Debates of May 6th, 2010

Afghanistan

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, what we heard yesterday was a strongly held legal opinion that was based on never having visited Sarposa, never having visited the NDS facility in Kandahar, never having visited the Canadian facility at Kandahar airfield, never having visited Kandahar airfield, never having talked to the Government of Canada since the fall of 2006 and never having talked to anybody on the ground who had anything to do with the mission. That is what we heard yesterday.

What we heard from Gavin Buchan was that none of these contacts, and he had many contacts, produced information to the effect that Canadian-transferred detainees were being abused or that our detainee arrangement was not being respected by Afghan authorities.

Political Party Financing

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the federal Liberal Party is sending letters encouraging its supporters to donate hundreds of dollars to its party anonymously. Canadians know that, unlike the Liberals, our Conservative government believes in transparency in political financing.

Can the Minister of State for Democratic Reform please clarify for the House the rules on political donations?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to clarify the rules for the Liberal Party. Anonymous campaign donations over $20 are illegal. Unlike the Liberals, our government believes in transparent political financing.

We have already made changes to the election financing rules, and just last week I introduced the political loans accountability act to reduce the influence of big money in politics. I call on the Liberals to support our legislation instead of promoting secret political donations.

Health

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, desperate multiple sclerosis patients protested across this country. They want diagnostic imaging and treatment for possible blocked veins, as recommended by the International Union of Phlebology.

Will the Minister of Health tell the House today that she will listen to the MS Society and immediately provide $10 million of new money to CIHR, and will Canada respect the international guidelines?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands how debilitating and devastating neurological disease can be for those affected and that is why our government has invested $15 million to work with stakeholders in an effort to find better treatment and services.

As well, last year, CIHR invested $5.3 million for specifically for MS. CIHR also invested over $120 million in a larger area of neuro-science for improved treatment for people living with this disease.

Omar Khadr

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict points out that international protocols provide special protection to children in armed conflicts. Accordingly, she is calling on Canada and the United States to treat Omar Khadr as a child soldier.

Will Canada finally recognize Omar Khadr as a child soldier and demand his repatriation?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, Canada's position regarding Mr. Omar Khadr has not changed. Mr. Khadr faces very serious charges, including murder.

The Obama administration has opted to send Omar Khadr to a military commission and we are letting that process unfold.

Fishing Industry

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in a report released today, Dr. Andrew Wright states that land-based, closed containment salmon farming is economically and technically feasible and is less environmentally damaging than current open-net farming.

We know the government wants to expand west coast aquaculture. We also know that sea lice from fish farms are having a negative impact on wild salmon.

Will the government protect our wild salmon and require salmon farmers to transition to a greener way of doing business by moving to closed containment?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government supports both a wild salmon fishery and a sustainable aquaculture industry and that is why our Prime Minister established the Cohen Commission to investigate the decline of the Fraser River sockeye salmon.

I would encourage the member opposite to listen to the steelworkers who last week criticized his bias against aquaculture. They said, “Justice Cohen has been appointed to conduct an inquiry into this matter, and for an elected official to assume that the cause is due to fish farms is irresponsible”.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, child pornography is a very serious form of sexual exploitation. Our government remains committed to protecting Canadians, especially our children, from crimes being committed in today's technological environment.

Would the Minister of Justice please update the House on the legislation that was tabled earlier today that would address this important issue?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Kitchener—Conestoga for his question and once again on his very important motion that was passed by the House in the last session aimed at protecting vulnerable Canadians.

Our legislation makes it mandatory for providers of Internet services to the public to report any tips they receive regarding websites where child pornography may be available to the public, as well as safeguard evidence if they believe that a child pornography offence has been committed using a service that they provide.

Again, with the help of the member for Kitchener—Conestoga and my colleagues on this side of the House, we are getting the job done in protecting Canadian children.

Business of the House

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the government would unveil its agenda for the balance of this week and next week, including the designation of any opposition days that may fall into that period of time.

I know the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons has been giving this matter some thought and I wonder if he is yet in a position to be specific about the occasion upon which we can have a take-note debate with respect to the east coast shellfish industry.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to respond to the Thursday question from the hon. House leader of the official opposition.

We will continue with the debate today and tomorrow on Bill C-13, fairness for military families, followed by Bill C-10, Senate term limits.

Next week we will continue with Bill C-13 , if we do not complete it this week, followed by Bill C-14, fairness at the pumps act; Bill C-15, nuclear liability; and Bill S-3, tax conventions.

I will give consideration to any bills also, as usual, that are reported back from committee to the House.

My hon. colleague asked about allotted days. Next Tuesday, May 11, shall be the next allotted day.

I am pleased to report that following extensive consultations between all parties, pursuant to Standing Order 53(1) I choose to designate Wednesday, May 12 for a take note debate on the importance of the Atlantic shellfish industry.

In conclusion, there have been additional consultations between all parties and I believe Mr. Speaker, you would find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion. I move:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, the hours of sitting and the order of business of the House on Thursday, May 27, 2010, shall be that of a Wednesday; that the address of the President of Mexico, to be delivered in the chamber of the House of Commons at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 27, 2010, before members of the Senate and the House of Commons, together with all introductory and related remarks, be printed as an appendix to the House of Commons Debates for that day and form part of the records of this House; and that the media recording and transmission of such address, introductory and related remarks be authorized pursuant to established guidelines for such occasions.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

(Motion agreed to)

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, just as a point of clarification because I think this is a change from what we might earlier have heard. Is it correct that following Bill C-13 the next order of business is Bill C-10?

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Yes, Mr. Speaker. It is my intention to call Bill C-10 , the Senate term limits, after Bill C-13.

Oral Questions

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising from events in question period.

During question period, the Minister of Transport claimed that he had a document that was available on the worldwide web that details the lobbying qualifications, if we want to call it that, of the member for Scarborough—Rouge River.

That document talks about the member's position as a former parliamentary secretary and his position as a current chairman of a committee of the House of Commons, and how one might be able to access the excellent connections that he has to further one's business interests, whether it is a domestic or foreign business.

I wonder if we could get unanimous consent for the Minister of Transport to table that document so we could all have a look at it.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I do not understand the question from the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development . Is he asking for unanimous consent for the minister to table the document? Ministers do not need unanimous consent to table documents. Ministers can rise and table documents to their heart's content and there is nothing that the chair can do about it or any other hon. member.

I would suggest that perhaps the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development take the Minister of Transport for lunch, butter him up and perhaps he will table the documents tomorrow or later.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, in the years that I have been here representing my constituency, this is the first time I have raised a point of order on an inappropriate comment that I think I heard. Over the years, I have seen inappropriate gestures and have heard inappropriate comments and have not risen to this point, but this is so serious that I must.

When a question was raised by the member for Toronto Centre and the member for Calgary East stood to answer, I listened to what he was saying and I think I heard him say, “Sit down. Sit down. You don't know what you're saying. Sit down. Go back on a plane”.

If indeed he said that, it would be a very inappropriate racist comment and I would ask him to clarify whether he said that and, if he did, he needs to apologize to this House.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I sit right beside the member for Toronto Centre and I certainly heard no such remark. I heard a number of other remarks vigorously expressed because of the lack of quality in the answer, but I certainly heard nothing of the nature that the hon. gentleman has just alleged.

I will most definitely bring this to the attention of the member for Toronto Centre and I am sure he will be in a position to respond for himself. However, I want to make it clear that I sat within one foot of the gentleman and I did not hear any such remark.

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Minister of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, this seems to be a lively day in the House.

I have been in this House for over 16 years and my point of order relates to something that was said by the hon. member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie. I gave the hon. member notice that I intended to raise this.

I recognize that in this House, members have a very broad and strongly protected right to the freedom to enter into debate and to speak their minds, and I respect that and am glad of that, but what I heard today from the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie, the leader of the Bloc, was what I consider to be an intolerant attack on Canadians who hold beliefs that are contrary to his own. In my view, the remarks that he made were bigoted and divisive. This kind of rhetoric, in my view, is completely unacceptable in our pluralistic society.

I would point out that our country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms proudly proclaims that certain human rights are guaranteed in this country. I will read section 2 of the charter where it states:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression...

I find it deeply disturbing that the Charter of Rights and the rights that are guaranteed to Canadians would come under attack in this very House through the very intolerant and specifically targeted words of the leader of the Bloc in question period.

Therefore, I would respectfully ask the Bloc leader to reconsider his language in attacking in this House the charter rights of other Canadians.