Debates of Feb. 4th, 2013

Veterans

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with these kinds of cuts, the Conservatives are demonstrating that they are the ones who are soft on crime.

Today the veterans ombudsman released his third report on procedural fairness. He concluded that the application process is unfair for veterans. One of the department's primary responsibilities is to issue pensions and benefits to our veterans who served their country well.

It appears that the Conservatives have forgotten our veterans in their speeches and slogans on economic prosperity. Why do they continue to ignore these problems and why are our veterans the ones who are suffering because of the Conservatives' mismanagement?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question.

Yes, the ombudsman did release a report today, a report that I welcome, because our government cares about serving veterans and providing them with the programs and services they are entitled to and deserve.

I would remind my hon. colleague that nearly 70% of veterans' applications are approved at the first stage.

Furthermore, today I intend to announce additional measures to make our process even more efficient to better serve our veterans.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is a troubling pattern of the Conservatives ignoring due process when it comes to the care of our veterans. Today the ombudsman's report provides the latest example of unfair treatment of veterans seeking disability benefits.

Could the minister explain why veterans, and serving members of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP are kept in the dark about what information is used when deciding a claim? These men and women are the heroes of our country. When will the Conservatives start treating veterans fairly?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, when the member is given the opportunity to stand up for veterans in the House, I invite her to do so.

We welcome the ombudsman's report. It is a report that we take very seriously because we care for our veterans. They must be provided with the services and programs to which they are entitled and fully deserve. At this very moment, 70% of veterans' first applications are approved by our department. I intend to bring in more measures to streamline our processes to better serve veterans.

Justice

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians remain concerned about crime. Ever since we were first elected, our government has made restoring the confidence of Canadians in our justice system a priority. This government has introduced and passed over 30 measures aimed at keeping our streets and communities safe. While significant progress has been made, there is still much work to be done.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice please provide an update to the House on the government's justice agenda for 2013?

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, every year we have been in government we have delivered on our promise to put victims' rights ahead of the rights of offenders. It will be no different in 2013.

The government intends to bring forward legislation to further toughen sentencing of child predators. The fact is that too many children are being victimized in Canada and we will take action. We will also introduce a victims' bill of rights and address issues related to victims' restitution. Finally, we will introduce measures to make our justice system more efficient, particularly in the areas of bail and extradition.

We will continue to build on our government's record while restoring faith in the justice system for the benefit of all Canadians.

Ethics

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if Canadians needed yet another argument as to why the Senate should be abolished, Senator Mike Duffy just gave them one.

When asked to provide proof of residence in Prince Edward Island, the province that he is supposed to represent in the Senate, he was forced to make a panicked call to the provincial health minister urgently asking for a health card. Now that is what you call deep roots in Prince Edward Island. He no longer even lives there, and yet he has the audacity to claim it as his second place of residence.

The farce that is the Senate, and the money that it wastes, has gone on long enough.

Is the Prime Minister going to continue to endorse such behaviour?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is expected that all parliamentarians have a place of residence in both the region that they represent and the national capital region. The Senate is reviewing these rules in order to ensure that they are appropriate and respected.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Mike Duffy is being investigated for dinging the taxpayer for $30,000 a year on a dubious claim that he needs his residence in Ottawa because he is a senator from Prince Edward Island. However, he has been registered in Kanata for years and has been around Ottawa forever.

Once the investigation started, he was scrambling to get himself a P.E.I. health card to cover his tracks.

Nobody believes that the Senate will investigate its cronies. The government put him there. What promises will it make that he will pay the money back to the taxpayer when found guilty?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, all parliamentarians are traditionally expected to maintain a residence in their home region as well as in the national capital region.

The Senate is doing a review of its rules to ensure that they are correct and are being followed properly.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of lack of accountability, the Conflict of Interest Commissioner ruled that the Minister of Finance broke the law when he wrote letters to the CRTC. This is because he breached section 9 of the Conflict of Interest Act, which lays out the behaviour for cabinet ministers.

Conservative MPs from Wetaskiwin, Leeds—Grenville and Northumberland—Quinte West also wrote letters to the CRTC, but they did not break the law because they, like me, are not covered under the code that covers cabinet ministers.

I know they are tired of being in cabinet and might want to have a change, but why do they not just fess up and admit that the minister broke the law? Are there going to be consequences--

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. government House leader.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the president and executive vice-president of AVR Radio made donations to the New Democratic Party. After that, one of the NDP heritage critics wrote a letter supportive of the AVR application to the CRTC, and so did the NDP aboriginal affairs critic. In fact, even the NDP ethics critic wrote a letter in support of the AVR Radio application.

The NDP ethics critic stands there throwing stones and his glass house lies shattered in ruins around him.

Democratic Reform

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Senate reform, the last time the Conservatives brought Bill C-7 for debate was a year ago. Never mind that they have let essentially the same bill languish for seven years.

I would remind them also that it is they who control the calendar, not us. But if they cannot handle the responsibility of government, we would be very happy to take over.

Why did it take seven years for the government to finally check with the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of its legislation?

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the new Quebec lieutenant for the NDP for that question.

Actually, the New Democratic Party members are in a little bit of a contradiction. They cannot blame the Senate for having unelected senators when they refuse to pass legislation to allow senators to be elected.

We made the reference to the Supreme Court of Canada to accelerate the pace of Senate reform and to broaden the process for Senate reform.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada risks a future of jobs without people and people without jobs.

Aboriginal people are the youngest and fastest growing segment of our population. Yet only one in three students living on reserve graduates high school. Their students are funded 30% to 50% less than those in provincial schools.

Why does the minister think this gap is acceptable, and will he commit to lifting the funding gap on aboriginal education in the next budget?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, we are taking action to ensure that first nations students have access to a quality education just like every other student in Canada. Under our government, we have seen a steady increase in graduation rates for first nations. We have built over 30 new schools and renovated over 200 more.

We are in intensive consultation for the development of a first nations education act, which will lead to a stronger system for first nations students across the country.

Co-operatives

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week, in its response to the report by the Special Committee on Co-operatives, the government acknowledged that the capitalization of co-operatives was problematic. Two weeks earlier, the government announced $400 million in venture capital for Canada's small and medium sized enterprises.

Since the government did not see fit to extend the one and only program for the capitalization of co-operatives, which terminates next month, is it fair to expect that a portion of the $400 million announced two weeks ago will be earmarked for co-operatives so that they can grow and create employment?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)]

Mr. Speaker, the government is very proud to support the creation and expansion of co-operatives in Canada. We are doing this through multiple investments, such as facilitating the co-operative investment fund. This project is capitalized by the Government of Canada, as well as the Government of Quebec and other co-op stakeholders.

I can point out that as we put forward such things as $400 million in venture capital, the opposition votes against this type of funding. It should get onboard with the government and help us improve the economy through such things as co-operatives.

Natural Resources

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Georges Bank is one of the world's most productive nursery areas for marine life. It is essential to the survival of the north Atlantic fishing industry and so it has been protected by a widely supported oil and gas moratorium since the 1990s.

In 2010, the current government announced that it would work with the Province of Nova Scotia to extend that moratorium. That moratorium has now expired.

My question for the government is, will it still support, and is it still supporting, extending the moratorium on Georges Bank?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, our government, in conjunction with Nova Scotia, instituted a public moratorium on Georges Bank until 2015. We are going to continue to discuss the future of this important area with Nova Scotia.

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, if there is no debate over the extension of this moratorium, then we are left wondering why it is not on the federal government's agenda.

Georges Bank is the bedrock of the commercial fishery in the north Atlantic. The Nova Scotia government has passed legislation to extend the moratorium. The U.S. government has extended the moratorium past 2017.

Why does the government not explain to us when it will bring this legislation forward to ensure that it is protecting this important resource for Canadians?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, the government has a strong record of being able to work with other jurisdictions, including the provinces and Nova Scotia.

As I just told the member opposite, we will continue to discuss the future of this important area with Nova Scotia.

The Economy

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as Canada emerges from the global economic recession as the leader of the developed world, the praise from our neighbours keeps on coming.

Today, a Chicago Tribune editorial applauded Canada's economic leadership, calling us “a rising star among nations”, observing that our economy is “on a roll”. The Americans are telling us what we have known for a while, that our banks are stable, our housing market is solid and our spending is in check.

Would the Minister of State for Finance tell the House how Canada has stayed at the head of the economic pack?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, the Chicago Tribune is right. Canada is indeed among the world's most prosperous countries, thanks to our economic action plan. That plan has actually helped Canada create over 900,000 net new jobs since the end of the recession. That is why the IMF and the OECD are predicting that we will have among the strongest growth in all of the G7 countries.

However, we need to keep focused on this. The economy is fragile. The last thing we need is a $21-billion NDP carbon tax.