Debates of March 20th, 2013

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for St. Paul's.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Buonanotte Restaurant

[Peter Goldring, Independent, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on April Fool's Day, pasta lovers will gather at Massimo Lecas' restaurant, Buonanotte in Montreal, lampooning Quebec's separatist government and its linguistic cleansing comedy of errors.

Sponsored by the Special Committee for Canadian Unity and putbacktheflag.com, this evening of comedy will be held at the Italian restaurant where Quebec's language police ordered the removal of the word “pasta” from the menu. Imagine, no pasta on an Italian restaurant menu. Throughout the world, from Australia to England to, of course, Italy, they regaled at this farce and the silliness of the separatists. Welcome to pastagate.

Join us on the evening of April 1 in Montreal for even more comedic fun as we support the needy, support Canadian unity, support the Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms, support linguistic fairness and indulge in our love of pasta.

Erast Huculak

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to recognize the passing of Mr. Erast Huculak, a distinguished Etobicoke entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Born in Ukraine in 1930, Mr. Huculak witnessed the ravages of the Holodomor and World War II as a boy. He immigrated to Canada as a displaced person in 1948 with his family. Erast Huculak had a visionary entrepreneurial spirit as a business owner, founding and becoming president of Medical Pharmacies Group, serving long-term care facilities in Canada.

Mr. Huculak was dedicated to giving back to Canada and supporting the Ukrainian Canadian community. When Ukraine won her independence, he donated a building in Ottawa for the first Ukrainian embassy in Canada. He founded the Children of Chernobyl Canadian Fund and served as president of the Canadian Friends of Rukh for Canada.

For his humanitarian activities and advancement of Ukrainian studies, Mr. Huculak was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Alberta and the Ukrainian Free University in Munich. He was recognized with many honours, including the Order of Canada, the Taras Shevchenko medal and the Ukraine president's medal of merit.

Erast Huculak's life shall be celebrated for strengthening the cultural, social and economic fabric of Ukrainian Canadians in Canada.

Retiring Journalist

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a veteran of Canadian journalism, Roger Smith.

Roger's 35 years of work was always solid, fair and worldly. Whether he was covering the Olympics in Barcelona, the protests at Tiananmen Square or the many elections in Canada, he carried himself with good humour and humility. His main passion though was always his family, his wife Denise and children Jade and Kai.

However, that is not the full story. We have learned through leaks from CTV's Ottawa bureau that, first, Roger's colleagues believe he had the best BS detector on the Hill. Second, no matter how busy, Roger would sneak out of the office for a 45-minute workout; his colleagues loved that. Third, on his last day of work, he left a note for the CTV team that said, “Work space for rent. I am gone, but hopefully never forgotten”.

Roger will never be forgotten.

Tanker Safety

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has launched a comprehensive plan to develop a world-class tanker safety system in Canada and in particular, off the west coast.

We are implementing eight tanker safety measures immediately. These include increasing tanker inspections, aerial surveillance and Canadian Coast Guard systems. We are creating a tanker safety expert panel to review current systems and propose new and stronger ones.

As we continue working on increasing trade, we are also working to protect Canada's environment. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be working closely with aboriginal communities. This is good news for Canada's energy export sector. This is good news for Alberta's energy.

We will be ready to fill the orders that come from around the world for our energy products. There are close to 400,000 jobs in our oil sands that contribute an average of $22 billion a year to government revenues. Over the next 25 years there will be over 700,000 jobs and $3.3 trillion that will be contributed to Canada's gross domestic product.

International Co-operation

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today Chancellor George Osborne announced that the United Kingdom would be the first G8 country to hit the international target of committing 0.7% of GDP to overseas development aid. This is a proud moment for the British government, which kept its promise to meet the United Nations goal, despite internal opposition and very tough economic times.

The UN target to commit 0.7% of GDP to international aid was a pledge put forward by Canada's very own Lester Pearson and is a very integral part of our reaching our millennium development goals. However, the Conservative government is far from the goal, with our percentage falling closer to 0.2% after drastic cuts in last year's omnibus budget.

Looking to tomorrow's budget, we hope that the government will be reinvesting funds for life-saving development aid and join the United Kingdom as a leader on the world stage in our long-lasting commitment to the world's poorest of poor.

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medals

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to mark the end of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, I awarded medals to 30 outstanding Canadians from Windsor-Essex: Mike Beale, Martin Breshamer, Dr. Jim Brophy, Dr. Margaret Keith, Judy Brown, Reverend John Burkhart, Evelyn Burns, Joe Colasanti, Janice Congram, Penny Craig, Bob Croft, Carl Davison, Dr. Nick Krayacich, Jack Morris, Lyle Morris, Charlie Pinsonneault, Marjorie Reive, Sandy Repko, Rennie and Anne Rota, Donna Roubos, Robert Sinclair, Marwan Taqtaq, Bill Varga, Glenda Willemsma and internationally renowned expert Dr. Jack Newman.

As well, I awarded the medal to four distinguished Canadian blacks: Constable Mike Akpata; Ms. Elise Harding-Davis; LaSalle's first black mayor, Gary Baxter; and Amherstburg's first black mayor, Wayne Hurst.

Our Queen's legacy is one of service to all. In like spirit, each worthy recipient continues to make Canada the greatest country in the world.

International Week of La Francophonie

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Semaine internationale de la Francophonie is an opportunity to remember that Canada has a noticeable francophone identity from coast to coast to coast.

In my riding, from Smooth Rock Falls to Hearst, and in Dubreuilville, the majority of the population is French-speaking, and the local culture reflects their identity.

This government's decisions disregard the identity of francophones, as if they were not important at all. From the appointment of a unilingual Auditor General to budget cuts that are forcing French-speaking public servants to work in English, it is now clear that the Conservatives are not complying with the Official Languages Act.

For public servants, working in French is a right guaranteed under part V of the act. This right is claimed not only by francophones in Quebec, but by all francophones across the country. Canada is made up of a vast number of communities where the francophone culture is quite present, even from Espanola to Manitouwadge.

Diversity makes us stronger, but with it come obligations that stem from rights we must respect. Let us celebrate our language and culture with pride. Happy Semaine de la Francophonie to all.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP leader's statement in Washington that the Keystone XL pipeline would mean a 40,000-person job loss for Canadians is ridiculous and false.

This pipeline is a key instrument to ensuring strong Canada-U.S. relations, future economic growth and jobs on both sides of the border. In Canada alone, the Keystone and other pipeline projects will mean at least 905,000 new jobs by 2035. It also means $1.3 trillion of economic output and $281 billion in tax revenue. That is a lot of schools, a lot of hospitals and a lot of roads in Canada.

Not only does the NDP want to discourage one of the biggest economic projects in Canada's history, it also wants to replace it with a $21 billion job-killing carbon tax that would cost thousands of Canadian jobs. Truly, the NDP is not fit to govern.

Tibet

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the world watched over the past couple of weeks as the National People's Congress in China met for the ceremonial formalities of installing its new president, premier, cabinet and leaders of its government. To give credit where it is due, new Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of the earnest expectations of the people for a better life in his remarks to the National People's Congress last Sunday.

I would like to note that the world is now watching how President Jinping's government lives by those words and lives up to those expectations with regard to the situation in Tibet, which has become increasingly violent and desperate under the current Chinese crackdown.

Given this urgency, we sincerely encourage President Jinping to meet with the leaders of the Tibetan government in exile to discuss the Dalai Lama's middle way approach for peace, human rights, stability and a reasonable coexistence between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

International Day of La Francophonie

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on this International Day of La Francophonie, allow me to share with you these lyrical musings. From France the ships made their way.
We braved the St. Lawrence,
Our canoes slicing the rapids,
Across the Great Lakes, day by day.
The way was hard and long.
But we tamed the land,
And planted deep roots.
Now with villages and churches, we're 9 million strong.
People said we wouldn't succeed,
The ocean would swallow us whole.
But in a new land, we did flourish,
Our new lives we did lead.
We are francophone. We are proud.
Hear our many accents, our eloquence.
Faced with injustice, we cannot be silenced.
Our voice is strong and loud.
We are francophiles—proud, joyous and bold,
Freedom flows through our veins.
We champion human rights 'round the world,
Helping the hungry, helpless and cold.
Francophones everywhere hope to see
A better world, pluralist and united.
The language of Molière, strong and free,
Is what unites La Francophonie.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, the NDP leader travelled to Washington D.C. to attack Canadian jobs and Canada's national interests. While he was down there, he made it a priority to sit down for dinner at a posh downtown hotel to take up the cause of a man convicted of shooting a front-line Chicago police officer, not once, not twice, but three times. That heinous and violent attack left police officer Terrence Knox paralyzed until his recent death.

On this side of the House, we make it a priority to put the safety of Canadians first. The NDP's policy is to go south to recruit foreign criminals to come to Canada. Let me be clear. On this side of the House, our Conservative government will not permit foreign criminals who have no right to be in Canada to come to our country.

Putting forward policies like this is precisely the reason the NDP cannot be trusted by Canadians.

Employment Insurance Reform

[Marie-Claude Morin, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week in my riding, I went to a meeting attended by employers affected by the botched reform of our EI system. I say “our system” because that fund does not belong to the government, but rather to the workers and employers.

Seasonal businesses are facing an unprecedented situation. Many will lose a significant number of skilled employees with specific expertise. Why will they lose these people? Because the minister is forcing them to take work that is 100 km away from their homes for 70% of their salaries.

This reform is impoverishing Canadians, especially women working in atypical or part-time jobs, because many jobs in these sectors are worked by women. Many studies have shown that poverty among women is a real problem. This reform is also threatening seasonal industries and stripping our regions of their vitality, even though the regions are essential to the healthy development of our country.

I urge the minister to do her homework, cancel the reform and talk to people on the ground.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud that under the leadership of the Prime Minister and our Conservative government, Canada has fared the global recession better than almost any country in the world. They are equally aware that while Canada's economy is growing, it is still vulnerable to risks outside of our border. That is why so many Canadians are outraged by the inexcusable position of the NDP leader, who travelled to Washington to attack Canadian interests and Canadian jobs.

The NDP leader was so proud of his attack on Canada that he did not even mention it until it was leaked from a private meeting. This is just the latest in a long list of attacks on Canadian interests from the NDP and the NDP leader. Worse, the NDP leader is scheming to have a $21 billion job-killing carbon tax that would raise the price of everything and kill jobs and economic growth.

On this side of the House, our Conservative government will defend the interests of Canadians from the attacks of that NDP leader.

Best Buddies-Vrais Copains

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

Mr. Speaker, Best Buddies-Vrais Copains is an international organization that has been operating in Canada since 1993 by establishing one-to-one matches between students and people with intellectual disabilities. Some 6,000 participants can be found in 250 Best Buddies chapters in schools, colleges and universities throughout Canada.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of honouring the University of Ottawa Best Buddies chapter.

This chapter has been extremely successful for the past 11 years. With 160 participants, it is one of Canada's largest and most active Best Buddies chapters. Katie Day, the chapter co-president, was very proud of her volunteers and their achievements.

What touched me the most was the warmth, good humour and joy that was so evident in every participant at the meeting. Best Buddies proves that friendship is one of the best ways to combat social isolation.

My heartfelt congratulations go to the University of Ottawa Best Buddies chapter and to other such chapters throughout Canada.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the NDP leader is willing to disregard science when it does not conform to his left-wing political agenda. The NDP leader has rejected the science behind the Keystone pipeline and has instead taken to the world stage to argue against the project and argue against Canadian jobs—a Keystone Cop if there ever was one.

The NDP leader's position is directly at odds with the recent U.S. State Department's report, which concluded that the environmental impact of the Keystone pipeline would be negligible.

The NDP leader also staunchly opposes the Northern Gateway pipeline, despite the fact that the National Energy Board has not yet reported its findings, nor has it rendered a recommendation on this project. Interestingly, while the NDP leader rejects sound science and works hard to kill Canadian jobs, his Saskatchewan NDP counterpart, realizing the economic benefits, supports the Keystone project, because it is supported by sound science.

On this side of the House, we stand behind the Keystone XL science and we stand with the thousands of Canadians who will benefit from this pro-Canadian job project.

Minister of Finance

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since 2006, the Minister of Finance has made a career out of increasing Canadian and household debt. In the last five years, he has increased the federal debt by $125 billion, leaving the largest deficit in Canadian history, but it gets worse. Yesterday we learned that the minister directed his staff to secretly call individual private banks about mortgage rates. Rather than trying to balance the books on the back of a napkin, they refuse to create clear rules for the financial sector and to protect Canadian consumers. Now even the finance minister's own cabinet colleague is disavowing his reckless interference in the free market.

While Conservatives interfere with private banks, New Democrats will proudly stand by our track record. The NDP is the best party to effectively balance the budget, and we will prepare ourselves for 2015, when we can clean up the mess left by this finance minister.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been a week since the NDP leader travelled to the United States and attacked Canadian jobs, attacked Canada's national interests and took up the cause of a convicted cop shooter, but that has not stopped the ongoing criticisms of the NDP leader's antics last week.

A week later, a Globe and Mail editorial commented that the NDP leader has “himself in knots” and called out the NDP leader for the “self-inflicted wounds” on the Keystone XL pipeline. The Ottawa Citizen went further and said that the NDP leader “once again demonstrated he is not prime ministerial material”. The National Post writes that “abroad, our elected leaders ought to be Canadians first”.

While the NDP leader goes abroad to attack Canadian jobs, on this side of the House we stand with the tens of thousands of Canadians who would benefit from the Keystone XL pipeline. Canadians can count on us to fight for their jobs and to fight for their interests.

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Peter Penashue broke the law. If our law and order Prime Minister considers Peter Penashue, a known lawbreaker, to be the best Conservative MP, what does that say about the rest of his caucus?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, I disagree with that categorization. I am sad, but not surprised, to hear that kind of negative campaign from the—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in Labrador, minister Penashue will be able to point to a record of respecting his promises, working against the federal long-gun registry and for such things as the Trans-Labrador Highway, the Lower Churchill project, and obviously, for the strong record he has presented to the people of Labrador.

Financial Institutions

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I received a telephone call from Salomon Rouimy in Laval. He is paying 29.9% interest on his credit card—29.9%.

The Minister of Finance has done nothing to stop banks from gouging consumers like Salomon with exorbitant interest rates on credit cards.

How can the Prime Minister justify allowing his finance department to tell banks to impose higher mortgage rates on Canadian families?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that mortgage rates are at an all-time low in this country under this government. At the same time, we want to ensure that mortgages remain affordable and stable, that the market remains affordable and stable for Canadian families well into the future.