Debates of May 30th, 2012

Lisa Raitt Halton, ON

Mr. Speaker, sadly, the truth hurts. Delaying even a day is an $80 million bill to the Canadian public and they are preventing the Teamsters, the people that they say they march shoulder to shoulder with, from returning to work. It is a sad, sad day. It is a calculated move by the Liberals. It is irresponsible and it is arrogant.

Élaine Michaud Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Speaker, the victims of the contamination in Shannon have been seeking justice for 10 years now. The Department of National Defence and Environment Canada knew that the water in Shannon was contaminated with TCE but they still allowed people to be poisoned.

We are talking about people who are now suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses as a result of this. The people of Shannon deserve better.

For once, will the Minister of Veterans Affairs stand up for the people in the Quebec City region and for veterans who are victims of the contamination, or is he going to once again let the Prime Minister's Office tell him what to do?

Steven Blaney Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I have done more for the Quebec City area, and I invite the members for the Quebec City area to continue to work as my predecessors did. We are proud to be Conservative members from Quebec and we will continue to work for Quebec.

Nathan Cullen Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, I want to give the Minister of the Environment an opportunity to clear the record.

Every time an independent, arm's-length expert raises concerns with the Conservative government's reckless agenda, such as the Auditor General, the Parliamentary Budget Officer and now the environment commissioner, those experts must be wrong and the Conservative government must be right.

The Conservatives may be content to drink their own bathwater, but to ask Canadians to do the same thing is reprehensible and wrong.

Will the Minister of the Environment clear the record and clear the good name of the environment commissioner and Canada?

Peter Kent Minister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I remarked that the environment commissioner's greenhouse gas inventory numbers were out of date. I said that he was under-informed on the federal contaminated sites program. His office has since come back and as much as admitted that fact and suggested that it would like new information to update and do a supplementary report.

With regard to the numbers he offered yesterday to the committee regarding his estimate of the number of federal assessments under the CEAA 2012, his numbers were wrong.

Matthew Dubé Chambly—Borduas, QC

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to health, the Conservatives do not know what they are talking about.

Yesterday, a report gave troubling statistics about children's physical activity. Half of all children get only three hours of exercise per week and are sedentary for 63% of their free time.

However, when asked about this, the Minister of State for Sport said, “More and more kids are getting involved in sports.” However, that is clearly not the case.

Does the Minister of State for Sport agree with the report and is he aware of the extent of the problem?

Bal Gosal Minister of State (Sport)

Mr. Speaker, keeping our kids active and involved in sports leads to healthier, happier lifestyles. That is why our government is working hard to provide families and children with opportunities to take part in physical activity.

We have upgraded the children's fitness tax credit and continue to work with partners like Participaction and Le Grand défi and the provinces and territories to ensure young Canadians stay active and healthy.

Matthew Dubé Chambly—Borduas, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister could not even answer if he was worried about childhood activity. Once again, he could not answer if he agreed with the report. Now he cannot even say clearly if he even read the report. The minister has fumbled his portfolio.

Childhood obesity rates are rising. It is important for Canadian families to get kids moving. The minister thinks the Conservative approach is working despite all the evidence that the problem is getting worse.

Will the government pledge to do more than exercise its talking points to get Canadian families and children active?

Bal Gosal Minister of State (Sport)

Mr. Speaker, under our government, working with Canadian Tire Jumpstart, we have helped nearly 400,000 kids to get involved in sports if they wish to be involved. That is why our government is working hard to provide families and children with the opportunity to take part in physical activity.

We have created the children's fitness tax credit and continue to work with parties like Participaction, which was cancelled by the previous government, Le Grand défi and the provinces and territories to ensure young Canadians stay active and healthy.

Keith Ashfield Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, there have been no substantive changes to the Fisheries Act since 1977. This is 2012.

I respect the individuals who made the comments, but I believe that what we have proposed would strengthen our habitat rules. We are focusing on recreational, aboriginal and commercial fisheries. The rules that we are putting in place will actually strengthen many areas and provide a clearer answer to Canadians as to what they can do in and around waterways.

Geoff Regan Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, Canada's capacity to deal with a major oil spill in Atlantic Canada or the Beaufort Sea is being decimated by the government. Conservatives are curtailing the work of a noted research centre at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. They are phasing out research on the biological effects of oil and gas. Worse still, they have put world-class oil spill expert Ken Lee on notice that his job is in jeopardy, if one can imagine.

Why is the government being so reckless when it comes to protecting our coastal zones?

Keith Ashfield Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, our government will continue to provide advice on the effects of contaminants. That is why we are establishing a national advisory group that will provide advice on priority issues and will manage a research fund.

Through this new advisory group, the department will continue to provide science advice on contaminants and will provide funding to universities and other facilities to do the research.

Linda Duncan Edmonton—Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, in October last year the Minister of Public Works and Government Services , with much fanfare, announced a $1 billion contract to upgrade the Canadian army's fleet of LAV III combat vehicles. The General Dynamics Land Systems Edmonton plant was to create 110 secure, highly skilled jobs for five years.

I have been advised that only six months later, these workers are already being laid off. Can the Minister of Public Works and Government Services confirm if these promised jobs are being cut?