Debates of Nov. 7th, 2012

Correctional Service Canada

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear on what I said. This is a very sad case and our thoughts go out to Ms. Smith's family. Some of the behaviour seen in these videos is absolutely unacceptable. Our government has directed Correctional Service Canada to fully co-operate with the coroner's inquest.

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is not a real apology, but that is probably all he is capable of doing.

The Correctional Investigator of Canada has been investigating the presence of detainees with mental health problems in the corrections system for a long time. The symptoms of mental illness are too often misunderstood in this environment. The investigator is explicitly recommending that a study be done regarding the challenges of providing mental health services, and is recommending the creation of an action plan.

Will the Conservatives implement this recommendation, yes or no?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our government has always stood for the rights of victims and has done the right thing in regard to Ashley Smith. Not only did I direct CSC to settle litigation nearly two years ago, but CSC has also now been directed to co-operate fully with the coroner's inquest.

In respect of an action plan, this is something I raised with the provincial ministers over a year ago. As a result of our discussions last week with the Minister of Justice and all of the provincial and territorial ministers, we are in fact examining an action plan to deal with mental illness.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is on the same subject. The coroner's inquest in Ontario only covers the last year in custody.

Is Correctional Service Canada in possession of other videos with respect to the care and treatment of Ashley Smith prior to the period under the jurisdiction of the coroner's inquest? Has anyone in the government seen those videos? Is the government now prepared to make any such videos public?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I think all of us agree this is very sad tragedy. The appalling actions we all saw on those videos remind us that we can do a lot more for mental health.

The government has done a lot with respect to mental health conditions in our prisons. As a result of this tragic accident, Correctional Service Canada has implemented the following new protocols: a comprehensive mental health strategy; training of more than 8,000 staff; and creating new policies for management and for staff. We have invested nearly $90 million to improve mental health in our prisons.

We have done a lot on mental health and we are prepared to continue to do more.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the member did not answer my question, which was very specific. Is the government in possession of other videos that have not been made public, yes or no? I would like an answer, because it is important to know what the government knows and what it will do with that information. Ontario's coroner will not have the authority to look into it for one year. So we must know whether the government is in possession of other videos.

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, that was in fact the matter of concern raised with Correctional Service Canada.

Despite the jurisdictional limitations of the coroner, we have indicated that CSC is to co-operate fully with the coroner. If the coroner has need of certain information, the coroner simply can ask or subpoena for that information. I have directed CSC to co-operate.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister who is in charge of Correctional Service Canada either knows or does not know whether there are videos for the period that he knows perfectly well are not covered by the coroner's inquest.

I am asking the minister very directly. If the Government of Canada is really interested in getting to the bottom of this, why not deal with the jurisdictional issues that are still before the coroner because of the objections of some of the contracting physicians? Why not hold a public inquiry that will deal with the entire period under which Ashley Smith was in custody? The facts dealing with her case have to come out.

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, a coroner's inquest is a public inquiry. Not only does that coroner have jurisdiction in respect of subpoenas, we have directed, insofar as Correctional Service Canada has any relevant information with respect to this matter, it shall be disclosed if the coroner requests it.

Budget Implementation

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this fall, the Conservatives promised to drop their notoriously inflexible attitude. They promised that their new budget implementation bill, which goes beyond a strictly budgetary framework, could be examined by various committees of the House. Despite those nice promises, the Conservatives are doing everything in their power to ensure that the hours of study and the number of witnesses are reduced to a bare minimum.

Why are the Conservatives refusing to hear witnesses and prolong the studies in committee, which have been cut as a result of voting?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the finance committee has voted, as I understand it, to refer the second budget implementation bill to 10 parliamentary subcommittees, which have expertise in certain areas that are subject to proposed legislation in the bill. That is what the opposition parties have asked. If the opposition parties would like to take some part of the bill out and agree on unanimous consent to pass it today, we would be happy to do so.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' dubious plan to have their monster bill examined by committees is collapsing under the weight of Conservative belligerence. Most committees only have a couple of hours to study hundreds of clauses. Witnesses Conservatives do not like are blocked and accountability is being avoided at all costs. It is now becoming clear that their plan to have committees study these bills was nothing but a sham. Why are they so afraid of basic oversight? What are they trying to hide from Canadians?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, what we are trying to accomplish is simply this: that we implement the job-creating measures that were announced in the budget in March this year, some of which were in the first budget bill and some are in this budget bill. The opposition members are being intransigent. I just returned from a G20 meeting in Mexico City and the world is worried about the situation in Europe and the so-called “fiscal cliff” in the United States, while in the House we have the intransigent opposition to job-creation measures.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are worried about a government that hides the truth from them day after day. The Conservatives withhold basic critical information from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, hide hundreds of measures in an omnibus bill and now Conservative committee members are blocking any real study of their monster budget bill.

We remember the old Reform Party and agreed with it on almost nothing except this. Governments that avoid oversight and accountability are governments that avoid their basic responsibility to Canadians. What happened to those lofty principles? What happened to you guys?

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I will remind the hon. member to address his comments through the Chair, not directly at other colleagues.

The hon. Minister of Finance.

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, us guys are worried about jobs in Canada. Them guys are not so worried. It matters.

What government can do is control our spending. We are controlling our spending. We can stimulate job creation. We did it in 2009-10. We are doing it again. If the official opposition, the NDP, actually cared about job creation in our country, then it should expedite passing the hiring credit for small business. We know it works. It will affect more than 500,000 businesses in Canada.

Veterans

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not only are they trying to hide their irresponsible budget from Canadians, but they also want to hide how they treat our veterans. The Auditor General has been clear: veterans are having to deal with unacceptable wait times, complicated, poorly defined processes and inadequate benefits. What is even more shocking, however, is that in a rich country like Canada, this government does not even provide veterans in need with a decent funeral service.

Does the minister realize that $3,600 is clearly not enough to pay for a funeral, which actually costs more than twice that amount?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the funeral and burial program provides up to $10,000 to help cover the funeral costs incurred by veterans' families. This program has helped over 10,000 veterans in recent years, since 2006. We are always committed to improving the services we offer to veterans.

Unfortunately, we cannot count on the opposition. One thing is certain: we will not make cuts like the Liberals did.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government is failing our veterans and trying to hide it from Canadians. The minister would not even tell the Parliamentary Budget Officer how many jobs would disappear from Veterans Affairs or how veterans' services would be impacted by Conservative cuts. What we do know is that injured Canadian Forces members might have to fight the government in court just to get a fair pension.

When will the Conservatives stop playing these games and help veterans get the services and the pensions they deserve?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are providing our veterans with a hassle-free service. Veterans have asked us to cut red tape. Why is the opposition preventing our veterans from getting their service faster so they can navigate through the Internet through the veterans navigator benefit and get access to their e-book. Why is the opposition preventing our veterans from getting faster service?

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my 90-year-old mother who was born in Holland, now living in Richmond, B.C., is very upset that many of her heroes who liberated her, my father and her fellow Dutchmen in the Netherlands may not get a proper funeral and burial service when they pass on. Trust me, Mr. Speaker, you do not want to upset my mom.

Why is the Minister of Veterans Affairs upsetting my mother and why is it that so many veterans in the country cannot get a proper funeral and burial service after the services they gave to us? They liberated Europe. They gave their very best to our country. Will the government now ensure that all veterans in our country get a proper funeral and burial?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, if I want the member's mother to stay happy about her son, I will not tell her that he voted in the House against the—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

—the war memorial program and the helmets to hardhats. I will not tell her, do not worry.

Intergovernmental Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, we are only asking for decent funerals for our vets, but the Conservatives do not get it.

I will give the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs the time to prepare because I have a question for him.

Yesterday, he said that he has travelled across the country, or to certain parts of the country, for official meetings. Based on the list published by his department, not less than 79% of his trips were within his own province.

We would expect the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs to have ventured further afield. Will he now do a better job? Will he be going to Halifax, to the first ministers' meeting?