We’ve just published our weekly edition of Muslims in The House for the week of May 27 - May 31, 2019.

This week’s edition covers issues relating to The Environment, New NAFTA, & Human Trafficking Hotline.

The Environment

MP Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC - CPC) stated that the Conservative Party recognizes that climate change exists, that it affects the entire planet and that human activity has repercussions on the changing climate. The Conservatives will introduce an environmental plan to achieve the Paris Agreement targets. MP Mark Strahl (Chilliwack—Hope, BC - CPC) stated that this plan would lower global emissions without making Canadians pay a carbon tax. Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, noted that the Conservative Party’s climate plan includes making it free to pollute and getting rid of the new environmental assessment law that the government put forward. MP Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, BC - NDP) spoke about the garbage sent from Canada to the Philippines and Malaysia, asking if the government will follow in the E.U.’s footsteps and commit to ending the practice of sending Canadian waste to the world's poorest countries. Minister McKenna said that the government is pleased that the garbage is coming back from the Philippines and agree that it is unacceptable and that it was under the Harper government in 2015 that a private company sent over waste to the Philippines. Minister McKenna said the government had changed their rules so that it will not happen again and they will be announcing a plan to tackle plastic pollution shortly.

New NAFTA

MP Tracey Ramsey (Essex, ON - NDP) raised the issue of the government rushing the approval of the new NAFTA, stating that a better deal is possible and that the current agreement will hurt the dairy industry. Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, said that reopening the agreement would result in a period of uncertainty and that doing so would not result in a better deal. Minister Garneau stated that the government achieved a full lifting of tariffs and that they now have a new NAFTA deal that is a win-win-win outcome. MP Leona Alleslev (Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON - CPC) stated that the new agreement means that Canada now has to ask permission from the U.S. to negotiate a new trade deal and has to report to the U.S. when Canada changes its monetary policy. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, responded by stating that the International Trade Commission reported that as a result of the new deal, U.S. exports to Canada would increase by $19.1 billion and Canadian exports would increase to the U.S. by $19.1 billion.

Canada’s First-Ever National Human Trafficking Hotline

MP Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, AB - CPC) announced that the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking launched Canada's first-ever national human trafficking hotline. A confidential, multilingual service, operating 24-7, 365 days a year, the hotline allows Canadians to report cases of human trafficking in their communities and for victims of human trafficking to seek assistance or law enforcement. On behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, MP Viersen thanked the centre and all of its partners for its work on this initiative.

Toronto Raptors

MP Marwan Tabbara (Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON - LIB) congratulated the Toronto Raptors for heading to the NBA finals, acknowledging the team for uniting fans across the country and giving a shout-out to basketball heroes Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Norman Powell and Marc Gasol. Let's go Raptors!