Charmaine Borg

[Human Rights, November 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the anniversary of the tragic events of December 6, 1989, I rise today to remind my colleagues that it is important for all of us to have a healthy and egalitarian environment.

Since being elected, I have unfortunately heard misogynistic comments addressed to my female colleagues in all parties. I have also heard unacceptable remarks made in this place, when we should instead be setting the example for all Canadians.

I find it deplorable that, even today, elected members, who are equal in this House, are treated differently by their peers based on their age and gender. I also find it deplorable that, across the country, people are suffering because they are different. Thousands of Canadians are subjected every day to unfair treatment and, in some cases, this results in the senseless loss of life.

This cycle of violence must stop. It has been denounced for years and action is long overdue. It is time to establish, in Parliament and across Canada, a climate of respect to which we are all entitled.

[Timeea Enache and Mylène Poulin-Bellefleur, November 27th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to congratulate the winners of the Create Your Canada contest, Timeea Enache and Mylène Poulin-Bellefleur.

Today, I am moving a motion on their behalf to study the feasibility of installing mandatory breathalyzers in motor vehicles.

Mr. Speaker, they would like to thank you for welcoming them and considering this motion. They would like us all to know that drunk driving accidents can happen anywhere at any time to anyone, including us or our loved ones. They want to give future generations a chance and make Canada a leader on this issue. They hope to raise our awareness of this issue and persuade us that, together, we can save lives that would otherwise needlessly be lost.

I would like to encourage all young Quebeckers and Canadians to follow their example and get involved in politics. I would also like to congratulate all of the young people who are working together to build better communities across Canada.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Obviously, that would be worrisome for businesses. I also want to point out that this bill could create problems under the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act, two legislative measures that we promote and adhere to, here in Canada.

If a business has to disclose all of its expenses and financial information, it will be at a great disadvantage compared to other businesses. If I were to start a business, I would not be bound by the same laws. The result is to further disadvantage a population that is already severely handicapped. That is simply not fair.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague pointed out during his remarks, someone who is not transparent is asking the first nations to be transparent. The Conservatives themselves are not providing the Parliamentary Budget Officer with the required information. He needs the information. It is his mandate to obtain the data, and he is having to go to court to get them.

I think it is illogical and rather paradoxical that the government is asking for such data and such transparency, when it is incapable of achieving that level of transparency.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the situation is somewhat exaggerated. The truth is that the average salary of first nations chiefs is $60,000, and the average salary of council members is $31,000. Fifty percent of chiefs earn less than $60,000 and only 5% earn more than $100,000.

It is all well and good to generalize, to create stereotypes by saying that so and so made a mistake, but Conservative members have also made mistakes. Will stereotypes be created based on that? No. We must examine cases individually and assess the matter properly. In view or those figures, this is not a big problem.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the problem is that first nations communities across Canada must already submit many reports. I want to read some sections related to what is required by AADNC's Year-end Financial Reporting Handbook.

In accordance with section 6.4.1 of that handbook, “The [first nations] must disclose to members of the organization and to INAC compensation earned or accrued by elected or appointed senior officials.”

In accordance with section 6.4.2, the remuneration amounts earned or accrued by elected or appointed officials that are to be disclosed “must be from all sources within the recipient's financial reporting entity including amounts from, but not limited to, economic development and other types of business corporations.”

As you can see, measures and mechanisms are already in place to ensure that this information is disclosed. This bill goes too far. These resources should be allocated for the welfare of the community because we know it is experiencing difficulties.

I would like to emphasize once again that this government has a great deal of work to do with regard to first nations communities. We are not there yet. In some places, there are still no schools, and people still do not have access to drinking water, which is essential for survival. As my colleague pointed out, some communities have had to boil their water for seven years now so that they can drink it. Why not address that before taking a stand on the governance of first nations communities?

I also want to read the recommendations that the Auditor General made to this government on the same subject. Those recommendations have not been respected and are not reflected in this bill. In a report dating back to June 2011, the Auditor General noted that the reporting burden placed on first nations in recent years has increased. The Office of the Auditor General of Canada has recommended on numerous occasions that the reporting burden be reduced and that there be a better understanding of the demands placed on first nations since a number of those reports are not even used by federal government departments.

So we already have a lot of reports; we already demand an enormous amount of resources, time, money and energy that could be better used elsewhere. We are now demanding even more, and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada said that some reports were not even being used. He requested major structural reforms to improve the federal government's policies and practices, including advocating clear and measurable service standards for products and responsibilities; enacting basic statutory measures for key support services, including education, housing and drinking water; and measures respecting delays in issuing grants and funding thus complicating long-term planning. Those are the recommendations that have been made directly to this government.

I see I have little time left, and I will close by saying this. We consulted the first nations communities, which this government completely failed to do. We know where the real problem lies: it does not come from exorbitant salaries, but rather from decades of paternalism which have put first nations chiefs in a position in which they are responsible for implementing decisions made by the federal government, in other words, under the Indian Act. Not only is that clearly inappropriate, but it is still a recipe for poor results.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-27, which requires every first nations community to provide the following: annual consolidated financial statements; a separate schedule of annual remuneration paid by the first nation, and by any entity controlled by the first nation, to its chief and each of its councillors in their professional and personal capacities; the auditor's written report respecting the consolidated financial statements; and the auditor's report respecting the schedule of remuneration.

The Conservatives are trying to teach the first nations a lesson about transparency. He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches. That saying is quite appropriate in my opinion because the government is very closed and not transparent and does not even want to provide crucial information to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who needs it in order to be transparent with Canadians and tell them what the federal government is spending taxpayers' money on. The Conservatives are not even doing this much and they are asking first nations to do more. The first nations already have to submit more than 200 reports to the federal government, which is huge.

One of the most troubling aspects of this bill is that it directly affects the first nations. As an MP, when working on a bill that affects a certain group, I will consult that group. However, this is something that the government does not seem to understand. What does it mean to consult someone? It is not just listening to witnesses in committee, who do not speak for very long. It means going to see the groups, the first nations, before drafting a bill. In that way, they can say what they would like to see in the bill, what measures do not work and what will disadvantage first nations communities.

Consequently, we are very disappointed because first nations should be consulted and especially because consultations are mandatory under a UN declaration ratified by Canada. It is important that we honour our commitments. It is not just a matter of will; it is about meeting our legal obligations.

Another paradox is that the government wants to reduce the paper burden. Huge cuts were made because the government wants to eliminate red tape and increase efficiency. However, all those measures that the government wants to implement will require huge resources and result in a waste of time and money.

Right now, in our own country, people are living in crises and in appalling conditions. I am thinking of communities such as Attawapiskat, which the hon. member for Timmins—James Bay is defending so well in the House. These communities do not have schools, and they do not have safe housing. It is cold in northern Ontario and people are freezing in houses that are totally inadequate.

The government should tackle these issues instead. It should ensure that every young person—and I emphasize the term “every” because we are aware of the current situation—living in a first nation community can attend school. Going to school is a basic and essential need. Why are we not debating this issue? It is because this government's first bill on first nations seeks to impose transparency measures on them, without consulting them, without consulting those who will be most affected. The government is not dealing with critical issues such as drinking water and food. Incidentally, food is not available at an affordable price in northern rural communities. People must pay exorbitant prices for fresh food.

The government says it wants to eliminate red tape to increase efficiency. However, when other governments already have to file 200 reports and will have to produce more, the Conservatives do not even take into consideration the fact that this may impair these governments' ability to provide direct services to citizens who really need them.

My time is up. I will continue later.

[Safe Food for Canadians Act, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my question will be brief.

This government is a half-measure government, and I think this is another half measure. People became sick because of poor management on the part of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Canadians and Quebeckers expect more. They want a bill that will truly resolve the problem and a government that will act quickly in the face of a crisis such as the E. coli one.

I would like to hear my colleague comment on that.

[Helping Families in Need Act, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his excellent speech. He raised several very good points.

For women who lose their jobs at the end of their parental leave, this bill does not go far enough and does not allow them to combine special and regular benefits. What can the NDP do? It must continue to fight for women's rights in order to obtain employment insurance benefits for women who lose their jobs immediately after they return to work. The Conservatives clearly have overlooked this aspect. They have not thought about that.

I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about this issue.

[National Philanthropy Day Act, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, if I said anything unparliamentary, I apologize. I would like to apologize to the House. However, I would like to point out that disturbing statements were also made on the other side of the House. Some very personal insults were hurled, and I heard them. I wanted to make that point. I also want to point out that the things I said as I was leaving were not intended for the House, but for my colleagues. My words were not part of an official speech.