Debates of April 23rd, 2010

Victims of Crime

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the fifth National Victims of Crime Awareness Week will come to a close tomorrow, but it will not end there for us. Every victim of crime is important, no matter who they are or where they live. Protecting law-abiding Quebeckers and Canadians has always been a top priority for our Conservative government.

This week, our government put in place a number of initiatives to put the rights of law-abiding citizens before those of criminals.

Although the Leader of the Bloc stated earlier this week that “the Bloc...has done a lot by adopting a constructive and rigorous attitude when it comes to justice”, in this House, we know very well that it is not unusual for the Bloc to oppose our crime and justice initiatives.

Quebeckers and Canadians can always count on our government to ensure that victims' rights take precedence over those of criminals.

Guru Gobind Singh Children's Foundation

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the good work of the Guru Gobind Singh Children's Foundation.

The foundation was established by young people of the Canadian Sikh community in 1999 as a way to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa and to honour the 10th guru of the Sikh faith. The foundation is driven by the motto “children helping children", and its good work supports children both in Canada and abroad.

The GGSCF actively involves youth and challenges them to understand the true meaning of charity. As an example, last year 90 of these young people ran across Canada from July 1 to August 30, starting from St. John's, Newfoundland and ending in Vancouver, British Columbia. The run raised money for children's hospitals in each province as well as a health centre in Liberia.

The Guru Gobind Singh Children's Foundation is a testament to what can happen when we teach our children to care about the world around them. I applaud the good work they do on behalf of the Canadian Sikh community and indeed all Canadians.

Justice

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in 2006, our government introduced legislation to put an end to conditional sentences, or house arrest, for serious and violent crimes. However, the bill was repeatedly stalled and eventually gutted by the opposition.

In the last session of Parliament, we reintroduced the bill. The Liberals said they would support it. Now the member for Ajax—Pickering and his Liberal cronies have announced they will oppose this important piece of legislation.

This flip-flop comes as no surprise to Canadians who have come to expect this type of behaviour from the Liberal Party. However, I wonder what the member for Ajax—Pickering's constituents would say, knowing that their member of Parliament opposes a bill to end house arrest for crimes such as aggravated assault, human trafficking, luring a child, arson, fraud and extortion.

I am proud to be a member of the only party that stands up for victims and law-abiding citizens in this country.

Salmon Fishery

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, marine biologist Alexandra Morton left Sointula on her "Get Out Migration" walk down Vancouver Island to raise public awareness about the effects of industrial fish farming on wild salmon.

People around the world are paying attention and demanding that our government recognize that salmon are sacred and protect wild runs. Lax regulating of open-net salmon farms along wild salmon migratory routes has resulted in the transfer of sea lice and disease, contamination of the seabed by waste products and the takeover of habitat by escaped fish.

Canadians, especially in my riding of Nanaimo—Cowichan, want the federal government to apply the Fisheries Act and ban open-net salmon farming near these routes, so we do not lose the food security, thousands of jobs and millions of dollars that wild salmon bring to our province. Alexandra Morton is calling for moving the industrial production of fish to land-based operations away from wild salmon.

Salmon farm families do not have to be left behind. We can have our fish and eat it too, by firm regulation of industrial fish farms and protection of wild salmon runs.

CBC Pollster

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Frank Graves, the Ekos pollster, is providing interesting advice to the Liberal leader and he is taking it. Graves, who also just happens to be the CBC's pollster of record, has publicly said that the Liberals should: “Stop worrying about the west...No need to fear of polarizing the debate...invoke a culture war. Cosmopolitanism versus parochialism...tolerance versus racism and homophobia, democracy versus autocracy. If the cranky old men in Alberta do not like it, too bad”.

This is unbelievable and highly offensive that the CBC pollster is providing political advice to the Liberal Party to start a cultural war. Graves is hired by the CBC to poll and comment on party politics. He has been a major donor to the Liberal Party; however, he is providing clear and offensive messaging advice to the Liberals.

For the CBC, this is a clear conflict of interest.

Quebec Federation of Senior Citizens

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as part of its national day of action on April 20, FADOQ, the Quebec Federation of Senior Citizens, Eastern Townships Region, held a demonstration in downtown Sherbrooke. Among those present were Jacques Demers, the president of FADOQ – Eastern Townships Region, and Jean Lacharité, the president of the Eastern Townships Conseil central de la CSN.

For years now, the Bloc Québécois has worked hard to bring seniors' concerns to the attention of the federal government. In response, the Conservative government has turned a deaf ear and continued to ignore our seniors, despite the Bloc's repeated efforts, particularly in connection with increasing the guaranteed income supplement.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the work of Mr. Demers and to reiterate my support, and the support of the Bloc Québécois, for FADOQ – Eastern Townships Region, and for the entire FADOQ network. Although the Conservatives continue to do nothing, we must keep up the fight.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, order. Perhaps the hon. member for Malpeque and the Minister of Public Safety would be pleased to go to my office and have a little chat back there. I would be happy to open it for them to use if that would help.

The hon. member for Westmount—Ville-Marie.

Philip Osano

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Philip Osano on receiving the International Development Research Centre Doctoral Research Award.

Mr. Osano is a geography PhD student at McGill University. His research is focused on producing a qualitative analysis of poverty-reduction programs aimed at protecting conservation zones in Kenya.

His work will provide an invaluable contribution to understanding development programs in rural Africa, which hope to balance nature conservation, use of land for conservation and the economic life of nomadic herders.

Mr. Osano's research inspires talented Canadian students to travel to Africa to participate in field work in programs like McGill's African field studies semester program.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the International Development Research Centre on its 40th anniversary.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader has taken off his leader's hat today and replaced it with a salesman's hat and, Mr. Speaker, I would not blame you for buying a copy of the leader's book that is called True Patriot Love, based on the testimonials found on the inside of the front cover.

The Liberal leader claims on the inside of the front cover of his book that the National Post, when reviewing his book, called it “well-written”. But that is not entirely true. What the National Post called it was “a well-written disappointment”.

This is the type of dishonesty that not even a first year university student could get away with. I am wondering if the Leader of the Opposition really believes that this is honesty or if this is maybe a case of deceitfulness.

But Canadians unfortunately have come to expect this from the Liberal leader. He has again demonstrated he is not in it for Canadians, he is just in it for himself.

Ethics

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, for two weeks now it has been nothing but a Conservative culture of deceit when it comes to the Jaffer affair.

The Prime Minister has been saying that he forwarded serious allegations to the Ethics Commissioner. “Not true”, she told a Commons committee yesterday. All the PMO sent her were phone numbers for a gumshoe and a Conservative lawyer. The government also claimed it sent serious allegations to the RCMP. Did it really?

Will the Minister of Public Safety confirm that the RCMP is conducting an investigation, yes or no?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister referred allegations from a third party to the relevant authorities. The authorities will reach their own conclusions.

The allegations have nothing to do with government business. When the allegations from the third party came to the Prime Minister's attention, he acted quickly and appropriately.

These allegations that he received from this third party do not concern any minister, MP, senator or government employee.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, it does not stop there.

The infrastructure minister is also mired deep in the culture of deceit. He bald-faced said on April 12:

--Mr. Jaffer never made any inquiries with respect to his business.

But when forced to release documents, it is clear Jaffer's company sent his office three funding proposals worth over $850 million. We know the minister sent two of these projects to his department. One proposal even had a handwritten note on it: “From Rahim, submit to department”.

Who wrote that? Was it the minister or his parliamentary secretary?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing the same questions over and over again. It sounds like they have a culture of repeat over there.

Mr. Jaffer and Mr. Glémaud inquired about three projects, but the parliamentary secretary in question did not support or recommend any of them. None of the projects received any funding. Only a Liberal would think that it is a scandal when somebody does not get government funds.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, over there it is deny, delay and cover-up, but it is an absolute culture of deceit.

Canadians do not care whether lobbying efforts were successful or not. Bad lobbying is still lobbying. They should have registered. The minister knew darn well that he was being lobbied by two former Conservative candidates. He should have blown the whistle on them and reported them to the lobbying commissioner.

As well, Jaffer sent emails concerning his business interests to the industry minister's office. Will the industry minister release them? Will this Conservative culture of deceit never end?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this private citizen is responsible for his own conduct. Under the Lobbying Act, the Lobbying Act requires anybody carrying out lobbying activities to, first, register and then report all of those activities to the lobbying commissioner.

If that member across the way has evidence that these rules have been broken, I would encourage him to make those allegations to the independent officer of Parliament known as the lobbying commissioner.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the Prime Minister made a great show of firing his minister, saying that he was referring her case to the RCMP and the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. But the commissioner has clearly stated that the Prime Minister did not send her any relevant information. What is more, the Minister of Public Safety is refusing to confirm that the RCMP has opened an investigation.

This is a familiar pattern: the Conservatives make big announcements with lots of fanfare, but in the end, they do nothing. Could the Prime Minister give us a better example of the Conservative culture of deceit?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as soon as the Prime Minister received the allegations from the third party, he sent those allegations along to the relevant authorities. These authorities will reach their own conclusions.

The allegations that he received from this third party have nothing to do with government business nor do they involve any member of Parliament, senator, minister or government employee.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for two weeks, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities has been saying that Rahim Jaffer never talked to him about his submissions. This is hard to believe when we know that Rahim Jaffer met with the minister and his parliamentary secretary when his submissions were being assessed by their office.

Is this more Conservative deceit?

The question is very simple. Who in the government wrote “From Rahim, submit to department” on his application for a $20 million grant?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to Mr. Jaffer and Mr. Glémaud, who inquired about three projects. The parliamentary secretary in question did not support or recommend any of these projects. None of them received public funding.

Only the Liberals would get mad when somebody does not receive government funds.

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the explanation given by the Prime Minister and former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer does not stand up. Not only did the latter's company submit $850 million in proposals to government, but two businessmen and Nazim Gillani are convinced that Rahim Jaffer was a lobbyist.

Will the Prime Minister table in the House, for the sake of transparency, the list of meetings he, his ministers, parliamentary secretaries and their staff had with this unregistered lobbyist?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this private citizen is responsible for his own conduct. The Lobbying Act requires anyone who lobbies federal public office holders to register with the lobbying commissioner.

If the honourable member has proof that someone broke these rules, he should forward this information to the lobbying commissioner.

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we cannot call Rahim Jaffer just a private citizen. He is the former chair of the Conservative caucus and the spouse of a former Conservative minister. Quite frankly, we should not be treated like fools.

The proof that there was lobbying is that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities forwarded two projects pushed by Rahim Jaffer to the director general of strategic priorities at the Department of Transport.

Does the Prime Minister agree that it is in the public interest to reveal all contacts by this unregistered lobbyist?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Lobbying Act requires all those who lobby federal public office holders to register with the lobbying commissioner.

If the hon. member has proof that someone broke the rules, he should forward it directly to the lobbying commissioner.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government promised us a better Lobbying Act, but it did not keep that promise. Despite the Federal Accountability Act, people can still get away with claiming that they did not get paid or saying that all they did was send a few emails or attend a few information sessions.

Rahim Jaffer met with business people and ministers, and he put $850 million worth of proposals into the hands of public officials. None of this constitutes lobbying according to the 2006 Conservative legislation.

Is that not proof enough that the law is seriously flawed?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Lobbying Act was brought in as part of the Federal Accountability Act.

If the Bloc members wanted to change the way the law was written, they could have proposed amendments. They did not do so. The law requires anyone lobbying federal public office holders to register with the lobbying commissioner.

If the hon. member has any evidence that someone has broken the rules, she should forward that information to the commissioner.