Debates of Oct. 1st, 2012

National Defence

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this question is for the Minister for Status of Women, the Minister of Public Works and the acting minister of defence.

Was she aware that in 2006 the air force submitted a statement of requirements that was based on inadequate information and stilted in favour of F-35? Further, was she aware when she was used in a 2010 photo op that the F-35 program was in deep trouble?

Now that she is effectively the acting minister of defence for procurement, will she require the air force to resubmit its statement of requirements?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member knows that we have an ongoing process in place right now.

The National Fighter Procurement Secretariat has been set up in order to ensure the level of transparency that we believe is necessary and the level of due diligence that has been asked for by the Auditor General, while we make our decision to replace the CF-18s.

At this point, no funding has been spent on the purchase of any new aircraft and no money will be spent until the secretariat independently verifies the costs necessary to replace our aging CF-18s.

Housing

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, the entire world is recognizing World Habitat Day, but there are no celebrations here in Canada.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is imposing excessive penalties on housing co-operatives that need to finance renovation work. The CMHC wants the Village Canadien Housing Co-op in Winnipeg to pay an additional $5.5 million. The Mondragon co-operative in Brampton, Ontario, is being asked to pay an additional $140,000.

Why do the Conservatives not allow housing co-operatives to figure things out for themselves instead of standing in their way?

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

Mr. Speaker, the CMHC has been doing exactly that for many years. It has been supporting affordable housing co-operatives across the country. We provide support for more than 600,000 affordable housing units, including co-operatives. We will continue to work with them to ensure that they are successful.

Small Businesses

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, small business organizations estimate that unnecessary red tape costs the Canadian economy $30 billion every year, costs paid by small business owners that hinder their ability to grow their business and create jobs.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification tell this House what steps our government is taking so that small businesses can focus on filling orders and not filling out government forms?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, our government was elected with a mandate to keep Canada's economy a world leader in growth and job creation. Red tape inhibits economic growth and job creation. That is why our government is proud to launch the red tape reduction action plan, one of the most ambitious regulatory modernizations in the world that addresses systemic reforms and some 90 specific changes that would provide common sense solutions to bureaucratic irritants that affect everything from tax and payroll to labour, transport and trade.

While our government is reducing unnecessary burdens and expenses on small businesses, the NDP wants to impose a--

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Nanaimo—Cowichan.

Aboriginal Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, a report from Public Safety Canada indicates that the number of aboriginal women behind bars has skyrocketed. Aboriginal women make up one-third of the prison population despite being just 4% of the Canadian population. The report notes that these women will not receive the attention nor the resources needed to address the multiple issues that they are facing.

How long will aboriginal women have to wait for the minister to address this crisis?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, our criminal justice system does not target anyone from any racial group. What it does do is target criminals.

To suggest, as the member has, that the police are going out and targeting aboriginal women, is simply shameful.

Our government is committed to taking concrete steps on some of the personal issues that our prisoners have. The issues of mental health, access to treatment services for inmates and the training for staff have all improved as a result of the leadership of this government.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on September 26, 2012, at the Charbonneau commission, all of Quebec saw a video showing that builders had ties to the Mafia. Although the RCMP has had overwhelming evidence since at least 2004, these builders continued to prosper for years without any worries about the police.

How is it that the RCMP did not submit its evidence to Quebec's police force after the Colisée investigation? Was it incompetence, negligence, political interference? Could the Minister of Public Safety respond—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The Minister of Public Safety.

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I will not comment on any particular investigation involving the RCMP, but our government does take corruption and white collar crime very seriously. That is why we have taken strong actions, such as ending early parole for those convicted of white collar crimes.

I would point out that the Charbonneau inquiry is within the jurisdiction of the province of Quebec and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any matter currently before it.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Tabling of Document

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to give the Minister of Canadian Heritage an opportunity to correct the record.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. If you are asking for unanimous consent to table a document, I will hear that.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the letter from the City of Vancouver, as well as the Prime Minister's response to that letter. If I could enter that into the--

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to table this document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

No.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 30th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding membership on committees of this House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 30th report later today.

Canadian Human Rights Act

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-445, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (genetic characteristics).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca for seconding this bill today. I also thank the former member for Burnaby—Douglas, Bill Siksay, who first brought this very important issue before Parliament when he was a member of Parliament. I also thank the Coalition for Genetic Fairness which has done a tremendous amount of work to bring forward this very important issue about Canadians who have genetic diseases and who often face discrimination.

The bill has a simple purpose. It would enact an amendment to the Canadian Human Rights Act to add genetic characteristics as a prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Many people may think that this is not something that affects a lot of people but it does. There are very real cases of people who have experienced discrimination from insurance policies or different kinds of disability policies based on their genetic history.

Now that we live in a day and age where we can have genetic testing, this becomes an even more important issue. It is very important and timely that we have a debate in Parliament about the issue of genetic discrimination and we look to this particular amendment to the Canadian Human Rights Act as a way of giving people the valuable protection they need as we do for all Canadians.

I hope when this bill comes forward for debate that members will engage in that debate and understand the seriousness of this issue.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Procedure and House Affairs

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 30th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier today, be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

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

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.