House of Commons Hansard #151 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was criminals.
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, Canada's investment review process is sound and ensures that foreign investment is of net benefit to Canada and Canadians.
Our government has a very clear and strong track record of encouraging economic growth, job creation and prosperity, and I can assure the House the minister will take the time required to carefully examine the proposition under review.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, since the Conservatives have been in power, Canada's international influence has been fading. A piecemeal approach and lack of transparency seem to have become the Minister of Foreign Affairs' trademark. The behind-closed-doors agreement to co-operate with the United Kingdom could have a significant negative impact on French-speaking Canadians.
My question is simple. Will services in French be maintained and available in all of the British embassies and consulates that are part of the agreement?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is coming to conclusions before she has even read the agreement. I would commend it to her. We will be announcing it in a very short period of time.
Let me give an example. In Haiti, we are going to allow a U.K. official to work out of our embassy. In Rangoon, the U.K. is going to allow a Canadian official to work out of theirs. This is something that Canada has done for many years, and it has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the French language services act.
Pierre Dionne Labelle NDP Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague's question was simple and clear. Clearly, French was not one of the Minister of Foreign Affairs' priorities when he negotiated this agreement with the United Kingdom.
Several questions remain unanswered with respect to this announcement. How can we be sure that quality French-language services will be available in British consulates and embassies? Will this agreement with the United Kingdom, which is intended to give the Commonwealth more influence vis-à-vis the European Union, undermine our diplomatic relations with countries belonging to the Francophonie?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear.
There has been no change to the Official Languages Act with respect to services provided by the Government of Canada or the buildings in which we work in countries around the world.
I cannot make it clearer than that.
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, September 29, marks the third annual Sports Day in Canada. During this exciting event, it is estimated that more than a million Canadians across our country will participate in a number of different activities in their local communities in celebration of the spirit of sport.
Can the Minister of State for Sport please tell the House how our government is promoting participation in sport and in physical activity here in Canada?
SportOral Questions
Bal Gosal Minister of State (Sport), CPC
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of State for Sport, I cannot stress enough how important it is for all Canadians to get involved in sport and physical activity. In an effort to encourage all Canadians to get involved in sport, tomorrow for the first time, I will have the privilege to learn how to curl from some of Canada's top curlers at the Ottawa Curling Club.
Canadians do not need look any further than our government's economic action plan 2012 to see the importance our government has placed on physical activity and high-performance sport by maintaining funding at an all-time high. Whether on the ice, field or court, I encourage Canadians across the country to get involved in sport and physical activity. I ask all MPs—
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canada is about to relinquish vast amounts of its sovereignty by sharing consular services and embassies with Great Britain.
How does the Prime Minister plan to put forward an independent foreign policy while sharing embassies with another country? Will Canada's foreign policy be assimilated from now on into the policies of the countries with which we permanently share these consular services?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I think I very clearly answered that question.
For this member to talk about policy assimilation, someone who sought election to the House of Commons proudly as a New Democrat only to cross the floor mere months after election, that is a real bait and switch.
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government's response to official questions from the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which it received in March, was delivered just last week, three months late. The government declares that it protects the rights of children and it claims it works with the provinces to also protect the rights of children, but our analysis shows that the government does not even know how many children it has under state care.
How can the government pretend it is interested in the rights of vulnerable children when it does not know how many children are under its own care?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, governments at both the federal and provincial levels as well as our municipal partners do a lot to support the rights of children, do a lot to provide services for children, whether they be children in care at the provincial level or children in care in our first nations. Whether it be in supporting parents in their child care obligations, whether in income support with the substantial amounts that Canada spent providing income support for children, be they in judicial and public security areas where we deal with children, or when they have encounters with the law, this government has made this a priority.
All Canadians can be proud of the great efforts that this government has taken and the successes we have made in supporting our young people.
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River, BC
Mr. Speaker, this week is National Forestry Week, and I encourage all Canadians to learn about Canada's forestry sector and its important contribution to Canada's economy and communities. This industry is the lifeblood of hundreds of rural communities across Canada, and it employs more than 230,000 Canadians and contributes over $20 billion to Canada's economy.
Could the Minister of Natural Resources please update the House on our government's record in the forestry sector?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, our government's forestry plan is getting results by creating and protecting thousands of jobs in the forestry sector. Through our government's actions, we have seen a 1,000% increase in softwood lumber exports to China. This is the equivalent of 20 average-size mills supplying exclusively to the Chinese market. The NDP would jeopardize all this progress with the implementation of a reckless and dangerous carbon tax, which would devastate the forestry sector.
Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC
Mr. Speaker, although the government committed to expedite the reunification of Haitian families, it has now been over two years since the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti and the government has still not kept its promise to reunite families in Canada. Too often, Haitian families must pay exorbitant fees and deal with long delays and wait times only to have their family reunification claims denied.
Why did the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration break his promise to reunite Haitian families?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Citizenship
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the government implemented a program to expedite the reunification of families following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Several thousand Haitian nationals have benefited from this policy.
Clearly, I said in 2010 that the legal requirements concerning the evaluation of admissibility have to be upheld. That is not something that is easy to do in a country such as Haiti, given the circumstances there. Nevertheless, we took a very humanitarian approach in this regard.
Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Speaker, cellphone theft increased by 71% in downtown Montreal between 2010 and 2011. The same goes for Quebec and Vancouver. In Toronto, there were more than 1,800 cellphone thefts in 2011. It is absurd that in Canada, telephone companies reactivate stolen cellphones, and thereby encourage theft and possession of stolen goods.
In France, Australia and even the United States, they have created a central database to make it impossible to reactivate stolen cellphones.
What is the government waiting for to take action for Canada and Quebec?
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleague to vote in favour of this government's crime bills. They are important. She is talking about theft.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I would like to ask for unanimous consent to table a document done by the Library of Parliament called “Case studies for a new pilot project, working while on claim”.
There seems to be a lot of confusion on that issue. The minister has put out her document. This one is based on real-life case studies and would provide information to the House to make appropriate decisions.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Does the hon. member have the consent of the House to table the document?
Rob Moore Conservative Fundy Royal, NB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in relation to its study on Canada's 150th anniversary.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons, the committee requests the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-443, An Act to establish a National Health and Fitness Day.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce my private member's bill, an act to establish a national health and fitness day.
The bill encourages local governments to open the doors of their facilities on a complementary basis on the first Saturday of June each year. It will benefit Canadians by encouraging participation in healthy physical activities at a time when obesity-related conditions such as diabetes are taking an increasing toll on our health and economy.
My bill enjoys broad support in this House, from the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore and from members of the Conservative Party, the NDP, the Liberal Party and the Green Party.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have with me a number of petitions today from my riding of Kitchener Centre. Almost 150 more people are asking the House of Commons to reject any law that says some human beings are not human and thereby to endorse the principle that every human being in Canada has equal worth and dignity.
To similar effect, I have petitions from the riding of Macleod, Alberta, with 50 signatures; from Whitby—Oshawa, with dozens of signatures; from Kitchener—Waterloo, with another 50 signatures; from Durham, with 78 signatures. Of these signatures, half seem to be from men and half from women.
I have a petition from a riding in Scarborough to the same effect and a petition from the riding of London North Centre with over 100 signatures.
I could go on, but I will stop at that point.