House of Commons Hansard #211 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was justice.

Topics

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is simply not doing enough to provide education or to shed light on murdered and missing aboriginal women.

If he were doing enough, today would not have marked the 22nd march—

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please.

The hon. member for Churchill.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister were doing enough, today would not have marked the 22nd march for missing and murdered aboriginal women. That is 22 marches and still no action.

Why are families forced to march? How many other women must disappear before this government takes action?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Delta—Richmond East B.C.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that this government is taking concrete action to address the tragic issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women. Also, we support a special committee to look into the public policy issues. We are providing significant resources to law enforcement and victims' services, and we are working with all levels of government to ensure there is a coordinated response.

The murder and abduction of women in this country is completely unacceptable. We will continue to move forward with a vigorous criminal justice agenda to address these issues. We encourage all opposition parties to support all of our efforts.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, the families of the victims, those who have lost a sister, a daughter, a grandmother, have said they want a national public inquiry. That is what they are here on Parliament Hill to tell us.

A Human Rights Watch report this week documented that governments and authorities have failed aboriginal women.

An independent investigation is needed to get these answers. Will the government, the Prime Minister himelf, take the question from the families themselves? Will the government say that enough is enough and call a national public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Delta—Richmond East B.C.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice

Mr. Speaker, our government has been a leader when it comes to working with the provinces and responding to the needs of victims in aboriginal communities.

Provincial and territorial governments acknowledged this when they noted that our government had taken significant action to respond to the 52 recommendations in last year's comprehensive missing women report.

We have also strengthened sentencing for all violent offenders, something that the opposition parties consistently vote against. We provided funding for the Thunderchild First Nation's awareness project and the Treaty 8 awareness campaign. We are getting it done.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

Mr. Speaker, the relationship between aboriginal women and the police is sadly broken. The government cannot pretend it is just business as usual. We cannot tell terrified and traumatized women to go report themselves to the same people who made them victims.

Serious allegations of criminality have been made. Will the Prime Minister appoint a special prosecutor or some other civilian authority with the power and resources to receive and investigate these allegations in ways that ensure the safety of the victims?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, while we have no information regarding these allegations, I have asked the independent Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to look into this matter.

If that member has specific information on these allegations, he should contact the appropriate authorities, including the provincial prosecutors who would be responsible for that type of prosecution.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK

Mr. Speaker, again it is business as usual.

If non-aboriginal women were disappearing at the same rate as aboriginal women in Canada, there would be 20,000 missing or murdered victims. The police solve 84% of all homicides in Canada, but when the victims are aboriginal women and girls, the solution rate drops to just 50%.

Allegations of police misconduct are mounting. To save the victims who can still be saved, will the government appoint a special independent civilian authority to take charge of this situation, because the present authorities do not have the—

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The Hon. Minister of Public Safety.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, I think the member is somewhat unclear about what the process is.

In fact, when there are allegations made against a police force such as the RCMP, there is an independent civilian commission that handles it. It is the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP. I have asked them to look into this.

If that member has any specific information in respect of any particular case, that information should either go to the police or the member should go to his provincial prosecutors.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, if non-aboriginal women went missing at the same rate as aboriginal women in Canada, there would be 20,000 missing or murdered women. The police find the culprit in 84% of murder cases in Canada, but when the victim is aboriginal, this rate drops to 50%.

Serious allegations have been made against the police, but the government still refuses to take action. Why not hold a judicial inquiry immediately?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, I can reply to that question, again with the same answer.

We have no information regarding these allegations, but I have asked the independent Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to look into this matter. That member can approach that independent commission to look at this matter.

If the member has specific information in respect of any specific criminal act, he should go to the appropriate authorities.

Canada Border Services AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Global television network has revealed that the level of co-operation between Canadian border officials and their Chinese counterparts is much higher than we thought.

It seems that the CBSA invites Chinese government representatives to meetings behind closed doors, during which Canada approves requests to deport dissidents who are wanted by the Chinese government.

We are well aware of all the concerns expressed by the international community and Canada with regard to the treatment of dissidents in China. How can the government allow this co-operation?

Canada Border Services AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to removing foreign criminals who have no right to be in Canada, something that the member opposes.

Individuals who are in Canada illegally are removed only after officials have determined that they can be removed without undue risk. Our government has never shied away from raising human rights issues with China, and we will conduct ourselves lawfully in every respect.

Canada Border Services AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Mr. Speaker, why are the Conservatives still being so careless with Canada's international reputation?

There are important reasons why Canadian law requires due process for extradition, not the least of which is the rule of law. The Chinese government's legal system, on the other hand, has been criticized for allowing things like coerced confessions and closed trials.

Canadian officials must respect Canadian laws and not serve at the beck and call of the Chinese regime. When will the minister act to put an end to these special order deportations? When will he ensure the rule of law in Canada?

Canada Border Services AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to removing foreign criminals who have no right to be in Canada. That is something the member voted against. He voted to keep foreign criminals in Canada.

Individuals who are in Canada illegally are removed only after officials have determined that they can be removed without undue risk. Our government has never shied away from raising human rights concerns with the Chinese government. We will continue in that vein.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Conservatives should spend just a little less time trying to please the Chinese government and a little more time working with our U.S. neighbours.

President Obama has issued a challenge—

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order. The hon. member for Halifax.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, President Obama has issued a challenged to elected officials in both the United States and Canada to act quickly to combat climate change.

He knows that economic growth and reducing greenhouse gas emissions go hand in hand.

This raises the question: what will the Conservatives do when our neighbours and economic partners impose penalties on businesses that pollute too much?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Conservative

Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, we look forward to continuing our bilateral work with the United States to create jobs and economic growth in both countries. However, I sense in my colleague's question another attempt to find a hook on which to hang the NDP's proposed carbon tax.

Our government's economic action plan does not include a carbon tax or new schemes to raise revenue on the backs of hard-working Canadians. We have a regulatory plan to meet our Copenhagen reduction targets, and it is working.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, President Obama's challenge was not just to Americans. It was also a call to action on climate change for Canada. Ambassador Jacobson was very clear about that.

While the Conservatives continue to delay their long promised regulations for the oil and gas sector, their failure to act is hurting our most important trading relationship. The minister admitted this week that we “could be doing more” to protect the environment.

Here is his chance. The president has advised Canada to take action to fight climate change. What is the minister going to do?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Conservative

Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, again I would remind my colleague that we have a sector-by-sector regulatory plan.

We first treated and addressed the emissions from the transportation sector, the largest emitting sector in Canada. We then generated regulations for the coal-fired electricity sector. We are now well into, and very close to finalizing, regulations for the oil and gas sector.

As I said, we have a plan. It is working.