Debates of Nov. 1st, 2012

Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on her very informative and well-thought-out speech. I would like to talk more about the consultation that did take place.

One of the flaws in the bill before us is that there is a lack of consultation, particularly consultation of aboriginal communities. I remind the House that in 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada, in Haida Nation v. British Columbia, pointed out there are criteria for effective consultations. There must be a mutual commitment, based on mutual respect, to ensure that the consultation results in sound decisions, and that the consultation process is transparent.

We have heard aboriginal communities tell us many times that the consultation was insufficient—especially in light of the criteria set out by the Supreme Court of Canada. Could my colleague speak to the ineffectiveness of the consultation?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that this is common practice for the Conservatives. In fact, they often say that they have held consultations but then do not take into account any of the resulting recommendations. They do not listen to Canadians. They do not listen to the first nations or to visible minorities, the people who are often the most marginalized in our society. My colleague raised a very important point.

I would also like to quote a witness who appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, Jody Wilson-Raybould, the Assembly of First Nations regional chief of British Columbia, who indicated that the Conservatives' approach poses a number of problems. She said:

The third area identified during our dialogue sessions is the need to address the underlying issues that led to the disputes in the first place. Providing better prevention support as well as adequate emergency and second-stage housing has been identified as a requirement. This reiterates the need for a holistic approach driven by the community to sustain effective remedies. Without attention to the implementation, and supporting safe and strong communities, legislative reform in and of itself cannot significantly improve the lives of our communities and our people.

I therefore urge the Conservative government to take steps to truly improve the lives of aboriginal people instead of holding consultations that are really just for show.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The time provided for government orders has expired. The House will now proceed to statements by members.

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

René Lévesque

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago today the person Quebeckers consider to be the greatest premier in the last 50 years, René Lévesque, departed this life.

He began as a distinguished journalist and war correspondent, and then made an exceptional career in politics, which culminated in the nationalization of electricity while he was a minister under Jean Lesage, the creation of the Mouvement souveraineté-association and the election of the first sovereignist government in the history of Quebec on November 15, 1976.

René Lévesque’s Parti Québécois government initiated reforms that still have a major impact today: the Charter of the French Language, party finance legislation and legislation on the protection of agricultural land, automobile insurance and consumer protection, and the list goes on.

The memory of René Lévesque will remain forever etched in our history, and most importantly in our hearts.

The task of writing René Lévesque’s epigraph fell to another giant, Félix Leclerc: “The first page of the true, beautiful history of Quebec has just ended...From now on, he belongs on the short list of the liberators of people.”

Ukraine

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on October 28, I joined 500 other Canadians to observe Ukrainians voting in their parliamentary elections.

I would like to applaud everyone from Canada who volunteered their time for the people of Ukraine. With the support of our government, Canadians were deployed through the CANADEM and OSCE missions, and others joined the Ukrainian World Congress mission.

Ukraine is still a relatively new democracy, and achieving freedom and fairness in elections will not be a simple task.

For a country that has been marred with political and civil turmoil, it was moving to see Ukrainians exercise their democratic rights in such strong numbers despite an unfair political playing field.

OSCE international observers concluded that Ukraine's parliamentary elections were characterized by a tilted playing field. Their were abuses of administrative resources, a lack of transparency in campaign financing, imprisonment of opposition leaders and a lack of balanced media coverage.

Many Ukrainians have unfortunately lost trust in the process. I encourage them not to give up.

I hope the disappointment expressed will galvanize Ukraine's political stakeholders into delivering the democratic change which Ukrainians clearly seek.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as another year draws to a close, it is time to take stock. Did Canadians get a government in Ottawa that matches their commitment to building a better community and a better country? The answer is a resounding no.

Instead of providing leadership on the issues that matter most to Canadians, the Conservatives just keep making life harder.

The Conservatives raised the retirement age to 67, making Canadians work two years longer to qualify for OAS. They gutted environmental regulations, putting our air, soil and water at risk. They cut employment insurance so the very people who paid for the system cannot get benefits when they need them most. They decimated the food safety system, allowing tainted beef to reach both our dinner tables and our children's lunch bags.

Alongside my NDP colleagues, I fought these reckless changes. We worked hard to hold the Conservatives to account for their cuts, secrecy and fiscal mismanagement. On behalf of the people of Hamilton Mountain, I will continue that work.

We must help Canadians build the country they deserve, a Canada where no one is left behind, and that is the country we will keep building together in the year ahead.

3M Canada

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 3M Canada's plant in my riding of Leeds—Grenville in Brockville, Ontario for meeting two internationally-recognized energy standards.

The Tape Plant is the first facility in Canada and the second in the world to attain accreditation for the ISO 50001 standard for energy management. It also reached the platinum level under the superior energy performance program.

The plant has demonstrated an energy performance improvement of more than 15% over the past three years. Improving energy efficiency is one of the fastest, greenest and most cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gases, save energy and increase energy security.

Natural Resources Canada provided support through our government's eco-energy efficiency for industry program.

Congratulations to the Brockville 3M plant on this achievement.

Vedanta Ashram Society

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, the Vedanta Ashram Society of Halifax will celebrate the 150th birthday of Swami Vivekananda. The society works to support the Swami's vision of harmony, goodwill and better understanding among all faiths.

As members of the society gather at the newly renovated community centre in Halifax, they will celebrate not only his life, but also the hope, love and acceptance they have achieved through the mission he founded.

I know all members in the House will join me in extending our best wishes to the Vedanta Ashram Society and to the South Asian community.

Community Charitable Events

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday evening my wife and I will be attending the 18th annual Community Crisis Society dinner and auction in beautiful Strathmore, Alberta. This is a major fundraiser to help end domestic violence.

We have so much fun at these events. As a guest auctioneer, I can hardly wait because these charity fundraisers are always memorable, inspiring and beneficial to the families we help support.

The monies raised help the Wheatland Shelter deliver its highly valued services to families in their time of need. The Community Crisis Society of Strathmore provides immediate shelter and protection. It delivers ongoing support and services for anyone affected by family violence. It even extends its services into the surrounding rural areas.

I encourage all members of Parliament, especially our new members, to get involved and assist their local charities.

Throughout the year, every year, I am the one who is truly blessed by being included in the efforts of communities in every corner of my constituency. I know all members would be blessed in helping charities in their ridings.

Housing

[Marie-Claude Morin, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot say it often enough: there is a housing crisis everywhere. Unlike the other G8 countries, we have no long-term plan. And today, 1.5 million Canadian families are living in substandard housing. The FCM, which represents 2,000 Canadian cities and towns, has asked the government to take action and support Bill C-400, to adopt a national housing strategy. But the Conservatives do not listen to anyone. To force them to listen, the NDP will be tabling petitions in support of the bill every day, starting today, until the vote on November 28. The government will be forced to see that Canadians want housing to be a priority.

Will this be enough to convince them? Will the government agree to listen to the voice of Canadians, once and for all?

Superstorm Sandy

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I stand in the House of Commons today to share news of a tragic nature.

As Canadians may know, my community of Sarnia—Lambton was very hard hit by the recent passage of superstorm Sandy.

I stand before the House today to share news that an individual, someone who was a husband, father and grandfather, has tragically lost his life in service to his community. He was working to restore hydro with Bluewater Power in Sarnia—Lambton, which was lost as a result of superstorm Sandy's impact.

During this time of tragic loss, I extend heartfelt and sincere sympathies on behalf of the House of Commons to his family and his extended family of Bluewater Power, who were his colleagues and friends. Our prayers are with them all.

I also commend all workers who put their lives at risk in service to their community, as this heroic gentleman did.

Project Red Ribbon

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, from November 1 to the first Monday after New Year's Day, Mothers Against Drunk Driving members, volunteers and supporters are handing out red ribbons to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

Project Red Ribbon targets the Christmas and New Year holiday season because it is the busiest time of year on most social calendars. With holiday parties and events, toasts being made and glasses being raised in celebration, there is a higher risk for impaired driving.

The red ribbon is a symbol of the wearer's commitment to sober driving throughout the holiday season and all year round. It also serves as a meaningful tribute to all of the victims who have been killed or injured in impaired driving crashes.

I encourage all Canadians to wear the red ribbon proudly as a symbol of their commitment to always drive sober. With everyone working together, we can make our roads and communities safe from impaired driving.

Employment Insurance

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, more than 2,000 people demonstrated against the changes to employment insurance in Pointe-à-la-Croix and Campbellton. This Saturday, people in the Magdalen Islands will have their turn to speak out against these changes. These people are sending a clear message to the government to stop ravaging their employment insurance. The Conservatives must listen to these people and back down. The changes to EI have serious consequences in my region, where seasonal work represents 80% of the economy. Workers who will not have access to EI will have to leave the region.

Instead of making cuts to the employment insurance program that workers need, the government should try to boost the economy in the regions, such as the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands. It is simple: we must invest in economic development projects to create permanent jobs in the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands. The economy will not recover if the government is scrapping Canada Economic Development projects.

The Conservative government must remember that it promised to give power to the regions; not clean them out. It is amazing how the eastern regions stand together. We will not give up.

Diwali

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this year Diwali, the Festival of Lights, will be celebrated all over the world on November 13. Here in Canada, we will be having the 12th national Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill this evening.

Tonight, an overflowing crowd of South Asians from all across the country will join the Prime Minister and me to celebrate this festival at the Government Conference Centre, the seventh by the Prime Minister. More than 26 Hindu and Sikh temples and community organizations will be represented at tonight's festival. I am happy also to be joined by my colleagues from this esteemed House.

Diwali symbolizes victory of good over evil. May I wish you, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and all Canadians a happy Diwali.

Prostate Cancer

[Matthew Dubé, NDP, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I had the immense pleasure of shaving the famous moustache off of my hon. colleague from Sackville—Eastern Shore to launch our Movember campaign. The goal of Movember is to raise awareness about prostate cancer and other men's health issues, as well as to raise money for research in the fight against this terrible disease.

As we know, prostate cancer will afflict one in seven men, making it the most common cancer among men in Canada. However, thanks largely to research, recovery rates are improving. And funding for this research relies heavily on generous donations from Canadians.

The Movember campaign contributes to raising awareness and providing financial support to researchers. I invite all Canadians and colleagues in the House to put away their razors and shaving cream and proudly wear a moustache for the month of Movember.

I cannot help but think about our dear friend Jack Layton, who lost his life after a courageous battle with this terrible disease. Like Jack, I believe that, together, we can change the world.

Diabetes

[Ryan Leef, Conservative, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker today, November 1, kicks off National Diabetes Awareness Month. We can be proud that Canadians Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best co-discovered insulin, changing the lives of people living with diabetes.

Today, nearly nine million Canadians are affected by diabetes. Worldwide, 246 million people are affected, with numbers projected to rise to 366 million by 2030. Every ten seconds, two people develop diabetes. By the end of this statement, that will mean another twelve people will be affected.

That is why today I am pleased to announce my partnership with the Canadian Diabetes Association as I launch my inspiration unlimited, border-to-border campaign. Over the course of the next three summers, I will circumnavigate the entire border of the Yukon Territory. This 3,000-kilometre quest will help raise awareness and funds, so that one day I can read this statement and have nobody develop diabetes by the time I have finished.

Enterprise Kent

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the remarkable work of local economic development agencies in my riding.

In particular, I would like to thank Enterprise Kent, its staff, board of directors and especially its executive director, Guy Léger.

After 24 years of outstanding service, dedication and impressive economic results, Guy Léger will be leaving Enterprise Kent when the agency closes its doors as a result of the very bad decision by the Conservatives to make cuts to all Atlantic regional economic development agencies.

Guy Léger has contributed to hundreds of economic and community successes over his quarter century of service. He will be missed by entrepreneurs and community leaders and I will miss his advice and support.

I salute Guy, his spouse, Kathy, and his family, and extend a special thank you to him on behalf of the people of my region.

The member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley made a surprising declaration about our government's statements yesterday. It sounds like the member needs to have his memory refreshed.

I would like to refer him to page 4 of his party's costing document, which shows plans to generate $20 billion in government revenue through a carbon tax. I would also like to refer him to page 2 of his leader's policy leadership document, which would impose a carbon tax that “would build on” the proposal New Democrats campaigned on during the last election. I would like to refer him to the NDP-backed Broadbent Institute, which issued a report stating, “...a carbon tax and higher taxes on natural resources — need to be considered...”. That was stated by the Broadbent Institute on October 9, 2012.

Before the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley accuses us of being untrue, he should ask himself why he supports a job-killing carbon tax that would increase the price of everything, including gasoline, groceries and electricity.

The Member for Saint Boniface

[Françoise Boivin, NDP, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Halloween is not the only day the hon. member for Saint Boniface dressed up in her puppet costume. This fall, she wasted two members' statements blathering away, telling stories made up by employees of the Prime Minister's Office who were hired to put words in the mouths of backbenchers. Like a good servile employee subject to the dictates of these office workers who are paid with our tax dollars to manufacture facts, the hon. member has forgotten that she was elected to serve the people of her riding.

Since she has failed her constituents, allow me to recognize the anniversary of Pluri-elles, an organization that has been helping Franco-Manitoban women to enter the labour force for 30 years. I would also like to congratulate the band Oh My Darling, whose bilingual folk-western music was extremely successful this summer.

It is these types of accomplishments that deserve the attention of this House. Canadians across the country deserve the recognition of their elected representatives, and I encourage the next speaker to share with us the achievements of people and organizations in his riding, rather than just parroting the juvenile and deceitful stories made up by the Prime Minister's Office.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Mark Adler, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in case the opposition members are still puzzled, I want to explain to them exactly what job growth and long-term prosperity looks like. Under the leadership of this government, this Prime Minister and this Minister of Finance, Canada has been ranked the best place for business to grow and create jobs.

KPMG has ranked Canada the most tax competitive economy among mature markets, not to mention the 820,000 net new jobs that have been created since July 2009. But the NDP members have it all wrong. They are on record for supporting a $21 billion carbon tax that would cripple job growth, limit prosperity and increase the cost of living for all Canadians.

Thankfully, Canadian voters gave this government a strong mandate to show the opposition the error of its ways. I would recommend that the opposition pay attention as we continue to lead by example creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians.

Foreign Investment

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the Prime Minister promised Canadians clear, transparent rules for evaluating foreign takeovers. Today, we learned from Conservative media leaks that the Nexen takeover decision may have to be delayed for a second time because those new rules are still being made up.

Could the Prime Minister finally tell Canadians when new foreign takeover rules will be announced, and will these new rules be made public before the Nexen deal is approved?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the government will make its decision on these matters when it has all the information necessary to evaluate what is in the net benefit of this country. That is the government's policy.

In terms of the Investment Canada Act, the government has already made several changes to bring in additional criteria on national security, to bring in additional criteria on state-owned enterprises, and to improve transparency.

The government will continue going forward in the changing investment environment in which we live. The government will continue to evaluate foreign investments and assess whether or not they are in the best interests of this country.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the agreement with China, which the Prime Minister is prepared to ratify without any debate, study or consultation, will have a huge impact on certain transactions, such as the Nexen deal.

The Prime Minister is giving the Chinese government the absolute right to purchase and develop Canada's raw natural resources. The Conservatives are not only giving China access to our natural resources, but they are also guaranteeing unlimited expansion. That is what is at stake here.

Why are these decisions being made in political backrooms, without any debate, study or consultation?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is completely wrong.

The Investment Canada Act will remain in place under this new agreement. We have been trying to sign this agreement for quite some time, in order to protect Canadians who are trying to create investments and jobs for Canadians in the Chinese market. This is an important step towards protecting the Canadian economy and our jobs.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, under the Prime Minister's new Canada-China investment agreement, the Chinese state would have the right to buy up new oil leases and expand operations in Canada as if it were a Canadian company. Any effort to limit ownership by China could be challenged under the law. Let us be clear. The Prime Minister is exposing Canada to a scenario in which the Government of China could sue us if the Government of Alberta refused to sell off its natural resources.

Is this how Conservatives stand up for Canada?