Debates of Oct. 3rd, 2014

National Defence

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there are a range of issues that need to be debated.

Will the government do more on humanitarian aid and protection? Are CF-18s really the most appropriate military contribution that Canada can make? What alternatives could be considered, including signals intelligence, reconnaissance, airlift capacity, medical support, training? Canadians deserve to have their voices heard and respected in such a very important set of questions.

Will the Prime Minister listen to the alternatives, or will the debate on Monday simply be window dressing?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I think most people are just trying to figure out where the Liberal Party stands on all these issues. I said yesterday that I think they had about three positions. One of my colleagues said that he thinks it is four. I do not want to get into that debate.

That said, we are doing those functions, as we always do. We are reaching out with humanitarian aid.

Again I would encourage the member to listen very carefully to what the Prime Minister has to say today.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are asking Canadians to just trust them on a combat mission in Iraq, except that in return they are incapable of being transparent and honest about their plan. They are rushing things and dragging us into a mission that could go on indefinitely. It seems that they are forgetting the real victims: the people who have suffered the atrocities committed by the Islamic State armed group.

What about the humanitarian aid so desperately needed by the civilians affected by this violence?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, assisting the people who are the victims of ISIL is exactly what this government has been doing. We have been consistent in that. This is what our 30-day operation was a part of. Again, it is coming to a conclusion, and we were very helpful in providing that advice because we want to assist the people of that area. It is the right thing to do.

I encourage the member to listen to the Prime Minister.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's involvement in Iraq is not combat or nothing. We can take steps to save lives right now. The minister knows this because he saw, alongside me, the desperate need for humanitarian assistance for displaced people in Iraq. We met children in refugee camps in Erbil who are looking urgently for Canada's help to survive this coming winter. They are still waiting.

The question is, why has the government failed to step up with new aid so that we can provide support for these kids, these families, right now?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, nothing is further from the truth.

Canada is the seventh-largest donor assisting people in need during this crisis. Our contribution will allow for those most desperately in need to receive food, hygiene kits, cooking materials, blankets, tents, medical supplies, and other essential supplies, as well as making emergency repairs to essential water and sanitation facilities. This is being implemented right now.

We will continue to work closely with our allies to make sure that we can continue to support the needs of Iraqi civilians, particularly religious minorities.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, make no mistake. No one disagrees about the threat of ISIL and what it poses. It is the civilians in Iraq and Syria who are suffering the most.

When the minister came to committee a month ago, I asked him the following questions: Will they support immediate steps to support the set-up of refugee camps? Will they support the protection of minorities? Will they support victims of sexual violence and help for investigating and prosecuting war crimes?

The minister said yes to all four asks. The problem is that nearly a month later there has been no action on these four asks. Why?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, this is not true. The member is not correct in saying that.

Canada is very active on the ground. As I said, we are the seventh-largest donor. We have an approach to ensure we can reach people in need. There is capacity there, and this why we work with credible organizations like Red Cross, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, and Development and Peace, because they help us to reach the people in need.

This is action. This is exactly what we are doing right now.

Veterans Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, this week the Minister of Veterans Affairs tabled a response to a unanimous committee report on a review of the veterans charter. The minister's response is extremely disappointing. His answers were vague. There is no new money and the government says it needs more time to study the problem. The committee heard heartbreaking testimony about the challenges veterans and their families face.

Why is the minister dragging his heels instead of urgently addressing the needs of Canadian veterans?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action.

First and foremost, I would like to thank that member and all opposition members for working in a very non-partisan way to come up with a unanimous report. Let us not forget all sides agree that the new veterans charter is a great foundation upon which Canadian veterans can be supported, while the benefits and investments for veterans are being increased by more than $4.7 billion since 2006. Our government agrees with the vast majority of the recommendations, both in spirit and intent.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have seen study after study identifying ways to improve the veterans charter, from the parliamentary committee, from the Veterans Ombudsman and from many veterans organizations. The studies are done. Now is the time for action to assist veterans and their families who need help. Our veterans should not have to fight to receive benefits.

How much longer will Canadian veterans and their families have to wait for the current government to take real action?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage that member to get his facts in order.

Let me just read a quote from Tim Laidler, who is an Afghanistan war veteran and executive director of the Veterans Transition Network. He said, “It is a step in the right direction.... Veterans...need the changes [the minister] is bringing in”.

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government's response to the unanimous report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs is disappointing to say the least. The minister has postponed the implementation of major recommendations to help veterans. Yesterday, the Veterans Ombudsman said that he, too, was very concerned about the timeline for implementing the recommendations.

Will the minister quickly find the money to address the plight of veterans or would he rather save a few dollars at veterans' expense?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action. It has a strong record when it comes to providing benefits and services for Canada's veterans.

Let me read another quote from Tom Eagles, dominion president of the Royal Canadian Legion. He said, “we appreciate that these issues are complex and require considerable time, effort and financial resources to implement”.

I would encourage the member opposite to stop playing political games when it comes to Canada's veterans, get on board with the government and support us if he really cares about them.

Health

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite what the parliamentary secretary said yesterday, and despite what we heard earlier today, it is not true that the World Health Organization is blocking the shipment of vaccines to Africa.

In fact, the WHO said yesterday:

Given the public health need...WHO regards the expedited evaluation of all Ebola vaccines...as a high priority.

The WHO says that the Canadian vaccine is one of the most promising. Why is the Conservative government still dragging its feet?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are particularly proud of this very promising vaccine. That is why since day one Canada has been at the forefront of responding to the Ebola crisis. Not only are we contributing $35 million to assist those on the ground, to assist them on general humanitarian grounds, to assist them with nutrition and to provide them with treatment, we are also contributing, of the 1,500 doses that we fully own, up to 1,000 doses to the World Health Organization.

It is up to the World Health Organization to decide how it thinks it can best use these doses. Whether it is going to trials or whether it is directly dispensing them, the World Health Organization is in the driver's seat when it comes to those doses.

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President of Liberia urged Canada to do more as the Ebola outbreak continues to devastate her country. She said there is an urgent need for highly skilled health workers, testing centres and training. The WHO cites that the situation in Liberia in particular continues to deteriorate. Liberia needs strong international support to bring the outbreak under control.

Will the Canadian government respond to the plea from the Liberian president?

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

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that this is a very serious international health crisis and Canada has been showing international leadership. We have contributed $35 million in equipment, direct food and expertise. We have scientific labs on the ground and scientists that rotate through. It is very difficult to put a financial value to that type of humanitarian assistance, and it is very needed. Canada is one of the top 10 contributors throughout the entire crisis to the Ebola response in West Africa and we will continue to show international leadership.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the whole country is very proud of our national microbiology lab in Winnipeg, most recently because of the role that it is playing in the Ebola outbreak. It is a world-class centre for excellence and scientific research, due largely in part to the outstanding performance and directorship of the outgoing national director, Dr. Frank Plummer. However, that was in March.

Can the minister tell us why it is taking so long to fill this important position in this important institution and why the job posting looks like the government is contemplating hiring a mid-level bureaucrat instead of a top-notch scientist like Dr. Plummer?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the work that is being conducted there at the lab. The job has been posted and as soon as I have an update for the House, members will be hearing about it.

National Defence

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, its various important missions have extracted a large toll from the financial and human resources of the Canadian Forces. Some senior military commanders have argued for a pause in the tempo of deployments. The budget has been cut and procurements have been postponed. Even ammunition is in short supply. In dollars and in personnel, what will Canada's maximum exposure be in Iraq over the next five years? Will there be a new and extra appropriation in this fall's fiscal update?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the mission that has just been completed was included as part of the estimate process. Again, we will use existing mechanisms to report on all these matters to Parliament.

I would like the Liberals to concentrate on the human cost of what is taking place in that part of the world. This is a huge tragedy and Canada will respond.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, complexities in the Middle East are daunting. We could soon be bombing people in Libya who we were trying to defend not long ago. Even some misguided Canadians who have run amok could soon be among our enemies. In Turkey, which is a NATO ally, there is a long-running fight with the Kurds, but the Kurds are currently a major source of local resistance against ISIL.

Has this conundrum been carefully explored with the Turkish government? Is it clear who is on what side in the combat Canadians are about to get into in Iraq?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as an analysis of who is onside, the member will find that all of our main allies are onside and are joining this coalition to resist what is taking place in that part of the world. Again, even within Europe, liberal and social democratic parties across Europe are supportive of taking action against ISIL. It would be nice if the Liberals could unequivocally come on side with that.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, there are, of course, many different ways in which Canada can do its part in rooting out the evil that is ISIL. How then has the government weighed all of the alternatives, the costs, benefits and effectiveness, for example, of strategic airlift or training, signals intelligence, reconnaissance, medical support, critical infrastructure engineering, all in addition to massive humanitarian relief and all to do our part against ISIL?

How has the government calculated that the highest and best use of limited Canadian resources are air strikes, potentially crowding out all of the rest?