House of Commons Hansard #145 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was parks.
Michelle Rempel ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to protecting our natural heritage, including under the scope of Parks Canada. We maintain funding and we maintain staff to ensure that those artifacts, those facilities are well protected and well maintained.
We certainly feel that the measures included in budget 2012 will continue to protect the great natural heritage of the country and the facilities that Parks Canada manages.
Tilly O'Neill-Gordon Conservative Miramichi, NB
Mr. Speaker, unlike the NDP and the Liberals, our government has been clear. We are unequivocal in our support of the Canadian sealing industry, an industry that is vital to communities across Canada.
We continue to stand up and support these important jobs. Could our regional minister from Newfoundland and Labrador please inform this House of any updates regarding our government's respect and support for sealers in Newfoundland and Labrador and the rest of Canada?
Peter Penashue ConservativeMinister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
[Member spoke in Innu-aimun]
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for that question.
Unlike the NDP and Liberals, I am proud to be part of this government that truly supports Canadian sealers and recognizes the importance of traditional industry, not only in Newfoundland and Labrador but across the entire country.
That is why tomorrow I have the honour to announce a major contribution on behalf of the government to the Home From the Sea campaign to build a memorial to Canadian sealers.
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Mr. Speaker, today, Macleans's magazine published the article, “The Silent Treatment”, an exposé of the government's mishandling of CCSVI.
It details explosive conflicts of interest, politics over science, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research admitting, “We had not seen the crisis coming”.
Today I intend to place a motion on notice, calling on the government to ensure the health committee investigates CIHR's handling of the development of a registry and clinical trials for CCSVI.
Will the Minister of Health commit to an investigation?
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, our government has worked hard to advance research in MS to improve the health of those living with this horrible condition. Along with MS patients, we hope that the research will contribute to a cure.
Over the past five years we have invested more than $27 million in MS research, and we are supporting the development of an MS monitoring system that will provide patients and health care providers with better understanding of the disease and its treatments.
It is critical that we complete clinical trials for CCSVI to assess the safety and effectiveness of this procedure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration agreed, and warned health practitioners of the need for approval before using it to treat people with MS.
Kennedy Stewart NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative attacks on science and research are never-ending.
The Conservatives have eliminated important scientific institutions like the Experimental Lakes Area and the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences. They have reduced investments in Statistics Canada and first nations data agencies. They have fired crucial scientists and researchers right across the public sector, and the ones that remain have been muzzled.
How can the Conservatives possibly justify their science and research attacks? Do they not care about Canada's future?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. This government has made significant and important investments in science and technology at every single opportunity that we have had.
We do that because science will create jobs, save lives and improve the quality of life, but every time we put forward more investments for our scientists, for our students, for our researchers, the NDP votes against those things.
It is time the NDP started to support science for once.
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government has always been a consistent defender of supply management. By contrast, the Liberal Party offers no concrete proof of its position. The Liberals left supply management out of its election platform and constantly vote against measures that benefit our supply-managed farmers and all rural Canadians.
Could the Minister of Agriculture please inform the House of the most recent example of how the Liberal Party is turning its back on our egg, dairy and poultry farmers?
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order, please. I have had to rule before that questions to the government have to touch on government areas of responsibility, and—
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order, please.
Asking about the position of another party is not a government area of responsibility.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. The hon. member is out of time.
The hon. member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.
Alain Giguère NDP Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that the old age security program is sustainable. However, the Conservatives need billions of dollars to pay for the rising costs of the F-35. Thus, our seniors are being stuck with the bill for this procurement program, which has been completely mismanaged.
Yesterday the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development said that there will be no reductions in seniors' pensions. I am sorry, but taking away two years' worth of benefits means taking away $10 billion. That is quite a reduction.
What are the Conservatives doing for the summer? We in the NDP hope that they will use the time to learn to count.
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, we are ensuring the sustainability of the system to preserve it for future generations.
It is important to remember that, in the future, there will be a lot more seniors than workers, and adjustments must therefore be made. There will be no reductions for individuals.
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, this past session shows just how big the gap between Canada and Quebec is getting and just how big of an obstacle federalism is to the development of the Quebec nation.
Under the Conservative government, often with the support of the other federalist parties, the number of disputes with the Quebec National Assembly have multiplied, as have the attempts to strip Quebec of its authority and its jurisdictions and weaken its regions, its economy and its institutions.
Can the government promise today that it will not spend the summer coming up with other measures that go against Quebeckers' interests and values?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable to hear questions like this one.
Let us go back to 2006, when there were problems. There was a fiscal imbalance that the Bloc passively supported for over a decade. The Conservatives resolved that problem in less than a year. We gave Quebec a seat at UNESCO. Then, there was a disagreement regarding the harmonization of the GST and QST. Once again, this was resolved under the leadership of this Prime Minister. There was also a disagreement regarding the Old Harry offshore oil reserve. Once again, who resolved this problem? It was this government, under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
So yes, I will assure my colleague of one thing: we will continue to practise open federalism for all Canadians and Quebeckers.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, as tempted as I am to pose the question to the chair of the ethics committee, I think tradition suggests that I present it to the House leader for the government.
It has been obvious that over this session we have had our disagreements in both form and substance. It has been no surprise to Canadians that we, as the opposition, have fundamentally disagreed about some of the objectives of the government on pensions, EI and health care.
While we have had our disagreements, something that we absolutely agree on is that we have been supported by one of the most complementary and hard-working staffs of any legislature in the world. We owe them a great deal of thanks. This was a long and trying session for them as well.
To all my colleagues on all sides, because we will not be meeting again before the summer recess, I wish them time with their family and friends and a productive summertime off.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I thank the House leader for the opposition.
On this side, we will not be taking time off. We will be continuing to work as we have so far.
Earlier today, I drew the media's attention to what the government accomplished this spring in terms of legislation. I will therefore not repeat what I said.
However, I am very pleased about what we have been able to do here over the past few months so that the House of Commons has achieved results by working hard and in an orderly fashion.
The co-operation from all corners of the House that we did receive to keep business moving here is much appreciated. Members of Parliament did a lot of hard work reviewing and debating bills, including quite important bills. At the end of the day, we voted on those bills and made decisions for the benefit of Canadians.
Bills remain on the order paper for our return in the fall, not to mention new ones to come. I will advise my colleagues at a time closer to our return as to the business of the House when we next sit.
While sitting MPs and the government's legislative program will return after the summer, we will have a new team of pages. I want to thank this year's pages for their hard work and their tireless efforts to support us in being productive as members.
Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON
Back when we started the Christmas adjournment, I mentioned that the pages would have some good stories to tell when they got home. I think the six months that followed have only added many more.
I can say that being a page is a truly special experience that few get to enjoy. My wife was a parliamentary page; she will be upset when I say that was some 25 years ago—
Peter Van Loan Conservative York—Simcoe, ON
Notwithstanding the 25 years that have passed since, she still treasures those memories and refers to them as perhaps the best year of her life.