Debates of Dec. 6th, 2013

Ethics

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the sworn RCMP statements are very clear.

Thanks to Senator Gerstein, the Prime Minister's Office received inappropriate information about the audit of Mike Duffy.

The evidence clearly shows that Gerstein not only tried to put an end to the audit, but he also offered payment to a sitting senator. The Prime Minister knows that.

When will the Prime Minister finally allow his former employees and Senator Gerstein to testify, under oath, about what they did?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will restate for the hon. member what I said earlier for another question.

Rob Staley, legal representative for the PMO, advised my office, [that's the RCMP] that he had clear orders from the Prime Minister to provide complete cooperation with the investigation, and to provide any assistance or documentation that the RCMP requested. The PMO employees (current and former) whose e-mails I deemed relevant, have all provided privacy waivers though their legal counsel relating to the content of the e-mails.

The PMO has also waived solicitor-client privilege for those e-mails.

That is real leadership.

Status of Women

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government's record on gender equality is pathetic.

The Conservatives closed 12 Status of Women Canada offices. They gutted pay equity legislation. They eliminated funding for organizations advocating for women's interests.

When will the minister start working with the NDP to adequately fund organizations that promote gender equality and those working to end violence against women?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to take decisive action to advance equality for women and girls.

That is why international reports continue to rank Canada as a leader in achieving gender equality. For example, in 2012, a global poll of experts found that Canada was the best place in the G20 to be a woman. The United Nations commissioned the 2013 human development report, which ranked Canada among the top countries on human development and gender equality.

This is one of the best places to a woman or a girl.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' record shows that there is still too much violence against women and that gender equality has not yet been achieved.

Every day, 3,000 Canadian women sleep in shelters to escape violence. Today, some 420 women will be turned away from a shelter because there is not enough space to accommodate them.

Too many women are not getting the help they need.

How long will these women have to wait before the government finally decides to act?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, again, as far as violence against women and girls, our government is committed to preventing all forms of violence against women and girls.

Since 2007, we have invested over $62 million, for over 300 projects, through Status of Women Canada. This is the highest level ever. Ending violence against women is a priority for the government and will continue to be so.

Aboriginal Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, empty words will not shelter women fleeing violence.

A year ago yesterday, the body of a young girl from Gitanmaax First Nation was found in Kamloops. Her name was C J Fowler. She was 16, and her murder is still unsolved. She is one of hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada.

The families and communities of these women deserve answers. They deserve justice. When will the government launch an open public inquiry into the cases of missing and murdered indigenous women?

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on taking action to actually deal with the tragic issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.

For example, we recently passed legislation that gives women living on first nations reserves the same matrimonial rights as all Canadians, including access to emergency protection orders in violent situations. Unfortunately, the opposition parties voted against that legislation and against advancing the rights of first nations women. Shame on them.

The special parliamentary committee is continuing its study, and we look forward to participating in that study.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we all need to stand up and take action to end violence against women, and start with an inquiry. Political will is essential. We mourn. We pray, but we must also act. We need to follow the leadership of women in our communities, who are working day in and day out in our neighbourhoods to make them safer. We all need to recognize that men and boys have an essential role to play in ending violence against women. This is something we have to address.

Will the members opposite stand with us today and pledge action to end violence against women in our time?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, we are reminded on a daily basis that violence and the threat violence remain daily realities for so many women and girls, and that is why our government is firmly committed to preventing all forms of violence against women and girls.

Let me give some examples of some of the actions we have taken. We passed the Safe Streets and Communities Act to improve the safety of all Canadians, particularly the most vulnerable members of society. We increased support for victims of crime. We launched the national action plan to combat human trafficking and provided $24 million over two years for the family violence prevention program to help improve safety on reserves.

Let us all work together so that women and girls can live free of violence.

Multiculturalism

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last night there was a report from the city of Vancouver about a disgraceful act of vandalism conducted at the Komagata Maru monument. The monument to the Komagata Maru commemorates the 376 Punjabi passengers who were aboard the ship by that name, which was turned away 100 years ago next year. This shameful incident of vandalism is very upsetting.

Would the Minister of State (Multiculturalism) please remind the House of the importance of this monument?

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

Mr. Speaker, this was, indeed, a disgraceful act, and we are pleased that the Vancouver police are investigating it further.

The tragic events of the Komagata Maru were a regrettable chapter in Canada's history. That is why we worked with the Khalsa Diwan Society to build this important monument and fund other projects to educate Canadians, and thanks to the member for Brampton—Springdale, Canada Post will issue a commemorative stamp to commemorate it. That is why this Prime Minister was the first to officially apologize for what happened to the passengers of the Komagata Maru on behalf of all Canadians.

National Defence

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, injured soldiers, especially those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, need to have something to look forward to. However, many about to be medically released feel abandoned to an uncertain future. They feel they have been betrayed by a military system after serving their country and risking their lives. The fact is, they need actual solutions, not only counselling and treatment.

When is the government going to listen? We are all concerned about the lives that have been lost, but the real question is, what is the minister going to do to ensure that more lives are not lost?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Chief of the Defence Staff has reached out to our men and women in uniform, urging them to seek the help and support they need, and the government stands with him in supporting those dealing with mental illness. Suicide is a public health issue and we all have a role to play in reaching out to help those who are hurting and encouraging them to get the help they need.

I want to take a moment to remind those who may be going through difficult times that they are not alone, and there is support available to help get them through this. I would ask that the hon. member not alarm those individuals who are thinking of coming forward. Help is available, and we ought to encourage all of them to seek these resources if they need them.

[Tarik Brahmi, NDP, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there were four deaths by suicide on military bases across Canada in just a little over a week. We are talking about people who risked their lives for Canada and are now paying the price.

The minister is telling us not to talk about it. He believes that the necessary supports are already in place, but that is clearly not the case. Our soldiers need clinics to diagnose problems and they need more mental health specialists.

When will the minister finally take action?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, our government has done more than any other before it when it comes to taking care of our ill and injured men and women in uniform. Today, the Canadian Armed Forces have nearly 400 full-time mental health professionals and are working to hire more. We saw that just yesterday at CFB Petawawa.

We have provided mental health care through 29 clinics across Canada, called wounded warrior centres, from Esquimalt right across to Halifax, and support is provided throughout the entire career and deployment cycle of a Canadian Forces member. We have created joint personnel support units to allow our ill and injured members to work with medical and personal social workers, occupational therapists, and others in order to help them return to work.

Rail Transportation

[Isabelle Morin, NDP, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, keeping Canadians safe is one of the government's fundamental responsibilities.

In the report he released a few weeks ago, the Auditor General was very clear: serious problems in our railway safety system were raised long before the Lac-Mégantic tragedy.

The Auditor General noted in particular that inspectors did not have proper training, records were not properly maintained and there was not enough follow-up when problems were identified.

Can the minister tell us when she became aware of the problems raised by the Auditor General?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the health and safety of Canadians is our top priority. We obviously thank the Auditor General for his report and his recommendations. I understand that Transport Canada has accepted all of the recommendations in the report. Not only that, the minister has tasked the standing committee on transport to study the transportation of dangerous goods to ensure that they are moved safely, including the implementation of safety management systems across air, marine, and rail sectors.

We are taking the same approach to that of the world-class tanker safety initiative we developed to focused on prevention, response, and liability.

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to date the safety management systems have led to inspectors inspecting paperwork instead of planes and trains. The reality is that Canada's rail tracks have deteriorated, and the rules were repeatedly broken. Experts on the Transportation Safety Board have repeatedly demanded that the federal government mandate anti-crash systems that automatically slow speeding trains down.

Why are Conservatives ignoring these repeated warnings? Why have they not required the automatic anti-crash systems that safety experts are calling for?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, positive train control, which has been talked about a lot by New Democrats, in fact is not part of the TSB's recommendations, though Transport Canada is monitoring its implementation in the United States.

Transport Canada is currently working with industry to look at possible fail-safe train controls here.

Post-Secondary Education

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I met with Melissa O’Rourke from Mount Allison University and Luke Robertson from St. Thomas. Both are impressive student leaders who know the difficulties post-secondary students face. They described the benefits of the Canada student grants program, and previously, the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. However, the grants program has not been increased since its creation, while tuition and university costs have skyrocketed.

Could the minister tell us what plans he has to finally make up the difference and increase the Canada grants program for students so that the high cost of post-secondary education is not a factor that discourages people from going to university and college?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question. Under our government, we have done more to support young people when it comes to their education or getting the skills they need to get the jobs that are available. It is under our youth employment strategy, and it includes our Canada student loans program. It includes summer jobs, about which we just made recent announcements regarding the application process starting sooner. It also includes our skills link, which helps young people get the needed skills to either go back to school or to get jobs in their area.

Whether it is student loans, whether it is grants, the funds we are providing are targeted, and they are creating more jobs.

Employment Insurance

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance used to call EI a job-killing payroll tax, but according to the PBO, the Conservatives are keeping EI taxes “higher than necessary” in 2015 and 2016.

If the Conservatives kept their promise to set EI taxes at a break-even rate, the EI taxes would fall significantly in 2015. With a sluggish Canadian economy, why are the Conservatives breaking their promise by freezing EI premiums at an artificially high rate until the end of 2016?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we are glad to see that the PBO has confirmed what we already know: our government will balance the budget in 2015.

Unlike the old Liberal government, which raided the EI fund for its own pet projects, we are ensuring that EI premiums are only used for EI payments. Indeed, it is a bit rich to hear the Liberals talk about EI rates, when it was they who supported a 45-day work year that would have seen EI premiums increase by over 35%. Thankfully, members on this side of the House had the common sense to oppose that job-killing proposal.

[Manon Perreault, NDP, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, rather than insulting the unemployed and accusing them of being lazy and abusing the system, the member for Beauce should apologize.

Not too long ago, the member for Beauce was involved in raising money for the food banks in his riding.

Is he aware that some people who use food banks have lost their jobs and are not eligible for EI benefits?