Debates of June 3rd, 2014

Foreign Affairs

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, the Kingdom of Spain is a very close ally of Canada. It is one of the world's great democracies, thanks in part to the leadership of King Juan Carlos, who oversaw the successful transition of his country from dictatorship to democracy, who for four decades has served his people with dignity, and who suppressed an attempted military coup in 1981.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, we would like to join the people of Spain in thanking His Majesty King Juan Carlos for his service and for his friendship to Canada. Indeed, we wish him, his family, and his successor, Prince Felipe, every success.

The Environment

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has recently made a regulatory change that now allows the Minister of the Environment to loosen Fisheries Act prohibitions against polluting water if these clash with weaker provincial prohibitions.

The minister is obviously getting ready to use that power. Otherwise, why make the change? Which chemical pollutants is the minister preparing to give a regulatory free ride to?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, despite the opposition's claims, our amendments to the Fisheries Act strengthen fisheries protection.

We are focusing more of DFO's time and resources on projects that could have an impact on commercial, recreational, and aboriginal fisheries that are so important to many of our rural communities.

Our changes also make penalties tougher in order to punish those people who actually break the law by causing serious harm to fisheries. These changes will also cut red tape while protecting Canadian fisheries.

Seniors

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over the next 25 years the number of seniors in Canada will double. Unfortunately, the Conservatives have no plan to deal with or provide the needed supports for our aging population.

From health care to financial security to housing, it is time for a plan. Our seniors deserve nothing less.

Why have the Conservatives not worked with the provinces and territories to develop a national aging strategy? It is time for some federal leadership.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Minister of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, seniors in Canada can be proud of the record support they are seeing from this government.

We have increased tax relief for seniors, increased funding for the new horizons for seniors program, and are investing in programs to help seniors, such as the targeted initiative for older workers.

That member and that party voted against all of these. We will take no lessons from the NDP, which would raise taxes for all Canadians, including seniors.

National Defence

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government remains steadfast in its support for the people of Ukraine.

We will not sit idly by while Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity are threatened. General Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, has personally thanked the Prime Minister for Canada's contribution and leadership in these matters.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence please update this House as to Canada's contribution to the NATO alliance?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Pickering—Scarborough East for his service as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

I am happy to report that the Minister of National Defence is representing Canada at this week's meeting of the NATO defence ministers in Brussels. Recent Russian aggression against Ukraine illustrates the importance of ensuring that the alliance is ready and able to respond to any and all challenges.

Currently we have six CF-18 fighter jets flying training missions near Ukraine's southern border. I would like to thank our Romanian hosts, particularly Major Alin Cuchit, who recently called these missions “...a fantastic opportunity because Canada has some of the best pilots in the world”.

I could not agree more. We are committed to the NATO alliance and, as always, Canada is doing its part.

Parks Canada

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my riding, Pontiac, is very privileged to have the magnificent Gatineau River, an important part of our country's human and natural history. It certainly deserves to be designated a Canadian heritage river. However, Parks Canada, which oversees that network, has been crippled by the Conservatives' many cuts.

Do the Conservatives really believe that cutting Parks Canada's budget is a good way to develop regional tourism and protect our rivers?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is playing a leadership role when it comes to protecting our environment. That is why we have invested significantly to clean up and improve water quality and to protect fish in targeted areas such as the Great Lakes and Lake Winnipeg. We have also renewed the Great Lakes water quality agreements and our commitments to remediate contaminated sites.

The standing committee on environment has concluded its study on water quality on the Great Lakes, and I look forward to seeing the final report.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Government of Quebec will table its budget. Quebeckers are coping with a difficult financial situation, but in Ottawa, the Minister of Finance is telling foreign delegations what a great job he did balancing the budget, supposedly.

Has the minister told these people that he decided to slash Quebec's health care funding by $10 billion without consulting anyone? Has he told them that he is still pillaging billions of dollars from the employment insurance fund? Has he told him that his employment insurance reforms and his cuts are costing Quebec dearly—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud to host these foreign delegations because our government, led by the Prime Minister, did what had to be done. We reduced our spending and we are working to spend the money we have.

I would like to congratulate the new Government of Quebec, which wants to do the same: reduce government spending and deal with the current economic situation head-on. I wish the government good luck with tomorrow's budget. For our part, we will continue to ensure that Canada remains very strong, a wonderful country united with a very strong Quebec.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. That concludes question period for today.

The hon. member for Niagara West—Glanbrook is rising on a point of order.

Petitions

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

There have been consultations and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the House to revert back to presenting petitions, for the sole purpose of presenting two petitions on the topic mentioned earlier in my statement pursuant to Standing Order 31.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to revert to petitions for this sole purpose?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Millennium Development Goals

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from the Millennium Kids organization, with hundreds of signatures. Some of the members are with us here today, sitting in the gallery. It has done a tremendous job collecting signatures across Canada.

The petitioners ask the Government of Canada to continue in its commitment to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to rise today to present a petition signed by a number of citizens, including many young Millennium Kids, a number of whom are here today.

The petitioners want to remind us all that in 2000 Canada, as well as 188 nations, promised to spare no efforts to fulfill the eight critical goals now known as the Millennium Development Goals and that this commitment could be fulfilled by keeping an earlier promise to spend 0.7% of Canada's gross national product on development assistance.

The petitioners underline that we have broken that promise, and so they ask us to correct the situation and, in order to meet the MDGs, to direct 0.7% of Canada's GNP toward official development assistance every year.

The House resumed from June 2 consideration of the motion that Bill C-27, an act to amend the Public Service Employment Act (enhancing hiring opportunities for certain serving and former members of the Canadian Forces), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Veterans Hiring Act

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Pursuant to an order made on Wednesday, May 27, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at the second reading stage of Bill C-27.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #161

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

Bill C-20—Time Allocation Motion

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

moved:

That, in relation to Bill C-20, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Honduras, the Agreement on Environmental Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Honduras and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Honduras, not more than five further hours shall be allotted to the consideration of the report stage and five hours shall be allotted to the consideration of the third reading stage of the Bill; and

That, at the expiry of the five hours provided for the consideration of the report stage and the five hours provided for the consideration of the third reading stage of the said Bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order, and, in turn, every question necessary for the disposal of the said stages of the Bill shall be put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Pursuant to Standing Order 67.1, there will now be a 30-minute question period.

I will recognize the hon. opposition House leader.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for those who are keeping score, this is the 68th time that the government has used closure or time allocation motions. Sadly this is a new record.

The Conservatives are limiting members’ speaking time in the House of Commons for the 68th time. Clearly they want nothing to do with debates or discussions. They only want to shut the place down. Interestingly enough, they claim to want a debate, but they want to limit it and have it take place in the evening.

Last week, they missed 26 shifts. They failed to show up in the House to speak to the issues and represent their constituents. Not just the Conservatives, but the Liberals as well. These two parties really could care less about democratic debates. The NDP, on the other hand, believes that debate is important.

Why are the Conservatives trying to shut down debate on this particular bill? Apparently it is because the NDP has been scoring points on the fact that the government's trade strategy has been a disaster. The Conservatives sign these trade agreements, poorly negotiated, but they have never signed a fair trade agreement, and their trade deficit is at a record level, as is the deficit with most of the countries they have signed agreements with.

Given all the human rights violations in Honduras, given the wide outcry about this bill being put forward and the agreement being signed with a regime that has been tagged with so many human rights violations, the question is this: why does the government want to shut down debate? Is it because as Canadians learn about the human rights violations they are not keen that the government push this bill through?