Debates of Jan. 31st, 2014

Combating Counterfeit Products Act

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher for his very practical question.

We had border officers come to testify in committee. People also wrote to us to say that resources were very limited on the ground. As a result of the Conservatives' $143 million in cuts in the 2012 budget, resources will be even more limited, even though the officers' responsibilities continue to increase.

Along the border between Dundee and Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, in my riding, there is a huge amount of arms, cigarette and drug trafficking. Since there are fewer and fewer border crossings, people can cross the border without being stopped. They are obviously crossing the border illegally. How can we effectively monitor counterfeit goods? It is completely unrealistic and it is very difficult for them to do everything properly.

[Charmaine Borg, NDP, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the members of the House for giving their unanimous consent to allow me to speak this morning. It is greatly appreciated. I would also like to commend my colleague on her very intelligent and well-presented comments.

I want to speak to Bill C-8 today because it is an important measure for combating counterfeit products in Canada. I will begin by saying that we intend to support the bill at this stage because we believe it will greatly benefit Canada in terms of combating counterfeiting and piracy.

As my colleague mentioned, according to the OECD, the estimated cost of counterfeiting is $250 billion. That is a lot of money. It is quite troubling to know that all that money is going into the hands of people with questionable practices. When we talk about counterfeit products we immediately think of fake Louis Vuitton bags because they are everywhere. I see them every day. However, counterfeiting is much more than that.

Prescription drugs can be counterfeit and pose a serious risk to the health of Canadians. Electronic devices can also cause problems, especially small devices used on airplanes, for example. If a counterfeit device is used on a plane, it can cause serious problems and put the lives of Canadians in jeopardy. This is quite troubling.

I want to say a few words about a company in my riding that tests electronic components to see if they are counterfeit. I had the opportunity to visit that company roughly a year ago and I learned a lot of things, including that there are a lot counterfeit components. Honestly, I was surprised to see to what extent the components we buy from other countries are not always authentic. The people at this company explained to me the procedure they follow to test these components. It is quite an involved process and not something that everyone could do. I commend them for their work, which is essential. Thanks to them, a number of companies in Canada and in the United States can be 100% certain that the component they purchased is authentic and will work properly, especially when we are talking about aircraft equipment. Their work is quite impressive. I just wanted to take a bit of time to talk about a personal experience.

Back to Bill C-8, which proposes a number of different things that I would like to discuss in detail.

The bill adds two new criminal offences under the Copyright Act for possessing or exporting counterfeit copies and creates offences for selling counterfeit goods or offering them for sale on a commercial scale. It prohibits the import or export of counterfeit copies and counterfeit goods and ensures a balanced approach to this prohibition by creating two exceptions: personal use and copies in customs transit control.

The bill also gives customs officers new powers to detain counterfeit goods and copies. It gives the Minister of Public Safety and border authorities new powers enabling them to share information relating to the detained goods with rights owners. Lastly, it expands the scope of what can be registered as a trade-mark, as described within the broader definition of a certain term.

Basically, these are good measures, and the NDP supports them. However, there is one big problem, and I believe my colleagues talked about it. CBSA's funding has been reduced by $143 million. Officers are being asked to get more training and spend more of their time fighting counterfeiting. In principle, that is a good thing, but given the budget cuts, it is hard to imagine that they will be able to perform those additional duties.

We are seriously questioning the idea of giving our border agents more responsibility when we do not necessarily have the financial means to do so.

In that regard, I would like to quote Jean-Pierre Fortin, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, who commented on the budget cuts as follows:

These proposed budget cuts would have a direct and real impact on Canadians and our communities across the country: more child pornography entering the country, more weapons and illegal drugs will pass through our borders, not to mention terrorists, sexual predators and hardened criminals.

Clearly, these budget cuts could have serious repercussions. The government should seriously consider that when asking border agents to take on more responsibilities as part of their job.

I would like to make another point. I asked this question during question period when the bill was introduced in the House. Does Bill C-8 signify that the government is planning on ratifying ACTA in its entirety? That is a very important question. ACTA has attracted widespread criticism on the international stage. The European Union rejected many clauses in the agreement, and I would like to take a few moments to highlight the most problematic ones.

For example, there are clauses that would criminalize certain individuals. There were concerns about the use of shell corporations, the role of Internet service providers, and potential interruptions in the generic drug supply. Those clauses were rejected by the international community.

I would like to reassure those who are fighting for an open Internet environment and who are speaking out against the idea of the government being able to block websites, that this bill does not seem to include those troubling clauses.

I want to congratulate the government on that, because introducing those clauses here in Canada could cause problems regarding Canadians' access to an open Internet environment.

Obviously, we will have more to say, but this seems to be relatively balanced in terms of our intention to ratify ACTA. I would encourage the government to think twice—or even three or four times—before it proposes such measures, if it intends to do so in the future, because this comes with a great deal of risk.

I want to support another aspect of this bill, and that is the exception for personal use. Naturally, when we see a bill on counterfeiting, certain questions come to mind. Will someone crossing the border who bought a knock-off of a Louis Vuitton bag be arrested? Will her bag be seized? That would be going a little too far, so I am glad an exception has been included for personal use, to avoid those kinds of situations.

We can also consider people who go through customs with a laptop and would be forced to turn it on to determine whether there are any pirated programs or illegally downloaded songs on it. Having to go through all of someone's software could cause a problem. I am therefore happy to see the exception for personal use, but that provision needs to be examined further to make sure that it will not cause any such problems.

Since my time is almost up, I would just like to reiterate our support for this bill. Fighting counterfeiting is an issue that is very important to the NDP. We are prepared to work with the government in order to find ways to strike a balance between the law, copyright holders and consumers. That is what really matters.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member was talking about the personal items that individuals might have in their possession, whether crossing a border, or another means for which they would acquire something for personal use. There is a significant difference that needs to be highlighted. Those who would reproduce an item with the idea of selling it for profit, with a huge criminal element to that component, and those who will consume products, knowing full well they are knock-off products, in particular if they are bringing those items into Canada from outside.

I believe the member was commenting on that aspect of it, and I am interested in hearing more from her about her party's position. She used the example of someone being abroad and purchasing a knock-off purse or another item, and I am interested in hearing more comments on that particular issue.

[Charmaine Borg, NDP, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. Liberal colleague for giving me the opportunity to speak to this issue a little more, since I had so little time left.

Yes, I talked about the exception for personal use. As with all things, a balance must be found. Does someone crossing the border with a counterfeit purse really pose a risk? Most people would say no, that it was that individual who has been duped. However, if someone has purchased a medication that could be harmful to their health, they need to know that. There has to be balance. When someone crosses the border with dozens of counterfeit purses, it is more likely that that person plans to sell them for a profit. That poses a risk.

It is important to keep the exception for personal use, in order to prevent abuses.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's comments.

Last year, I was a member of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and I listened to a number of corporate representatives talk about the problems created by counterfeit goods. I was not on the committee for very long or when it studied the bill, but I was told that many amendments were suggested by members of both opposition parties and all of them were rejected by the Conservatives. Apparently, they were not the least bit interested in listening to the arguments for some of the amendments that, in my opinion, were necessary.

I would like to hear what my colleague has to say about how the Conservatives listen only to the Prime Minister's Office and never to sound reasoning.

[Charmaine Borg, NDP, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

In fact, that happens often. All MPs agree that we have to fight counterfeiting in Canada. However, when committee members work together on such an important report or issue—I did not work on this bill—it is very disappointing to have the Conservatives reject all the arguments put forward by the other parties. When we co-operate, we can bring together all the best ideas and find a solution that will be in Canadians' best interests.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Resuming debate, with three minutes before statements by members, the hon. member for Halifax West.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today, even if it is for the three minutes remaining before we begin statements by members and question period. However, I obviously will have an opportunity to finish my remarks after question period, and I look forward to that.

I am pleased to rise to speak to Bill C-8, which is an important piece of legislation. I think it could have been improved at committee, and it is unfortunate that the Conservative government did not accept any amendments that were brought forward. This seems to be a pattern that we have seen over and over in committee. Rather than consider, discuss, and have a collaborative process when it comes to possible amendments that could improve a bill, the Conservative MPs on committees unfortunately seem determined not to consider them, or perhaps they are cowed and afraid of the PMO or the minister's office and do whatever the minister's office tells them and simply vote to defeat all amendments.

That is unfortunate, because this is an important bill. It is a bill that could be better. It could have improvements to make it a stronger piece of legislation to serve our country better. It could better serve our businesses that are so concerned about this issue of counterfeit goods.

I sat on the industry committee last year before that. As my hon. colleague the parliamentary secretary was saying earlier, we heard from various companies that expressed grave concern about the impact of the increasing amount of counterfeit goods coming into the country. When we consider the kinds of goods we are talking about here, it should be of concern to all Canadians.

We are not talking just about things like hockey jerseys, for example, that really take away revenues from the teams that own those brands. That has an impact on those teams. Normally, people think NHL teams are wealthy and the players are wealthy, so they are not worried about them. However, if we think about it, with the dollar below 90¢ these days, we are going to hear more about the challenges that presents to NHL teams operating in Canada, because they pay their players in U.S. dollars, so that is a concern for them.

We also hear about things like pharmaceuticals or electrical components. We can imagine a counterfeit electrical component in a house. That counterfeit electrical component might lead to a fire. We need to be concerned about all these things.

I know my time before question period is coming to an end, Mr. Speaker, so I will pause and let you take over. I look forward to resuming my comments later.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Yes, I regret to interrupt the member for Halifax West. He will have 17 minutes remaining when this matter returns before the House.

Margaret Fulton

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is one of those occasions when I wish an S. O. 31 was more than 60 seconds as I try to sum up of the life an extraordinary woman who had an extraordinary life. I was proud to know her as a friend and a colleague.

Margaret Fulton passed away at the age of 91 on January 22, earlier this month, peacefully at home on Salt Spring Island.

However, the impact of her life started when she was a young woman on a farm in Manitoba, where she was born in 1922. She went on to be, at first, a schoolteacher in a one-room schoolhouse.

Through her life and career, she became a champion for women's studies, for feminism, for confronting sexism and patriarchy and male power wherever she found it, for centralization of systems. She was an iconoclast. She was a pioneer. She achieved 15 honorary doctorates, was an Officer of the Order of Canada, and achieved numerous goals in education, including being president of Mount Saint Vincent for two terms, that being the first university to bring in a program for women's studies.

We will all miss her, especially her 17 nephews, her seven nieces, and her sister, Eva Robinson. I will miss you, Margaret.

Events in Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, our time in our ridings over the past seven weeks was a great opportunity to reconnect with family, friends, and constituents. Prior to the Christmas holiday, I had the pleasure of hosting Christmas open houses in Saskatoon, Rosetown, and Biggar.

After a great Christmas and New Year's celebration with family, I started my annual New Year tour of the riding. I met with folks in Rosetown, Fiske, Ruthilda, Biggar, Sonningdale, Harris, Delisle, and Saskatoon, and, after weather delays, met with folks in Grandora, Asquith, Vanscoy, Sovereign, Stranraer, and Herschel.

It was good to see so many constituents and to catch up on what is happening in these great communities.

I also had the pleasure of making two announcements on behalf our hard-working Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food providing important funding for research that will benefit Canada's livestock and crop sectors.

It is truly an honour to represent the constituents of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar.

Employment

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my riding of Pontiac has been abandoned by the Conservative government. Just think of the forestry industry, which has received no assistance; employment insurance reform, which has impoverished seasonal workers; the appeals to the municipal infrastructure fund, which have been turned down; the cuts to the public service, which are making families insecure; the protection of lakes and rivers, which has been sabotaged; the recent cuts to Canada Post; and the list goes on, Mr. Speaker.

My constituents are proud people and are not asking for charity. They just want to work. What is the federal government doing to stimulate my region's economy? Nothing. It would rather spend $14 million on bogus advertising to justify its lack of action. The NDP has a real jobs plan. We will provide tax breaks to businesses and create jobs by modernizing infrastructure. In Pontiac, jobs are disappearing and wages are declining. We need solid leadership, and that is what the NDP's job creation plan offers to all Canadians.

Olympic Winter Games

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, seven days from now, Canadians will be filled with patriotism as they tune in to watch the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Four-time Olympic medallist Hayley Wickenheiser has the honour of leading the team into the stadium as Canada's flag-bearer. I am proud to add that she is from my home province of Saskatchewan and is an excellent role model for young athletes.

Our athletes may be across the world in Sochi, but they can be confident that all Canadians are with them as they strive to own the podium. I know they will do us proud, with the whole country behind them.

I call upon all members of the house to join with me with a “Go, Canada, go”.

Are we ready?

Go Canada, go!

Canal Classic

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we witnessed several miracles on ice at the Canal Classic. Some miracles were expected; some were not.

As expected, the members for Barrie and Wetaskiwin demonstrated their dazzling speed.

As expected, the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel missed an open breakaway that any four-year-old could have scored on.

One media member who claims to be both tough and fair was neither tough nor fair nor present, spending the entire game on the fringes, presumably worried about his makeup.

An unexpected miracle occurred when former Liberal senator Jim Munson tied the game in the last few seconds. He appears to relish his new-found freedom to be out of a position at the perfect time.

With the game tied and at the end of regulation play, the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel redeemed himself and miraculously won the game in a shootout. Equally miraculously, the NDP, the Conservatives, and the Liberals co-operated to beat back the media hordes. Even the former minister of defence and his former critic of a similar name were civil to each other.

However, the most satisfying miracle was to raise funds for JumpStart. We thank Canadian Tire for making all of these miracles, both big and small, possible.

Olympic Winter Games

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one week from today the world will be watching as Canada's best compete at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Kitchener—Waterloo will be well represented with five of our own going for gold. Kitchener-Waterloo Skating Club members Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch will be competing in the pairs figure skating event, while Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje will represent Canada in ice dancing and Kitchener native Jenna Blasman will be competing in the first-ever Olympic slopestyle event as a member of Canada's snowboard team.

I encourage all members and all Canadians to join me in cheering on our Olympic athletes as they make us proud in Sochi. Go, Canada, go.

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are continuing down their path of destruction, and this time they are attacking Canada Post. They are cutting home delivery service in urban areas, increasing rates and eliminating 6,000 to 8,000 jobs. Now I find out that effective March 4, the Saint-Eustache post office will become a postal service centre and that the number of client service employees will be cut.

In short, people are being asked to pay more for less service. However, the postal service has been profitable for 16 of the past 17 years. The only year the corporation posted a deficit was 2011, the year employees were locked out.

It is time for real consultations on Canada Post. Seniors, people with reduced mobility, the municipalities and SMEs have to be heard.

Shared Parenting

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have had a difficult decision to make. I have four items on the order paper, and all of them are of great importance.

One is a democratic reform initiative, two are explicitly pro-life measures, and the one bill I have on the order paper is for the sake of the children. They all deserve to proceed in this place, but regrettably I can only choose one at this time.

I have selected Bill C-560 to move forward to second reading debate in this chamber. It is my bill to amend the Divorce Act to make equal shared parenting a rebuttable presumption in cases of marital breakup involving children.

Aside from proven abuse or neglect, over three-quarters of Canadians want equal shared parenting to be the presumption in our courts when marriages unfortunately break down. Research clearly demonstrates that equal shared parenting is in the best interests of children.

Also, based on conversations I have been a part of, I have good reason to believe that the other three items I have on the order paper will be picked up in due course by other good MPs who have spine and foresight. For that I am also truly grateful.

Status of Women

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan 2013 contained measures to increase the participation of under-represented groups in certain sectors of the labour market, including women.

Our economy needs skilled workers, and to meet that demand, we need women working in all occupations, especially in those where they are under-represented.

I was pleased to host round tables across Canada about this issue. I was honoured to begin the round tables at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.

I am pleased with the recent announcement by the Minister of Status of Women of $2.8 million supporting 14 Ontario-based projects to advance women's opportunities in non-traditional occupations, increase economic options for women, and improve prosperity for immigrant women.

This demonstrates our government's focus on ensuring jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity for all Canadians. That vision starts in communities with women and men who are empowered to fulfill their potential and contribute to the Canadian economy.

The Budget

[Françoise Boivin, NDP, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Gatineau, we have the same priorities in 2014 that we had in 2013. Everyone is telling me that they are having a hard time making ends meet. The priorities for the people of Gatineau are health care, retirement benefits, well-paying jobs, Canada Post, and respect for the public service, seniors and our veterans.

As we approach the tabling of the budget, these master economists, who have been running deficit budgets year after year since they came to power, will be adding to the national debt, which they have already increased by $123.5 billion. I would be very surprised to find a single Canadian, aside from a Conservative MP, who thinks that this government is working for Canadians. The Conservatives hope that if they table their budget in the middle of the Olympics, everyone will forget about their incompetence. In 2015, Gatineau will remember that our region has been abandoned by the Conservatives. Gatineau will fight with me and my NDP colleagues to turf this government and finally put people first.

Health

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that each and every one of our citizens deserves the best health care available. We are leading the way by providing the highest health care transfer dollars ever to provinces and territories. These are set to reach $40 billion by the end of the decade.

In a speech to the Economic Club of Canada yesterday, the Minister of Health made it clear that we are also focused on innovation to ensure that the system is sustainable.

We are supporting innovate partnerships with the private sector, provinces, and territories. Such initiatives include funding for the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, which will improve patient care and reduce costs. Our government is also the single largest investor in health care and science research. Through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, our government invests roughly a billion dollars each and every year into world-class research.

With the leadership of our great Minister of Health, our government will continue to leverage the expertise of all Canadians to improve the quality of care and make our health care system sustainable.

Winter Olympics

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

Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympics right around the corner, now is a good time to remember that 30 years ago, a member of the greater Longueuil community, Gaétan Boucher, won three medals, one bronze and two gold, in his sport at the Sarajevo Olympics, thereby making an indelible mark in the history of those games.

The citizens of Longueuil can look back with pride, knowing why a boulevard, school and athletic centre in Longueuil are all named after him.

Thank you, Gaétan Boucher. May your success bring good luck to our new speed skating hopeful, Charles Cournoyer, a young rising star from Boucherville at 22 years of age.

On behalf of everyone in Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, good luck Charles. We are all behind you.

Consumer Protection

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian families work hard for their money and every dollar counts. On this side of the House, we have taken decisive action to put Canadian families first by cutting taxes an incredible 160 times. That amounts to over $3,200 more every year for the average Canadian family because of our Conservative government's initiatives.

We have consistently put consumers and families at the core of our decisions. We will continue to do so by reducing wireless costs, increasing choice for television packages, and increasing high-speed Internet access for rural Canadians. We know that Canadians want more choice and lower prices, whether for their cellphone plan or TV package at home. That is why we welcome the Competition Bureau's action this week to defend consumers against skyrocketing roaming fees that increase wireless prices and lead to less wireless choice.

While the opposition continues to call for job-killing carbon taxes and legalizing marijuana, we will continue to put Canadian families first.

L'Isle-Verte

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the early hours of January 23, tragedy struck L'Isle-Verte. A terrible fire destroyed the Résidence du Havre, leaving 32 people dead or unaccounted for.

In the face of such tragedy, there are no words to express our grief and our compassion. I would nevertheless like to offer my most sincere condolences to the families of the dead and missing.

I would also like to salute the dedicated efforts of the teams of first responders who, despite very difficult conditions, have been tirelessly sifting through the rubble so that bereaved families can grieve in peace.

Tomorrow, the community will share its grief with the whole province and bid farewell to those who were lost during a ceremony at the L'Isle-Verte church. I invite my colleagues, the constituents of my riding, Bourassa, and the Haitian community to join me in expressing our support for this community that has suffered so much.

Public Safety

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is committed to keeping our streets and communities safe. We have passed numerous laws to keep dangerous and violent criminals behind bars where they belong, including new penalties for child exploitation as well as ending the ability of child molesters to get criminal record suspensions.

We did all of this without a massive expansion of the prison population, contrary to the dire predictions of the NDP. How is this possible? When we lock up criminals, they are not out committing more crimes.

Contrast this with the Liberals whose leader has said that they would not rule out ending mandatory sentences for anyone.

When it comes to keeping our streets and communities safe, Canadians know that they can count on our Conservative government.

The Senate

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader's bold new policy has amounted to Liberal senators becoming “Senate Liberals”. Not one senator changed party affiliation or swore off partisan activity. The standings in the Senate remain the same: 57 unelected and unaccountable Conservatives, opposite 32 unelected, unaccountable Liberals.

The member for Markham—Unionville bizarrely claimed that the fact the Liberal caucus will now meet in separate rooms made him as proud as when Canada stayed out of the war in Iraq.

Canadians are now realizing that the Liberal leader did not do his homework and is yet again crafting policy on the back of a napkin. Of course, he could have come to us. We have done the homework. Remember, just a couple of months ago the motion to take partisanship out of the Senate, the one that every single Liberal voted against.

Canadians deserve better. They deserve an end to the unelected, unaccountable, and unnecessary Senate.