Debates of Oct. 2nd, 2009

National Defence

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue has confirmed that the Bagotville base will not be selected as the home of the new Chinook helicopters, under the pathetic pretext that Bagotville did not meet the requirements to accommodate this kind of aircraft, which is completely false.

By excluding Bagotville, is the Conservative government not demonstrating once again its disregard for Quebec's economic interests?

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Chinook fleets will be able to operate anywhere in Canada or around the world. Procuring those aircraft will generate economic spinoffs for Canada and will create jobs. The most efficient and cost-effective way to support the Chinook operations will be to consolidate their operations on one main operational base.

The Department of National Defence is currently studying various options regarding the best possible location of the base to accommodate the aircraft, so they can effectively meet the changing needs of the Canadian Forces.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a new Amnesty International report says that the government's efforts to stop violence against native women is feeble.

Young first nations women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence. In Saskatchewan, indigenous women make up 60% of missing and murdered women though they make up only 6% of the population.

The government urgently needs a national action plan to end violence and discrimination against indigenous women. Will the minister take this issue seriously and declare violence against indigenous women a public safety emergency?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, the government does take the issue of family violence in native communities very seriously, which is why we invest $18.5 million annually in prevention programs and in services.

Furthermore, we are investing over $55 million to support existing shelters and we created five new ones. These keys for economic development and education for healthy communities are why the government is investing more money in these priority areas.

If the opposition members really cared about these issues, they would support—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Edmonton—St. Albert.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Brent Rathgeber, Conservative, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Mr. Speaker, a front page exposé in today's National Post reveals the Liberal Party's plans to make Canada's borders even more porous to immigration from rapists, murders and foreign spies.

The member for Parkdale—High Park has introduced Bill C-440 that would force the government to give all military deserters exemption from criminal inadmissibility and national security sections of our immigration laws.

Would the government please give its position regarding the Liberal Party's hide the foreign thug policy and proposed legislation?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as it is currently written, sections in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act allow the government to deny violent foreign criminals entry to Canada. The Liberal Party wants to rewrite the immigration act to weaken those sections.

Here is what the bill says:

...shall be exempted by the Minister from any legal obligation applicable to that foreign national...that would prevent them from being allowed to remain in Canada.

A foreign officer who has supervised or participated in war crimes or, for that matter, people who are fleeing prosecution for serious violent crimes would be exempted from all legal obligations in Canada

Fisheries and Oceans

[Scott Andrews, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans stood in this House and stated, “for the information of the House, science has not been cut at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans”.

Obviously this will be news to the minister but fishers in 3JKL are wondering why their department cut the otter trawl science survey after 10 years and did not expand the program, as the minister claimed. What happened? Did the minister just forget about that one?

Will the minister immediately put the otter trawl science survey back in place?

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows that we invest in science in a number of different areas. We balance the needs of science through regions across the whole country. We consider what is necessary to be done to get the biggest bang for the buck, and we will be considering that in this case as well.

Labour Relations

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 420 employees of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum, members of the Public Service Alliance, have been on strike since September 21. I met with them on the picket line. These employees want only one thing: to go back to work with a fair collective agreement. Ninety-two per cent of these employees voted to strike. I believe that is significant.

What is the minister waiting for to instruct the employer to go back to the bargaining table?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, this is a legal work stoppage. It is the responsibility of the parties to work together to find a solution to the issues and to negotiate a collective agreement. My officials are monitoring the situation closely and our mediator remains in contact with both parties.

Marine Safety

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, a 41,000 tonne bulk carrier suffered severe damage in an accident in the Douglas Channel on the B.C. coast. Luckily, none of its cargo spilled, but how long can we count on luck?

The government is currently pushing for a pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the Pacific Ocean that would see hundreds of oil tankers a year coming and going from the B.C. coast. The people of B.C. need to know the full danger of these oil tankers in these coastal waters.

Will the government commit to a full public inquiry into all the environmental impacts of this project?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada treats marine safety to be of paramount importance. The safety of the crew and of the travelling public is something that is tremendously important, but so too is environmental protection, and that is why we have brought in several measures and increased enforcement to assist in this regard.

We will fully accept our responsibilities to ensure that our marine environment is fully protected as we move forward.

Protection of Human Life

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present three separate petitions that have been signed by several hundred concerned citizens.

The petitioners state that Canada is a country which respects human rights and includes in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that everyone has the right to life, that it has been 40 years since May 14, 1969, when Parliament changed the law to permit abortion, and that since January 28, 1988, Canada has had no law to protect the lives of unborn children.

The petitioners therefore call upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

Public Safety Officers Compensation Fund

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition has to do with public safety officers.

The petitioners from my riding of Mississauga South would like to bring to the attention of the House that police officers and firefighters are required to place their lives at risk during the execution of their duties on a daily basis and that the employee benefits of police officers and firefighters often do not provide sufficient compensation for the families of those who are killed in the line of duty and that the public also mourns the loss when one loses his or her life in the line of duty.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to establish a fund known as the “public safety officers compensation fund” for the benefit of families of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty.

Protection of Human Life

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition, also from my riding of Mississauga South, has to do with the protection of human life.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that Canada is a country which respects human rights and includes in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that everyone has the right to life, that it has been 40 years since May 14, 1969, when Parliament changed the law to permit abortion, and that since January 28, 1988, Canada has had no law to protect the lives of unborn children.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

Suicide

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today, both with over 200 signatures.

The petitioners wish to draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following facts: that people who experience depression and mental illness need to be protected by the law; that youth in Canada are just as vulnerable as youth from around the world; and that predators are both encouraging and counselling suicide without penalty, through the Internet, and can do that without fear of prosecution due to the anonymity the Internet can provide and the antiquity of Canadian laws.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House to enable prosecution of those who encourage or counsel someone to commit suicide by updating the Criminal Code to reflect the new realities of the 21st century broadband access, as well as fund education programs to empower people who experience depression and mental illness in Canada's vulnerable youth to protect themselves from online predators.

Protection of Human Life

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I, too, have a couple of petitions to present.

In the first petition, the petitioners state that it has been 40 years since Parliament changed the law to permit abortion and that Canada has no law to protect the lives of unborn children.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation for the protection of human life from the time of conception until natural death.

Health Care

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with health care.

The petitioners state that the parent or caregiver of a child who has a life-threatening or serious illness, like cancer, must take care of the child full time when the child falls ill and undergoes treatment for surgery.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons to enact legislation to provide additional benefits at least equal to maternity EI benefits to help parents or caregiver.

Animal Welfare

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by constituents of mine and others elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.

The petitioners bring to the attention of the government that ruminants, cattle, sheep and goats, can be legally transported for 52 hours without access to water, food or rest and monogastric animals such as pigs, poultry and horses can be transported for 36 hours without water, food or rest.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the government to change the animal transport regulations under the Health of Animals Act to be consistent with the findings of the EU scientific committee on animal health, which is 8 hours and 12 hours, respectively.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I see the hon. member for Cypress Hills—Grasslands is rising again to present a petition. Is it the pleasure of the House to allow him to present another petition?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Canada Post

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my thanks to the House for that generous opportunity.

This petition is from the folks in Macrorie, Saskatchewan who are concerned about their postal service.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to maintain the moratorium on post office closures and to withdraw the legislation to legalize remailers. They also call upon the government to instruct Canada Post to maintain, expand and to improve postal services.

[Scott Andrews, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by many residents of St. Mary's Bay, Riverhead and Colliers.

The petitioners call upon the government not to end the moratorium on closing post offices. There are rumours circulating that these offices will close. These post offices are essential services. They play a key role and it is also the economic life of rural Canada.

The petitioners pray that the government maintain the moratorium on the closing of post offices and withdraw legislation to legalize remailers.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 106 and 183 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled immediately.