Debates of March 7th, 2013

Citizenship and Immigration

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, we have done no such thing.

We are increasing the number of refugees who settle in Canada and thus strengthening our humanitarian tradition of immigration and refugee protection.

Just yesterday I was in Iraq. We are accepting about 4,000 Iraqi refugees each year. That said, the civil war in Syria has led to the closing of our office in Damascus, and that has affected the processing of these Iraqi refugees. We are working on a solution to this problem over there.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, there is no answer, and the ministry's own figures today belie the facts. The truth is that the minister has been saying one thing and doing another on refugee resettlement. They are nowhere near meeting even the minister's own targets. It is the world's most vulnerable who pay the price for this mismanagement.

One million refugees have fled Syria. Half of them are children. Yet the minister still refuses to meet with the Syrian community. Why is the minister abandoning refugees?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, I have met with dozens of members of the Canadian-Syrian community here. Just yesterday, I met with members of the Syrian community in Baghdad. I can tell the member that we have committed to the largest refugee resettlement program out of Syria in the world, starting four years ago, specifically for Iraqis who had fled sectarian violence, and have welcomed 20,000 over five years.

This country welcomes one out of every ten resettled refugees worldwide, the highest per capita number in the world. We are increasing that number, but it is true that we have had technical problems because of the civil war, which we intend to resolve.

We take lessons from no one. We are leading the world with respect to refugee protection.

Housing

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, HRSDC estimates that over one million households in Canada do not have enough money to cover housing costs, and for women the risks of housing insecurity and homelessness are higher than they are for men. Forty percent of single-parent families headed by women are living in a precarious housing situation.

When will the Conservatives start working with the New Democrats to find a solution to the lack of affordable housing in Canada?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, we believe that every Canadian should have a safe affordable place that they can call home. That is why we have invested so much in providing those accommodations to people.

Annually, we support over 600,000 affordable housing projects, and during the economic action plan we made unprecedented investments in new construction and renovation of affordable housing. Sadly, the NDP opposed every one of those measures.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, over one-third of the women who go to shelters go there repeatedly, and too many women must suffer violence and accept dangerous living conditions to avoid becoming homeless. Why are the Conservatives doing nothing to help more than one million Canadian women—and their families—who do not have access to affordable housing?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, we believe that every Canadian woman and man should have a safe, affordable place they can call home. That is why we have made a large investment, primarily through the economic action plan, to support more than 600,000 affordable housing units.

Unfortunately, the NDP has opposed all our measures to help people in need.

Employment Insurance

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

Mr. Speaker, under the failed economic leadership of the Conservative government, many of my constituents are struggling to find employment. The five additional weeks of employment insurance targeted to areas of high unemployment helped them get on their feet to find a job. The program worked so well, the Conservatives renewed it three times.

However, the Conservatives cancelled the program last September with no warning, no compassion. Today, many are in a desperate situation. They cannot find jobs; they are cut-off from their benefits and they have nowhere to turn.

Will the government renew this critical program?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, employment insurance is there as a financial support for people who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, while they are looking for another job. That funding is there.

The program to which the hon. member refers was a pilot project. It was temporary, and the extension of it was announced as temporary during the economic action plan.

We have expanded our supports to people who are looking for work so we can connect them with the jobs in their area and in their skill ranges. If there are no jobs, EI will continue to be there for them.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the five additional weeks of employment insurance were so good for the regions with high unemployment rates that the Conservatives themselves renewed the program three times.

In just a few days, the people who would have had the additional five weeks are going to have their claims rejected and will have to rely on food banks and provincial social assistance.

Because of the Conservatives' poor decisions, areas like Kent County, New Brunswick, and the Gaspé are going to suffer.

Why are the Conservatives determined to impoverish regions that are already struggling?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, employment insurance is there to support people who have lost their jobs. The extra five week pilot project was introduced as a temporary program in 2008-09. It was just there for the world economic crisis.

Employment insurance will continue to be there to help people find jobs in their own region in their particular field. If there are no jobs, employment insurance will still be there when they need it.

Search and Rescue

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from search and rescue, fire and police chiefs, the mayor, and the B.C. Premier that the closure of the Kitsilano Coast Guard station is reckless. Now we find the assistant commissioner western region was removed from her position for opposing the closure.

This station costs only $900,000 a year to operate and saves countless lives. When will the minister get his facts straight, listen to the needs of British Columbians and reopen the Kitsilano station?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that the member opposite continues to attack the brave men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard and Coast Guard auxiliary.

The fact is that the—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor.

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Fredericton, NB]

The Canadian Coast Guard yesterday rescued two individuals within 17 minutes of receiving the call.

The strength of our response system is in the network of the responders. In this instance, on-water assets were tasked and under way, exceeding international search and rescue response time standards.

The coast guard is doing a fantastic job, and we should be congratulating them.

Agriculture

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, agriculture is one of the key drivers of economic development in many regions, including the Eastern Townships. Less than a month from now, Quebec farmers will begin their work, yet many of them are still waiting to hear that their requests to hire foreign workers have been approved. The Conservatives' amateur ways are threatening the harvest. It is not surprising that farmers are once again feeling betrayed by this government that promised to give power to the regions.

Will the Conservatives ensure that our farms can count on all the foreign workers they need? Those workers are essential to the farm operations.

The government has abandoned the regions. We will put an end to this devastation. We will put an end to—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, the employment insurance system will be there for people who lose their jobs, whether they are full-time or seasonal workers. The system provides financial support while they look for other work. If there is no work available in their area of expertise in their region, employment insurance will continue to be there for them.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Ryan Leef, Conservative, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, no government in Canadian history has done more when it comes to promoting the values and traditions of the Arctic and northern communities than our Conservative government, whether it is our defence of Canada's humane seal hunt, setting responsible whale harvest allocations or our government's efforts to protect the Inuit sustainable management of the polar bear.

A trade ban on polar bears would not improve conservation, but it would cause undue hardship for the Inuit living in Canada's north.

Can the great Minister for the Arctic Council please update Canadians on our continued efforts in this regard?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Yukon for his hard work in promoting the Arctic.

Our government is proud to stand up and defend the Inuit way of life and Canada's north on the world stage.

That is why we have defended the humane seal hunt and called out hypocritical people, like the UN Special Rapporteur, who says he is concerned about food security but opposes the ability of northerners and Inuit to make a living by harvesting and selling the seal products.

That is why we are defending the ability of Inuit hunters to responsibly hunt polar bears in Canada's Arctic.

Canada Revenue Agency

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

Mr. Speaker, earlier we asked the Minister of National Revenue why the government is making it harder for low income seniors at tax time. She replied, quoting, “the snowbirds”.

We are talking about low income seniors. Most seniors in Cape Breton are low income. They do not have condos in Florida. Her department is fining low income seniors who do not have a computer.

How can the minister be so out of touch? Why are the Conservatives attacking low income seniors at tax time?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to this government, about 830,000 Canadian seniors no longer pay taxes.

For those who cannot use a computer and file online, they can call a 1-800 number and have a tax form mailed to them. It does not cost them anything to file a tax form.

Last year, there was a lot of waste. About 80 millions sheets of paper ended up in the garbage. That is not the best use of our resources.

Foreign Affairs

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have a plan to start buying and selling properties in London. They claim it is to save money, but now we learn that DFAIT cannot guarantee we would even save a nickel.

What we are seeing here is a plan by the government to actually sell off one of Canada's real estate jewels, and at the same time spend $108 million to buy a new High Commission.

My simple question to the minister: Will he abandon his reckless plan to play around in the London real estate market?