Bernard Patry

[Committees of the House, June 12th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca for his involvement in this sector.

The 14th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development was tabled in the House in March 2005. The government responded in October 2005, and subsequently created a national round table made up of all stakeholders in the mining sector, including NGOs, mining companies and anyone directly or indirectly involved.

That consultation group carried out its mission for over a year. It consulted people across the country. It issued a number of recommendations on March 29, 2007 including some concerning Canadian standards for corporate social responsibility. Certain recommendations, based on the global reporting initiative, would require the government to produce reports on corporate social responsibility. More importantly, one recommendation called for the creation of an independent ombudsman's office. NGOs and our committee also support that recommendation.

I would like to know what my hon. colleague thinks of creating an ombudsman's office.

[Main Estimates, 2008-09, June 5th, 2008]

I would like to congratulate my colleague for his presentation this evening.

I would like to ask my colleague a question about an elected Senate. It looks like the province of Saskatchewan is looking at the possibility of having an “election” for senators during the next municipal election, knowing that during a municipal election the first nations in Saskatchewan do not elect municipal mayors, aldermen or councillors.

Does my colleague think it is fair to have an elected senator without representation from that 60% of the province of Saskatchewan who are first nations?

[Health, June 5th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, while this government is busy fighting tooth and nail against the British Columbia Supreme Court decision to allow Insite to continue operating, Quebec plans to open a similar facility in Montreal in light of the undeniable success of Vancouver's site.

Should we conclude, given the determined opposition of this government, that the facility in Montreal, which has the full support of the community, will never see the light of day?

[300th Anniversary of the Enthronement of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, June 3rd, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the entire Sikh community in my riding, in Canada and throughout the world in acknowledging the 300th anniversary of the enthronement of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

This eminent man advocated unity, respect, the sharing of common values and tolerance of all religions within communities.

Although this commemoration is a centuries-old event, it is still deeply significant in all Sikh communities.

I personally want to thank Surjit Singh Kainth and Kashmir Singh Randhawa, Professor Pawittar Singh Bhandari and Miss Vaishali Bhandari for their exceptional involvement in preparing for this event.

I offer my best wishes to all those who are marking this important celebration. This anniversary invites us, as a nation, to recognize our rich cultural diversity, which is the cornerstone of Canada's success and prosperity.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I want to know if there is actually any negotiations between Canada and the United States concerning the delimitation of the Canadian maritime zones in the Beaufort Sea?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I would simply like to say to the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs that under the previous government it was the Minister of Foreign Affairs who was responsible for Canadian diplomacy, not the Minister of Natural Resources.

I would like to ask a quick question. Are there currently any negotiations or discussions between Canada and the United States concerning the delineation of the Canadian maritime zones in the Beaufort Sea?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, the minister knows very well that Ellesmere Island, the most northerly island in the Canadian Arctic, is home to the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf. A Canadian army patrol, known as the sovereignty patrol, along with a team of scientists, has discovered huge cracks, which herald rapidly accelerating melting of Arctic ice.

Last year, Arthur Chilingarov, a former Arctic explorer and current vice-president of the Duma, went down to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole in a bathyscaphe to plant the Russian flag and claim the Arctic as Russian soil. The response of Canada's Prime Minister the following week was that Canada was going to build six to eight warships, not just ice breakers, but ice-worthy warships to patrol the Arctic.

Does the Minister of Foreign Affairs not believe that Canada should work diplomatically with other countries instead of building ice-worthy warships?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, my question is of course for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On May 14, 2008, in Halifax, the Prime Minister unveiled his Canada first defence strategy. He said he wanted to strengthen the armed forces' ability to protect our citizens and Canada's Arctic sovereignty.

With respect to this Arctic sovereignty, which is to important to everyone, can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us if he intends to re-establish the position of ambassador for circumpolar affairs, a position that this government eliminated in 2006?

[Petitions, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise under Standing Order 36 to present a petition signed by a number of students from Place Cartier school concerning Mohamed Kohail, who was sentenced to death for a crime he claims he did not commit.

The petitioners are calling on the Canadian Parliament to ensure that the rights of this Canadian citizen are respected and that he will receive a fair and equitable trial by Saudi authorities.

[International Trade, May 14th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, “very soon” means nothing.

I need not remind the House that 60% of the mining companies in the world are Canadian, and that the report from the round tables enjoyed a consensus among experts, NGOs, the industry and civil society. One important point in this report was the recommendation that an independent ombudsman's office be created, which would have the power to receive and investigate complaints.

Does the government support the idea of having an independent ombudsman, yes or no?