Debates of Oct. 28th, 2014

Sporting Events in Red Deer

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to inform the House of some of the exciting things happening across my fantastic riding of Red Deer; the first of which is that the town of Sylvan Lake was recently crowned Kraft Hockeyville 2014. With this came the exciting opportunity to host Arizona and Calgary in a pre-season NHL game and an investment of over $100,000 in arena upgrades.

The city of Red Deer also has exciting news, having been awarded the privilege of hosting two of Canada's biggest sporting events; the first of which is the 2016 Memorial Cup, Alberta's first since 1974. The second major event is the 2019 Canada Winter Games. These games will see top athletes from across the country descend upon Red Deer to compete and set the stage for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Today, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate all the volunteers and members of our community whose hard work has paid off. Without their dedication and countless hours volunteered, none of this would have been possible.

Red Deer is ready.

Events of October 22, 2014

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

We seldom speak about love in this place, yet who can deny that this force in our lives, above all others, transcends our daily troubles and binds us to one another?

In the frantic moments of last Wednesday, many of us found ourselves side by side with people from other parties and with the people who make this place work, the staff of the House of Commons.

I had the good fortune to find myself with Jud Simpson and the employees in food services who nourish us every day. Jud, Rabiâ and Dominique, the senior staff, maintained supreme calm under the circumstances. They showed love and compassion for others in the building by continually contacting security with an offer to deliver food to those in lockdown.

Imagine if only love and compassion permeated our every action? Too often, we are coloured by fear.

The love of my wife, Amanda MacDonald; my daughter Pera; my mother Linda St-Maurice; Penny, Ian and Ryan MacDonald; Neil and Carol Nicholls; and friends and citizens of Vaudreuil—Soulanges is what carried me through these difficult circumstances.

I believe Barbara Winters, in comforting Nathan Cirillo in his last moments, gave the most important message we could give anyone in this life, “You are so loved”.

Let us build a society based upon love, for freedom is only valuable if we integrate it with love.

National War Memorial

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, the National War Memorial is a reflection not just of the first Great War but of all those wars where Canadians have laid down their lives.

It is truly our most sacred place of remembrance, which is why we gather each year to pay our respects to those who have fought for our values: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We also pay respect to those who have died protecting these values.

As a reflection of our respect for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and for each and every Canadian veteran who has laid down their lives in the service of Canada, two soldiers stand guard. They do this to honour our fallen, to embody the values our fallen stood for.

After last week, it might be easy to stop this honour guard, but not here, not in Canada.

I am so proud of the Canadian service personnel who resumed their post, honouring what is and will always be our greatest place of remembrance.

Lest we forget.

Community Service

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, people all over Dartmouth—Cole Harbour are working hard to build a stronger community, and they deserve our gratitude.

Thanks to Laura McAvoy and the volunteers at Bicentennial School, I recently spent a beautiful Saturday building and installing benches on the school grounds.

Thanks to Joel Plaskett for supporting the work of the BridgeCAT centre in downtown Dartmouth keeping at-risk youth in school and introducing them to the world of arts and technology, especially through music.

Thanks to David Foster and the team at Halifax Diverse for their community orchard initiative at the Dartmouth Commons.

Thanks to Lesley Dunn and the Dartmouth Learning Network for hosting a citizenship ceremony at the Dartmouth North Community Centre.

Thanks to Joe Gibson and the Freedom Foundation for 25 years of addictions recovery services.

Thanks to Debby Meier and the North Woodside Community Centre for 20 years of community building.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to Susan Marshall Steele, a teacher at Astral Drive Elementary School, and Angela Daniels-Drummond, of the Dartmouth Day Care Centre, who were just awarded the Prime Minister's Certificates of Excellence.

Corporal Nathan Cirillo

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a century ago, tens of thousands of Canadian volunteers went overseas to defend our rights and freedoms during the first great war. In the fields of France and Belgium, they demonstrated unfaltering resolve, bravery, and camaraderie in the face of terrible danger. The National War Memorial was built so that future generations would never forget their sacrifices, and it has become this nation's most sacred place of remembrance.

On October 22, Corporal Nathan Cirillo embodied this spirit as he stood at his post above the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He was a mirror of the tenacity that has been timelessly captured in the faces of the bronze servicemen above him.

The National War Memorial today is different than it was last Tuesday in that a new guardian now stands on eternal watch.

As Corporal Nathan Cirillo is laid to rest, a grateful nation salutes him and thanks him.

Lest we forget.

Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, tonight the member for Mount Royal will receive the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Medal in recognition of his long-standing commitment to preserving the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of tens of thousands of people during the Second World War.

The member for Mount Royal is being honoured not only for his efforts trying to ascertain the fate of Raoul Wallenberg but because of his outstanding record representing prisoners of conscience such as Nelson Mandela and Natan Sharansky, his years promoting Holocaust education, his work towards the prevention of mass atrocities, and his decades of efforts in support of human rights for all.

The member for Mount Royal's contributions in the field of human rights law exemplify the values we most admire: to stand for justice and freedom in the face of tyranny and to fight against ignorance and hatred wherever it exists.

For all his remarkable work, we thank and congratulate the member for Mount Royal.

Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo

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

Mr. Speaker, as I search for an appropriate tribute to Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo, I am reminded that today and Saturday our country will pause to say goodbye to these two Canadian heroes.

These days not only mark the days we lay them to rest but also the beginning of our collective effort to fulfill the age-old promise to never forget their sacrifice.

A soldier's goal is to defend the nation at all costs. As a serving member of our Canadian Armed Forces for 28 years, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent did just that. Corporal Nathan Cirillo undertook the highest honour in standing on guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial.

Their sacrifices have made us stronger as a nation. What a fitting tribute to two men who will forever be remembered as two great Canadian heroes.

Corporal Nathan Cirillo

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today Canadians have come together to lay Corporal Nathan Cirillo to rest. His family, his friends, and his neighbours have come together in Hamilton, and across the country, Canadians have joined them in spirit. They are taking a moment to mourn the tragedy of a young man who was both a son and a young father, a moment to honour a soldier who volunteered to serve our country. He was a man who stepped forward without hesitation, willing to put himself in harm's way for Canada. It reminds Canadians of all the young men and women who came before him who put on the uniform and were taken from us before their time.

I am a proud representative of a military community. Today, as we join all Canadians in honouring and mourning Corporal Cirillo, let us say again, to all members of the Canadian Forces, we thank them for keeping us safe. To Corporal Cirillo and his family, we say, as Barbara Winters said to Corporal Cirillo in his final moments, “You are loved”.

Public Safety

[Lawrence Toet, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has never, nor will it ever, bow to aggressors who wish to change our way of life. Sentry guards returned to the National War Memorial and were joined by thousands of Canadians. The public is here again in Parliament. We will ensure that our security forces have the tools they need to keep us safe. In one collective voice, our Prime Minister spoke on behalf of all Canadians: “We will not be intimidated”.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that members of the House were in attendance at the funeral of Corporal Nathan Cirillo today, and I know that we all were there in spirit, even as we continued our work today here in the House.

Yesterday the government tabled new proposals to expand the powers of CSIS. These measures require careful study, particularly the role of special advocates.

Alongside providing more powers to CSIS, will the government also be moving forward on improving civilian oversight at the same time?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague, the member for Vancouver East, for paying tribute to Corporal Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent.

Today, our entire country is mourning a courageous man, a symbol of the best Canada has to offer. We are able to be parliamentarians and govern today because people sacrificed their lives and protected us.

Today we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister's words, but we also come back to the business at hand before the House.

The Arar commission concluded in 2006 that improved civilian oversight of CSIS was needed, but for eight years, the Conservatives have ignored this recommendation. In the 2012 budget bill, the Conservatives eliminated the CSIS inspector general, and now there are two vacant positions on the Security Intelligence Review Committee.

After three consecutive years of cuts, is the minister re-examining the resources available to CSIS?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, regarding the hon. member's two questions, there are provisions in the bill tabled today that would take into consideration the privacy rights of individuals. It is a good tool that would improve the safety of our country, and we intend to move forward.

With regard to oversight of our intelligence, we have strong and robust oversight. We formerly had NDP members sitting on the advisory committee on that oversight body. I expect that our intelligence will follow up on its recommendations.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that SIRC is already overstretched and is not getting the co-operation from CSIS it needs. The minister does know this.

In fact, the report tabled on Friday noted that this small oversight body, now with only three members, reported “significant delays” in receiving information from CSIS. In one case, it said it was “seriously misled”.

I ask the minister again: Will he ensure that there will be enhanced civilian oversight to go along with any expanded powers of CSIS?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I expect that the committee that oversees the operations of our intelligence agency will be properly completed. I thank the committee for its important report on the intelligence activities.

It is important to maintain trust between our Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the review committee, the government, and Canadians, and all for the sole purpose of protecting the public. We will continue to support the efforts of the review committee so that it can achieve its mandate and be accountable to all parliamentarians.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the civilian review committee responsible for overseeing CSIS's actions is criticizing the agency's lack of co-operation and has shown that CSIS made a genuine attempt to mislead the review committee at a time when the government is seeking to give CSIS more powers.

Since the government is already having trouble overseeing the intelligence services, why does it not take the opportunity afforded by Bill C-44 to strengthen the authority of the Security Intelligence Review Committee in order to ensure that CSIS obeys the law and respects Canadian values?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question.

Bill C-44 will indeed clarify the mandate of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. This will make it easier for the Security Intelligence Review Committee to do its job by clarifying the terms under which the agency can operate, particularly when it comes to international activities that were the subject of comments made by the review committee. That will be included in the bill.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service will fulfill its mandate and make sure that Canadians are protected.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Security Intelligence Review Committee is the only mechanism by which Parliament can ensure that CSIS obeys the law and respects Canadian values. However, we know that the agency is refusing to be accountable. CSIS even tried to mislead an officer of Parliament. The accountability system is not working.

Since the minister is proposing that CSIS be given more authority, why does he not also offer more authority to the agency's civilian review committee?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that the bill clarifies the scope of CSIS's mandate, which will make the review committee's job easier. That is why I am hoping that we can count on the support of the NDP to quickly pass this bill, which is an additional tool to protect Canadians from the terrorist threat, from the threats to which we are exposed.

I have complete confidence in the review committee's ability to do its job. We will continue to ensure that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service implements the relevant recommendations in order to be more effective and more accountable to Parliament and Canadian taxpayers.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, we join with colleagues from all parties who are in Hamilton today, paying solemn tribute to the late Corporal Nathan Cirillo. Our thoughts and prayers are with his son, Marcus, his family, comrades and friends.

In responding to this tragedy, we must ensure adequate resources are available to our security services: the Canadian Forces, the RCMP, CSIS and others. Is the government conducting a comprehensive analysis of security funding across all departments and agencies of the Government of Canada?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Wascana. Although we find ourselves in this place, our hearts are also with the people of Hamilton who are paying tribute to one of their own. This honourable citizen will go down in history as a brave and down-to-earth Canadian and as the victim of a heinous act.

That said, as I mentioned, the RCMP, CSIS, the Ottawa Police Service and the Department of National Defence are currently studying last week's tragic events. The RCMP has asked the OPP to take charge of the entire investigation. We will base our actions on the findings of these analyses.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, both CSIS and the RCMP have said in recent days that they are doing their best to discharge their security duties with the current resources they have available.

Commissioner Paulson said yesterday that 300 RCMP officers had been reallocated to security work, taken from units fighting organized crime and financial crime. That situation is not likely sustainable.

Does the government have an estimate of what incremental funding will be necessary for the RCMP and CSIS, and when can it be made available?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, what I can assure the member is that in the past our national security agency and our law enforcement agency have counted on this Conservative government to improve the budget by one third in each case. We are there to provide them with the resources that are necessary. Unfortunately, we cannot count on the support of the opposition, but we are moving forward.

Let me also quote Commissioner Paulson, who said yesterday, “I didn't come here to get resources. I came here to help understand the nature of the threat. We are going to make decisions; we have made decisions; and we will continue to make decision around moving resources to respond to the greatest threat to the safety of Canadians”.

They can count on us.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with Corporal Nathan Cirillo and his family on this difficult day.

As parliamentarians, we must respond to this tragedy by ensuring that our security forces have the resources required to protect our national security. The RCMP says that it has to reassign 300 members working on financial and organized crime.

Will the government increase funding for these national security agencies so they can carry out their mandate?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, our government did not wait for these tragic events to take place to ensure that the RCMP and CIS have the resources necessary to carry out their fundamental and important mandate. That is why we have increased the budget of each of these agencies by over one-third.

Commissioner Paulson said yesterday that he was adjusting to the changing nature of the threat and that is why he moved resources based on priorities. We will continue to support our police forces and intelligence agencies in order to improve Canadians' security and safety.