House of Commons Hansard #271 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was civilization.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, they should be dealing with their own scandals instead of concerning themselves with someone else's.

The Navigable Waters Protection Act—

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please. The hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Navigable Waters Protection Act used to be held up as a model of environmental protection. Any project that could restrict Canadians' right to navigate their country's lakes and rivers had to undergo an environmental assessment, as required by the act. The Conservatives did away with that protection and, instead of acknowledging their error and reversing their decision, they decided to attack the NDP, simply because we want to restore that protection, which is crucial for the environment.

Why are the Conservatives not listening to the thousands of Canadians who have signed our petition and are calling for this protection to be restored?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should read the Navigable Waters Protection Act. She would know that it was never an environmental protection law. There are environmental laws that protect the environment and the habitats of fish and other organisms, but the Navigable Waters Protection Act is not one of those laws.

It was a law about navigation. It was a law that needed to be updated, and we did that.

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-François Fortin Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Mr. Speaker, no one is buying the arguments used by the government to justify the decision to unilaterally impose a new job training program. In a letter sent just last Thursday, Quebec's minister of employment and social solidarity again pointed out to her federal counterpart that there is a consensus in Quebec on the issue.

Employees, employers and trainers, who are members of Quebec's labour market partners commission, all agree that Quebec must retain control over training and are asking for the agreements to be renewed with the existing terms and conditions.

Will the government finally respect Quebec's approach to labour training and renew the agreements as they stand?

Intergovernmental RelationsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Simcoe—Grey Ontario

Conservative

Kellie Leitch ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, we want to work with the provinces in order to ensure that the training flows from the government to employers and available workers. There are too many vacant jobs in Canada because employers cannot find workers with the right skills.

We are focused on creating jobs for Canadians and on providing them with the training they need to acquire those jobs. I encourage the opposition to get on board.

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Maria Mourani Bloc Ahuntsic, QC

Mr. Speaker, the situation in Syria is catastrophic. While the fiercest battles have raged in recent months, the Canadian government has even recognized the use of chemical warfare against the Syrian people. Without any help from the government, I identified 17 Canadian children who are caught up in this hell and cannot leave Syria without their immediate family—father, mother, sister or brother—who do not have Canadian citizenship. I have been forwarding this information to the minister for the past week, but he has done nothing about it.

I gave him this information again today. What does he plan to do? We are talking about the lives of 17 Canadian children.

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Calgary Southeast Alberta

Conservative

Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Citizenship

Mr. Speaker, as I have explained to the hon. member, my office receives several thousand claims a month. I personally receive over 100 immigration files a week. I am sorry, but I am not a fast-food joint, and I cannot give answers to such complex cases in just a few hours.

That being said, I am happy to say that we have nearly completed processing all of the family reunification applications for people in Syria who were already in our system.

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

That concludes question period for today.

The hon. member for Hull—Aylmer is rising.

Statements by MembersPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

NDP

Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, in my statement earlier today, I talked about Sylvain Desrochers' retirement.

I would like to add that Daniel Cardinal will also be retiring at the end of this session.

On behalf of all of my colleagues, I would like to wish him a very happy retirement and congratulate him on the commitment he has shown over the years.

Happy retirement, Daniel.

Statements by MembersPoints of OrderOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Of course, on behalf of the Deputy Speaker and the Assistant Deputy Speakers, I too would like to pay tribute to our page supervisors, Daniel and Sylvain.

It has been a pleasure working with them in my time in the Chair, and I am sure previous speakers would say the same thing; they were very ably and professionally served by two members of the team who had a real sense of dedication to this institution.

Daniel and Sylvain, we wish you both a happy retirement. Congratulations.

Public AccountsCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in relation to its study of chapter 6, “Transfer Payments to the Aerospace Sector—Industry Canada”, of the 2012 fall report of the Auditor General of Canada.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of the Commons, the committee requests the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

FinanceCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings

June 17th, 2013 / 3:05 p.m.

Conservative

James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Finance on Bill S-17, An Act to implement conventions, protocols, agreements and a supplementary convention, concluded between Canada and Namibia, Serbia, Poland, Hong Kong, Luxembourg and Switzerland, for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment

Mr. Speaker, if you would just allow me, this bill was done in a very quick period. I would like to thank all three political parties in that committee, all members of that committee, for coming together in a very quick period. I would also like to thank all committee staff, especially our clerk, Christine, for all her efforts in putting this together very quickly.

Constitution Compliance Review ActRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-537, an act to ensure legislative compliance with the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the constitution compliance review act, legislation that would require, for the first time, constitutional examination of all bills introduced in Parliament, the tabling of a report of constitutional compliance and an independent non-partisan review and compliance mechanism.

It is imperative that parliamentarians be informed of the constitutionality of bills, given our obligation to uphold the Constitution and to oversee the public purse. This bill would thus seek to improve transparency in the parliamentary process by ensuring that all parliamentarians are given an independent analysis of the constitutionality of all bills, regardless of whether they are introduced by the government or opposition, in the House or in the Senate.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Navigable Waters Protection ActRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Jasbir Sandhu NDP Surrey North, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-538, An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Bear Creek).

Mr. Speaker, the importance of protecting our natural resources is something I value. I feel the need for it every time I take a moment to stop and appreciate all the beauty my community of Surrey has to offer. That is why I applaud the initiative of the member for Halifax to ensure the protection of lakes and rivers across our great country. It is in this spirit of protection that I am proud to introduce this private member's bill to ensure the protection of Bear Creek, a special and very important creek located in Surrey.

Bear Creek is both meaningful and valuable to the people of Surrey, and it is vital that we protect it. The creek is unique, because it provides spawning and rearing habitat for five species of salmon and trout as well as a variety of wildlife.

If people visit the stream in mid-November, they may be fortunate enough to see spawning salmon returning from their long journey from the Pacific Ocean. In one season over 900 spawning chum salmon have been observed at Bear Creek.

I believe that protecting the environment is important to the people of Canada, as demonstrated in my riding of Surrey North. It is my pleasure to introduce this bill and to work hard to keep Bear Creek a protected creek.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Promotion of Local Foods ActRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-539, An Act to promote local foods.

Mr. Speaker, this is the first bill I am introducing in the House. It is about promoting local foods.

This bill will raise awareness of the work that producers in our regions do and improve access to high-quality, fresh products. It will reduce transportation and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill recommends developing a pan-Canadian local foods strategy. It directs the minister of agriculture to meet with his or her provincial counterparts to develop a definition of what constitutes a local food, to create a forum for sharing best practices, to consult with producers and distributors and to raise awareness of the strategy.

The bill also suggests a local foods procurement policy for federal institutions. The federal government would set an example and enable all of our producers to sell their products to federal institutions.

I hope that all members of the House will be able to vote in favour of this bill to recognize the work of our local producers. They make a tremendous contribution to regional economies and Canada's economy as a whole.

I would like to thank everyone who participated in consultations over the past year. I would especially like to thank my assistant, Isabelle Bourassa.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Criminal CodeRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Robert Chisholm NDP Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-540, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (non-consensual making or distributing of intimate images).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise and table this very important piece of legislation today. I thank my colleague, the member for New Westminster—Coquitlam, for agreeing to second the bill.

In the constituency I represent, the tragic death a short time ago of Rehtaeh Parsons led to people across the country, and not just across the country, mourning her death and the circumstances around her death. At the same time, people began to urgently ask what they could do to make sure this type of situation or incident was not allowed to happen again.

People in Nova Scotia, Ontario, British Columbia, municipalities, school boards and provinces throughout the country have been working towards developing strategies to make sure this type of event does not happen again.

A cyberbullying task force in Nova Scotia has been working away at developing protocols and standards of contact for identifying who needs to accept responsibility, whether it be in schools, health care or justice.

One thing identified as a gap was the responsibility of the federal government. It is a matter of making sure that the Criminal Code of Canada is brought up to current times to reflect the circumstances of what is happening on the Internet. That is what this bill is intended to do. It is to recognize that there is a gap and that we need to take action to make sure there are consequences for this type of behaviour.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Genetically Modified AlfalfaPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present eight petitions that call upon Parliament to impose a moratorium on the release of genetically modified alfalfa in order to allow a proper review of the impact on farmers in Canada.

AsbestosPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by tens of thousands of Canadians who call upon the House of Commons and Parliament assembled to take note that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer that the world has ever known. More Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial and occupational causes combined.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to ban asbestos in all of its forms, institute a testing and removal program for property owners and stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam convention.

Emerald Ash BorerPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition on behalf of my constituents from the town of Hampstead calling upon the government to increase co-operation with and provide financial compensation to Canadian municipalities in order to combat and prevent the devastating economic and environmental effects of the emerald ash borer. The ash borer has proved to be highly destructive. Since its arrival, it has killed millions of ash trees with its significant impact on both the local and national economy and ecology.

I share the concerns of my constituents who understand the ruination that has resulted elsewhere to both urban and major wooded regions of the country and continent. Complete destruction of the affected resources typically results within six years of infestation, making the need for action in this regard of particular urgency to both my constituents and the region.

As such, the petitioners call for both financial compensation from an increased coordination with the federal government to combat this threat.

Emerald Ash BorerPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please. I see quite a number of members rising who wish to introduce petitions so I will ask members to be very brief in their explanation of the petitions they present.

The hon. member for Kootenay—Columbia.

Canada PostPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Conservative

David Wilks Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by a number of citizens from my riding.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to instruct Canada Post to halt its plan to downsize and downgrade public post offices and consult with the public and others to improve the Canada Postal Service Charter by developing a better process for making changes to the retail and delivery network.

Humanitarian AidPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

NDP

Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition signed by 681 people who are calling on Canada to keep its promise to give 0.7% of its GDP in humanitarian aid. The people who signed the petition come from across Quebec.

Public SafetyPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, today I present three petitions regarding steps to end violence. The Somali Canadian community left a war-torn community to come to our peaceful country only to have many of their children die at the hand of violence. Almost 50 young Somali Canadian males have been killed in Ontario and Alberta since 2006. In 2012, 6 of 33 Toronto shooting homicides befell Somali Canadian men.

The petitioners call upon the government to investigate these deaths through the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, develop federal-provincial job programs, particularly with the RCMP, and examine witness protection.