Debates of April 29th, 2010

Food Mail Program

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

Mr. Speaker, I was delighted in the throne speech and in the budget where we got, for the first time, a long-term commitment, solid A-base funding for nutritious food programs for the north. This government stands solidly behind it in a way that has never been done before. What is more, we had over 70 consultative meetings across the north with suppliers, community leaders and others.

We will be shortly announcing a revamp of that nutritious food program that is sustainable, that takes into account the information we got from the north. Northerners deserve to have a program they can count on, and we are going to deliver that to them.

Afghanistan

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, an Afghan-Canadian interpreter revealed that Canadian soldiers killed an innocent, unarmed Afghan teen during a botched operation. At the time, the Minister of National Defence dismissed the accusations. Now that the family is threatening to take legal action, the military police has decided to begin an investigation.

How can the Minister of National Defence have any credibility in the whole Afghan detainee issue when he would rather deny problems than try to get at the truth?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we can talk about credibility. We can talk about support for the Canadian Forces. We can talk about support for Canada. However, I do not want to get into that argument with the member opposite.

What I do know is that the chief of the defence staff has given very credible evidence that suggests what happened on that fateful night is that there was an armed insurgent who was shot, and he was shot to protect the lives of Canadian Forces members who were involved in an operation. That is the evidence on the record. There will be an investigation.

The facts that we have heard have come from the mouth of a person no less credible than the chief of the defence staff, Walt Natynczyk. I will take his word over that of the member opposite.

International Co-operation

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the responses by the government to my questions on abortion funding omitted the pleas from groups like the WHO and Human Rights Watch that say that maternal and child health initiatives must make “available a wide range of contraceptives based on full information and women's choice”, and provide “safe abortion and post-abortion services”.

Why is the government not listening to all the organizations invested in this issue? When will it stop cherry-picking arguments to fuel its own agenda?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on how we can make a difference in saving the lives of women and children in ways that unite us, not divide us. In fact, together with our G8 partners, we agree that maternal and child health must be a priority.

The meeting in Muskoka gives us a historic opportunity to save the lives of millions of women and children. It is a laudable goal. It is an honourable goal. It is one that we can all get behind.

Democratic Reform

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians believe that our Parliament should reflect a modern, 21st century democracy.

This week our Conservative government introduced changes to the law which will make our democratic institutions more accountable to Canadians.

Can the Minister of State for Democratic Reform give the House an update on the latest steps we have taken to strengthen Canadian democracy?

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, in fact we have taken many steps to improve our democracy. Yesterday we introduced legislation that would make political loans transparent and uniform. It would take big money out of the political process.

This week we also introduced legislation to increase voter participation. We have also introduced legislation to allow the people of the provinces to choose who they want to be their nominees in the Senate.

We are making our democracy better for all Canadians.

Veterans Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, Dennis Vialls, an allied veteran and Canadian citizen for 43 years, died after being denied access to Ste. Anne's veterans hospital in Montreal, despite there being 34 empty beds. Now we learn that London's Parkwood Hospital is going to close 72 beds reserved for veterans.

Our veterans are lining up. Allied veterans, cold war vets and peacekeepers are waiting to be allowed in. When will the government make the changes to allow these veterans to get the care they have earned and deserve?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, our veterans who served overseas can indeed go to Sainte-Anne's Hospital. We have also arranged for extended care beds to be reserved in other institutions. In the event that not all these beds are being used, and there is not a need for them, an agreement will be reached with the institution to make them available for other patients. However, we care about our veterans a great deal and they always have priority when they need a bed.

Workplace Safety

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the lives of employees under federal jurisdiction are being jeopardized by inadequate funding and a lack of safety inspectors. Between 2002 and 2007, the rate of disabling injuries increased by 5%, while Quebec and the other provinces managed to cut their average by 25%.

Will the minister show some concern for workers for once and allocate adequate resources for their health and safety?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, we have received the report that the member is referring to, and officials from my department are reviewing it.

As the member opposite is aware, the health and safety of Canadians is the government's top priority. Federally regulated employers are obliged and expected to adhere to outpatient health and safety laws in the labour code. The labour program works with employers, works with employees and indeed, works with other governments to develop the best tools and the best practices to assist workplaces.

The Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the spring 2010 audit, the Auditor General criticized both INAC and Environment Canada for failing to deliver on their duties to monitor cumulative environmental impacts in the Northwest Territories. She also reported INAC's failure to monitor compliance with federal permits. Yet we hear reports on hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars spent to fast-track mapping of the Arctic shelf to support resource extraction.

Given the government's professed policy of balancing economic development and the environment, does this not indicate a serious tipping of the scales?

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

Mr. Speaker, we did announce in the budget increased funding for not only cumulative environmental impacts on communities in the far north, but also regulatory reform that will make both protection of the environment and sustainable development all possible. Certainly the north needs all of that to happen.

For sure, mapping the extent of our continental shelf and the offshore resources is important, not only for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the deadlines we have to meet for that, but also for the interests of all of the people who live in the north and for all Canadians.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Right Hon. Ed Schreyer, the 22nd Governor General of Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in our gallery of this year's recipients of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.

For Lifetime Artistic Achievement in Performing Arts: Françoise Faucher, Walter Homburger, Edouard Lock, Robin Phillips and Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Recipients of the Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts: Mohmammed Faris and Yulanda Faris.

I invite all hon. members to meet the recipients at a reception in room 216-N promptly.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

It being Thursday, I believe the hon. member for Wascana has a question.

Business of the House

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the government House leader would advise the House of his schedule of work for the remainder of this week and all of next week, including the likely designation of the next supply day.

I wonder if I could again ask him if he has yet had the opportunity to consider the matter of a take note debate with respect to the east coast shellfish industry, a topic in which there is keen interest on all sides in the House.

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the hon. House leader of the official opposition as to the future business for the remainder of this week and up until Thursday of next week.

We will continue today with the debate at second reading of Bill C-10, Senate term limits. Following Bill C-10, I will call Bill C-12, democratic representation. I will continue with this lineup tomorrow.

Next week, we will call Bill C-4, Sébastien's law, Bill C-16, ending house arrest for property and other serious crimes by serious and violent offenders, and Bill C-13, fairness for military families. All of these bills are at second reading.

Tuesday, May 4, will be an allotted day. I am looking forward to the motion that my hon. colleague and his party will select for that opposition day. I note there are some nine allotted days in this parliamentary period, and obviously there are many important issues that the opposition has to choose from, including the east coast shellfish industry.

Oral Questions

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the disrespect towards elected officials is getting worse and that is why I am asking the member for Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord to withdraw an unparliamentary term that he used when he called the Minister of Natural Resources a “carpette”, or a doormat. I am also asking the member for Québec to withdraw an unparliamentary word that she used when she referred to the minister from the Quebec City region as a “cocotte”, or a tart.

I am sorry, but there has to be a minimum of respect among us, even if we do not share the same views.

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, during question period, a word was translated into French and I want to make sure it is withdrawn. The member for Winnipeg Centre used a term which was rendered in French as “homme de paille” in reference to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “Homme de paille” basically means a bandit. Therefore, if the French translation is accurate, I would ask that the word be withdrawn, because the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport is not a bandit. This word should be withdrawn. I am asking the Chair to check on this.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I will look at all this and, if necessary, I will come back to the House with a ruling.

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary also have a point of order?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, since your microphone was still on after the point of order raised by the other parliamentary secretary, I heard that you had not understood what she said.

I am going to repeat it for you. My colleague is asking that the unparliamentary words used by some opposition members be withdrawn. They used the word “cocotte”, or tart, in reference to one of our ministers, and the word “carpette”, or doormat, in reference to another minister. I am asking that the opposition members withdraw these unparliamentary terms.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I will look at what was said in the House. If unparliamentary words were used and if I can see them, I am going to ask members to withdraw them.

Does the hon. member for Joliette have a point of order on the same issue?