Debates of June 6th, 2012

Fisheries and Oceans

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Otto Langer, retired head manager for the fisheries department in B.C. and Yukon, describes the government's changes to the Fisheries Act “as the biggest setback to conservation law in Canada in half a century. ...and the waste of his lifetime of work”. That was said by someone who knows the issue.

Mr. Langer is just the latest expert speaking out about this historic backward leap that will lead to the sure destruction of fish and fish habitat.

When will the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans stop dissembling about the real and permanent damage that he is inflicting on Canada's ecosystem and our economy?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. We are focusing on fish and fish habitat protection.

The opposition likes to ignore a lot of the good things that are in the changes to the act, such as identifying ecologically sensitive areas, making the Fisheries Act conditions enforceable and allowing higher maximum penalties for rule breakers. It would also allow the creation of new, clear and accessible guidelines for Canadians to follow for projects in and around or near water.

The Budget

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for weeks, Canadians have been speaking out against Bill C-38. Recently, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities passed a motion requesting that the government remove sections of Bill C-38 which gut environmental protection, including changes to the Fisheries Act. Municipalities want these changes sent to the relevant standing committee for thorough review and debate.

Is the government really so ignorant that it cannot find any way to protect farmers without gutting the Fisheries Act?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, there was some concern about my comments in the House yesterday, but I have to say that the recommendations coming out of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities this past weekend reaffirm and strengthen my comments of yesterday. It says that many of the amendments to the Fisheries Act proposed in Bill C-38 respond to the municipal sectors' long-standing position that the act must be updated to “reduce duplication; streamline the process for small, low-risk projects; remove unnecessary and costly administrative burdens on municipalities....”

That is exactly what we are doing.

Canadian Heritage

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member that what was said yesterday in the House was not very bright.

So we will give the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage another chance to find something intelligent to say, because yesterday he was way off base.

The Conservatives can claim that they invest in culture, but when we look at their actions, we see that, really, they are destroying this sector. The Conservatives are axing thriving institutions, although they claim to support artists. They are ruthlessly closing the CineRobotheque in Montreal and Mediatheque in Toronto.

Can the government explain how these closures are supposed to help culture?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of the investments it has made in the cultural sector, particularly in the NFB. That institution has begun digitizing its collection of 13,000 titles, which is good news for Canadians. There are already 2,000 titles available online.

Not everybody lives in Montreal and Toronto. People live all across the country and they want access to the dramatic and great collection of the National Film Board. By putting it online, we are ensuring that Canadians from coast to coast to coast have access to those collections.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is funny, but telling me that things are being digitized does not necessarily reassure me in any way regarding what is happening at Library and Archives Canada. It really seems as though the Conservatives believe that Canadians can be easily manipulated.

As for Canadian cinema, we have been very successful in recent years, with several awards and nominations. This year, the Philippe Falardeau film Monsieur Lazhar was nominated for an Oscar.

Yesterday, Philippe Falardeau himself spoke out against the fact that the government is “getting rid of things without any idea of how to replace them”. Someone mentioned consultation earlier. This is the same thing.

Is this how the government wants to reward such tremendous international success, by making these draconian cuts to the NFB?

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

Mr. Speaker, I can understand that it is not a good time to be an opposition critic for culture and heritage. We have invested more than any government in history has in arts and culture.

Our Minister of Finance has helped create 750,000 net new jobs, taxes are down, interest rates are down and our artists and musicians are at the top of the billboard charts. Our film directors are winning awards across the world. Our television productions are being picked up. not only by big American broadcasters but by broadcasters around the world. We just learned that our AM and FM radio stations have returned to pre-2008 recession levels of profitability and are creating jobs and economic opportunity.

The Economy

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their elected representatives to focus on the economy and help create jobs. That is exactly what our Conservative government has been doing since 2006, especially through the economic action plan.

While we focus on the economy, the NDP is focused on playing procedural partisan games, a record of partisan games that has included voting against the economic action plan in 2009 and opposing support for the Canadian economy during the greatest depression we have seen since the Great Depression.

Would the Minister of State for Finance please inform the House of the NDP's latest attempt to put its self-interest over the Canadian economy and why the NDP should be totally ashamed of itself?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP should be putting Canadians ahead of its interests. Canadians are telling us that they are getting tired of the NDP members constantly talking down our economy, and not only talking it down, but actually voting against it. They are voting to kill jobs. They are trying to stop our budget implementation bill and economic action plan 2012 which would put in place an extension for a hiring credit for small businesses that encourages businesses to employ more Canadians. They are voting against new funding for skills and jobs training. They are voting against new funding for infrastructure. They are voting against new support to encourage responsible resource development.

Search and Rescue

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and from my riding are shaking their heads from revelations that they have lost yet another vital search and rescue asset for their area.

The Canadian Coast Guard vessel the Harp has been removed from its summer stationing in St. Anthony and will be removed permanently. In its place, a duty vessel, located somewhere between the St. Lawrence Seaway and Cape Spear, will travel up to 1,500 kilometres to respond to local search and rescue concerns in Newfoundland and Labrador.

My question is for the MP for Labrador, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. How could he let this happen? When will he speak up and say something?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard ship, the Harp, is slower and less capable than other Canadian Coast Guard ships, which are larger, faster and can better service and deliver the area.

Following the decommission of the Harp, more capable, multi-task vessels will be used to deliver the same search and rescue levels of service to the area.

Unlike the Liberals, we are investing billions of dollars in the Coast Guard, while they left ships tied up at docks, rusting and without fuel.

Air Canada

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today we learned that no new investor has come forward to purchase Aveos. If the Conservatives do nothing, Air Canada will go ahead and use foreign maintenance providers, which is against the law. Some 1,500 decent aerospace jobs will leave Canada for good because of the Conservatives' negligence.

Will the Conservatives continue to sit idly by or will they stand up, apply the law and protect our jobs in this industry?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as we have been saying from the start, this matter involves a private company. Air Canada has 2,500 maintenance workers—but they will never say so. Air Canada has its own maintenance team. Of course, it has some heavier maintenance contracts with other companies. We will continue to ensure compliance with the law and ensure that our workers continue to have jobs. We are talking about a private company. I hope Aveos will find a buyer today and that its former employees can go back to work.

Justice

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very worried and appalled that so many people who have committed heinous crimes are let off with a slap on the wrist after being found not criminally responsible. Worse still, these people can get permission to go out in public after just a few weeks even if they are no longer in therapy. People were shocked at the cases involving Vincent Li in Manitoba and Guy Turcotte in Quebec.

Can the Minister of Justice tell us what our government is doing about troubling cases like these?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely correct. I have heard from Canadians across this country, and they have expressed serious concerns about individuals found not criminally responsible.

We believe that public safety must always come first. We are working to obtain support from the provinces and territories to ensure that the protection of society is the paramount consideration for review panels.

I have also instructed my officials to examine the applicable law and identify any necessary changes. We will continue to work in the interests of victims and law-abiding Canadians so that our streets and communities are safe.

Employment

[Marie-Claude Morin, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' laissez-faire economic policy is causing more and more collateral damage.

Last Friday, 360 workers at the Camoplast factory in Roxton Falls found out that their jobs will disappear in July 2013. Those jobs are being transferred to Mexico. Nearly one-quarter of the people of Roxton Falls will lose their jobs. This is a tragedy for families and local businesses. The region's economy will be hit hard.

Do the Conservatives have a plan to protect jobs like these, or will they continue to stand idly by and watch the manufacturing sector crumble?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government has a plan, the economic action plan, which is responsible for the creation of over 750,000 jobs since the recession in 2009. We have introduced measures that foster a healthy investment climate, create jobs and drive economic growth. We have reduced taxes, eliminated tariffs on machinery, and introduced a hiring credit to help businesses recruit employees. We have implemented measures to stimulate the economy and safeguard our industries in a climate of healthy competition. The NDP could have voted for those measures. That would certainly have helped.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, 13 days ago the video of a sordid crime was posted on the Internet. It has been 13 days that our children have been able to access this video, which shows the murder and dismemberment of an unfortunate victim. It has been 13 days that this government, which claims to ensure the safety of our streets and communities, has allowed a website to broadcast this horrible video, which serves only to enhance a murderer's notoriety.

My question is simple: what is the government waiting for to enforce the Criminal Code and have the images of this barbaric act removed from our children's sight?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, everyone on this side of the House as well as that side condemns the horrible mutilation of a human being. We are very concerned that this type of material would be broadcast. Since this is a police investigation, I am going to let the police continue their investigation. There are laws on the books that can deal with this. We have to leave this in the hands of the police to do the right thing.

That is a member who does not support giving police powers, but the police are doing a good job with the powers that they have.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable John Yap, Minister of State for Multiculturalism for British Columbia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear! Hear!

Statements by Members

[Ryan Cleary, NDP, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to apologize for my use of unparliamentary language in my member's statement.

We Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a colourful language. I have to remind myself of where to use it.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I appreciate the withdrawal from the hon. member.

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands is rising on a point of order.

Comments by Minister

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this relates to unparliamentary language that was used yesterday. It was not as colourful, perhaps, as that used by the hon. member for St. John's South—Mount Pearl, but I found it quite disturbing.

It was an exchange between the hon. member for Thunder Bay—Superior North and the hon. Minister of State for Science and Technology during the debate on the NDP opposition motion.

Mr. Speaker, you may want to look at it in Hansard. The hon. Minister of State for Science and Technology said, according to Hansard:

Madam Speaker, what I would recommend to the hon. member is that when he tightens that towel around his neck at nighttime that he not do it for more than 20 seconds. It actually ends up causing cerebral anoxia that leaves permanent brain damage.

I thought the towel comment was so odd. I could not figure it out. I made the mistake of asking someone what it meant. Then I was even more disturbed, because it apparently refers to deviant sexual practices.

I think that is completely outrageous. I ask that the hon. Minister of State for Science and Technology, a member of cabinet, should not use such language.