Debates of Oct. 28th, 2013

National Defence

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to making sure that the Canadian Armed Forces get the maritime helicopters that it needs and at the best possible value to Canadians.

The previous Liberal government contracted with Sikorsky, and the company has yet to deliver a contractually compliant helicopter to Canada. We have not decided yet on next steps.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Wai Young, Conservative, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our government inherited a broken immigration system and we have worked hard to fix it.

The Speech from the Throne highlighted the government's record on reducing the immigration backlog by half and eliminating the economic immigration backlog completely.

Could the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration inform the House on what our government is doing to ensure that we are attracting the best and the brightest, while reducing the backlog inherited from the Liberals?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hard-working member of Parliament for Vancouver South for her excellent work.

As she well knows, the Liberals left us with the legacy of huge backlogs, reduced immigration. When we took office there were 830,000 unprocessed applications. Some prospective newcomers were waiting a decade to come to Canada.

We have taken action. We reduced the waiting time for foreign skilled workers from seven years to one. We have cut that backlog in half. We are taking action to fix the once broken system to make it fast, fair and flexible. I will have more to say on this score in a few minutes.

Telecommunication Industry

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, cellphone towers are popping up indiscriminately across the country from Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island.

Last week alone I tabled three petitions with signatures from hundreds of Guelph residents with regard to their health and other concerns. Local residents of municipalities are deeply frustrated over a federal approval process that either leaves them powerless to influence the decision or ignores them when they try.

When is the Minister of Industry going to listen, stop ignoring their concerns, change the process and empower local governments and Canadians to make decisions in their own communities?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see the opposition asking questions about one of its own priorities, namely access to truly competitive cellphone rates.

If the opposition members had read the Speech from the Throne that was presented a few weeks ago, they would know that this is one of the government's priorities. We will be working on this.

Transportation

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in June, Transport Canada refused to grant Sherbrooke's airport facilities the necessary security screening services.

This would have helped the airport conclude an agreement with a national airline. This designation was a major condition for securing three daily flights from Sherbrooke.

Unfortunately, Transport Canada denied that request. We are talking about the economic development of our region. The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable has even offered his help on this.

I want to know if the Minister of Transport will review this file quickly.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I met with a delegation from the city of Sherbrooke in August of this year and discussed the issue of CATSA designation, but the reality is there is over 200 airports in Canada and, by law, only 89 of them are currently screened. Although Sherbrooke wants to be part of it, it has to go through a process.

We will continue to work with the people who represent Sherbrooke on the issue and my officials will continue to have discussions with them on the matter.

Justice

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians remain concerned about the potential for high-risk individuals being released into their communities. This is one reason why our government was elected with a strong mandate to keep our streets and our communities safe.

Last spring, the government introduced the not criminally responsible reform act. The bill would ensure that public safety and the rights of victims would come first. Could the Minister of Justice please update the House as to the status of this important legislation?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Wetaskiwin, a strong proponent of an effective criminal justice system. Indeed, he is right. There is concern in the criminal justice area about the reform in the area of high-risk individuals who are found not criminally responsible.

Canadians and victims are rightfully concerned about this issue as well. Individuals, under the current provisions, can be released into the community by provincial parole boards, potentially putting the public at risk. That is why our government's landmark legislation, the not criminally responsible act, will be brought back, restored and examined by the Senate.

I encourage the Liberal leader, in particular, and his House leader to get behind the bill, perhaps change their minds and have senators and all members support this important bill to keep our country safe.

The Environment

[Jonathan Tremblay, NDP, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, my colleagues questioned the government about the gradual disappearance of beluga whales.

After the foolish response from the Minister of the Environment, who obviously did not know what she was talking about, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans told us not to worry. She said that research is continuing. The problem is that the cuts to the Maurice Lamontagne Institute will result in lower-quality research. The ecotoxicology laboratory is closed and the research position has been eliminated.

Who in the department is going to do the research?

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, as the minister said, researchers from DFO have been working with our partners to study beluga whales in the St. Lawrence. In fact, a scientific review meeting was held earlier this month to review scientific information on the state of the population and the peer reviewed science advice will be published in the coming months.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Jean-François Fortin, Bloc, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the bill on the right to die with dignity is moving forward in the National Assembly.

With the support of members from all parties and following significant, rigorous consultation that was free of all partisanship, the bill is on the verge of moving through the crucial steps on its way to being passed.

However, the federal government is still hinting that it might intervene in this file, which is a matter of health, respect for patients and human dignity.

Will the government respect the National Assembly's decision to pass a law regarding the right to die with dignity, and will it promise not to interfere in its implementation?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, this very contentious and very emotional issue has been before the House of Commons in recent years. The federal government has no intention of reopening the debate.

Rail Transportation

[Bruce Hyer, Independent, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, rail in Canada has reached a state of crisis. The government has no rail strategy. Service and safety and Canadians suffer. VIA rail trains are forced onto the sidings, while dangerous goods just roar past.

Does the minister agree with former Conservative prime minister, Robert Borden, who called for the nationalization of Canada's key strategic rail beds?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the former prime minister Borden of course being a Nova Scotian, it would be tempting to agree with him.

However, that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate what our government has done on the issue of rail safety. We have increased the number of inspectors. We have invested $100 million into ensuring that our goods can travel safely and securely. With the full support of the Canadian public, we are working hard on the matter and will continue to do so.

Parks Canada

[Dean Del Mastro, Independent, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Trent-Severn Waterway is the largest and most complex of Canada's historic canals committed to and completed by Conservative governments. It boasts the Peterborough lift lock, the largest in the world, the Kirkfield lift lock, the Big Chute Marine Railway, 45 locks in all and more than 32 kilometres of entirely man-made channels. A national historic site, it was constructed as a piece of strategic infrastructure, forever changing the natural landscape of the Trent Valley region. It is not today and has never been a park.

Given that there is a consensus among stakeholders, will the government commit to the creation of a management structure that will properly support its operations and the communities that depend on it?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Peterborough for all his work on the Trent-Severn and all the consultations he has done with his constituents.

As he knows, our government is proud of our support for Canada's national parks. For example, we have taken action and protected an area twice the size of Vancouver Island.

Parks Canada align operating seasons and hours in national parks and national historic sites so it can focus on peak visitation periods. Our national parks will continue to provide Canadians and visitors with the means to connect with our country's natural heritage.

I would like to commit to my colleague across the way that we will continue working with him and other MPs in regard to this.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to have a simple, straightforward answer from the Conservative government to a simple and straightforward question. Which version of events, according to the Prime Minister, are Canadians meant to believe. Was Nigel Wright fired or was Nigel Wright simply allowed to resign? Which is it?

Could the government tell Canadians the straightforward, honest truth for once.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have already answered that. However, since I have a little extra time on my hands, I want to tell the House a little story that my kids love to hear. It is the story of angry Tom and the three chairs. Angry Tom tried the first chair. It was a Liberal chair. He did not like it because it was too corrupt. He tried the Conservative chair, but he knew that they would never accept 17 years without telling the truth about a potential bribe. He tried the last chair, the NDP not accountable, beholding to the big union bosses—

Oral Questions

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

Mr. Speaker, I have made this point of order before. Particularly when the member for Random—Burin—St. George's is speaking, the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs interrupts her constantly. I have trouble even hearing her question.

I know that the Minister of Foreign Affairs believes himself to be very amusing, but it is a violation of our rules to continually interrupt people when they are trying to ask a question.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, when the member in question stands to talk about ethics, I would remind the House that she received a $5,000 watch and did not report it.

2013 Annual Report on Immigration

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to subsection 94(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2013 annual report on immigration.

Global Centre for Pluralism

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Global Centre for Pluralism's annual report for 2012.

Combating Counterfeit Products Act

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-8, An Act to amend the Copyright Act and the Trade-marks Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the special order made previously, I would like to inform the House that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-56 was in the previous session at the time of prorogation.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The Chair is satisfied that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-56 was in the previous session at the time of prorogation of the first session of the 41st Parliament.

Accordingly, pursuant to an order made on Monday, October 21, the bill is deemed read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee.)