Debates of Oct. 31st, 2014

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense. In fact, an enforcement process is under way, given CN's failure to meet the minimum grain volume requirements. That company is in fact facing fines and the enforcement process, as I said, is under way.

To clarify this, the maximum fines are $100,000 per violation. We use all means available to our government to defend farmers and all shippers to ensure our economy is well served by Canada's rail logistics system.

CBC/Radio-Canada

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, CBC executives announced yesterday that 392 jobs will be cut by next March. These cuts will primarily affect regional news rooms and programming in minority language communities.

How can the minister say that the CBC has the resources it needs to carry out its mission when it will be cutting a quarter of its positions by 2020?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, the changes that are being made by the CBC are as a result of declining advertising revenue and declining viewership in key demographics. Our government provides significant taxpayer funds to the CBC and we believe it can, and should, operate within its existing budget.

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

Mr. Speaker, today is Halloween, but CBC creators and friends really have nothing to celebrate. The broadcaster shut down its props workshop last year and will be closing its costume warehouse in Montreal next spring. This is the largest collection of its kind in North America. It includes 90,000 pieces of clothing, some of them from the 19th century.

Does the minister realize that this closure will have a significant impact on the entire Quebec television industry?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat this again. The CBC runs the operation, it is responsible for it and it is arm's length. It is up to the CBC to provide programming that Canadians actually want, fulfill its mandate under the Broadcasting Act and deliver those services to all Canadians across the country.

Infrastructure

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while today my be Halloween, municipalities across Canada know that there are no treats coming from the Conservative government. In fact, the government's infrastructure program is just another trick. The party opposite talks of large numbers over 10 years, but it masks the scary truth that this program will only invest $210 million in our trains and bridges this year.

When will the Conservative government stop dressing up the truth and invest in our towns and cities before they turn into pumpkins?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to infrastructure, the provinces and municipalities have never had a better federal partner than our government.

Since coming to power, we have introduced countless initiatives to support them: the 2007 building Canada plan, the 2008 economic stimulus and the new 2014 building Canada plan, which is a 10-year plan.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, that is just not true what the minister stated. Quite frankly, the Conservative government has put into place a 90% spending cut on infrastructure.

Infrastructure matters to our cities. They cannot do it alone. They need co-operation with the federal government. Infrastructure means potholes, streets, sewer lines and so much more.

Why has this cruel Conservative government cut back on spending on infrastructure, when Canadian municipalities across this land need that money spent today?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, even though it is Halloween, the Liberals should stop trying to scare Canadians.

Since we came to power, we have tripled investments in infrastructure. The new building Canada plan, with an envelope of $53 billion over 10 years, is operational. A number of projects have already been announced, and we are working with the provinces and territories on their priorities.

Rail Transportation

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, be it grain transport or rail safety, the Conservative government continues to drop the ball.

The people of Jeanne-Le Ber are worried. Since 2011, we have had three derailments in our community. Last April the minister promised to remove all DOT-111 tank cars, which played a huge role in the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, from service within three years. The Americans said they would do so within two years.

Can the minister tell us exactly where this file stands and when the process for removing these time bombs will be complete?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as the member will know, this government has taken a number of important rail safety measures, both before Lac-Mégantic and after the tragedy there.

The member will have heard our response to the interim measures put forward by the TSB in its interim report, which includes removing the least crash-resistant DOT-111s from service, and that has been delivered. We are taking additional measures such as emergency response action plans for those that are carrying even a single tanker of crude. We are putting in important new science classification—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order, please. The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Lac-Mégantic is in a good position to attest to the disastrous and catastrophic consequences of self-regulation in rail transportation.

Today she is disappointed by the lack of commitment shown by the minister and this government. The recommendations made by the Transportation Safety Board should have been adopted a long time ago. The people and the mayor of that town want more and deserve more.

Will the minister finally commit to seriously inspecting rail companies and putting more inspectors and investigators on the ground, where it counts?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to hire more inspectors all the time. In response to the TSB's final report, we have announced additional auditors as well to enhance our audit capability to ensure that our railways have a safety culture and that they do not just obey the rules.

This is what the FCM said, and I will quote it in response to our announcement to the TSB:

FCM welcomes today's announcement by Minister...of additional safety measures that respond directly to recommendations made by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada as part of its investigation into the Lac-Mégantic derailment.

That is what the head of the mayors are saying in our country.

National Defence

[Bryan Hayes, Conservative, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, Reuters reports that at least 220 Iraqis were executed by the terrorist group ISIL near Baghdad. Two mass graves were discovered and evidence has suggested that men between the ages of 18 and 55 were shot at close range.

This is yet further proof that ISIL is a murderous, barbaric terrorist threat, not only to the Middle East but to Canada. It is incumbent on all civilizations to do their part to counter this threat.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence please update the House on Operation Impact, and Canada's ongoing efforts to fight ISIL?

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

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm for the House that all Royal Canadian Air Force assets are in theatre and that combat operations have begun. Our CF-18s stand ready to engage the enemy. Our CP-140 Auroras are conducting surveillance. Our Polaris refuelling plane is supporting coalition efforts.

Canada will not stand idly by while this terrorist threat runs rampant across the region, spreading its poisonous ideology and inspiring would be terrorists around the world.

As always, we thank and commend the honourable brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces for all the work that they do.

Taxation

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's announcement on income splitting did nothing for single seniors or many families, whether they are in Cape Breton or across the country.

For instance, for a couple with two children where one spouse works at Canadian Tire and the other spouse works at Tim Hortons making similar incomes for a combined income of $65,000, there is nothing in this announcement that would help to pay for their mortgage, car payments or even day care.

Why do the Conservatives leave these Canadians out?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian family with children under the age of 18 would benefit from these measures, a total of 4.1 million families.

Let me give some examples. The universal child care benefit would provide $720 a year for every child under the age of 18. This monthly cheque would help Canadians make ends meet and pay for priorities like groceries, after school activities for their kids and saving for post-secondary education.

There is more. The child care expense deduction has been increased for the first time in decades to help Canadian families.

Telecommunications

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in 2011 the Conservative government promised to give power to the regions. Instead, it has given them the shaft.

In the Pontiac, less than 100 km from Ottawa, many of my constituents still do not have access to a high-speed wireless network. The absence of high-speed Internet access is impeding economic development in the entire region and preventing many businesses from being truly competitive.

What is the Conservative government doing to ensure that regions like the Pontiac will get access to a high-speed wireless network soon?

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

To share some good news with that member, Mr. Speaker, he knows clearly that we live in a digital world and what connects our digital economy is the opportunity for Canadians right across the country to benefit.

We have put in place the Digital Canada 150, intended to take full advantage of that digital economy. Over the next couple of years that will be fully in place across the country.

Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today, as we prepare to bring Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent to his final resting place, words cannot express our gratitude for and our recognition of his life of service to others.

Would the parliamentary secretary kindly say a few words about Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as a friendly, kind and strong Canadian, Patrice Vincent fought fires and saved lives during the majority of his 28-year career.

He spent his life helping and inspiring others, so it comes as no surprise that in his death, he inspired and united an entire nation.

The sacrifice of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent on behalf of our country is something I will never forget.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Claude Patry, Bloc, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Mr. Speaker, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is complaining about the supply management system, describing it as an obstacle to concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.

The United States is not shy about saying that it just needs Japan to make concessions to try to put pressure on Canada.

Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food promise not to give in to U.S. pressure, and protect the 7,200 family farms under supply management in Quebec?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, our government has always defended Canada's supply management system, and we will continue to do so in our relations with our partners.

Unlike the NDP, which failed to mention supply management in its election campaign in 2011, the Prime Minister was clear on this issue at election time.

[André Bellavance, Independent, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary can try to reassure farmers, but we have reason not to believe him.

We heard the same soothing speech when the Canada-European Union agreement was being negotiated, but the Conservative government opened up the supply management system. Cheese producers can attest to that, and they are still waiting for confirmation of the compensation they were promised.

Will this government, which once again has put supply management on the table in negotiating the trans-Pacific partnership, undertake not to make the same mistake and avoid dismantling the supply management system?