House of Commons Hansard #115 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was korea.

Topics

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of our national anthem led by the hon. member for Mississauga East—Cooksville.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Health and Fitness AdvocateStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, when we members rise to pay tribute to a person from our ridings, we identify those who inspire not only our communities, but also our country. Today I pay tribute to just such a hero, Frank Kurucz, who has literally saved people's lives through his coaching.

Among other things, Frank created the Nomads running group 50 years ago, which is an informal club of men who run together on weekends. As recently as last Saturday, 84-year-old Frank was running, inspiring those of us who ran with him.

Frank also initiated Fit Fellas, a well-attended fitness class, now led by Barrie Chapman at the very busy West Vancouver recreation centre.

Frank also initiated the West Van Masters Mile race, and coached at the YMCA, UBC volleyball and soccer, and at women's and other groups.

Frank was also West Van's first director of parks and recreation, and the hero who lit the Olympic cauldron there in 2010.

The single theme in all of these activities is the importance of integrating health and fitness to maintain a successful, well-balanced life and a strong community.

Mr. Speaker, through you, I say, thank you, Frank, on behalf of the many you have inspired.

Veterans AdvocateStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House of Commons to pay tribute to a great Canadian, Steinar Jarle Engeset.

Steinar was born in Norway in 1942. In 1966 he immigrated to Canada with his wife.

He became instrumental in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, for opening up the northern shrimp fishery. He created many jobs in that part of the country.

Steinar will be most known for his advocacy on behalf of Canadian veterans. He was born during the war and has never forgotten that it was the Canadians and our allies who liberated his country and his parents. Thus, Steinar arranged the first Convoy Cup.

The Convoy Cup is made up of the air force, Canadian navy and merchant mariners who sailed essential supplies to Britain at that time for the liberation of a free Europe.

What an honour it was to be with Steinar on his vessel as he did the sailpast of HMCS Sackville, Canada's naval memorial, where he personally took the salute from Canada's honoured merchant navy veterans.

I pay a special tribute from the House of Commons to a great Canadian and a great man in Steinar Engeset.

Fall FairsStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, fall fairs are occurring in my riding of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and across Canada.

These fairs draw communities together and provide the opportunity for both children and adults not only to celebrate agriculture, but also their communities, the backbone of our country.

I am particularly impressed by the young people who put their names forward to act as ambassadors not only for their fair, but also for their community and the businesses in it. Each and every one of the contestants I have met so far show the qualities to be leaders throughout their life.

I extend my best wishes to all the young people who participate in the Fair Ambassador competitions. Each ambassador for their regional fair then goes on to compete for the Ontario Ambassador. Many times that title has been brought home to Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

Fall fairs are not done yet, and I look forward to many more before the snow flies.

Creole MonthStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, [Member spoke in Creole as follows:] sak pasé? Jodia mwen salué toute collègue mwen yo nan Parlement canadien, nan langue zancètre mwen, le créole.

I have the great privilege of highlighting the 13th edition of the Mois du créole, which has been organized by KEPKAA, an organization that has been working to promote Creole in Quebec through education, culture and the arts since 2002.

In Canada, more than 200,000 people, including yours truly, come from countries where Creole is spoken. Those countries include Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, the Seychelles, and islands of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. We are proud to contribute to Canada's cultural richness.

I would like to congratulate the organizing committee and the president of KEPKAA, Arcelle Appolon, for the work they do to promote Creole.

To conclude, I would like to salute all those who speak Creole, the language taught to me by my parents, that I have taught it to my children and that I am proud to speak here.

[Member spoke in Creole]

Riding of Calgary NortheastStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Devinder Shory Conservative Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge some great community organizations that make the hardest working riding of Calgary Northeast a great place to live and raise a family.

First, congratulations to Sue Scott and her team, including volunteers at Cardel Place recreation centre, and to the Country Hills public library on their 10th anniversary.

Congratulations also to the Skyview Ranch Community Association for another successful AGM. I commend it for promoting a diverse and inclusive community. Thanks to community members, Fred Ghogomu, Don Monroe, Charles Bonny, Balraj Nijjar, Chand Singh Sadioura and others, for their passion in serving the community.

Finally, TV Channel i also deserves congratulations on its 15 years of service to the Bangladesh community here in Canada and throughout the world.

Jeannot CaronStatements By Members

September 24th, 2014 / 2:05 p.m.

NDP

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

Mr. Speaker, today it is my great pleasure to celebrate the exceptional contribution of an individual in my riding.

Jeannot Caron received the Prix d'excellence de leader engagé, an award recognizing his dedication to community leadership, during the 26th symposium of the Réseau québécois de Villes et Villages en santé, an organization that promotes healthy communities.

He is a dynamic man who brings people together and is deeply involved in his community, but his personal history is unusual. After a difficult time in his life, he was forced to live on the street. It was not easy for him to reintegrate, but he chose to use his experience to help those most in need. Every day, Jeannot battles the stereotypes that plague homeless people and those struggling with mental health issues.

He manages several community organizations, co-founded the Solidarité itinérance maskoutaine round table on homelessness, and was an active participant in creating Lit'inérance, which offers shelter to the homeless. He is extremely generous in sharing his experience.

My hat goes off to you, Jeannot. If there were more people like you, the world would definitely be a better place.

Vasu ChanchlaniStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, September 14, I was honoured to attend and speak at a memorial service for my dear friend and mentor, Mr. Vasu Chanchlani. He was not only a close friend of mine, but of Canada's as well.

Mr. Chanchlani was a celebrated businessman and a philanthropist.

Although he came to Canada in 1979, his close ties with his home country of India fuelled his advocacy for building a stronger relationship between our two great nations. As one of the founding members of the Canada India Foundation, he understood the true potential of building a strong bond with India which led to the rich, long-standing partnership that we continue to build upon today.

His passion for education shone through as he gave generously to many of our Canadian universities in the areas of health, research, international relations, and literature, to name a few.

He accompanied the Prime Minister and the Governor General on their official visits to India.

My thoughts and prayers are with Vasu's family at this time. His contribution to Canada and India will never be forgotten and will be honoured forever.

Teaching Excellence AwardStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Mr. Byron Ross, who was recently recognized by our Prime Minister with an award for teaching excellence.

Mr. Ross taught in the business program at the Swan Valley Regional Secondary School in Swan River, Manitoba. He taught his students tangible skills that provided them with the tools to become intuitive business leaders and entrepreneurs. He used hands-on techniques to teach the students responsibility and business sense.

His teachings have literally paid dividends for the students and their community. The school's store, the Tigers Den, operates during regular school hours and brings in over $100,000 in annual sales.

His students have also partnered with the Swan Valley Credit Union to create their very own Tigers Credit Union with their own board of directors and operations.

Finally, through the youth in philanthropy program, his students help evaluate funding proposals through the Community Foundation of Swan Valley, helping to deliver $5,000 in annual funding to deserving youth programs.

Congratulations to Mr. Ross for living by his students' motto, “to make a difference today for tomorrow”.

Urban ForestsStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Mr. Speaker, today on this National Tree Day, I would like to speak to the importance of urban forests.

Urban forests impact a significant number of Canadians, almost 85% of our population, yet Canada lags behind other G7 countries in the value we place on them. In the United States, management of urban forests falls under the responsibility of an individual equivalent to a Canadian deputy minister.

Urban forests are dynamic ecosystems that purify our air and water, help to control storm runoff, and conserve energy. Trees add form, structure, beauty, and breathing room in urban design. They reduce noise, provide recreational space, and add real economic value.

My hometown of London, Ontario, known as the Forest City, has introduced parallel legislation at the municipal level in recognition of the value of urban trees.

My Motion No. M-536 proposes a federal leadership strategy to preserve, protect and promote urban forests for their life-giving value to Canadian communities.

I am grateful for the assistance of Michael Rosen, president of Tree Canada, in developing this strategy, as well as my New Democratic colleagues for their support.

I urge every member to support this important initiative, and I wish them all a happy National Tree Day.

Islamic StateStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Speaker, when ISIL began murdering thousands of innocent men, women, children, and religious minorities, it completely violated every value Canadians hold dear. When ISIL threatened Canadians because we do not share its twisted view of the world, our government remained resolute in its strong stand against such atrocities. We condemn these terrorists and their violation of human rights and human dignity.

Though other parties may feel the need to try to rationalize away the threats Canadians face in a dangerous world, our government has been firm and swift in its response, helping to deliver military supplies to Iraqi forces combatting ISIL and sending military advisers to support them.

Our government will not sit idle. We will stand with our allies in condemning the threat and will work with them to extinguish it.

Women in PoliticsStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of taking part in an evening of seminars with the theme “Laval women in power: models of political engagement”.

The event was organized by the Table de concertation de Laval en condition féminine, or TCLCF, under the auspices of the Réseau Lavalloises d'influence. Women from the education sector at the municipal, provincial and federal levels all came out to talk about the political reality and demystify the decision-making structures, hopefully making them less daunting and less intimidating.

I am proud to be part of the NDP, a party that believes in gender equality. In fact, over 40% of our caucus members are women.

Nevertheless, there is still a lot of work to do. Women are underrepresented in politics. We do politics differently and we do it well. It is up to us as female elected representatives to share our experiences and help women across the country get involved and run for political office.

That is why I support initiatives like the one just led by the TCLCF, and I congratulate them on their efforts. We must take our rightful place immediately; we must not wait.

Women in politics—this is non-negotiable. We must show our pride and break the glass ceiling once and for all.

Islamic StateStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

David Sweet Conservative Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been watching the events in Iraq unfold with increasing horror over the past couple of months. There is no doubt that ISIL, also known more appropriately now by the name Daesh, are the most barbaric, heinous terrorists this world has ever known.

Our Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister have shown unrelenting leadership on this issue. Just this week, Daesh called for attacks on Canadians and all westerners.

In addition to the threat Canadians are facing, what is also alarming is the direct targeting of Christians within Iraq. CNN, churches, and other news organizations have all reported that Daesh is marking their homes with an Arabic symbol signifying Christian. Is there anything in history that can compare to this barbarity? It is an affront to everything Canada stands for. It is outrageous to all Canadians. We cannot stand idly by. We cannot be ambiguous.

I urge all members of the House to speak out clearly, loudly, and in unison against the tactics and very existence of Daesh. Let us heed the lessons of history.

New Brunswick ElectionStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the team of Liberal candidates elected on Monday evening, and the new Premier-designate of New Brunswick, Brian Gallant.

Mr. Gallant ran a good campaign with an emphasis on job creation and fiscal responsibility.

The New Brunswick Liberals, under Brian Gallant's leadership, won a majority government on Monday night by discussing real issues that matter to New Brunswickers: jobs, affordability, and health care.

The Conservatives' record of job losses and financial mismanagement turned voters away from them, and even the visit of the Leader of the Opposition last Friday could not prevent the NDP from being shut out of the New Brunswick legislature.

New Brunswick needs strong leadership at a tough time, and Brian Gallant is up to the task.

I am sure that my colleagues join me in congratulating all the members of all the parties elected in Fredericton on Monday evening.

Islamic StateStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, Canada will not and cannot stand idly by while the barbaric terrorist organization ISIL continues its slaughter of innocent civilians and religious minorities. We stand united with our allies and will work with them to address this threat.

As we have said, inaction is not an option. That is why Canada has delivered military aid to Iraqi forces, has deployed Canadian Armed Forces members to provide strategic and tactical advice, and has provided funding to support regional efforts to limit the movement of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria.

We have been clear that the clock on Canada's 30 day, non-combat deployment began on September 5, when it was announced by the Prime Minister. At the end 30 days, we will look at renewing the mission. Opposition leaders have been briefed on this deployment. The ministers of foreign affairs and defence appeared before a parliamentary committee.

While the NDP is primarily concerned with minute details, our focus is on what matters, and that is addressing the threat that ISIL represents, not just to the region but to civilization itself.

National DefenceStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canadian soldiers are taking part in a war, and contrary to what we just heard, the government refuses to answer basic questions.

We still do not have any information on the exact number of soldiers taking part in this war and, again, unlike what we just heard, we have not received any real information on the exact duration of the mission in response to the opposition's questions.

Unlike the Liberals who are prepared to give the Conservatives carte blanche, as usual, we are trying to get more information. The Prime Minister and his parliamentary secretary refuse to be accountable to Canadians. Their presentation yesterday was pathetic.

When asked if he would condemn this, the member for Kitchener Centre used a horrible comparison. He compared women's weight to the farce we saw in this House yesterday.

Gender issues and terrible comparisons aside, it is obvious the Conservatives know how wrong they are on this. The purpose of asking questions in this House, again compared to what we have heard from that member, is to get answers, not to ask questions for nothing. Failing to provide those answers is disrespectful to this institution, to Canadians, and to our soldiers. Canadians deserve better.

Vasu ChanchlaniStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to recognize a great Canadian, Mr. Vasu Chanchlani, who sadly passed away on September 7.

Born in India, Vasu immigrated to Canada in 1979. He soon established himself as a successful entrepreneur who directed much of his energy to philanthropy. Vasu provided generous support to university health and other research programs and helped to mentor young leaders in the Indo-Canadian community. He was a founding member of the Canada India Foundation and actively worked to strengthen bilateral relations between Canada and India. His work directly improved the lives of many people, earning him widespread respect.

We join with Vasu's family and many friends in mourning this great loss and express our profound gratitude for Vasu's contributions to our country. He represented the very best of Canada.

Statement by the SpeakerStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Before we proceed to question period, the Chair wishes to make a brief statement.

The office of Speaker is an ancient one, and there are many procedural authorities in this country and abroad that describe the Speaker's role. Our own tome, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, encapsulates my role, as follows, at page 307:

The Speaker is the servant, neither of any part of the House nor of any majority in the House, but of the entire institution and serves the best interests of the House as distilled over many generations in its practices.

Despite the considerable authority of the office, the Speaker may exercise only those powers conferred upon him or her by the House, within the limits established by the House itself.

With respect to question period proceedings, contrary to what some members and others may believe, this means adhering to practices that have evolved over a broad span of time and that have consistently been upheld by successive Speakers.

By way of example, on October 28, 2010, Debates page 5505, Speaker Milliken said:

As all of the hon. members know, the Speaker has no authority over the content of answers given by a minister or parliamentary secretary in response to a question asked during question period.

The issue came up again on December 1, 2010, Debates page 6677, and on that occasion Speaker Milliken stated:

The minister, in his response, may not have answered the question, but it is not the role of the Chair to decide whether a response is an answer or not to the question. Indeed, the Chair has no authority to rule an answer out of order unless the answer contains unparliamentary remarks or a personal attack on some other member.

It is not for the Chair to decide whether the content of a response is in fact an answer. As we have heard many times, that is why it is called question period not answer period.

In my own ruling regarding question period proceedings, delivered on January 28, 2014, I stated very clearly:

There has been much discussion recently about the nature of answers during question period, with calls for the Speaker to somehow intervene, citing practices in other countries....

Each parliament has its own traditions. Successive speakers in our House have maintained our tradition of not intervening in respect of answers to questions, and I do not intend to change that. For me to deviate from this long-standing practice would require an invitation from the House.

To date, the House has not seen fit to alter our practices or to give directions to the Chair in that regard.

That being said, I have no doubt that Canadians expect members to elevate the tone and substance of question period exchanges. As your Speaker, I hope the House can rise to that challenge.

To be absolutely clear on another point, any suggestion that the rules of repetition and relevance apply to question period is wrong and ignores the long list of Speakers' rulings to the contrary.

Another of our time-honoured traditions is that of respect for the office of Speaker. O'Brien and Bosc, at page 313, states that:

Reflections on the character or actions of the Speaker--an allegation of bias, for example--could be taken by the House as breeches of privilege and punished accordingly.

I wish to conclude with an appeal to members on all sides. Needless to say, the kind of unsavoury language or expression that we heard yesterday do little to assist the Chair in managing question period proceedings, and I urge all members to be judicious in the expressions they choose to use.

I also ask all members to heed my request of last January 28, when I asked members:

...to consider how the House can improve things so that observers can at least agree that question period presents an exchange of views and provides at least some information. The onus is on all members to raise the quality of both questions and answers.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting for answers to the clear questions put to the Conservatives about the military deployment in Iraq.

Yesterday, the Conservatives again refused to answer questions about this and instead chose to make unparliamentary remarks.

The member for Selkirk—Interlake said that the mission will end on October 4. However, he cannot speak for the government because he is not a member of cabinet.

Today in the House, will the Conservative government confirm to Canadians that the 30-day military deployment in Iraq will actually end on October 4?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Selkirk—Interlake Manitoba

Conservative

James Bezan ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, our government has been clear both inside and outside the House that the clock started on the 30-day deployment on September 5. At the end of these 30 days, we will look at renewing the mission. The atrocities currently being committed by ISIL cannot be left unanswered.

It is outrageous that the NDP would have us do nothing in the face of that threat. It is time the NDP explained what it would do to stop ISIL and its terrorist regime.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, it has been confirmed that Canadian soldiers are required to have visas approved by the Iraqi government before they can be deployed. The member for Selkirk—Interlake, even if he is not a minister and cannot really speak for the government, said last night that there were “some difficulties in dealing with logistics”.

Since this military deployment is still ongoing and since it is set to conclude in just 11 days, precisely how many Canadian soldiers are on the ground in Iraq today?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Selkirk—Interlake Manitoba

Conservative

James Bezan ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no fact to that statement at all. I can confirm that we have committed 69 members of the Canadian special armed forces to be in Iraq to provide tactical and strategic advice in a non-combat role, and that is exactly what we are doing.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

I know the Conservatives find this complicated, Mr. Speaker, but it was actually a question and not a statement. The question was: how many of them are on the ground in Iraq now?

When asked two weeks ago in committee, the minister said that a status of forces agreement with Iraq outlining operating rules for Canadian Forces had not yet been completed. That was two weeks ago in a parliamentary committee with the foreign affairs minister.

Has that status of forces agreement now been completed and, if so, will the government table it in Parliament, yes or no?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Selkirk—Interlake Manitoba

Conservative

James Bezan ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, we have committed to 69 members being deployed to northern Iraq to fight—to be in an advisory role with the Peshmerga, helping it out, along with the invitation of the Iraqi government. We are there strictly in an advisory role, non-combat, and it is very clear what we are trying to do there. It has been laid out by the Minister of National Defence and it has been laid out by the Minister of Foreign Affairs over and over again. The NDP just does not get it.

Why are the New Democrats so opposed to us sending over members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have expertise in the area of counterterrorism?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, there are no boots on the ground, so they must be in sandals or levitating. They are not in a combat mission, but they are there to fight.

Yesterday, the member for Selkirk—Interlake also hinted that it is entirely possible that the 30-day mission in Iraq could last longer.

Before Canada commits itself any further, when will the Conservatives keep their promise to provide all the information to which Canadians and parliamentarians are entitled and to hold a vote in Parliament after a thorough debate?

We have the right to vote, as the Conservatives promised, on whether Canada is to go to war.