House of Commons Hansard #96 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was veterans.

Topics

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the pages.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Canada's Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Pursuant to an order made on Thursday, May 29, the House will now resolve itself into committee of the whole to welcome Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

(House in committee of the whole to recognize Canada’s 2014 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games athletes, Mr. Andrew Scheer in the chair)

[And Canada’s 2014 Olympic and Paralympic athletes being present in the chamber:]

Canada's Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It is my pleasure today to welcome to the House of Commons athletes and coaches from Canada's Olympic and Paralympic teams who participated in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

I know I speak on behalf of all members in the House, and indeed all Canadians, when I say how extremely proud we are of each and every one of you. Your successes in Sochi captivated our country and demonstrated the very best of what it means to be Canadian.

Not only did both our Olympic and Paralympic teams finish third in the overall medal standings, but they also competed with honour and truly exemplified the Olympic spirit.

Today, as we pay tribute to Canada's Olympians and Paralympians, let us also take a moment to commend the dedication of all those who have helped these athletes pursue their dreams.

I am thinking about the trainers, the support personnel, the sponsors, organizations such as the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees and, of course, the athletes' families.

On behalf of all members of Parliament, I offer our most heartfelt congratulations to the members of Canada's Olympic and Paralympic teams. Your hard work, sacrifice and determination are truly an inspiration to all Canadians. Thank you so much for all you have done for your country.

I understand there is agreement among all parties and members of the House to have the names of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes printed in the Debates of the House of Commons.

Canada’s 2014 Olympic and Paralympic athletes:

Erin Mielzynski, Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Brittany Phelan, Brad Spence, Elli Terwiel, Megan Imrie, Zina Kocher, Jean-Philippe LeGuellec, Scott Perras, Nathan Smith, Jenny Ciochetti, Benjamin Coakwell, Justin Kripps, Jesse Lumsden, James McNaughton, Timothy Randall, Cody Sorensen, Christopher Spring, Jesse Cockney, Dasha Gaiazova, Perianne Jones, Devon Kershaw, Emily Nishikawa, Lenny Valjas, Heidi Widmer, Caleb Flaxey, Patrick Chan, Gabrielle Daleman, Mitchell Islam, Paige Lawrence, Scott Moir, Dylan Moscovitch, Kaetlyn Osmond, Alexandra Paul, Andrew Poje, Eric Radford, Kevin Reynolds, Rudi Swiegers, Tessa Virtue, Kaitlyn Weaver, Justin Dorey, Maxime Dufour-Lapointe, Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Chloé Dufour-Lapointe, Marc-Antoine Gagnon, Travis Gerrits, Rosalind Groenewoud, Keltie Hansen, Dara Howell, Mikael Kingsbury, Kim Lamarre, Philippe Marquis, Mike Riddle, Audrey Robichaud, Yuki Tsubota, Brady Leman, Kelsey Serwa, Marielle Thompson, Melodie Daoust, Haley Irwin, Rebecca Johnston, Charline Labonté, Geneviève Lacasse, Jocelyne Larocque, Caroline Ouellette, Marie-Philip Poulin, Lauriane Rougeau, Natalie Spooner, Shannon Szabados, Marc-Édouard Vlasic, Jennifer Wakefield, Catherine Ward, Sam Edney, John Fennell, Alex Gough, Arianne Jones, Mitch Malyk, Kim McRae, Justin Snith, Tristan Walker, John Fairbairn, Eric Neilson, Sarah Reid,

Taylor Henrich, Trevor Morrice, Matthew Rowley, Caroline Calvé, Alexandra Duckworth, Rob Fagan, Kevin Hill, Jake Holden, Ariane Lavigne, Derek Livingston, Dominique Maltais, Mercedes Nicoll, Maelle Ricker, Chris Robanske Ivanie Blondin, Anastasia Bucsis, Kali Christ, Vincent de Haitre, Jamie Gregg, Marsha Hudey, Gilmore Junio, Lucas Makowsky, Denny Morrison, Danielle Wotherspoon, Michael Gilday, Charles Hamelin, François Hamelin, Olivier Jean, Valérie Maltais, Marianne St-Gelais, Caleb Brousseau, Joshua Dueck, Robin Femy, Kimberly Joines, Erin Latimer, Mac Marcoux, Kurt Oatway, Kirk Schornstein, Alexandra Starker, Chris Williamson, Mark Arendz, Caroline Bisson, Colette Bourgonje, Sven Erik Carleton, Sébastien Fortier, Louis Fortin, Margarita Gorbounova, Brittany Hudak, Chris Klebl, Robbi Weldon, John Leslie, Tyler Mosher, Michelle Salt, Bradley Bowden, Adam Dixon, Dominic Larocque, Karl Ludwig, Tyler McGregor, Sonja Gaudet, Mark Ideson, Dennis Thiessen

Canada's Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

2:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Canada's Olympic and Paralympic Athletes

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The committee will rise and I will leave the chair.

Pursuant to an order made on Thursday, May 29, the House will now proceed to statements by members.

Stratford FestivalStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to congratulate the Stratford Festival on the opening of their 2014 season. The festival is an integral part of the economy of Perth—Wellington. It creates thousands of full-time jobs and generates more than $130 million in economic activity.

Since 1953, people from around the world have come to Stratford for unparalleled performances from North America's leading theatre company. The fine list of productions this year includes King Lear, Crazy for You, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Man of La Mancha, and so many more.

Aside from world-class theatrical productions, the festival will host countless musical and cultural events.

I congratulate the Stratford Festival on its continued success and thank the festival for its enormous contributions to the city of Stratford, the surrounding area, and Canada.

The EconomyStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Jean-François Larose NDP Repentigny, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives claim that they are helping the economy grow, promoting the common good and standing up for Canadians. However, they are favouring their rich friends while the majority of people are suffering and getting poorer.

In my riding, the Conservatives did nothing to address the closure of Electrolux. More than 2,000 jobs were lost. They stopped giving financial support to the Christmas market, which created millions of dollars in economic spinoffs. They have stripped the homeless shelter, La Hutte, of 25% of its budget. All of those cuts amount to direct attacks on my region's social and economic development.

We deserve better than a mediocre government that does not seem to understand anything about basic economics. We deserve a secure future. In 2015, let us make sure that we get rid of the Conservative pandemic once and for all.

Second World War SoldiersStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Stella Ambler Conservative Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, later this month, an Italian named Gino Farnetti-Bragaglia will be visiting Canada to thank three Canadian families.

In the Second World War, three Canadian soldiers, Lloyd “Red” Oliver, Paul Hagen, and Mert Massey, rescued five-year-old Gino while on campaign in Italy. They found him starving and alone, not even knowing his own last name. The soldiers and their company looked after him for almost a year, and the orphaned young boy was eventually adopted by an Italian family. Nearly 70 years after the war, Gino is coming to Canada to thank the families of the Canadian soldiers who saved his life.

Gino's story reminds us of the sacrifice and honour earned by the brave Canadian soldiers who fought for the liberation of Italy. Today I want to join Gino in thanking those three soldiers and their families as well as all Canadian veterans. It is important to remember that Canadian soldiers risked their lives, not just for our freedom but so that people like Gino Farnetti-Bragaglia could live in freedom as well.

Human RightsStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, today we stand in solidarity with the Sikh community as they remember the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar. That tragic episode, which resulted in the devastating loss of so many innocent lives, triggered a series of events that deeply impacted the Sikh community across the world, including here in Canada.

Liberals have long held that respect for human rights must be paramount and that those responsible for atrocities must be held accountable and brought to justice.

As we remember the innocent lives lost in 1984, we must remain vigilant to ensure that the basic human rights of all individuals are respected and that such tragedies are never repeated.

Table for 1200Statements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Conservative Winnipeg South Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, on May 31, I had the pleasure of attending Table for 1,200, a pop-up dinner that took place on the Esplanade Riel, alongside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

This fantastic event, put on by Storefront Manitoba and 5468796 Architecture, was the opportunity of a lifetime and showcased the design community in Winnipeg and the truly collaborative spirit of Winnipeggers. Featuring a fabulous prairie-themed dinner, spearheaded by the team from RAW:almond, 1,200 guests were told the location just hours before the dinner started and brought their own chairs to a 366-metre-long table with the beautiful backdrop of Winnipeg's downtown.

This initiative encouraged design discussion and brought people together for a wonderful evening of food and fun. I was so happy to be there, and I congratulate all involved on their tremendous success. I know the conversations will continue long after the tables are taken down.

VeteransStatements By Members

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the men and women who bravely serve, and have served, our country in the Canadian military. Sadly, many of our soldiers and veterans feel forgotten.

Today veterans and their families from across Canada are here on Parliament Hill to protest their treatment by the Conservative government. They have been calling on the government for greater support, whether it be for financial needs, career transition, dealing with a disability, or ensuring that caregivers are recognized and helped. Sadly, these calls have fallen on deaf ears.

In my own riding of St. John's East and across Newfoundland and Labrador, veterans have felt the effects of government cuts, including the closure of the Veterans Affairs office in Corner Brook.

The unanimous report released by the veterans affairs committee, if implemented, is an important first step toward meaningful changes to the new veterans charter, but much more needs to be done. Veterans can count on the NDP to continue the fight to ensure that our veterans and their families get the support and help they need and deserve.

D-Day AnniversaryStatements By Members

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Corneliu Chisu Conservative Pickering—Scarborough East, ON

Mr. Speaker, on June 6, 1944, 25,000 Canadian forces from land, air, and sea came together on the beaches of Normandy to join the Allied invasion of occupied France. The Battle of Normandy, on D-Day, was one of Canada's most significant and successful military engagements, and it was a defining moment in our nation's history. However, this triumph was not without sacrifice. Over 5,000 Canadians laid down their lives defending freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

On Friday, we mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, when we will honour the memory and legacy on those brave Canadians.

Lest we forget.

Correctional Service CanadaStatements By Members

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government believes that the correctional system should actually correct criminal behaviour. Criminals should not be rewarded or given perks for violating the trust that exists between individuals in Canadian society. That is why we passed into law my private member's bill that put an end to vexatious complaints made by prisoners.

I was shocked to learn today that an individual who callously murdered his wife and her mother in front of their young son is trying to sue the government for misplacing lewd pictures he had taken of his new wife. It is shocking that this individual would try to force Canadians to compensate him for such a ludicrous issue as he sits in prison serving a life sentence.

Canadians expect that prisoners pay their debt to society, not the other way around.

Mental HealthStatements By Members

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Marie-Claude Morin NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, on May 23, I had the immense pleasure of being the honorary chair of Jazz ta vie pour un ami, a performance fundraiser for Trait d'union montérégien, an organization that helps people with mental health issues who live in isolation.

This week, I will be the spokesperson for a fundraising dinner for Maison alternative de développement humain, a social reintegration organization for people with mental health issues.

Even though this is 2014, there are still people living with these problems who are ashamed. Why? Because there is still way too much discrimination against this health problem. Do people know that one in five of us will suffer from a mental health problem at some point?

That is why I have agreed to lend my voice to these organizations. They work so hard with so few resources to eradicate taboos and create an environment where people with these problems can be heard, listened to and helped, where they can live full lives as citizens and take control of their lives. I congratulate them on their excellent work.

Canadian Grain FarmersStatements By Members

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, three years ago, prairie farmers gave the Conservative government their overwhelming endorsement to bring in marketing freedom for wheat and barley. We immediately rolled up our sleeves, and despite the tactics of the NDP and Liberals to deny the rights of farmers to sell their crop at a time and price of their choosing, marketing freedom is the law of the land.

Marketing freedom has allowed increased wheat and barley acreages and access to record prices. When farmers faced transportation challenges, our government acted again to bring in an order in council and legislation to clear the backlog.

Now, with that grain moving, I am happy to report that yesterday, the courts dismissed the last of five lawsuits that the opponents of freedom brought to stifle our farmers. Now that farmers and the courts have spoken, will the opposition finally admit that it was wrong and embrace marketing freedom?

Canadian Armed ForcesStatements By Members

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC

Mr. Speaker, an investigation by Maclean's and L'actualité recently revealed cases of sexual assault within our Canadian Forces. This is a serious and worrisome situation.

Every day, five victims, men and women, but mostly women, are sexually assaulted. If we extrapolate over a 20-year period, there are 36,500 cases. If we consider that there are roughly 10,000 women in the Canadian Forces, then we might say that every woman who has a career in the forces will be a victim of these disgraceful acts one day or another. This is simply unacceptable.

We have had it with the inaction and empty action of the defence ministers, Liberal and Conservative alike. We must establish an independent judicial inquiry and have someone other than the forces look at this problem if we want real answers about such things as the aspects of military culture that aggravate this problem. If we want more women to join the Canadian Forces then we must first keep them safe.

After all, they are our daughters, our sisters, our mothers.

PolandStatements By Members

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Ted Opitz Conservative Etobicoke Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, freedom was reborn in Poland 25 years ago today. The first free elections were held in Poland on this day because the Solidarity trade union, led by Lech Walesa, helped defeat the Soviet empire, a communist system of evil that the Prime Minister recently called a “poisonous ideology”. Poland triumphed, loosening the bonds of other nations. Their fight for freedom was defended by Reagan, Thatcher, Mulroney, and the spiritual leadership of St. John Paul.

Prime Minister Harper stood among the Polish people today, sharing their joy and sharing Poland's determination to help freedom flourish in other places, like the commitment we share to stand with the people of Ukraine to help them rise and become a free and prosperous society.

Poles have long fought for freedom, and we know the heavy cost of it. They have built a nation that is called the Canada of Europe, a thriving democracy with a robust economy that is the envy of its neighbours. Poland and Canada stand united in a just cause to help other nations realize the same freedom we enjoy.

God bless the Polish people.

Jeszcze Polska nie zginela kiedy my zyjemy.

[Member spoke in Polish and provided the following translation:]

Poland has not yet perished as long as we live.

PolandStatements By Members

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I want to remind the hon. member that we do not use proper names in the House. We use ridings or titles. I know he will want to keep that in mind.

The hon. member for Papineau.

Eugenie BouchardStatements By Members

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating our athletes, who inspire us and make us proud.

In that regard, tomorrow, Montrealer Eugenie Bouchard will be the first Canadian woman to compete in the semifinals at Roland-Garros in Paris.

Last January, Eugenie made Canadian tennis history when she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam event of the season. Tomorrow, just a few months later, and at barely 20 years old, Eugenie will play her second Grand Slam semifinal.

Eugenie's accomplishments are absolutely extraordinary, and if, or I should say when, she wins tomorrow, she will be one of the top 10 female tennis players in the world.

Eugenie Bouchard's success reminds us of how the dedication and commitment of our athletes—like those who were in the House just a few minutes ago—can inspire all of us.

Quite often we think that hockey is Canada's sport. However, tomorrow, I think that Canadians' attention will shift from the ice rink to the clay court as we cheer on Eugenie Bouchard.

Tiananmen SquareStatements By Members

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Scott Reid Conservative Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON

Mr. Speaker, in countries across the world, 1989 was the annus mirabilis, during which communism gave way peacefully to democracy. In April of that year, students and civilians across China began peaceful demonstrations in support of democracy. For the next six weeks, these protests were the pole star of freedom, guiding oppressed people across the communist world, but in China itself, the democracy movement was brutally crushed when 25 years ago today, the politburo ordered the army to attack its own unarmed civilians. Nobody knows exactly how many Chinese citizens were gunned down or crushed by tanks. Estimates range from 240 to 2,600.

For a quarter of a century, the PRC government has denied its responsibility. To this day, the government denies its civilians the basic freedoms that were sought by the martyrs of Tiananmen.

Let us never forget our responsibility to preserve the memory of those who were killed or imprisoned for their steadfast determination to bring forward democracy and human rights in China.

Eugenie BouchardStatements By Members

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, at the French Open, Canadians across the country learned a valuable lesson about how to react in the face of adversity, a little like what we saw with the Montreal Canadiens earlier this spring.

Young Montreal prodigy Eugenie Bouchard once again dazzled the world by qualifying for the semifinals of one of the most prestigious international tennis tournaments.

It was not a guaranteed victory. She was up against a tough opponent, but she held her ground and triumphed.

As we have just seen on the floor of the House, Canada has many athletes who know what it is like to face such adversity.

We are particularly excited about the incredible success of this young Quebecker, who has a promising future on the world circuit.

As a proud member of the Genie Army, I wish Eugenie the greatest success at the French Open, and I join with millions of fans and Canadians, particularly my colleagues in the House, to say, “Go, Eugenie, go!”

JusticeStatements By Members

June 4th, 2014 / 2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Prime Minister on appointing Justice Clément Gascon to the Supreme Court of Canada. Justice Gascon's extensive legal knowledge, as well as his experience in this area, will certainly be a great asset to this important Canadian institution.

We said that we would act quickly to ensure that the Supreme Court has a full complement of judges, and we kept that promise.

Our government made sure to conduct extensive consultations with prominent members of Quebec's legal community. Justice Gascon was a judge of the Quebec Court of Appeal, so there is no doubt that he is qualified and eligible to sit on the highest court in the country.

This appointment has been widely applauded. As the member for Gatineau said yesterday, Justice Gascon has a stellar reputation and he was a great nomination. We agree.

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, yesterday members of all parties on the veterans affairs committee made a series of modest recommendations to the minister for how he could improve services and begin to win back the trust of the veterans he is supposed to serve.

Will the Minister of Veterans Affairs immediately make those recommendations a reality and help improve the lives of veterans and their families?

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Conservative

Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition, but equally and more importantly, thank all members of the veterans affairs committee, who came forward with a unanimous report.

To quote briefly from that report:

The Committee members unanimously agree that the principles of the NVC should be upheld and that these principles foster an approach that is well suited to today's veterans.

The minister is going to, of course, deal with the recommendations found within that report, and since we have seen a record increase in the expenditures for Canadian veterans as a result of our government and our Prime Minister, we continue to support veterans.

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, what does “deal with the recommendations” mean?