House of Commons Hansard #108 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was refugees.

Topics

ImmigrationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC

Mr. Speaker, that is far from a satisfactory answer. All these people have put their lives on hold and spent thousands of dollars to file their applications. When it comes to immigration, the Conservatives improvise or change the rules in the middle of the game. That is not the way to reduce the backlog of files, which will increase under this government.

What kind of message are the Conservatives sending to the entire world? And how will this unfair decision bolster people's confidence in our immigration system?

ImmigrationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Calgary Southeast Alberta

Conservative

Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Citizenship

I congratulate the hon. member on being reappointed as immigration critic for the official opposition.

It was not in the interests of Canada or of potential immigrants to wait for seven or eight years because of backlogs or processing times.

The system was broken. It did not work. We have to reform the system in order to accept applicants within a few months rather than several years, and in order to have a system that works for the Canadian economy and guarantees the success of newcomers.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, Canada has a massive resource potential. We are an energy power superpower, with the third largest oil reserves in the world. Canada is also leading the world in mining of numerous minerals. Indeed, there are $500 billion in potential investments in our resource sector over the next 10 years that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs and economic growth.

Could the parliamentary secretary please inform the House how we are helping to unleash this investment potential?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Cypress Hills—Grasslands Saskatchewan

Conservative

David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the opposition wants us to continue Canada's ineffective system of duplication and delay.

We have a plan to streamline the regulatory system. We want to continue to protect the environment. We want a one project, one review process, with set timelines. We want to put in place new measures to increase tanker and pipeline safety. We want to enhance consultation with our aboriginal peoples.

While the opposition continues with its job killing, anti-resource policies, our plan will increase opportunities for Canadians in the resource sector, the manufacturing sector and the services sector. This is good news for families and workers across Canada.

Government ProgramsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, when my colleague from Papineau asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages about the fate of Katimavik, he was met with derision, with ridicule, with sarcasm and with some lessons on how to box.

For good measure, the minister said to the House that it was one of the easiest programs he had ever had to cut. In other words, the minister does not believe in Katimavik, even though it has helped 30,000 young Canadians to do community service across this great country of ours, to learn a second language and to help thousands of community organizations.

Katimavik is a great nation-building program. What does the minister have against it?

Government ProgramsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, I suppose one of the responses would be, if Katimavik is so great, why did the Liberals cut it by over $2 million?

We are going to continue supporting youth programs that are effective. In fact, just this morning we announced a three-year funding agreement with the Forum for Young Canadians. We have a three-year funding agreement with Encounters with Canada. SEVEC is another great program.

We are going to continue supporting youth programs that are responsible, effective and get results. Katimavik is not one of them.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities is more interested in pork patronage than listening to Aveos workers.

The latest is the appointment of Elmer Derrick to the Prince Rupert Port Authority, or should I say pork authority. He signed a pipeline deal against the wishes of his own community. Derrick is not alone.

Tory donors, Jennifer Clarke, Pierre Rivard, Andrew Paterson, Gary Valcour, Tim O'Connor, all got plumb jobs. Is taking care of party hacks, failed candidates and bagmen the latest Conservative jobs plan?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

3 p.m.

York—Simcoe Ontario

Conservative

Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the individual in question is of course a distinguished aboriginal leader who also happens to be very qualified for the post. He happened to be a member of the board at Ridley Terminals Inc., giving him expertise in the area of ports. He was a regional economic development officer with the British Columbia government. He has been a professor of political science and first nations studies at Northwest Community College and the University of Northern B.C.

These are the kind of people who we are pleased are willing to put themselves forward for public service.

International TradeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, with one in five jobs in Canada generated by trade, our government understands the importance of trade to Canada's economy. That is why we are currently undertaking the most ambitious trade expansion plan in our country's history.

Could the hard-working Minister of International Trade please update the House on a key element of our government's broad and ambitious pro-trade plan?

International TradeOral Questions

3 p.m.

Abbotsford B.C.

Conservative

Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway

Mr. Speaker, a key part of our pro-trade plan is a trade agreement with the European Union.

I am pleased to announce that, today, Canada and Denmark, which currently holds the EU presidency, have issued a joint communiqué reaffirming our shared commitment to an ambitious conclusion to our negotiations. Canadians will be hearing a lot more from us in the months to come on how a Canada-EU trade agreement will benefit businesses, workers and their families across the country.

I want to thank the member for Kelowna—Lake Country for his hard work and great question.

Economic DevelopmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

John Rafferty NDP Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Speaker, service groups, not-for-profits and small businesses in northern Ontario are taking stock of the local initiatives program that has been pulled out from under them. This program was about putting small communities on the map and spurring economic development.

Cuts to Atikokan tourism and the Heart of the Continent Partnership are just two examples of where these cuts will be felt in my riding.

Why is the government cutting back on local economic development initiatives at a time when they are needed the most? I know the minister believes he should not be cutting this, otherwise all I can surmise is that the government does not care about northern Ontario.

Economic DevelopmentOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Conservative

Tony Clement ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

Mr. Speaker, I have to correct the record on that. This government is fully supportive of economic development, more jobs, more growth, more opportunity in northern Ontario. We have an excellent program through FedNor which focuses on job creation activities, new businesses, new activities throughout northern Ontario, including in the hon. member's riding, I might add, and including his former seatmate's riding as well.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-François Fortin Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Mr. Speaker, there were hundreds of thousands of us marching in the streets all over Quebec yesterday.

In Montreal, Matane, Rimouski, Maria, Mont-Joli, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Amqui, Alma, La Sarre and everywhere in Quebec, Quebeckers sang and rang bells and demonstrated their commitment to the environment and sustainable development. There were hundreds of thousands of us marching because we support the Kyoto protocol.

How many marchers will have to march, how many bells will have to ring, how many questions will we have to ask, for the government to hear the people of Quebec and show some respect for the environment, once and for all?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Conservative

Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was indeed Earth Day, and 2012 will be remembered as the year when we reported in our greenhouse gas inventory that we had levelled off and were 48 megatonnes lower than our 2005 emission megatonnes.

A year ago we estimated that we were about one-quarter of the way toward meeting our Copenhagen commitments. We are now well past that and moving toward fulfillment of our goals.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of a parliamentary delegation from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, led by Ms. Helen Jones, MP.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

National DefencePoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

Mr. Speaker, I refer to the sitting of the House on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 4, just before the Easter break. As Hansard shows, the House was engaged in a pretty heated debate about the F-35 issue at the time. In that record, there is a brief remark attributed to me at about 3:15 p.m., which makes reference to the Speaker.

Given my high regard for the important office of the Speaker and in the interests of maintaining the House's functionality, I want to withdraw that reference that in any way reflects upon the Speaker.

National DefencePoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

I thank the hon. member for that.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan

Conservative

Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 100 petitions.

Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in relation to its study of drugs and alcohol in prisons. Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 104(1)(4) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House. If the House gives its consent, I move that the report be concurred in.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Procedure and House AffairsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.