Debates of May 18th, 2012

Firearms Registry

[Garry Breitkreuz, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, our government has kept its promise to end the long gun registry. This registry has been ineffective in improving public safety and a huge waste of taxpayer dollars.

Now we have the situation of provincial governments trying to bring in long gun registries by the back door. The leader of the NDP has already said that he will bring back the long gun registry, should he get the chance.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety please tell us what the government is doing to defend the rights of law-abiding gun owners?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to answer that question today.

As part of our government's ongoing measures to reduce the deficit, we will need to end the waiver on firearms licensing fees. However, in order to help law-abiding gun owners, we are providing extra time for them to renew their licence for five years, at no cost. Those with restricted and prohibited licences can apply for a no-cost licence until September 17, 2012. Those with non-restricted licences have a whole year to apply.

This is good news for law-abiding gun owners and good news for taxpayers.

The Environment

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this past Tuesday we asked the Minister of the Environment to tell us when the new regulations for mining and oil and gas projects would be announced. Once again, he refused to give us a clear answer, claiming that consultations were ongoing.

Yesterday in Bonn, Germany, a government representative announced regulations for 2013, which is quite soon.

Did the minister intentionally mislead the House or is he so disconnected from his department that he did not even know that the regulations were ready?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP fails to understand the need to balance environmental stewardship with economic growth. That is why we hear them talking about pitting workers in one section of the country against workers in another.

With regard to oil and gas regulations, we are working closely with industry to ensure that a plan comes up that is sustainable, that works and that achieves the results we are looking for.

I should note that in the most recent greenhouse gas emissions inventory, we saw the economy grow by 3.2% and greenhouse gas emissions stabilize.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what is the plan?

The government clearly has no idea what the word “transparency” means. Canadians should not have to rely on German news to find out what their government is up to. The minister has a duty to Canadians and to this House. The only thing we got from him was smoke and mirrors and personal attacks.

Having tried Switzerland and Germany, can the minister tell us which country the government will make its next announcement in?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, our government's robust sector-by-sector regulatory approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions is working.

We have implemented regulations in several sectors. We are now working in the electricity sector and in the oil and gas sector to ensure that those that emit the most are regulated in an orderly fashion that ensures economic growth.

I should remind my colleague opposite that what is not helpful is pitting one worker in one section of the country against another. That is something we will not do.

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

Mr. Speaker, clearly the government would keep us all in the dark. That was a non-answer that we are getting used to more and more.

The Conservatives' agenda to gut environmental rules will make future generations pay for the government's mistakes, but Canadians are also going to pay right now. Government documents released yesterday show that more than $20 million has been set up to speed approvals for major resource projects, regardless of environmental impacts.

Does the government have any idea at all what the total environmental and economic costs of its reckless agenda are going to be?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member what the benefits of the economic action plan are. It is 750,000 jobs across this country. Members opposite need to get on board with that plan.

Actually, yesterday we were able to have our committee meet. We had three ministers come and talk to us about our future plans. We look forward to the changes that are going to be made so that we can develop the economy across this country, protect the environment and develop even more jobs.

Hopefully the NDP will begin to work with us instead of trying to divide workers in one section from workers in another part of this country. Resources extend across this country, from British Columbia right across to Newfoundland and Labrador. The NDP needs to get on board and support Canadian jobs.

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

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have no idea at all of the cost and no interest at all in telling Canadians what they are.

Natural resources cannot be responsibly managed without something called science, but yesterday the government announced it is closing a groundbreaking freshwater research facility, the Experimental Lakes Area. It has been at the forefront of water science for nearly 50 years, measuring the impacts of human activities on fresh water ecosystems. I do not mean to sound academic, but that means the soil, air, water, animals and people.

Is the government—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, of course we rely on science, and that is what we depend on to make our decisions, but we also depend on leading Canadians. We look forward to doing that.

We are focused on jobs, growth and economic prosperity across this country. We all know that major projects across this country are taking far too long. That is one of the reasons we brought forward the initiatives that we have in economic action plan 2012. We want to have one project, one review, with set timelines. That is reasonable.

Canadians are looking forward to that, and they are looking forward to the jobs that will come out of it as well.

Employment Insurance

[Rodger Cuzner, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it has been six and a half years since the Conservatives took power.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Rodger Cuzner, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

That is too easy, Mr. Speaker. Are the Conservatives applauding the fact that they have been found guilty of election fraud? Are they applauding the fact that they have a minister over there who is on his third ethics investigation? Maybe they are applauding the $16 orange juice. Whatever it might be, these guys have been a rotten government, but as bad as it has been, it is going to get worse with the EI changes.

On behalf of mayors, wardens and counsellors in rural communities who fight out-migration every day, why is the government attacking seasonal industries?

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

Mr. Speaker, the mayors and wardens in my riding of Simcoe—Grey are delighted with the jobs that are being created by this government.

With respect to the EI changes, we expect Canadians to take available jobs in their own areas with their appropriate qualifications and we are faced with these unprecedented labour skills shortages. I hear about them in my own riding every week. That is why we are making responsible changes, to ensure Canadians are first in getting those jobs they want and desire.

Government Priorities

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday on television, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs stated that sex “...is not biology”. Then he went further. He said that Canadian teens should get their sex education from “their average adult video store”.

Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise among Canadian teens, and teen pregnancy continues to be an issue. Why, then, is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs promoting pornography for Canadian teens instead of the sex education that they need?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that this is another member who wants to talk about anything but what Canadians actually want to talk about.

What Canadians want to talk about is the jobs we have been creating through the economic action plan. They want to talk about the Minister of National Defence, who ended the decade of darkness. They want to talk about the Minister of Justice, who restored balance to our justice system, allowing the Minister of Public Safety to close prisons. They want to talk about the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, who has brought in new legislation to protect our water resources. They want to talk about the member for Kildonan—St. Paul who continues to promote legislation to—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order, please. The hon. member for Ottawa Centre.

National Defence

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to extending Canada's military role in Afghanistan past 2014, the Prime Minister says he is considering all options. That was news to Canadians, but then again it is not the first time the government has flip-flopped on mission extension.

At the NATO summit this weekend, will the Prime Minister stand firm on his commitment to end Canada's involvement in this war, or will he continue his habit of making unpopular announcements while in other countries?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is committed until 2014 to participating in an international mission to train Afghanistan security forces to prevent that country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists. We will assess what is necessary to meet these objectives and we have not made any final decisions at this time.

International Co-operation

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I can smell the flip-flop coming.

The Prime Minister will be facing additional challenges at the G8—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order, please. The hon. member for Ottawa Centre has the floor. I would ask hon. members to keep conversations low.

The hon. member for Ottawa Centre.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will be facing additional challenges at the G8 meeting this weekend. Food security is at the top of the agenda. Instead of taking action on hunger and food and security issues, Conservative cabinet ministers launched a blistering attack this week on the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. How can the Prime Minister expect to have any credibility on the international stage when his cabinet ministers attack UN representatives?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, talking about flip-flop, those members should look at what they did in the Libya mission.

As a world traveller, I can tell members that the countries this fellow should have been visiting are India, China, D.R.C., Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia, where 60% of the world's hungry live. Canada is the second-largest contributor to the World Food Programme to feed the hungry, at $300 million. Therefore it is an insult to Canadians and their tax dollars that this fellow came over here to waste the dollars they have contributed by giving $5 million over—