House of Commons Hansard #249 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was anaphylaxis.

Topics

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

[Members sang the national anthem]

“MP for a Day” CompetitionStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Bloc

André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to welcome Fabien Lavallée-Imhof to Parliament Hill today. He is the winner of the seventh “MP for a Day” competition, which I organize with Jean-François Léonard, a political science and geography teacher at the CEGEP in Victoriaville.

This non-partisan competition helps young people learn about the realities of life as a parliamentarian, while demystifying what a politician does and familiarizing them with how our democracy works.

Fabien will have an opportunity to meet with ministers, senators and members from all parties. He will see us in action, on and off camera. I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience.

I would also like to congratulate Virginie Parent and Paola Gonzales, who finished second and third in the competition, and to thank the partners who enabled us to give scholarships to the winners: the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste du Centre-du-Québec, the Équipe Sévégny-Baril, the UPA Centre-du-Québec and the Association générale des étudiants et étudiantes du cégep de Victoriaville.

Upper Ottawa ValleyStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Mr. Speaker, real jobs for real people based on real economic policy.

Under the careful economic leadership of our Conservative government, the Upper Ottawa Valley has a new name: Innovation Valley North. Companies and people like E.T.M. Industries in Renfrew, J.P. Leclerc, Jeff Campbell, John Robertson, Don Bishop at Bishop Water Technologies, Glen MacGillivray at Glenergy in Petawawa, Jason Lee at ITAXIA, Graeme Cross at Plaintree Systems, Bob Walker and his team at the new Chalk River Laboratories, Barry Mason at Mobility Lab, Michele Lair at Allen-Vanguard, Lianne Ing at Bubble Technology, Matt Fisher at Pacific Safety Products, Mike Poirier at Nu-Tech, Stéphane Lévesque at SRB Technologies, Jamie Church at Sandvik, David Watson at Hypernetics and John Wilbur at Arnprior Aerospace.

These companies are well positioned to take advantage of our science and technology innovation agenda.

World Red Cross and Red Crescent DayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

NDP

Pierre Jacob NDP Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Mr. Speaker, this is World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, a day that emphasizes the mutual understanding among communities around the world and the humanitarian causes served by these renowned organizations.

Today, let us think of the millions of people around the world suffering the effects of war and malnutrition and the disastrous impact of climate change.

Without the support of these organizations, many of them would not have shelter, food or health care. Quite often, the Red Cross and Red Crescent are the only organizations allowed to bring aid into disaster areas.

I ask this House to join me in congratulating the millions of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers who make admirable efforts to help communities in need. Let us also commemorate this day to raise awareness of their cause.

Mother's DayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Joe Daniel Conservative Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Speaker, every year in May we celebrate Mother's Day. We are reminded of the important role mothers play in our lives. We celebrate and praise our mothers with gifts of appreciation and generally make a big fuss over them.

The second Sunday in May is Mother's Day and Mother's Day is now celebrated in 13 countries around the world, including Canada. I am reminded of one of my constituents in Don Valley East. When he heard I was visiting my mother, Chinnamma Daniel, living in Windsor, he rushed off and brought me some flowers. When I asked why, he said it was his way of celebrating Mother's Day. His mother died giving birth to him.

I extend Mother's Day wishes to all mothers in my riding of Don Valley East and acknowledge my appreciation for what they have contributed in all our lives. I urge all members to take time out of their busy schedules to celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday.

Memorial UniversityStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Laura Francis from Rose Blanche-Harbour le Cou in the riding of Random—Burin—St. George's.

As a fifth year Bachelor of Commerce student at Memorial University's Faculty of Business Administration, Laura, along with her classmate, Krystal Hobbs, competed in Canada's next top advertising executive competition run by McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. There were 141 entries from 30 schools. Congratulations to Laura and Krystal on placing in the top 10, the first students from Memorial University to do so.

After completing the three phases required in the competition, including a 30-minute presentation in front of a panel of 22 judges composed of industry executives, both were awarded internships with General Motors. Laura credits much of their success to the business program at Memorial University and said, “To me, this is really the best prize I could have won. ...to be chosen for an internship is simply incredible. ...I can't wait to get started.”

I ask all members to join me in congratulating Laura Francis and Krystal Hobbs on this significant achievement.

Social FinanceStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Eve Adams Conservative Mississauga—Brampton South, ON

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government understands the priorities of Canadians. Our priorities are our families, the safety of our streets and communities, pride in being a citizen of our great nation and our personal financial security.

We are taking steps to enable communities to tackle local challenges, such as homelessness, unemployment and poverty. We are harnessing private sector capital and business practices to better respond to social challenges through social finance. Social finance is about mobilizing capital to achieve social goals, allowing investors to finance projects that benefit Canadians while introducing private sector best practices.

Already the Boys and Girls Club, the Maytree foundation and the YMCA are developing social finance concepts. Our government will work with the non-profit and private sectors to develop investment-ready ideas into great social finance pilot projects for our communities.

Hunger Awareness WeekStatements By Members

May 8th, 2013 / 2:10 p.m.

NDP

Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON

Mr. Speaker, this Hunger Awareness Week, parliamentarians of all parties are fasting in solidarity with the dedicated volunteers of Canada's food banks in support of our unfortunate citizens upon whom recent economic troubles have visited their most severe hardships.

There is no more precise measure for these difficulties than the persistent growth in demand for food bank services. Proof of the sheer magnitude of our economic challenge nationwide, demand at food banks has increased by a third since 2008. This escalating need is genuinely pan-Canadian. Explosive demand has been as pronounced in the booming west as in Ontario, Quebec, the remote North and Atlantic Canada.

If surging use of food banks reveals the extent of our difficulties, the amazing nationwide response to their appeals reflects the depth of the Canadian character. I am certain all hon. members will join me in saluting Canada's food banks, in supporting their local work in the year ahead and in redoubling our fight for a Canada of shared prosperity that renders their noble work unnecessary.

Bentley GeneralsStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Wetaskiwin, AB

Mr. Speaker,

I stand in this House, feeling just a bit cocky,
To pay homage to the Bentley Generals of hockey.
A group of great men armed with sticks and a puck,
Playing to win the famed Allan Cup.
They went undefeated in round robin play,
Earned a bye to the semis, which they played that Friday.
'Twas a close semi-final against the Kenora Thistles,
But it was the Generals still standing after all of the whistles.
The tournament finals were the very next day,
No rest for our boys as they geared up to play.
The Caribous from Clarenville would be their rival,
All were anxious to see who would win in the final.
The stands were jam-packed on that Saturday night,
Generals fans were a'cheering with all of their might.
The Generals, too, did not disappoint,
Allowing no goals and scoring three points.
The buzzer rang and chaos ensued,
Our proud boys from Bentley at centre ice stood.
Alberta has never seen champs times two,
The first team to repeat and undefeated to boot.
We are so very proud of our little town team,
Representing so well in 2013.
Amid all the cheering, applause and foot stamps,
The Bentley Generals, again, are Allan Cup champs.

Citizenship and ImmigrationStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC

Mr. Speaker, the action plan for faster family reunification has been a resounding success. Thanks to our government, there was a 15% increase in family class immigration last year, as we admitted almost 65,000 new permanent residents. This includes a 60% increase in the number of parents and grandparents admitted to Canada, the highest level in 20 years.

By increasing admissions, we have dramatically reduced wait times so that parents and grandparents no longer have to wait a long time to be reunited with their loved ones. By the end of this year, the parents and grandparents backlog will have been reduced by 50%, with wait times cut in half. Since 2006, Canada has welcomed the highest sustained levels of immigration in Canadian history, proving that our government is also the party for new Canadians.

World Ovarian Cancer DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, today we are marking the first World Ovarian Cancer Day. More than 27 organizations dedicated to fighting ovarian cancer in 18 countries are joining forces to raise women's awareness of this cancer. Ovarian Cancer Canada is one of those organizations.

Symptoms are varied, vague and easily missed. Since there is no reliable screening test to detect the disease, knowing the signs and symptoms remains the best way to save lives. Over 2,600 Canadian women are diagnosed every year, and unfortunately 1,700 women succumb to this disease.

I invite all women to take the time to read up on the symptoms of ovarian cancer. For now, that is the best method we have to beat this disease.

Leader of the Liberal Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Wai Young Conservative Vancouver South, BC

Mr. Speaker, our government has introduced Bill S-2 to protect first nations women and children, but yesterday, the Liberals attempted to remove this important legislation from the Status of Women committee.

Perhaps the Liberal leader does not want women MPs from this committee to have their say on this bill. We know that he shamefully whipped the members of his caucus to vote against these protections for first nations women and children.

Unlike the Liberal leader, we believe that first nations women and children deserve the same protections as all other Canadians. Unlike the Liberal leader, we are not afraid to say that violence against women and children is exactly what it is: barbaric.

Unlike the Liberal leader, we are not in over our heads. The duly elected female members of the Status of Women committee are more than capable of handling this bill, and our Conservative government is proud to stand up for the protection of first nations women, children and all Canadians.

Constable Alain DaguerreStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to Constable Alain Daguerre, who served with the House of Commons security services with distinction for the past 12 years.

The House of Commons security guards work diligently and faithfully to protect those of us who work in Parliament. Our guards do exceptional work keeping us and those who visit Parliament safe. Working long hours, they serve all Canadians with compassion and true pride.

Constable Alain Daguerre, who tragically lost his fight with cancer at the young age of 37, was a kind and devoted man and was always there for friends and colleagues.

On behalf of everyone in the House of Commons, our hearts go out to Constable Daguerre's friends and family, especially his wife, Vicky, and their children, Sébastien and Nadia. We offer them our sincere condolences.

Constable Alain DaguerreStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Lemieux ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I too rise to inform the House of the passing of Constable Alain Daguerre of the House of Commons security services. He died on Monday of this week, at the age of just 37, after battling liver cancer.

Constable Daguerre was well known to many of us here on Parliament Hill, where he served for over 10 years.

I knew Alain and had the honour of representing him as his member of Parliament. I would like to thank him for protecting all of us here on a daily basis, and I would also like to thank his family for supporting him in his work. He provided a great service to his country, and he was a great family man.

On behalf of all Canadians, on behalf of us as parliamentarians and of his many colleagues here on the Hill, our thoughts and prayers go to Constable Daguerre's wife, Vicky, as well as his children, Nadia and Sébastien. Their husband and father will be missed.

Naturopathic Medicine WeekStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, ask any health professional, and they will tell you that the best way to sustain a healthy life is by integrating prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Today I am proud to acknowledge Canada's naturopathic doctors and join them in celebrating Naturopathic Medicine Week from May 6-12.

Every day, thousands of Canadians depend on the services of naturopathic doctors. As primary health care practitioners, they use a blend of conventional, traditional and natural medicine to deliver an individualized and collaborative approach to health care.

Throughout this week, naturopathic physicians will be stepping out of their clinics and spending time in their communities teaching others about the value of naturopathic medicine. In my home province of British Columbia, we are also celebrating the 90th anniversary of naturopathic medicine as a licensed health profession in our province.

On behalf of my Liberal caucus, I thank these dedicated doctors for all they do to support the health needs of all Canadians.

Leader of the Liberal Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Ray Boughen Conservative Palliser, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader has demonstrated time and time again that he is out of touch with Canadians from across the country. In a CTV interview, the Liberal leader said that Quebeckers are better than other Canadians, simply because they are Quebeckers. At another time, he said he thinks Canada is worse off because we have a Prime Minister from western Canada. Last week, when the Liberal leader went to Alberta, he tried to claim that our government was not doing enough to support the Keystone XL pipeline.

While he believes he is better than westerners, it did not stop him from trying to pander for their support while he was there. Unfortunately for him, he could not be more wrong. Our government has strongly supported Keystone and Canadian jobs.

While the Liberal leader has adopted the traditional Liberal arrogance by saying that “This country...belongs to us”, he should realize that western Canada and western Canadians are not going to fall for cheap politicking from a politician who is just in over his head.

Public FinancesStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, the tens of thousands of dollars that Senators Brazeau and Harb have to repay are just the tip of the iceberg. The tab for Conservative senators covers not just fraud and other yet to be disclosed items, but also millions of dollars that have been wasted on maintaining an institution that is both outdated and pointless.

There was a time when the Prime Minister condemned the Senate and called it “a dumping ground for the favoured cronies of the Prime Minister”.

Today, the Senate has become a dumping ground for his friends and fraudsters. He has stuffed the Senate with his bagmen and organizers of election tricks.

Canadians deserve better. They deserve better than a government that has lost track of $3 million and is sitting on $29 million in uncollected taxes while it cuts services. On top of that, the government is spending taxpayers' money so that politicians who cannot get elected can live the good life in the Senate.

Canadians deserve a party that is serious about managing public money. In 2015, they deserve the NDP.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Goguen Conservative Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the leader of the NDP has been trying to temper his blatant commitment to a $20-billion carbon tax. The leader of the NDP is angry that Canadians are learning about the reckless tax-and-spend agenda of his party. Is he boiling mad that Canadians have no interest in his $20-billion carbon tax on everything from food to plane tickets to chuckles from the opposition?

The problem is that the leader of the NDP cannot back away from his tax-and-spend agenda, nor his carbon tax, no matter how angry he gets. Canadians will not be bullied by the NDP into supporting its reckless carbon tax. Canadians want the strong, stable leadership of our government. We will not back down from the leader of the NDP, and we will continue to stand up for hard-working taxpayers, who have no interest in the $20-billion carbon tax.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has said that losing track of $3.1 billion in taxpayer money is just an “internal” matter. The Prime Minister has said it is a “categorization” error. The question is this: Is the money just in the wrong filing cabinet? Is it hidden in the minister's gazebo, or is the money in the banana stand?

This program has become such a mess that according to the Auditor General, the Treasury Board has simply stopped tracking public safety spending altogether and will not even have a new system in place until 2014. Is this how the Prime Minister deals with losing over $3 billion of taxpayer money—just stop accounting for it altogether?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General said there is no money missing or lost. There are no red flags. The fact of the matter is this is a question of a form of reporting. The Auditor General has made some recommendations on how to do that better in the future. The Treasury Board has accepted those recommendations and will be moving forward on that basis.

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

There are blue flags all over the field, Mr. Speaker.

If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, will he support the NDP motion calling for the release of all documents related to this spending? Will he support us or not?

If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, as he claims, will he support our motion to give Canadians all the documents about the missing $3.1 billion?

Government ExpendituresOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General, as I just said, said no such thing. In fact, he said something completely different.

He has made recommendations, and the government is following up on those recommendations.

LabourOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, over the last two years, the Conservatives have attacked collective bargaining rights: back-to-work legislation, bad faith bargaining, burying unions in red tape. Now the Conservatives want to give the Treasury Board the power to cut the salaries of non-union employees at crown corporations as well.

The Bank of Canada is one of those crown corporations. Does the Prime Minister really trust his friend from the Muskokas to tell the Governor of the Bank of Canada how much he can pay his staff?

LabourOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the government remains the underwriter, the backstop, for all financial transactions of all crown corporations on behalf of the taxpayers of Canada. This government, unlike the NDP, takes that responsibility very seriously.

We have some crown corporations that have very serious financial problems going forward. We will ensure that the measures they take adequately reflect the needs of Canadian taxpayers and respect the rights of Canadian taxpayers.

LabourOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives take it so seriously they have lost track of $3.1 billion.

Interference in Bank of Canada negotiations is just as unacceptable as interference in negotiations at CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada Post and VIA Rail. This increased control presents a real risk of interference. We must protect these corporations' independence. Over 130,000 Canadians have called on the Prime Minister to stop going after crown corporations.

Will the Prime Minister listen or will he continue to interfere in the business of independent crown corporations such as the Bank of Canada?