House of Commons Hansard #203 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was service.
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Speaker, last week, the CFIA declared 240,000 salmon infected with the ISA virus fit for human consumption. Other countries say they will not import these fish and supermarkets do not want them on their shelves.
CFIA has gone from destroying infected fish and discrediting scientists on the issue to now allowing these fish to be sold to Canadians.
Why is the government confusing Canadians and undermining public confidence in food safety?
Gerry Ritz ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, if the member is wondering who is confusing Canadians, he should look in the mirror. These fish are on the marketplace because they are safe. These are internationally based, science-based protocols that we are following. That is what CFIA does: it makes sure that the food on the counters is safe for Canadians' consumption.
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, a Quebec Superior Court Justice just ordered Air Canada to do what the NDP has been calling for since the announcement of the closure of Aveos: that the company respect the Air Canada Public Participation Act. The Conservatives have refused to enforce the act, they have twiddled their thumbs, and now, they are getting rapped over the knuckles.
Now that the courts are requiring that maintenance services be kept in Montreal, Winnipeg and Mississauga, will the Minister of Transport finally take his responsibilities seriously?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I am familiar with the decision. I will take it under advisement.
John Weston Conservative West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, our government has a rigorous system in place to ensure that petroleum is transported securely along our coasts. Tankers have been moving safely in and out of our ports for decades.
Economic action plan 2012 announced an additional $35.7 million over two years to further strengthen the tanker regulatory regime and oil spill emergency preparedness. Can the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities update the House on how we are taking action today to deliver on this commitment?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, our government continues to take strong action to enhance the safety of Canada's waterways and to support responsible resource development.
Today I am pleased to announce that we have launched a request for proposal to conduct a national risk assessment for marine spills, which will help us make our marine safety system even stronger. This is in addition to the actions already taken to enhance marine transportation, including a requirement for double-hulled tankers and mandatory pilotage of vessels.
Charmaine Borg NDP Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, last week, we learned that hackers accessed 250,000 Twitter accounts. Canadians who are victims of such hacking do not have the same protection as citizens of other countries.
Because of the Conservatives, Canada is one of the few countries that still does not have legislation to protect against data breaches. Yet, the Conservatives are forever delaying the establishment and review of legislation that would protect Canadians.
Are they going to stop dragging their feet and commit to the establishment of mandatory reporting?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, our government takes very seriously the fact of consumer protection and consumer privacy. We are working very hard to improve this area in the file. We would like the opposition to get on board and help us do exactly that.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise for the first time in question period an issue that is of some concern nationally to the Prime Minister, which is the strange case of Dr. Porter.
Can it be explained how Arthur Porter ended up with top secret security clearance, as chair of the Security and Intelligence Review Committee, and as a member of Privy Council? Were normal background checks suspended? Importantly, is he still a member of Privy Council?
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, Arthur Porter submitted his resignation from his position as chair of the Security and Intelligence Review Committee. We accepted this resignation. The allegations Mr. Porter is facing do not have anything to do with his former responsibilities.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, let us look at the official transcript for Friday, February 1, 2013—the Hansard, volume 146, no. 202, 1st session of the 41st Parliament.
That day, one of my colleagues said in the House:
...Service Canada staff are there to help claimants, not hunt them down like criminals.
This is what the Minister of Human Resources responded:
Mr. Speaker, with respect to the employment insurance program, it is very important to note that, once again, the NDP is supporting the bad guys.
Today, the minister misled the House by saying that she did not say that claimants were “bad guys”. So, I am asking her to tell the House the truth and to repeat what she said on Friday when she referred to workers as “bad guys”.
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the context in which this was said.
The NDP was complaining that Service Canada was cracking down on people who abuse the employment insurance system.
Let us face it, the NDP members at the time were talking about Service Canada going after people who were abusing the system. These were people who were cheating the system out of $530 million a year. It was in that context, and it was those people I referred to as “bad guys”. Those are the only people. All the other claimants, who are law-abiding Canadians, we respect. We are doing everything we can to make sure they get the EI to which they are entitled.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I think what we have here is a question as to an interpretation of what was said or how it was said. It is not for the Chair to rule on. I do not see how this is a point of order.
The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, I understand what you are saying. I understand that the hon. member will never admit how she feels about workers.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation concerning its visit to Chile and Costa Rica from October 6 to October 13, 2012.
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, thank you for recognizing me.
Further to the tabling of the ombudsman's report entitled “Veterans' Right to Know Reasons for Decisions: A Matter of Procedural Fairness”, today, I would like to table, in both official languages, the Department of Veterans Affairs' right to fairness implementation plan.
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 37th, 38th, and 39th reports of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. They are in relation to the reports of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commissions for the provinces of Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
Fin Donnelly NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions. One, the petitioners call on the House to ban the importation of shark fin to Canada.
The continuing practice of shark-finning, which is the practice of removing the fins and discarding the remainder of the shark in the sea, is having a devastating effect on shark species around the world. Measures must be taken to stop the global practice of shark-finning and to ensure the responsible conservation management of sharks.
These petitioners call on the House to institute a ban on the importation of shark fins.
Fin Donnelly NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, I also rise to submit another petition.
It calls on the Minister of Natural Resources, the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of Transport to address the declining water levels in Lakes Huron and Michigan. It states that water levels in Lake Huron have dropped four to five feet since 1999. They call on—
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. I am going to ask the hon. member to very quickly wrap up. I notice quite a lot of members rising, and we only have about 14 more minutes.
Fin Donnelly NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, the final petition urges the Canadian government to call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON
Mr. Speaker, I stand to present a petition from residents of my riding of Guelph who wish to draw attention to the northern gateway pipeline. Given the substantial environmental risk associated with the pipeline, the petitioners request that the Government of Canada assume a neutral position and remove its unqualified support for the development of the pipeline, which would allow for a full, fair and impartial assessment of the pipeline by the National Energy Board and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency so that a proper evidence-based decision can be made at the appropriate time.
Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present on behalf of the people of Hull—Aylmer regarding the protection of Gatineau Park.
Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to present another petition on climate change, this time on the impacts of climate change on food. In the past few years, weather extremes caused jumps in food prices. This past summer, the multi-million dollar lobster industry was impacted, as were farmers across many regions of Canada, by drought.
The petitioners call on the government to acknowledge the urgency of climate change and the magnitude of the challenges remaining, recognize that a sector-by-sector approach will be too slow, and develop real-world solutions for farmers and vulnerable families.
Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC
Mr. Speaker, the petition that I am tabling today pertains to cycling safety, particularly with regard to the installation of side guards on large trucks in order to prevent cyclists from being seriously injured or even killed.