun Gong worshippers like Sun Qian.Why are the Liberals negotiating an extradition treaty with China when it refuses to release Canadians wrongfully arrested?
Madam Speaker, when the Prime Minister stumbled onto a Saskatchewan farm last week, he was surprised that they used complicated tools like GPS. Producers have other tools that are just as important. One of the economic tools they have had for decades was the ability to defer income from cash grain tickets. Now the Liberals are moving to take that away, a move that punishes Canadian producers and rewards the government. Why is it that every time the Liberals make a move, they rip money out of Canadian pockets and just put it in their own hands?
Madam Speaker, the minister has the highest regard for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their service. He is now delivering on the broad mandate that he was given. He will soon unveil a new defence policy that will ensure that the military has the appropriate equipment and everything it needs on its missions to uphold Canada's sovereignty, to defend North America with NORAD, and to fulfill our international obligations to keep peace in the world.
Madam Speaker, last night the Prime Minister kicked his cash for access fundraising scheme back into high gear. However, just three nights ago, the Minister of National Defence bailed at the last minute, and for no good reason, on a high-profile fundraiser for Afghanistan vets. The Liberals are showing where their priorities are, and it is not with our military or our veterans. Why does the Liberal government make time for people with big cheques for the Liberal Party but cannot find time to attend fundraisers for our vets and troops?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal government has set up a task force to ponder the trials and tribulations of the Phoenix pay system.After a year, this is too little too late, and public servants themselves are the ones saying so. Contrary to what the Liberal government and the parliamentary secretary are claiming, there are still some public servants across this country who have not been paid for six months, including the Drouin family in Montreal. There has been absolutely no progress, and some very desperate cases remain outstanding.When will this government take urgent action to fix the problem once and for all?
Madam Speaker, it is too bad that the member for CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles did not attend last night's gala to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, because the minister received a very warm welcome. Even officer cadets wanted to meet him, have their picture taken with him, and hear what he had to say. The veterans and sailors who were there showed their support, and I saw this first-hand. The warm welcome he received demonstrates that his credibility remains intact with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Madam Speaker, Liberals pretend they want to ban omnibus bills but refuse to break up their omnibus budget bill. That is called hypocrisy. The Liberal omnibus budget bill would change almost 30 different laws, including restricting the PBO's mandate that Liberals once said needed to be a truly independent watchdog.Either the Liberals only pretended to care about transparency to get elected or they abandoned their principles once they did. Which is it?
Madam Speaker, contrary to what it promised, the Liberal government crammed a whole bunch of other stuff into its budget bill, and that makes it an omnibus bill. Among other things, the government is attacking the parliamentary budget officer by limiting his independence and his ability to launch investigations while in office. The government is also preventing all MPs from calling for investigations and studies into issues that it finds inconvenient. Curiously, it is directing the PBO to submit a plan to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.I have one simple question: what happens if they say no?
Madam Speaker, motivated by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the Minister of Transport moved up review of the Railway Safety Act by one year. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the last budget or in the rail safety improvement program to help those whose wounds have yet to heal: the people of Lac-Mégantic. The bypass and the Institut en culture de sécurité industrielle are two projects that can make all the difference.When will the Minister of Transport put his money where his mouth is and support real rail safety projects for Lac-Mégantic and Canada as a whole?
Madam Speaker, what the defence minister has not done yet is explain why he rewrote history. It was not a mistake; it was deliberate. His own spokesperson confirmed that the minister had personally inserted the word architect into that speech in India. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister mentioned the word honesty eight times. Clearly, he has not been honest, and his eagerness to take credit from others to pat himself on the back is an affront to our troops.When will the minister do the right thing? When will he step aside and put our troops ahead of himself?
Madam Speaker, those are the same worn out talking points we heard earlier today and we continue to get from the government.Here is what the experts are saying: There really isn't a case that's been made for the need for this bank overall, relative to existing tools that we have for infrastructure investment. That is from the policy shop of the former parliamentary budget officer.Why are the Liberals taking away $34 billion from communities across Canada to set up this unnecessary and unwanted new bureaucracy here in Ottawa?
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Madam Speaker, we all know that the defence minister misled Canadians by claiming at least twice that he was the architect of Operation Medusa. In doing so, he has lost all credibility, and he needs to step down. However, the Prime Minister has a responsibility as well. The Prime Minister needs to stand up for our military and put their interests first, ahead of protecting the Minister of National Defence. Does the Prime Minister realize that by not moving his defence minister out he is condoning his actions and sending a very troubling message to our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to stick with Stephen Harper's climate change targets that will not meet our international commitments. Worse, Environment Canada recently projected that we are set to miss even that low bar, exceeding our 2030 target by at least 30%. This was before the Liberals announced delays in implementing key measures, including the methane emission control regulations and the $1.2 billion to support climate action by the provinces. The solution is clear: ambitious targets, credible measures to deliver them, and transparency in reporting. When will Canadians see these actions?
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, Operation Medusa is just one example of the minister making false claims. There are reports that Canadian troops who are currently serving in the Sinai desert will see cuts to their danger pay starting next month. This is another example of a broken promise. The Minister of National Defence not only misleading Canadians, but misleading the very troops he is commanding.Can the minister not see that making false promises and false claims is actually causing hardship for our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, it is funny to hear the parliamentary secretary say only $15 billion. In their omnibus budget bill, the Liberals are creating the infrastructure bank and today we learn who is pulling the strings of this huge taxpayer trap.BlackRock is the biggest investor in the world. BlackRock helped the Liberal government create the infrastructure bank. BlackRock assisted the Liberal government with its public relations. BlackRock will be a client of the infrastructure bank and will make huge profits from it.Is the bank being established for the sake of our communities or for the people with club privilege? Who is running this government, BlackRock?
Madam Speaker, AECL delivers its mandate to a government-owned, contractor-operated model whereby the operation of its nuclear laboratories, including decommissioning and waste management work, is delivered by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.Under this model, AECL continues to own the land, facilities, assets, and liabilities, whereas the workforce, the licences, and all other aspects of running the site are part of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' business. AECL today is a small crown corporation whose role is to oversee the contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Madam Speaker, that is not very believable. In fact the defence minister cannot seem to tell the truth, even with the most basic of facts.This week there was a fundraiser for veterans. The Minister of National Defence was supposed to be there, but he said all of a sudden he could not go. Why? Lo and behold, suddenly he had a speech he had to write. He had a speech he had to write the same night as this event which he had known about for months. No one is buying that. He was not the architect of Operation Medusa, and he was not writing a speech on Tuesday night. He has lost all credibility. When will he step aside?
Madam Speaker, there was no answer.Another Trojan Horse in the Liberal omnibus budget is the infrastructure bank which aims to privatize infrastructure and services. Internal documents reveal that representatives from private corporations helped the Liberals set up this billion-dollar privatization bank. Liberals spent months working with private sector advisers preparing for a closed-door meeting at Toronto's Shangri-La Hotel, of course.Can the Liberal minister define conflict of interest?
Madam Speaker, after years of the Phoenix fiasco, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of workers. It is interesting that the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers the government can give us about when it will be able to solve it. Maybe that is because this broken system is actually creating new victims every single day.If the government will not tell us when all the current cases will be resolved, can it at least tell us when it intends to stop creating new ones?
Madam Speaker, in Lakeland, Al-Pac, near Athabasca, leads in pulp, paper, biofuels, and jobs, but the lumber mill near Boyle closed, cutting 11% of jobs and $12 million in annual revenue from town. It was the biggest employer. Canadian forestry provides more than 370,000 jobs in over 200 communities, but with no softwood lumber deal and new U.S. tariffs, livelihoods are at risk. Meanwhile, the Liberals add costs and red tape on energy, killing investment and jobs, while the U.S. ramps up. When will the Liberals finally champion Canadian jobs and Canadian resources?
Madam Speaker, we realize and certainly support it, and we are working hard to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadians, including indigenous Canadians. This is why we are making the commitments that we are. In budget 2016, 201 projects were completed in the country. In budget 2017, there is another $4 billion to be invested in clean drinking water. Our goal is to make sure that we have clean drinking water in all indigenous communities by 2021 in Canada, and we are going to work hard to meet that goal.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is a former reservist. He will always honour the service of our Canadian Armed Forces members, the ones with whom he served on his missions and those who served under other commanders or at other times.Today, the minister and the government are responsible for making sure that our Canadian Armed Forces have all the equipment they need to successfully carry out their missions and all the support they need to ensure their well-being. We conducted an extremely thorough defence policy review in which all members of Parliament had an opportunity to take part.
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, while the Minister of Status of Women spends millions on her office renovation, women in need are being left behind. This week at committee we heard testimony from the Canada's Building Trades Unions that no money is available to unions to help advance women in the skilled trades.The Liberals have failed to protect vulnerable women and to support their advancement in the skilled trades. When will the minister get her priorities straight?
Madam Speaker, the CRA continues to take important steps and is making progress in cracking down on tax cheats and ensuring a tax system that is more responsive and fair to all Canadians. Building on a previous investment of $444 million last year, budget 2017 invests an additional $524 million to crack down on tax evasion and to improve compliance. The additional funding will have an expected revenue impact of $2.5 billion over five years. This is what Canadians expect, and that is exactly what we will continue to do.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital, where it makes sense, to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada.The infrastructure bank, let us be clear, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank would be an optional tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory would be forced to use the bank, nor would they be punished for not doing so.This government takes counsel; it does not take orders.
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is certainly taking positive action, unlike the previous government that acted recklessly and left us this mess after it laid off 700 compensation advisors. That was supposed to save $70 million, but instead we were left with a broken pay system, one that our government is determined to fix.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot keep his head in the sand, pretending that Canadians still have confidence in the defence minister. Every time the minister enters a base, every time he rides on a plane, every time he steps on a ship, and every time he addresses our troops, it will haunt him. It will haunt him, because in those multiple moments he chose to embellish, he immediately lost respect, credibility, and the trust of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. The truth is that the minister knows it.For those reasons, will he do the honourable thing and step down?
Madam Speaker, as the MP for Gatineau and parliamentary secretary to the minister, I, like all members of the House, have heard stories from public servants in our ridings about the challenges they face because of issues with the pay system. These issues have caused real hardships for many public servants and their families, and many are issues that no family should have to face. Our government remains resolutely focused on addressing the issue and on deploying the resources, financial and human, needed to address this situation. That is what we are going to do, and that is what we are working on.
Madam Speaker, at the Canada Revenue Agency, there are fine statements of intent and then there is reality. With the Minister of National Revenue, there is talk and there is action. The minister claims that the fight against tax avoidance is a priority, but a CBC investigation has shown that the number of wealthy taxpayers who have managed not to pay any taxes has doubled since 2011.The minister says that the net is tightening around tax cheats. Give me a break. It is wide open, and the system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to hire tax avoidance experts.Does the minister intend to finally put an end to this two-tier system where the wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes? When will we begin to see some movement on this?
Madam Speaker, as a former police officer and a soldier, the Minister of National Defence served Canada in an exemplary fashion. Now as a Liberal minister, he has been caught misrepresenting his service to impress an audience.Can the minister tell Canadians why he felt it was so necessary to abandon the truth about his role in Afghanistan?
Madam Speaker, this government is probably one of the first governments to have a plan to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and to prevent new advisories. In budget 2016 investments, we have already had 201 projects in 159 communities, serving over 196,000 indigenous Canadians. In this year's budget, we added an additional $4 billion over 10 years. We are sticking to our goal to end long-term drinking water advisories.
Madam Speaker, budget 2017 changed the credit that small oil and gas companies get for resource exploration. This change will hurt a number of small businesses in Bow River and across Canada. The natural resource sector in Alberta is already struggling through tough times with low prices, and these Liberals just do not care.Why are the Liberals intent on phasing out Canadian oil and gas?
Madam Speaker, apparently, it can take years to have access to rulings of federal courts in French. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has been investigating this problem since 2007. Complaints have been piling up for 10 years. This is just further proof that the government is showing no leadership when it comes to official languages. Access to federal court rulings in one's first language is a right.My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and official languages. Does she plan to wait another 10 years before fixing this problem?
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has lost all credibility by taking credit for someone else's achievements. We still do not know why he did that. He never said. Since then, he has been trying to go about his business as though nothing happened, but something has changed. Our men and women in uniform are ashamed of the Minister of National Defence. He is also doing a dishonour to veterans. The person responsible for our troops cannot alter the truth whenever he feels like it. Will he resign?
Madam Speaker, the minister has proven his credibility through all of the work he has done to develop a new defence policy. The consultations he undertook had not happened in 20 years. This policy will help make sure that all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment, training, and respect they need to complete their missions as effectively as Canada is known for doing.
Madam Speaker, recently our government joined the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, for an important announcement. The city will be using more than $12.2 million in its annual allocation of the federal gas tax fund created by a Liberal government for improvements to its local roads, back lanes, and sidewalks this year. These projects will improve the quality of life of Winnipeg residents and tourists, through better roads, reduced traffic delays, faster commuting, and increases in the efficiency of the overall transportation network in the city.
Madam Speaker, when the Liberals said in the election that they were going to stop giving money to millionaires, they should have clarified they meant that is because they are giving it all to billionaires.We already knew about the Prime Minister's meetings with billionaires at Davos and at the Shangri-La Hotel, where he discussed the intimate details of this infrastructure bank. Today, Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail revealed the documents showing that the government has turned over control of the establishment of this bank to the same people who will profit from it. There is nothing wrong with profit, but reward should go with risk. This infrastructure bank will put $35 billion of risk on Canadian taxpayers so insiders can make a profit. Why?
Nakurmiik, Madam Speaker. Nakurmiik, my colleagues. I want to recognize the tremendous work and input my colleague from Nunavut has had with regard to nutrition north.As members know, we have been very engaged in consultations with those across the north. We know it is unacceptable that northerners are struggling to feed their families, and we have every intention of bringing forward a new program that will meet the needs of northerners.That program review is currently online. We have engaged with 3,500 people and had submissions. We are hoping, very soon, to be able to launch a new program.
Madam Speaker, our thoughts go out to those families, workers, and communities affected by this very challenging situation. We are taking immediate action to help companies, workers, and local communities affected by these unfair and punitive duties. We continue to work with our counterparts on the federal-provincial task force on softwood lumber to help Canadian forestry workers and communities affected. We will vigorously defend our industry and our workers from the impacts of this decision by the U.S. commerce department.
Madam Speaker, fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned about their livelihoods. Recent quota changes have created uncertainty and left many wondering how they will make ends meet. However, the fisheries minister does not seem to care. Twillingate fisherman Richard Gillett had to go on a hunger strike for more than a week to even get a phone call. When will the minister do the right thing and meet with Mr. Gillett?
Madam Speaker, make no mistake: our government wants to attract private capital to Canada, so that we can build more infrastructure across this great country and create good jobs for the middle class.The infrastructure bank is $15 billion out of more than a $180 billion transformational plan for the 21st century. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside our municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century. We are going to use a lot of tools, and the infrastructure bank is just one of them.
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions that the labour movement has made to gender equality in Canada. I am sure we can all agree that a healthy NGO centre is also vital to the well-being of women and girls in this country. That is why we have funded over 300 projects across the country to address gender-based violence and to improve economic outcomes and leadership for women and girls.I can assure my hon. colleague that should labour groups want to partner with NGOs, we welcome that.
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I understand that you are taking under advisement the admissibility of the amendment, moved by the member for Carleton, to the government's motion regarding the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-4, so I would like to very briefly offer my argument in support of the admissibility of that amendment. At page 532 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, A motion in amendment arises out of debate and is proposed either to modify the original motion in order to make it more acceptable to the House. I believe that the amendment would do just that. The Senate has amended Bill C-4 to uphold a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority. Why the government wanted to take this away in the first place is perplexing, since it is proposing secret ballot elections in House committees. At page 533 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, An amendment is out of order...if it is completely contrary to the main motion and would produce the same result as the defeat of the main motion. Madam Speaker, I believe this may be the reason for your deliberations on the matter. Would the defeat of the main motion to the Senate amendment made to Bill C-4 have the same effect as voting for the amendment proposed by my colleague? I believe that the answer is clearly no. If the government's motion were to be defeated, I would argue that nothing would happen. The government would need to come back with an alternative motion with a different proposition. However, if my colleague's amendment were to be adopted, both the House and the Senate will have adopted Bill C-4 in an identical form, and it would move to eventually receiving royal assent as amended.As the Journals of June 6, 1923, at page 437, state, the Speaker ruled that an amendment to alter the main question by submitting a proposition with the opposite conclusion is not an expanded negative and may be moved. This amendment indeed offers the opposite conclusion: that is, to accept the amendment made by the Senate that supports democracy. The government's motion rejects this democratic principle. Voting for or against the government's motion would have a different outcome than would voting for my colleague's amendment. Therefore, I ask that you, Madam Speaker, accept the amendment and allow this House to express its views on preserving a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority.
The parliamentary secretary mentions federal agencies, Madam Speaker, but we already know that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is examining this issue. That was not my question.We know that the public consultations have not yet begun, but that is not what we want to know. The time to act is now. It is better to be proactive today than radioactive tomorrow.Does the environment minister seriously think that it is a good idea to pile up mountains of nuclear waste and cover them with geotextile fabric?
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that safe solutions are in place for managing radioactive waste. Radioactive waste owners are responsible for developing and implementing fully funded solutions for the safe and secure management of their waste. Major waste owners are meeting their responsibilities for developing long-term solutions, and a number of radioactive waste management initiatives are under way, with rigorous oversight from federal regulatory agencies.
Madam Speaker, the Quebec minister of sustainable development told the National Assembly that his department was working on a nuclear emergency plan in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear waste disposal project in Chalk River, which is located along the very banks of the Ottawa River. However, the Ottawa River is the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers and Ontarians.Does the environment minister support the building of a nuclear waste disposal facility on the banks of the Ottawa River?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing money and plan to funnel it to foreign billionaires to subsidize their profits. Make no mistake, that is what the Liberal infrastructure bank will be doing. Randall Bartlett, the chief economist for the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, has rightly asked, Why are we privatizing the returns for those assets when they would be going to the public sector? It is a great question. Can we get an answer from the Liberal government?
Madam Speaker, I will tell members where we are delivering billions. We are delivering billions to families who need it the most, families who are seeking hard to join the middle class. With our family allocation through taxing the 1%, we have delivered billions to families who need it the most, for school supplies, for food. We are really proud of that record, and we will take that record to the next election.
Madam Speaker, the first responsibility of the Minister of National Defence and our government is to look after our troops and ensure that they have the support, training, and equipment to carry out the missions they are assigned.That has been the minister's objective for the past year and a half and that is what he strives to do every day. One of the key elements of his mandate is to put together a new defence policy. We will ensure that this policy is adequately funded.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the confidence of the Prime Minister and the entire caucus. All day yesterday, I heard about how credible the minister is. He established the process for a new defence policy that will help make sure that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have all the tools they need to successfully complete their missions.
Fifteen billion dollars, Madam Speaker. The parliamentary secretary should read division 18, clause 23 of the budget legislation, which says that it is $35 billion. That is $35 billion that, on the same page, will go to things like loan guarantees that ensure that potentially profitable projects, if they go wrong, will end up costing Canadian taxpayers a fortune. Why is the government privatizing profit while nationalizing risk?
Madam Speaker, our thoughts are with the Canadians affected by the flooding. Our government is always willing to assist any province or territory that asks for help.The government operations centre in my department is on standby. We are speaking to all of the provincial governments involved, including later today. The first call for assistance is up to the provincial government to determine. If asked, the Government of Canada will respond quickly.
Madam Speaker, as a government, we understand the challenges workers and their families in the energy sector have had over the last few years. Our support for the energy sector reflects a balanced approach that ensures the environment is protected and that good, well-paying jobs are there for Canadians. We did in one year what the previous government could not do in a decade: approve pipelines, while at the same protecting our oceans, pricing carbon pollution, and working with indigenous peoples. We believe our approach positions Canada and Canadians well.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring Canadians have access to justice in the official language of their choice. Budget 2017 proposes to provide $2 million over two years to the Courts Administration Service to enhance federal courts' ability to make decisions available in both English and French. This new funding is in addition to the new process that our government has already established for Supreme Court of Canada appointments, which includes a policy that judges should be functionally bilingual.
Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The broken nutrition north program continues to fail Nunavummiut. INAC released the What we heard report last week, which reiterates the many necessary changes that I and others have been advocating for years. It is my understanding that there have been further consultations held over the last few days. My question is not about these consultations. It is not about any future meetings or consultations.When can Nunavummiut expect the much-needed changes to the program to be made?
Madam Speaker, many waterfront communities are experiencing flooding that it is causing significant damage. Volunteers and first responders in both Quebec and Ontario have their hands full helping those affected, and we thank them for the great job they are doing.Can the Minister of Public Safety give us an update on what the federal government is doing to help the communities affected?
Madam Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. They will be paid retroactively. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. Our government is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution to fix the mess we inherited and to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.
Madam Speaker, improving this country's democracy means ensuring that political parties raise funds from the public in a more open and transparent manner. That is why we are taking action. Canadians have a right to know even more than they do now. Political parties and leadership campaigns will be required to promptly and publicly disclose fundraising event information.We will continue to take action to make government and all aspects of our democracy more open and transparent. I encourage all parties in this place to do what they can for openness and transparency.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada. The infrastructure bank, it bears repeating, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank will be yet another tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory will be forced to use the bank. It is one of the tools in our toolkit to create good jobs for the 21st century.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the minister admitted that he made a mistake in describing his role. He set the record straight in the House earlier this week and apologized.In no way were the minister's comments meant to take away from the role of former senior officers and fellow soldiers. He gave them a heartfelt apology. The minister is proud to have served his country as part of an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghan soldiers who successfully carried out Operation Medusa.
Madam Speaker, our government strongly supports the Canadian grain industry, which is a key driver of exports, jobs, and economic growth. With changes in recent years in grain marketing, the delivery of listed grain is now the responsibility of the private sector instead of the federal government.Budget 2017 launches consultations with farmers and stakeholders on this tax deferral, and we want to hear from farmers before moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the minister has been in consultation with experts, Canadians, and all MPs in order to develop a defence policy that will provide the military with the tools, training, and equipment it needs to defend Canada and North America and to secure peace around the world.
Madam Speaker, certainly the protection of human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy. Canada and China are not extradition partners. There are no extradition negotiations.As with all cases internationally, our government has a firm commitment to the protection of human rights. The rule of law and due process will continue to be paramount in all our engagements.
Madam Speaker, our government was elected on a platform of building sustainable communities in cities and towns all over this great country. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure for residents. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild their infrastructure for the residents who live in those communities. Can the minister provide an update on how the gas tax is benefiting the residents of Winnipeg?
Madam Speaker, it is worth repeating that this is but one tool in the arsenal that we have to deliver great quality jobs, great infrastructure, for, let us admit, infrastructure that in this country has been underappreciated for the last 10 years. The infrastructure bank is just $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion plan. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through our traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century, and we are proud of it.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I know that this is very important to him and his community.Our thoughts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy. Our government is firmly committed to improving rail safety. It is absolutely the minister's first priority. As he said, study of this file continues and that is why
Madam Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of the climate change plan that we were able to negotiate with the provinces and territories in consultation with indigenous peoples. This includes putting a price on pollution, making polluters pay. This includes phasing out coal by 2030. This includes historic investments in public transit, in green infrastructure, and in adaptation. This includes working with indigenous communities to get them off diesel. This includes historic investments in clean innovation. This will create good jobs and opportunities. We are extremely proud, and we will be moving forward.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making the parliamentary budget officer more independent, which is what the bill recently introduced in the House of Commons sets out to do.As I pointed out yesterday, we made it very clear that we are open to amendments. We are eager to get this bill to committee so it can be examined in detail and so the committee can discuss the good ideas we put forward about changes affecting the parliamentary budget officer.
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for ChicoutimiLe Fjord for his question and his outstanding work in the region.We have a responsibility to take care of our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by providing them with resources. On April 24, the Minister of National Defence announced the construction of two new buildings at Bagotville. The total investment of $95 million will improve the infrastructure and provide our military with the tools it needs to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, the implementing legislation gives flexibility to the bank. Our plan is to invest $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion transformational plan.It is worth repeating. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners. Where it makes sense, we are going to attract private capital for models that will serve citizens in a way that otherwise they would not be served.This is a great idea. This is an opportunity to get leverage from the private sector. We are going to do it all for Canadians to deliver a great infrastructure model for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House to respond to that question directly, because when it comes to omnibus legislation, we are the ones proposing the Speaker be able to separate omnibus legislation if there are concerns.When it comes to all measures in the budget implementation act, they are directly from the budget 2017 presented in the past in this place. When it comes to the independence of the parliamentary budget officer, we support independence. That is why we are saying, let us get the bill passed at second reading and send it to committee so it can do the work.
Madam Speaker, Resolute Forest Products has confirmed what everyone was afraid of: there will be job losses in the forestry industry because of this conflict.In my part of the country, in places like Chertsy, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, and Saint-Jean-de-Matha, my birthplace, everyone is worried. Today, the Prime Minister promised to support businesses and regions affected by the softwood lumber conflict.Will the government honour the Prime Minister's commitment to Quebec's forestry communities and act quickly to support the forestry sector by providing loan guarantees?
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, supporting the workers and communities that depend on forestry jobs is our top priority. Protecting forestry jobs means moving quickly to provide companies and communities with full access to existing loan guarantees and employment and economic diversification programs and expanding export markets while we fight these unfair tariffs on Canada's forestry industry.We will continue to work with the provinces through our federal-provincial task force to examine additional measures and to address the needs of affected workers and communities.
Madam Speaker, of course we are very concerned about the situation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We understand how much coastal communities rely on fisheries and oceans, and I am happy to report that the minister has been in contact. We are looking forward to discussions about Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. We understand this is a difficult time for the fish harvesters in communities affected by the recent fisheries management decision, but we are investing in science.
Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.
Most negative speeches
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot keep his head in the sand, pretending that Canadians still have confidence in the defence minister. Every time the minister enters a base, every time he rides on a plane, every time he steps on a ship, and every time he addresses our troops, it will haunt him. It will haunt him, because in those multiple moments he chose to embellish, he immediately lost respect, credibility, and the trust of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. The truth is that the minister knows it.For those reasons, will he do the honourable thing and step down?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal government has set up a task force to ponder the trials and tribulations of the Phoenix pay system.After a year, this is too little too late, and public servants themselves are the ones saying so. Contrary to what the Liberal government and the parliamentary secretary are claiming, there are still some public servants across this country who have not been paid for six months, including the Drouin family in Montreal. There has been absolutely no progress, and some very desperate cases remain outstanding.When will this government take urgent action to fix the problem once and for all?
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, Operation Medusa is just one example of the minister making false claims. There are reports that Canadian troops who are currently serving in the Sinai desert will see cuts to their danger pay starting next month. This is another example of a broken promise. The Minister of National Defence not only misleading Canadians, but misleading the very troops he is commanding.Can the minister not see that making false promises and false claims is actually causing hardship for our men and women in uniform?
Fifteen billion dollars, Madam Speaker. The parliamentary secretary should read division 18, clause 23 of the budget legislation, which says that it is $35 billion. That is $35 billion that, on the same page, will go to things like loan guarantees that ensure that potentially profitable projects, if they go wrong, will end up costing Canadian taxpayers a fortune. Why is the government privatizing profit while nationalizing risk?
Madam Speaker, budget 2017 changed the credit that small oil and gas companies get for resource exploration. This change will hurt a number of small businesses in Bow River and across Canada. The natural resource sector in Alberta is already struggling through tough times with low prices, and these Liberals just do not care.Why are the Liberals intent on phasing out Canadian oil and gas?
Madam Speaker, contrary to what it promised, the Liberal government crammed a whole bunch of other stuff into its budget bill, and that makes it an omnibus bill. Among other things, the government is attacking the parliamentary budget officer by limiting his independence and his ability to launch investigations while in office. The government is also preventing all MPs from calling for investigations and studies into issues that it finds inconvenient. Curiously, it is directing the PBO to submit a plan to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.I have one simple question: what happens if they say no?
Madam Speaker, when the Liberals said in the election that they were going to stop giving money to millionaires, they should have clarified they meant that is because they are giving it all to billionaires.We already knew about the Prime Minister's meetings with billionaires at Davos and at the Shangri-La Hotel, where he discussed the intimate details of this infrastructure bank. Today, Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail revealed the documents showing that the government has turned over control of the establishment of this bank to the same people who will profit from it. There is nothing wrong with profit, but reward should go with risk. This infrastructure bank will put $35 billion of risk on Canadian taxpayers so insiders can make a profit. Why?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the party opposite could not care less about the regions and jobs there. The Liberal government had an opportunity to sign a softwood lumber agreement with the former American administration, but it chose to play games with the Trump team instead. Well, the Liberals got the short end of the stick, and now the forestry industry is paying the price for their incompetence with a 24% hike in Canadian softwood lumber import prices.The Liberals had an agreement. Why did they let it slip through their fingers, and when will they finally take softwood lumber and our regions seriously?
Madam Speaker, the Quebec minister of sustainable development told the National Assembly that his department was working on a nuclear emergency plan in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear waste disposal project in Chalk River, which is located along the very banks of the Ottawa River. However, the Ottawa River is the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers and Ontarians.Does the environment minister support the building of a nuclear waste disposal facility on the banks of the Ottawa River?
Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The broken nutrition north program continues to fail Nunavummiut. INAC released the What we heard report last week, which reiterates the many necessary changes that I and others have been advocating for years. It is my understanding that there have been further consultations held over the last few days. My question is not about these consultations. It is not about any future meetings or consultations.When can Nunavummiut expect the much-needed changes to the program to be made?
Madam Speaker, last night the Prime Minister kicked his cash for access fundraising scheme back into high gear. However, just three nights ago, the Minister of National Defence bailed at the last minute, and for no good reason, on a high-profile fundraiser for Afghanistan vets. The Liberals are showing where their priorities are, and it is not with our military or our veterans. Why does the Liberal government make time for people with big cheques for the Liberal Party but cannot find time to attend fundraisers for our vets and troops?
Madam Speaker, certainly the protection of human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy. Canada and China are not extradition partners. There are no extradition negotiations.As with all cases internationally, our government has a firm commitment to the protection of human rights. The rule of law and due process will continue to be paramount in all our engagements.
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is certainly taking positive action, unlike the previous government that acted recklessly and left us this mess after it laid off 700 compensation advisors. That was supposed to save $70 million, but instead we were left with a broken pay system, one that our government is determined to fix.
Madam Speaker, there was no answer.Another Trojan Horse in the Liberal omnibus budget is the infrastructure bank which aims to privatize infrastructure and services. Internal documents reveal that representatives from private corporations helped the Liberals set up this billion-dollar privatization bank. Liberals spent months working with private sector advisers preparing for a closed-door meeting at Toronto's Shangri-La Hotel, of course.Can the Liberal minister define conflict of interest?
Madam Speaker, motivated by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the Minister of Transport moved up review of the Railway Safety Act by one year. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the last budget or in the rail safety improvement program to help those whose wounds have yet to heal: the people of Lac-Mégantic. The bypass and the Institut en culture de sécurité industrielle are two projects that can make all the difference.When will the Minister of Transport put his money where his mouth is and support real rail safety projects for Lac-Mégantic and Canada as a whole?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the defence minister misled Canadians by claiming at least twice that he was the architect of Operation Medusa. In doing so, he has lost all credibility, and he needs to step down. However, the Prime Minister has a responsibility as well. The Prime Minister needs to stand up for our military and put their interests first, ahead of protecting the Minister of National Defence. Does the Prime Minister realize that by not moving his defence minister out he is condoning his actions and sending a very troubling message to our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, those are the same worn out talking points we heard earlier today and we continue to get from the government.Here is what the experts are saying: There really isn't a case that's been made for the need for this bank overall, relative to existing tools that we have for infrastructure investment. That is from the policy shop of the former parliamentary budget officer.Why are the Liberals taking away $34 billion from communities across Canada to set up this unnecessary and unwanted new bureaucracy here in Ottawa?
Madam Speaker, Liberals pretend they want to ban omnibus bills but refuse to break up their omnibus budget bill. That is called hypocrisy. The Liberal omnibus budget bill would change almost 30 different laws, including restricting the PBO's mandate that Liberals once said needed to be a truly independent watchdog.Either the Liberals only pretended to care about transparency to get elected or they abandoned their principles once they did. Which is it?
Madam Speaker, as a former police officer and a soldier, the Minister of National Defence served Canada in an exemplary fashion. Now as a Liberal minister, he has been caught misrepresenting his service to impress an audience.Can the minister tell Canadians why he felt it was so necessary to abandon the truth about his role in Afghanistan?
Madam Speaker, AECL delivers its mandate to a government-owned, contractor-operated model whereby the operation of its nuclear laboratories, including decommissioning and waste management work, is delivered by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.Under this model, AECL continues to own the land, facilities, assets, and liabilities, whereas the workforce, the licences, and all other aspects of running the site are part of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' business. AECL today is a small crown corporation whose role is to oversee the contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to stick with Stephen Harper's climate change targets that will not meet our international commitments. Worse, Environment Canada recently projected that we are set to miss even that low bar, exceeding our 2030 target by at least 30%. This was before the Liberals announced delays in implementing key measures, including the methane emission control regulations and the $1.2 billion to support climate action by the provinces. The solution is clear: ambitious targets, credible measures to deliver them, and transparency in reporting. When will Canadians see these actions?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the minister has been in consultation with experts, Canadians, and all MPs in order to develop a defence policy that will provide the military with the tools, training, and equipment it needs to defend Canada and North America and to secure peace around the world.
Madam Speaker, in Lakeland, Al-Pac, near Athabasca, leads in pulp, paper, biofuels, and jobs, but the lumber mill near Boyle closed, cutting 11% of jobs and $12 million in annual revenue from town. It was the biggest employer. Canadian forestry provides more than 370,000 jobs in over 200 communities, but with no softwood lumber deal and new U.S. tariffs, livelihoods are at risk. Meanwhile, the Liberals add costs and red tape on energy, killing investment and jobs, while the U.S. ramps up. When will the Liberals finally champion Canadian jobs and Canadian resources?
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I understand that you are taking under advisement the admissibility of the amendment, moved by the member for Carleton, to the government's motion regarding the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-4, so I would like to very briefly offer my argument in support of the admissibility of that amendment. At page 532 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, A motion in amendment arises out of debate and is proposed either to modify the original motion in order to make it more acceptable to the House. I believe that the amendment would do just that. The Senate has amended Bill C-4 to uphold a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority. Why the government wanted to take this away in the first place is perplexing, since it is proposing secret ballot elections in House committees. At page 533 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, An amendment is out of order...if it is completely contrary to the main motion and would produce the same result as the defeat of the main motion. Madam Speaker, I believe this may be the reason for your deliberations on the matter. Would the defeat of the main motion to the Senate amendment made to Bill C-4 have the same effect as voting for the amendment proposed by my colleague? I believe that the answer is clearly no. If the government's motion were to be defeated, I would argue that nothing would happen. The government would need to come back with an alternative motion with a different proposition. However, if my colleague's amendment were to be adopted, both the House and the Senate will have adopted Bill C-4 in an identical form, and it would move to eventually receiving royal assent as amended.As the Journals of June 6, 1923, at page 437, state, the Speaker ruled that an amendment to alter the main question by submitting a proposition with the opposite conclusion is not an expanded negative and may be moved. This amendment indeed offers the opposite conclusion: that is, to accept the amendment made by the Senate that supports democracy. The government's motion rejects this democratic principle. Voting for or against the government's motion would have a different outcome than would voting for my colleague's amendment. Therefore, I ask that you, Madam Speaker, accept the amendment and allow this House to express its views on preserving a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority.
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Saint-Jean to listen to the question. As a father, I teach my children to respect others and to never take credit for others' achievements. Engaging in such immoral and unacceptable behaviour would mean losing all trust and credibility.The minister chose to misrepresent the facts on several occasions. He continues to mislead Canadians. How can he have any credibility with members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can he continue to oversee the Department of Defence after losing the respect of every member of the armed forces?Why does he not resign?
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, while the Minister of Status of Women spends millions on her office renovation, women in need are being left behind. This week at committee we heard testimony from the Canada's Building Trades Unions that no money is available to unions to help advance women in the skilled trades.The Liberals have failed to protect vulnerable women and to support their advancement in the skilled trades. When will the minister get her priorities straight?
Madam Speaker, after years of the Phoenix fiasco, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of workers. It is interesting that the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers the government can give us about when it will be able to solve it. Maybe that is because this broken system is actually creating new victims every single day.If the government will not tell us when all the current cases will be resolved, can it at least tell us when it intends to stop creating new ones?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have spent the last 18 months cozying up to dictators while Canadian citizens are detained and abused overseas. The latest case is China's arrest of Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen. China jails dissidents, oppresses minority Uighurs and Tibetans, uses arbitrary detention, and violates the religious rights of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Falun Gong worshippers like Sun Qian.Why are the Liberals negotiating an extradition treaty with China when it refuses to release Canadians wrongfully arrested?
Madam Speaker, the first responsibility of the Minister of National Defence and our government is to look after our troops and ensure that they have the support, training, and equipment to carry out the missions they are assigned.That has been the minister's objective for the past year and a half and that is what he strives to do every day. One of the key elements of his mandate is to put together a new defence policy. We will ensure that this policy is adequately funded.
Madam Speaker, Resolute Forest Products has confirmed what everyone was afraid of: there will be job losses in the forestry industry because of this conflict.In my part of the country, in places like Chertsy, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, and Saint-Jean-de-Matha, my birthplace, everyone is worried. Today, the Prime Minister promised to support businesses and regions affected by the softwood lumber conflict.Will the government honour the Prime Minister's commitment to Quebec's forestry communities and act quickly to support the forestry sector by providing loan guarantees?
Madam Speaker, that is not very believable. In fact the defence minister cannot seem to tell the truth, even with the most basic of facts.This week there was a fundraiser for veterans. The Minister of National Defence was supposed to be there, but he said all of a sudden he could not go. Why? Lo and behold, suddenly he had a speech he had to write. He had a speech he had to write the same night as this event which he had known about for months. No one is buying that. He was not the architect of Operation Medusa, and he was not writing a speech on Tuesday night. He has lost all credibility. When will he step aside?
Madam Speaker, our thoughts go out to those families, workers, and communities affected by this very challenging situation. We are taking immediate action to help companies, workers, and local communities affected by these unfair and punitive duties. We continue to work with our counterparts on the federal-provincial task force on softwood lumber to help Canadian forestry workers and communities affected. We will vigorously defend our industry and our workers from the impacts of this decision by the U.S. commerce department.
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that safe solutions are in place for managing radioactive waste. Radioactive waste owners are responsible for developing and implementing fully funded solutions for the safe and secure management of their waste. Major waste owners are meeting their responsibilities for developing long-term solutions, and a number of radioactive waste management initiatives are under way, with rigorous oversight from federal regulatory agencies.
Madam Speaker, as a government, we understand the challenges workers and their families in the energy sector have had over the last few years. Our support for the energy sector reflects a balanced approach that ensures the environment is protected and that good, well-paying jobs are there for Canadians. We did in one year what the previous government could not do in a decade: approve pipelines, while at the same protecting our oceans, pricing carbon pollution, and working with indigenous peoples. We believe our approach positions Canada and Canadians well.
Madam Speaker, apparently, it can take years to have access to rulings of federal courts in French. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has been investigating this problem since 2007. Complaints have been piling up for 10 years. This is just further proof that the government is showing no leadership when it comes to official languages. Access to federal court rulings in one's first language is a right.My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and official languages. Does she plan to wait another 10 years before fixing this problem?
Madam Speaker, taking credit for the feats of other brave Canadians is the straw that broke the camel's back. The minister has lost the support of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. No one supports him.It is sad to see the Minister of National Defence clinging on to his position like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. When you make a mistake, apologizing is not enough; the honourable thing to do is take appropriate action. Here, the only appropriate action is to step down. Will he step down, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House to respond to that question directly, because when it comes to omnibus legislation, we are the ones proposing the Speaker be able to separate omnibus legislation if there are concerns.When it comes to all measures in the budget implementation act, they are directly from the budget 2017 presented in the past in this place. When it comes to the independence of the parliamentary budget officer, we support independence. That is why we are saying, let us get the bill passed at second reading and send it to committee so it can do the work.
Madam Speaker, when the Prime Minister stumbled onto a Saskatchewan farm last week, he was surprised that they used complicated tools like GPS. Producers have other tools that are just as important. One of the economic tools they have had for decades was the ability to defer income from cash grain tickets. Now the Liberals are moving to take that away, a move that punishes Canadian producers and rewards the government. Why is it that every time the Liberals make a move, they rip money out of Canadian pockets and just put it in their own hands?
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for ChicoutimiLe Fjord for his question and his outstanding work in the region.We have a responsibility to take care of our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by providing them with resources. On April 24, the Minister of National Defence announced the construction of two new buildings at Bagotville. The total investment of $95 million will improve the infrastructure and provide our military with the tools it needs to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the highest regard for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their service. He is now delivering on the broad mandate that he was given. He will soon unveil a new defence policy that will ensure that the military has the appropriate equipment and everything it needs on its missions to uphold Canada's sovereignty, to defend North America with NORAD, and to fulfill our international obligations to keep peace in the world.
Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.
Madam Speaker, our government strongly supports the Canadian grain industry, which is a key driver of exports, jobs, and economic growth. With changes in recent years in grain marketing, the delivery of listed grain is now the responsibility of the private sector instead of the federal government.Budget 2017 launches consultations with farmers and stakeholders on this tax deferral, and we want to hear from farmers before moving forward.
The parliamentary secretary mentions federal agencies, Madam Speaker, but we already know that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is examining this issue. That was not my question.We know that the public consultations have not yet begun, but that is not what we want to know. The time to act is now. It is better to be proactive today than radioactive tomorrow.Does the environment minister seriously think that it is a good idea to pile up mountains of nuclear waste and cover them with geotextile fabric?
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital, where it makes sense, to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada.The infrastructure bank, let us be clear, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank would be an optional tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory would be forced to use the bank, nor would they be punished for not doing so.This government takes counsel; it does not take orders.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring Canadians have access to justice in the official language of their choice. Budget 2017 proposes to provide $2 million over two years to the Courts Administration Service to enhance federal courts' ability to make decisions available in both English and French. This new funding is in addition to the new process that our government has already established for Supreme Court of Canada appointments, which includes a policy that judges should be functionally bilingual.
Madam Speaker, of course we are very concerned about the situation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We understand how much coastal communities rely on fisheries and oceans, and I am happy to report that the minister has been in contact. We are looking forward to discussions about Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. We understand this is a difficult time for the fish harvesters in communities affected by the recent fisheries management decision, but we are investing in science.
Madam Speaker, the CRA continues to take important steps and is making progress in cracking down on tax cheats and ensuring a tax system that is more responsive and fair to all Canadians. Building on a previous investment of $444 million last year, budget 2017 invests an additional $524 million to crack down on tax evasion and to improve compliance. The additional funding will have an expected revenue impact of $2.5 billion over five years. This is what Canadians expect, and that is exactly what we will continue to do.
Madam Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. They will be paid retroactively. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. Our government is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution to fix the mess we inherited and to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.
Madam Speaker, my riding of Medicine HatCardstonWarner is home to CFB Suffield. I was elected to stand up for all constituents, including those military personnel and civilian staff who bravely serve our country.The Minister of National Defence made a choice to embellish his service record, and he continually chooses to mislead Canadians. He has lost the respect, trust, and confidence not only of our military but also of Canadians. Without talking points, will the minister do the honourable thing and please step aside?
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is a former reservist. He will always honour the service of our Canadian Armed Forces members, the ones with whom he served on his missions and those who served under other commanders or at other times.Today, the minister and the government are responsible for making sure that our Canadian Armed Forces have all the equipment they need to successfully carry out their missions and all the support they need to ensure their well-being. We conducted an extremely thorough defence policy review in which all members of Parliament had an opportunity to take part.
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, supporting the workers and communities that depend on forestry jobs is our top priority. Protecting forestry jobs means moving quickly to provide companies and communities with full access to existing loan guarantees and employment and economic diversification programs and expanding export markets while we fight these unfair tariffs on Canada's forestry industry.We will continue to work with the provinces through our federal-provincial task force to examine additional measures and to address the needs of affected workers and communities.
Madam Speaker, improving this country's democracy means ensuring that political parties raise funds from the public in a more open and transparent manner. That is why we are taking action. Canadians have a right to know even more than they do now. Political parties and leadership campaigns will be required to promptly and publicly disclose fundraising event information.We will continue to take action to make government and all aspects of our democracy more open and transparent. I encourage all parties in this place to do what they can for openness and transparency.
Madam Speaker, as the MP for Gatineau and parliamentary secretary to the minister, I, like all members of the House, have heard stories from public servants in our ridings about the challenges they face because of issues with the pay system. These issues have caused real hardships for many public servants and their families, and many are issues that no family should have to face. Our government remains resolutely focused on addressing the issue and on deploying the resources, financial and human, needed to address this situation. That is what we are going to do, and that is what we are working on.
Madam Speaker, we realize and certainly support it, and we are working hard to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadians, including indigenous Canadians. This is why we are making the commitments that we are. In budget 2016, 201 projects were completed in the country. In budget 2017, there is another $4 billion to be invested in clean drinking water. Our goal is to make sure that we have clean drinking water in all indigenous communities by 2021 in Canada, and we are going to work hard to meet that goal.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada. The infrastructure bank, it bears repeating, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank will be yet another tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory will be forced to use the bank. It is one of the tools in our toolkit to create good jobs for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, this government is probably one of the first governments to have a plan to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and to prevent new advisories. In budget 2016 investments, we have already had 201 projects in 159 communities, serving over 196,000 indigenous Canadians. In this year's budget, we added an additional $4 billion over 10 years. We are sticking to our goal to end long-term drinking water advisories.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has lost all credibility by taking credit for someone else's achievements. We still do not know why he did that. He never said. Since then, he has been trying to go about his business as though nothing happened, but something has changed. Our men and women in uniform are ashamed of the Minister of National Defence. He is also doing a dishonour to veterans. The person responsible for our troops cannot alter the truth whenever he feels like it. Will he resign?
Madam Speaker, recently our government joined the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, for an important announcement. The city will be using more than $12.2 million in its annual allocation of the federal gas tax fund created by a Liberal government for improvements to its local roads, back lanes, and sidewalks this year. These projects will improve the quality of life of Winnipeg residents and tourists, through better roads, reduced traffic delays, faster commuting, and increases in the efficiency of the overall transportation network in the city.
Madam Speaker, our thoughts are with the Canadians affected by the flooding. Our government is always willing to assist any province or territory that asks for help.The government operations centre in my department is on standby. We are speaking to all of the provincial governments involved, including later today. The first call for assistance is up to the provincial government to determine. If asked, the Government of Canada will respond quickly.
Madam Speaker, it is funny to hear the parliamentary secretary say only $15 billion. In their omnibus budget bill, the Liberals are creating the infrastructure bank and today we learn who is pulling the strings of this huge taxpayer trap.BlackRock is the biggest investor in the world. BlackRock helped the Liberal government create the infrastructure bank. BlackRock assisted the Liberal government with its public relations. BlackRock will be a client of the infrastructure bank and will make huge profits from it.Is the bank being established for the sake of our communities or for the people with club privilege? Who is running this government, BlackRock?
Madam Speaker, at the Canada Revenue Agency, there are fine statements of intent and then there is reality. With the Minister of National Revenue, there is talk and there is action. The minister claims that the fight against tax avoidance is a priority, but a CBC investigation has shown that the number of wealthy taxpayers who have managed not to pay any taxes has doubled since 2011.The minister says that the net is tightening around tax cheats. Give me a break. It is wide open, and the system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to hire tax avoidance experts.Does the minister intend to finally put an end to this two-tier system where the wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes? When will we begin to see some movement on this?
Nakurmiik, Madam Speaker. Nakurmiik, my colleagues. I want to recognize the tremendous work and input my colleague from Nunavut has had with regard to nutrition north.As members know, we have been very engaged in consultations with those across the north. We know it is unacceptable that northerners are struggling to feed their families, and we have every intention of bringing forward a new program that will meet the needs of northerners.That program review is currently online. We have engaged with 3,500 people and had submissions. We are hoping, very soon, to be able to launch a new program.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making the parliamentary budget officer more independent, which is what the bill recently introduced in the House of Commons sets out to do.As I pointed out yesterday, we made it very clear that we are open to amendments. We are eager to get this bill to committee so it can be examined in detail and so the committee can discuss the good ideas we put forward about changes affecting the parliamentary budget officer.
Some progress perhaps, Madam Speaker, but boil water advisories have been added since the Liberals took power.This week, Algonquin artist Samian denounced the Prime Minister's role and responsibility in violating the basic right to drinking water. Some progress is not enough.When will the government stop making pretty speeches and guarantee all indigenous communities access to clean drinking water?
Madam Speaker, the minister has the confidence of the Prime Minister and the entire caucus. All day yesterday, I heard about how credible the minister is. He established the process for a new defence policy that will help make sure that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have all the tools they need to successfully complete their missions.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the minister admitted that he made a mistake in describing his role. He set the record straight in the House earlier this week and apologized.In no way were the minister's comments meant to take away from the role of former senior officers and fellow soldiers. He gave them a heartfelt apology. The minister is proud to have served his country as part of an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghan soldiers who successfully carried out Operation Medusa.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing money and plan to funnel it to foreign billionaires to subsidize their profits. Make no mistake, that is what the Liberal infrastructure bank will be doing. Randall Bartlett, the chief economist for the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, has rightly asked, Why are we privatizing the returns for those assets when they would be going to the public sector? It is a great question. Can we get an answer from the Liberal government?
Madam Speaker, make no mistake: our government wants to attract private capital to Canada, so that we can build more infrastructure across this great country and create good jobs for the middle class.The infrastructure bank is $15 billion out of more than a $180 billion transformational plan for the 21st century. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside our municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century. We are going to use a lot of tools, and the infrastructure bank is just one of them.
Madam Speaker, clean drinking water is a right that all Canadians should be able to count on, but just two hours from Ottawa, almost half of the houses in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi do not have safe water, and it has been that way for almost 20 years. Shame on the government for not fixing the problem for all reserves. Our communities cannot wait any longer.When will the government make it a real priority and treat water like a human right?
Madam Speaker, I will tell members where we are delivering billions. We are delivering billions to families who need it the most, families who are seeking hard to join the middle class. With our family allocation through taxing the 1%, we have delivered billions to families who need it the most, for school supplies, for food. We are really proud of that record, and we will take that record to the next election.
Madam Speaker, fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned about their livelihoods. Recent quota changes have created uncertainty and left many wondering how they will make ends meet. However, the fisheries minister does not seem to care. Twillingate fisherman Richard Gillett had to go on a hunger strike for more than a week to even get a phone call. When will the minister do the right thing and meet with Mr. Gillett?
Madam Speaker, the implementing legislation gives flexibility to the bank. Our plan is to invest $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion transformational plan.It is worth repeating. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners. Where it makes sense, we are going to attract private capital for models that will serve citizens in a way that otherwise they would not be served.This is a great idea. This is an opportunity to get leverage from the private sector. We are going to do it all for Canadians to deliver a great infrastructure model for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, what the defence minister has not done yet is explain why he rewrote history. It was not a mistake; it was deliberate. His own spokesperson confirmed that the minister had personally inserted the word architect into that speech in India. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister mentioned the word honesty eight times. Clearly, he has not been honest, and his eagerness to take credit from others to pat himself on the back is an affront to our troops.When will the minister do the right thing? When will he step aside and put our troops ahead of himself?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I know that this is very important to him and his community.Our thoughts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy. Our government is firmly committed to improving rail safety. It is absolutely the minister's first priority. As he said, study of this file continues and that is why
Madam Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of the climate change plan that we were able to negotiate with the provinces and territories in consultation with indigenous peoples. This includes putting a price on pollution, making polluters pay. This includes phasing out coal by 2030. This includes historic investments in public transit, in green infrastructure, and in adaptation. This includes working with indigenous communities to get them off diesel. This includes historic investments in clean innovation. This will create good jobs and opportunities. We are extremely proud, and we will be moving forward.
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Madam Speaker, the minister has proven his credibility through all of the work he has done to develop a new defence policy. The consultations he undertook had not happened in 20 years. This policy will help make sure that all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment, training, and respect they need to complete their missions as effectively as Canada is known for doing.
Madam Speaker, it is worth repeating that this is but one tool in the arsenal that we have to deliver great quality jobs, great infrastructure, for, let us admit, infrastructure that in this country has been underappreciated for the last 10 years. The infrastructure bank is just $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion plan. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through our traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century, and we are proud of it.
Madam Speaker, many waterfront communities are experiencing flooding that it is causing significant damage. Volunteers and first responders in both Quebec and Ontario have their hands full helping those affected, and we thank them for the great job they are doing.Can the Minister of Public Safety give us an update on what the federal government is doing to help the communities affected?
Madam Speaker, it is too bad that the member for CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles did not attend last night's gala to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, because the minister received a very warm welcome. Even officer cadets wanted to meet him, have their picture taken with him, and hear what he had to say. The veterans and sailors who were there showed their support, and I saw this first-hand. The warm welcome he received demonstrates that his credibility remains intact with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions that the labour movement has made to gender equality in Canada. I am sure we can all agree that a healthy NGO centre is also vital to the well-being of women and girls in this country. That is why we have funded over 300 projects across the country to address gender-based violence and to improve economic outcomes and leadership for women and girls.I can assure my hon. colleague that should labour groups want to partner with NGOs, we welcome that.
Madam Speaker, our government was elected on a platform of building sustainable communities in cities and towns all over this great country. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure for residents. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild their infrastructure for the residents who live in those communities. Can the minister provide an update on how the gas tax is benefiting the residents of Winnipeg?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot keep his head in the sand, pretending that Canadians still have confidence in the defence minister. Every time the minister enters a base, every time he rides on a plane, every time he steps on a ship, and every time he addresses our troops, it will haunt him. It will haunt him, because in those multiple moments he chose to embellish, he immediately lost respect, credibility, and the trust of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. The truth is that the minister knows it.For those reasons, will he do the honourable thing and step down?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal government has set up a task force to ponder the trials and tribulations of the Phoenix pay system.After a year, this is too little too late, and public servants themselves are the ones saying so. Contrary to what the Liberal government and the parliamentary secretary are claiming, there are still some public servants across this country who have not been paid for six months, including the Drouin family in Montreal. There has been absolutely no progress, and some very desperate cases remain outstanding.When will this government take urgent action to fix the problem once and for all?
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, Operation Medusa is just one example of the minister making false claims. There are reports that Canadian troops who are currently serving in the Sinai desert will see cuts to their danger pay starting next month. This is another example of a broken promise. The Minister of National Defence not only misleading Canadians, but misleading the very troops he is commanding.Can the minister not see that making false promises and false claims is actually causing hardship for our men and women in uniform?
Fifteen billion dollars, Madam Speaker. The parliamentary secretary should read division 18, clause 23 of the budget legislation, which says that it is $35 billion. That is $35 billion that, on the same page, will go to things like loan guarantees that ensure that potentially profitable projects, if they go wrong, will end up costing Canadian taxpayers a fortune. Why is the government privatizing profit while nationalizing risk?
Madam Speaker, budget 2017 changed the credit that small oil and gas companies get for resource exploration. This change will hurt a number of small businesses in Bow River and across Canada. The natural resource sector in Alberta is already struggling through tough times with low prices, and these Liberals just do not care.Why are the Liberals intent on phasing out Canadian oil and gas?
Madam Speaker, contrary to what it promised, the Liberal government crammed a whole bunch of other stuff into its budget bill, and that makes it an omnibus bill. Among other things, the government is attacking the parliamentary budget officer by limiting his independence and his ability to launch investigations while in office. The government is also preventing all MPs from calling for investigations and studies into issues that it finds inconvenient. Curiously, it is directing the PBO to submit a plan to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.I have one simple question: what happens if they say no?
Madam Speaker, when the Liberals said in the election that they were going to stop giving money to millionaires, they should have clarified they meant that is because they are giving it all to billionaires.We already knew about the Prime Minister's meetings with billionaires at Davos and at the Shangri-La Hotel, where he discussed the intimate details of this infrastructure bank. Today, Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail revealed the documents showing that the government has turned over control of the establishment of this bank to the same people who will profit from it. There is nothing wrong with profit, but reward should go with risk. This infrastructure bank will put $35 billion of risk on Canadian taxpayers so insiders can make a profit. Why?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the party opposite could not care less about the regions and jobs there. The Liberal government had an opportunity to sign a softwood lumber agreement with the former American administration, but it chose to play games with the Trump team instead. Well, the Liberals got the short end of the stick, and now the forestry industry is paying the price for their incompetence with a 24% hike in Canadian softwood lumber import prices.The Liberals had an agreement. Why did they let it slip through their fingers, and when will they finally take softwood lumber and our regions seriously?
Madam Speaker, the Quebec minister of sustainable development told the National Assembly that his department was working on a nuclear emergency plan in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear waste disposal project in Chalk River, which is located along the very banks of the Ottawa River. However, the Ottawa River is the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers and Ontarians.Does the environment minister support the building of a nuclear waste disposal facility on the banks of the Ottawa River?
Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The broken nutrition north program continues to fail Nunavummiut. INAC released the What we heard report last week, which reiterates the many necessary changes that I and others have been advocating for years. It is my understanding that there have been further consultations held over the last few days. My question is not about these consultations. It is not about any future meetings or consultations.When can Nunavummiut expect the much-needed changes to the program to be made?
Madam Speaker, last night the Prime Minister kicked his cash for access fundraising scheme back into high gear. However, just three nights ago, the Minister of National Defence bailed at the last minute, and for no good reason, on a high-profile fundraiser for Afghanistan vets. The Liberals are showing where their priorities are, and it is not with our military or our veterans. Why does the Liberal government make time for people with big cheques for the Liberal Party but cannot find time to attend fundraisers for our vets and troops?
Madam Speaker, certainly the protection of human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy. Canada and China are not extradition partners. There are no extradition negotiations.As with all cases internationally, our government has a firm commitment to the protection of human rights. The rule of law and due process will continue to be paramount in all our engagements.
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is certainly taking positive action, unlike the previous government that acted recklessly and left us this mess after it laid off 700 compensation advisors. That was supposed to save $70 million, but instead we were left with a broken pay system, one that our government is determined to fix.
Madam Speaker, there was no answer.Another Trojan Horse in the Liberal omnibus budget is the infrastructure bank which aims to privatize infrastructure and services. Internal documents reveal that representatives from private corporations helped the Liberals set up this billion-dollar privatization bank. Liberals spent months working with private sector advisers preparing for a closed-door meeting at Toronto's Shangri-La Hotel, of course.Can the Liberal minister define conflict of interest?
Madam Speaker, motivated by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the Minister of Transport moved up review of the Railway Safety Act by one year. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the last budget or in the rail safety improvement program to help those whose wounds have yet to heal: the people of Lac-Mégantic. The bypass and the Institut en culture de sécurité industrielle are two projects that can make all the difference.When will the Minister of Transport put his money where his mouth is and support real rail safety projects for Lac-Mégantic and Canada as a whole?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the defence minister misled Canadians by claiming at least twice that he was the architect of Operation Medusa. In doing so, he has lost all credibility, and he needs to step down. However, the Prime Minister has a responsibility as well. The Prime Minister needs to stand up for our military and put their interests first, ahead of protecting the Minister of National Defence. Does the Prime Minister realize that by not moving his defence minister out he is condoning his actions and sending a very troubling message to our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, those are the same worn out talking points we heard earlier today and we continue to get from the government.Here is what the experts are saying: There really isn't a case that's been made for the need for this bank overall, relative to existing tools that we have for infrastructure investment. That is from the policy shop of the former parliamentary budget officer.Why are the Liberals taking away $34 billion from communities across Canada to set up this unnecessary and unwanted new bureaucracy here in Ottawa?
Madam Speaker, Liberals pretend they want to ban omnibus bills but refuse to break up their omnibus budget bill. That is called hypocrisy. The Liberal omnibus budget bill would change almost 30 different laws, including restricting the PBO's mandate that Liberals once said needed to be a truly independent watchdog.Either the Liberals only pretended to care about transparency to get elected or they abandoned their principles once they did. Which is it?
Madam Speaker, as a former police officer and a soldier, the Minister of National Defence served Canada in an exemplary fashion. Now as a Liberal minister, he has been caught misrepresenting his service to impress an audience.Can the minister tell Canadians why he felt it was so necessary to abandon the truth about his role in Afghanistan?
Madam Speaker, AECL delivers its mandate to a government-owned, contractor-operated model whereby the operation of its nuclear laboratories, including decommissioning and waste management work, is delivered by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.Under this model, AECL continues to own the land, facilities, assets, and liabilities, whereas the workforce, the licences, and all other aspects of running the site are part of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' business. AECL today is a small crown corporation whose role is to oversee the contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to stick with Stephen Harper's climate change targets that will not meet our international commitments. Worse, Environment Canada recently projected that we are set to miss even that low bar, exceeding our 2030 target by at least 30%. This was before the Liberals announced delays in implementing key measures, including the methane emission control regulations and the $1.2 billion to support climate action by the provinces. The solution is clear: ambitious targets, credible measures to deliver them, and transparency in reporting. When will Canadians see these actions?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the minister has been in consultation with experts, Canadians, and all MPs in order to develop a defence policy that will provide the military with the tools, training, and equipment it needs to defend Canada and North America and to secure peace around the world.
Madam Speaker, in Lakeland, Al-Pac, near Athabasca, leads in pulp, paper, biofuels, and jobs, but the lumber mill near Boyle closed, cutting 11% of jobs and $12 million in annual revenue from town. It was the biggest employer. Canadian forestry provides more than 370,000 jobs in over 200 communities, but with no softwood lumber deal and new U.S. tariffs, livelihoods are at risk. Meanwhile, the Liberals add costs and red tape on energy, killing investment and jobs, while the U.S. ramps up. When will the Liberals finally champion Canadian jobs and Canadian resources?
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I understand that you are taking under advisement the admissibility of the amendment, moved by the member for Carleton, to the government's motion regarding the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-4, so I would like to very briefly offer my argument in support of the admissibility of that amendment. At page 532 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, A motion in amendment arises out of debate and is proposed either to modify the original motion in order to make it more acceptable to the House. I believe that the amendment would do just that. The Senate has amended Bill C-4 to uphold a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority. Why the government wanted to take this away in the first place is perplexing, since it is proposing secret ballot elections in House committees. At page 533 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, An amendment is out of order...if it is completely contrary to the main motion and would produce the same result as the defeat of the main motion. Madam Speaker, I believe this may be the reason for your deliberations on the matter. Would the defeat of the main motion to the Senate amendment made to Bill C-4 have the same effect as voting for the amendment proposed by my colleague? I believe that the answer is clearly no. If the government's motion were to be defeated, I would argue that nothing would happen. The government would need to come back with an alternative motion with a different proposition. However, if my colleague's amendment were to be adopted, both the House and the Senate will have adopted Bill C-4 in an identical form, and it would move to eventually receiving royal assent as amended.As the Journals of June 6, 1923, at page 437, state, the Speaker ruled that an amendment to alter the main question by submitting a proposition with the opposite conclusion is not an expanded negative and may be moved. This amendment indeed offers the opposite conclusion: that is, to accept the amendment made by the Senate that supports democracy. The government's motion rejects this democratic principle. Voting for or against the government's motion would have a different outcome than would voting for my colleague's amendment. Therefore, I ask that you, Madam Speaker, accept the amendment and allow this House to express its views on preserving a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority.
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Saint-Jean to listen to the question. As a father, I teach my children to respect others and to never take credit for others' achievements. Engaging in such immoral and unacceptable behaviour would mean losing all trust and credibility.The minister chose to misrepresent the facts on several occasions. He continues to mislead Canadians. How can he have any credibility with members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can he continue to oversee the Department of Defence after losing the respect of every member of the armed forces?Why does he not resign?
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, while the Minister of Status of Women spends millions on her office renovation, women in need are being left behind. This week at committee we heard testimony from the Canada's Building Trades Unions that no money is available to unions to help advance women in the skilled trades.The Liberals have failed to protect vulnerable women and to support their advancement in the skilled trades. When will the minister get her priorities straight?
Madam Speaker, after years of the Phoenix fiasco, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of workers. It is interesting that the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers the government can give us about when it will be able to solve it. Maybe that is because this broken system is actually creating new victims every single day.If the government will not tell us when all the current cases will be resolved, can it at least tell us when it intends to stop creating new ones?
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have spent the last 18 months cozying up to dictators while Canadian citizens are detained and abused overseas. The latest case is China's arrest of Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen. China jails dissidents, oppresses minority Uighurs and Tibetans, uses arbitrary detention, and violates the religious rights of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Falun Gong worshippers like Sun Qian.Why are the Liberals negotiating an extradition treaty with China when it refuses to release Canadians wrongfully arrested?
Madam Speaker, the first responsibility of the Minister of National Defence and our government is to look after our troops and ensure that they have the support, training, and equipment to carry out the missions they are assigned.That has been the minister's objective for the past year and a half and that is what he strives to do every day. One of the key elements of his mandate is to put together a new defence policy. We will ensure that this policy is adequately funded.
Madam Speaker, Resolute Forest Products has confirmed what everyone was afraid of: there will be job losses in the forestry industry because of this conflict.In my part of the country, in places like Chertsy, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, and Saint-Jean-de-Matha, my birthplace, everyone is worried. Today, the Prime Minister promised to support businesses and regions affected by the softwood lumber conflict.Will the government honour the Prime Minister's commitment to Quebec's forestry communities and act quickly to support the forestry sector by providing loan guarantees?
Madam Speaker, that is not very believable. In fact the defence minister cannot seem to tell the truth, even with the most basic of facts.This week there was a fundraiser for veterans. The Minister of National Defence was supposed to be there, but he said all of a sudden he could not go. Why? Lo and behold, suddenly he had a speech he had to write. He had a speech he had to write the same night as this event which he had known about for months. No one is buying that. He was not the architect of Operation Medusa, and he was not writing a speech on Tuesday night. He has lost all credibility. When will he step aside?
Madam Speaker, our thoughts go out to those families, workers, and communities affected by this very challenging situation. We are taking immediate action to help companies, workers, and local communities affected by these unfair and punitive duties. We continue to work with our counterparts on the federal-provincial task force on softwood lumber to help Canadian forestry workers and communities affected. We will vigorously defend our industry and our workers from the impacts of this decision by the U.S. commerce department.
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that safe solutions are in place for managing radioactive waste. Radioactive waste owners are responsible for developing and implementing fully funded solutions for the safe and secure management of their waste. Major waste owners are meeting their responsibilities for developing long-term solutions, and a number of radioactive waste management initiatives are under way, with rigorous oversight from federal regulatory agencies.
Madam Speaker, as a government, we understand the challenges workers and their families in the energy sector have had over the last few years. Our support for the energy sector reflects a balanced approach that ensures the environment is protected and that good, well-paying jobs are there for Canadians. We did in one year what the previous government could not do in a decade: approve pipelines, while at the same protecting our oceans, pricing carbon pollution, and working with indigenous peoples. We believe our approach positions Canada and Canadians well.
Madam Speaker, apparently, it can take years to have access to rulings of federal courts in French. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has been investigating this problem since 2007. Complaints have been piling up for 10 years. This is just further proof that the government is showing no leadership when it comes to official languages. Access to federal court rulings in one's first language is a right.My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and official languages. Does she plan to wait another 10 years before fixing this problem?
Madam Speaker, taking credit for the feats of other brave Canadians is the straw that broke the camel's back. The minister has lost the support of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. No one supports him.It is sad to see the Minister of National Defence clinging on to his position like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. When you make a mistake, apologizing is not enough; the honourable thing to do is take appropriate action. Here, the only appropriate action is to step down. Will he step down, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House to respond to that question directly, because when it comes to omnibus legislation, we are the ones proposing the Speaker be able to separate omnibus legislation if there are concerns.When it comes to all measures in the budget implementation act, they are directly from the budget 2017 presented in the past in this place. When it comes to the independence of the parliamentary budget officer, we support independence. That is why we are saying, let us get the bill passed at second reading and send it to committee so it can do the work.
Madam Speaker, when the Prime Minister stumbled onto a Saskatchewan farm last week, he was surprised that they used complicated tools like GPS. Producers have other tools that are just as important. One of the economic tools they have had for decades was the ability to defer income from cash grain tickets. Now the Liberals are moving to take that away, a move that punishes Canadian producers and rewards the government. Why is it that every time the Liberals make a move, they rip money out of Canadian pockets and just put it in their own hands?
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for ChicoutimiLe Fjord for his question and his outstanding work in the region.We have a responsibility to take care of our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by providing them with resources. On April 24, the Minister of National Defence announced the construction of two new buildings at Bagotville. The total investment of $95 million will improve the infrastructure and provide our military with the tools it needs to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the highest regard for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their service. He is now delivering on the broad mandate that he was given. He will soon unveil a new defence policy that will ensure that the military has the appropriate equipment and everything it needs on its missions to uphold Canada's sovereignty, to defend North America with NORAD, and to fulfill our international obligations to keep peace in the world.
Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.
Madam Speaker, our government strongly supports the Canadian grain industry, which is a key driver of exports, jobs, and economic growth. With changes in recent years in grain marketing, the delivery of listed grain is now the responsibility of the private sector instead of the federal government.Budget 2017 launches consultations with farmers and stakeholders on this tax deferral, and we want to hear from farmers before moving forward.
The parliamentary secretary mentions federal agencies, Madam Speaker, but we already know that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is examining this issue. That was not my question.We know that the public consultations have not yet begun, but that is not what we want to know. The time to act is now. It is better to be proactive today than radioactive tomorrow.Does the environment minister seriously think that it is a good idea to pile up mountains of nuclear waste and cover them with geotextile fabric?
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital, where it makes sense, to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada.The infrastructure bank, let us be clear, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank would be an optional tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory would be forced to use the bank, nor would they be punished for not doing so.This government takes counsel; it does not take orders.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring Canadians have access to justice in the official language of their choice. Budget 2017 proposes to provide $2 million over two years to the Courts Administration Service to enhance federal courts' ability to make decisions available in both English and French. This new funding is in addition to the new process that our government has already established for Supreme Court of Canada appointments, which includes a policy that judges should be functionally bilingual.
Madam Speaker, of course we are very concerned about the situation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We understand how much coastal communities rely on fisheries and oceans, and I am happy to report that the minister has been in contact. We are looking forward to discussions about Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. We understand this is a difficult time for the fish harvesters in communities affected by the recent fisheries management decision, but we are investing in science.
Madam Speaker, the CRA continues to take important steps and is making progress in cracking down on tax cheats and ensuring a tax system that is more responsive and fair to all Canadians. Building on a previous investment of $444 million last year, budget 2017 invests an additional $524 million to crack down on tax evasion and to improve compliance. The additional funding will have an expected revenue impact of $2.5 billion over five years. This is what Canadians expect, and that is exactly what we will continue to do.
Madam Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. They will be paid retroactively. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. Our government is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution to fix the mess we inherited and to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.
Madam Speaker, my riding of Medicine HatCardstonWarner is home to CFB Suffield. I was elected to stand up for all constituents, including those military personnel and civilian staff who bravely serve our country.The Minister of National Defence made a choice to embellish his service record, and he continually chooses to mislead Canadians. He has lost the respect, trust, and confidence not only of our military but also of Canadians. Without talking points, will the minister do the honourable thing and please step aside?
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is a former reservist. He will always honour the service of our Canadian Armed Forces members, the ones with whom he served on his missions and those who served under other commanders or at other times.Today, the minister and the government are responsible for making sure that our Canadian Armed Forces have all the equipment they need to successfully carry out their missions and all the support they need to ensure their well-being. We conducted an extremely thorough defence policy review in which all members of Parliament had an opportunity to take part.
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, supporting the workers and communities that depend on forestry jobs is our top priority. Protecting forestry jobs means moving quickly to provide companies and communities with full access to existing loan guarantees and employment and economic diversification programs and expanding export markets while we fight these unfair tariffs on Canada's forestry industry.We will continue to work with the provinces through our federal-provincial task force to examine additional measures and to address the needs of affected workers and communities.
Madam Speaker, improving this country's democracy means ensuring that political parties raise funds from the public in a more open and transparent manner. That is why we are taking action. Canadians have a right to know even more than they do now. Political parties and leadership campaigns will be required to promptly and publicly disclose fundraising event information.We will continue to take action to make government and all aspects of our democracy more open and transparent. I encourage all parties in this place to do what they can for openness and transparency.
Madam Speaker, as the MP for Gatineau and parliamentary secretary to the minister, I, like all members of the House, have heard stories from public servants in our ridings about the challenges they face because of issues with the pay system. These issues have caused real hardships for many public servants and their families, and many are issues that no family should have to face. Our government remains resolutely focused on addressing the issue and on deploying the resources, financial and human, needed to address this situation. That is what we are going to do, and that is what we are working on.
Madam Speaker, we realize and certainly support it, and we are working hard to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadians, including indigenous Canadians. This is why we are making the commitments that we are. In budget 2016, 201 projects were completed in the country. In budget 2017, there is another $4 billion to be invested in clean drinking water. Our goal is to make sure that we have clean drinking water in all indigenous communities by 2021 in Canada, and we are going to work hard to meet that goal.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada. The infrastructure bank, it bears repeating, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank will be yet another tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory will be forced to use the bank. It is one of the tools in our toolkit to create good jobs for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, this government is probably one of the first governments to have a plan to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and to prevent new advisories. In budget 2016 investments, we have already had 201 projects in 159 communities, serving over 196,000 indigenous Canadians. In this year's budget, we added an additional $4 billion over 10 years. We are sticking to our goal to end long-term drinking water advisories.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has lost all credibility by taking credit for someone else's achievements. We still do not know why he did that. He never said. Since then, he has been trying to go about his business as though nothing happened, but something has changed. Our men and women in uniform are ashamed of the Minister of National Defence. He is also doing a dishonour to veterans. The person responsible for our troops cannot alter the truth whenever he feels like it. Will he resign?
Madam Speaker, recently our government joined the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, for an important announcement. The city will be using more than $12.2 million in its annual allocation of the federal gas tax fund created by a Liberal government for improvements to its local roads, back lanes, and sidewalks this year. These projects will improve the quality of life of Winnipeg residents and tourists, through better roads, reduced traffic delays, faster commuting, and increases in the efficiency of the overall transportation network in the city.
Madam Speaker, our thoughts are with the Canadians affected by the flooding. Our government is always willing to assist any province or territory that asks for help.The government operations centre in my department is on standby. We are speaking to all of the provincial governments involved, including later today. The first call for assistance is up to the provincial government to determine. If asked, the Government of Canada will respond quickly.
Madam Speaker, it is funny to hear the parliamentary secretary say only $15 billion. In their omnibus budget bill, the Liberals are creating the infrastructure bank and today we learn who is pulling the strings of this huge taxpayer trap.BlackRock is the biggest investor in the world. BlackRock helped the Liberal government create the infrastructure bank. BlackRock assisted the Liberal government with its public relations. BlackRock will be a client of the infrastructure bank and will make huge profits from it.Is the bank being established for the sake of our communities or for the people with club privilege? Who is running this government, BlackRock?
Madam Speaker, at the Canada Revenue Agency, there are fine statements of intent and then there is reality. With the Minister of National Revenue, there is talk and there is action. The minister claims that the fight against tax avoidance is a priority, but a CBC investigation has shown that the number of wealthy taxpayers who have managed not to pay any taxes has doubled since 2011.The minister says that the net is tightening around tax cheats. Give me a break. It is wide open, and the system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to hire tax avoidance experts.Does the minister intend to finally put an end to this two-tier system where the wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes? When will we begin to see some movement on this?
Nakurmiik, Madam Speaker. Nakurmiik, my colleagues. I want to recognize the tremendous work and input my colleague from Nunavut has had with regard to nutrition north.As members know, we have been very engaged in consultations with those across the north. We know it is unacceptable that northerners are struggling to feed their families, and we have every intention of bringing forward a new program that will meet the needs of northerners.That program review is currently online. We have engaged with 3,500 people and had submissions. We are hoping, very soon, to be able to launch a new program.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making the parliamentary budget officer more independent, which is what the bill recently introduced in the House of Commons sets out to do.As I pointed out yesterday, we made it very clear that we are open to amendments. We are eager to get this bill to committee so it can be examined in detail and so the committee can discuss the good ideas we put forward about changes affecting the parliamentary budget officer.
Some progress perhaps, Madam Speaker, but boil water advisories have been added since the Liberals took power.This week, Algonquin artist Samian denounced the Prime Minister's role and responsibility in violating the basic right to drinking water. Some progress is not enough.When will the government stop making pretty speeches and guarantee all indigenous communities access to clean drinking water?
Madam Speaker, the minister has the confidence of the Prime Minister and the entire caucus. All day yesterday, I heard about how credible the minister is. He established the process for a new defence policy that will help make sure that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have all the tools they need to successfully complete their missions.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the minister admitted that he made a mistake in describing his role. He set the record straight in the House earlier this week and apologized.In no way were the minister's comments meant to take away from the role of former senior officers and fellow soldiers. He gave them a heartfelt apology. The minister is proud to have served his country as part of an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghan soldiers who successfully carried out Operation Medusa.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing money and plan to funnel it to foreign billionaires to subsidize their profits. Make no mistake, that is what the Liberal infrastructure bank will be doing. Randall Bartlett, the chief economist for the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, has rightly asked, Why are we privatizing the returns for those assets when they would be going to the public sector? It is a great question. Can we get an answer from the Liberal government?
Madam Speaker, make no mistake: our government wants to attract private capital to Canada, so that we can build more infrastructure across this great country and create good jobs for the middle class.The infrastructure bank is $15 billion out of more than a $180 billion transformational plan for the 21st century. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside our municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century. We are going to use a lot of tools, and the infrastructure bank is just one of them.
Madam Speaker, clean drinking water is a right that all Canadians should be able to count on, but just two hours from Ottawa, almost half of the houses in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi do not have safe water, and it has been that way for almost 20 years. Shame on the government for not fixing the problem for all reserves. Our communities cannot wait any longer.When will the government make it a real priority and treat water like a human right?
Madam Speaker, I will tell members where we are delivering billions. We are delivering billions to families who need it the most, families who are seeking hard to join the middle class. With our family allocation through taxing the 1%, we have delivered billions to families who need it the most, for school supplies, for food. We are really proud of that record, and we will take that record to the next election.
Madam Speaker, fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned about their livelihoods. Recent quota changes have created uncertainty and left many wondering how they will make ends meet. However, the fisheries minister does not seem to care. Twillingate fisherman Richard Gillett had to go on a hunger strike for more than a week to even get a phone call. When will the minister do the right thing and meet with Mr. Gillett?
Madam Speaker, the implementing legislation gives flexibility to the bank. Our plan is to invest $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion transformational plan.It is worth repeating. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners. Where it makes sense, we are going to attract private capital for models that will serve citizens in a way that otherwise they would not be served.This is a great idea. This is an opportunity to get leverage from the private sector. We are going to do it all for Canadians to deliver a great infrastructure model for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, what the defence minister has not done yet is explain why he rewrote history. It was not a mistake; it was deliberate. His own spokesperson confirmed that the minister had personally inserted the word architect into that speech in India. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister mentioned the word honesty eight times. Clearly, he has not been honest, and his eagerness to take credit from others to pat himself on the back is an affront to our troops.When will the minister do the right thing? When will he step aside and put our troops ahead of himself?
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I know that this is very important to him and his community.Our thoughts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy. Our government is firmly committed to improving rail safety. It is absolutely the minister's first priority. As he said, study of this file continues and that is why
Madam Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of the climate change plan that we were able to negotiate with the provinces and territories in consultation with indigenous peoples. This includes putting a price on pollution, making polluters pay. This includes phasing out coal by 2030. This includes historic investments in public transit, in green infrastructure, and in adaptation. This includes working with indigenous communities to get them off diesel. This includes historic investments in clean innovation. This will create good jobs and opportunities. We are extremely proud, and we will be moving forward.
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Madam Speaker, the minister has proven his credibility through all of the work he has done to develop a new defence policy. The consultations he undertook had not happened in 20 years. This policy will help make sure that all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment, training, and respect they need to complete their missions as effectively as Canada is known for doing.
Madam Speaker, it is worth repeating that this is but one tool in the arsenal that we have to deliver great quality jobs, great infrastructure, for, let us admit, infrastructure that in this country has been underappreciated for the last 10 years. The infrastructure bank is just $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion plan. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through our traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century, and we are proud of it.
Madam Speaker, many waterfront communities are experiencing flooding that it is causing significant damage. Volunteers and first responders in both Quebec and Ontario have their hands full helping those affected, and we thank them for the great job they are doing.Can the Minister of Public Safety give us an update on what the federal government is doing to help the communities affected?
Madam Speaker, it is too bad that the member for CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles did not attend last night's gala to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, because the minister received a very warm welcome. Even officer cadets wanted to meet him, have their picture taken with him, and hear what he had to say. The veterans and sailors who were there showed their support, and I saw this first-hand. The warm welcome he received demonstrates that his credibility remains intact with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions that the labour movement has made to gender equality in Canada. I am sure we can all agree that a healthy NGO centre is also vital to the well-being of women and girls in this country. That is why we have funded over 300 projects across the country to address gender-based violence and to improve economic outcomes and leadership for women and girls.I can assure my hon. colleague that should labour groups want to partner with NGOs, we welcome that.
Madam Speaker, our government was elected on a platform of building sustainable communities in cities and towns all over this great country. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure for residents. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild their infrastructure for the residents who live in those communities. Can the minister provide an update on how the gas tax is benefiting the residents of Winnipeg?
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Madam Speaker, our government was elected on a platform of building sustainable communities in cities and towns all over this great country. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure for residents. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild their infrastructure for the residents who live in those communities. Can the minister provide an update on how the gas tax is benefiting the residents of Winnipeg?
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions that the labour movement has made to gender equality in Canada. I am sure we can all agree that a healthy NGO centre is also vital to the well-being of women and girls in this country. That is why we have funded over 300 projects across the country to address gender-based violence and to improve economic outcomes and leadership for women and girls.I can assure my hon. colleague that should labour groups want to partner with NGOs, we welcome that.
Madam Speaker, it is too bad that the member for CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles did not attend last night's gala to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, because the minister received a very warm welcome. Even officer cadets wanted to meet him, have their picture taken with him, and hear what he had to say. The veterans and sailors who were there showed their support, and I saw this first-hand. The warm welcome he received demonstrates that his credibility remains intact with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Madam Speaker, many waterfront communities are experiencing flooding that it is causing significant damage. Volunteers and first responders in both Quebec and Ontario have their hands full helping those affected, and we thank them for the great job they are doing.Can the Minister of Public Safety give us an update on what the federal government is doing to help the communities affected?
Madam Speaker, it is worth repeating that this is but one tool in the arsenal that we have to deliver great quality jobs, great infrastructure, for, let us admit, infrastructure that in this country has been underappreciated for the last 10 years. The infrastructure bank is just $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion plan. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through our traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century, and we are proud of it.
Madam Speaker, the minister has proven his credibility through all of the work he has done to develop a new defence policy. The consultations he undertook had not happened in 20 years. This policy will help make sure that all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment, training, and respect they need to complete their missions as effectively as Canada is known for doing.
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Madam Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of the climate change plan that we were able to negotiate with the provinces and territories in consultation with indigenous peoples. This includes putting a price on pollution, making polluters pay. This includes phasing out coal by 2030. This includes historic investments in public transit, in green infrastructure, and in adaptation. This includes working with indigenous communities to get them off diesel. This includes historic investments in clean innovation. This will create good jobs and opportunities. We are extremely proud, and we will be moving forward.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I know that this is very important to him and his community.Our thoughts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy. Our government is firmly committed to improving rail safety. It is absolutely the minister's first priority. As he said, study of this file continues and that is why
Madam Speaker, what the defence minister has not done yet is explain why he rewrote history. It was not a mistake; it was deliberate. His own spokesperson confirmed that the minister had personally inserted the word architect into that speech in India. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister mentioned the word honesty eight times. Clearly, he has not been honest, and his eagerness to take credit from others to pat himself on the back is an affront to our troops.When will the minister do the right thing? When will he step aside and put our troops ahead of himself?
Madam Speaker, the implementing legislation gives flexibility to the bank. Our plan is to invest $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion transformational plan.It is worth repeating. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners. Where it makes sense, we are going to attract private capital for models that will serve citizens in a way that otherwise they would not be served.This is a great idea. This is an opportunity to get leverage from the private sector. We are going to do it all for Canadians to deliver a great infrastructure model for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned about their livelihoods. Recent quota changes have created uncertainty and left many wondering how they will make ends meet. However, the fisheries minister does not seem to care. Twillingate fisherman Richard Gillett had to go on a hunger strike for more than a week to even get a phone call. When will the minister do the right thing and meet with Mr. Gillett?
Madam Speaker, I will tell members where we are delivering billions. We are delivering billions to families who need it the most, families who are seeking hard to join the middle class. With our family allocation through taxing the 1%, we have delivered billions to families who need it the most, for school supplies, for food. We are really proud of that record, and we will take that record to the next election.
Madam Speaker, clean drinking water is a right that all Canadians should be able to count on, but just two hours from Ottawa, almost half of the houses in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi do not have safe water, and it has been that way for almost 20 years. Shame on the government for not fixing the problem for all reserves. Our communities cannot wait any longer.When will the government make it a real priority and treat water like a human right?
Madam Speaker, make no mistake: our government wants to attract private capital to Canada, so that we can build more infrastructure across this great country and create good jobs for the middle class.The infrastructure bank is $15 billion out of more than a $180 billion transformational plan for the 21st century. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside our municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century. We are going to use a lot of tools, and the infrastructure bank is just one of them.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing money and plan to funnel it to foreign billionaires to subsidize their profits. Make no mistake, that is what the Liberal infrastructure bank will be doing. Randall Bartlett, the chief economist for the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, has rightly asked, Why are we privatizing the returns for those assets when they would be going to the public sector? It is a great question. Can we get an answer from the Liberal government?
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the minister admitted that he made a mistake in describing his role. He set the record straight in the House earlier this week and apologized.In no way were the minister's comments meant to take away from the role of former senior officers and fellow soldiers. He gave them a heartfelt apology. The minister is proud to have served his country as part of an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghan soldiers who successfully carried out Operation Medusa.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the confidence of the Prime Minister and the entire caucus. All day yesterday, I heard about how credible the minister is. He established the process for a new defence policy that will help make sure that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have all the tools they need to successfully complete their missions.
Some progress perhaps, Madam Speaker, but boil water advisories have been added since the Liberals took power.This week, Algonquin artist Samian denounced the Prime Minister's role and responsibility in violating the basic right to drinking water. Some progress is not enough.When will the government stop making pretty speeches and guarantee all indigenous communities access to clean drinking water?
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making the parliamentary budget officer more independent, which is what the bill recently introduced in the House of Commons sets out to do.As I pointed out yesterday, we made it very clear that we are open to amendments. We are eager to get this bill to committee so it can be examined in detail and so the committee can discuss the good ideas we put forward about changes affecting the parliamentary budget officer.
Nakurmiik, Madam Speaker. Nakurmiik, my colleagues. I want to recognize the tremendous work and input my colleague from Nunavut has had with regard to nutrition north.As members know, we have been very engaged in consultations with those across the north. We know it is unacceptable that northerners are struggling to feed their families, and we have every intention of bringing forward a new program that will meet the needs of northerners.That program review is currently online. We have engaged with 3,500 people and had submissions. We are hoping, very soon, to be able to launch a new program.
Madam Speaker, at the Canada Revenue Agency, there are fine statements of intent and then there is reality. With the Minister of National Revenue, there is talk and there is action. The minister claims that the fight against tax avoidance is a priority, but a CBC investigation has shown that the number of wealthy taxpayers who have managed not to pay any taxes has doubled since 2011.The minister says that the net is tightening around tax cheats. Give me a break. It is wide open, and the system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to hire tax avoidance experts.Does the minister intend to finally put an end to this two-tier system where the wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes? When will we begin to see some movement on this?
Madam Speaker, it is funny to hear the parliamentary secretary say only $15 billion. In their omnibus budget bill, the Liberals are creating the infrastructure bank and today we learn who is pulling the strings of this huge taxpayer trap.BlackRock is the biggest investor in the world. BlackRock helped the Liberal government create the infrastructure bank. BlackRock assisted the Liberal government with its public relations. BlackRock will be a client of the infrastructure bank and will make huge profits from it.Is the bank being established for the sake of our communities or for the people with club privilege? Who is running this government, BlackRock?
Madam Speaker, our thoughts are with the Canadians affected by the flooding. Our government is always willing to assist any province or territory that asks for help.The government operations centre in my department is on standby. We are speaking to all of the provincial governments involved, including later today. The first call for assistance is up to the provincial government to determine. If asked, the Government of Canada will respond quickly.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has lost all credibility by taking credit for someone else's achievements. We still do not know why he did that. He never said. Since then, he has been trying to go about his business as though nothing happened, but something has changed. Our men and women in uniform are ashamed of the Minister of National Defence. He is also doing a dishonour to veterans. The person responsible for our troops cannot alter the truth whenever he feels like it. Will he resign?
Madam Speaker, recently our government joined the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, for an important announcement. The city will be using more than $12.2 million in its annual allocation of the federal gas tax fund created by a Liberal government for improvements to its local roads, back lanes, and sidewalks this year. These projects will improve the quality of life of Winnipeg residents and tourists, through better roads, reduced traffic delays, faster commuting, and increases in the efficiency of the overall transportation network in the city.
Madam Speaker, this government is probably one of the first governments to have a plan to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and to prevent new advisories. In budget 2016 investments, we have already had 201 projects in 159 communities, serving over 196,000 indigenous Canadians. In this year's budget, we added an additional $4 billion over 10 years. We are sticking to our goal to end long-term drinking water advisories.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada. The infrastructure bank, it bears repeating, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank will be yet another tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory will be forced to use the bank. It is one of the tools in our toolkit to create good jobs for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, we realize and certainly support it, and we are working hard to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadians, including indigenous Canadians. This is why we are making the commitments that we are. In budget 2016, 201 projects were completed in the country. In budget 2017, there is another $4 billion to be invested in clean drinking water. Our goal is to make sure that we have clean drinking water in all indigenous communities by 2021 in Canada, and we are going to work hard to meet that goal.
Madam Speaker, as the MP for Gatineau and parliamentary secretary to the minister, I, like all members of the House, have heard stories from public servants in our ridings about the challenges they face because of issues with the pay system. These issues have caused real hardships for many public servants and their families, and many are issues that no family should have to face. Our government remains resolutely focused on addressing the issue and on deploying the resources, financial and human, needed to address this situation. That is what we are going to do, and that is what we are working on.
Madam Speaker, improving this country's democracy means ensuring that political parties raise funds from the public in a more open and transparent manner. That is why we are taking action. Canadians have a right to know even more than they do now. Political parties and leadership campaigns will be required to promptly and publicly disclose fundraising event information.We will continue to take action to make government and all aspects of our democracy more open and transparent. I encourage all parties in this place to do what they can for openness and transparency.
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, supporting the workers and communities that depend on forestry jobs is our top priority. Protecting forestry jobs means moving quickly to provide companies and communities with full access to existing loan guarantees and employment and economic diversification programs and expanding export markets while we fight these unfair tariffs on Canada's forestry industry.We will continue to work with the provinces through our federal-provincial task force to examine additional measures and to address the needs of affected workers and communities.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is a former reservist. He will always honour the service of our Canadian Armed Forces members, the ones with whom he served on his missions and those who served under other commanders or at other times.Today, the minister and the government are responsible for making sure that our Canadian Armed Forces have all the equipment they need to successfully carry out their missions and all the support they need to ensure their well-being. We conducted an extremely thorough defence policy review in which all members of Parliament had an opportunity to take part.
Madam Speaker, my riding of Medicine HatCardstonWarner is home to CFB Suffield. I was elected to stand up for all constituents, including those military personnel and civilian staff who bravely serve our country.The Minister of National Defence made a choice to embellish his service record, and he continually chooses to mislead Canadians. He has lost the respect, trust, and confidence not only of our military but also of Canadians. Without talking points, will the minister do the honourable thing and please step aside?
Madam Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. They will be paid retroactively. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. Our government is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution to fix the mess we inherited and to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.
Madam Speaker, the CRA continues to take important steps and is making progress in cracking down on tax cheats and ensuring a tax system that is more responsive and fair to all Canadians. Building on a previous investment of $444 million last year, budget 2017 invests an additional $524 million to crack down on tax evasion and to improve compliance. The additional funding will have an expected revenue impact of $2.5 billion over five years. This is what Canadians expect, and that is exactly what we will continue to do.
Madam Speaker, of course we are very concerned about the situation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We understand how much coastal communities rely on fisheries and oceans, and I am happy to report that the minister has been in contact. We are looking forward to discussions about Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. We understand this is a difficult time for the fish harvesters in communities affected by the recent fisheries management decision, but we are investing in science.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring Canadians have access to justice in the official language of their choice. Budget 2017 proposes to provide $2 million over two years to the Courts Administration Service to enhance federal courts' ability to make decisions available in both English and French. This new funding is in addition to the new process that our government has already established for Supreme Court of Canada appointments, which includes a policy that judges should be functionally bilingual.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital, where it makes sense, to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada.The infrastructure bank, let us be clear, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank would be an optional tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory would be forced to use the bank, nor would they be punished for not doing so.This government takes counsel; it does not take orders.
The parliamentary secretary mentions federal agencies, Madam Speaker, but we already know that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is examining this issue. That was not my question.We know that the public consultations have not yet begun, but that is not what we want to know. The time to act is now. It is better to be proactive today than radioactive tomorrow.Does the environment minister seriously think that it is a good idea to pile up mountains of nuclear waste and cover them with geotextile fabric?
Madam Speaker, our government strongly supports the Canadian grain industry, which is a key driver of exports, jobs, and economic growth. With changes in recent years in grain marketing, the delivery of listed grain is now the responsibility of the private sector instead of the federal government.Budget 2017 launches consultations with farmers and stakeholders on this tax deferral, and we want to hear from farmers before moving forward.
Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the highest regard for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their service. He is now delivering on the broad mandate that he was given. He will soon unveil a new defence policy that will ensure that the military has the appropriate equipment and everything it needs on its missions to uphold Canada's sovereignty, to defend North America with NORAD, and to fulfill our international obligations to keep peace in the world.
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for ChicoutimiLe Fjord for his question and his outstanding work in the region.We have a responsibility to take care of our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by providing them with resources. On April 24, the Minister of National Defence announced the construction of two new buildings at Bagotville. The total investment of $95 million will improve the infrastructure and provide our military with the tools it needs to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, when the Prime Minister stumbled onto a Saskatchewan farm last week, he was surprised that they used complicated tools like GPS. Producers have other tools that are just as important. One of the economic tools they have had for decades was the ability to defer income from cash grain tickets. Now the Liberals are moving to take that away, a move that punishes Canadian producers and rewards the government. Why is it that every time the Liberals make a move, they rip money out of Canadian pockets and just put it in their own hands?
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House to respond to that question directly, because when it comes to omnibus legislation, we are the ones proposing the Speaker be able to separate omnibus legislation if there are concerns.When it comes to all measures in the budget implementation act, they are directly from the budget 2017 presented in the past in this place. When it comes to the independence of the parliamentary budget officer, we support independence. That is why we are saying, let us get the bill passed at second reading and send it to committee so it can do the work.
Madam Speaker, taking credit for the feats of other brave Canadians is the straw that broke the camel's back. The minister has lost the support of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. No one supports him.It is sad to see the Minister of National Defence clinging on to his position like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. When you make a mistake, apologizing is not enough; the honourable thing to do is take appropriate action. Here, the only appropriate action is to step down. Will he step down, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, apparently, it can take years to have access to rulings of federal courts in French. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has been investigating this problem since 2007. Complaints have been piling up for 10 years. This is just further proof that the government is showing no leadership when it comes to official languages. Access to federal court rulings in one's first language is a right.My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and official languages. Does she plan to wait another 10 years before fixing this problem?
Madam Speaker, as a government, we understand the challenges workers and their families in the energy sector have had over the last few years. Our support for the energy sector reflects a balanced approach that ensures the environment is protected and that good, well-paying jobs are there for Canadians. We did in one year what the previous government could not do in a decade: approve pipelines, while at the same protecting our oceans, pricing carbon pollution, and working with indigenous peoples. We believe our approach positions Canada and Canadians well.
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that safe solutions are in place for managing radioactive waste. Radioactive waste owners are responsible for developing and implementing fully funded solutions for the safe and secure management of their waste. Major waste owners are meeting their responsibilities for developing long-term solutions, and a number of radioactive waste management initiatives are under way, with rigorous oversight from federal regulatory agencies.
Madam Speaker, our thoughts go out to those families, workers, and communities affected by this very challenging situation. We are taking immediate action to help companies, workers, and local communities affected by these unfair and punitive duties. We continue to work with our counterparts on the federal-provincial task force on softwood lumber to help Canadian forestry workers and communities affected. We will vigorously defend our industry and our workers from the impacts of this decision by the U.S. commerce department.
Madam Speaker, that is not very believable. In fact the defence minister cannot seem to tell the truth, even with the most basic of facts.This week there was a fundraiser for veterans. The Minister of National Defence was supposed to be there, but he said all of a sudden he could not go. Why? Lo and behold, suddenly he had a speech he had to write. He had a speech he had to write the same night as this event which he had known about for months. No one is buying that. He was not the architect of Operation Medusa, and he was not writing a speech on Tuesday night. He has lost all credibility. When will he step aside?
Madam Speaker, Resolute Forest Products has confirmed what everyone was afraid of: there will be job losses in the forestry industry because of this conflict.In my part of the country, in places like Chertsy, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, and Saint-Jean-de-Matha, my birthplace, everyone is worried. Today, the Prime Minister promised to support businesses and regions affected by the softwood lumber conflict.Will the government honour the Prime Minister's commitment to Quebec's forestry communities and act quickly to support the forestry sector by providing loan guarantees?
Madam Speaker, the first responsibility of the Minister of National Defence and our government is to look after our troops and ensure that they have the support, training, and equipment to carry out the missions they are assigned.That has been the minister's objective for the past year and a half and that is what he strives to do every day. One of the key elements of his mandate is to put together a new defence policy. We will ensure that this policy is adequately funded.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have spent the last 18 months cozying up to dictators while Canadian citizens are detained and abused overseas. The latest case is China's arrest of Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen. China jails dissidents, oppresses minority Uighurs and Tibetans, uses arbitrary detention, and violates the religious rights of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Falun Gong worshippers like Sun Qian.Why are the Liberals negotiating an extradition treaty with China when it refuses to release Canadians wrongfully arrested?
Madam Speaker, after years of the Phoenix fiasco, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of workers. It is interesting that the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers the government can give us about when it will be able to solve it. Maybe that is because this broken system is actually creating new victims every single day.If the government will not tell us when all the current cases will be resolved, can it at least tell us when it intends to stop creating new ones?
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, while the Minister of Status of Women spends millions on her office renovation, women in need are being left behind. This week at committee we heard testimony from the Canada's Building Trades Unions that no money is available to unions to help advance women in the skilled trades.The Liberals have failed to protect vulnerable women and to support their advancement in the skilled trades. When will the minister get her priorities straight?
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Saint-Jean to listen to the question. As a father, I teach my children to respect others and to never take credit for others' achievements. Engaging in such immoral and unacceptable behaviour would mean losing all trust and credibility.The minister chose to misrepresent the facts on several occasions. He continues to mislead Canadians. How can he have any credibility with members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can he continue to oversee the Department of Defence after losing the respect of every member of the armed forces?Why does he not resign?
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I understand that you are taking under advisement the admissibility of the amendment, moved by the member for Carleton, to the government's motion regarding the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-4, so I would like to very briefly offer my argument in support of the admissibility of that amendment. At page 532 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, A motion in amendment arises out of debate and is proposed either to modify the original motion in order to make it more acceptable to the House. I believe that the amendment would do just that. The Senate has amended Bill C-4 to uphold a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority. Why the government wanted to take this away in the first place is perplexing, since it is proposing secret ballot elections in House committees. At page 533 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, An amendment is out of order...if it is completely contrary to the main motion and would produce the same result as the defeat of the main motion. Madam Speaker, I believe this may be the reason for your deliberations on the matter. Would the defeat of the main motion to the Senate amendment made to Bill C-4 have the same effect as voting for the amendment proposed by my colleague? I believe that the answer is clearly no. If the government's motion were to be defeated, I would argue that nothing would happen. The government would need to come back with an alternative motion with a different proposition. However, if my colleague's amendment were to be adopted, both the House and the Senate will have adopted Bill C-4 in an identical form, and it would move to eventually receiving royal assent as amended.As the Journals of June 6, 1923, at page 437, state, the Speaker ruled that an amendment to alter the main question by submitting a proposition with the opposite conclusion is not an expanded negative and may be moved. This amendment indeed offers the opposite conclusion: that is, to accept the amendment made by the Senate that supports democracy. The government's motion rejects this democratic principle. Voting for or against the government's motion would have a different outcome than would voting for my colleague's amendment. Therefore, I ask that you, Madam Speaker, accept the amendment and allow this House to express its views on preserving a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority.
Madam Speaker, in Lakeland, Al-Pac, near Athabasca, leads in pulp, paper, biofuels, and jobs, but the lumber mill near Boyle closed, cutting 11% of jobs and $12 million in annual revenue from town. It was the biggest employer. Canadian forestry provides more than 370,000 jobs in over 200 communities, but with no softwood lumber deal and new U.S. tariffs, livelihoods are at risk. Meanwhile, the Liberals add costs and red tape on energy, killing investment and jobs, while the U.S. ramps up. When will the Liberals finally champion Canadian jobs and Canadian resources?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the minister has been in consultation with experts, Canadians, and all MPs in order to develop a defence policy that will provide the military with the tools, training, and equipment it needs to defend Canada and North America and to secure peace around the world.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to stick with Stephen Harper's climate change targets that will not meet our international commitments. Worse, Environment Canada recently projected that we are set to miss even that low bar, exceeding our 2030 target by at least 30%. This was before the Liberals announced delays in implementing key measures, including the methane emission control regulations and the $1.2 billion to support climate action by the provinces. The solution is clear: ambitious targets, credible measures to deliver them, and transparency in reporting. When will Canadians see these actions?
Madam Speaker, AECL delivers its mandate to a government-owned, contractor-operated model whereby the operation of its nuclear laboratories, including decommissioning and waste management work, is delivered by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.Under this model, AECL continues to own the land, facilities, assets, and liabilities, whereas the workforce, the licences, and all other aspects of running the site are part of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' business. AECL today is a small crown corporation whose role is to oversee the contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Madam Speaker, Liberals pretend they want to ban omnibus bills but refuse to break up their omnibus budget bill. That is called hypocrisy. The Liberal omnibus budget bill would change almost 30 different laws, including restricting the PBO's mandate that Liberals once said needed to be a truly independent watchdog.Either the Liberals only pretended to care about transparency to get elected or they abandoned their principles once they did. Which is it?
Madam Speaker, as a former police officer and a soldier, the Minister of National Defence served Canada in an exemplary fashion. Now as a Liberal minister, he has been caught misrepresenting his service to impress an audience.Can the minister tell Canadians why he felt it was so necessary to abandon the truth about his role in Afghanistan?
Madam Speaker, those are the same worn out talking points we heard earlier today and we continue to get from the government.Here is what the experts are saying: There really isn't a case that's been made for the need for this bank overall, relative to existing tools that we have for infrastructure investment. That is from the policy shop of the former parliamentary budget officer.Why are the Liberals taking away $34 billion from communities across Canada to set up this unnecessary and unwanted new bureaucracy here in Ottawa?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the defence minister misled Canadians by claiming at least twice that he was the architect of Operation Medusa. In doing so, he has lost all credibility, and he needs to step down. However, the Prime Minister has a responsibility as well. The Prime Minister needs to stand up for our military and put their interests first, ahead of protecting the Minister of National Defence. Does the Prime Minister realize that by not moving his defence minister out he is condoning his actions and sending a very troubling message to our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, there was no answer.Another Trojan Horse in the Liberal omnibus budget is the infrastructure bank which aims to privatize infrastructure and services. Internal documents reveal that representatives from private corporations helped the Liberals set up this billion-dollar privatization bank. Liberals spent months working with private sector advisers preparing for a closed-door meeting at Toronto's Shangri-La Hotel, of course.Can the Liberal minister define conflict of interest?
Madam Speaker, motivated by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the Minister of Transport moved up review of the Railway Safety Act by one year. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the last budget or in the rail safety improvement program to help those whose wounds have yet to heal: the people of Lac-Mégantic. The bypass and the Institut en culture de sécurité industrielle are two projects that can make all the difference.When will the Minister of Transport put his money where his mouth is and support real rail safety projects for Lac-Mégantic and Canada as a whole?
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is certainly taking positive action, unlike the previous government that acted recklessly and left us this mess after it laid off 700 compensation advisors. That was supposed to save $70 million, but instead we were left with a broken pay system, one that our government is determined to fix.
Madam Speaker, certainly the protection of human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy. Canada and China are not extradition partners. There are no extradition negotiations.As with all cases internationally, our government has a firm commitment to the protection of human rights. The rule of law and due process will continue to be paramount in all our engagements.
Madam Speaker, last night the Prime Minister kicked his cash for access fundraising scheme back into high gear. However, just three nights ago, the Minister of National Defence bailed at the last minute, and for no good reason, on a high-profile fundraiser for Afghanistan vets. The Liberals are showing where their priorities are, and it is not with our military or our veterans. Why does the Liberal government make time for people with big cheques for the Liberal Party but cannot find time to attend fundraisers for our vets and troops?
Madam Speaker, the Quebec minister of sustainable development told the National Assembly that his department was working on a nuclear emergency plan in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear waste disposal project in Chalk River, which is located along the very banks of the Ottawa River. However, the Ottawa River is the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers and Ontarians.Does the environment minister support the building of a nuclear waste disposal facility on the banks of the Ottawa River?
Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The broken nutrition north program continues to fail Nunavummiut. INAC released the What we heard report last week, which reiterates the many necessary changes that I and others have been advocating for years. It is my understanding that there have been further consultations held over the last few days. My question is not about these consultations. It is not about any future meetings or consultations.When can Nunavummiut expect the much-needed changes to the program to be made?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the party opposite could not care less about the regions and jobs there. The Liberal government had an opportunity to sign a softwood lumber agreement with the former American administration, but it chose to play games with the Trump team instead. Well, the Liberals got the short end of the stick, and now the forestry industry is paying the price for their incompetence with a 24% hike in Canadian softwood lumber import prices.The Liberals had an agreement. Why did they let it slip through their fingers, and when will they finally take softwood lumber and our regions seriously?
Madam Speaker, when the Liberals said in the election that they were going to stop giving money to millionaires, they should have clarified they meant that is because they are giving it all to billionaires.We already knew about the Prime Minister's meetings with billionaires at Davos and at the Shangri-La Hotel, where he discussed the intimate details of this infrastructure bank. Today, Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail revealed the documents showing that the government has turned over control of the establishment of this bank to the same people who will profit from it. There is nothing wrong with profit, but reward should go with risk. This infrastructure bank will put $35 billion of risk on Canadian taxpayers so insiders can make a profit. Why?
Madam Speaker, contrary to what it promised, the Liberal government crammed a whole bunch of other stuff into its budget bill, and that makes it an omnibus bill. Among other things, the government is attacking the parliamentary budget officer by limiting his independence and his ability to launch investigations while in office. The government is also preventing all MPs from calling for investigations and studies into issues that it finds inconvenient. Curiously, it is directing the PBO to submit a plan to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.I have one simple question: what happens if they say no?
Madam Speaker, budget 2017 changed the credit that small oil and gas companies get for resource exploration. This change will hurt a number of small businesses in Bow River and across Canada. The natural resource sector in Alberta is already struggling through tough times with low prices, and these Liberals just do not care.Why are the Liberals intent on phasing out Canadian oil and gas?
Fifteen billion dollars, Madam Speaker. The parliamentary secretary should read division 18, clause 23 of the budget legislation, which says that it is $35 billion. That is $35 billion that, on the same page, will go to things like loan guarantees that ensure that potentially profitable projects, if they go wrong, will end up costing Canadian taxpayers a fortune. Why is the government privatizing profit while nationalizing risk?
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, Operation Medusa is just one example of the minister making false claims. There are reports that Canadian troops who are currently serving in the Sinai desert will see cuts to their danger pay starting next month. This is another example of a broken promise. The Minister of National Defence not only misleading Canadians, but misleading the very troops he is commanding.Can the minister not see that making false promises and false claims is actually causing hardship for our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal government has set up a task force to ponder the trials and tribulations of the Phoenix pay system.After a year, this is too little too late, and public servants themselves are the ones saying so. Contrary to what the Liberal government and the parliamentary secretary are claiming, there are still some public servants across this country who have not been paid for six months, including the Drouin family in Montreal. There has been absolutely no progress, and some very desperate cases remain outstanding.When will this government take urgent action to fix the problem once and for all?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot keep his head in the sand, pretending that Canadians still have confidence in the defence minister. Every time the minister enters a base, every time he rides on a plane, every time he steps on a ship, and every time he addresses our troops, it will haunt him. It will haunt him, because in those multiple moments he chose to embellish, he immediately lost respect, credibility, and the trust of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. The truth is that the minister knows it.For those reasons, will he do the honourable thing and step down?
Madam Speaker, our government was elected on a platform of building sustainable communities in cities and towns all over this great country. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure for residents. The City of Winnipeg is working alongside the federal government to rebuild their infrastructure for the residents who live in those communities. Can the minister provide an update on how the gas tax is benefiting the residents of Winnipeg?
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contributions that the labour movement has made to gender equality in Canada. I am sure we can all agree that a healthy NGO centre is also vital to the well-being of women and girls in this country. That is why we have funded over 300 projects across the country to address gender-based violence and to improve economic outcomes and leadership for women and girls.I can assure my hon. colleague that should labour groups want to partner with NGOs, we welcome that.
Madam Speaker, it is too bad that the member for CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles did not attend last night's gala to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic, because the minister received a very warm welcome. Even officer cadets wanted to meet him, have their picture taken with him, and hear what he had to say. The veterans and sailors who were there showed their support, and I saw this first-hand. The warm welcome he received demonstrates that his credibility remains intact with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Madam Speaker, many waterfront communities are experiencing flooding that it is causing significant damage. Volunteers and first responders in both Quebec and Ontario have their hands full helping those affected, and we thank them for the great job they are doing.Can the Minister of Public Safety give us an update on what the federal government is doing to help the communities affected?
Madam Speaker, it is worth repeating that this is but one tool in the arsenal that we have to deliver great quality jobs, great infrastructure, for, let us admit, infrastructure that in this country has been underappreciated for the last 10 years. The infrastructure bank is just $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion plan. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through our traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century, and we are proud of it.
Madam Speaker, the minister has proven his credibility through all of the work he has done to develop a new defence policy. The consultations he undertook had not happened in 20 years. This policy will help make sure that all of the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment, training, and respect they need to complete their missions as effectively as Canada is known for doing.
Madam Speaker, Canada's forestry industry supports hundreds of thousands of good middle-class jobs. We strongly oppose the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose an unfair, punitive tax. The accusations are unfounded. We will continue to bring the matter up with the United States, just as the Prime Minister did with the U.S. President.The coalition never offered conditions that Canada could accept. We want a good agreement, not just any agreement.
Madam Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of the climate change plan that we were able to negotiate with the provinces and territories in consultation with indigenous peoples. This includes putting a price on pollution, making polluters pay. This includes phasing out coal by 2030. This includes historic investments in public transit, in green infrastructure, and in adaptation. This includes working with indigenous communities to get them off diesel. This includes historic investments in clean innovation. This will create good jobs and opportunities. We are extremely proud, and we will be moving forward.
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question because I know that this is very important to him and his community.Our thoughts continue to go out to the families and loved ones of the victims of the tragedy. Our government is firmly committed to improving rail safety. It is absolutely the minister's first priority. As he said, study of this file continues and that is why
Madam Speaker, what the defence minister has not done yet is explain why he rewrote history. It was not a mistake; it was deliberate. His own spokesperson confirmed that the minister had personally inserted the word architect into that speech in India. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the minister mentioned the word honesty eight times. Clearly, he has not been honest, and his eagerness to take credit from others to pat himself on the back is an affront to our troops.When will the minister do the right thing? When will he step aside and put our troops ahead of himself?
Madam Speaker, the implementing legislation gives flexibility to the bank. Our plan is to invest $15 billion out of a more than $180 billion transformational plan.It is worth repeating. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners. Where it makes sense, we are going to attract private capital for models that will serve citizens in a way that otherwise they would not be served.This is a great idea. This is an opportunity to get leverage from the private sector. We are going to do it all for Canadians to deliver a great infrastructure model for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador are concerned about their livelihoods. Recent quota changes have created uncertainty and left many wondering how they will make ends meet. However, the fisheries minister does not seem to care. Twillingate fisherman Richard Gillett had to go on a hunger strike for more than a week to even get a phone call. When will the minister do the right thing and meet with Mr. Gillett?
Madam Speaker, I will tell members where we are delivering billions. We are delivering billions to families who need it the most, families who are seeking hard to join the middle class. With our family allocation through taxing the 1%, we have delivered billions to families who need it the most, for school supplies, for food. We are really proud of that record, and we will take that record to the next election.
Madam Speaker, clean drinking water is a right that all Canadians should be able to count on, but just two hours from Ottawa, almost half of the houses in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi do not have safe water, and it has been that way for almost 20 years. Shame on the government for not fixing the problem for all reserves. Our communities cannot wait any longer.When will the government make it a real priority and treat water like a human right?
Madam Speaker, make no mistake: our government wants to attract private capital to Canada, so that we can build more infrastructure across this great country and create good jobs for the middle class.The infrastructure bank is $15 billion out of more than a $180 billion transformational plan for the 21st century. The vast majority of our plan will be delivered through traditional infrastructure funding models alongside our municipal, provincial, and indigenous partners.We are going to build Canada for the 21st century. We are going to use a lot of tools, and the infrastructure bank is just one of them.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals are borrowing money and plan to funnel it to foreign billionaires to subsidize their profits. Make no mistake, that is what the Liberal infrastructure bank will be doing. Randall Bartlett, the chief economist for the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy, has rightly asked, Why are we privatizing the returns for those assets when they would be going to the public sector? It is a great question. Can we get an answer from the Liberal government?
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, the minister admitted that he made a mistake in describing his role. He set the record straight in the House earlier this week and apologized.In no way were the minister's comments meant to take away from the role of former senior officers and fellow soldiers. He gave them a heartfelt apology. The minister is proud to have served his country as part of an extraordinary team of Canadian, American, and Afghan soldiers who successfully carried out Operation Medusa.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the confidence of the Prime Minister and the entire caucus. All day yesterday, I heard about how credible the minister is. He established the process for a new defence policy that will help make sure that the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have all the tools they need to successfully complete their missions.
Some progress perhaps, Madam Speaker, but boil water advisories have been added since the Liberals took power.This week, Algonquin artist Samian denounced the Prime Minister's role and responsibility in violating the basic right to drinking water. Some progress is not enough.When will the government stop making pretty speeches and guarantee all indigenous communities access to clean drinking water?
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making the parliamentary budget officer more independent, which is what the bill recently introduced in the House of Commons sets out to do.As I pointed out yesterday, we made it very clear that we are open to amendments. We are eager to get this bill to committee so it can be examined in detail and so the committee can discuss the good ideas we put forward about changes affecting the parliamentary budget officer.
Nakurmiik, Madam Speaker. Nakurmiik, my colleagues. I want to recognize the tremendous work and input my colleague from Nunavut has had with regard to nutrition north.As members know, we have been very engaged in consultations with those across the north. We know it is unacceptable that northerners are struggling to feed their families, and we have every intention of bringing forward a new program that will meet the needs of northerners.That program review is currently online. We have engaged with 3,500 people and had submissions. We are hoping, very soon, to be able to launch a new program.
Madam Speaker, at the Canada Revenue Agency, there are fine statements of intent and then there is reality. With the Minister of National Revenue, there is talk and there is action. The minister claims that the fight against tax avoidance is a priority, but a CBC investigation has shown that the number of wealthy taxpayers who have managed not to pay any taxes has doubled since 2011.The minister says that the net is tightening around tax cheats. Give me a break. It is wide open, and the system benefits the wealthy, who can afford to hire tax avoidance experts.Does the minister intend to finally put an end to this two-tier system where the wealthy can afford to avoid paying taxes? When will we begin to see some movement on this?
Madam Speaker, it is funny to hear the parliamentary secretary say only $15 billion. In their omnibus budget bill, the Liberals are creating the infrastructure bank and today we learn who is pulling the strings of this huge taxpayer trap.BlackRock is the biggest investor in the world. BlackRock helped the Liberal government create the infrastructure bank. BlackRock assisted the Liberal government with its public relations. BlackRock will be a client of the infrastructure bank and will make huge profits from it.Is the bank being established for the sake of our communities or for the people with club privilege? Who is running this government, BlackRock?
Madam Speaker, our thoughts are with the Canadians affected by the flooding. Our government is always willing to assist any province or territory that asks for help.The government operations centre in my department is on standby. We are speaking to all of the provincial governments involved, including later today. The first call for assistance is up to the provincial government to determine. If asked, the Government of Canada will respond quickly.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has lost all credibility by taking credit for someone else's achievements. We still do not know why he did that. He never said. Since then, he has been trying to go about his business as though nothing happened, but something has changed. Our men and women in uniform are ashamed of the Minister of National Defence. He is also doing a dishonour to veterans. The person responsible for our troops cannot alter the truth whenever he feels like it. Will he resign?
Madam Speaker, recently our government joined the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, for an important announcement. The city will be using more than $12.2 million in its annual allocation of the federal gas tax fund created by a Liberal government for improvements to its local roads, back lanes, and sidewalks this year. These projects will improve the quality of life of Winnipeg residents and tourists, through better roads, reduced traffic delays, faster commuting, and increases in the efficiency of the overall transportation network in the city.
Madam Speaker, this government is probably one of the first governments to have a plan to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve and to prevent new advisories. In budget 2016 investments, we have already had 201 projects in 159 communities, serving over 196,000 indigenous Canadians. In this year's budget, we added an additional $4 billion over 10 years. We are sticking to our goal to end long-term drinking water advisories.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada. The infrastructure bank, it bears repeating, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank will be yet another tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory will be forced to use the bank. It is one of the tools in our toolkit to create good jobs for the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, we realize and certainly support it, and we are working hard to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadians, including indigenous Canadians. This is why we are making the commitments that we are. In budget 2016, 201 projects were completed in the country. In budget 2017, there is another $4 billion to be invested in clean drinking water. Our goal is to make sure that we have clean drinking water in all indigenous communities by 2021 in Canada, and we are going to work hard to meet that goal.
Madam Speaker, as the MP for Gatineau and parliamentary secretary to the minister, I, like all members of the House, have heard stories from public servants in our ridings about the challenges they face because of issues with the pay system. These issues have caused real hardships for many public servants and their families, and many are issues that no family should have to face. Our government remains resolutely focused on addressing the issue and on deploying the resources, financial and human, needed to address this situation. That is what we are going to do, and that is what we are working on.
Madam Speaker, improving this country's democracy means ensuring that political parties raise funds from the public in a more open and transparent manner. That is why we are taking action. Canadians have a right to know even more than they do now. Political parties and leadership campaigns will be required to promptly and publicly disclose fundraising event information.We will continue to take action to make government and all aspects of our democracy more open and transparent. I encourage all parties in this place to do what they can for openness and transparency.
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, supporting the workers and communities that depend on forestry jobs is our top priority. Protecting forestry jobs means moving quickly to provide companies and communities with full access to existing loan guarantees and employment and economic diversification programs and expanding export markets while we fight these unfair tariffs on Canada's forestry industry.We will continue to work with the provinces through our federal-provincial task force to examine additional measures and to address the needs of affected workers and communities.
Madam Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is a former reservist. He will always honour the service of our Canadian Armed Forces members, the ones with whom he served on his missions and those who served under other commanders or at other times.Today, the minister and the government are responsible for making sure that our Canadian Armed Forces have all the equipment they need to successfully carry out their missions and all the support they need to ensure their well-being. We conducted an extremely thorough defence policy review in which all members of Parliament had an opportunity to take part.
Madam Speaker, my riding of Medicine HatCardstonWarner is home to CFB Suffield. I was elected to stand up for all constituents, including those military personnel and civilian staff who bravely serve our country.The Minister of National Defence made a choice to embellish his service record, and he continually chooses to mislead Canadians. He has lost the respect, trust, and confidence not only of our military but also of Canadians. Without talking points, will the minister do the honourable thing and please step aside?
Madam Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. They will be paid retroactively. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. Our government is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution to fix the mess we inherited and to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.
Madam Speaker, the CRA continues to take important steps and is making progress in cracking down on tax cheats and ensuring a tax system that is more responsive and fair to all Canadians. Building on a previous investment of $444 million last year, budget 2017 invests an additional $524 million to crack down on tax evasion and to improve compliance. The additional funding will have an expected revenue impact of $2.5 billion over five years. This is what Canadians expect, and that is exactly what we will continue to do.
Madam Speaker, of course we are very concerned about the situation in Newfoundland and Labrador. We understand how much coastal communities rely on fisheries and oceans, and I am happy to report that the minister has been in contact. We are looking forward to discussions about Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. We understand this is a difficult time for the fish harvesters in communities affected by the recent fisheries management decision, but we are investing in science.
Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring Canadians have access to justice in the official language of their choice. Budget 2017 proposes to provide $2 million over two years to the Courts Administration Service to enhance federal courts' ability to make decisions available in both English and French. This new funding is in addition to the new process that our government has already established for Supreme Court of Canada appointments, which includes a policy that judges should be functionally bilingual.
Madam Speaker, the bank is designed to help attract private capital, where it makes sense, to new projects so that we can build more transformational infrastructure across Canada.The infrastructure bank, let us be clear, is only $15 billion out of more than a $180-billion transformational plan. The infrastructure bank would be an optional tool for our partners to use, should they wish to do so. No municipality, province, or territory would be forced to use the bank, nor would they be punished for not doing so.This government takes counsel; it does not take orders.
The parliamentary secretary mentions federal agencies, Madam Speaker, but we already know that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is examining this issue. That was not my question.We know that the public consultations have not yet begun, but that is not what we want to know. The time to act is now. It is better to be proactive today than radioactive tomorrow.Does the environment minister seriously think that it is a good idea to pile up mountains of nuclear waste and cover them with geotextile fabric?
Madam Speaker, our government strongly supports the Canadian grain industry, which is a key driver of exports, jobs, and economic growth. With changes in recent years in grain marketing, the delivery of listed grain is now the responsibility of the private sector instead of the federal government.Budget 2017 launches consultations with farmers and stakeholders on this tax deferral, and we want to hear from farmers before moving forward.
Madam Speaker, it was a pleasure for the Minister of Veteran Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence to participate at the party, Under the Stars, held this week on Tuesday. It was an opportunity to exchange with our veterans and our first responders, to provide them the support they need, and to ensure we honour them and recognize their sacrifices.
Madam Speaker, the minister has the highest regard for the members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their service. He is now delivering on the broad mandate that he was given. He will soon unveil a new defence policy that will ensure that the military has the appropriate equipment and everything it needs on its missions to uphold Canada's sovereignty, to defend North America with NORAD, and to fulfill our international obligations to keep peace in the world.
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for ChicoutimiLe Fjord for his question and his outstanding work in the region.We have a responsibility to take care of our men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces by providing them with resources. On April 24, the Minister of National Defence announced the construction of two new buildings at Bagotville. The total investment of $95 million will improve the infrastructure and provide our military with the tools it needs to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Madam Speaker, when the Prime Minister stumbled onto a Saskatchewan farm last week, he was surprised that they used complicated tools like GPS. Producers have other tools that are just as important. One of the economic tools they have had for decades was the ability to defer income from cash grain tickets. Now the Liberals are moving to take that away, a move that punishes Canadian producers and rewards the government. Why is it that every time the Liberals make a move, they rip money out of Canadian pockets and just put it in their own hands?
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in this House to respond to that question directly, because when it comes to omnibus legislation, we are the ones proposing the Speaker be able to separate omnibus legislation if there are concerns.When it comes to all measures in the budget implementation act, they are directly from the budget 2017 presented in the past in this place. When it comes to the independence of the parliamentary budget officer, we support independence. That is why we are saying, let us get the bill passed at second reading and send it to committee so it can do the work.
Madam Speaker, taking credit for the feats of other brave Canadians is the straw that broke the camel's back. The minister has lost the support of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. No one supports him.It is sad to see the Minister of National Defence clinging on to his position like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. When you make a mistake, apologizing is not enough; the honourable thing to do is take appropriate action. Here, the only appropriate action is to step down. Will he step down, yes or no?
Madam Speaker, apparently, it can take years to have access to rulings of federal courts in French. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has been investigating this problem since 2007. Complaints have been piling up for 10 years. This is just further proof that the government is showing no leadership when it comes to official languages. Access to federal court rulings in one's first language is a right.My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage and official languages. Does she plan to wait another 10 years before fixing this problem?
Madam Speaker, as a government, we understand the challenges workers and their families in the energy sector have had over the last few years. Our support for the energy sector reflects a balanced approach that ensures the environment is protected and that good, well-paying jobs are there for Canadians. We did in one year what the previous government could not do in a decade: approve pipelines, while at the same protecting our oceans, pricing carbon pollution, and working with indigenous peoples. We believe our approach positions Canada and Canadians well.
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that safe solutions are in place for managing radioactive waste. Radioactive waste owners are responsible for developing and implementing fully funded solutions for the safe and secure management of their waste. Major waste owners are meeting their responsibilities for developing long-term solutions, and a number of radioactive waste management initiatives are under way, with rigorous oversight from federal regulatory agencies.
Madam Speaker, our thoughts go out to those families, workers, and communities affected by this very challenging situation. We are taking immediate action to help companies, workers, and local communities affected by these unfair and punitive duties. We continue to work with our counterparts on the federal-provincial task force on softwood lumber to help Canadian forestry workers and communities affected. We will vigorously defend our industry and our workers from the impacts of this decision by the U.S. commerce department.
Madam Speaker, that is not very believable. In fact the defence minister cannot seem to tell the truth, even with the most basic of facts.This week there was a fundraiser for veterans. The Minister of National Defence was supposed to be there, but he said all of a sudden he could not go. Why? Lo and behold, suddenly he had a speech he had to write. He had a speech he had to write the same night as this event which he had known about for months. No one is buying that. He was not the architect of Operation Medusa, and he was not writing a speech on Tuesday night. He has lost all credibility. When will he step aside?
Madam Speaker, Resolute Forest Products has confirmed what everyone was afraid of: there will be job losses in the forestry industry because of this conflict.In my part of the country, in places like Chertsy, Saint-Michel-des-Saints, and Saint-Jean-de-Matha, my birthplace, everyone is worried. Today, the Prime Minister promised to support businesses and regions affected by the softwood lumber conflict.Will the government honour the Prime Minister's commitment to Quebec's forestry communities and act quickly to support the forestry sector by providing loan guarantees?
Madam Speaker, the first responsibility of the Minister of National Defence and our government is to look after our troops and ensure that they have the support, training, and equipment to carry out the missions they are assigned.That has been the minister's objective for the past year and a half and that is what he strives to do every day. One of the key elements of his mandate is to put together a new defence policy. We will ensure that this policy is adequately funded.
Madam Speaker, the Liberals have spent the last 18 months cozying up to dictators while Canadian citizens are detained and abused overseas. The latest case is China's arrest of Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen. China jails dissidents, oppresses minority Uighurs and Tibetans, uses arbitrary detention, and violates the religious rights of Buddhists, Taoists, Christians, and Falun Gong worshippers like Sun Qian.Why are the Liberals negotiating an extradition treaty with China when it refuses to release Canadians wrongfully arrested?
Madam Speaker, after years of the Phoenix fiasco, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of workers. It is interesting that the longer this fiasco drags on, the fewer answers the government can give us about when it will be able to solve it. Maybe that is because this broken system is actually creating new victims every single day.If the government will not tell us when all the current cases will be resolved, can it at least tell us when it intends to stop creating new ones?
Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, while the Minister of Status of Women spends millions on her office renovation, women in need are being left behind. This week at committee we heard testimony from the Canada's Building Trades Unions that no money is available to unions to help advance women in the skilled trades.The Liberals have failed to protect vulnerable women and to support their advancement in the skilled trades. When will the minister get her priorities straight?
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member for Saint-Jean to listen to the question. As a father, I teach my children to respect others and to never take credit for others' achievements. Engaging in such immoral and unacceptable behaviour would mean losing all trust and credibility.The minister chose to misrepresent the facts on several occasions. He continues to mislead Canadians. How can he have any credibility with members of the Canadian Armed Forces? How can he continue to oversee the Department of Defence after losing the respect of every member of the armed forces?Why does he not resign?
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I understand that you are taking under advisement the admissibility of the amendment, moved by the member for Carleton, to the government's motion regarding the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-4, so I would like to very briefly offer my argument in support of the admissibility of that amendment. At page 532 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, A motion in amendment arises out of debate and is proposed either to modify the original motion in order to make it more acceptable to the House. I believe that the amendment would do just that. The Senate has amended Bill C-4 to uphold a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority. Why the government wanted to take this away in the first place is perplexing, since it is proposing secret ballot elections in House committees. At page 533 of O'Brien and Bosc, it states, An amendment is out of order...if it is completely contrary to the main motion and would produce the same result as the defeat of the main motion. Madam Speaker, I believe this may be the reason for your deliberations on the matter. Would the defeat of the main motion to the Senate amendment made to Bill C-4 have the same effect as voting for the amendment proposed by my colleague? I believe that the answer is clearly no. If the government's motion were to be defeated, I would argue that nothing would happen. The government would need to come back with an alternative motion with a different proposition. However, if my colleague's amendment were to be adopted, both the House and the Senate will have adopted Bill C-4 in an identical form, and it would move to eventually receiving royal assent as amended.As the Journals of June 6, 1923, at page 437, state, the Speaker ruled that an amendment to alter the main question by submitting a proposition with the opposite conclusion is not an expanded negative and may be moved. This amendment indeed offers the opposite conclusion: that is, to accept the amendment made by the Senate that supports democracy. The government's motion rejects this democratic principle. Voting for or against the government's motion would have a different outcome than would voting for my colleague's amendment. Therefore, I ask that you, Madam Speaker, accept the amendment and allow this House to express its views on preserving a fundamental principle of democracy, which is that the certification and decertification of a bargaining agent must be achieved by a secret ballot vote-based majority.
Madam Speaker, in Lakeland, Al-Pac, near Athabasca, leads in pulp, paper, biofuels, and jobs, but the lumber mill near Boyle closed, cutting 11% of jobs and $12 million in annual revenue from town. It was the biggest employer. Canadian forestry provides more than 370,000 jobs in over 200 communities, but with no softwood lumber deal and new U.S. tariffs, livelihoods are at risk. Meanwhile, the Liberals add costs and red tape on energy, killing investment and jobs, while the U.S. ramps up. When will the Liberals finally champion Canadian jobs and Canadian resources?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the minister has been in consultation with experts, Canadians, and all MPs in order to develop a defence policy that will provide the military with the tools, training, and equipment it needs to defend Canada and North America and to secure peace around the world.
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to stick with Stephen Harper's climate change targets that will not meet our international commitments. Worse, Environment Canada recently projected that we are set to miss even that low bar, exceeding our 2030 target by at least 30%. This was before the Liberals announced delays in implementing key measures, including the methane emission control regulations and the $1.2 billion to support climate action by the provinces. The solution is clear: ambitious targets, credible measures to deliver them, and transparency in reporting. When will Canadians see these actions?
Madam Speaker, AECL delivers its mandate to a government-owned, contractor-operated model whereby the operation of its nuclear laboratories, including decommissioning and waste management work, is delivered by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.Under this model, AECL continues to own the land, facilities, assets, and liabilities, whereas the workforce, the licences, and all other aspects of running the site are part of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories' business. AECL today is a small crown corporation whose role is to oversee the contract with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Madam Speaker, Liberals pretend they want to ban omnibus bills but refuse to break up their omnibus budget bill. That is called hypocrisy. The Liberal omnibus budget bill would change almost 30 different laws, including restricting the PBO's mandate that Liberals once said needed to be a truly independent watchdog.Either the Liberals only pretended to care about transparency to get elected or they abandoned their principles once they did. Which is it?
Madam Speaker, as a former police officer and a soldier, the Minister of National Defence served Canada in an exemplary fashion. Now as a Liberal minister, he has been caught misrepresenting his service to impress an audience.Can the minister tell Canadians why he felt it was so necessary to abandon the truth about his role in Afghanistan?
Madam Speaker, those are the same worn out talking points we heard earlier today and we continue to get from the government.Here is what the experts are saying: There really isn't a case that's been made for the need for this bank overall, relative to existing tools that we have for infrastructure investment. That is from the policy shop of the former parliamentary budget officer.Why are the Liberals taking away $34 billion from communities across Canada to set up this unnecessary and unwanted new bureaucracy here in Ottawa?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the defence minister misled Canadians by claiming at least twice that he was the architect of Operation Medusa. In doing so, he has lost all credibility, and he needs to step down. However, the Prime Minister has a responsibility as well. The Prime Minister needs to stand up for our military and put their interests first, ahead of protecting the Minister of National Defence. Does the Prime Minister realize that by not moving his defence minister out he is condoning his actions and sending a very troubling message to our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, there was no answer.Another Trojan Horse in the Liberal omnibus budget is the infrastructure bank which aims to privatize infrastructure and services. Internal documents reveal that representatives from private corporations helped the Liberals set up this billion-dollar privatization bank. Liberals spent months working with private sector advisers preparing for a closed-door meeting at Toronto's Shangri-La Hotel, of course.Can the Liberal minister define conflict of interest?
Madam Speaker, motivated by the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the Minister of Transport moved up review of the Railway Safety Act by one year. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the last budget or in the rail safety improvement program to help those whose wounds have yet to heal: the people of Lac-Mégantic. The bypass and the Institut en culture de sécurité industrielle are two projects that can make all the difference.When will the Minister of Transport put his money where his mouth is and support real rail safety projects for Lac-Mégantic and Canada as a whole?
Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that our government is certainly taking positive action, unlike the previous government that acted recklessly and left us this mess after it laid off 700 compensation advisors. That was supposed to save $70 million, but instead we were left with a broken pay system, one that our government is determined to fix.
Madam Speaker, certainly the protection of human rights is an integral part of our foreign policy. Canada and China are not extradition partners. There are no extradition negotiations.As with all cases internationally, our government has a firm commitment to the protection of human rights. The rule of law and due process will continue to be paramount in all our engagements.
Madam Speaker, last night the Prime Minister kicked his cash for access fundraising scheme back into high gear. However, just three nights ago, the Minister of National Defence bailed at the last minute, and for no good reason, on a high-profile fundraiser for Afghanistan vets. The Liberals are showing where their priorities are, and it is not with our military or our veterans. Why does the Liberal government make time for people with big cheques for the Liberal Party but cannot find time to attend fundraisers for our vets and troops?
Madam Speaker, the Quebec minister of sustainable development told the National Assembly that his department was working on a nuclear emergency plan in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear waste disposal project in Chalk River, which is located along the very banks of the Ottawa River. However, the Ottawa River is the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers and Ontarians.Does the environment minister support the building of a nuclear waste disposal facility on the banks of the Ottawa River?
Qujannamiik uqaqti. Madam Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.The broken nutrition north program continues to fail Nunavummiut. INAC released the What we heard report last week, which reiterates the many necessary changes that I and others have been advocating for years. It is my understanding that there have been further consultations held over the last few days. My question is not about these consultations. It is not about any future meetings or consultations.When can Nunavummiut expect the much-needed changes to the program to be made?
Madam Speaker, we all know that the party opposite could not care less about the regions and jobs there. The Liberal government had an opportunity to sign a softwood lumber agreement with the former American administration, but it chose to play games with the Trump team instead. Well, the Liberals got the short end of the stick, and now the forestry industry is paying the price for their incompetence with a 24% hike in Canadian softwood lumber import prices.The Liberals had an agreement. Why did they let it slip through their fingers, and when will they finally take softwood lumber and our regions seriously?
Madam Speaker, when the Liberals said in the election that they were going to stop giving money to millionaires, they should have clarified they meant that is because they are giving it all to billionaires.We already knew about the Prime Minister's meetings with billionaires at Davos and at the Shangri-La Hotel, where he discussed the intimate details of this infrastructure bank. Today, Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail revealed the documents showing that the government has turned over control of the establishment of this bank to the same people who will profit from it. There is nothing wrong with profit, but reward should go with risk. This infrastructure bank will put $35 billion of risk on Canadian taxpayers so insiders can make a profit. Why?
Madam Speaker, contrary to what it promised, the Liberal government crammed a whole bunch of other stuff into its budget bill, and that makes it an omnibus bill. Among other things, the government is attacking the parliamentary budget officer by limiting his independence and his ability to launch investigations while in office. The government is also preventing all MPs from calling for investigations and studies into issues that it finds inconvenient. Curiously, it is directing the PBO to submit a plan to the speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.I have one simple question: what happens if they say no?
Madam Speaker, budget 2017 changed the credit that small oil and gas companies get for resource exploration. This change will hurt a number of small businesses in Bow River and across Canada. The natural resource sector in Alberta is already struggling through tough times with low prices, and these Liberals just do not care.Why are the Liberals intent on phasing out Canadian oil and gas?
Fifteen billion dollars, Madam Speaker. The parliamentary secretary should read division 18, clause 23 of the budget legislation, which says that it is $35 billion. That is $35 billion that, on the same page, will go to things like loan guarantees that ensure that potentially profitable projects, if they go wrong, will end up costing Canadian taxpayers a fortune. Why is the government privatizing profit while nationalizing risk?
Madam Speaker, unfortunately, Operation Medusa is just one example of the minister making false claims. There are reports that Canadian troops who are currently serving in the Sinai desert will see cuts to their danger pay starting next month. This is another example of a broken promise. The Minister of National Defence not only misleading Canadians, but misleading the very troops he is commanding.Can the minister not see that making false promises and false claims is actually causing hardship for our men and women in uniform?
Madam Speaker, the Liberal government has set up a task force to ponder the trials and tribulations of the Phoenix pay system.After a year, this is too little too late, and public servants themselves are the ones saying so. Contrary to what the Liberal government and the parliamentary secretary are claiming, there are still some public servants across this country who have not been paid for six months, including the Drouin family in Montreal. There has been absolutely no progress, and some very desperate cases remain outstanding.When will this government take urgent action to fix the problem once and for all?
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot keep his head in the sand, pretending that Canadians still have confidence in the defence minister. Every time the minister enters a base, every time he rides on a plane, every time he steps on a ship, and every time he addresses our troops, it will haunt him. It will haunt him, because in those multiple moments he chose to embellish, he immediately lost respect, credibility, and the trust of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. The truth is that the minister knows it.For those reasons, will he do the honourable thing and step down?