Debates of Sept. 21st, 2012

Peter Lougheed

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Government of Canada to pay tribute to a great Albertan, the Hon. Peter Lougheed.

Peter Lougheed truly was a great man, universally respected, and in the words of the Prime Minister, “quite simply one of the most remarkable Canadians of his generation”.

Mr. Lougheed was a master politician, a gifted lawyer, a professional athlete and a philanthropist.

He worked tirelessly for his community, province and for all of Canada. In fact, Mr. Lougheed was a vital part of making Alberta the economic success it is today.

On this day I want to offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of former premier Peter Lougheed, especially his loving wife of 60 years, his four children and seven grandchildren. Our thoughts and prayers are with them today.

Émilie Heymans

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the London Olympics this summer gave all Canadians an opportunity to appreciate the talent and courage of our athletes. One of those athletes, Émilie Heymans, who grew up in Saint-Lambert in my riding, stood out for her performances and the new record she set.

When she won the bronze medal with Jennifer Abel, Émilie became the first diver and the first Canadian athlete to win a medal in four consecutive Olympic Games. In addition to being in the annals of sport history, this feat will stay in our hearts forever.

Émilie's sacrifices, her commitment to her sport and her presence on the podium for so many years were exhilarating for us during these games and have been throughout her career. Émilie Heymans's courage, determination and desire to perform are an example that dreams are made to be realized, to be exceeded.

Take the Pledge

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today in my riding of London North Centre, the employees of Labatt Canada are celebrating the launch of Labatt's third annual Be(er) Responsible Day.

For the third straight year, Be(er) Responsible Day will be tied into Labatt's program called Take the Pledge. This program, aimed primarily at young people, appeals to all Canadians to sign a pledge that they will not drink and drive.

For more than two decades, Labatt has taken a leadership role in building awareness among Canadians through its various campaigns and has engaged them to help spread the word on responsible drinking.

Labatt's employees work throughout the year with a variety of programs to ensure people know that their beer is brewed to be enjoyed responsibly by individuals of drinking age.

There have been far too many tragedies involving drinking and driving. I commend the thousands of employees of Labatt Canada, particularly those working in the Labatt brewery located in my riding of London North Centre, for this initiative.

On behalf of the members of this House, I encourage all Canadians to take the pledge to put an end to drinking and driving.

Ottawa Little Theatre

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Ottawa Little Theatre, Canada's oldest continuously producing community theatre, has now embarked on its centennial year of celebration.

The Ottawa Little Theatre has a proud legacy of being a cultural beacon in the nation's capital. Since its inception, more than 750 productions have been played on its main stage. It was also the original home of our country's first national theatre festival back in 1933, the Dominion Drama Festival.

This theatre, which I like to think of as the grand Ottawa Little Theatre, focuses on mainstream productions and has been an incubator for actors of national and international renown, such as Ann-Marie MacDonald, Rich Little and Dan Aykroyd, as well as a home for dedicated amateurs to play.

I congratulate the actors, playwrights, staff and board members of the Ottawa Little Theatre for their passion and devotion, and say thanks to the 50,000 to 60,000 spectators who come to watch plays at this respected Canadian establishment every year.

I wish them a happy 100th and all the best as the OLT begins its second century.

Iran

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to exercise moral leadership on the international stage. Two weeks ago we closed our embassy in Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Canada.

This Iranian regime poses the most significant threat to world peace and security. It has routinely threatened the existence of Israel and engages in racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric and incitement to genocide.

It has provided military assistance to the Assad regime. It has refused to comply with UN resolutions pertaining to its nuclear program. It is among the world's worst violators of human rights. It shelters and materially supports terrorist groups.

The regime in Iran has also shown blatant disregard for the Vienna Convention and its guarantee of protection for diplomatic personnel. Under these circumstances, Canada could no longer maintain a diplomatic presence in Iran.

I commend our government's ongoing moral leadership on the international stage, especially when confronting terrorism and anti-Semitism.

Climate Change

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, this week melting Arctic sea ice set a new record. The U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that in mid-September Arctic ice covered 3.4 million square kilometres, beating the record set in 2007 when it measured 4.2 million square kilometres.

Scientists are now predicting that the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free in the summer by 2020, previously they had predicted 2050 as the ice-free date.

However, the melting Arctic Ocean is only part of the picture. This summer 97% of the Greenland ice cap was melting. The people of the north are seeing changing weather patterns with high temperatures and unusually strong storms, including the largest storm over the Arctic Ocean this summer.

Three large chunks of ice broke off ice shelves in the Arctic this summer. The largest was a piece the size of Bermuda off the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf on Ellesmere Island.

When will the government recognize the crisis that is rapidly overtaking the Arctic? When will we see action that means something on climate change? What is holding the government back?

Terry Fox

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to talk about an important Canadian icon, Terry Fox, an individual of incredible resolve and personal courage who inspired generations of Canadians and will for years to come.

While Terry's journey ended much too soon, it has been up to millions of other Canadians around the world to continue his Marathon of Hope.

This year I had the pleasure of taking part in my community in the great run in Collingwood in my riding of Simcoe—Grey. The event was truly inspirational and it brought together hundreds of families and children.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Sue Underhill, our run coordinator in Collingwood, her fantastic team of volunteers and all of the families that participated.

As Canadians strive to continue the legacy of Terry Fox, Terry's own words should inspire us all to continue:

Even if I don't finish, we need others to continue. It's got to keep going without me.

As Canadians, we will keep going, we will keep his Marathon of Hope alive, and we will continue to fight to find a cure for cancer.

Armenia

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Armenian Independence Day.

Twenty-one years ago Armenia declared its independence from the former Soviet Union, the first non-Baltic state to do so.

Canada is proud of the close friendship we have built with a confident and independent Armenia.

This relationship is stronger by the important contributions of tens of thousands of Armenian Canadians, as well as many church groups and community organizations, such as the one in my riding of Don Valley East. We have also worked closely together in a great number of international initiatives, such as la Francophonie.

I know that Canada will continue to be a good friend of the Republic of Armenia in the years to come.

On behalf of all Canadians, I wish everyone celebrating today a very happy Armenian Independence Day.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Week

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we close in on the end of Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, I want to share a cautionary tale.

On November 5, 1993 my father died of prostate cancer and I have not stopped missing him since. He left my mom with a hole in her heart that no one and no thing can ever fill. He left this world before ever meeting his grandchildren. He left this world so long ago now that I am sure he could never even have imagined his boy standing and making statements in the House.

This is the real hurt and pain of prostate cancer.

I implore all men not to risk this fate. It is too prevalent a disease to assume that it will not happen to them. One in six men is diagnosed with this type of cancer.

The goods news is that 90% of prostate cancer cases are curable if detected and treated early enough.

If a man is 40 years or older, he should get himself checked out. It is not a particularly dignifying experience, but the alternative can end so easily and early in terrible loss and heartbreak.

Status of Women

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for Status of Women recently launched a call for proposals, “Working Together: Engaging communities to end violence against women and girls”, which demonstrates our government's commitment to preventing and reducing violence against women and girls.

Our Conservative government is taking concrete action by supporting projects to enhance and address girls' and women's safety and security within their own communities. We must continue to champion this important cause.

I encourage all parliamentarians to join our government and promote this call for proposals to create awareness and put an end to violence against women in our ridings and nationwide. By working together we are creating safer communities for all.

All Canadians should know more about how to stop this type of violence and work toward solutions. As members of Parliament we play an important role in doing this.

Hamilton Airport

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my hometown of Hamilton has asked for and must get help from the Conservative government to deal with pollution at our airport. The issue is straightforward if we believe in the principle of polluter pay.

When the federal government owned the Hamilton airport lands prior to 1987, it operated a firefighting training pad there. At the time, the firefighting foam that was being used contained perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, which has since shown up both at the airport and at points downstream. Links have been made between PFOS and compromised immune systems as well as certain types of cancer.

In 1986, the airport was transferred to the municipality and now the federal government is washing its hands of any responsibility, essentially just saying “buyer beware”. However, the fact remains that the pollution occurred while the federal government owned and operated the airport lands. Therefore, the federal government must take responsibility for what took place on its watch and must act now to assist and contribute to the city's remediation efforts. Anything else is a gross abdication of its responsibility to protect both human health and the environment.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is attempting to hide behind the media and not respond to one simple question: Would the NDP impose a carbon tax?

The proof is in the pudding. The NDP's platform clearly shows the members expect to bring in $21 billion from this carbon tax. Why will the NDP members not come clean with Canadians and admit they want to raise the cost on everything with their sneaky carbon tax scheme? It is clear the NDP members are more worried about their special interest groups than they are about hard-working Canadians.

We know that these hard-working Canadians do not want to pay more for gas, groceries and electricity. That is exactly why we have a low-tax plan for jobs, growth and prosperity.

World Alzheimer's Day

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today is World Alzheimer's Day. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most significant social and health crises of the 21st century. It is the most common form of dementia.

Five hundred thousand Canadians live with some form of dementia. This will double within a generation. Dementia costs the Canadian economy $15 billion a year but by 2034 this will rise to $153 billion. Delaying the onset of Alzheimer's by just two years could save $219 billion over 30 years. The stress Alzheimer's places on families is incalculable.

Research on the early detection of risk factors is essential in delaying the onset of the disease.

It is important to recognize the early signs of Alzheimer's, such as personality change, disorientation, loss of initiative and difficulty performing familiar tasks.

Research shows that longevity is a factor in the increasing rate of Alzheimer's. If we can delay its onset by five years, we could cut—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Lawrence Toet, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as I head back to my riding this weekend, I will be pleased to assure my constituents that our government will not support the NDP's carbon tax.

Canadians in my riding and across the country have been pleased to see taxes consistently decrease under our government. They absolutely do not want to see the price of gas, groceries and electricity rise. Under the NDP's carbon tax, prices would rise on all of these things plus so much more.

We call on the NDP leader to stop hiding behind the media and come clean with Canadians. How much would his carbon tax cost them?

Our government will continue our low-tax plan for jobs and growth and we call on the opposition to start supporting that plan.

Gasoline Prices

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are sitting on their hands, gas prices continue to skyrocket.

But it is as if the Prime Minister and his henchmen have shoved Canadians' concerns aside; after six years of increases totalling 36%, the only plan the Conservatives continue to have is inaction. Despite this major problem that is taking money out of consumers' pockets, the Conservatives are just sitting there not really knowing what to do.

Yet solutions exist. The NDP has put forward concrete solutions to help people, solutions to put a stop to collusion and solutions to listen to consumers.

However, the Conservatives refuse to lift a finger to help families make ends meet. By their inaction, the Conservatives are supporting collusion and gouging consumers.

The NDP is listening to the cries for help from motorists and truckers across the country. And those people will remember that in 2015.

Peter Lougheed

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Centre-North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when we reflect upon the privilege of rising in this place, it behooves us to hold on to a profound sense of those who laid the foundation of where we stand as a nation. A Canadian first, Peter Lougheed stood tall on the battlefield of ideas both to defend his province and to build a strong future for his country, ideals he firmly knew were not mutually exclusive.

By his example, he leaves his province, his country and public discourse itself in a better state than when he found them. He was a titan, as now are his province and its people, and with the legacy that he has left our collective future is so very bright.

On this day of the state memorial service in his beloved Alberta, I ask all hon. members to join with me in paying tribute to this legacy: our strong, prosperous, free and proud country, and to a man who lived his life to build it, Peter Lougheed.

Foreign Investment

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the deadline for the proposed takeover of Nexen by CNOOC is in 22 days. Time is running out. Canadians are concerned. They are concerned about the consequences and about the inaction of the Conservative ministers: no public consultation, no clear criteria. The Minister of Industry seems lost and overwhelmed by events.

Will the Conservatives do their job or will they simply rubber-stamp the project?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always act in the best interest of Canadians. This transaction will be reviewed very carefully. The Investment Canada Act contains provisions to protect national security, and the people of Canada can be sure that our government is doing its job and making the right decisions in the interest of Canada.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, not a single Conservative minister has stood up in the House to express any concerns whatsoever about this company's human rights record. Not a word about their human rights record, not a word about their environmental record, not a single word about a foreign state-owned company buying a huge stake in Canada's oil industry. Is this what Conservatives actually meant when they said “stand up for Canada”?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always act in the best interests of Canadians. There is a process set out in legislation. We are certainly following that. There are elements to ensure that our national security is protected.

I find it passing strange that the NDP members have spent the last six and half years since I arrived in this place trying to do everything they can to shut down the oil industry. They call it the Dutch disease. They disparage it. Now they seem to be coming to its defence. That is rather strange.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives first got elected I bet they believed they could actually change this place. I bet they told their voters that they were going to go to Ottawa to represent them, not just parrot the Prime Minister's Office's lines day after day. However, unless those same constituents are actually living in the Prime Minister's Office, these Conservatives are not doing their jobs.

Let us give this another try. Will anyone on that side of the House stand up and acknowledge that Canadians have real and legitimate concerns about the purchase of Nexen by CNOOC?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is self-evident that this is not a minor transaction. That is why the Minister of Industry and the Government of Canada will do a thorough review to ensure that Canadian interests are protected and that Canadian national security is guarded.

Canadians can count on our government to always do the right thing, to always stand up for Canada and to do what is in our best economic interests. Job creation and economic growth continue to be a priority.

I suspect what this company would want to know is how much of an effect would the NDP's carbon tax have on this transaction. Why does he not stand up and be very clear? How much of the $21.5 billion in new taxes would he impose on this company? Maybe the shareholders would—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Pontiac.

Government Spending

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives are running full speed away from accountability. Now, here we go again. The latest Conservative spending scandal has 13 Conservative ministers involved, over two dozen political staffers and a big fat $100,000 credit card bill.

The government preaches fiscal austerity for everyone else while it racks up sky-high credit card bills for itself. Conservative ministers cannot even manage their office credit cards.

When is the Treasury Board going to do its job and stop abusing the taxpayers' money.