Rosane Doré Lefebvre

[Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act, November 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her excellent speech on Bill S-2. This is an extremely important perspective that the House must be made aware of. We must take the time to listen to what members are saying in their remarks.

My colleague said something that is very interesting. Many recommendations were made and many studies were conducted in the parliamentary system, but almost none of those recommendations were included in the reports produced by the Senate and the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

The government is cutting back on its consultations with the groups involved and is not taking into account the recommendations made. Does my colleague believe that this is becoming too much of a habit for the government when introducing bills?

[Petitions, November 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today to save the Experimental Lakes Area. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to recognize the importance of the ELA to the Government of Canada's mandate to study, preserve and protect aquatic ecosystems, and to reverse the decision to close the ELA research station and continue to staff and provide financial resources to the ELA at the current or a higher level of commitment.

[Public Safety, October 31st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives said that they agreed with the motions, and the motions were moved. Meetings were held in camera and, just like that, the motions no longer existed. The budget implementation bill, which is supposed to deal exclusively with the economy, also attacks the Customs Act. Therefore, it is imperative that the chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security provide for study of Bill C-45. A motion will soon be debated in that regard.

Can the chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security assure us that Bill C-45 will be on the committee's agenda?

[Public Safety, October 31st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives said that they agreed with the motions, and the motions were moved. Meetings were held in camera and, just like that, the motions no longer existed. The budget implementation bill—

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very interesting speech. He spoke about small and medium-sized businesses and about jobs in his riding. He said that Bill C-45 could really help people and that his government had helped the small and medium-sized businesses in his riding.

While looking over Bill C-45, I noticed that one of the proposed measures is a temporary hiring tax credit for small businesses. It is the most significant job creation measure in this bill. However, this tax credit is temporary and the maximum amount is $1,000. In addition, it is only applicable in the 2012 tax year. In other words, this measure will no longer be available even before Bill C-45 is passed.

I would like my colleague to comment on this. What does he find of particular interest to small and medium-sized businesses in this bill?

[Public Safety, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, today, many Canadians are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, which will hit our country's east coast with torrential rains and violent winds. Serious warnings about the storm have been issued by provincial emergency management organizations and Washington. We hope that all Canadians will remain safe and sound throughout this storm.

Can the minister tell us what measures the government has put in place to help Canadians prepare for the hurricane, and can he tell us what resources will be mobilized during and after the storm?

[Public Safety, October 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, over the past two years, the federal prison population has increased by 1,000 people. That is equivalent to two large medium-security prisons.

Double-bunking jeopardizes the health of correctional officers and inmates. This problem and many others were raised by the Correctional Investigator, who is highly critical of the Conservatives.

Will the Minister of Public Safety implement the measures suggested by the Office of the Correctional Investigator?

[Public Safety, October 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, by accepting the Auditor General's recommendations, the Conservatives are acknowledging their dismal failure in the area of cyber security. The Auditor General said that the cyber response centre should be open 24 hours a day. What did the minister do? He gave a pager to an employee in order to respond to emergencies. Quite frankly, that is not a solution. The Conservatives made an announcement about cyber security three days before the Auditor General released his report.

Even with the money announced, why are the Conservatives not able to provide 24-hour service?

[Public Safety, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, not only do the Conservatives lack transparency, but they are also incompetent. They are incapable of protecting us from cyber attacks. We are talking here about the privacy of Canadians, government systems, banking systems and electrical grids. Seven years after the opening of the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre, there are branches of government that do not even know the centre exists.

The minister loves making announcements, but when will he put words into action and take responsibility for managing his department properly?

[Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Honoré-Mercier. I know just how much injustices deeply affect her, especially where young people are concerned. She is a former teacher, and when the lives of innocent people are at stake, it is extremely serious.

I raised that point in my speech. I wonder why the drafters of this bill did not go a little further and make it fairer. Why should a person end up with a criminal record when they have a spat—excuse the expression–with a person with whom they work? It is totally unfair. When this person returns to civilian life, they will have a great deal of trouble finding housing. It is also very difficult to find work with a criminal record.

We come down hard these people, who give their time, years of their lives, in the service of their country, and then we cut them loose. We need to think about veterans. These people need help. They do not necessarily need us to make their lives easier, they need us to make their lives fairer, as with other Canadians.