Debates of Dec. 4th, 2012

National Defence

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, General Lawson tells us that the statement of operational requirements for the new fighter aircraft has not been modified to date. This statement is so biased that there is only one option: the F-35. Yet the minister is telling us that all options are on the table as far as the new fighter jet is concerned. The government is contradicting itself. We have lost confidence; it is a real fiasco.

Will the government submit a statement of operational requirements for the new fighter aircraft to the National Research Council of Canada, as it did for the search and rescue aircraft?

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

Mr. Speaker, General Lawson has also indicated his support for the process that the secretariat is undertaking to ensure that all the due diligence is done in leading up to a decision about the acquisition to replace the CF-18s.

In terms of the options analysis, the present statement of requirements is being set aside. As the full options analysis is being done, the terms of reference for that options analysis will be made public and the member will be able to take a look at it.

The Environment

[Pierre Jacob, NDP, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Brome Lake is the jewel of my riding. It is a favourite spot of many recreational boaters. But since the Conservative ministers do not spend their summer vacations there, Brome Lake is not receiving the same favourable treatment in their reform of the protection of navigable waterways. The selection of waterways that will remain protected is random, ill-considered and irresponsible.

Is there not a single Conservative member who is disgusted with the flagrant favouritism shown to the President of the Treasury Board?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague how many big boats he has seen on his lake. There are obviously all kinds of navigation as well.

From the outset, we have said that the criteria used to determine the list were established solely by departmental officials, who looked at historical data on navigation, and nothing else. That is what our decision was based on, and it is strictly in relation to navigation. This will be the continued focus of our work.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, important lakes and rivers in my region are being stripped of protection: Lake Ramsey, stripped of protection; Lake Wanapitei, stripped of protection; Trout Lake, stripped of protection. Meanwhile, Muskoka millionaires' playgrounds are protected while lakes that supply drinking water are not.

Will no Conservative stand up for our natural heritage and vote against this cherry-picking of protected lakes?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the lakes the hon. member has talked about are all protected and will still be protected by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. They will all be protected by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. They will all be protected by the Fisheries Act. They will all be protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the Species at Risk Act.

The hon. member said that there is no protection. He does not understand the issue. This is about navigation.

Health

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today we heard that a company that does testing for a wide range of consumer products was found by Health Canada to be falsifying records of inspections it completed. This type of behaviour from industry is disappointing and offensive to Canadian consumers who purchase their products each and every day.

Could the Minister of Health please inform the House the steps our Conservative government is taking to keep Canadian consumers and their families protected?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada conducted an inspection of this company and determined it was falsifying records. This is completely unacceptable, so to protect consumers, we have suspended their licence.

As a precautionary step, Health Canada is asking companies to temporarily halt sales of the affected products until their safety can be confirmed.

I have directed Health Canada to get to the bottom of this and to inform Canadian of any changes. We will continue to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that wait times still remain high for certain procedures. Canadians wait longer in emergency rooms for care than people in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

The 2004 Liberal health accord committed $5.5 billion to reduce wait times. Conservatives refuse to renew this fund after 2014. Therefore, provinces will have to struggle with the problem alone.

The Canadian health care coalition says that without a 2014 health accord, medicare is not sustainable. Is this the minister's objective?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the previous government that balanced its books on the backs of the provinces and the territories, we have committed to a long-term, stable funding for the provinces and territories.

We respect the jurisdiction of the provinces and the territories in the area of health care. To help the provinces and the territories address the issue of wait times, we have made targeted investments of $6.5 billion. We also have provided long-term, stable funding up to $40 billion to the end of the decade.

I am glad to see that our investments are making a difference, as we see improvements in wait times for priority areas such as cancer care, cardiac care and diagnostic testing.

Rail Transport

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

Mr. Speaker, according to the guidelines regarding noise created by rail facilities, particular attention should be paid to noise when a new line is built.

However, in my riding, residents are going to file a complaint regarding the noise coming from the new facilities for the Rive-Nord commuter train. The facilities were built in the heart of a residential area, fewer than 30 metres from houses.

Will the minister be proactive and work with the municipal authorities to ensure that the residents of Saint-Jérôme do not have to endure this noise?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, one thing that I remind members of often is the importance of respecting areas of jurisdiction.

This train is managed by the municipality. The federal government is not going to get involved in the management of a municipal matter only to be told by the city that it is not within its purview. A train that transports people within a municipality is, of course, the responsibility of the municipal government.

At the federal level, we have an obligation to ensure that the national railways abide by federal rules. But at a municipal level, it is the city's responsibility.

Labour

[John Carmichael, Conservative, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, the delegation of Canadian Union of Postal Workers' big union bosses returned from the world social forum free Palestine conference in sunny Rio. This radical political conference is dedicated to the destruction of Israel as a Jewish homeland and promotes Jerusalem as the future capital of Palestine.

Yesterday, the NDP leader refused to condemn this misuse of public funds by his big union bosses. Will the Government of Canada condemn the misuse of public funds?

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Minister of State (Transport)]

Mr. Speaker, yes, of course we condemn this misuse of funds. Time and time again, the NDP and the leader of the opposition stand with their big union bosses, rather than for the taxpayers. The NDP should understand that using public funds to attend extremist political conferences in Rio is just plain wrong.

I wonder if the leader will condemn this use of public funds, while big union bosses are around and playing in hateful activities around Ipanema and Copacabana beaches.

Public Safety

[Dany Morin, NDP, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives justified their decision to vote against the national bullying prevention strategy by talking about the money they are investing in such programs as Stop Now and Plan, which help young people. How hypocritical. We have learned that funding for the Stop Now and Plan program will end in March.

For a government that is supposedly tough on crime, it is really soft on bullies. Does the Conservative government only pretend to care about victims of bullying?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our government is, as all Canadians are, very concerned with the issue of bullying and the effect that it has on young people and families in Canada.

We support the work that is ongoing in two parliamentary committees. We believe it is time to act. We believe it is not time to study. That is why we are supporting initiatives through the RCMP, through Health Canada and through other initiatives in public safety.

Natural Resources

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

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the Lower Churchill project, the Conservatives are trying to conceal unfair competition for Hydro-Québec under a patina of environmental concern. As if the Conservatives had any credibility in that area. The NDP is gullible enough to believe it.

No one in the government could have any doubts about the fierce opposition of the entire Quebec National Assembly, considering that Quebec's natural resources minister has specifically warned her Conservative counterpart.

How can the Minister of Natural Resources have the audacity to claim that he tried to come to some agreement, when there has been no doubt from the outset that federal funding goes against the economic interests of Quebec?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as I explained yesterday, this project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is economically viable and it is important for the region. I hope that other provinces with similar projects will approach us so they can benefit from federal support.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. David Alward, Premier of New Brunswick.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Derrick Dalley, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture for Newfoundland and Labrador.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Mr. Raffi Cavoukian, perhaps better known by his stage name “Raffi”, celebrated singer, songwriter, musician and recipient of the Order of Canada in recognition of his work with children.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

The House resumed consideration of Bill C-45, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 29, 2012 and other measures, as reported (without amendment) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 2.