Debates of March 20th, 2013

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, the relevant information that is provided in a budget will be the fact that Canadian businesses have created over 950,000 net new jobs since the end of the recession. Those are real numbers. Those are numbers that help Canadian families. In fact, the average Canadian family of four now has 3,100 more of its own dollars left in its pockets because of our tax reductions. We will continue on this low tax plan and we encourage the opposition members to actually read it before they decide to vote against it.

Search and Rescue

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us continue with the Conservatives' poor budget decisions.

Closing the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre is one of their worst budget decisions. The Conservatives are incapable of making improvements to our operational search and rescue capacities. They refuse to maintain the same response times 24 hours a day. That is pathetic. What is worse, search and rescue capacities in Labrador deteriorated when Peter Penashue was an MP.

Do the Conservatives understand that they are playing with people's lives and that this is an unacceptable budget decision?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, we have every confidence that the changes in Quebec City will have no negative impact on our ability to respond to distress incidents on the water quickly, effectively and in both official languages. Quebec is served by 19 Coast Guard vessels, including seven search and rescue lifeboats, two hovercraft and six helicopters. We are ensuring that the Coast Guard has the tools to do its job.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this shows that the Conservatives have played a shell game with search and rescue resources, especially in Labrador. Up until the tragic death of Burton Winters in 2012, DND was claiming there were three helicopters stationed at CFB Goose Bay, when in fact there were only two. After the Burton Winters tragedy, its cover was blown. Then DND claimed that the helicopters had no dedicated stand-by role in search and rescue. Labradorians are smarter than the government gives them credit for. Why are the Conservatives threatening to punish Labradorians if they reject Peter Penashue?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as is so often the case, the member is factually incorrect. While Mr. Penashue was the minister, search and rescue capacity increased at CFB Goose Bay. As is so often the case, we have seen from the member and his party that when we have made historic investments in the Canadian Armed Forces, when we have increased their equipment, their infrastructure, the programs for members, their families, their ill and injured, the member and his party continually oppose those investments.

Ethics

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the 2011 Conservative campaign in Labrador readily admits it cheated. It tried to bury illegal corporate donations and $18,000 in free flights, but when Peter Penashue resigned, Conservatives had already purchased full-page ads and booked the website. All this was done while he was still a minister. Once the investigation is said and done, Mr. Penashue may be subject to a five-year ban on running for a federal office. Why are the Conservatives putting this candidate forward knowing full well that he may not in fact be eligible to take a seat in the House of Commons?

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

Mr. Speaker, the reason the NDP members do not want Mr. Penashue to have the right to advertise in this campaign is because the NDP do not want Labradorians to know of his many achievements on their behalf. One of these is the cleanup and build-up of CFB Goose Bay: rebuilding the runway, improving the infrastructure, decontaminating the site around the area, increasing search and rescue, all of which generated economic opportunity. Peter Penashue delivered for Goose Bay. The NDP could only ever deliver a goose egg.

[Ryan Cleary, NDP, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Mr. Speaker, Peter Penashue has done everything he can to get a leg-up for his re-election campaign, even if it means cheating, even if it means breaking the rules. He used his ministerial office to make spending announcements. He gave himself an unfair advantage. He started campaigning before he even resigned. He is using the power of incumbency, which he only has because he cheated last time.

Labradorians can see through Conservative talking points. How can they trust anything Conservatives say when Conservatives are willing to say anything to give Peter Penashue an unfair advantage?

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

Mr. Speaker, the NDP reminds Newfoundlanders and Labradorians every day of how it is completely out of touch with their values, in particular on the seal hunt. The seal hunt is an ancient tradition and a way of life, not only for aboriginals but for people of European descent right across remote communities in this country. The NDP stands opposed to that tradition. Thank goodness we have proud Canadians like Peter Penashue who are standing up for the rural and remote community way of life by scrapping the long gun registry and protecting the seal hunt.

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

Mr. Speaker, one of the values of Labradorians and Newfoundlanders is they respect the rule of law—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

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

Yesterday, we had a former Conservative MP who said that the Prime Minister is “scared of losing the seat to a more...honest person...someone [he] can't control”. What an extraordinary insight. No wonder the Conservatives do not want Elections Canada to finish its investigation of Mr. Penashue, who was forced to resign over $45,000 in illegal donations. There were 28 illegal cheques, of which six came from Pennecon, so who gave the other 22 illegal donations? Why will Conservatives not tell the Canadian people?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that he has finally admitted that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians follow the law, because he now wants to treat them like criminals simply for carrying out their traditional way of life, which includes hunting and responsible long gun ownership.

That is a member who broke his word to his constituents and sold out to his big city bosses when he came to Ottawa, instead of standing behind the people of Timmins. Thank goodness the people of Labrador have had a strong voice in Peter Penashue, a voice that we believe will continue to speak loudly on their behalf.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, in anybody's mind, writing cheques for nearly $50,000 is a clear admission that Conservatives broke just about every law in the book during the Labrador campaign and that they knew they broke them.

With that said, the Prime Minister also knows that sanctions with serious consequences remain inevitable against Mr. Penashue and his party. With absolutely nothing left to lose under those circumstances, a by-election is about to be called to try to dull some of that reality.

Does the Prime Minister really feel that holding a by-election could ever trump the rule of law in Canada and that the process of justice might actually be able to be turned off for a by-election?

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

Mr. Speaker, there those members go, launching a nasty, negative campaign full of slurs.

Never did a slur create a job. Never did a slur protect a traditional aboriginal way of life for which Peter Penashue has fought. Never did a slur help a school child in a remote community have access to the world through high-speed Internet, the way Peter Penashue delivered. Never did a slur protect CFB Goose Bay.

Slurs do not do that, but Peter Penashue did.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. There is still far too much noise during some of these questions and responses. I will ask once again for some order.

The hon. member for Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, what is a slur to democracy is when someone writes 28 cheques to try to undo what happened during an election campaign to steal an election away from the people of Labrador.

What people in Labrador do not want is someone from Ottawa, those in the big land, telling those who have a real sense of dignity and independence that they will be told who their MP is. That is what the Conservative Party is doing right now. Quite frankly, if the Conservatives want to get on with this, we will see them on election day.

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

Mr. Speaker, the member is complaining about the writing of cheques. That is, of course, because the Liberal Party only deals in cash, and to the tune of $40 million.

As for the decision that Labradorians will have to make, they know Peter Penashue has delivered for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.

The members in the Liberal Party have opposed the projects that have delivered that prosperity. They should know that if they are not going to support the people who are getting the job done, at least they could get out of the way.

Search and Rescue

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

Mr. Speaker, as Peter Penashue awaits sentencing for accepting illegal donations and overspending in the last election, over 10,000 people who signed the Burton Winters petition calling for full-time and fully operational search and rescue in Labrador remember Mr. Penashue failed to deliver.

Following his tragic death, Burton Winters was brought up 27 times by opposition MPs in the House of Commons. How can Mr. Penashue say he represented the people of Labrador when he failed to stand up even one time in the face of such tragedy?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that the loss of young Burton Winters was a tragedy. That expression of condolence was expressed numerous times in the House of Commons.

I know Mr. Penashue felt that grief in the community, in Newfoundland and Labrador, as I know the member does. What is distasteful now is to try to use that in some kind of a political forum in the face of that horrible loss for the family, for the community. Let us not sink to that level when it comes to the politics of this place.

Correctional Service Canada

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Ashley Smith's death too was a tragedy, but a preventable tragedy if only the proper policies and resources had been in place.

A warden responsible for Ashley Smith is now back at work. Her return underscores that Ashley's death was the result of systemic problems under the minister, not just the acts of individuals.

The correctional investigator has twice warned that another tragedy like this could happen unless urgent changes are made. What will it take for the minister to finally take responsibility and fix this broken system?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated before, this is a very sad case and our thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Smith's family.

The government directed Correctional Service Canada to fully co-operate with the coroner's inquest. With respect to the specific hiring, as the member knows, hiring decisions by Correctional Service Canada are made independently of politicians.

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

Mr. Speaker, Ashley Smith lost her life for throwing an apple.

If the minister truly took Ashley Smith's tragic death seriously, he would follow through on the correctional investigator's recommendations. The investigator raised a number of red flags about detainees who have mental disorders and who self-harm.

The Conservatives have not taken action. The latest statistics are frightening. Under the Conservatives, the number of incidents of self-harm have nearly tripled.

What resources will they allocate to address this problem? What is their plan to avoid further tragedies?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad case and our thoughts and prayers go out to Ms. Smith's family.

Our government directed Correctional Service Canada to fully co-operate with the coroner's inquest. I am certain that the coroner will come back with a fulsome report. Hiring decisions by Correctional Service Canada are made independently of politicians.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when Syrian Canadians asked the government to help them reunite with family members who are living in terror in Syria, the Minister of Immigration flatly refused to meet with them.

He also told them that Turkey is not allowing Syrian refugees to leave the country. However, the Turkish ambassador refuted this false statement.

Now that the minister can no longer hide behind bogus excuses, can he tell us how he intends to foster family reunification for Syrian Canadians?