Debates of Feb. 17th, 2012

Ted Menzies Minister of State (Finance)

Madam Speaker, to clarify the point, the government did get the job done for over 610,000 Canadians. For the NDP to say what it voted against did not help Canadians, I find that sort of a statement incredulous, as do the 610,000 Canadians who are working today who were not working in July 2009.

Kevin Lamoureux Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers has concerns in regard to Bill C-31, as does our party. It said, “The designated 'safe' country list, and the Minister's unilateral power to list countries, dangerously politicizes the refugee system”.

Will the minister agree to an amendment, similar to that contained in the bill from the last Parliament which passed the House unanimously, that would require the minister to make recommendations for countries to be listed from an advisory committee?

John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, Canada has one of the most fair and generous immigration systems in the world. Canadians have absolutely no tolerance for those who would abuse our generosity and would take unfair advantage of our country.

Let us look at the facts. Why did the United States have only 47 claims in 2009-10 from Europe, while Canada had 4,700 claims in the same period?

Kevin Lamoureux Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, let us be fair. At the end of the day, the government is choosing which country is going to be a safe country. The minister is going to make that decision. If people come from one of those safe countries, then that means there is no appeal. In fact, to attempt an appeal, it has to go through a federal court. If it goes through a federal court, they would be deported before it even goes to court or to trial.

How is that fair for refugees coming to Canada who are being told they have to go back to their country of origin before—

The Deputy Speaker Denise Savoie

Order, please. The hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, it was this government that established the appeal process for refugees to be able to appeal. It was the Liberal Party which had no such process when it was in government.

We have one of the most fair, most open refugee policies in the world, but we will ensure the taxpayer is protected and people do not abuse our generosity.

Wayne Easter Malpeque, PE

Madam Speaker, my question is for the government's chief spymaster who is so intent on snooping into Canadians' private emails and the laptops of the nation. However, Conservatives are not stopping at emails. The minister's bill would allow government agents to enter on an Internet service provider when they wanted, without a warrant and demand to see absolutely everything and even to copy it all.

Why does the government see every Canadian as an enemy of the state and why has the minister given Conservative agents absolute power to pry?

John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, there is absolutely no intent to do anything. I completely reject the premise of the question of the member opposite.

Today we are very concerned that taxpayer dollars have been misused by the New Democratic Party on a dirty, sleazy trick campaign. Members do not have the courage or the guts to come to this place and to take responsibility for this disgraceful misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Does NDP now stand for the no decency party?

Charmaine Borg Terrebonne—Blainville, QC

Madam Speaker, since introducing Bill C-30, the Conservatives have backpedalled when faced with a wave of criticism from the public and the NDP. There is no provision to protect Canadians from invasion of privacy. Contrary to what the minister of public insecurity would have us believe, he wants to allow access to Internet users' personal information without a warrant.

Why does the minister want to treat Internet users like criminals?

John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, the New Democratic Party member of Parliament stands in her place today, of all days, and talks about privacy. I call on the member to stand in her place, take responsibility for her party, identify who is responsible for these dirty, sleazy Internet tricks and explain to Canadian taxpayers why their hard-earned tax dollars go to support such dirty, sleazy tricks.

Charmaine Borg Terrebonne—Blainville, QC

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety's public life is troubling enough; there is no need to add his private life to the mix.

In addition to concerns about snooping in the personal information of Internet users without a warrant, the plot has now thickened with the announcement by Internet service providers that they are increasing the cost of services.

Will the cost of having Internet service providers act as spies be shouldered by consumers? How much will it cost Internet users to have the government spy on them?

John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, there is only one party that is attempting to snoop into the personal and private lives of members of Parliament and Canadians and that is the New Democratic Party.

I encourage the member to accept responsibility for the sleazy, dirty tricks campaign, stand in her place and apologize, identify and take responsibility for who is responsible for this reckless, disgraceful behaviour.

Jack Harris St. John's East, NL

Madam Speaker, it is the public activities of the Minister of Public Safety that we are concerned about. Not only would his online snooping bill intrude on Canadians' privacy, it would also intrude on their wallets. The bill would force Internet service providers to spend millions to build extensive systems to spy on their own customers. As we know, it is consumers who will be forced to pick up the tab.

Why is the Conservative government making Canadians pay for the privilege of being snooped on?

John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, I know my colleague from St. John's East to be a decent and honourable person. He talked about snooping and violating the privacy of Canadians. This morning we learned that the New Democratic Party is involved in a dirty, sleazy Internet game. We call on the NDP and I call on the hon. member to stand in his place, accept responsibility and identify who is responsible for this disgraceful misuse of taxpayer dollars.