Debates of Dec. 8th, 2011
House of Commons Hansard #63 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was senate.
Topics
- Question Period
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- Ban on Shark Fin Importation Act
- Strengthening Fiscal Transparency Act
- Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act
- Safer Railways Act
- National Philanthropy Day Act
- Human Rights
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Senate Reform Act
- Streetsville Rotary Club
- Community Centre 55
- Employee of the Year Award
- Experience Genie Award
- Infrastructure
- Christmas Charity Organization
- Leeds—Grenville United Way
- King of Thailand
- Graham Dennis
- Violence Against Women
- Canadian Wheat Board
- Ballast Water
- Heron Emergency Food Centre
- Canada-U.S. Border
- Canadian Wheat Board
- John George Diefenbaker
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- Canadian Wheat Board
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- Minister of National Defence
- National Defence
- The Environment
- Agriculture
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Search and Rescue
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Infrastructure
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- Rural Airports
- Justice
- The Environment
- Seniors
- Justice
- Fisheries and Oceans
- International Trade
- Veterans
- Housing
- International Trade
- Parliamentary Librarian
- Business of the House
- Privilege
- Political Loans Accountability Act
- Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery Rebuilding Act
- National Strategy for Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) Act
Agriculture
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
NDP
Malcolm Allen Welland, ON
Mr. Speaker, when consumers buy organic, they expect these products to be actually pesticide-free. Organic farmers want customers to be confident the food they buy has not been cross-contaminated. This undermines the confidence of consumers and puts organic farmers and the industry seriously at risk.
What is the government doing to protect organic produce from cross-contamination and to ensure consumers have confidence in this great organic industry?
Agriculture
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Battlefords—Lloydminster
Saskatchewan
Conservative
Gerry Ritz Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian organic industry is world-class. We have new organic standards that this government put in place that, of course, protect the integrity of the organic sector moving forward. There is constant testing being done to ensure the efficacy of the organic label is intact. We will continue to do just that.
Aboriginal Affairs
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, Attawapiskat is not alone. Sadly, housing conditions on many reserves in the province of Manitoba are deplorable. Whether it is vulnerable children or vulnerable seniors alike, something needs to be done.
I often wonder whether or not the minister has a comprehensive understanding of the housing conditions and the stock on the reserves across our country. I look to the minister and ask the minister today to share with this House the actual condition of housing on our reserves in Canada.
Does he have any sense of the severity of the problem? Will he table those--
Aboriginal Affairs
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Aboriginal Affairs
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Vancouver Island North
B.C.
Conservative
John Duncan Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, I have a good sense of housing across Canada. I have been on many reserves across Canada.
That is why we have been working with willing partners and making major investments to improve the quality of life for our aboriginal people. We have made targeted investments in priorities, like education, water and housing. We build over 2,000 homes and renovate over 3,000 more every year on reserves. We continue to work in collaboration to invest in practical and innovative solutions.
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
December 8th, 2011 / 2:35 p.m.
Liberal
John McKay Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister's story on the search and rescue taxi keeps changing. First, the Minister of National Defence told the House it was a pre-planned demonstration. Not true.
Then he said the flight was needed to get him to an urgent announcement, or more accurately a re-announcement, which the Minister of Public Works and the member for London West were apparently not fit to do by themselves. Also not true.
Four days is plenty of time to arrange for a boat and a car to an airport. Will the government be dispatching a search and rescue mission to Brussels to find yet another story or will it just let the lawsuits fly?
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ontario
Conservative
John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we are very pleased that the Minister of National Defence will be representing Canada at this very important NATO meeting. He has a lot of skills, expertise and experience in this regard, and he will do an honourable job representing the country.
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, there are two inaccurate versions of the same helicopter search and rescue story. The first, a preplanned exercise. No.
The second, a last-minute trip to get to an urgent announcement. No.
The travel request was made in time to arrange transportation by boat and car to get to the airport.
Is the government going to dispatch another search and rescue mission to come up with a third version for the minister or will it finally admit the truth?
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Vaughan
Ontario
Conservative
Julian Fantino Associate Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that we are going around and around, and people are piling on, but the story has not changed.
One more time and as has been said many times, the minister was—
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
Julian Fantino Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that Liberals ask the question and then they are hypocritical about hearing an answer.
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
Order, order. I would encourage the minister to avoid using words such as that, which obviously cause disorder.
The hon. associate minister has the floor.
Search and Rescue
Oral Questions
2:40 p.m.
Conservative
Julian Fantino Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, one more time and as has been said many times, the minister was called back from a personal vacation to go to work.