44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 14, 2021 10:00AM
- Dec/14/21 2:35:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's forestry sector is incredibly important to the Canadian economy, and I understand the frustration from my colleague on the opposite side. While I was in the United States, I had an opportunity to meet with the National Association of Home Builders, which agrees with us that the high duties and tariffs on softwood lumber hurt its plan for building more affordable homes for Americans.
We are going to keep doing the work here to ensure that we defend Canada's softwood lumber workers and our industry. That work continues.
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- Dec/14/21 2:36:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, workers in my riding cannot take the minister's statement to the bank. Communities in my region have been beset by fires, floods and now a government that has given up. They work hard and they deserve a government that works hard for them. Sadly, the Liberal government does not consider these families and these communities a priority.
What do the forestry workers in my riding have to do to make the government care? Do they have to donate to the Liberal Party?
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- Dec/14/21 2:37:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member will agree, as we all do and as he said, that the forestry sector and its workers are incredibly important. It has been a very, very difficult year for Canadians in that sector, and indeed in all sectors, living through this pandemic. I am very proud of the work we have been doing to support our forestry workers all across the country. We will continue to stand up to the United States on this very important issue around softwood lumber.
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- Dec/14/21 2:37:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, by renewing the lease for its temporary facilities on Roxham Road, the government is signalling its intention to let the problem get worse and worse for another five years. Who benefits from the federal government's inaction? It is human smugglers who sell refugees a fantasy.
Thanks to the Liberal government, they just found out that they will be able to keep getting rich at refugees' expense for the next five years. This is also good news for Liberal donor Pierre Guay, who is leasing the temporary facilities to the Liberal government. He just secured another five years' worth of public funds.
Does the Liberal minister really think this is good news for families that will continue to cross the border through the woods in the dead of winter?
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- Dec/14/21 2:38:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. The rental agreement that was negotiated was based on fair market value at a competitive price. Given the location of the hotel and its proximity to the border, this was an ideal location to CBSA for use for this purpose. Our government is delivering open, fair and transparent procurement processes while obtaining the best value for Canadians.
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- Dec/14/21 2:38:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a bunch of hooey.
Now that we have identified who benefits from Roxham Road, let us talk about those who do not. This situation does not benefit families who pay smugglers a fortune so that they can risk their safety crossing the border. It does not benefit Quebec, which has to take on 97% of Canada's irregular claims, and it does not benefit Quebeckers, who pay for all the services provided to that 97% of claimants, which is far more than their fair share compared to the rest of Canada.
Why is the Liberal government making Roxham Road permanent instead of suspending the safe third country agreement?
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- Dec/14/21 2:39:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the hon. member opposite will appreciate, Canada has both domestic and international legal obligations in how we need to treat irregular asylum seekers who cross the border into Canada. I am pleased to let the hon. member know that I am doing everything in collaboration with my counterparts in the province of Quebec, and I had the opportunity to have a productive conversation last week. I had a conversation with the ambassador to the United States this week so we can continue the effort to modernize the safe third country agreement.
Adult problems require adult conversations. I invite the hon. member to join one.
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- Dec/14/21 2:40:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, renewing the lease on the facility near Roxham Road is yet another Liberal ethical failure.
The mere fact that the renewal was concluded in secret and untendered, and that it was awarded surely by chance to a Liberal donor, confirms this.
Providing smuggling services at the border is illegal, and yet Ottawa is making it easy for people to cross. It is illegal and unsafe to cross the border anywhere other than at border crossings, but Ottawa facilitates it. To top it all off, this is an ethical failure because the government is facilitating something that is illegal.
Why is the government making it easier for people to circumvent the law rather than controlling border crossings?
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- Dec/14/21 2:40:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. The rental agreement that is in question was negotiated based on fair market value to arrive at a competitive price, and that is the price that we did arrive at. Given the location of the hotel, this was important to CBSA for this purpose.
Our government is going to continue to deliver and keep Canadians safe in a fair, open and transparent way.
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- Dec/14/21 2:41:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the government sent a strongly worded letter to U.S. senators about the electric vehicle tax credit and its devastating impact on the Ontario auto industry, but the same government has not contacted Democratic Senator Joe Manchin who, three weeks ago, called on President Biden to approve Keystone XL even though the Canadian oil and gas industry contributes six times more to the economy than does the auto sector. Is that because this government values the auto sector over the oil and gas sector?
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- Dec/14/21 2:41:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a really important issue for our government. Of course, we are standing up for all sectors of the economy. The issue around the EV credits is before the Senate right now. It is why I was there last week. It is why we ensured that we communicated clearly to the American government that this issue is important to the hundreds of thousands of workers who are in this sector of the economy.
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- Dec/14/21 2:42:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government says that it stands up for all sectors, it says that a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian, but it acts like a government of the Laurentians not a government of Canada.
When Ontario's auto industry is threatened, it stands to attention, but the softwood lumber and Keystone XL issues languish for years. When is this government going to stand up for all Canadians and all economic sectors, not just those in the backyards of Liberal cabinet ministers from Ontario and Quebec?
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- Dec/14/21 2:43:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. This government stands for all industries, all sectors, all across this country. We will do it every single day, and we will continue to do that for all sectors all across the country.
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- Dec/14/21 2:43:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government's relationship with the United States continues to deteriorate. The latest example is the American Beef Labeling Act in Congress. The act calls on U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to make country-of-origin labelling WTO-compliant. If this does not happen, it automatically comes into force.
This has a devastating impact on the cattle industry in Canada as well as North America.
My question is to the Minister of International Trade. Will she act now or wait until it is a crisis?
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- Dec/14/21 2:44:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada and the U.S. share one of the largest agricultural trading relationships. The WTO ruled in 2015 that the mandatory country-of-origin labelling measures in the U.S. discriminated against Canadian exporters, and we expect the U.S. to continue to abide by this ruling and the WTO obligations.
Our government will continue to stand up for Canada's beef industry and its workers, and we are firmly opposed to any new proposals from the U.S. to resurrect mandatory country-of-origin labelling for beef or pork.
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- Dec/14/21 2:44:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it sounds like they are just going to watch and listen and do nothing.
The government has a terrible record with the Biden administration in responding to trade irritants with our most important trading partner, whether it be softwood lumber, electric vehicles, Keystone XL, aluminum, potatoes, Line 5 and now beef. This government's failure on trade relations continues to cost Canadians their jobs. Again, I ask the minister: Will she act now or is she going to wait until it is a crisis before doing something?
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- Dec/14/21 2:45:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the United States is Canada's largest trading partner. It is a relationship that has benefited workers on both sides of the border. Every day we work very hard to stand up for our industries and our workers, and to develop opportunities for businesses to grow and to export.
I just had a wonderful meeting with the American ambassador yesterday. We agreed that we can absolutely work on helping our businesses start up, scale up and access that very important market, which is the United States of America.
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- Dec/14/21 2:45:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the last two months, food banks across Manitoba have seen a 70% increase in individuals accessing services compared to last year. Instead of the Liberal government choosing to help people, it continues to claw back GIS and CCB payments from individuals and families already living in precarious situations. We are in a food security crisis. When will the government implement a national food strategy and immediately end clawbacks to GIS and CCB?
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- Dec/14/21 2:46:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her important advocacy on this issue.
Let us recall that it was this government that brought in the Canada child benefit that saw close to 400,000 children lifted out of poverty. Let us recall that it is this government that is committed to bringing forward a national food strategy to ensure that children around this country have access to healthy meals. We know that is one of the best ways to set our kids up for success and to make sure that they can learn everything that they need in school.
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- Dec/14/21 2:47:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's Chief Public Officer just issued a dire warning. She said our public health system is stretched dangerously thin, our public health workforce is understaffed and burnt out. We were not prepared for COVID-19 and we are not prepared for the next emergency.
Decades of underfunding under Liberal and Conservative governments are putting Canadians at risk. Dr. Tam is calling for transformational investments in Canada's public health system. Will the government finally listen and provide the resources needed to keep us all safe?
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