Debates of Oct. 2nd, 2014

ClimateFast

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today the closing ceremonies of the third annual ClimateFast action are happening here on Parliament Hill. Participants from across Canada have been fasting each Monday to draw attention to the urgent need for action on climate change and began a sustained fast on Sunday.

These dedicated activists are calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies, a price on carbon, and support for the development of a renewable energy plan for Canada. New Democrats support these goals and have put forward the climate change accountability act to help us meet them. Sadly, governments past and present have utterly failed to address the challenge that climate change presents. Their negligence has put our country at serious risk and has kept us on the outside of the green economy of the 21st century.

I commend the ClimateFast participants for their ongoing work on climate justice, and I call on the other parties in the House to follow their courageous lead and help us build a prosperous and sustainable Canada.

40th Wedding Anniversary

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to a vibrant, selfless woman with whom I am blessed to be sharing my life as a partner, confidant, and husband. From earliest anxious days in constructing our climb to success, then ever increasingly being propelled through life's twists and turns to countless exhilarating heights, temporal regrets are so few.

Some 19 years have flown by as partners serving as one for our Queen, our country, and the unity of Canada. Most memorable, though, in our journey to this day are the births of daughters Corinna and Kristina, the growth of our family with son Tom, and granddaughters Katelin, Alexandra, and Eleanor, who we cherish so.

On this, the 40th year of our voyage together through life, I again proclaim my enduring devotion and love to my wife, Lorraine.

To quote T. Tolis, “To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved, that's everything!”

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have here the top ten reasons the New Democrats will not agree to the new memberships for standing committees.

Number ten is that they worked long hours this spring, so they are going to take easy this fall and knock off on this extra committee work.

Number nine is that they think that the chair of the procedure and House affairs committee could be even nicer.

Number eight is that they just hate change. After 50 years, they still call themselves “new”.

Number seven is that they want to keep a committee seat open for Olivia Chow.

Number six is that they like messing with Kady O'Malley's head.

Number five is that their whip is still trying to find an MP who understands finance to sit on the finance committee.

Number four is that caucus members getting a new assignment just do not think it is a fair trade.

Number three is that facing invoices to reimburse the House more than $1 million, the NDP MPs are now working to rule.

Number two is a lack of interest from their members. If their whip will not let committees travel, why sit on one?

The number one reason the New Democrats will not agree to the new membership changes for the standing committees is that their leader is really just an angry guy.

Shipbuilding

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the day before yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion calling on the federal government to give work—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. It is impolite for hon. members to keep talking when the hon. member for Louis-Hébert has the floor.

The hon. member for Louis-Hébert.

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the day before yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion calling on the federal government to give work to the Davie shipyard.

As we know, this Quebec shipyard, which is located in the Minister of Public Safety's riding, was abandoned by the Conservatives. It has not received any contracts or any of the $33 billion in federal funding.

As far back as 2011, we said that no one needed to be the loser. If this government claims to listen to Quebeckers, it cannot disregard a unanimous resolution—I repeat, unanimous—of the Quebec National Assembly, as it so often does.

Therefore, I ask the government, specifically the hon. member for Lévis—Bellechasse and Minister of Public Safety, to consider the motion by the Quebec National Assembly and tell us what they plan to do, because the Davie shipyard is ready now to work on contracts that will help Canada.

Terrorism

[Devinder Shory, Conservative, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today terrorism is a frightening reality. That is why our Conservative government is taking strong measures, which include tools to strip citizenship from convicted terrorists.

Despite the fact that more than 83% of Canadians support this measure, including those who identify themselves as NDP or Liberal supporters, both the Liberals and NDP shamelessly oppose it.

Furthermore, the leader of the Liberal Party has said that taking passports away from terrorists is an affront to Canadian values. This shockingly naive comment is from the same leader who said that the Boston bombing was caused by feelings of exclusion.

We on this side of the House are clear: terrorism is an evil action that must be stopped. The Liberal Party is simply ignorant of the true threat that terrorism poses. The Liberals are clearly in over their heads.

Lake Saint-Pierre Area of Prime Concern Committee

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise today to recognize the contribution of the Lake Saint-Pierre area of prime concern committee, or ZIP committee, to environmental protection. On September 18, that organization was at the National Assembly accepting the Phoenix Award, Quebec's most prestigious environmental award.

The ZIP committee earned the award in the “non-profit organizations, non-educational institutions, research centres or associations” for its Protection project and the development of the Saint-Eugène marsh.

I want to congratulate the ZIP committee on the excellent work it does. Protecting the environment is a critical issue for everyone in the NDP.

The Saint-Eugène marsh is a valuable natural landscape in Trois-Rivières. To revitalize this wetland, the ZIP committee coordinated the reflooding and recreational development of the area and worked to increase public awareness among users.

Once again, thank you very much and congratulations to the ZIP committee.

Registered Disability Savings Plan

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, under the strong leadership of the Prime Minister and Jim Flaherty, our government introduced the registered disability savings plan in 2007.

This is the first plan of its kind in the world that assists Canadians with disabilities, and their families, in saving for the long term. It is too bad that the opposition parties opposed creating this historic program to help families.

Raising awareness about this important plan, along with the many other savings vehicles available for families to save for their future, is absolutely crucial. That is why I would like to acknowledge the B.C. government's proclamation of October as RDSP Awareness Month, and I encourage all members to continue to highlight its importance with their constituents.

Thanks to smart, innovative Conservative initiatives such as the RDSP, Canadians living with disabilities can be sure that our government will continue supporting them and that Jim's legacy will live on.

Member for Westmount—Ville-Marie

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to an inspiring Canadian who has helped to establish Canada as an innovative leader, both here at home and well beyond our borders.

Thirty years ago this week, the member for Westmount—Ville-Marie made all of us proud as he became the first Canadian to view his home from space.

Of course, this was just one of many achievements for this navy captain, former president of the Canadian Space Agency, and now elected member of this House, but it was an achievement that put Canadian technical expertise on the map.

In the three decades since his first trip to space, the member for Westmount—Ville-Marie has accomplished more than most, but perhaps most notably he has worked to help Canada reach its full potential.

Many theorize that the sky is the limit for those who are not afraid to fly, but the member for Westmount—Ville-Marie has proven this to all Canadians.

I am proud to sit as his colleague. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my thanks and congratulations for a lifetime of service and achievement.

Retail Sector

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in the House to recognize the hard work and contributions of Canada's huge retail sector.

Canadian retail represents more than two million jobs in every community across this country and half a trillion dollars in sales each year.

The Retail Council of Canada, which is on the Hill today, represents 45,000 storefronts of all formats, from specialty stores to discount stores, from independent shops to online merchants. They are a critical support for the retailers that benefit from their expertise in leading-edge issues facing the industry.

This includes sharing with their members new programs that leverage sales through measuring store traffic and fostering best practices to protect stores and their customers.

Let us not forget how many young Canadians get their start in retail. I worked at a department store when I was in my twenties, and it is there that I learned skills that stand me in good stead to this day.

There is not a member in this House whose constituency is untouched by Canadian retail.

On behalf of all of us, I would like to recognize the importance of the retail industry and welcome its members to Parliament Hill.

Veterans Affairs

[John Rafferty, NDP, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Veterans Affairs tabled a disappointing response to a unanimous report on the new veterans charter. We heard from 54 witnesses over 14 meetings, and our report had the unanimous support of all committee members, including Conservatives, yet the minister is rejecting this report and saying no to any recommendations that cost any money.

A good example is recommendation no. 5, which states, “That all veterans with service-related disabilities, and their families, be entitled to the same benefits and support....”, yet the minister disagreed with this recommendation. This is the same department that has let over $1 billion in veterans funding lapse since the Conservatives formed government.

With Conservatives poised to deploy Canadian Forces into a war zone, it is time for the Conservatives to stop focusing on photo ops and PR and start focusing on giving veterans the support they need.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have known for years that the NDP bows to the will of their big union bosses and their illegal political sponsorships. Earlier this month, however, some big union bosses announced they would supporting the Liberal Party rather than their fellow travellers in the NDP.

It did not take the Liberal Party very long to start following its new union bosses' instructions. Earlier this week, the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville was advertised on the Public Service Alliance of Canada's Twitter account, gleefully holding the childish Brigette DePape stop sign.

Unlike the Liberals, whose only idea is to legalize drugs, on this side of the House we stand up for Canadian taxpayers' interests. This government lowers Canadians' taxes, balances budgets, and puts money back in the pockets of hard-working Canadians, and we will continue to stand up for them day in and day out.

Health

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Ebola virus vaccine, manufactured here in Canada, was supposed to have been sent to Africa seven weeks ago. These thousands of doses are still here and have not been sent out. Can the government tell us why there is a delay with the delivery of a medication manufactured here in Canada that could save thousands of lives?

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the vaccines are actually available to go at a moment's notice. It is the World Health Organization that is coordinating the logistics for the vaccine, but we are ready to act as soon as it pulls that trigger.

As members know, we are taking this seriously. We have invested $35 million in the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. We are a global leader. We are providing funds, we are providing expertise, and we are providing equipment.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, according to a journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, that might not be the only reason. It reports that African trials of this Canadian vaccine have in fact been delayed, not because of logistical problems but over an intellectual property dispute. The company that owns the commercial licence for the drug is said to be dragging its feet.

With thousands of lives at risk, can the Minister of Health explain what Canada is doing to ensure this vaccine gets to the people who need it immediately?

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has been very generous in our response to this terrible outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. We have donated 800 to 1,000 doses of this vaccine, and it is up to the World Health Organization to organize the logistics in dispensing these vaccines.

We are also contributing expertise on the ground when it comes to the mobile lab and the revolving scientists who are out there staffing that. We have funded $35 million to leading international partners like the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

National Defence

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when, exactly, did members of the Canadian military arrive in Iraq? On what date? RDI has alleged that the first members of the Canadian military did not arrive in Iraq until last Saturday, September 27. Is that true? We want the exact date.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has indicated, we have authorized up to 69 members of the forces for this campaign. We have indicated as well that there are 26 on the ground. They come and go according to the command structure on the ground, but they are there for strategic advice and that is the role they are playing.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister indicated is that they were on the ground in Iraq on September 15. At the very least, this is duplicitous. Will the Prime Minister explain why he has been misleading Parliament?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely ridiculous. We have been forthcoming about this force. We have indicated that there are 69 to provide strategic and tactical advice. Again, this is in co-operation with our allies and with Iraq, and that is exactly what we have done for this last period of time.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, can the Prime Minister understand that this is why Canadians do not trust the government on this important question? There is nothing more important that this Parliament decides than whether or not we send our brave women and men to war, and we cannot even get a straight answer. That is the problem with the government. When will it start giving clear answers to Canadians?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, what is duplicitous is the Leader of the Opposition suggesting or implying that he might ever support any of these missions. We know that is not going to happen.

That being said, we have a role for the Canadian Armed Forces who have been deployed in that area. It is very specific. It is to provide strategic and tactical advice. That is exactly what they have done. We should be proud of that, and the NDP should be supportive of that effort.

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister's job to engage Parliament and Canadians and make the case for the use of the Canadian Armed Forces; and he has completely failed to do so. Canadians know virtually nothing about this initial 30-day deployment in Iraq and even less about the Prime Minister's plans for a combat role. Does the Prime Minister actually expect Canadians and this House to support a new mission if he continues his secrecy and evasiveness about the missions in which we are already involved?