Debates of Oct. 9th, 2014

Opposition Motion—Gros-Cacouna Oil Terminal

[Jonathan Tremblay, NDP, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, rightly so.

Recently, much ink has been spilled over the contentious and worrisome drilling activities in Cacouna that have nonetheless been authorized by the federal and provincial governments. I would like to go back a bit, to shed some light on the government’s inaction when it comes to the environment.

I recall, last fall, the closing of the key positions at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute, a research laboratory studying belugas. I also recall that the Minister of the Environment evaded questions, thus showing his intention of continuing his attacks on scientists, the very people who make it possible to monitor the situation of belugas and other marine mammals that are threatened.

We all understand that the government was laying the groundwork for going ahead with the Gros-Cacouna port project: less money for scientific research, less data about the marine mammal population and less data about the ecosystem, and so fewer obstacles along the way to carrying out the project.

We also asked the Minister of the Environment to stop playing hide and seek, and release the scientific opinions about offshore activities at Cacouna, which, I would recall, is not only the very centre of the beluga habitat, but also the breeding ground for that threatened species. That was refused. Although we did get an emergency meeting, the chair of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans insisted that the meeting be held in camera. There is every reason to believe that the government is trying to hide something.

Moreover, it is inconceivable that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans would answer in the House that to obtain scientific data, we need only use Google. I am sincerely sorry for all Canadians that a minister would give this kind of answer in the House. Does that mean that the minister and her officials rely on Google to learn about this issue?

It is amusing to note that the scientific opinion we can find through a Google search is the same official scientific opinion as the one that was sent to the Quebec minister of the environment.

The title of an article in the Journal de Québec on October 1 speaks volumes: “A scientific opinion invented” by the department.

The article deals with the Quebec Superior Court decision about stopping the drilling until October 15.

It says that in the opinion of the Superior Court judge, the letter from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans—we are talking about a letter and not a scientific opinion—that was sent to the Government of Quebec on August 8 provides no scientific opinion.

If everything is on Google, as the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans claims, why hold all these meetings behind closed doors? Why hide something so important?

Unlike the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, I strongly believe that it is our duty as elected members of Parliament to ensure that the government makes decisions in the best interests of the public. The response from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is further proof of the lack of transparency of this government. It is the government's responsibility to protect belugas, a threatened species in the St. Lawrence. As responsible elected officials, it is our duty to protect this species.

This summer, Richard Nadeau, the regional director general of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, assured us in an article in Le Devoir on July 26 that the federal government planned on protecting the St. Lawrence estuary and that the mandate of the Canada-Quebec working group, created more than 15 years ago, had not been changed. The purpose of creating a marine protected area is to protect the habitat of marine mammals present in that area. You might say that is reassuring. I am not reassured.

A press release issued devastating news last week. On September 26, we learned that the Quebec chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society had submitted an access to information request for information on the work done by the Canada-Quebec working group I just mentioned, and was told that no documents existed.

The following is part of the minister's response to the society:

No document was provided regarding the working group...This is a federal-provincial group that was recently reactivated after several years of inactivity. It has not yet examined the issue of the St. Lawrence Estuary area of interest.

This surprising answer means not only that the group did not conduct a study of the area to be protected, but also that the group does not even really exist. It exists, but it is an empty shell, as Patrick Nadeau, the administrative director of CPAWS Quebec, said. All I can figure is that this working group is a kind of phantom group that comes to haunt us for a few days around Halloween.

Despite all of these facts proving how irresponsible the government is when it comes to the environment, we still dared to hope that the Prime Minister might intervene, but no, he signed off on it anyway. This week he refused to meet with a special envoy from France to talk about the fight against climate change in preparation for the next major international climate change summit, further proof that the environment is simply not a priority for this government.

Everyone knows this; there is nothing new here. We all know that anything that has to do with the environment is not a priority for this government, except when the environment hurts fossil fuels, of course.

As a final point, I would like to commend the efforts of the community groups in my riding that have joined with me in calling on the government to put an end to these drilling activities for the sake of future generations.

I would also like to commend the efforts of the men and women of Cacouna who are watching this closely. Bravo. I am on their side. I also want to thank the people in my riding who shared their concerns with me regarding the Port of Gros-Cacouna oil project. I share their concerns.

That is why we put together a team of volunteers to circulate some petitions to stop this project. On October 18, we will be in Charlevoix and on the upper north shore, going door to door to collect signatures. All work on this project must stop.

I will be very proud to come back to the House with those petitions calling on the government to stop all work in Cacouna. In the meantime, I wish to thank the hon. member for Drummond, who, through his motion, has given me the opportunity to share my constituents' concerns. I would also like to thank the hon. member for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, who has been trying from the beginning to get some answers and get some studies done on the Gros-Cacouna project.

There is no doubt that the Port of Gros-Cacouna, which will be used for the sole purpose of exporting unprocessed Canadian oil, will have a negative impact on the Canadian economy through the loss of well-paid jobs. It will constitute an environmental threat to the St. Lawrence ecosystem, including the beluga whale population, and therefore it is not consistent with the principle of sustainable development and must be rejected.

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord for his speech. I know that what is happening right now with the Port of Gros-Cacouna is extremely important to the people in his region. In Quebec, a lot of people are affected, and many people in my riding have talked to me about this oil project. They are proud that the NDP is the only party in the House of Commons to denounce these actions and the Gros-Cacouna oil port project.

I know that my colleague’s region is a major tourist region. Thousands of jobs are connected to the St. Lawrence, and I would like to know what operators in his region think. What do small tourism businesses think of the oil project, and above all, how do they feel about the NDP's position on the project?

[Jonathan Tremblay, NDP, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Alfred-Pellan for her question.

We are talking here about an economy that accounts for $160 million annually for the area around the St. Lawrence estuary and the gulf. This injection of new money from abroad is linked solely to this fishery resource, to marine mammals. There are a lot of industries that offer whale watching on the St. Lawrence in inflatable boats, but there are also a lot of piers and locations where people can take advantage of the St. Lawrence estuary. Therefore, it goes without saying that all these operators are very worried about this project, which could endanger their businesses and livelihoods.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in the motion which the New Democrats have put forward, they talk about the oil port. They refer to it being “for the sole purpose of exporting unprocessed Canadian oil” as one of the primary reasons they have the motion before us. I can appreciate the concern in that regard. However, are they saying that if there were some sort of refinement taking place there, they would be in favour of it? It seems to be partially implied within the motion.

The other thing is in regard to the importance of the environmental assessment, something on which we in the Liberal Party have placed a very high priority. That really needs to be emphasized in this debate. One of the things I have noticed is there is a difference in terms of ensuring that our environment is the first priority.

I wonder if that is the first priority, or if it is the issue of wanting to do more than just process it.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am tempted to tell the hon. member to go do his homework. The concept of sustainable development does not only concern the local economy; there are three criteria. We are speculating here about a refinery that would process oil heading toward Cacouna. However, there are also two other criteria to meet, and they are not being met at this time. Therefore, if this project is not consistent with the principle of sustainable development, we will not go forward with it.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that I will be sharing my time today with the hard-working member for Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière.

It is an honour for me to have the opportunity to participate in the debate on this motion about the proposal to block the development of the port of Gros-Cacouna marine terminal which was put forward by my colleague from the riding of Drummond.

I will begin by saying that the real outcome of this motion, if it is adopted, would be to bolster efforts to shut down Canada's oil resource industry by preventing Canadian oil from reaching any global market. Those listening at home need to understand that the port terminal which the NDP proposes to block is a key element of the effort to bring Canadian oil to markets in eastern North America and beyond. It could even help deliver energy to our allies in eastern Europe, who currently have to rely on, and be dependent upon, supplies from an ever more aggressive and expansionist Russia.

The energy east pipeline is a complex project aimed at constructing and operating a 4,600 kilometre pipeline from Alberta to the east coast, and it includes the construction of terminals at Gros-Cacouna, Quebec and Saint John, New Brunswick.

Why would anyone seek to prevent Canadian energy resources from going to willing markets as the NDP is always trying to do? I will give the member for Drummond enough credit to assume that he knows full well that energy markets are at least North America wide, and that there is already a glut of refining capacity. He is intelligent enough to know that spending literally billions of dollars on unneeded refining capacity would be just throwing Canadian and Quebec taxpayer dollars down a very deep hole.

I am aware of the concerns raised by the member for Drummond, especially concerning the impact of this terminal on the Saint Lawrence ecosystem generally and upon the beluga whale population in particular.

Today I want to reassure my hon. colleague that the Government of Canada is very committed to protecting the safety and security of all Canadians and of the environment.

A number of federal and provincial responsibilities have already been called into action as a result of the proposed Gros-Cacouna marine terminal, including those of the National Energy Board, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Transport Canada and Environment Canada, to name only a few.

For example, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is well on top of this issue and has already conducted a detailed scientific study of the impact of the necessary geophysical surveys on the Saint Lawrence beluga. It concluded that the risk of physical harm from these activities is low, and that any habitat deterioration from them will be temporary, if they are subject to strict scientifically determined conditions.

Also, once submitted by the proponent, the proposed energy east pipeline project will be assessed by the National Energy Board, which is the responsible authority. As members may know, that organization is an independent federal agency established as long ago as 1959.

Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, and the National Energy Board Act, the National Energy Board will ensure that the appropriate environmental assessments are conducted for any project under its jurisdiction, including this one.

When that application has been made, Environment Canada will also participate in the review process. It will carry out a science-based review of the project, including environmental emergency preparedness and response, oil spill prevention. migratory birds, wetlands, and wildlife species at risk, and air quality.

Through this environmental assessment and hearing process, mitigation measures will be identified to reduce any risk whatsoever. For example, an important part of Environment Canada's review will be dedicated to modelling the very remote risk of spills and predicting the potential fate of any oil spill that might remotely originate from this project under a full range of conditions. This will be used to assess any impacts from a spill and to develop contingency and response plans to minimize such impacts. The Canadian Coast Guard will be the lead agency for ship-source spill response.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Order. I must interrupt the hon. member for Kitchener Centre at this time. He will have five minutes remaining in his speech when this matter returns to the House after question period.

Jean Forsyth Case Morrison

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute today to a great Canadian.

On September 22, Jean Forsyth Case Morrison passed after 87 years of service to our country. A historian who brought alive the fur trade and the Northwest Company at Fort William Historical Park, she also wrote books on the labour history in turn of the century northwestern Ontario.

Jean used the lessons of history to help to guide us on building a better future. She opposed fascism of every kind.

Along with her late husband Ken, Jean contributed time, treasure and talent on the social and economic justice fronts and helped individuals with a hand out or a hand up whenever they needed it.

Jean was a founder and pillar of the Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship. She supported several political parties over her lifetime, and believe me, she knew how to hold her politicians feet to the fire.

Jean Morrison will be greatly missed.

Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence

[John Carmichael, Conservative, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two outstanding teachers from my riding of Don Valley West who were recipients of this year's Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence.

Ms. Maureen Sims, a grade 6 and 8 teacher in English, science and math at St. Bonaventure Catholic School, challenges her students to think outside the box every day. She employs special challenge projects to encourage her students to think on their feet and take risks to effectively problem solve.

Mrs. Sylvia Duckworth, a grades 3 through 5 teacher of core French at Crescent School, uses the accelerative integrated method and embraces digital tools such as Google Hangouts, computer animation and video making to increase learning and motivation in her classroom.

Both of these outstanding and innovative teachers instill in their students a love of learning and utilize new technologies to better equip their students.

Congratulations to both Ms. Sims and Mrs. Duckworth. Well done.

Child Poverty

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, most Canadians will be sharing the joy and meals of Thanksgiving with their loved ones. However, for the many who still live in poverty, they will only share their love and hope for a better future.

Twenty-five years ago the House made a commitment to eradicate child poverty, and today we have a higher poverty rate than in 1989. Currently, 967,000 Canadian children, which is 1 in 7 children, live in extreme poverty. In Toronto, the child poverty rate is over 30%.

We are all familiar with the negative effects poverty has on children, not to mention the socio-economic impacts on the future.

We need to act now. The children of Canada are her future.

Let us work collectively to reflect the real image and values of Canada. My Canada does not include children living in poverty.

I recently tabled Motion No. 534 to eradicate child poverty in Canada, and I hope the House will adopt it and work to make the dream of eradicating child poverty in our country a reality.

Outstanding Citizen

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding citizen, Constable Steven Enns of the Estevan Police Service.

Constable Enns received the Canadian Police Association National Award of Excellence for his service during a patrol on May 18, 2012, in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The CPA National Award of Excellence recognizes members whose commitment to service, determination and courage place them at the highest level of the policing profession.

In the early morning, he bravely saved four people from a burning home. Constable Enns saw a home on fire and banged on the door, waking up a woman. She informed Constable Enns that two others, as well as her two year old infant son, were still in the house. As the flames started to grow, he went upstairs to save the others who were still sleeping.

For his actions during this incident, Constable Enns was also awarded the Valor Award from the Saskatchewan Chiefs of Police.

I would like to thank Constable Steven Enns for his most excellent and courageous service. We are all proud of him.

International Day of the Girl

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a talented young woman, Alaina Joe, from Conne River in the Coast of Bays area of my riding of Random—Burin—St. George's.

Alaina was a contestant in the Miss Teen Newfoundland and Labrador Pageant this past week. After winning the Miss Humanitarian and People's Choice Awards, she was crowned Miss Teen Newfoundland and Labrador on October 5, becoming the first member of the aboriginal community in Newfoundland and Labrador to receive the title.

Alaina is a level II student at St. Anne's School where she excels academically and participates in the school's extracurricular program She is also an active member of her community, where she is a Canadian junior ranger, a native cultural dancer and performance choir member. Despite her hectic schedule, Alaina still finds time to volunteer in Conne River. She says her career goal is to become a neurosurgeon.

Alaina's proud parents are Barry and Olivia Joe.

As we approach October 11, the International Day of the Girl, I ask members to join me in recognizing this remarkable young woman and wishing her and all girls around the world the very best in the future.

The Environment

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be scarier as we approach Halloween than the thought of a federal government controlled by the same environmental extremists who imposed the so-called green energy act from Toronto.

These radicals, like Gerald Butts and Mike Crawley, surround the “green” leader of the third party, filling his head with goofy ideas like carbon taxes and industrial wind turbines where they are not wanted or needed.

By hiding huge tax increases onto electricity bills under the guise of saving the environment, we have a new reality, thanks to the Liberal Party of Toronto: energy poverty in Ontario.

Thousands of manufacturing jobs have fled my province, thanks to the Liberal electricity prices in Ontario, which are now the highest in North America. Seniors and others on fixed incomes now have to choose between heating and eating.

Conservatives protect jobs and the environment by saying “no” to new taxes. Carbon taxes are an economic disaster. Just ask the have-not people of Ontario.

Canada needs a strong, stable, majority Conservative government.

Violence Against Women

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to highlight the exceptional work that many organizations in my riding are doing to combat violence against women and girls.

If people spent some time in Aylmer recently, they certainly would have noticed the eye-catching display of 40 red dresses along rue Principale. This display is organized by the Circle of Friends and L'Autre chez soi to increase public awareness on the issue of violence against women and girls.

Last night, the CALAS in the Outaouais made a huge impression by mobilizing a hundred people to condemn sexual violence against women during the annual “take back the night” walk.

Through their actions and activities, these organizations put violence against women at the top of the agenda. Thanks to their efforts, we will succeed in building safe communities for all women and all girls.

Young Women are Leaders

[Guy Lauzon, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House to acknowledge the presence of a group of young female constituents from my riding who are visiting Ottawa today as part of the “Young Women are Leaders” program.

Recently, I was proud to announce funding on behalf of Status of Women Canada to fund a local leadership development program.

As we are all well aware, we need to provide support to young women in our great country to encourage and motivate them to step into more public and private sector leadership roles.

Female leaders bring so much to the table. I am grateful to the Eastern Ontario Training Board for leading this program, and most important, I am proud of the young women who are participating in the program.

I also want to take the opportunity to thank several of my female parliamentary colleagues who joined us to inspire them with their experiences in community leadership and public life.

After meeting with them today, I am very confident that our country is in great hands with these young women who are undoubtedly going to make a positive contribution to our future.

World War II Veterans

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the brave men and women who served, and continue to serve, our country at home and abroad.

This year also marks the 75th anniversary of Canada's engagement in the Second World War.

In honour of those who fought so valiantly in World War II, our government has announced a limited edition commemorative pin and certificate of recognition as a way to give special thanks.

Through this tribute, we express our gratitude to those who courageously battled in the name of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, veterans like Herman Consaul, Carlo Cosolo, Lloyd Dodgson, Arthur Fortin, Ray Gemmell, Audrey Graham, Samuel Hall, William Harris, Maureen MacDonald, Tom MacRae, Thomas McKeage, James Noble, George Sabin, David Sinclair and Alexander Wehrens from my riding of Richmond Hill.

I am deeply grateful to these heroes and to all our veterans for their willingness to defend long ago our shared values so that today we may live in peace.

I thank them. We will never forget.

Rolling Rampage

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada today there are over two million people living with physical disabilities. Many of them have specialized needs for housing, education and treatment. They require assistance for retraining, employment and recreation. The need is great, but public awareness is low.

Today on the Hill we caught a glimpse of the wealth of talent and ability in Canada's disability community through the Rolling Rampage event held here this morning. The 10 kilometre race featured top wheelchair athletes from around the world, and there was a 1 kilometre race involving parliamentarians. It is an effort by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons and its partners to show to the world that people with disabilities are every bit as gifted and accomplished as their able-bodied peers if given a chance. These athletes are inspiring examples of determination and strength.

While many of us enjoyed this event today, let us not lose sight of what these athletes are trying to show us: that we should not take disability for granted and that there is potential for achievement here, even world-class achievement, if we were to provide a helping hand.

Finland

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

Mr. Speaker, today we have the sincerest pleasure of welcoming His Excellency Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland, and his spouse Mrs. Jenni Haukio.

Canada and Finland have much in common. It is a bilingual northern parliamentary democracy and has a similar geography.

On the world stage, Canada and Finland have shared values. Both our countries are committed to advancing democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law around the world.

On the Arctic, our two countries maintain strong co-operation of the Arctic Council, as we address the most pressing issues in the region.

Our government looks forward to deepening our ties with Finland, particularly in the field of science, technology and trade.

Germain Nault

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday I witnessed a wonderful display of solidarity in Sherbrooke. A number of veterans in the region got together to help one of their own who is struggling with serious health issues and financial difficulties. All together they reshingled their friend's house and officially launched a support network for veterans in the region. The message I got was that these veterans feel that Veterans Affairs Canada has abandoned them.

Therefore, I would like to acknowledge their initiative and, above all, implore the Conservative government to listen to veterans' urgent appeal. They deserve better after what they have done for their country.

Today, I would like to pay tribute to Germain Nault, a veteran who took part in the Normandy landings in 1944. Unfortunately, he passed away on September 23 at the age of 93. This courageous, genuine and patriotic man was decorated by the Legion of Honour just a few days before his death. He was overjoyed to receive this honour. His life was changed forever by the terrible experiences he had in Europe. I hope that my colleagues will join me in paying one last tribute to him in the House of Commons. Thank you, Mr. Nault.

Liberal Party of Canada

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have known for years that the NDP bows to the will of the big union bosses and their illegal political sponsorships. However, last month some big union bosses announced that they would be supporting the Liberal Party rather than their fellow travellers in the NDP.

It did not take the Liberal Party very long to start following its new union bosses' instructions. Only a few weeks ago, the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville was advertised on the Public Service Alliance of Canada Twitter account provocatively criticizing the government.

Unlike the Liberals, whose single policy is to legalize drugs, on this side of the House, we stand up for the interests of Canadian taxpayers. This government lowers Canadian taxes, balances budgets and puts money back in the pockets of hard-working Canadians. We will continue to stand up for them day in and day out.

Iran

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to sound the alarm on the wave of wanton executions in Iran, the intensified persecution of the Baha'i and the imminent executions of three prisoners, including: the torture and threatened execution of senior Shiite clergyman Ayatollah Boroujerdi, known as “Iran's Mandela”, which is a shocking example of the massive repression that has prevailed despite the reputed moderation under Rouhani; the imprisonment of renowned Iranian physicist Omid Kokabee, who is languishing in prison on trumped up charges, has been denied life-saving medical care and whose release has been publicly urged by 25 Nobel laureates; and, the threatened execution of sexual assault victim Rayhaneh Jabbari, who was falsely convicted of murdering her assailant based on a coerced confession and a Kafkaesque proceeding.

I invite all colleagues to join me in calling on President Rouhani to cease and desist from this wanton execution binge and to release these three prisoners threatened with imminent execution, along with other political prisoners, such as the leadership of the Baha'i, and to end Iran's culture of impunity.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a pluralistic society that believes in women's rights, the rights of religious minorities and due process of law.

Foudil Selmoune, an imam from a Montreal area mosque, fundamentally rejects those principles. He has called for the stoning of women for adultery. He has called for the hands of thieves to be chopped off. Shockingly, the Liberal leader has gone to this man shopping for votes.

Someone who aspires to be a leader ought to have better judgment than to associate with these types of extremists. What is worse is that the member for Malpeque repeated the Liberal leader's assertion that he expected the government to tell him who he should or should not associate with. I would expect a former solicitor general to be able to do a Google search.

Associating with these types of people who have publicly called for Sharia law to be brought to Canada shows that the Liberals are absolutely in over their heads when it comes to Canada's national security.

Conservative and Liberal Parties of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, fortunately, ridicule never killed anyone, or else we would be having a bunch of byelections in the next few months. This morning, the Parliamentary Budget Officer showed the extent to which the Conservatives' economic approach is a total fiasco. Their EI premium credit for businesses will cost $550 million and will create only 800 jobs; not 8,000, but 800. I understand that each job is important, but with $550 million, we can do a lot better. Creating so few jobs by spending over half a billion dollars smacks of amateurism.

While the Conservatives burn through this money without guaranteeing benefits for workers, the Liberals are boasting about a plan using the EI fund, but the numbers do not add up. One economist even referred to the Liberals' plan as an election gimmick.

It sounds as if the old parties are fighting over who will have the worst plan. It is time we had a government that puts in place real job creation measures. Canadians deserve better. They deserve an NDP government with a real jobs plan.

Natural Resources

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our responsible resource development plan is delivering results for Canadians. We have taken strong action to strengthen environmental protection, enhance aboriginal engagement, and create jobs and economic growth in our natural resources sector.

This sector is integral to our economy, employing 1.8 million Canadians, contributing nearly 20% of our GDP, and generating tax revenue that supports important programs, including health care and education.

Unlike the Liberals, who have no plan for resource development, and actually voted against increasing pipeline safety measures, our government remains focused on what matters to Canadians. Major natural resource projects must undergo a thorough science-based regulatory review process to determine whether they are safe.

We have been clear. Projects will only proceed if they are proven safe for Canadians and safe for the environment. Canadians can count on our Conservative government to create jobs, grow our economy, and strengthen environmental protection in our natural resources sector.

Public Safety

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this week's vote was not the end of the debate on Canada's mission in Iraq. The government has not answered important questions. We still do not know how the government will protect Canadians and we have just learned that at least 130 radicalized Canadians who have been recruited by terrorist networks have left the country.

Why were those individuals not arrested or located? How can the government explain that breach?