Debates of June 1st, 2012

Costas Menegakis Richmond Hill, ON

Mr. Speaker, Asian carp have decimated the Mississippi watershed and are threatening the Great Lakes. In fact, Asian carp are like the Liberal Party. They destroy fisheries, no one wants them and, when spooked, they are fish out of water.

Our recreational fishery is a vital fishery and provides annual economic benefits in the billions.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans please tell this House what our government is doing to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes?

Randy Kamp Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway

Mr. Speaker, our government is well aware of the catastrophic potential of this biological invasion, which is why we are committed to preventing the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.

In fact, just this week the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans stood on the shores of Lake Ontario and announced the creation and funding of a plan to fight Asian carp. The fund will focus on prevention, early warning, rapid response and management and control.

As the Prime Minister said, when he announced the hunting and angling advisory panel on Wednesday, “we gladly accept the duty of protecting Canada's environment and its natural endowments for the benefit of future generations”.

François Pilon Laval—Les Îles, QC

Mr. Speaker, the FCM is meeting in Saskatoon today to talk about the challenges that municipalities will face over the coming years. Cities are all facing the same problems. All of them, including Laval and Montreal, will have to find ways to fund infrastructure for the long term. Last fall, the Conservatives promised to introduce new funding programs, but now they have nothing to say about it.

When will they start addressing the needs of municipalities?

Pierre Poilievre Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, two decades ago, there was no federal funding for matters within municipal jurisdiction. Now we have the gas tax fund and the building Canada fund for investment in specific projects. This huge increase in transfers to municipalities is already in place. The challenge is to transform that money into results. We are working to make that happen. These projects are yielding results.

Elizabeth May Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, the quite unprecedented letter from four federal fisheries ministers all residing in British Columbia has been the subject of questions earlier today in the House.

I will quote from their letter to the Prime Minister. It reads:

...Canadians are entitled to know whether these changes were written, or insisted upon, by the Minister of Fisheries or by interest groups outside the government. If the latter is true, who are they?

I would like to ask an additional question. Where are they, in Canada or in Beijing?

Randy Kamp Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway

Mr. Speaker, that is a bit of a strange question, but let me just reaffirm that we are fully committed to protecting the habitat of fisheries that provide tremendous benefit to Canadians.

We have come to the conclusion, with which many Canadians agree, that without greater focus, we are not able to do that in an effective way. Therefore, we will be focusing on recreational, commercial and aboriginal fisheries and doing that with excellence.

Bruce Hyer Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Mr. Speaker, top Mounties have revealed that the government intends to allow U.S. law enforcement officers to operate on Canadian soil.

Is the minister actually planning to allow this as part of a Conservative security deal? Would it include the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. immigration?

Will the minister table any draft agreement in the House so that this deal gets the scrutiny it deserves?

Candice Bergen Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, Canadians and Americans share common security issues as well as economic interests. To protect and create jobs for Canadians, we must protect and strengthen our relationship, including our trade relationship and our security relationship with the United States.

The Conservative government has taken strong actions to make our borders more secure, while keeping them open to legitimate trade and travel.

There is more work to be done. Canadians can count on our government to get it done.

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

Does the hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

(Motion agreed to)