Debates of Jan. 31st, 2014

Veterans

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, they are insulting veterans and spying on Canadians. What a great week for the Conservatives.

Is it not pathetic to see the Minister of Veterans Affairs rise in the House to say that veterans' discontent is a vast union conspiracy? It is just as ridiculous as his claim that no cuts are being made to his department. Really? Why then do the financial documents from his department show the opposite?

If the Conservatives are not making any cuts, then why are they closing eight service centres before the end of the day today?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government has a strong record when it comes to providing services and benefits to our veterans, our men and women in uniform, and we will continue to do. However, the opposition, especially the NDP, tries to pander to the unions and are more than willing to speak their talking points.

I would like to point out the fact that every single initiative that we have introduced to help our veterans, the NDP has voted against almost every single one of them.

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is funny that the member does not seem willing to contradict the minister and refuses to say whether or not cuts are being made to this department.

Let us look at the Department of Veterans Affairs' most recent report on plans and priorities. On page 13 of the report, it states in black and white that the department is making cuts of $105 million in 2014-15 and $132 million in 2015-16.

Did the minister read his own department's report on plans and priorities? Will he continue to claim that no cuts are being made in his department?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me repeat for the member, maybe in slow motion. Since coming to office, our government, the Conservative government, has invested almost $5 billion in additional funding to help veterans.

We will continue to stand up for veterans on this side of the House. Only the NDP and the Liberals can call 650 points of service a cut. That is not a cut, it is providing more services, more--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a condescending attitude does not make the Conservatives more competent.

The reality is that they will not be able to offer the same services with fewer service centres. The other sad reality is that some veterans have said that they will be less comfortable accessing the less personalized services proposed by the Conservatives. What the Conservatives are actually doing is dissuading veterans from getting the help they need.

Does the Minister of Veterans Affairs really think that veterans will be just as comfortable confiding in a computer as in a professional they have known and trusted for a long time?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it seems like it is only the NDP that would like to see Canada's veterans drive downtown and drive to the district office to obtain services. Whereas this government is committed to provide them service in the comfort of their own home.

We will continue to cut their lawn. We will continue to shovel their snow. We will continue to prepare meals in the comfort of their home or deliver those meals to them.

[Francine Raynault, NDP, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not expect to get a different answer than the one that has already been given, but I will ask my question anyway.

The Conservatives are closing veterans' service centres that provide mental health support, crisis intervention and the assistance elderly veterans need to live independently. Is the minister saying that these are not essential services? How does he think he is going to be able to offer the same services once he closes these offices?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, there will be 650 points of service, 600 additional. Maybe the NDP do not get the math and do not understand how it works. When 600 points of access are added for our veterans, they go toward helping veterans. There are many, many cities and towns in this country that currently do not have a district office, that do not get the service, and will now get that service.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, members will know that Brandon, Manitoba, is a huge military town with thousands of veterans, yet they are going to lose their Veterans Affairs office. Veterans in Thunder Bay will have to drive to North Bay, a 13-hour drive, to get basic service.

The Conservatives love to trot out veterans for self-serving photo ops, but they turn their backs on them when it comes to meeting their basic needs.

It might be the 11th hour, but it is never too late to do the right thing.

For the sake of those who have served, will the Conservative government reconsider this appalling, disgraceful decision to close these Veterans Affairs offices?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, honestly, it is beyond my understanding as to why NDP members would like to see our veterans drive to these district offices.

The member opposite mentioned Brandon, Manitoba. The Service Canada office where the services are being merged is in the same building. What does the member not get? I have a difficult time understanding.

We are providing more services, more points of service, across the country so that veterans do not have to drive. We will send a registered nurse. We will send a case manager—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order. The hon. member for Bourassa.

National Defence

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Communications Security Establishment Canada allegedly spied on Canadians through the free Internet service at one of our major airports. The purpose of this operation was not to protect Canadians. It was a test that was requested by the U.S. National Security Agency. This is illegal, according to experts.

Does the government think it is acceptable for a Canadian agency to illegally spy on Canadians at the request of the U.S.?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I notice the hon. member used the term allegedly. As I already indicated, CSEC made it clear to CBC that nothing in the documents it had obtained show that Canadian communications were targeted, collected, or used, nor that travellers' movements were being tracked.

That being said, there is an independent oversight of CSEC through an independent commissioner, and that commissioner has consistently said that CSEC respects the law and respects the privacy of Canadians.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the chief of CSEC is on the record, telling us that “...we do not target Canadians at home or abroad in our foreign intelligence activities, nor do we target anyone in Canada. In fact, it's prohibited by law.” But now there are reports that CSEC was secretly tracking airline passengers in Canada who use Wi-Fi in airports.

Canadians deserve to know. Is the government breaking the law by spying on, or allowing spying on, law-abiding citizens? Has the minister initiated an investigation to reassure Canadians?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, CSEC has already indicated to CBC that that is completely incorrect, that there is complete compliance with Canadian law.

As I have pointed out, for years now there has been an independent commissioner who looks at all the issues surrounding CSEC. He has concluded that CSEC complies with the law and respects the privacy of Canadians.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, members of Parliament spend a lot of time in Canadian airports, travelling throughout the country, and while travelling they use Wi-Fi to stay connected and to continue working. Potential spying on MPs at airports could involve emails with personal information on constituents.

Will the government notify any members of Parliament or Canadians who have been caught up in this data sweep? Will the minister initiate his own investigation into CSEC's activities, to reassure Canadians that their privacy has not been violated?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the independent commissioner, a former justice, has a look at the activities in CSEC and has, on a regular basis, through his reports, indicated that CSEC complies with Canadian law, that there is a culture of respect within CSEC, and that CSEC respects the privacy of Canadians.

Science and Technology

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' attacks on science and knowledge are now targeting libraries.

Since 2012, dozens of departmental libraries have been closed down. Scientists, public servants and Canadians are losing access to very important documents. Canada has become a laughingstock around the world as a result of this unacceptable destruction of information.

Will the Conservatives stop preventing Canadians and scientists from accessing books and knowledge?

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, this is a puzzling question. Last I checked, this is 2014. The hon. member who just asked the question, I am guessing, is of the generation that uses computers and the Internet from time to time and would understand that it is an age in which we are digitizing information. The information for which we used to go to libraries and search books—libraries the size of this chamber—we can now carry around with us. We can access it from anywhere. This is a good thing and, of course, the government will continue to move in that direction.

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the member might skate around the question, but the fact remains that the Conservative government's disdain for knowledge has reached new lows. It turns out that not only did it shut down seven world-class libraries at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans but also it made taxpayers foot the bill for tens of thousands of dollars in costs to destroy valuable material.

Why are the Conservatives in such a rush to destroy Canada's scientific heritage?

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague has said, we are committed to updating government with 21st century technology in order to be more responsible to the taxpayer. This is exactly what was happening with the Fisheries and Oceans library. Users were asking for digital information. In fact, most of our libraries average about five to twelve visits per year. We are doing the right thing here and being responsible for what Canadians want.

Library and Archives Canada

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to stick with the topic of libraries, knowledge and vitality.

The Conservatives continue to treat Library and Archives Canada as a second-class organization. LAC has been without a head librarian and archivist for eight months now. The legislation is clear: the position cannot remain vacant for a period of more than six months. If that deadline passes, the Conservatives are abusing the spirit of the act. Meanwhile, the files are piling up.

When will they start to treat our archival heritage with respect and appoint someone competent to run LAC?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, there is a process under way, and I am sure a decision will be made in the fullness of time.

National Defence

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the defence minister today has taken great pains to refer to the report in question and say that it does not show that Canadians have been electronically tracked. My question is: Will the minister, then, therefore, stand up and categorically state that under no conditions have innocent, law-abiding Canadians been electronically tracked by CSEC, yes or no?