Debates of Nov. 26th, 2012

The Environment

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Again, Mr. Speaker, the Navigable Waters Protection Act is about navigation. We deal with environmental protection and regulation with different statues and instruments and we want to ensure that there is a strong but sensible application of environmental laws so we do not end up unintentionally harassing farmers for crossing a dry creek bed.

This has been happening for far too long. It is a massive waste of resources. Let us focus our resources on environmental protection where it really matters and let us focus the regulation of the Navigable Waters Protection Act on those waters that are actually navigable. It is called common sense.

The Economy

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives just cannot get their budget stories straight. The Minister of Finance says that the budget will not be balanced as promised, but then the Prime Minister says that it will. The Minister of Finance says that there will not be more cuts, but the Prime Minister says that maybe there will. Now the Minister of Finance says that he has contingency plans to deal with the threat of another recession, but he gives no details.

Will the Minister of Finance table these details or should we just wait for the Prime Minister to correct him?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance will table, in due course, the next budget for the government, which will continue the success of our economic action plan that has seen the creation of over 820,000 net new jobs since the global economic downturn, which has seen Canada leading the G7 in growth and which sees Canada as having the lowest debt of the major developed economies in the world, the strongest financial institutions, the strongest growth projections.

We know what the NDP contingency is for the economy. It is to spend at least an additional $56 billion that comes through either a massive increase in our national debt that will have to be paid for by our grandkids or through job-killing tax hikes. Which is it?

Foreign Investment

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since the Conservatives promised to bring in new rules for investments in Canada, in response to pressure from the NDP. On the weekend, Canadians learned that there will be new rules, but only after the Conservatives approve the sale of Nexen to CNOOC. That is very irresponsible.

How can the Conservatives claim to be acting responsibly when they refuse to consult Canadians about CNOOC's takeover of Nexen and our natural resources?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our government is being responsible. On the one hand, we have the NDP who would object to any type of foreign investment because, based on its agenda, it opposes trade. On the other hand, we have the Liberals who would blindly welcome any type of foreign investment.

I can assure the House that Canadians can count on a responsible government, one that takes the time to very carefully study the merits of transactions on a case-by-case basis.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have an agenda all right, but it seems to be an agenda of incompetence when we look at their record. They missed the national security deadline and have made decisions at midnight. Now the Financial Post tells us that Conservatives are now scrambling to come up with new foreign takeover rules. With one hand, Conservatives are promising to limit foreign state ownership of our resources, but, with other hand, are signing a deal to sell off Alberta's oil resources to a Chinese state-owned company.

Is this really what Conservatives came to Ottawa to do, to sell out Canada and sell off Alberta's natural resources? Why will they not consult Canadians?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, we have improved the act and the NDP has virtually opposed everything we have done. For example, providing new provisions on national security, it opposed that.

On one side is the NDP that would stop any form of foreign investment in the country and on the other side the Liberal Party would rubber stamp any form of investment, as we heard last week.

Canadians can count on a responsible government to ensure that each transaction is carefully scrutinized. This is exactly what we are doing in the best interests of Canadians.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the government's decision to deny health care services to certain refugee claimants faces very stiff opposition. Doctors, nurses and every significant health care organization in Canada says that the decision is wrong. Media editorials say that the immigration minister has dropped the ball. Most especially, provincial governments are universally critical, such as Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. The premier of Saskatchewan describes federal refugee cuts as “un-Canadian”.

Before this gets worse and people die, will the government correct itself and reinstate sensible health coverage for refugee claimants?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to provide health coverage to refugee claimants. We provide the same package of basic hospital and physician services that are typically available to Canadians. Not every province funds all the same services precisely the same way. However, if provinces want to provide additional insurance for certain services to asylum claimants, they are more than free to do so.

I would remind the member that, for example, we have no federal insurance at all for people who are here illegally, for temporary visitors, for newly arrived permanent residents or for Canadian citizens who are re-establishing themselves. They get no federal, or for that matter, provincial coverage. However, provinces are always free to provide insurance to people where they think it is appropriate.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister says that health service was cut for refugees because refugees were eligible for some services that other people did not get. Listen to Premier Wall on that topic. He said,

“We can't see a lot of evidence for that frankly. And you know what, even if that was the case, who cares? This country is rich beyond measure compared to the countries where these refugees are fleeing from and so it's our view that we should just be there to help and that's kind of a basic Canadian value”.

Why does the federal government not share the same values as Premier Wall?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, there are many foreign nationals in Canada who have absolutely no public insurance, such as those who are here illegally, such as temporary residents, such as people who have recently arrived and even Canadian citizens when they have lived abroad and have come back. They do not have insurance.

Each province has constitutional responsibility for health care. If they want to make exceptions, if they want to provide expansive health insurance for foreign nationals who are here, out of status or temporarily, they are welcome to do so. We have no objection to that whatsoever.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative policy on refugee health care is incoherent mass confusion. The Saskatchewan government has been told by Ottawa that there are 11 different pigeon holes into which these most vulnerable refugees need to fit themselves before they will be treated by the Conservative government. If they die waiting, apparently that is okay with the Conservatives.

However, it is not okay with Premier Wall. He says that this government's treatment of refugees is unbelievable and un-Canadian. Why will the Conservatives not fix the problem and provide chemotherapy to the cancer victim in Saskatoon?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, again, provinces are free to use their jurisdiction in health care to finance those services they deem appropriate to whichever category of individual.

When he speaks about refugees, he is blurring a very important distinction here. Asylum claimants are not refugees unless they are deemed to be so by our fair and generous legal system. Sixty-four per cent of asylum claimants turn out not to be refugees and are ultimately removed from Canada. The largest source of those asylum claimants come from the European Union where, by the way, people have comprehensive health insurance and almost all of those claimants are rejected by our fair and generous legal system. There are limits to our capacity to—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Beaches—East York.

National Defence

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's military ombudsman is the latest on a long list of watchdogs who the Conservatives are blocking from doing their jobs. The ombudsman apparently had the audacity to request documents while investigating care for reservists, documents for an investigation. The Conservatives said no. The excuse was cabinet confidentiality.

We are talking about the care provided to men and women who offer to serve our country, so why not co-operate?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

We do, Mr. Speaker. I commend the report to members for reading. We have made progress on 10 of the 12 recommendations.

With respect to the production of documents, we continue to have a very productive and transparent relationship with the ombudsman and his office. We respect his work and that of his office with respect to the Department of National Defence and that under his purview. We will continue to work with his office within the mandate and the review of the law.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the ombudsman investigates an issue that the government does not like, it tries to interfere. Suddenly, the documents he wants to examine become classified.

Care for wounded reservists is very important. Need I point out that only 4 of the 12 recommendations from the ombudsman's 2008 report have been implemented in the past four years?

Why are the Conservatives choosing to interfere instead of improving care for our reservists?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, that is incorrect. We have made progress on 10 of the ombudsman's 12 recommendations. We have continued to work on this issue.

As I just said a moment ago, we continue to work very productively with the ombudsman's office and we will do so within his mandate and within the law. It is that simple. That is what would be expected.

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should support the ombudsman instead of protecting himself.

The statement of operational requirements, which was fixed to ensure that only the F-35s would meet the requirements, was always classified. We recently learned that it could be discarded. As long as there is no new statement of operational requirements and we do not have an open and transparent process, the government will continue to choose the F-35.

Can they confirm that the statement of operational requirements has been rewritten? Will they make it public?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated in the past, one of the parts of our seven-point plan that we are undertaking before a purchase is made to replace the CF-18s is doing a full options analysis. As I said last week, the statement of requirements will be set aside while a full options analysis is completed.

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, first the Conservatives told Canadians not to worry because they were following the rules. Not so much says the AG in a very thick report. Now they tell us not to worry because they will throw the rules out. The minister should know Rob Ford called and he wants his media strategy back.

If the secretariat is going to look at other options, it is going to need to find requirements first. Could the minister tell us how the government would perform an options analysis without that?

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

As I said, Mr. Speaker, as part of our seven-point plan, the Department of National Defence, overseen by the secretariat, will be performing a full options analysis. The current statement of requirements will be set aside while that full options analysis is being performed.

Ethics

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Laurier-Sainte-Marie Conservative riding association's list of donors not only contains mysterious ghost donors but is also a sort of corruption hall of fame.

The names on the list include Riadh Ben Aissa, former senior executive at SNC Lavalin and the brains behind a whole system of corruption of staggering proportions, who is being charged by Swiss authorities on allegations of $139 million in fraud.

Are the Conservatives in contact with the Swiss authorities about Riadh Ben Aissa? Why did the Conservatives and Riadh Ben Aissa choose to do all this dirty work through the Laurier-Sainte-Marie Conservative riding association?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, last week the hon. member was not even halfway through his cornflakes when he read a false news article about a Conservative fundraiser that he suggested that donors had not actually donated. I have in my hands the copy of the cheques of those donations, all seven of them, which have now been proven to be real and legitimate.

I now invite the hon. member, having followed that false article right into the House of Commons with false allegations, to rise in his place and apologize for getting it wrong.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague is out of sorts because there is snow in Ottawa, but it is a bit early in the season for skating over issues like this. He can do better than that.

The Laurier-Sainte-Marie Conservative riding association is a truly fascinating phenomenon. That is why the NDP asked the Chief Electoral Officer to look into these suspicious contributions because there were enough of them to raise concerns. Although some people seem to have miraculously recovered their memories, there are still too many anonymous donors. Knowing that federal funds were used in areas that are currently under investigation, we have the right to wonder whether favours were given in return for these political donations.

Why not shed some light on this issue? Why not support the request we submitted to Elections Canada?