Debates of Nov. 17th, 2004

[The Speaker]

As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for Timmins—James Bay.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Oak Ridges Moraine

[Lui Temelkovski, Liberal, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the ecological treasure known as the Oak Ridges Moraine, which forms a large part of my riding, is a natural system of water, soils and plants, animals, and various other organisms, interwoven over the course of thousands of years.

It is a natural habitat providing a home to numerous species and a system which acts as a powerful filter for the hundreds of thousands of people living within and around its domain, filtering otherwise deadly toxins from the water, land and air.

The aesthetic value alone of the moraine is something that should never be compromised, yet when wedded with its invaluable presence for our senses and our health, inevitably many would suffer if all those benefiting from this existence were not to assume a stewardship role in its preservation.

I look forward to supporting all efforts to benefit the moraine.

Grey Cup

[John Reynolds, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC]

Mr. Speaker:

We are Lions, hear us roar, from our rugged western shore.Vancouver will take Hogtownand we will turn it upside down.Our team will take the Argos by the heels and shake the pennies from their pants.The roars across the west will smother eastern rants.And when all is said and done in gloomy old Bytown,we'll shake your hands and go back homeand leave you with your frowns.

B.C. Lions forever, Mr. Speaker, British Columbia is number one. The West is here to stay--at least long enough to get our hands on the Grey Cup so we can take it home. Go, Lions, go.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to hear that the mayors of the municipalities affected by the closure of nine RCMP detachments in Quebec will have the opportunity to be heard in Ottawa. I had written to my colleague, the chair of the Standing Committee on Justice, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, requesting this.

I am pleased to hear that the committee has agreed. I have met the coalition of mayors and share their opinion that these closures are unacceptable.

Like a number of colleagues in this House, I call upon the RCMP to make changes in its personnel reorganization plan and to keep the nine detachments open.

Our regions in Quebec need the RCMP presence. They want to have officers nearby, not hundreds of kilometres away. The safety of our fellow citizens is at stake.

Jean-Philippe Bourgeois

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Jean-Philippe Bourgeois, a resident of the Centre-du-Québec region, is making preparations for his fifth international mission under hostile conditions. This is a man who has spent more than 18 months in Afghanistan since 2001.

He has worked in Chad. During his time in Afghanistan, he was twice landed in the mountainous area in order to keep the routes for humanitarian aid open by any makeshift means possible. This year, the UN recruited him as a regional logistics coordinator for the Afghan election.

He has gone to Haiti to prepare for his next mission, which will be looking after the logistics for the forthcoming election in that country.

In Afghanistan, he was responsible for overseeing some 22,000 people, but in Haiti it is estimated that there will be 4.8 million eligible voters. His task will be to see to preparations for the voting and to ensure that everything goes well on election day.

The Bloc Québécois congratulates Jean-Philippe Bourgeois on all his accomplishments and on his invaluable contribution to humanitarian aid.

Red Cross Humanitarian Award

[Michael John Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, tonight in Halifax the Red Cross Humanitarian Award will be presented to Mr. Fred Smithers, president and CEO of Secunda Marine Services Ltd. of Dartmouth.

This award recognizes the tremendous community work of Mr. Smithers, who in work, community and charitable ventures displays the characteristics of a true humanitarian. This award has previously been presented to Chief Justice Lorne Clarke, former Premier John Savage and Graham Dennis of the Halifax

Chronicle-Herald.

Mr. Smithers is a well known entrepreneur who has given much back to the community. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame and an Atlantic Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year. His company has been named one of the 50 best managed companies in Canada. As well, Mr. Smithers is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the acting Honorary British Consul for the Maritime Provinces.

His volunteer work includes the boards of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Saint Mary's University, the Order of St. John, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, the Chambers of Commerce and the Halifax International Airport Authority.

His work with underprivileged children confirms what many of us know, that Fred is a real humanitarian who--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for York—Simcoe.

Grey Cup

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday all Canadians will be focused on Ottawa, not on Parliament, but on a great and unifying Canadian event: the Grey Cup. This year the remarkable Toronto Argonauts will play for the championship.

Bolstered by the committed ownership of Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon and inspired by the positive and optimistic leadership of Mike “Pinball” Clemons, the Toronto Argonauts continue in a proud winning tradition. We anticipate the exciting on-field exploits of players like the explosive Arland Bruce, outstanding Canadian nominee Kevin Eiben and a team that wins through talent, discipline and determination.

Football is ultimately a team sport. The Toronto Argonauts embody the Canadian values of hard work, commitment and sportsmanship, values that will surely contribute to on-field success.

No institution is as uniquely Canadian as the CFL and no annual Canadian event is as unifying as the Grey Cup.

This Sunday, as always, I will be cheering for the blue team.

Margaret Hassan

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Canadians and the world were tragically and brutally reminded of the situation in Iraq with reports that Margaret Hassan had been murdered.

Mrs. Hassan spent 30 years helping the poor and children, as head of CARE International's operations in Iraq. Her life was dedicated to improving the welfare of the Iraqi people. That is why the world is so repulsed by the cold-blooded murder of this innocent woman, a Muslim woman, who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of her people.

Let there be no mistake, this senseless and barbaric act in no way represents Islam. Neither does it represent any effort designed to resolve the conflict in Iraq. It is simply that: an act of terror.

Margaret Hassan's death displays the evil that exists in Iraq today. However, her tragic loss will not deter the hope shared by the civilized world, that the people of Iraq will one day be able to live in peace and security.

On behalf of this House of Commons and Canadians, I offer our condolences to the Hassan family and to the people of Iraq who have lost such a glowing example of hope and inspiration.

Christian Tremblay and Bernard Gagnon

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Charlevoix—Montmorency, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to draw attention to the courage and determination of leading seaman Christian Tremblay and steward Bernard Gagnon, who are both from Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs in Charlevoix.

They were both crew members of HMCS Chicoutimi , which caught fire during its maiden voyage. Their calm and determination during the events that unfortunately cost the life of their colleague, Chris Saunders, were exemplary.

Despite the raging fire and heavy smoke that swept through the submarine, both men managed to stay calm and help their 55 colleagues limit the damage and keep the vessel afloat.

I hope a similar tragedy will never happen again and that the Minister of National Defence will take the necessary steps to ensure that our submariners can do their jobs safely. I hope Mr. Tremblay and Mr. Gagnon and their shipmates will soon recover. Their courageous teamwork prevented a more serious outcome.

The Bloc Québécois, the people of Charlevoix and all Quebec are behind them.

Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

[Marc Godbout, Liberal, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, December 2 the Ottawa chapter of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund will be having a one day youth leadership conference on Parliament Hill. I would like to congratulate the Ottawa chair, Mr. Zul Khoja of Ottawa--Orleans, for making this possible.

Forty-five teens from three local high schools will be exposed to the culture and history of South Africa through activity based workshops.

Literally thousands of young people are orphaned, live in abject poverty and/or are ravaged by AIDS in South Africa. Apartheid may be over, but the legacy lives on.

This conference is supported by the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, CIDA and the South African High Commission.

As a former educator, I strongly support this initiative and welcome every opportunity to bring the plight of South African children to everyone's attention. This initiative is kids helping kids. That is why I support it. That is why we should all support it.

Saskatchewan

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Thomas Jefferson once advised his fellow citizens that the price of freedom was “eternal vigilance”. These days, we take for granted the rights we have as citizens. Unfortunately, the Liberal government seems to think Canadian citizens are subjects to be exploited at will.

Saskatchewan has been subject to a number of curious attentions by the tax department. The revenue minister can never explain why Saskatchewan junior hockey players were taxed while every other province was exempt. In my riding, the arena in Wilkie was assessed back taxes on a phantom GST ruling, but the bureaucrat in charge cannot produce the rules he was using to create that charge.

The bureaucrats at CFIA also needed to be reminded that they work to solve problems in the food industry, not add to them while they build their own power base. We desperately need increased slaughter capacity for our cull cows. Conservative MPs are fighting for common sense and real action to help open these facilities while the Liberal government wastes our time and money with empty announcements.

Charitable Contributions

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, since the year 2000, Nunavut has topped the list of donors among all the provinces and territories in Canada. To date, Nunavummiut are still the most generous.

Statistics Canada has just released its results of what Canadians gave to charity last year. The average donation Nunavummiut contributed to charity last year was $410. That is almost double the national average. Canada's second most giving province is Prince Edward Island.

What makes this extra incredible is that we have one of the highest unemployment areas of Canada, but the people are caring of others and are sensitive to those in need. We believe in helping our fellow man and this is a trait carried from our ancestors.

I am pleased this is made factual for the rest of the country, even though we know it in our hearts.

I would like to take this time to congratulate my constituents of Nunavut for being the most generous donors in Canada.

Member for Halifax

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to pay tribute to the hon. member for Halifax, who was elected leader of the Nova Scotia NDP 24 years ago today. She thus became the first woman to lead an official political party in Canada.

As the iron angel, she stood up for ordinary Nova Scotians by leading and winning the fight to ban extra billing under medicare. As leader of Canada's New Democrats, she worked for real investment in education, better health care and national child care programs. As part of this new NDP caucus, her first as “just” an MP, she has embraced her critic roles of foreign affairs and post-secondary education with the same passion that has characterized her entire career. I look forward to seeing her across the caucus table sitting with us for many years to come.

I thank the member for Halifax for her unwavering commitment to public service, to her community, to her constituents, to her province and to her country.

Carley's Law

[Randy White, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Carley's law has again been tabled in the House. Carley's law seeks to change the way we look at hit and run driving in Canada.

Carley Regan was a special young lady who lost her life at the age of 13 to an irresponsible driver who left her to die on the road rather than face the responsibility of his actions at the scene of the mishap. Carley's law would stop plea bargaining hit and run charges to the benefit of the criminal. It would equate hit and run causing death to murder, and hit and run causing injury to attempted murder. In addition, Carley's law would mandate minimum penalties of four years and seven years.

Mr. Speaker, fellow members of Parliament and Canadians, please join me and members of our policing community in preventing future deliberate deaths and injuries at the hands of hit and run drivers by supporting Carley's law.

I thank Carley's family and the communities of Abbotsford and Langley for their support in this initiative.

Lac d'Amiante Mine

[Marc Boulianne, Bloc, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to call the attention of the House to the terrible situation in which the Lac d'Amiante Mine workers and their families find themselves.

At the end of this week, 450 miners from the Thetford Mines area will lose their jobs due to the mine closure announced by LAB Chrysotile. Given the fragile and difficult situation of the region's economy, people are very upset by this announcement.

It would appear that the closure of the Lac d'Amiante Mine will be definitive, since the company refuses to set a date for returning to work. The local population is worried and starting to mobilize, because the whole region will suffer serious losses.

The economic and political stakeholders from l'Amiante regional municipality and the Government of Quebec are responding to the call for help. The federal government must also provide help for the mining industry, the workers, their families and the l'Amiante region.

Justice

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, 12 years ago in Calgary, Janis Lemiski was brutally murdered by a man named Enrico Grossi, who attacked her with an axe while she slept.

At first the murderer lied about his guilt, but later made a videotaped confession, incredibly claiming that his victim had asked to be killed with an axe.

In an outrageous example of runaway judicial activism, the trial judge threw out Grossi's videotaped confession as inadmissible evidence because his putative due process rights had been violated. Consequently, the Crown downgraded his charge to second degree murder on a plea bargain. To add insult to injury the parole board let Grossi out of prison one year ago, and granted him full parole last week.

The message of this disgusting case is clear. Under the Liberal justice system, the price for destroying an innocent human life is 10 years, and the rights of a vicious axe murderer trump those of an innocent victim.

My condolences go out to the victim's family for the pain caused by this perversion of our justice system, which has only compounded the pain of their tragic loss 12 years ago.

Volunteerism

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to an outstanding member of my community.

Mr. Doug Summerhayes, a resident of Brantford, recently completed an assignment for the Canadian Executive Service Organization. Mr. Summerhayes went on assignment to Romania where he assisted a company, which manufactures PVC frames, with the undertaking of a feasibility study on expanding into national and international markets.

Mr. Summerhayes is one of the many skilled volunteers of the Canadian Executive Service Organization who donate their time and skills with no expectation of payment.

I would ask all hon. members to join me in congratulating Mr. Summerhayes for his extraordinary efforts and dedication.

The Senate

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, in less than a week, Albertans will choose the people they want to have as representatives in the Senate.

News reports today indicate that the Prime Minister may reverse his longstanding opposition and name some elected senators.

Will the Prime Minister confirm to the House that he will name the winners of the election to all three of Alberta's Senate vacancies?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, I have long been an advocate of Senate reform. However I do not believe that doing Senate reform piecemeal would bring us the desired result.

What it could quite well do is simply exacerbate a number of the problems. What I think we should do is look at Senate reform but look at it in its entirety.

Taxation

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we would all like to look at it in its entirety but over here we are prepared to do something as opposed to doing nothing.

Yesterday the Prime Minister refused to give some money back to Canadian taxpayers. In doing so, he broke yet another promise. I remind the Prime Minister that it was only three weeks ago in the House that he stood on his feet and voted to reduce taxes for low and modest income Canadian families.

Will the Prime Minister keep his word, fulfill his commitment and execute the promise in the throne speech?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have made it clear that it is our intention to further reduce taxes, as we have done. However we will only do so after the government has met all of its commitments, from health care, to child care, to defence. To do otherwise would run the risk of going back into deficit and then we would have to borrow to pay for the tax cuts the Leader of the Opposition is talking to. This country has been there, done that and we are not going back.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the government already has four times more surplus than it said it needed to fulfill its commitments. It should give the money back to Canadians.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!