Debates of Oct. 30th, 2012

National Philanthropy Day Act

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order. We have a question concerning a point of order in front of us. As we heard, the hon. member for Terrebonne—Blainville offered an apology for any untoward words or phrases. I think we would consider the matter closed.

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Winnipeg North.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, philanthropy is something that many Canadians from coast to coast to coast contribute to every day of the year. What the bill is attempting to do is to recognize, on November 15, the efforts of those people who give generously with caring hearts. What we are asking for is that this November 15 be the very first day. That is the reason we hope the bill will pass, the sooner the better.

With those few words, I appeal to members, in particular to those in the New Democratic Party, to allow it to go through.

[Jim Hillyer, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to support Bill S-201, which would designate the 15th day of November of every year as National Philanthropy Day.

Some people think that philanthropy is just about donating money, but that is only one part of the picture. Philanthropists are, above all, people who give their time to help causes they are concerned about. Simply put, philanthropy can be explained as doing something to make the world a better place. Philanthropy can take many forms, from donating money to volunteering time. It shows itself in grand gestures and small. It is both personal and collective. It can be public or even anonymous.

As many Canadians know, our government is committed to working with communities, young people and organizations so that together, we can build a more prosperous nation and foster a deeper sense of attachment to Canada. We firmly believe that a strong attachment to Canada unites Canadians in a common purpose and enables us to succeed as individuals and as a nation. I am sure—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order. The hon. parliamentary secretary is rising on a point of order.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was just uncertain as to how much more time was left in this debate and how many more speakers we have.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

In fact, there are about three minutes remaining for debate. I do not know whether that is a point of order or rather to inform the House.

The hon. member for Lethbridge.

[Jim Hillyer, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, to speed up passage of the bill, I will conclude my remarks by stating that I will support the bill.

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know how much time I have for my remarks.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

There are two minutes remaining under private members' business.

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will take full advantage of those two minutes.

I am pleased to rise to speak briefly about Bill S-201.

It seems that everyone is happy to see this bill to institute National Philanthropy Day before us today.

A little earlier, my colleague spoke about the importance of supporting the volunteer work that is done in Canada, in terms of the impact it has on people, the services that are provided and the economy. If we add up the hours of volunteer work that are done, we realize that it would cost a lot of money to pay all those people. Passion and conviction motivate people to volunteer, but in so doing they provide tangible services to the public.

Of course having a day to recognize philanthropy is wonderful, but what tangible results will that produce on the ground? I do not think that this question can be separated from Bill S-201. The two go hand in hand and cannot be separated.

What are we going to do to really encourage people to get involved? Are we going to get out our party hats and noisemakers once a year and tell them that they are doing a great job? I do not think that this is enough.

Let us move forward with Bill S-201, but let us ask more questions, delve deeper into the issue and see how we can really make a difference in terms of philanthropy in Canada.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. member for Pierrefonds—Dollard will have eight minutes when the House resumes debate on this motion.

The time provided for the consideration of private members' business has now expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

The Environment

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to revisit a very critical debate in this House, the future of the Experimental Lakes Area. Many of us in the NDP have raised this issue, this blight, and the work that the Conservative government has done to debase and weaken the environmental standards in our country.

The Experimental Lakes Area is an institution that all of us ought to be proud of and, through that, pay homage to the tireless work of scientists and researchers, not just Canadian but from around world. They have contributed key scientific research that has played a critical role in policy and economic development. This work has truly shown that Canada is a country that goes forward with economic development in a way that ensures environmental stability; frankly, until now.

The Conservative government has waged a full-on attack on environmental regulation, on scientific research, period. Frankly, it is an offensive against anyone who dares speak out on the importance of research and scientific evidence.

The Experimental Lakes Area was founded in 1968. It is an area in northwestern Ontario that covers 58 lakes. It requires a mere $900,000 operating budget and involves roughly 15 to 20 core staff. Some 745 peer-reviewed scientific articles have been produced based on ELA research, and those are the peer-reviewed articles that have been key in shaping policy when it comes to government or the work in which the private sector engages.

I would note, as the MP for Churchill, that I appreciate the significant work ELA scientists have done to benefit Lake Winnipeg, the first nation communities and other communities that depend on Lake Winnipeg for their livelihoods, and for all of us Manitobans who benefit from a better environmental policy that has been shaped in part by the work of the ELA.

It is absolutely mind-blowing that the Conservative government has failed to see the value of the ELA and has attacked people who have spoken in favour of it. The government is keen to dismantle a program that has been so critical in the work that has been done.

I want to end by quoting Diane Orihel, director of the Coalition to Save the Experimental Lakes Area, who said “I call upon [the environment minister]...to do the right thing for Canada, for Canadians, and take over the operation of the ELA and its team of freshwater scientists”.

My question for the member across and for his government is this. In order for Environment Canada to be able to truly fulfill its mandate, it requires the work of the ELA. Will Environment Canada take over the operations of the Experimental Lakes Area?

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the member opposite on the important issue of the Experimental Lakes Area and environmental research.

After conducting a full review of its operations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be reducing the cost of operations and program delivery. This means that the department will increasingly focus its resources on priority areas that directly support conservation and fisheries management.

As such, the department will no longer conduct experimental research that requires whole lake or whole ecosystem manipulation. We believe universities and non-government research facilities are better suited to carry out the type of research done at the Experimental Lakes Area.

Indeed, the research conducted at the Experimental Lakes Area is of interest to many other organizations. This is why departmental officials are working to transfer the facility to another operator who can continue to perform this type of scientific research.

We are hopeful that another operator can be found. The facility offers a unique opportunity to conduct ecosystem experiments; there is significant interest in this type of research within the broader science community; and the department has been very successful in collaborating with universities and other organizations.

While Fisheries and Oceans Canada is winding down its research program at the Experimental Lakes Area, the department will continue to invest in freshwater research in response to departmental needs.

The department's Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg has an active science program. The science staff are continuing to conduct research on freshwater fisheries and habitat science.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada also operates the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in Burlington, Ontario. Staff at that laboratory conduct freshwater fisheries research related to fish habitat and sea lamprey, and provide scientific advice to support the department's mandate.

This summer, department scientists and biologists at these institutes, as well as other locations across Canada, were out in the field and in laboratories undertaking research that will help guide environmental policies and regulatory decision-making.

Departmental scientists are conducting research on aquatic invasive species, one of the leading threats to aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem health. They are conducting research on freshwater species at risk. They are conducting research on fish habitat and the impacts of human activities.

The department will continue to invest in priority scientific research, including environmental science. For example, the department has recently launched an aquatic ecosystems research fund. The strategic program for ecosystem-based research and advice began funding aquatic research projects across the country this summer, including freshwater research.

In addition, the department launched the aquatic climate change adaptation services program. This research program will support departmental science aimed at understanding climate change impacts on Canada's oceans and inland waters.

Departmental scientists are also continuing to collaborate with academia on priority research, doing science projects in partnerships with universities and supervising graduate students.

The department remains committed to freshwater science in support of its mandate. The department will continue to conduct science on the aquatic environment and fisheries resources that supports long-term sustainability and conservation. We will continue to invest wisely in priority science areas that directly support conservation and fisheries management.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, with all respect to the member across, it is a difficult message to believe after we have seen the changes the government has made to the Navigable Waters Protection Act.

If I could note to the member across and to his government some information they already know, I would like to put it on the record that scientists say that transferring control of the program and its lakes to a university is not ideal. Universities are not in the business of conducting decades-long research, and the liability involved in deliberately contaminating a lake may be too risky and too bureaucratically complicated for a school or non-profit research foundation to take on.

What we are really talking about here is losing the wholesale range of work that ELA was able to do. It would be great if the government would just come out and say that work will no longer be done, because everybody, certainly scientists, are indicating as such.

Finally, I would like to note that the Experimental Lakes Area is doing critical work in studying ecosystems, like those affected in northern Alberta by the tar sands. They would be in a key position to study the impact of chemicals in diluted bitumen and oil sands tailings ponds.

Is the government afraid of the kind of facts that ELA would come up with when it comes to the damage we are seeing in the tar sands and the tailings ponds?

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is fearmongering, of course.

We acknowledge the quality scientific research that can be conducted at the Experimental Lakes facility. However, we believe that other organizations are better suited to conducting this type of foundational research. We look forward to transferring the facility to another operator.

The member should be assured that scientists and biologists at Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to conduct research on freshwater ecosystems in various locations across the country, including at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg. The department will continue to provide funding for priority ecosystem research.

Science research and advice is and will remain one of the key considerations when making decisions that could impact the future of Canadians.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to engage the government in a discussion about the need for an international treaty on Arctic fisheries.

This summer, the loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean reached its greatest extent on record, shrinking to less than 3.5 million square kilometres, which is less than half the area typically occupied four decades ago. Approximately 25% of the ice mass is intact in that area.

Loss of permanent sea ice has opened up as much as 40% of this pristine region, making commercial fisheries viable for the first time in human history.

This area is beyond the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of the eight Arctic nations, so it is international water and is not covered by a fisheries management regime.

In April of this year, more than 2,000 scientists from 67 countries urged Arctic leaders to develop an international fisheries agreement that would protect the waters of the central Arctic Ocean. The 2,000 scientists recommended that Arctic Council members take the lead in developing a precautionary international fisheries management agreement; start with a catch level of zero until sufficient scientific research can assess the impact of fisheries on the central Arctic ecosystem; and set up a robust management, monitoring and enforcement system before fishing begins.

With the ocean warming and the sea ice melting, Pacific sockeye salmon, Atlantic cod, pollock and other commercially attractive species may well move northward.

Within 200 nautical miles of shore, jurisdiction to regulate fishing falls exclusively to the coastal state. However, stocks that live in the high seas beyond this zone or that move between the high seas and this zone are vulnerable to over-exploitation. The lack of regulation makes the now ice-free Arctic Ocean a tempting target for high-seas trawler fleets from non-Arctic nations.

The 1995 Straddling Stocks Agreement enables coastal states to create a regional fisheries organization to manage straddling and highly migratory stocks in the areas beyond 200 nautical miles from shore by setting quotas and through other means. However, any such organization must be open to states outside the region. Any state wanting to fish within the region must join the organization. By doing so, it is able to participate fully.

We have a situation in the Arctic. The Arctic is changing rapidly. There is great concern about what is going to happen with the fisheries there, obviously.

When we speak to the importance of the work on this that is going ahead right now, we can look to the Arctic Council. Canada is taking over the chair of the Arctic Council this spring. There is an opportunity, perhaps, not to fully engage the nations in the opportunity to put forward agreements and treaties but, with a two-year timeframe for the chairmanship, to initiate that procedure.

It is going to take the government making plans, very early in the process, to accomplish anything within that two-year timeframe. That is why it is important for the government to outline whether it is interested and ready to take that step. Negotiation of an Arctic fishery organization agreement would have to at least include the European Union. The Arctic Council can take the lead. Many other countries are going to be involved.

This summer , the Chinese icebreaker, the Snow Dragon, took a direct route over the North Pole. It took 20 days to go from Iceland to the Asian coast. That is the reality of the situation we are facing in the Arctic.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to my colleague by discussing DFO's approach to emerging fisheries, including possible new fisheries in the north. I know the member is a northerner and is vigilant about issues relating to the north, so I appreciate his interest.

Currently there is subsistence fishing across the Canadian Arctic and some commercial fishing in the Canadian waters off Nunavut. Within domestic waters for new, unfished areas we employ an emerging fisheries policy. This policy follows the precautionary approach and allows for carefully managed exploratory fisheries to gather the necessary data to inform managers of the characteristics of the fish stocks and whether they can form the basis of a sustainable fishery. Our approach is to try and inform ourselves of the nature and scope of fish stocks before making any conclusive management decisions. That is the general approach we take with new unfished areas and emerging fisheries.

Further, it is important that we take into account land claim agreements and interests of northern communities. There are specific rights and obligations that need to be factored in when considering the harvesting of natural resources in the north.

This Canadian approach, where we build our knowledge and consider aboriginal interests in order to inform the best management option, is the kind of approach we seek outside Canadian waters as well.

It is recognized that the knowledge of Arctic fish stocks is incomplete. The five Arctic coastal states agree that further research is a priority. It is far from clear that commercially viable fish stocks exist in the international area of the Arctic Ocean because many of the characteristics needed for robust fisheries are not a reality in the deep, generally low productive region of the central Arctic Ocean.

In addition, conditions in the Arctic Ocean continue to be harsh. The margins of the Arctic Ocean are starting to experience longer open water seasons, as my colleague has said. However, the international areas will continue to have access issues due to persistent and treacherous ice conditions for some time to come.

A commercially viable international fishery in the Arctic Ocean is not imminent. It is important to remember that the area is not without a governance framework as the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea already apply. It is not clear yet that there is a need for a new regional fisheries management organization treaty or that a complete moratorium is necessary.

While a moratorium is one option, Canada supports a pragmatic, precautionary approach whereby we can gather the necessary information and fully consider northern aboriginal interests before management decisions are taken.

Discussions among Arctic coastal states as to how potential Arctic fisheries could be managed were launched at the Arctic Ocean foreign ministers' meeting in March 2010 in Chelsea, Quebec. Subsequent to that, officials from the five coastal states met to consider the legal, technical and scientific issues related to Arctic fisheries.

Additionally, the United States hosted a fisheries experts workshop last summer in Alaska, where Canadian scientists joined other experts to determine the state of knowledge with regard to Arctic fisheries and identify research needs. Officials of the coastal states are looking forward to meeting again to determine how best to fill these important information gaps.

The Arctic coastal states agree that improving our knowledge of the state of the Arctic fisheries and their habitat is a priority and Canada will continue to work collaboratively to address these important information needs and develop an international approach that respects Canadian interests and ensures sustainable Arctic fisheries.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's approach and the government's approach to the conditions that will exist in the Arctic is very conservative. Quite clearly, the extent of the ice decomposition in the Arctic has moved along much faster than anyone predicted over the last number of years. The opportunity for the ice to completely leave the Arctic is now considered within the next decade.

We have a situation where things are moving very rapidly. The extent of a clear ocean now extends, in many cases, past the 200 mile limit, about which my colleague talked. Therefore, we are already in a position where we can start to assess the relative fish stocks in the area. It is important to move forward with this. There is no reason to slow down the examination of this issue. It requires attention.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Mr. Speaker, experts are telling us, as they get together to talk about these things, that there is no clear evidence of an imminent commercial fishery in the international waters of the central Arctic, but that does not mean we are not moving ahead with gathering information. We support, as I have said, a pragmatic and precautionary approach to fisheries management, where we can gather the necessary information we need and fully consider northern aboriginal interests before management decisions are taken, and that is the direction that we are going in.

We agree with the other coastal states that improving our knowledge of the state of the Arctic fisheries, their potential and habitat is a priority. Canada will continue to work collaboratively to address these important information needs and develop an international approach that respects Canadian interests and ensures that any Arctic fisheries will be sustainable.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am truly honoured to participate in the adjournment debate today to speak about the right to housing, and more specifically, access to quality housing in remote northern communities. This is relevant because it ties into something that I initiated several months ago.

In fact, some of my colleagues and I did a tour of different communities in Quebec. I started this series of visits with my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue. We visited the Algonquin communities, including Long Point in Abitibi, where there are some obvious shortcomings in terms of investment in infrastructure.

Just recently, I travelled with my colleague from Joliette to the community of Manawan, near Joliette. It is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from here by helicopter. You have to go by helicopter, which means you fly over the forests and can see the flora and fauna.

We arrived in Manawan about four days ago to meet with the people who live there. There are approximately 3,000 people in this community. We visited with Chief Paul-Émile Ottawa. We visited the various organizations in the community, including the elementary school.

Today, we are talking about quality of housing. However, I will focus on the quality of and significant problems with infrastructure in general in remote communities.

The community of Manawan is cut off from the rest of the world. The village has road access, but the road is a logging road. The community is several hours away from Joliette.

A visit to the elementary school revealed some serious problems with hygiene and the dilapidated state of the facility. The school was first built in the late 1960s or early 1970s. Construction happened in stages until recently.

My colleague and I and other stakeholders who were there noted the presence of mould, which we have also seen in homes in various places. There were also problems with access to toilets for the children. They had to take a card or a number to go to the toilet because there was a limited number of toilets available.

Today I would like to talk about the obvious infrastructure problems in these remote communities.

The community of Manawan went to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada offices last year. The community also demonstrated in front of offices in Quebec City. I feel that the demonstration was not well received. When we talked to community representatives, they told us that their education budget was slashed by $430,000 over the past year.

In my opinion, which is a well-informed one, these are repressive measures meant to punish communities that are a bit too feisty, that speak up in public.

This logical connection was brought to my attention and derives from my own observations over the past year. The Conservatives sometimes punish communities that do not support them, communities that are less docile, and they are generous toward communities that support their policies. That is what I have observed. I wanted to put that before the House today.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in response to the question by the hon. member for Manicouagan. I appreciate his sharing his personal experience in this matter. Those of us who have travelled to first nation communities in our provinces, for example in my case British Columbia, have seen some of the same things he has seen.

Where we agree is that our government recognizes that access to safe and affordable housing is essential for improving economic and social outcomes and supporting healthy, sustainable first nations communities. In fact, our government recognizes that on-reserve housing must be improved.

That is why we continue to work in partnership with first nations to address housing needs and ensure that long-lasting infrastructure is in place to support both current requirements and future development as well. As members know, on-reserve housing projects are an important part of community development and we will continue to provide support to first nations in that regard.

We are clearly focusing our efforts on making a real and measurable difference in the lives of first nations people. Since 2006, our government has made significant investments, including additional investments through Canada's economic action plan, to support housing on reserve. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada alone allocated more than $1 billion in on-reserve housing support to first nation communities. In addition, from 2009 to 2011, our government provided an additional $400 million to support the construction of new on-reserve housing and the renovation of existing housing and related housing activities. Over 4,400 units were built or renovated and nearly 1,200 lots were serviced through the department's $150 million allocation under Canada's economic action plan alone.

What is more, the health and safety of first nation communities is of primary concern to our government. There, we do recognize that mould is a problem and a health hazard. That is why the minister's department encourages a joint approach to mould remediation and partnership with first nations and other service providers, such as the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Health Canada. Our government will continue to work with first nations to address housing requirements and ensure that sustainable infrastructure is in place to support current and future development.

We are fully aware of the challenges facing first nations in the area of housing and are working to address those challenges. Clearly, our government is committed to helping first nations meet their housing needs.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his response. Just as I feared, it was replete with detailed facts and figures. It is the type of response we usually get from the Conservatives.

Since he likes figures, I would like him to know that the community of Manawan has 300 housing units for 3,000 people. I chose to study law because I am pretty hopeless at math, but even I know that this means that there are 10 people per housing unit. That is a real concern right now.

I would like to reiterate what I said before. According to the figures that I was given today, billions of dollars have technically been invested. It remains to be seen whether the Conservatives have been cherry-picking who to give this money to, in other words, whether they have been redistributing the money to communities as rewards—in the extreme—or as incentives for good behaviour and for supporting the existing Conservative policies. That is the most disgraceful thing in 2012.

I do not have much experience in the House. I was not very involved in politics before I came to Ottawa. Over the past year, I have seen how the Conservatives work. The amounts that are invested for Indians across the country are invested to pay them back for behaving the right way or adopting the right positions according to—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The time allocated to the hon. member for Manicouagan has expired. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I need to say that the member opposite is drawing conclusions that just are not warranted by the facts. If he looks more closely at the information, he will find that our government has consistently shown its commitment to first nations across the country through significant investments and concrete actions to enable them to participate in, contribute to and benefit from Canada's prosperity. The way forward is always done in consultation with first nations' leaders.

We have recognized that access to safe and affordable housing is essential for improving economic and social outcomes and supporting healthy, sustainable first nations communities. That is why we have made the investments that we have, and we will continue to invest in this area to improve the outcomes for first nations.