Debates of March 1st, 2013

Canada Post

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Minister of State (Transport)]

Mr. Speaker, again, the premise of the member's question is wrong. If the NDP was serious about postal service, it would have supported our government's efforts to bring back postal service to Canadians when there was a postal stoppage, but instead, the NDP buckled and listened to the big union bosses and delayed mail service for all Canadians, not just in Quebec but everywhere. That hurt business, and quite frankly, it hurt Canada Post's long-term financial interests. Canada Post is still trying to deal with that fiasco.

Employment Insurance

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the butchering of the employment insurance program continues to claim victims. A businesswoman in my riding, Stéphanie Leduc, has a company that makes fur and leather clothing. She relies on skilled labour. With the Conservatives' reform, she is concerned that her employees will leave to find work elsewhere.

This reform is getting in the way of economic development in the Laurentians. When will the minister suspend her punitive reform?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, our government is making common sense changes to better connect unemployed Canadians with available jobs in their local areas that match their local skills. This initiative is clarifying, not changing, the responsibilities of individuals who are collecting EI. As I have mentioned many times in this House before, employment insurance will continue to be available to those who need it, who have applied and have paid into the program through their regular qualification periods.

We look forward to ensuring that we better connect Canadians with available jobs so that they are able to have that great job and improve their quality of life.

[Marc-André Morin, NDP, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the EI reform is threatening a number of skilled workers in my riding's seasonal industry. One of them is Ghylslain Jalbert, who has been working at Ski Valet in Tremblant for eight years. Mr. Jalbert's expertise and that of a number of other workers could be lost when the reform pushes them out of the region to look for work.

Tremblant is a world-renowned tourist destination. Why are the Conservatives penalizing the tourism industry in my region? Will the minister reverse these senseless changes?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I too actually represent a riding that has a huge ski population. In fact, we are the second-largest resort in the country. Seasonal workers in my riding and the employers are actually very pleased with these changes. These changes to the employment insurance system will mean that individuals will be able to have jobs in their local area that match their local skills.

As I have mentioned before, for those who are unable to find work, employment insurance will continue to be available for them when they need it.

National Unity

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's defection from the NDP to the Bloc by the member for Jonquière—Alma should give everyone great cause for concern. It has long been a concern that there are many members of the NDP's Quebec caucus who have separatist leanings and connections to the separatist movement. In fact, the NDP leader's plan to repeal the Clarity Act is an effort to keep those MPs in the House. Would the parliamentary secretary please inform this House of our government's position on the NDP leader's plan to repeal the Clarity Act?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

We are against it, Mr. Speaker.

I note that the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, who is normally so mercilessly loud, is mercifully quiet today, as are a lot of members of the NDP. Normally they have rolled their eyes when we have pointed out their separatist donations, their past support for separatist parties, but yesterday, they were once again exposed for their confusing position on national unity.

Canadians do not want a new constitutional crisis. They want us to focus on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity, with a certain plan. That is what we have on this side.

Public Safety

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, time is running out for the 18 Aboriginal police forces whose funding expires at the end of the month.

Yesterday, we were told that a decision would be made soon. However, the minister said that it was up to the Prime Minister and not him to make the decision. Frankly, I cannot understand why this is such a long and complicated process. The safety of communities is at stake. Is this not one of the Conservatives' priorities?

Will the minister or the Prime Minister make a decision?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety have been very clear that a decision will be forthcoming very soon.

If that member and that party are so concerned, as they say they are, with first nations' safety, why are they not supporting real matrimonial property rights for first nations women living on reserve to empower them? Why are they not supporting our legislation that gets tough on crime, that creates mandatory minimum sentences for those who are involved in drug crimes, gang crimes and violent crimes? If they are concerned about the safety of aboriginal people, they need to support those initiatives.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a question of respect for L'Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et du Labrador, which is asking for more than just a vague answer.

First nations policing provides effective outcomes that result in savings for other social services. If these forces do not get funding, it will cost more to replace them. When will the Prime Minister let the chiefs of Quebec and Labrador know whether or not their communities will still have their police services at the end of this month?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, that member knows that policing is primarily a provincial responsibility. The federal government has long invested in first nations policing to help keep communities safe. A funding decision will be made in the near future, but I go back to my original point: if these members believe that the safety of first nations is a priority, they need to support legislation that empowers women, that helps keep them safe from violence and that helps keep all aboriginal people and all Canadians safe from violent crime.

We are getting the job done. We are listening to first nations, and we are responding.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that funding runs out just in a few weeks.

In 2008, the Conservatives promised to move toward reconciliation. Last year, they promised to reset the relationship. Two months ago, they promised to improve things, but we are seeing more cuts: $480 million from the department, including $54 million from infrastructure. The housing crisis is not going away. We still have toxic schools on reserves, and the gap in quality of life between on and off reserve is growing, not narrowing, so how can the Conservatives justify more cuts?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, our government has been delivering results for aboriginal peoples for seven consecutive years. This includes the introduction of four bills currently before Parliament that focus on improving living conditions and economic opportunities for aboriginal peoples. More specifically, these bills respond to calls from first nations for shared priorities on actionable items, such as improved access to safe drinking water, improved protections for aboriginal women and children on reserve, more stable election systems and greater transparency from their elected chiefs and councils. Yet shamefully, the opposition opposed all of these important bills.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are not going to restore the relationship with the first nations by making more cuts, particularly not by cutting $53.8 million from the first nations infrastructure fund. Many communities are experiencing a housing crisis and dealing with substandard housing.

We know that the gap in living standards between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians is growing. So, why is the government continuing to make more cuts?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been getting results for aboriginal people for seven years now.

We introduced four bills, which are currently being examined by Parliament, to improve aboriginal people's living conditions and economic opportunities.

More specifically, these bills respond to the first nations' calls for action in the following areas: improved access to clean drinking water, better protection of aboriginal women and children living on reserves, and more transparency from their chiefs and councils.

However, the opposition voted against these measures.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, well over a quarter-million people living in Canada are waiting for their citizenship. Many of those are waiting for years—four, five or six years, or even greater than that. At the end of the day, the government, year over year, continues to get worse in terms of delivering citizenship. Will the minister commit to working toward a goal of six months for processing citizenship?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, that is a little rich coming from the Liberal Party across the way, which when in government actually decided it would delay and continued to delay citizenship wait times here in our country.

Canadians should be proud that there is such a high demand for Canadian citizenship. After all, who would not want to be a citizen of the greatest country in the world?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, do not let the facts confuse you. The Liberals gave $70 million in the last year to speed up the process.

Every year the list and the processing time continue to get longer. Those are the facts, Mr. Minister. The reality is, these individual residents should be processed in a much fairer and timelier fashion. When will the government speed up the processing time so that citizens of this country can, in fact, get their applications in a more timely fashion?

[The Deputy Speaker]

Again, I would direct the experienced member to address his comments to the Chair and not to the government side.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, only the Liberal Party would say that adding facts to a story would actually make it more confusing.

In 2011 there were 2,204 citizenship ceremonies held. One hundred and eighty-one thousand newcomers became Canadian citizens between 2006 and 2011. Canada averaged close to 200,000 new citizens each and every year. It is an honour to become a Canadian citizen, and we are taking it to another level.

Foreign Affairs

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the 2012 budget included major cuts of about $116 million to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The Conservatives have now decided to slash double that amount. Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs was unable to save his department from these draconian cuts.

His government seems to be bent on reducing Canada's diplomatic capacity. Why?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have a robust foreign service that is looking after Canada's foreign interests. I can assure the member that they will continue receiving the best service from Foreign Affairs Canada.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, despite a recent report saying that the fund is essential for Canada's ability to respond to global crises, the budget for the global peace and security fund is cut completely. Even the Glyn Berry program, named in memory of a diplomat who gave his life for our country, has been axed by the Conservatives.

It is a Canadian value to do our part around the world, so why is the minister cutting programs that get results?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, I would like to remind my colleague on the other side that two weeks ago, I led a delegation to Burma to help the Burmese government build its parliament. That was under this fund that he is talking about being cancelled. Two of his own members came on that.

I can assure the member that the foreign service will continue working and doing its best for Canada.

The Economy

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is focused on what matters most to Canadians: jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity. However, we all recognize that Canada is not immune to the global economic challenges from beyond our borders. As we have said many times, Canada's economy has been and will continue to be impacted by ongoing turbulence from both the U.S. and Europe.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance please update the House on the state of Canada's economy?