Debates of May 16th, 2008

Sport

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Again, Mr. Speaker, I agree with the sentiment of what my colleague is saying, but I do not think it is fair in any Parliament to say, “Either it is my solution or there is no other solution”. There are other solutions. We believe in supporting, as I said, local sports organizations. Also, we support young kids getting involved in amateur sports. That is why we have the $500 per child amateur sport tax credit, so that kids can get more involved in amateur sport.

We believe in reaching out and supporting local organizations, the volunteer organizations at the grassroots in communities across the country that are helping young kids get involved in amateur sport, to participate in ways that are sportsmanlike and build camaraderie, to become young athletes with the kind of character that we know makes Canada very strong.

Tasers

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been shamefully absent from the B.C. taser inquiry. Earlier this week, the only federal politician to go before the inquiry was the Liberal public safety critic who rightfully put the onus on Taser International to prove that tasers are safe. Even the chairman of the company admitted to the inquiry that tasers are not risk free.

It has been months since the RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner recommended that tasers be reclassified as impact weapons. When will the minister take action on this file?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, there are a number of investigations going on, including inquiries in British Columbia.

We have received the report from the Public Complaints Commissioner. As more information becomes available, we will deal with the issue.

Government Procurement

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government demonstrated our commitment to accountability by introducing the Federal Accountability Act as the first piece of legislation tabled in the House.

This legislation includes provisions, like the creation of the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman, to bring more accountability and transparency to the procurement process.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services give the House an update on the status of the Procurement Ombudsman and how this office will give small and medium business continued confidence in the federal procurement process?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, yes, it is true that yesterday the Minister of Public Works and the President of the Treasury Board announced the official appointment of Mr. Shahid Minto as the government's first Procurement Ombudsman and that the office is now up and running.

The announcement is a final step in the implementation of the Federal Accountability Act which our government brought forward after the last election campaign to strengthen accountability, fairness and transparency in all areas of parliamentary and public service and to improve opportunities for small and medium size businesses and enterprises when it comes to government procurement.

The Procurement Ombudsman will examine departmental practices in acquiring materials and services as well as make any appropriate recommendations to the relevant department for the improvement of these practices.

This is what we promised to do and we have gotten it done.

Regional Economic Development

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, unable to justify his decision to cut funding to Montreal International, the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec declared in this place that the list of all organizations attracted to Montreal by Montreal International was confidential. This list is so confidential that it appears in black and white in the annual report available on Montreal International's website.

Would the minister like me to table the annual report in this House?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. CED continues to support economic organizations by funding one-time projects that are time-limited and time-defined and generate concrete and measurable results.

Health

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, experts have said that the silicone in silicone gel breast implants contains toxic substances from the cyclohexasiloxane family, wich are among the 200 chemical substances considered harmful to humans.

Does the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages plan on protecting women's health and urging her colleague, the Minister of Health, to put silicone gel breast implants on the list of products banned by Health Canada?

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the member that this government takes the issue of safety of breast implants and any other special medical devices very seriously. We have a very stringent mechanism to review these products. We have the government's chemical management plan, which is a world leader in the area of chemical management.

Canadians will be safe. Our government will make sure that occurs.

Nuclear Energy

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, under Section 32(2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, one treaty entitled “Exchange of notes between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Russian Federation constituting an additional agreement to the agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, done on November 20, 1989”.

An explanatory memorandum is enclosed with the treaty.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Wascana is rising on a point of order.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, while the parliamentary secretary is on his feet, I wonder if he would take this opportunity also to table the defence strategy that the government says it has, but has not produced a shred of evidence to indicate what it is.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I am not sure that the member for Wascana has raised a point of order. Government members can table documents, as he knows, when they want. Ministers can always table documents in the House. It sounded like a question he might have asked during question period.

The hon. government House leader is rising on tabling of documents?

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

Mr. Speaker, I simply wanted to respond that a document outlining the issues in question and details of our plans for Canada's forces was tabled yesterday in response to his very request.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Splendid, that deals with that matter then.

Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Official Languages

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

This report is related to the committee's study on access to justice.

Income Trusts

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I note today that the energy income trusts have finally recovered to their level of two years ago, so it is appropriate that I would introduce yet again another income trust broken promise petition.

This is from residents in my community of Mississauga South. They remind the Prime Minister that he promised never to tax income trusts, but he broke that promise by imposing a 31.5% punitive tax which permanently wiped out over $25 billion of the hard-earned retirement savings of over two million Canadians, particularly seniors.

The petitioners therefore call upon the government, first of all, to admit that the decision to tax income trusts was based on flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions, as shown in the finance committee; second, to apologize to those who were unfairly harmed by this broken promise; and finally, to repeal the punitive 31.5% tax on income trusts.

Power Lines

[John Cummins, Conservative, Delta—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition here signed by many members of my community of Delta. They are petitioning the government to prohibit the construction of above ground power lines through the community of Tsawwassen.

They point out that in that community there are more wintering concentrations of marine birds than anywhere else in Canada, and that when it comes to migrant and wintering marine birds in Canada, there are something like 326 species from 20 countries in over three continents that actually funnel through Delta. They would like the Minister of the Environment to remember that Canada is a signatory to the Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds and prohibit the construction of these above ground power lines.

Health

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling two petitions signed by residents of the greater Montreal area who are concerned about the shortage of health care professionals in our region.

They therefore call upon the Government of Canada to: first, provide Canadians with the health care professionals they need, where they need them; second, to establish a fund to educate, retain and enhance the lives of health care providers; and third, to invest in innovation and technology to make our health care system more responsive and efficient.

Unborn Victims of Crime

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present this petition. The petitioners note that under current federal criminal law an unborn child is not recognized as a victim with respect to violent crime. They note that a vast majority of the public supports laws to protect unborn children from acts of violence against their mothers that also injure or kill the child in their womb.

They call on Parliament to enact legislation which would recognize unborn children as separate victims when they are injured or killed during the commission of an offence against their mothers, allowing two charges to be laid instead of one. Of course, if Bill C-484 were passed, it would do exactly that.

Omar Khadr

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from many students from St. Mary's Secondary School in Cobourg and other interested citizens of Northumberland—Quinte West asking the government to consider the plight of Omar Khadr, who is in prison in Cuba.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 235 and 243.

Question No. 235

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

With regards to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries Advisory Group Report of March 29, 2007: (a) which of the 27 recommendations have been implemented by the government; (b) which of the 27 recommendations have been partially implemented or planned; (c) what directives, if any, have been given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to his Department regarding the study of or implementation of each of the 27 recommendations; (d) what directives, if any, have been given since the March 2007 Report, by the Department of Foreign Affairs to its embassies and missions abroad concerning government policy towards Canadian extractive industries operating abroad; (e) what follow-up consultations between the government and extractive industry representatives, civil society representatives and the academic community have been carried out since June 2007; and (f) what future consultations, if any, have been planned by the government to address the recommendations delineated in the Advisory Group Report?

[David Emerson, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, in reponse to a) Two of the recommendations have already been implemented: 1) Canada's support for the extractive industries transparency initiative, including a contribution of $1,150,000 to the EITI trust fund over multiple years; and 2) enhanced public reporting by the Canada investment fund for Africa. The government continues to review the recommendations developed by the national round tables.

In response to b) The government is carefully reviewing the recommendations developed by the national round tables advisory group and will make public its proposed course of action once finalized.

In response to c) As the lead on the corporate social responsibility file for the Government of Canada, the Minister of International Trade has instructed officials to analyze the advisory group's recommendations and to develop efficient policy responses.

In response to d) Advocating honesty and integrity in Canadian business dealings abroad has long been the practice of our diplomatic missions overseas. The Government of Canada encourages and expects Canadian companies investing abroad to respect all applicable laws and international standards, and to conduct their activities in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. This has been, and will continue to be, an essential aspect of the Government of Canada's support for Canadian investment and trade interests in any region. The government is also enhancing the corporate social responsibility knowledge and capacity of its officers at home and abroad to best counsel and advise extractive sector companies operating overseas.

In response to e) In the last year, the Minister of International Trade has met with mining and oil and gas industry representatives, as well as representatives of the NGO community, in a variety of fora to discuss a number of issues, including corporate social responsibility.

In response to f) Building on the valuable experience of the national round tables process, the government continues to consult with key stakeholders as we move forward in addressing these complex issues.