House of Commons Hansard #126 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was project.
Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives claim that they are working hard to fight terrorism. In reality, they cut $700 million from the public safety budget.
A total of 100 intelligence services jobs at the Canada Border Services Agency were simply eliminated. Meanwhile, 130 radicalized Canadians travelled overseas to join terrorist groups.
How can the minister say that these cuts are inconsequential when that is clearly not the case?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that our government increased the number of front-line border officers by 26%. That is what we did.
I would also remind my colleague that, despite objections from the Liberals and the NDP, we passed legislative measures that allow us to revoke the Canadian citizenship of dual-nationalists who commit crimes, including acts of terrorism. We also passed an anti-terrorism law, which included a strategy.
What did the NDP do? They voted against it.
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, on his part, it seems that the minister is more interested in his rhetoric than he is in results.
The reality is that we have under the Conservatives 130 Canadians who went to fight with terrorist organizations abroad, and 80 of those people came back to our country.
How can the minister stand in his place and say that CBSA cuts did not hurt the security of Canadians?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, what is really hurting the safety of Canadians is when politicians engage in partisanship and do not stand up to make this country more safe.
What is making this country safe is that this government has tabled a counterterrorism strategy with the combat terrorism act. We would revoke citizenship. We would revoke passports.
We are acting on terrorism, and members opposite vote against those measures.
Robert Sopuck Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, MB
Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is standing up for safe and sensible firearms policies, and I was pleased to see the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness introduce the commonsense firearms licensing act this week.
For too long, hunters, farmers, trappers, and sport shooters have been treated as second-class citizens due to failed Liberal policies.
Could the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please update the House on what our Conservative government is doing to cut red tape for law-abiding firearms owners?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette for his outstanding work and support with his team for wildlife, sports, and outdoor activities.
Of course, our priority is public safety. That is why there is mandatory training. That is why individuals who engage in domestic violence will lose their licences.
That is why we will cut red tape and make sure our country can restore dignity to those who are law-abiding citizens.
Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to the Minister of Transport, rail accidents are caused by the actions of individuals. The reality is that there is a much larger problem that relates to how safety rules are enforced.
Yesterday, the minister said that she will take the coroner's recommendations into account. However, it took years for the government to do something about DOT-111 cars.
How much longer do we have to wait for the minister to guarantee that another train carrying dangerous goods will not be left unsupervised?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with the victims and families affected by this tragic accident.
As we have been saying from the beginning, and as the Transportation Safety Board of Canada concluded, the rules were not followed. Certain individuals are facing criminal charges as a result of negligence, and court proceedings are under way.
Our government thanks the coroner for his report and recommendations. Our government has taken great strides in the area of rail safety, and in fact, we have already addressed some of the coroner's recommendations.
Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister's reaction to the report on Lac-Mégantic yesterday seemed to suggest that she thought it was only the result of a few bad apples, and that the systemic failures in her own department were not involved, despite the findings of the TSB.
Now the rail companies are fighting attempts to limit work and rest hours for engineers.
Will the minister stand firm against the rail companies and protect Canadians?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the member has it all wrong.
The government has been taking a number of important actions with respect to rail safety. Since 2006, we have invested in inspectors and put $100 million in our rail safety regime.
With respect to fatigue management, the safety of Canadians obviously remains our top priority. Railway companies are required to submit their fatigue management plans to Transport Canada. These plans must address a number of factors, such as education and training, scheduling practices, dealing with emergencies, alertness strategies, and rest environments.
If there is non-compliance with those rules, we will take whatever action is necessary.
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, as we have now heard, the Conservatives have a plan to change copyright rules in order to create an advantage for themselves in the next election.
I guess the unfair elections act was not enough. Talk about repeat offenders; it seems Conservatives are once again trying to tilt the playing field in their own favour.
My question is for the Minister of State for Democratic Reform, not the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
Will he ensure that the amendment comes before the House for proper study or will he have it stuffed into yet another omnibus budget bill?
Shelly Glover ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand and say that I have already answered part of the question that was just asked.
However, do not take it from me, I would like to read what Michael Geist, law professor at the University of Ottawa had to say about this copyright issue:
....copyright law should not be used to stifle legitimate speech. ...attempts to use copyright to claim absolute rights over the use of a portion of a video clip is surely counter to basic principles of fair dealing (in Canada)....
He agrees with us.
Alexandrine Latendresse NDP Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect this government to bring in legislation that is in the best interest of everyone. The Conservatives, however, prefer legislation that is only in their interest. We saw this with their electoral “deform”, which was tailor-made for the Conservative Party's needs.
Now they want to do it again by changing the legislation to be able to use content that belongs to broadcasters in their political attack ads.
Can the Minister of State for Democratic Reform name a single independent expert who recommended this change?
Shelly Glover ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member missed the answer earlier, so I will repeat what Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, had to say about this:
...copyright law should not be used to stifle legitimate speech....[and] attempts to use copyright to claim absolute rights over the use of a portion of a video clip is surely counter to basic principles of fair dealing (in Canada) or fair use.
Once again, he completely agrees with us. The members opposite should as well.
Judy Foote Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, under the government, Canada Post has not only been allowed to reduce services but has closed post offices entirely and continues to eliminate door-to-door delivery.
As a result, seniors are being isolated, businesses are facing yet more barriers to success, and rural Canadians are being treated as second-class citizens.
When will the government do the right thing and tell Canada Post it is okay to deliver the mail?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the member should know that in 2012, Canada Post delivered a billion fewer pieces of mail than it did in 2006.
In 2013, that number slipped to 1.2 billion fewer pieces. The trend is confirmed in the Conference Board's report that says Canada Post will be posting losses of up to $1 billion per year by 2020.
Canada Post has responded with a five-point plan. The member will know that Canada Post is an arm's-length crown corporation. It is carrying out its plan.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, that is absolute hogwash.
Let us be very clear. It is the Prime Minister and it is the government that is ending door-to-door delivery in Canada.
Imagine a reality check where we are going to have 75-year-old pensioners having to plow through ice and snow in January to pick up their mail.
Why is the government deliberately undermining the role of Canada Post?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, despite the intense feelings over there, two-thirds of Canadians already do not have door-to-door delivery. Canada Post's plan is addressing the other one-third of those homes.
However, let us be clear. This is a serious problem that Canada Post is facing. It proposed a five-point action plan that it says would allow the corporation to return to a fiscally responsible state, while still ensuring that mail delivery continues in this country.
Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON
Mr. Speaker, the negligence of successive Liberal and Conservative governments has left Toronto with a congestion crisis, according to the Toronto's Vital Signs report. In a city growing by leaps and bounds, less than a kilometre of rapid transit has been built per year over the last two decades. The report confirms what Toronto already knows: congestion is crippling our economy and undermining our quality of life.
When will the Conservatives recognize the economic, social, and environmental sense of investing in public transit?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, never has a government before ours invested so much in public transit.
The NDP wants to manage everything in Ottawa. It wants to centralize everything in Ottawa.
We want to respect jurisdiction. We want to respect provinces and municipal entities that are managing their own issues. We will continue to support them.
Andrew Cash NDP Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, maybe the Conservatives can start respecting Toronto families.
Seventy-seven thousand Toronto families are on affordable housing waiting lists. The Conservative response was 267 units, built last year.
Liberal cuts and downloading started the housing crisis. Conservative cuts have thrown fuel on the fire. However, one of the ways they could turning this crisis around is by renewing affordable housing agreements.
Will they do that for Toronto families, today?
Candice Bergen ConservativeMinister of State (Social Development)
Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate that question, because it gives me the opportunity to talk about what our government has been doing to help the housing crunch and to work with our partners.
I have been travelling across the country over the summer, signing investment in affordable housing agreements: $801 million in Ontario alone; $1.25 billion across the country.
Whether it is our homelessness partnering strategy to help those who are homeless, our investment in affordable housing, or retrofitting and renovating social housing, we are helping provinces and municipalities with their housing needs.
Joan Crockatt Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, recent media reports brought to light the fact that the Liberal leader was shopping for votes at a radical fundamentalist mosque that advocates stoning women who commit adultery.
Yesterday, unbelievably, the Liberal leader asked our government to tell him where he should or should not go. That is so disingenuous. In fact, anyone can find the shocking statements of this Imam simply by doing an Internet search.
I would like the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to tell us what the government is doing to protect Canadians from radical extremists.
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, there is a four-part plan to combat terrorism.
It is chilling to hear the kinds of comments being made here. There is no room in Canada for giving in to terrorism and barbarism. If a politician hears such comments, he should avoid associating with that person and use some common sense.
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Mr. Speaker, the “Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality” are weaker than drinking water standards in other national jurisdictions. Canada has no standard for certain substances, while other countries do.
For example, there are 189 substances regulated in other countries for which Canada has no standard.
In other cases, our Canadian standards are much more lax than those in other countries for the same toxic substance.
When will the Conservative government start to show leadership on the vital issue of drinking water quality?