Debates of June 6th, 2014

Housing

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians are at risk of losing their homes because of this government's indifference. As we say, “a roof, a right”, but the government seems to think that is a joke.

The Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the NDP are calling on the government to restore funding for social and co-operative housing.

Why is the government ignoring this issue?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, we are listening, and we are providing common-sense solutions that actually produce results.

The director of CHF, Nicholas Gazzard, said about the changes that we have made to help housing co-ops, “We are very encouraged that housing co-ops will be able to use these funds to continue to provide support for vulnerable households”.

While the agreements have ended because the mortgages are paid off, we have renewed our investment in affordable housing. The money goes to the provinces. We have also made common-sense changes for co-ops. All around, we are getting the job done.

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 200,000 co-operative housing units will be lost even as thousands of Canadians are adding their names to the waiting lists. The need is growing, but this government does not care. If the government does not do something before 2020, co-operative housing will no longer be affordable for low-income residents.

Why is the government not helping to make access to affordable housing a priority for Canada?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, the real question is this. Why do the New Democrats and the Liberals vote against every one of our initiatives that set out to help Canadians with housing? For example, they voted against our providing $300 million to British Columbia for housing. In P.E.I., we signed an agreement of $15 million; in New Brunswick, $78 million; in Alberta, $202 million. Across the country, we are signing these agreements, and the New Democrats have voted against it every time.

While they want to talk about helping those people who need housing, they do nothing to actually create that.

Natural Resources

[Bryan Hayes, Conservative, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know the importance of natural resource development. This is why they trust our government's responsible resource development plan to create jobs and grow the economy while strengthening environmental protection. The natural resources sector supports 1.8 million jobs and contributes nearly 20% to our GDP.

Can the Minister of Natural Resources update this House on action our government is taking to build upon this success?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Sault Ste. Marie. I appreciate his work for northern Ontario. Our government is taking action to ensure that our resources are developed responsibly. That is why we have introduced the energy safety and security act to strengthen protection for taxpayers in the event of an incident in the offshore and nuclear sectors. Bill C-22 is being studied by the natural resources committee, and I look forward to further debate when it returns to this place.

Foreign Affairs

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow Petro Poroshenko will be inaugurated as president of Ukraine, after earning a powerful democratic mandate in last month's election. However, Ukraine continues to face extreme pressure from Russia. Crimea has been annexed, and Russian nationals, armed by Russia, are terrorizing the people and undermining the government in Donbass.

When will Canada finally join our ally, the United States, in adding Igor Sechin, president of Rosneft and a member of the Kremlin inner circle, to our sanctions list?

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular)]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister attended the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Petro Poroshenko in Ukraine. Canada has been a leader in the global response to Russian aggression in the Ukraine. Canada has put in place sanctions against over 100 individuals and entities responsible for the crises, contributed hundreds of Canadian observers to help facilitate free, fair, and democratic elections in the Ukraine, and is providing funds this year to help Ukraine implement needed economic reforms and promote democratic and social development.

Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea and Ukraine and provocations in eastern and southern Ukraine remain a serious—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Repentigny.

The Budget

[Jean-François Larose, NDP, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, massive cuts and Conservative inaction have had a devastating impact on my riding.

Because of their botched, half-baked approach to fighting homelessness, La Hutte, a homeless shelter in my riding, lost 25% of its funding. The Conservatives also cut the federal contribution to the Christmas fair, which represents millions in economic spinoffs. As well, they did absolutely nothing about the closure of Electrolux, which resulted in the loss of 2,000 jobs.

Why are the Conservatives shirking their responsibility to support economic development and social protection in Repentigny?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, there have been no cuts to our homelessness partnering strategy. In fact, we have renewed our funding over five years. We have refocused on an evidence-based model to fight homelessness called Housing First. The NDP does not like evidence-based, results-orientated policy because it is politically driven and wants to spread misinformation.

We are proud of what we have done. Louise Bradley, president and CEO of the Mental Health Commission, said that bold solutions like Housing First are the hallmark of our mandate and that the Government of Canada is right to feel incredibly proud of its investment.

We do.

International Trade

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on the real priorities of Canadians: creating new jobs and new opportunities. That is why we continue to open new markets for our Canadian exporters around the world. With the Canada-Honduras free trade agreement, Canadian exporters, our service providers, and our investors will all benefit from enhanced market access, which will create new sources of prosperity for Canadian businesses of all sizes and also, of course, for their workers.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue please update the House on this important trade agreement?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue and for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, the reality in this place is that the NDP would prefer to isolate Honduras. We believe that engagement is the best way to promote Canadian values around the world. Through engagement, we are able to share with Honduras our best practices in areas such as human rights, labour rights, democracy, and the environment. Trade is absolutely a solution, not a problem.

Champlain Bridge

[Jean-François Fortin, Bloc, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, following the election in Quebec, senior Conservatives said that they were eager to work with the new government on major files.

I would like to draw their attention to a new development in a major file. The Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion confirming the strong regional consensus against a toll on the new Champlain Bridge and specifically calling on the federal government to refrain from imposing a toll. This just happened. Quebec's position could not be more clear.

Was the message about working together heard? Will the Conservatives support the amendments that the Bloc Québécois is going to propose on Monday and remove the clause in the mammoth bill that seeks to impose a toll on the new Champlain Bridge?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our position has always been clear: there will be a toll on the new Champlain Bridge. Unlike the Liberal Party, the NDP and the Bloc, we believe in the user-pay principle.

We will not make Canadians across the country pay for local infrastructure. This is a clear choice for Canadians. The other parties want to add to our debt, whereas we are making responsible choices. If the NDP and the Bloc are concerned about the bridges in Montreal, they should vote for the significant investments contained in the budget bill.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' proposed prostitution laws will criminalize sex work for both the people who sell it and the people who buy it. It will never pass muster with the courts and it will put the lives of vulnerable women and girls in danger. In New Zealand, prostitution is legal, regulated, and taxed. The safety of sex workers and women is protected.

Why has the minister introduced a bill he knows will pick yet another fight with the courts?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. In fact, this bill is responsive to the Supreme Court decision in Bedford, but more importantly, it is responsive to Canadians' wishes, which were to ensure that Canadians were safe and protected in their communities. Those most vulnerable and those at risk because of the inherent dangers of prostitution are also very much at the front of this bill.

We have also put in place compassionate measures to help prostitutes to exit the bill, exist the dangers of prostitution.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

I know they are laughing, but it is not a very funny issue at all. It is very much about vulnerable Canadians. That is why we brought this legislation forward.

I would encourage all members to actually read the bill before they get up and make uninformed statements.

Public Safety

[Maria Mourani, Independent, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with its statutory authority, the RCMP ruled that semi-automatic weapons, including various models of the CZ858, are prohibited because they can quickly be transformed into automatic weapons.

However, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness not only gave a two-year amnesty to the owners of these weapons, but also assured them that the RCMP's decision would be urgently reviewed.

How does the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness expect to protect Canadians if he is going to undermine the RCMP and fail to maintain effective gun control?

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, Canada in fact does have a strong gun control system in place to protect Canadian families and our communities. In fact, it is this government that has taken real action despite the opposition from the parties opposite to strengthen our laws to stop violent crimes and illegal firearms.

In fact, we introduced and passed the Tackling Violent Crime Act, which actually set mandatory sentences for serious gun crime.

Decorum

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

Mr. Speaker, it is literally a point of order here in this House. The hon. member for Kenora quite often heckles and catcalls. He was doing it today during my question. I would like that hon. member to consider his behaviour and apologize.

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I will never apologize for standing up for the priorities of northern Ontarians, particularly northwestern Ontarians, which this member consistently and persistently never does in this place.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would suggest to the minister that if he does wish to do that, he would do it when he is given the floor and not while the other member is trying to ask a question. I think that would suit the House much better.

Transitional Regulations

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I have another opportunity. Thank you.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, two copies of the transitional regulations referenced in clauses 53 and 92 of Bill C-5, our offshore safety and health legislation, namely the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Marine Installations and Structures Occupational Health and Safety Transitional Regulations; the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Marine Installations and Structures Transitional Regulations; the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area Diving Operations Safety Transitional Regulations; the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Marine Installations and Structures Occupational Health and Safety Transitional Regulations; the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Marine Installations and Structures Transitional Regulations; and, the Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Diving Operations Safety Transitional Regulations.