Debates of March 8th, 2010

Status of Women

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, we have done just that.

As I pointed out, we have brought in the working income tax benefit so that people are better off by working than by not working. That helps them get over the welfare wall. We have brought in the universal child care benefit. We have lowered taxes. We have provided tremendous support for parents with children who are disabled, through the RDSP, the registered disability savings plan. This is a world leader in its class.

Again, everything that we have done, which is considerable, to help women, children and those less advantaged, the hon. member has voted against, sadly.

Public Safety

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to the safety and security of Canadians. In recent years the government has strengthened its protection of Canadians and improved national security.

Could the Minister of Public Safety tell the House of another important step in the global fight against terrorism?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for all his support and hard work on these files.

Yesterday the government listed al-Shabab as a terrorist group under the Criminal Code of Canada. This is a strong commitment that this government will not tolerate terrorism and is determined that terrorist groups do not receive support from Canadian sources. Listing this group is another example of how we will not dither on taking decisive action to protect Canadians and make our communities safe. Again, our government is showing leadership.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday the Minister of Agriculture said that the federal government supports the concept of First Nations University and will work with the University of Regina on ways to save the institution. However, on Friday the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development suggested there would be no federal support for First Nations University, period.

Could the minister correct any misimpression here and confirm that some $7 million will be available to and through the University of Regina once the U of R and other partners finalize a remedial plan with First Nations University?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, of course we have announced that the funding for First Nations University will not be renewed. The hon. member would know why.

Back in February 2005 when it all started and even before then, senior administrators were suspended from the university. The then Liberal government launched investigations. Forensic audits were done. Those results were handed over to the commercial crime unit of the RCMP. Subsequent to that, we have tried every conceivable way to try to get First Nations University to change the way it does its administration on the board of governance always without success.

For the sake of transparency and accountability, we have had to remove the funding for First Nations University. There will be funding; that money will be put into the university programming generally--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Chicoutimi--Le Fjord.

Forestry Industry

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Quebec lieutenant is using the Forest Products Association of Canada to tout the merits of the Conservative budget.

Yet all stakeholders in Quebec are criticizing the absence of any cash for the industry. For instance, Guy Chevrette, Gaétan Ménard of CEP and Luc Bouthillier of Université Laval have all said that the budget does not meet the immediate needs of Quebec's forestry industry.

Why does the Conservative Quebec lieutenant refuse to listen to the demands of Quebec's forestry industry?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, this should come as no surprise. Since I was first elected to this House, whenever something is said by any of the Bloc's partners, they find ways to spin it for two weeks.

The Forest Products Association of Canada said that our budget was a step in the right direction, towards building tomorrow's forestry economy through biotechnology. We will not resort to the same smoke-and-mirrors tricks used by the Bloc.

EDC invested $20 billion worth of goods over two years to support the Quebec forestry industry. We will learn what those products consist of at a later date. The member does not seem to understand this.

Health

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week's throne speech indicated that we will improve the conditions of aboriginal women in Canada.

When it comes to HIV-AIDS, the infection rate for aboriginal women is running ahead of Canadian averages and is increasing. Aboriginal women are overrepresented in the Canadian epidemic. To bring this number down requires money and political will.

Will the government commit necessary funding to bring the HIV-AIDS infection rate down among aboriginal women?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to increase the transfers of funding to provinces and territories. Again this year we are increasing the transfers by six per cent. We will continue to work with the provinces and the territories to deal with health issues.

Sealing Industry

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being subjected to mounting hypocrisy in the Liberals' positions.

While some Liberal members profess to support Canada's seal hunt, a Liberal senator has vowed to reintroduce his insulting private member's bill to ban the hunt entirely.

I ask the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, what is the government doing to protect Canada's seal hunt?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the Liberal leader is allowing a member of his caucus to attack the seal hunt at a time when all Canadians should be united behind our sealers and behind our northern and coastal communities.

I can assure this House that our Conservative government will defend the legitimate economic activities of Canadians. We will fight to improve market access. We will work with the industry to develop new markets for Canadian seal products.

I would also encourage the Liberals to take a clear stand on this issue. If they support Canadian coastal communities, then please stand up for them.

Firearms Registry

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition. I have gathered in my riding the names of more than 1,500 people who are calling on all parliamentarians to maintain the firearms registry in its entirety as it currently exists.

The petitioners are calling specifically on the Conservatives, who claim to be the party of law and order, to maintain the registry, and they are also calling on the leaders of the opposition and the NDP to show some political courage and stop the Conservatives in their tracks in order to maintain this tool that is so important for public safety, and in particular that of women, who we are celebrating today on March 8.

Assisted Suicide

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to begin to table a few of the many petitions I have received in regard to Bill C-384 concerning assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The petitioners are clearly asking the House of Commons to vote against Bill C-384.

Earthquake in Chile

[Jim Maloway, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by several hundred people at a fundraiser in Winnipeg this past weekend for the earthquake in Chile. The petition calls upon the Canadian government to match funds personally donated by Canadian citizens for the victims of the earthquake in Chile.

As people know, on February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Chile, causing tsunami coastal flooding and affecting two million people, with about 800 people dying.

Chileans in Winnipeg collected over $10,000 this past Saturday. The government acted very quickly to match personally donated funds for earthquake relief in Haiti. When will the government provide the same treatment for victims of the earthquake in Chile?

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I was already standing to move a motion before you called the items. I would like to move my motion now.

This is a very short motion and I suspect all hon. members will agree with it since I do not know any MP in this Parliament who would disagree with abolishing as quickly as possible the chance for an inmate to get parole after serving one-sixth of his sentence in some cases. I move:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-434, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (day parole — six months or one sixth of the sentence rule) be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a Committee of the Whole, deemed considered in Committee of the Whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage, and deemed read a third time and passed.

This would abolish the chance of parole at one-sixth of the sentence.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin have the unanimous consent of the House to move this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

There is no consent.

Animal Welfare

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will present a petition on income trusts shortly, but today, pursuant to Standing Order 36 and as certified by the clerk, I am pleased to present what I believe to be the 50th petition I have put forward in support of a universal declaration on animal welfare.

The petitioners point out to Parliament that whereas there is a scientific consensus and public acknowledgement that animals can feel pain and can suffer, all efforts should be made to prevent animal cruelty and reduce animal suffering.

The petitioners also point out that over one billion people around the world rely on animals for their livelihoods and many others rely on animals for the companionship they give.

Whereas animals are often significantly affected by natural disasters and are seldom considered during relief efforts and emergency planning despite their recognized importance to humans, these petitioners call upon Parliament to support a universal declaration on animal welfare.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition for exactly the same reasons as my colleague just stated.

This is a petition calling on Canada to support a universal declaration on animal welfare. The reasons listed are the very same as those in the petition presented just before mine.

Canada Post Corporation

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today, as certified by the clerk of petitions, regarding the key role that post offices play in the social and economic life of Canadians and Canada by providing the infrastructure that healthy communities need to thrive and businesses need to grow.

The petition calls upon the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to maintain and improve its network of public post offices, and to consult with the public, their elected representatives, postal unions and other stakeholders in any reform or change to the post office system.

Firearms Registry

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague from Jeanne-Le Ber, I am pleased to table a petition signed by 1,287 people who are asking the government to review its position on the firearms registry.

As we know, a number of Quebeckers are opposed to this bill. We will continue to oppose it and we hope that the government will reconsider its position in order to ensure that women will truly be safe here, in Quebec, and elsewhere.

Animal Welfare

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I too have a petition from the good people of Oak Ridges—Markham, specifically from the King area of my riding, the equestrian capital of Canada. They, too, have a petition with respect to a universal declaration on animal cruelty, which I will not repeat. The member for Mississauga South read the petition quite ably.

Canada Post Corporation

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, following up on my colleague from the Don Valley area, I have a petition regarding Canada Post.

Some of the points the petitioners mention include the need for adequate time for a whole community to be involved in the closure and amalgamation of post offices in rural communities, and the need to uphold the moratorium on the closure of these key federal institutions within our smallest communities.

The petition in particular calls on Canada Post and the Government of Canada to improve and maintain the network of public post offices and to consult with the public, their elected representatives and postal unions.

Finally, this petition comes from Bonavista, which is going through a severe power outage right now. I wish the people there all the best. Hopefully, power will be restored within the next 24 hours.