Debates of Nov. 6th, 2012

Veterans Affairs

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, like the Minister of National Defence who met with families of the fallen this morning, this government has the greatest and utmost respect for veterans and their families, as do all members, actually, who this morning attended a ceremony at the National War Memorial.

When talking about funeral and burial assistance, we are providing this program to more than 10,000 veterans. I can assure the member that, unlike the Liberals, we will not cut this program and, unlike the NDP, whenever there is a program for veterans we will support it, as long as we are taking care of veterans and making sure we are making their lives better.

Labour Organizations

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

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-377, introduced by a Conservative backbencher, is that party's latest assault on Canada's workers. It creates a bureaucratic monster and red tape that will cost millions of dollars to manage and administer, all under the pretext of transparency.

Let us talk about transparency. We are told that this bill is a personal initiative. Really? Well-funded anti-union groups have held dozens of meetings behind closed doors with high-ranking Conservatives.

Can someone tell me what the Prime Minister's chief of staff or the Minister of Finance's policy director have to do with this?

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

Mr. Speaker, we believe that workers should have the right to know how their mandatory union dues are spent. That said, we are meeting with groups on both sides of this debate, unlike the NDP, which by contrast has held 75 meetings combined, with the Canadian Labour Congress, CUPE and PSAC, three unions that together gave the NDP $61,000 in illegal union money.

Speaking of PSAC, it represents federal public servants whose jobs rely on a united Canada, but it endorsed the separatists in the last provincial election. What does the member think about that?

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that notorious union buster Terrance Oakey is once again darkening the towels of the Prime Minister's Office. After successfully killing off the fair wages act, his next target is Bill C-377, the Conservatives' latest assault on labour.

Why are Conservatives letting the special interests of one well-connected Conservative lobbyist upset the labour peace in this country? If they do want to declare war on labour, why do they not do it through the front door instead of skulking around with a private member's bill like a bunch of cowards?

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

Mr. Speaker, I always have to congratulate that member for the creative imagery that he brings to the House. Now that he is talking about groups that are skulking around the Hill, meeting and trying to lobby the interests of the government and Parliament, maybe he can tell us a little more about what happened at those 75 closed door meetings that his party held with the Canadian Labour Congress, with CUPE, with PSAC, all groups that gave a combined $61,000 in illegal union money? What happened at those meetings?

Ethics

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, startling new federal court documents directly link RMG alleged voter suppression calls with Conservative Party headquarters. Conservative scripts on election day notified voters about polling location changes. The problem is that these were four ridings that had no poll changes. More evidence that organized voter suppression occurred in the federal election of 2011.

Will the government commit today to support NDP Bill C-453 to put an end to fraudulent election calls?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party has every interest in ensuring that all of its voters make it to vote at the right locations. That is why we have always opposed any efforts to suppress voters. It is also why we ran a clean and ethical campaign in the last election.

By contrast, in that very same election, the NDP was in possession of illegal union money that it had taken from workers without their consent. Could the member rise now and explain to us how that illegal money was used during the campaign?

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we will certainly not be lectured by a party whose headquarters were raided by the RCMP.

The Federal Court documents do not lie. The president of RMG confirmed that his company called voters and used a script provided by the Conservatives. These calls notified voters of poll changes in ridings where there were actually no changes. Last spring, the NDP motion to give more investigative powers to Elections Canada was adopted. Since then, the Conservatives have done nothing, probably because they are too busy figuring out which Republican trick to use next time.

When will the Conservatives give the Chief Electoral Officer more powers?

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

Mr. Speaker, our party ran an ethical and clean campaign in the last election. We will continue to abide by all the rules and work proactively with Elections Canada to find out what happened in Guelph.

By contrast, the NDP used illegal union money in the last election. It had accumulated $340,000 of illegal money. If NDP members want to support legislation in the House to crack down on that kind of law-breaking, why do they not stand and support more union financial transparency? What do they have to hide?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, he needs to stop waving that cardboard sword or he is going to hurt somebody over there.

We all knew the Conservatives were under investigation for voter suppression in Don Valley East, Nipissing—Timiskaming, Elmwood—Transcona, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, Vancouver Island North and Yukon. It is a veritable who's who of the no-names on the Conservative backbench. Now court affidavits show that a Conservative-paid phone bank deliberately sent people to the wrong polls on election day. This was a coordinated scheme that goes all the way back to Conservative Party headquarters.

When will the Conservatives get serious about dealing with election fraud on election day?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are working seriously and proactively with Elections Canada in order to ascertain the details of the allegations in the riding of Guelph. Beyond that, we ran an ethical and clean campaign in the last election. By contrast, that member represents a party that campaigned on illegal union money, money the NDP members tried to cover up for half a decade. Even when the questions started coming in, their leader refused to tell Canadians how much workers' money was involved. Why did he keep it secret for so long?

Correctional Service Canada

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety praised the Prime Minister for changing the direction of the coroner's inquest in Toronto and for giving different instructions to Corrections officials than in fact took place.

I would like to ask the minister very directly, why did he not issue these instructions months, indeed years ago? Why did lawyers for the Government of Canada consistently take the position that the coroner's inquest did not have jurisdiction over critical issues facing Ashley Smith?

Why would the minister have left this up to a statement by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons in response to a question from the opposition?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we have made it very clear that we want to ensure Corrections Canada co-operates fully with the coroner's inquest.

It was for that reason that we made sure, through the Prime Minister's statement, that the arguments with respect to the limited constitutional jurisdiction of the coroner were no longer pursued. In fact, the coroner has the full ability to look into this particular case.

Veterans Affairs

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Veterans Affairs unveiled a ribbon. It is easy to see that the minister—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Charlottetown has the floor.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

It is easy to see that the minister is focused like a laser on the priorities of veterans.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I have asked members before to hold off on their applause until the member has finished putting the question. These interruptions are eating up a lot of time.

The hon. member for Charlottetown has the floor.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is symbols over substance.

When will the minister unveil more funding to help veterans' families with funeral costs?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that it was the Minister of National Defence who launched the initiative for families of fallen soldiers.

This morning I met with two little girls, one in grade one and the other in grade four. All they will have as a memento of their father is a purple ribbon. I am very proud to have accompanied the Minster of National Defence to present them with a ribbon. My colleague should understand that we have commemorations and veterans' services. I am very proud of my Conservative colleagues who, in the past six years, have given more than ever before to veterans.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I fear amid all the applause that the minister may have missed my question, so let us give it another go.

Two years ago Veterans Affairs conducted a review of the burial assistance program and the Conservatives chose to ignore it. Today, the minister unveiled a ribbon. He once again chose symbols over substance. That is what he did.

Let us try this again. Will he increase funding to help veterans' families with the funeral costs?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me get to the very substance of the funeral and burial program. It is a program that is provided to veterans in need. Since 2006 this program has been provided to 10,000 veterans and their families.

I can assure the member of one thing. We on this side of the House will not cut this program, like the Liberals did.

Fisheries and Oceans

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

Mr. Speaker, in his landmark report, Justice Cohen was clear that weakening fish habitat protection would put Fraser River sockeye in peril. We already had strong protections for fish habitat, but instead of enforcing them, the Conservatives are getting out of the business of oversight to make it easier for their oil lobbyist friends to push through their pipeline projects.

Instead of stalling, will the minister listen to Justice Cohen and reverse the government's reckless move to weaken habitat protection?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has to remember that it was this side of the House that called the commission because we are concerned about the fate of B.C. salmon.

I can assure the member that we are focusing on protecting the productivity of Canadian fisheries. There are more than 650 fishery officers in over 100 locations across Canada who will be available to conduct investigations related to the fisheries protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. In British Columbia and the Yukon alone, there will be over 170 officers in over 30 locations that will conduct investigations and other as required.