Debates of May 8th, 2013

The Environment

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the inconvenient truth is that the NDP continues to adopt outrageous positions that defy both facts and science. It characterizes responsible resource development as a disease. This week, it has embraced the open sewer concept of a visiting author.

Canadians recognize that our government has a real, tangible and effective commitment to responsible resource development.

Science and Technology

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is Conservatives are refusing to work with others and it is harming our international reputation.

However, I will move on to another Conservative failure. The government members have made it clear that they have no interest in the ground-breaking work of the Experimental Lakes Area, but even Conservatives have to see that it makes no sense to throw away four decades of research just because they are refusing to grant road access to scientists.

Will the minister do the right thing and will he allow these scientists to keep their experiments going?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)]

Mr. Speaker, we have actually funded, through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, over $135 million in climate change and climate related research. On top of that, which the NDP voted against, we have provided more funding for water related research and the clean up of lakes like Lake Simcoe and Lake Winnipeg.

We are getting it done, not just on the science front, where the NDP draws a blank on this issue, but we are getting it done for all Canadians.

Lobster Industry

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the lobster industry in the Maritimes is in turmoil again this year. The lobster boats in Prince Edward Island are tied up as a result of the prices for lobster beginning to head down to the $2.50 mark.

This is an industry with a landed value of $600 million and exports over $1 billion. Will the minister agree to meet with provincial ministers and with harvesters to try to sort out a solution that will work for coastal communities in Atlantic Canada?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, no other government has provided more support for the lobster fishery industry than this one. We have helped ensure a more sustainable future for the industry over the past few years. We invested $60 million to help the industry with things like improved marketing and promotion, products and technology.

The member opposite knows full well that it is not the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to set the pricing. That is market driven. The processors are under provincial responsibility.

Labour

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this week Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, Leadnow.ca, and SumOfUs.org are providing over 120,000 signatures from Canadians calling upon the Conservatives to stop trying to control the CBC's independence.

The Treasury Board president seems to be under some misconceptions and was a bit misleading. In fact, the wage growth at the CBC lags behind that of the private sector. The Conservatives insist that the CBC is at arm's length, but what they are doing at the end of this arm is trying to put a chokehold on the CBC.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party of Canada can join with the NDP in seeking to defend public sector union bosses, but we on this side of the House will defend the taxpayer to ensure that collective bargaining agreements across government, including those for crown corporations, are fair and reasonable and that they align across all of these departments and agencies.

We will be on the side of the taxpayer. It is clear now that the NDP has some bosom buddies in the Liberal Party of Canada who are going to fight alongside the NDP on behalf of the public sector union bosses. We will not join with them in that fight.

Employment Insurance

[Scott Andrews, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, government changes to EI are hurting seasonal industries and are causing hardship for middle-class Canadian families.

Premiers, including Conservative premiers, have said the changes are wrong. Conservative business leaders have said it is wrong. Now Atlantic Canada Roman Catholic bishops are saying it is wrong as well. Religious leaders are saying these EI changes are negatively impacting the personal dignity of many seasonal workers.

For heaven's sake, what is the minister going to tell the bishops?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, we will act to ensure that EI is there for people when they need it. However, when there are opportunities for people to work, we also want to ensure that they have access to those opportunities, and that when they work, they are better off than when they do not.

We do have a mismatch and a shortage of skills and labour in this country. We do not need systems that prevent people from getting to work. We are working to help Canadians who are out of work identify new jobs and get the skills they need for those jobs so that they and their families are better off.

EI will be there for them if there are no jobs available, just as it always has been.

Tourism Industry

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people in Eastern Canada can no longer stand listening to that broken record.

The Conservatives continue to undermine the future of the Canadian tourism industry with cuts to national parks, airport taxes that are too high, regional wharves that are not maintained and so much more. Not to mention the employment insurance reform, which is dismantling the human resource base of the tourism industry in the regions.

Furthermore, cuts to the Canadian Tourism Commission are taking their toll. Canada dropped from 7th to 18th place in the list of most popular destination countries at a time when global tourism is booming.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists go elsewhere, and our businesses pay the price.

Does the minister understand that it pays to invest in tourism, tourism infrastructure and marketing?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, our government and I understand that keeping taxes low for Canadians and properly managing public funds to achieve a balanced budget result in jobs and wealth.

At the same time, we want to ensure that organizations such as the Canadian Tourism Commission have the funds required to promote our country abroad.

I would like to say to my colleague that spending on Canada's tourism industry has increased in the past 10 consecutive quarters. That is good news. He should be pleased about that.

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's plan is not working. The number of tourists coming to Canada has dropped in recent years.

His colleague at Fisheries and Oceans is ignoring the importance of Rocher Percé to the tourism industry in Gaspé. Thus, I would like to ask a minister from Quebec to answer my question.

Some 400,000 people travel to Rocher Percé every year. This creates hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in economic spinoffs. Busloads of tourists will soon start arriving.

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is out of touch with the Gaspé. Could his colleague responsible for tourism answer my question, and tell me his plans for reopening the Percé wharf—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, safety is our primary concern. Our engineering assessments have deemed that the wharf at Percé is unsafe to both pedestrians and vehicles.

As part of our non-core fishing harbours divestiture program, the municipality and the province have been approached several times over the last number of years to see if they are interested in acquiring the wharf at Percé. To date, there has been no interest.

National Defence

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as a country, we are committed to fighting terrorism.

Accordingly, our Canadian Armed Forces have played a significant role in any international fight against terrorism in places like Afghanistan and on the oceans around the world.

HMCS Toronto is part of the international coalition to prevent terrorist activity in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Last March, HMCS Toronto disrupted a massive narcotics shipment on the Indian Ocean, preventing illegal drugs from reaching our shores.

Can the Minister of National Defence update the House on Canada's contributions to the international efforts on the Arabian Sea and on the Indian Ocean?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member from Wetaskiwin, a relentless supporter of the Canadian Forces.

I am pleased to announce for the second time this year that HMCS Toronto has again made a major drug interdiction in the Indian Ocean.

On May 6, our courageous soldiers searched a vessel in the ocean and recovered approximately 350 kilograms of heroin and a small amount of hashish.

In March, as the member mentioned, HMCS Toronto also stopped and boarded a suspicious vessel and recovered approximately 500 kilograms of heroin.

These remarkable efforts of the HMCS Toronto are contributing to international efforts to fight terrorism and illegal drugs and to promote global security. We salute the professionalism of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Speaker, lobster prices at the wharf are at rock bottom.

Fishermen across Atlantic Canada are tying up their boats in protest. This is an absolute disaster affecting an industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

Is this just another way to cut the feet out from under the fishers in the Atlantic region, or will the Conservative government work with the fishing industry to try to rectify this serious situation?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I would have thought there would have been a more responsible question from the member opposite than the one just posed.

It has been this government that has invested over $60 million in the last three years to help the industry with improved marketing, innovation, products and technology.

The member knows full well that DFO does not set the price of lobster at the wharf. That is market driven. Of course, the processors are subject to the rules of the provinces.

Asbestos

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, former employees of the Black Lake asbestos mine, located in the Minister of Industry's riding, are fed up. Money from the $50 million assistance fund promised by the federal government is not forthcoming, and people's EI benefits are running out. For years the NDP has been calling for a transition fund for workers in the asbestos industry, but the minister has consistently refused to act.

Does he understand that his inaction is having a serious impact on people's lives? Can he tell us what he plans to do to help them, or has he simply decided to abandon his own region?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, this is hypocrisy of the worst kind. The NDP constantly lobbies against natural resources and wants to block all natural resource projects in the country. It even cozied up to the PQ in order to kill the asbestos industry.

We are showing leadership on this side of the House. Considering their position, we did not oppose the Rotterdam Convention, but we decided to create a $50 million fund for the affected workers. The member is being totally irresponsible and, frankly, is going too far. I invite him to go see the workers. He is from Asbestos, so he should go there and talk to them in person.

Science and Technology

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Montreal Science Centre at the Old Port of Montreal is a leader in science, education, entertainment and tourism.

Can the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, who is also the minister responsible for Canada Lands, tell the House about the new developments regarding the Montreal Science Centre?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the Montreal Science Centre will continue to be a part of the federal government presence in Montreal's historic district.

Today Canada Lands announced that former astronaut Julie Payette is the new chief operating officer at the Montreal Science Centre.

Ms. Payette, an engineer and a veteran of two missions in space as one of Canada's astronauts, will be leaving the Canadian Space Agency later this year to join the Montreal Science Centre.

As my colleague at Industry Canada thanks her for her work at the Space Agency, I am very pleased with her decision to join the Montreal Science Centre. I see great potential in the Montreal Science Centre and in the Old Port of Montreal, and her presence, I am sure, will add to that.

Employment

[Isabelle Morin, NDP, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, at 9:40 p.m., while every Montrealer was glued to the game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators, Old Dutch Foods announced the closure of its plant in my riding of Lachine.

We will lose 200 jobs with this closure. This cavalier way of doing things is a tragedy for the 200 families who will no longer have a job.

Will the government commit to working with Quebec to replace these jobs in my region?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, this is obviously a private business matter, but our thoughts are with the families affected.

Our government continues to take measures to stimulate the economy through our economic action plan 2013. These measures are significant, since 900,000 net new jobs have been created across the country.

I assure my colleague that we will not adopt policies to shut down our natural resources sector, tear up trade agreements or impose a $21 billion carbon tax on Canadians.

I hear the members opposite laughing, but I am being serious. We cannot develop a healthy economy by nationalizing private companies. We will continue to fight for the economy.

Taxation

[Bruce Hyer, Independent, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario Independent Appraisers Association is alarmed that the Canada Revenue Agency is now taxing insurance appraisal services, which were tax exempt previously. As a result, auto and home insurance rates will go up. Millions of past invoices may need to be reissued and many small businesses could be forced to close.

Will the minister work with industry to ensure that insurance appraisals will remain tax exempt?