House of Commons Hansard #150 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was loans.

Topics

Employment Insurance ActPrivate Members' Business

7:25 p.m.

Conservative

Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK

Mr. Speaker, can I please finish?

Employment Insurance ActPrivate Members' Business

7:25 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

Unfortunately, the time provided for the consideration of private members' business has now expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

7:25 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Speaker, in question period on April 30, I had asked the Minister of Public Safety why he was not telling the truth about the detainees and why his own spokeswoman was contradicting him.

The people of Canada are proud of the courageous service being provided by the men and women of the Canadian armed forces currently serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, but many are deeply concerned with the escalation in violence and the worsening situation in the country.

There is no question that all Canadians support our troops, yet many across this country harbour certain doubts about the Minister of National Defence and the Conservative government's future plans in Afghanistan.

On April 19 the Liberal Party introduced a motion which would have provided Canadians with a definite conclusion to Canada's combat mission as scheduled in February 2009. No one is under the illusion that Afghanistan will become a fully self-sufficient state when the troops leave in 2009, and that is why the Liberal motion included a provision for a non-combat reconstruction role in subsequent years.

A Liberal government would ensure a clear and deliberate strategy in Afghanistan that includes a commitment to better integration of military aid and diplomatic efforts, an effective plan to deal with the illegal opium trade, and to address the chronic water shortage. Yet recently, the handling of the Afghan mission has been tainted by contradictions, confusions and cover-ups by the defence minister and this places our troops at further and unnecessary risk.

Under the Conservatives, the mission has focused almost exclusively on the combat role with little regard for diplomacy and reconstruction. Success in Afghanistan cannot be won by military means alone. The Soviet Union learned this lesson when the mujahedeen forced 60,000 troops out of the country in 1989 after the disastrous attempt to occupy the country.

Today, damaging earthquakes, limited freshwater resources, soil degradation, overgrazing, deforestation and a crumbling infrastructure all combine to make civil reconstruction a daunting task in the midst of continuous attacks by the Taliban, and yet the Conservative response to the mission has been to order heavy battle tanks and brand new medium and heavy lift aircraft. Since most of this new equipment will only arrive a few months before Canada is scheduled to withdraw in February 2009, many Canadians are left wondering if the Conservatives are really serious about ending our combat role.

I would therefore like to ask the parliamentary secretary one simple question for the record. On May 1 last year, members of this House voted to end Canada's combat role in Afghanistan in February 2009 and to provide adequate notice to our fellow members of NATO. Could the parliamentary secretary inform this House tonight that the Government of Canada has contacted our NATO allies and made it clear that Canada will end its combat commitments as scheduled in February 2009?

7:30 p.m.

Oxford Ontario

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to address the House tonight and, particularly, to elaborate on the role of Correctional Service Canada officers who have recently been deployed in Kandahar.

First, let it be recognized that Correctional Service Canada is participating in the Canadian provincial reconstruction team to support Canada's commitment to helping Afghanistan become a stable, secure and self-sufficient state.

It is clear that one of the key points in assisting Afghanistan to achieve its goals is the establishment of an accountable justice system that recognizes the fundamental importance of the rule of law.

We also recognize that there is a fundamental close-knit relationship between the judicial system, the police systems and a functioning prison system in terms of the establishment of rule of law. By providing capacity building that supports international standards, CSC assists Afghanistan in achieving this establishment of rule of law.

In executing their duties, the officers visit prisons and meet with the wardens and the staff to discuss ways to respect the rules. For example, the officers assess and provide advice on improving the security of the infrastructure and its perimeter and identify means to assist the prison administrators in implementing them. They recommend improvements to meet basic health requirements, such as adequate electricity and drinking water supplies, adequate sanitation installations and proper lighting, heating and ventilation in cells and working areas, and assist the prison administrators in realizing them.

On the management side, our officers discuss with prison administrators their management practices, identify gaps, provide advice, direction and assistance on ways to improve their operations. For example, they discuss and identify training needs for staff to perform their general and specific duties. They examine the prison registry and suggest ways to ensure that it meets all the requirements. They ensure that medical supplies, including first aid kits, are available, properly recorded, stored and dispensed. They provide recommendation on the education and vocational needs of prisoners, such as setting up classrooms, as well as areas for training in useful trades, to prepare prisoners for the return to normal day to day life.

These are just a few examples of what the officers from Correctional Service Canada have been working on in Kandahar for the past three months. They have made tremendous progress on several fronts. Both the employees and the prisoners of the facilities benefit from these improved conditions.

However, in a more global context, what they are doing is extending the existing authority of the Afghan ministry of justice and the central prison department to the province of Kandahar, thereby contributing to the overall Afghan justice sector reform plan, as stated in the Afghan compact. Through their important work, they are spreading the ideals of justice, respect of human rights and the rule of land to a land that has been wracked by terrorism and lawlessness.

I wish to thank the House for the opportunity to provide information on the role of Correctional Service Canada officers deployed in Kandahar.

7:30 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Speaker, the detainee debacle has exposed the Minister of Defence to unrelenting criticism, not only in Canada but with our allies around the world. This has also shaken the confidence our troops have in their own government and its ability to defend our forces as they serve bravely in the face of many hardships in Afghanistan.

The Minister of Defence has already had to apologize for misleading Parliament by wrongly insisting that the Red Cross was responsible for monitoring detainees captured by Canadians troops and then turned over to the Afghan national army.

Last week, I asked the Minister of Public Safety if he was satisfied that detainees handed over to Afghan authorities were treated humanly and were not subject to torture.

Could the parliamentary secretary assure the House tonight that no detainee has been subject to torture?

7:30 p.m.

Conservative

Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada's CSC is playing a key role in Afghanistan as part of the Government of Canada's efforts to help build a stable, secure and democratic society. It is among many Canadians working to help rebuild its society, institutions and the economy.

Correctional Service Canada has an international reputation and significant correctional expertise, which allows us to contribute to the establishment of a sound correctional system in Afghanistan that respects international standards of human rights and is responsive to the rule of law.

On behalf of this side, I thank those members from Correctional Service Canada who are serving in Afghanistan at this time.

7:35 p.m.

Bloc

Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, on April 26 I asked the Minister of National Defence a question regarding French in the armed forces. As you know, the previous federal government closed the only French-language military college, the one at Saint-Jean. The Liberals did that. The current Conservative government has changed the army's bilingualism policy to reduce the position of the French language.

Even more recently, at Vimy, France, the French on the panels that explained the battle of 90 years ago by the Canadian Forces was incomprehensible. The importance of the language school in Saint-Jean has been diminished by the military's new language policy. The criteria are being lowered and so there are fewer students. Consequently, are we headed towards the closure of another facility?

In view of these facts, I asked a question of the Minister of National Defence, who has a great deal of difficulty speaking French himself. Yet he was a high-ranking officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. I asked him if this did not demonstrate that for the Minister of National Defence of Canada—a bilingual country—French is the least of his concerns.

Given that it was question period and not answer period, the minister's reply was quite pathetic.

Having said that, I would like to quote something Official Languages Commissioner Graham Fraser said quite recently. On March 1, 2007, he said:

I should point out that the Official Languages Act does not confer special or preferred status on the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. The act applies equally to all federal institutions.

In other words, the military is not a state within a state, where people can do as they please. Ours is a lawful society, and official languages have to be respected, even in the Canadian Forces.

The Bloc Québécois condemns the attitude of the Canadian Forces in failing to comply with the Official Languages Act ever since it was passed 38 years ago, in 1969. The least one can say is that it shows a blatant lack of respect for a reality across Canada, in terms of how we define ourselves, particularly in the francophone community, be it in Quebec, Acadia or other provinces or parts of Canada. Such attitude is contemptuous of the French fact in Canada.

We also condemn the new National Defence official languages program transformation model which, instead of ensuring compliance with the law, seeks to mitigate its impact. Under this model, the number of francophone units will be reduced from 62 to 55. Again, there is no respect.

I will let my colleague answer and continue later.

7:35 p.m.

Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo B.C.

Conservative

Betty Hinton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague, the member for Gatineau, raised this issue in the House of Commons on April 16. At that time, the Minister of Veterans Affairs was very clear in his reply. He indicated that the government took immediate action and that the panels with the erroneous French translations were removed from Canada's Vimy Interpretive Centre in France.

Now the member has brought the issue forward again. It gives me an opportunity to explain what happened and why we acted so quickly.

The foam core panels were installed on the evening of June 30, 2006, in celebration of Canada Day last summer. Unfortunately, the timing of the installation coincided with a number of other events that contributed to the error-riddled panels falling through the cracks.

Among other things, Veterans Affairs Canada was in the middle of planning and hosting a number of major events in France to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. At the same time, staffing for senior overseas posts at Veterans Affairs was in a state of transition. The result was a lack of proper oversight during the erection of these panels.

I want to stress that I offer these details only to explain what went wrong and not to justify how the inexcusable translations could have been allowed to go on public display.

Canada's new government is committed to providing services in both our official languages, and our commitment is unwavering. The quick action taken by the Minister of Veterans Affairs clearly demonstrates our determination to honour and to enforce that commitment.

On April 5, as soon as he was made aware of the errors in the French text, errors which he called “totally unacceptable”, the Minister of Veterans Affairs took action immediately. He ordered that the panels in question be removed.

I know that members will want to know exactly what the minister said when he took his decisive action. Let me quote directly from his statement dated April 5: “I immediately instructed my officials to correct this situation and to ensure this will never happen again”.

As the minister also reminded the hon. member opposite on April 16, we removed the signs immediately. He said:

We did that immediately, long before it was brought to the attention of the hon. member. We did the right thing.

I want to reassure all members as well as all Canadians that we embrace our responsibility to reflect the linguistic duality of our country and we do so proudly. Canada's official languages must be properly displayed at all Government of Canada sites, especially at one as historically significant as the Canada National Vimy Memorial.

This is a clear commitment on behalf of the Government of Canada. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure that such unfortunate mistakes never happen again.

Veterans Affairs Canada has a special mandate of commemorating the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women who have worn our uniform in times of both war and peace.

Over the first few weeks of April, Canadians gathered across the country from Yellowknife to Toronto, from St. John's to Kamloops, to pay their respects to those who had fought and died in taking Vimy Ridge. Also, of course, Canadians gathered in France. It was especially gratifying and heartwarming to see the thousands of Canadian students who travelled to Vimy to take part in the dedication of the newly restored Canadian National Vimy Memorial.

Many of my colleagues from the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs were among those to attend. I am sure they have all returned home with their own special memories. The sight of those young Canadians marching in as a group was simply remarkable. To realize that we now have thousands of new ambassadors of remembrance is extremely gratifying.

Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to honouring all of our veterans through such acts of remembrance. We must not forget those who came before us and those who continue to serve our country. I know that we are all very proud--

7:40 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

Order. I am sorry to interrupt the hon. member, but the time has expired.

The hon. member for Gatineau.

7:40 p.m.

Bloc

Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, that is a shame, because my question was for the Minister of National Defence, not the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs. That said, I will go on.

I would also like to emphasize that the Bloc Québécois is asking the Minister of National Defence and the armed forces to respect the recommendations the Commissioner of Official Languages issued in response to the complaint submitted by the former Bloc Québécois member, Benoît Sauvageau. The complaint, which was well founded, was submitted on September 30, 2003. Steps were to be taken to ensure that in 2006, the Canadian Armed Forces would make many changes to honour official languages.

I would like to end with a statement by the Commissioner of Official Languages, who reported that over a period of about 20 years, the percentage of bilingual military positions filled by bilingual military personnel had not increased by much—

7:40 p.m.

NDP

7:40 p.m.

Conservative

Betty Hinton Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Mr. Speaker, in raising this issue, the hon. member is trying to find controversy where none exists. As my hon. colleague knows, as soon as the Minister of Veterans Affairs was aware he took immediate action. In reference to defence, we are taking immediate action there as well.

The minister called the situation totally unacceptable and he had the panels removed from the interpretative centre.

I would remind all members that Canada's official languages must be properly displayed at all Government of Canada sites. Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to this basic right, just as we are committed to honouring the achievements and sacrifices of our veterans. We do both by ensuring the linguistic duality of our country is maintained in our tribute to our veterans.

We are very proud of our veterans and they have asked us to keep faith with their fallen comrades, to keep alive the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

As members of Parliament we can do our part to commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who defended our freedoms and who made it possible for us to stand in this chamber and represent our fellow citizens.

7:45 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:45 p.m.)