Debates of Nov. 18th, 2013

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to address climate change. We have introduced new emissions regulations for vehicles, and we were the first major coal user to ban construction of traditional coal-fired plants.

Thanks to our action, carbon emissions will go down close to 130 megatonnes from what they would have been under the Liberals.

We are accomplishing this without the Liberal and NDP carbon tax, which would raise the price of everything.

The Economy

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the beginning of Global Entrepreneurship Week, hosted by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. It is the biggest celebration of entrepreneurs in the world.

With seven in ten jobs created by small business entrepreneurs in Canada, I ask the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, what is our government doing to create the right business conditions for our big job creators?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for the work she does for the entrepreneurs in her riding. I just want to say that we too believe in entrepreneurs. We believe in their talents.

Our government is working with entrepreneurs all across the country, by returning to balanced budgets by 2015, by lowering taxes to entrepreneurs and families, by keeping our budget clean, and also by freezing the operating budget and cutting red tape.

We are doing that for entrepreneurs because we know it is the entrepreneur who creates wealth and jobs in this country.

Employment

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, once again, Conservatives are acting unilaterally and refusing to work with the provinces. The provinces want a skills training program that works, one that helps Canada's most vulnerable workers, and experts agree.

However, the Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism stubbornly refuses to listen. It is the attitude of the minister and the government that is unacceptable.

When will the minister sit down with the provinces, listen to experts and put Canadians first?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, I already did that. Ten days ago, I met with the provinces and expressed a great deal of personal interest. I was glad to hear from the provincial premiers of a willingness to make a counter-offer as to how we could administer the Canada job grant.

We listened to the experts, who have pointed out that in Canada governments spend more than any other developed country on skills development, but the private sector spends less. The job grant is designed to leverage a stronger, larger, private sector investment in skills development and, here is the key, to provide a guaranteed job at the end of the training.

Intergovernmental Relations

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

Mr. Speaker, in the Champlain Bridge saga, the Minister of Infrastructure refuses to give the Government of Quebec its fair share of the new $4 billion discretionary fund, which would help cover the cost of the LRT that Greater Montreal is looking for.

The minister claims that it is not a discretionary fund since the projects will be selected on merit. However, with no regional distribution or any known criteria, it looks an awful lot like a discretionary fund. Quebec has found a project with merit: the LRT. The minister must commit to giving Quebec its share of the new fund for the Champlain Bridge.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that under the building Canada plan, which expires on March 31, 2014—it is still in effect—a number of provinces made public transit one of their priorities when choosing the investments to make from these envelopes. In Quebec, 9% of the envelope was devoted to public transit, while the other provinces invested up to 70% or more in public transit. The Province of Quebec already knows roughly how much money it will get as part of the transfers to the provinces. It is free to choose to make public transit a priority in the next infrastructure plan.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Maria Mourani, Independent, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Djemai, who is 35, has been ordered removed from Canada this Friday, November 22. She is currently being treated for an aggressive form of breast cancer. Her oncologist has confirmed in writing that she cannot travel. For her treatment in Algeria, Immigration Canada doctors referred her to an allergist—completely irrelevant—who in turn referred her to an oncologist who is not taking any new patients until 2014.

Will the Minister of Public Safety issue a stay of removal until her condition stabilizes and her treatment in Algeria can be confirmed? This is a matter of life and death.

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question. I have had the opportunity to discuss this with her and I will let her know as soon as I receive an update on this case.

As we all know, Canada accepts more than 250,000 immigrants, and those who do not meet the proper requirements must be returned to their country of origin with all of the necessary assurances regarding health and safety.

Foreign Affairs

[Dean Del Mastro, Independent, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, just over a week ago, the leader of the Liberal Party made some comments that I found astonishing. He was asked what governments around the world that he respected, what government, besides Canadian, he most respected. He selected China, and perhaps most surprisingly, did so because of its action on the environment.

I have been right across Canada. I have been to China. Canada is cleaner and greener than China will ever be. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs please comment on whether the Government of China is one that should be his top choice of government?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have served for eight years in this place, and that is the best question I have had from a member outside the government caucus.

Under this government, the air is cleaner here than it is in China. Under this government, we have seen unprecedented land conservation. Under this government, we have a tremendous amount to be proud of: expanding the Great Bear Rainforest; expanding many green areas; and especially, that we do it all under having a democracy. That is a rather extraordinary accomplishment, and we should remind the Liberal leader of that.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

That concludes question period for today.

I would like to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Cal Dallas, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations for the Province of Alberta.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Oral Questions

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, in response to a question from the member for Vancouver Quadra, I called the member a disgrace.

I am told that is unparliamentary, and I withdraw that. I did not appropriately make the distinction between the disgraceful question and the member, so I withdraw that.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I appreciate the withdrawal.

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 38(6), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 33 petitions.

Liaison

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 107(3), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the liaison committee, entitled “Committee Activities and Expenditures - April 1 to June 30, 2013”.

The report highlights the work and the accomplishments of each committee and details the budgets that fund the activities approved by committee members. It is the Liaison Committee's intention to present such reports to the House three times a year.

Justice and Human Rights

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, entitled “C-489, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (restrictions on offenders)”.

Scrutiny of Regulations

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations in relation to section 19 of the Statutory Instruments Act, and I should like to move concurrence at this time.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Does the hon. member have the consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

(Motion agreed to)

Shark Finning

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition in which the petitioners say that measures must be taken to stop the global practice of shark finning to ensure the responsible conservation and management of sharks. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to immediately legislate a ban on the importation of shark fin to Canada.