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Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

May/2/24 7:56:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, picking up on the point made by the member for Calgary Rocky Ridge, about 4,500 units need to be built to house the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces on bases across Canada. We saw the government deliver its latest budget, which provides $61 billion in unfunded deficit spending, yet when it comes to investing in housing for the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces for this coming year, the government is providing a big fat zero, a big fat zero the following year, and then a mere $1 million in the third year. What does that say about the government's priorities when it comes to its lack of support for the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces?

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Mr. Pat Kelly

May/2/24 7:57:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think it says everything about priorities. We have had testimony at the defence committee from the chief of the defence staff and others who have clearly stated that we are perhaps in the most dangerous times since the Second World War, in the words of the chief of the defence staff. However, there is dithering over all of these critically needed changes that have to be made, like critical procurements. They seem to be problems one would think we could solve, like ammunition production, yet we dither away. We produce fewer artillery shells in a month than the Ukrainian army fires by lunchtime. It desperately needs these supplies. We do not even have enough to ramp it up and replace and fully stock our own supplies, never mind being a meaningful exporter to allies who also need this kind of kit. We have production issues, and we have the retention and recruitment crisis. There is no commitment from the government. The defence minister himself has said that his own cabinet colleagues shrugged their shoulders and did not listen to his plea for more money. We are under an obligation within our alliance to spend 2% of our GDP. That is a minimum commitment within the alliance that underpins Canada's security, and there is no plan to get there.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

May/2/24 7:59:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I asked earlier and I just want an answer. What would the Conservatives do in terms of offering a plan? We want to work with the Conservatives on this to ensure that we build housing for military personnel and their families and, of course, for those who have served, our veterans, whom we are always indebted to for the remainder of their lives. Does my colleague suggest an idea or a plan that he would like to present or discuss in the House that we could possibly work together on? We would like to see public lands kept in public hands. Those public lands should absolutely be prioritized for military personnel, veterans and indigenous peoples. Does my colleague agree with that?

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Mr. Pat Kelly

May/2/24 8:00:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member will have to wait for our platform. I am in no position to launch it today, nor do I have a plan to table. This is not the place for it. There is a commitment from our party, from our leader, to finally take defence seriously. There will be a plan tabled to ensure that the men and women in our forces get the respect they need, get access to the housing they need and get the kit and equipment they need for training opportunities and to be ready to deploy if necessary.

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie (Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, CPC)

May/2/24 8:01:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we gather here in the House, I would like to take the opportunity to paint a picture of the issue brought forth by the Conservative shadow minister for national defence concerning the recent rent increase in military housing. Imagine a brave active military member serving at the arms depot in Dundurn or at 15 Wing air base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Military members serve this country proudly and have faith that the government is working cohesively to fight the affordability crisis. Just with that thought, their military housing rent goes up, along with the carbon tax. I am disappointed that we need to have this debate today. Military housing in an opportunity for serving members to be able to afford a place to live despite their salaries being too low and the cost of living being too high. We, as a government, should be prepared to provide them accommodations that reflect their sacrifices. The cost of living crisis is hurting everyone, and the brave people who serve in our Canadian Armed Forces are no exception. It is a fact that the high cost of living has brought stress upon Canadians above all other issues, and our brave men and women are not exempt from this. We need to be more mindful of the negative impacts this stress can have on their work, thereby impacting the security of our country. We need to look at this from a holistic point of view and understand the required synergies, or basic needs, for our military personnel to function best. Sitting on the veterans affairs committee, I have heard far too many stories about our heroes, who are serving or have served, struggling to get by and often ignored by the government, which says they are asking for too much. This is certainly not a good reflection at all and does not create an incentive for people to join the military, especially at a time when recruitment is facing record lows that are dangerous to the sustainability of defending our nation. It has been noted as a death spiral. Instead of retaining the fighter training program here in Canada, the Liberal government recently exported our fighter pilot training program to some of our allies. This affects Moose Jaw and Cold Lake. The government has sent our military members to Italy, Finland, Australia and the U.S. The government has added insult to injury, where we have lost training placements that are normally reserved for Canadians in the NATO jet training program down in the U.S. This is seriously reducing the capability of training our front line fighter pilots to defend our borders, leaving our northern airspace vulnerable. Whether one is serving or has served, it is clear that the Liberal government has ignored the importance of putting personnel first. Earlier this week, a veterans advocate spoke to our committee, sharing her thoughts on veterans homelessness. Rima Aristocrat said, “I cannot find any excuse, and I believe each and every one of you will say the same. There is no excuse. For somebody who gives us the life we have here, liberty and freedom we are so proud of. It did not come by itself. That took a lot of sacrifice, people's sacrifice.... Their families are unsung heroes. They sacrificed so much with them. And what do we do? Once a year we say thank you to them.... How about the rest of the time when they cannot afford to pay rent? How about the time when they cannot feed or clothe their children? How about the time we have to pick up homeless veterans from the street freezing there? There's no excuse for it. Our country is too great. We are too powerful. We are too kind to let this happen”. Ms. Aristocrat, along with others, recognize the financial desperation our military members and veterans are experiencing. It is a truly heartbreaking situation when those who fought for our country and saw their friends and comrades make the ultimate sacrifice are left behind or are unable to get by. Today, we are talking about how those who are currently serving are being squeezed. I was shocked to see that, on April 1, the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, a day which we should be celebrating, not only did the government hike its inflationary carbon tax, but it also raised the rent for our military personnel. What kind of thanks for their service is that? Recently, the military ombudsman appeared at the national defence committee talking about this issue. He said that it would be “tone deaf” for the government to increase rent on the Canadian Armed Forces at a time when we hear of them struggling to find proper accommodations and make ends meet. However, that is exactly what we have come to expect from the current government: tone-deaf policies. Liberals see people struggling to feed and house their families and decide that they still need to raise the carbon tax. Only when their east coast members' seats are in jeopardy do they decide to provide a small bit of relief from this tax grab. I am sure those residents are happy, but when Saskatchewan argues that the same policy should be fairly applied to all Canadians, the Prime Minister decides to have the province audited by the CRA. Again, we have tone-deaf policies from the government. Our military personnel in Dundurn, Moose Jaw, and those serving coast to coast to coast should have all the possible support they need to keep our country safe and prosperous. We are too kind a nation to allow the military members I mentioned before, who are fighting for their country bravely, to suffer alone in this housing crisis and be seen as another source of an increase in revenue for the government rather than a vital part of our country's defence. The Liberal government's track record, whether it is national defence, supporting our veterans or building homes, is a complete failure. Liberal promises are like unicorns. They are not real; they are just fairy tales. Once again, I urge the government to come back to the real world, to wake up, to do what is right and to roll back this rent increase to ease the cost of living crisis for those brave people who put their lives at risk for us. In closing, I would like to take a quick moment to thank a young lady, Lora Laleva, who helped me write this speech. She is a young lady who believes in this country. She was sitting in this gallery earlier today and sat in the gallery all day yesterday, listening to our democratic process. I met with her, brought her to the office and said, “I want to see what you are capable of.” That young lady is going to be a future leader in this country, and we need to provide an opportunity for people like her to live in a prosperous nation. It is time to axe the tax. It is time to roll back the rent increase on our military personnel. It is time to send the right message to the people of this great nation that we live in that there is hope and opportunity for the next generation.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

May/2/24 8:11:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his service to our country as an officer in the Canadian Air Force. His office is right across the hall from mine, so we spend a lot of time together, and I appreciate his work. We know that no veteran should be living on the street. Someone who has served our country should not be homeless. We know that 67% of homeless people in my community of Port Alberni are indigenous. As my colleague from Churchill—Keewatinook Aski just raised, even if we were to double indigenous housing right now there would still not be enough housing to house indigenous people. That is absolutely shameful in a country like ours. I have talked about, and the government talks about this in its budget, using public lands, but they have to be in public hands. It should prioritize military personnel, veterans and indigenous peoples. I asked this question earlier, and a Conservative colleague said Conservatives were waiting until their platform gets rolled out in the next election. I get stuff done here all the time. I am not waiting for the next election to get things done. I think we can work together now. I do not think we can wait until an election next year. I am putting my hand out and extending an olive branch to my colleague in the hope that he will work with me to put pressure on the government to do the right thing when it comes to public lands and getting our priorities in order. Will my colleague accept that olive branch instead of waiting until an election is called?

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie

May/2/24 8:12:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge my colleague from across the hallway. We have had some great chats walking to our offices. I do not think we have ever shared a coffee or a donut, but that could happen. I was thinking about the question the member posed to my colleague earlier on. One thing I have noticed is that there is a cyclical problem that happens. What happens is this: A Liberal government comes into power and creates a problem. It reduces the money spent on the military. Then Conservatives come along and invest, but it takes a long time to dig ourselves out of the hole it has put us into. I would ask my colleague to recognize that Conservatives have always put the military first, that we care about those personnel and that we care about the defence of our country. When in power, we would deliver on the promises we are making right now.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)

May/2/24 8:14:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have not had a chance to work with the colleague opposite. I want to thank him for his service to this country. I have been here nine years this fall, and I think I have developed a reputation in the House for not taking personal potshots. I do not heckle. I work across the aisle. I think everyone who has worked with me knows that. When we talk about our military and talk about veterans, I think we almost all agree in the House that we need to support them. However, here we are having a debate, and included as part of that debate are personal potshots. Imagine what we could do for those same people who we all claim to love if we worked together. It is a crazy idea, I know, but that is what they want us to do. They do not care if it is a Liberal government. They do not care if it is a Conservative government. What they care about is that we work together for them because they are there to defend us. Does the member opposite agree? I look forward to working with him on a defence file. Does he agree that it is time to put away the partisanship and work together for our Canadian Armed Forces?

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie

May/2/24 8:15:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question and her recognition of my service. One of the things I would ask of you—

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The Deputy Speaker

May/2/24 8:15:32 p.m.
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Members are to speak through the Speaker.

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie

May/2/24 8:15:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, through you, I would ask my colleagues across the aisle to hear what we are saying. We are talking about the issues that those who are serving or have served are bringing forward. They are not just bringing them to us, they are bringing them to the Liberal government and asking for a change. They are asking for it to recognize what they are doing and experiencing. Every time we do that, the pressure is turned up. The carbon tax is increased. Inflation is getting out of control, and the cost of living crisis is getting out of control. Therefore, I would ask them to hear what we have to say and then acknowledge what we are saying.

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Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

May/2/24 8:16:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is good and well for the Liberal member opposite to talk in platitudes about working together. However, at the end of the day, the government has a nine-year track record that includes giving the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces a double whammy on April 1, with a 23% increase of the punitive carbon tax coupled with a hike in rent. It is also coupled with a government that has spent untold amounts of money building the size of government, growing the bureaucracy, but seeing fit to actually make cuts to the Canadian Armed Forces. I would submit that when it comes to the Canadian Armed Forces, the current government is one that puts the Canadian Armed Forces last. Would the member agree?

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie

May/2/24 8:17:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my simple answer is that yes, I would agree.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

May/2/24 8:18:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will never not take the opportunity to again stand up for military families, the important role they play and the important work they do. We all owe them a ton of gratitude. A report that just came out from the ombudsman made it very clear that it is actually a national security threat that we do not take care of our military personnel. We need to really elevate the conversation, and we need the government to act. One thing I continue to talk about is that one opportunity is using public lands and using them urgently. We have them at bases. We have them in communities right around our country. It actually would be prudent for the government to act on developing a plan and getting started right away to ensure that our military personnel have a safe and affordable place to live. They should be able to save money when they are in the military and actually put money aside for their retirement so they can have a good retirement. We want them to have a good retirement for the sacrifices they have made. Does my colleague support using public lands for prioritizing military veterans, service members and their families?

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie

May/2/24 8:19:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that on military bases, a lot of the housing is substandard. What I believe our party is asking for right now is upgrades, for the housing to be improved so people's quality of life is improved. It is not just military members living in these accommodations; their families are also living in them. While members are deployed overseas, there are plumbing issues, ceiling leaks and holes in the floors. There are all sorts of issues they are dealing with. It is just a recycled problem. I know that my colleague recognizes that this affects not just the member serving but also the whole family whom they live with. When members are deployed, their concerns are increased, although their minds need to be on their job. They have a buddy system where other people's lives depend on them, and if they are not focused on the job, then people's lives are at risk because their families are at risk.

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The Deputy Speaker

May/2/24 8:20:45 p.m.
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There being no further members rising, pursuant to order made earlier today, all questions necessary to dispose of the motion is deemed put and a recorded division is deemed requested. Pursuant to Standing Order 66, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, May 8, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

May/2/24 8:21:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise and speak on behalf of the people of my riding. However, it is 8:20 on a Thursday night, and I really do not want to be here, actually. I am here because of the mess that is being created in Union Bay, in my riding. We have an outfit that is ship-breaking and that is not in a proper facility. It does not have a floating dry dock. It is not meeting international standards, because we do not have them in Canada when it comes to ship-breaking. In fact, we could be a leader when it comes to ship-breaking in our country, the proper, responsible ship-breaking, taking apart ships and recycling them properly. We do not do that. We have a really incredible group of people in our riding who are taking on the role of government, really, because the government is lacking in providing regulations to protect them. The Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound has been active on this. Marilynne Manning, Ray Rewcastle, Ashlee Gerlock and so many others have been advocating for the government to stop the ship-breaking outfit, because it is a threat to the sensitive ecosystem of Baynes Sound, and also for the Comox Valley Regional District to seek an injunction to stop them. Daniel Arbour, the local area representative, who is phenomenal, has been working with international organizations, trying to bring ideas to the government to fill the regulatory gaps that are there. The K’ómoks First Nation has asked for this to immediately stop. The Province of B.C. has an abatement order against this company. We also just got a letter from Tla'amin Nation asking that this outfit stop its activity. They are on the other side of the Salish Sea. There is no support and no social licence in our region for this. The federal government actually named Baynes Sound an ecologically and biologically sensitive ecosystem back in 2012. It cited that it needs protection. This is an absolutely critical area when it comes to jobs; 50% of B.C. shellfish are actually produced there, in this area, in my riding. It is also the last herring spawning fishery on the whole coast of British Columbia. It is absolutely critical that we protect it. DFO is actually ignoring its own research and recommendations by allowing this hazardous, polluting industry to continue doing what it is doing in Baynes Sound. It is going against its own studies and recommendations. Again, there are no European ship-recycling regulations, something I tabled a motion calling for. I am going to read a quote from Chek News: Deep Water Recovery, the company taking apart derelict vessels in Union Bay, has been hit with a pollution abatement order from the province. The company is illegally allowing toxic effluent to run off into Baynes Sound and the marine environment, B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has found. Discharges from the ship-breaking operations are collected in sump pits, which occasionally overflow with untreated effluent. Testing of that runoff confirmed high concentrations of pollutants, including copper, iron, zinc and cadmium. A letter came out from Nathan Cullen, our former colleague here in the House, who is now B.C. Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Strategy. They are calling on the government to take action. They said, “the Province cannot act in isolation. Direct and immediate action and engagement is required by the federal government”. They also said, “In a multi-jurisdictional framework such as this, it is critical that municipal, provincial, and federal agencies work together to ensure that the interests of the public, First Nations, and the environment are protected”. Guess who is missing: the federal government. It has been missing in action while this is taking place.

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Mr. Mike Kelloway (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

May/2/24 8:25:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada recognizes that safe recycling processes are vital to ensure the careful and secure handling of environmental hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and ozone-depleting substances. Canada aims to ensure that ships are recycled safely at the end of their operational lives without posing unnecessary risks to human health and the environment. Ship recycling in Canada is recognized as the most environmentally sound method to dispose of ships that have reached their end of life. Many provisions affecting ship-recycling facilities are governed by provinces and territories, such as environmental and waste management and workplace occupational health and safety. Overall, Canada has some of the strongest laws and regulations across federal, provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdictions, and we remain committed to working with all levels of government to make sure that Canada's ship-recycling facilities remain among the safest in the world. The Canadian Coast Guard has received numerous inquiries about the vessels that are intended for deconstruction at the Deep Water Recovery recycling facility in Union Bay. The Coast Guard has undertaken several assessments of the area where the vessels are awaiting deconstruction at Deep Water Recovery. If pollution enters the marine environment from a land-based spill, the Coast Guard will report the pollution to the Ministry of Emergency Management in British Columbia and provide assistance where required. The Coast Guard has reminded the deconstruction company of its responsibility under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, to prevent any release of oil or other pollutants from reaching the marine environment. The Government of Canada is taking action to reduce the number of vessels of concern in Canadian waters and to minimize their impact on coastal communities, the environment and the public under the oceans protection plan. As of January 24, 2024, the Government of Canada has removed 584 wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels across the country. The Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act was adopted in 2018 and came into force in 2019. The objectives of the act are to strengthen owner accountability and to enable more proactive government action to address the risks posed by problem vessels. Specifically, the act increases marine safety by, first, prohibiting vessel abandonment, unless authorized by law or in case of marine emergency; second, prohibiting owners from allowing their vessels to become wrecks, either by neglect or deliberate action; third, prohibiting owners from leaving their vessels adrift in Canadian waters for more than 48 hours without taking action to secure them; and, fourth, prohibiting owners from leaving a dilapidated or poorly conditioned vessel in the same area for more than 60 days without consent. This prohibition is important since dilapidated vessels are at a greater risk of becoming abandoned or wrecked. Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, an owner is prohibited from allowing their vessel to become a wreck due to failing to maintain it. Under the Canadian law, vessel owners are responsible for their vessels at all times. They must take all necessary actions, including repair, salvage and prevention or cleanup of leaking fuel or oil. Vessel owners must contact the Canadian Coast Guard if their vessel is sinking, has sunk or is a threat to discharge marine pollution. When a report of pollution is received, the Coast Guard begins the marine pollution response process by assessing the potential risk posed by that vessel. Some factors considered include the risk to human life and the risk to the environment and public safety, as well as the type and size of vessel, its location and how much fuel is on board. In situations where a vessel is at high risk to release pollutants in the marine environment, the Coast Guard will work with response partners toward immediate action.

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Mr. Gord Johns

May/2/24 8:29:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they are tearing apart a boat in a sensitive fish habitat zone right now in Union Bay. Back to the letter from the Province of British Columbia, it cites that: Direct and immediate action and engagement is required by the federal government as it relates to potential discharge to the marine environment, protection of marine habitat, and the transportation of vessels to this site. In particular, measures must be implemented to ensure that ships are not transported to facilities that lack the capability to handle them properly and safely. It calls for immediate action from the federal government. This letter was written in February. We are in May. The Tla'amin are alarmed by the potential environmental impacts of this operation, the lack of regulatory oversight that allows its placement in an ecologically sensitive area and that they were not consulted on any permitting related to this operation. I will be giving this letter to the parliamentary secretary after this debate. It is time for the federal government to act. I have not seen anything like this in almost nine years as a member of Parliament. It is absolutely shameful.

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Mr. Mike Kelloway

May/2/24 8:30:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, ship recycling is a complex multinational industry. It has been a growing area of focus for the International Marine Organization, which has been working over the course of the last two decades to support safe and environmentally sound ship recycling worldwide. Canada maintains some of the strongest rules for global ship recycling. As a member of state to the International Marine Organization, Canada has contributed to the work, the important work, to improve ship-recycling practices worldwide. As the government has stated before, many of the legislative provisions that govern safe and environmentally responsible ship recycling fall under provincial jurisdiction. We are committed to working with the provinces and territories to ensure we have the safest recycling facilities in the world.

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