Debates of Oct. 21st, 2014

Health

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health claims that the WHO did not request protective gear from Canada until September 4, but that was a full month after the WHO had already declared an international public health emergency. How can the Prime Minister explain that it took his minister so long to realize that medical protective gear was actually needed when fighting Ebola?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I recently met in New York with the director-general of the World Health Organization, who has complimented Canada on coming forward as soon as requested. This is all needed assistance, and I congratulate the Minister of Health, the Minister of International Development, and others for continuing to respond with their international colleagues to this crisis in West Africa.

Public Safety

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and my best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured soldier. We thank and support the police forces investigating the case and protecting Canadians. The government said that dozens of Canadians have become radicalized and could pose a threat to the public.

Are they all under surveillance? Can the Prime Minister update us on the next steps?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as security agencies have said many times, dozens of individuals are under surveillance for possible terrorist activity. The agencies are looking for ways to charge those individuals. The government is examining how we can provide more tools to our organizations to lay charges where possible.

Health

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the House debates a motion to ensure ministerial transparency and accountability in Canada's response to the Ebola crisis. Will the Prime Minister confirm his party's support for this motion and therefore the regular participation of his ministers at the Standing Committee on Health?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, of course ministers have remained available throughout this particular international pandemic. They have been available not only to the House; they have been available constantly to Canadians. I am sure they will also be available on occasion at committee when required. I would encourage members of the Liberal Party to work with the government on a motion to which we could both agree, but I can certainly assure the House that the Minister of Health, the Minister of International Development, and others who are involved will continue to communicate actively with parliamentarians.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the United Nations has said that it still has a $1 billion shortfall in the fight against the Ebola crisis.

Will this government encourage Canadians to make donations, as it did for Haiti, and will it match the donations?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, clearly, we always encourage Canadians to make donations to charities under any circumstances. However, it is important to reiterate that the Government of Canada is one of the world's biggest donors in the fight against the Ebola crisis. We will continue to live up to our responsibilities.

National Defence

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, just two weeks ago the Prime Minister announced that Canada's participation in the Iraq war would last six months. Already new details are emerging that defence officials believe the combat mission in Iraq could take up to a year. We have gone from thirty days of non-combat, to six months of air strikes, and now to a year. Is the government looking at a year-long combat mission in Iraq?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, what the government has done is authorize members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Armed Forces to participate in an international effort to try to halt the spread of a barbaric terrorist regime that is selling women into slavery, that is decapitating outsiders and humanitarian aid workers, that is summarily executing hundreds and thousands of people. We believe that our solution, the air campaign, is one area, as well as providing training, providing heavy lift support. An inclusive government in Baghdad is something that is tremendously important, as well as diplomatic work, humanitarian effort, and the engagement of the Sunni Arab world. All these things will be tremendously important, but Canada is prepared to do its share.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have known from the start that the Conservatives' combat mission would turn into a quagmire. In only a few short weeks, we have gone from a support mission to a combat mission.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

My colleagues across the way might show a little respect for such an important issue.

As the CF-18s are leaving the country, the government is already suggesting that the mission will be extended beyond six months.

Why are the Conservatives again refusing to be open and transparent with Canadians?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the combat mission has not even begun, and yet the NDP is already contemplating a quagmire.

What is important is that it is imperative we act with our allies to halt an ISIL spread and to reduce its capacity. We have authorized, for up to six months, an air campaign to participate with President Obama, with the United Kingdom, with France, and with our allies in the Arab world in this regard. It will be tremendously important that there be diplomatic and political work. The establishment of an inclusive government in Bagdad and the appointment of the last two members in that cabinet are another important step forward.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is a lack of transparency with regard to not only the duration of the combat mission, but also the cost.

Last Friday, we were told that National Defence officials had submitted a cost estimate for the combat mission to the minister. The minister has that information.

Why has that information not been made public yet? Can the minister tell us how much the mission will cost?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is right now in Cold Lake, Alberta, to see off the members of the Canadian Forces who have volunteered to stand up for freedom and liberty against barbarism and against external threats to Canada. We wish him well, as we wish those members of the Canadian Armed Forces well as they undertake this mission.

We will, of course, through ordinary measures, Parliament, accountability, ensure that all the costs come before this House at the appropriate time.

Veterans

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when Lieutenant Shawna Rogers took her life in 2012, her parents wanted to understand what led her to commit such an act.

After gathering various documents, Rick and Ellen Rogers were asked by the Department of National Defence to turn over that information. What is worse, they are now being taken to court and facing prison time because they refused to do so.

Why is the government trying to punish veterans' families instead of dealing with its troops' mental health problems?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with all military families who have lost loved ones.

What transpired in this case is not acceptable. As soon as our government learned of this, the Minister of National Defence asked the Department of National Defence to respect the family's wishes and turn over the necessary documents to allow for an inquest by the Alberta government.

The minister will also be meeting with the defence ombudsman this week to discuss how the Department of National Defence can better respect the wishes of families in the board of inquiry's process. The minister has streamlined these boards of inquiry because military families who have lost their loved ones need and deserve closure.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the parents of a soldier who committed suicide are being treated with total disrespect. This time, the government was trying to force them to participate in a secret hearing, with no legal counsel, under the legal threat of a summons.

Thankfully, it backed off when their lawyer filed a court application.

Would the minister apologize to Rick and Ellen Rogers for this abuse of process?

Will the government finally fix this broken military board of inquiry system and have an open and accountable process?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we found that process was unacceptable. That is why we have interjected and asked the department to turn over all the documents to the Alberta government, so it can respect the family's wishes and so that they can have a proper inquiry.

We will be meeting with the department ombudsman to ensure that the department is respecting the wishes of this family and all families going through the board of inquiry's process. We have streamlined it and expedited the way the boards of inquiry report back to military families.

Science and Technology

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' record on science is, once again, drawing international criticism. More than 800 scientists, from 32 countries, signed a joint letter urging the Conservatives to stop muzzling scientists and to stop cutting public science budgets. They warn that Conservative censorship and cuts hurt our ability to collaborate internationally.

Canada once had a reputation as a science leader, but now we are falling further and further behind.

Would the Conservatives stop the muzzling and start repairing Canada's public science reputation?

[Ed Holder, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology)]

Mr. Speaker, this is a chance again to give facts. Since being elected, our government has made record investments in science, technology and innovation. In fact, Canada is ranked first in the G7 for research and development in our colleges, universities and other research institutes.

That is why our government has invested $1.5 billion of new money for the creation of the Canada first research excellence fund, which allows institutions to leverage world-class strengths into world-leading research that will create long-term benefits for Canada. Those are the facts.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government can no longer deny that its muzzling of scientists and cuts to science are undermining Canada's international reputation.

The NDP is not the only one saying this. In an open letter, a broad coalition of 800 prestigious researchers from 32 different countries have spoken out against the Conservative government's attitude toward its scientists.

When will the Conservative government heed this warning and stop treating its scientists like enemies?

[Ed Holder, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology)]

Mr. Speaker, once again, here are the facts: our government has made record investments in science, technology and innovation.

Canada is ranked first in the G7 for investments in research and development in our colleges, universities and other research institutes.

That is why our government has invested $1.5 billion in the creation of the Canada first research excellence fund, which allows post-secondary institutions to identify their strengths and conduct world-leading research.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we all knew that the Conservatives were conducting a witch hunt against charities whose philosophies are not in line with their own.

A new report suggests that they are also deliberately ignoring the political activities of right-wing organizations. They are turning a blind eye to the political activities of the Fraser Institute and the Montreal Economic Institute, but they are attacking environmentalists and ornithologists.

Can the minister explain this double standard? Why is the Canada Revenue Agency targeting progressive groups but not bothering the government's ideological allies?