House of Commons Hansard #161 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was bullying.

Topics

Canadian Museum of CivilizationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Canadian Museum of CivilizationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please. I do not want to have to ask hon. members once again to hold off on their applause. I hope the hon. member for Davenport will get to his question.

Canadian Museum of CivilizationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, the reaction underlines the fact that the Conservatives are relentlessly re-branding everything in their image and Canadian taxpayers are footing the bill for this.

What exactly is it about civilization that scares the government?

Canadian Museum of CivilizationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on finally making it through a question.

We believe in our national institutions. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is a fantastic museum that has served Canadians incredibly well. We believe in our national museums. We will build upon the success of all of our museums going forward.

If we have any changes in mind, I will make sure that he is among the very first to know. If the member has any ideas, we are open to hearing them as well.

Science and TechnologyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

David Sweet Conservative Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, this week marks national science and technology week with events being held across the country.

As a member of Parliament representing a riding with two university campuses, I have seen first-hand how important it is to lay the groundwork for future careers in science and to engage Canada's youth so that we can continue to be an international science leader.

The week celebrates the significance of Canada's science and technology sector, demonstrating how science affects the daily lives of Canadians.

Could the Minister of State for Science and Technology please update the House on our government's ongoing commitment to science and technology?

Science and TechnologyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Cambridge Ontario

Conservative

Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale and our country-wide support for science and technology--

Science and TechnologyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Science and TechnologyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please. The hon. minister of state has the floor.

Science and TechnologyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his support and the people across Canada for their support of the science and technology week initiatives. These events do inspire youth to pursue careers in science, enabling our country to remain an international leader.

The Conservative government's historic investments in science, including $8 billion new dollars in investment, have led to Canada being ranked fourth in the world.

While those members may oppose it, we will continue to support it.

Small BusinessOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, despite the fact that we are marking small business week, the government's policies are actually hurting Canada's one million small businesses. Shops near the border, hotels near national parks and tourism operators across the country are hurting, and those Conservative members who have small businesses in their constituencies know that. It is the government's damaging policies and tax increases that are hurting small business.

When will the government take--

Small BusinessOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Small BusinessOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please. We are almost through the list. The hon. member for Vancouver--Quadra still has a few seconds and I would like to hear the question.

Small BusinessOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, their constituents in small businesses are not laughing at these policies.

When will the government make sure that its policies support rather than undermine small business?

Small BusinessOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Cambridge Ontario

Conservative

Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth.

This Conservative government has lowered every tax we can imagine, including taxes for small businesses across the country. This government supports small and medium-sized businesses, as well as multinational organizations. If anybody here wants to raise taxes, it would be, first, the Liberals, who have a history of it, and second, the NDP that is promising to do it should it ever be government.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

October 15th, 2012 / 2:55 p.m.

NDP

Laurin Liu NDP Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC

Mr. Speaker, about 15 beluga whales were recently found dead on the shores of the St. Lawrence, and another appeared to be lost in the Port of Montreal. No one knows why.

This mystery will likely never be solved, since the Conservatives have cut funding for the ecotoxicology labs at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute. Marine species are threatened, and the government is laying off scientists who are responsible for protecting them.

When will the Conservatives stop making budget cuts that are detrimental to the health of the St. Lawrence and its residents?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission B.C.

Conservative

Randy Kamp ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my colleague that DFO is concerned about the number of dead beluga calves that were found throughout 2012. The department has been monitoring the belugas' mortality very closely because of that. Analysis is under way to determine the causes of the mortality, and we will continue to work on that.

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Wladyslaw Lizon Conservative Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has made great strides in cutting red tape to ensure Canada's veterans receive the hassle-free service they deserve. We have already significantly reduced the amount of time it takes for veterans to receive decisions regarding their disability benefits. Through our plain-language initiative, letters explaining benefit decisions are now easier to understand and we are simplifying the reimbursement process for the veterans independence program.

Would the minister update the House on other ways our government is cutting red tape for veterans?

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Lévis—Bellechasse Québec

Conservative

Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the member for Mississauga East—Cooksville is right. Our veterans deserve a hassle-free service and that is what this Conservative government is giving them.

Yesterday I announced the launch of our initiative, the Benefits Browser for—

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order. The hon. Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC

Mr. Speaker, we launched the Benefits Browser for veterans. I encourage opposition members to visit the website to see that our veterans now have access to an online site to learn about the programs and services they are entitled to.

I encourage Canada's veterans to check out the veterans benefit browser which is a product that we worked on with the ombudsman and—

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please. The hon. member for Chambly—Borduas.

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC

Mr. Speaker, another day, another case of preferential treatment by the Conservative Party. The Canadian Olympic Committee asked that the immigration process for a table tennis player be accelerated just before the Olympic Games. Who could have made such a request, if not Dimitri Soudas, the Prime Minister's former communications director? Did he have any influence over this free pass?

As we saw in the case of Robert Abdallah at the Port of Montreal, Mr. Soudas likes to take advantage of his connections at the Prime Minister's Office. Why? What do they still owe him?

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

3 p.m.

St. Catharines Ontario

Conservative

Rick Dykstra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, the Citizenship Act actually allows, when there is an unusual case of hardship or reward to an individual for service to Canada, an individual's citizenship to be expedited. It has been there since 1977. Over 500 cases have been determined to work through the same way. Many athletes have been granted this exemption because their intense and tough training does not allow them to go through the process as quickly and efficiently as other citizens do. What has happened since 1977 and will continue to happen is that we will give those who have earned it the opportunity to participate.

JusticeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Bloc

Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' ideological justice initiatives come with a hefty price tag. Quebec will need 565 to 1,048 additional prison beds. We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars for new prisons instead of health and education. Quebec has asked Ottawa to transfer ownership of the Leclerc Institution, which will be closing even though it was just renovated at a cost of $3 million.

Will the minister promise not to take advantage of the change in Quebec government to ignore this request?

JusticeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, I certainly will look at the request. However, I would point out that, for the first time in a decade, provincial remand centre populations are down 6%, thanks to the efforts of our government and our legislation.