Debates of Nov. 8th, 2012

The Environment

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we have not abandoned the protection of waterways. We have many rules and acts to protect that. In our department, we have to protect and control navigation. That is what we have done.

I want to be clear when I say that 98% of the applications received have never posed a threat to navigation. That means that they want to invest money for absolutely nothing. This is not the case. This would not be a responsible use of taxpayers dollars and shows just how much change is needed. That is why we are reforming the act. Now our resources can focus on waterways navigation.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, the aftershocks of the massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Haida Gwaii over a week ago was still shaking the B.C. coast last night. It was a close call, far too close.

Instead of cutting programs that help community emergency response, as the Conservatives are doing, we need to ensure that every protection is available to our towns and villages in the event of a major natural disaster.

Will the minister commit today to work with the people of Haida Gwaii and make all the necessary investments to keep our communities safe?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the majority of emergencies in Canada are local in nature and managed by local or provincial governments. We, in fact, have worked very closely with local governments.

We are now focusing on some of the things that the federal government can do better, for example, the mitigation program that was announced by the Prime Minister for Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec, the $99 million to assist with the flooding. We are also in overall discussions with the provinces about a national mitigation program, and I hope I can get the support of that member for this.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, the hard truth about the Conservatives' recent monster budget bill is an affront to democracy and a direct attack on our environment. By warping a law meant to protect our rivers into a pipeline promotions act, by ignoring the good people of Victoria, Haida Gwaii and the coastal communities of British Columbia, this Conservative government is threatening the very resources we rely upon.

When will B.C. Conservative MPs actually stand up for our beautiful province in this place? When will they stand up for British Columbia and stop selling it out?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the bill and its amendments will improve navigation everywhere in Canada, including in British Columbia, and do not in any way eliminate the other departments' responsibilities.

All projects must continue to comply with federal legislation, such as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act, the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and many others.

Many measures will continue to protect nature. And we will look after navigation.

Veterans Affairs

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at government assistance for veterans' funerals. Serving members of the Canadian Forces get $12,700. Some traditional vets get $3,600. Modern-day veterans get zero. Veterans who earn more than $1,000 a month get zero.

It is time that we embrace one veteran, one standard. When will the government treat all of our veterans fairly and evenly?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I must say that it is a big job looking after our veterans after years of Liberal neglect.

For six years, our government has invested in our veterans. I can reassure them that we have no intention of making cuts to programs, as the Liberals did to the program that we are talking about.

Every week, every month, we continue to improve the quality of life of our veterans by providing them with better services, because they deserve that.

Employment Insurance

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I received petitions signed by thousands of people who are against the Conservatives' proposed changes to employment insurance. These people understand very well that there are no jobs in the middle of the winter where we come from and that the Prime Minister is punishing them because he thinks that these people might just be lazy.

Why does the Prime Minister refuse to meet with these workers and why does the government refuse to change its plan that will punish both the people working in seasonal industries and their employers?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been focused on ensuring that Canadians have an opportunity to have jobs in their local areas that meet their local qualifications and their qualifications overall.

We have created 820,000 net new jobs in this country since the downturn in the economy, the recession. That is why we are focused on ensuring that Canadians have opportunities for jobs.

Just like in my riding of Simcoe—Grey, where seasonal workers have great opportunities, we are building those opportunities for Canadians in the future.

Pensions

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

Mr. Speaker, Resolute Forest Products workers and retirees are worried that their pension fund is in jeopardy. Earlier this week, the company announced the elimination of 111 jobs at the plant in Grand-Mère, and in Clermont, the workers still do not know whether they will return to work.

Canada is one of the only OECD countries that provides no protection for workers' pension funds when an employer goes bankrupt or becomes insolvent.

What are the Conservatives waiting for? When will we see a bill to protect the pension funds of Canadian workers?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false. First of all, I offer my sympathies to those who are facing these challenges.

Fortunately, these people can count on a government that has taken action in the past: we improved protections for workers, we changed the legislation to ensure that regular pension payments are made before other creditors are paid, and we also expanded the wage earner protection program, to pay severance pay up to $3,400.

I know that the member was not here during the previous Parliament, but her party voted against these changes, and that is shameful.

Employment Insurance

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, Luxorama in Saint-Jérôme filed for bankruptcy without notice under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, brutally dismissing 200 employees. With a just a few weeks left before the holidays, the employees are devastated. Not only are they losing their jobs without warning, but they are also finding out that the average wait time in Quebec to get the first employment insurance cheque is 39 days, when the wait time should not exceed 28 days.

For weeks I have been listening to the Minister of Human Resources tell us that she is working on improving service delivery. I am sorry, but this minister has to stop taking Canadians for fools. She is not working—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, our government's top priority is to improve job creation and economic growth. Service Canada will use more automation to continue to work on responding better to Canadians and serving them in a quick and efficient manner.

Service Canada continues to provide improvements and update its operations so that Canadians have opportunities to access our programming.

We are using taxpayers dollars the best. We want to ensure that Canadians have opportunities to access all programming available to them.

International Trade

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday our nation's exporters were disappointed when the NDP voted against Canada's free trade agreement with Panama. After having delayed the agreement for more than two years, this was obviously no surprise. In fact, the leader of the opposition has said that, if given the opportunity, he would repeal agreements that promote trade, increase Canadian exports and protect Canadians doing business abroad.

Could the parliamentary secretary please share with the House how our government is standing up for the interests of Canada's exporters?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Wild Rose is correct. The NDP's vote against our agreement with Panama was predictable. This is the same party that sent an anti-trade mission to Washington to lobby against Canadian jobs. It is the same party that has consistently opposed our government's initiatives to increase trade and promote Canadian exports.

While the NDP talks down Canada to the world, our Conservative government will continue to open new opportunities to grow Canadian exports and create Canadian jobs.

Health

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, 52 Conservative senators voted en masse to block MS sufferers from testifying before a Senate committee on Bill S-204. Can anyone imagine a committee hearing on cancer not calling cancer sufferers? Given this slap in the face to MS patients, will the government commit, if S-204 comes to the House, to allow MS sufferers to testify? Will it give MS patients back their voice?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the difficulties and heartbreak faced by the thousands of MS patients and their families across Canada. We were clear all along that we are committed to funding a clinical trial for CCSVI once all the necessary medical and ethical standards were met. That is why last month at the health ministers meetings in Halifax I announced that, after a rigorous review process, clinical trials for CCSVI have been accepted and recruitment for patients to participate will begin this month.

Public-private Partnerships

[Jean-François Larose, NDP, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates just completed a study on public-private partnerships. P3s are a form of insidious privatization and, as we are seeing right now in Quebec, the risk of collusion and corruption is huge if we allow private enterprise too much involvement in the management of public affairs.

One of the recommendations that we would like to see included in the final report is ensuring greater transparency and oversight when it comes to P3 contracts.

Will this government follow that recommendation?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, PPP Canada Inc. has been remarkably successful and is announcing more and more partnerships, not only with certain municipalities but with aboriginal groups and first nations in Canada, with projects from coast to coast to coast. This is a crown corporation that operates in an objective arm's length manner. It reviews applications on the basis of merit. We do not comment, of course, on applications under review.

I appreciate the interest of the member opposite in PPP Canada Inc. It does provide greater value to taxpayers and helps meet Canada's infrastructure needs.

Sealing Industry

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Mr. Speaker, our government has long supported Canadian sealers and their families while Hollywood activists have spread false information about the humaneness and practice of the hunt.

Could the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans please inform the House of a recent study regarding the seal hunt and its humane practices, as well as our government's support for the industry?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Miramichi for raising this issue. Two veterinary researchers who have observed the hunt first-hand over several seasons have published a report indicating “...there is no reliable evidence that the Canadian harp seal hunt differs from other forms of exploitation of wildlife resources from the perspective of animal welfare”.

With a record high number of seals and highly regulated humane practices used in the hunt, the government will continue to defend Canadian sealers and their families against those who do not understand the practice of the hunt or how important it is to the traditional way of life in many communities.

Citizenship and Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, Conservative cuts to services and centralized processing of immigration applications are having a terrible impact on wait times for international adoptions.

Our constituency offices are overwhelmed by complaints from Canadians who are fed up with having to wait longer and longer for their international adoptions to go through.

Every additional month spent away from their new Canadian parents is harmful to the physical and psychological development of these children.

Can the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism tell us how he plans to fix this problem, which was created by the Conservatives in the first place?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the ministry and this government recognize the importance that Canadian families place on being united with adopted children from abroad as quickly and efficiently as possible. As the member may know, in all cases they are done on a priority basis.

There is no reason for anyone in the House to stand up and accuse this government of not doing what is absolutely right when it comes to adoption. It is about priority, placement and doing the job properly.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Justice accused us of overlooking all his fine accomplishments, but he is the one who overlooked our question.

As the minister knows, he can already add terrorist groups to a list to freeze or seize their assets, and he can require banks to prevent these groups from accessing their accounts.

Why not do the same thing with the Mafia and criminal gangs who, as we have seen in the media, use the Port of Montreal as a gateway for their criminal activity because of the weakness of the inspection process there?

Is the minister willing to consider an anti-Mafia law and a list of banned criminal organizations such as the one we already have for terrorist groups? What is good for the goose must also be good for the gander.