House of Commons Hansard #123 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was isil.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, the government said it would assess the results of the original non-combat mission in Iraq after 30 days. Now the 30 days are up. Has that assessment taken place? If so, what are the results? If not, when can we expect to see those results?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, we sent members of our special operations forces there for a period of 30 days. That is part of a larger effort on this country's behalf, including sending humanitarian aid and delivering over 1.5 million pounds of military equipment to Iraq. Our next step is to counter ISIL, which poses a direct threat to the people of that area in the most inhumane way and a direct threat to Canada. This is what we are doing today.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, apparently the Conservatives did not think an assessment would be useful in pondering their next step.
The government of Australia has provided information about the expected costs of the mission in Iraq. The Conservatives have refused to provide the House with an estimate of these costs and to say whether they would be absorbed by the steadily diminishing budget of the defence ministry or whether more funding will be provided.
Will the government please answer these basic questions?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I have already indicated that of course there will be additional costs for a mission of this type. With respect to people analyzing what has taken place and where we are at now, I would actually refer her to her colleague, Lloyd Axworthy, who said that ISIL has “to be whacked and whacked good”.
Ujjal Dosanjh, and we all know him, wrote, “ISIS must be stopped and destroyed.”
I would suggest that even if she does not want to listen to what we have to say, she should start listening to some of her colleagues. They have it right.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, we heard today that a government internal report had said that staff cuts have been a big factor behind slow-paced refugee settlement.
I would ask the minister to do something unusual for him. Instead of glorifying in past alleged successes, will he please focus on the future and tell us how, in the future, his department will have resources that are adequate to deal with this growing number of refugees from countries like Syria and Iraq? Please focus on the future.
Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see the hon. member focusing on the growing number of refugees, because it is growing. It is well over 20,000 from Iraq and Syria under this government's watch, just since 2009, a record that is without comparison, on a per capita basis, among any of our allies.
What we would like to see is the Liberal Party of Canada focusing on the future with other Canadians, with the vast majority of Canadians, with Lloyd Axworthy, with Ujjal Dosanjh, with Bob Rae, who understand that military action is necessary to protect millions of refugees—
Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government is reneging on one promise after another, and it seems incapable of learning from its past mistakes. Justice Gascon will finally fill Quebec's seat on the Supreme Court of Canada this week, and we congratulate him.
However, it is deplorable that Justice Gascon was appointed without any debate and without consulting parliamentarians. This is very worrisome, given that Justice LeBel announced a few months ago that he will be retiring.
How will the government involve Parliament in selecting the next Supreme Court justice?
Bob Dechert ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, the appointment of Justice Gascon to the Supreme Court of Canada was an excellent one. We congratulate him today on taking his seat.
When making all appointments, our government conducts broad consultations with prominent members of the legal community and the province affected by the vacant seat. This includes the government of that province, the justice minister of that province, the chief of the superior court of that province, the Canadian Bar Association, and legal societies of that province.
In all of these consultations, we ask for names as well as advice on competence and qualities for the position.
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, what the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice seems to be forgetting is that the government promised to be transparent and more open and to allow parliamentarians to have a say.
I will repeat the question. We know that Justice LeBel will be leaving at the end of November. Can we expect the government to consult parliamentarians and tell us how that will happen? I realize that the Conservatives consult the entire legal world, but my question referred to parliamentarians. Furthermore, can we in Quebec expect the appointment to be made as soon as Justice LeBel leaves?
Bob Dechert ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
As always, Mr. Speaker, the government will consult broadly. These appointments have always been a matter of the executive and will continue to be so.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are facing escalating prescription drug costs. One in 10 cannot even afford to fill their medication prescriptions.
Canada has the second-highest spending per capita on prescription drugs of all OECD countries. The premiers have made it a clear priority to have drug coverage, but the current government is missing in action.
Why has the federal government failed so miserably in its leadership to reduce prescription drug costs for Canadians?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to discuss this issue with colleagues at our health ministers' meeting recently.
In fact, for the last year, I have been asking to have the federal government at the table to use our leverage and our expertise to help in-bulk drug purchasing plans. We have now been invited to the table. I am very pleased to see that, and of course, the Council of the Federation and the provinces have already seen hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, and we hope we can use our expertise and our leverage to find even more.
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions believes that a pharmacare program could help save $11 billion. The bulk purchase of prescription drugs alone would save $142 million.
Will the minister use this report to make prescription drugs more affordable or will she continue to do nothing, as she has done for her entire mandate as Minister of Health?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated just now, over the last year I have asked to be at the table with the provinces and territories to discuss using our expertise and our leverage to get more value and better savings for Canadian taxpayers on our bulk drug-purchasing plans with the provinces. We have been invited to the table, and I am very pleased. We hope to be able to save taxpayers a lot of money.
Wladyslaw Lizon Conservative Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged to see Canada taking a leadership role in the global fight against the Ebola outbreak in west Africa. Canadian expertise is a valued commodity in this outbreak, and our government is ensuring that the supplies and resources needed are being provided where they are most needed. This includes protective gowns, masks, and gloves that front-line workers need to stay safe.
Could the Minister of Health please update the House on the latest developments in shipping Canada's donated equipment?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague that Canada is at the forefront of fighting Ebola.
I am proud to confirm that the first shipment of Canada's donated protective equipment departed this morning on a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules bound for Sierra Leone. We are able to do this only because of investments made by our government in our armed forces, including, of course, buying four C-17s and 17 Hercules aircraft.
I thank the Department of National Defence for making sure we can get this protective equipment over to the WHO so it can be used immediately.
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, from 2012 to 2013, Parks Canada cut more than 1,000 permanent positions. That is almost one third of its employees laid off. Under the Conservatives, Parks Canada no longer has any money to hire staff, but it does have money to produce videos, such as its shocking recent wolverine video. This makes no sense. Parks Canada generates $3.3 billion for our economy.
How can the Conservatives claim to act in the interest of Canadians when it makes cuts to the development of our parks?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to investing in national parks and in connecting Canadians to our rich natural heritage. Our commitment is shown by our significant investments in national parks and by the growing network of parks. We have created two national parks, three national wildlife areas, and three marine protected areas and have tabled legislation to create Canada's first national urban park in the Rouge Valley. We are also making significant investments to deliver long-term improvements to infrastructure.
We will continue to support and invest in our national parks so Canadians can enjoy the national--
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, it is more like the government has committed to cutting over 1,100 jobs. The Conservatives have cut programs and opening hours, and they have changed guided tours to self-guided visitor activities. Now not only are these people who safeguard our national treasures out of work, but so are the people in the communities who rely on the full-year operation of parks.
Why do the Conservatives pretend to support jobs and Canadian heritage when they are firing workers and closing park gates?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I have just stated that we are making significant investments in creating new parks. We have created two national parks, three national wildlife areas, and three marine protected areas. We have also tabled legislation that would create Canada's first national urban park in the Rouge Valley. I encourage the opposition and the Liberal Party to support that bill.
We have also made significant long-term investments toward improving park infrastructure.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, this Tuesday the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development will table her report. In the past, the commissioner strongly criticized the Conservatives for their inaction on climate change. Still today, experts are saying that ice melt is limiting hunting opportunities for polar bears, which is having a negative impact on their fertility and offspring.
Are the Conservatives waiting for polar bears to disappear before they do something about climate change?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, our government's record is clear. We have taken decisive action on the environment while protecting our economy. Everyone internationally has to do their fair share, and Canada is doing its part. We only emit 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Building on our record, I also announced a number of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants from vehicles. A few weeks ago I announced our intent to regulate HFCs, one of the fastest-growing gases in the world.
We are accomplishing all of this without introducing an NDP job-killing carbon tax, which would raise the price of--
