Debates of Nov. 21st, 2014

Science and Technology

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I hardly think the OECD is not a credible source.

Let us be clear. The government's most recent science and technology strategy is from way back in 2007. A year ago, the government promised to update that strategy, but it has not come up with anything yet.

The government constantly tells us that its priorities are job creation and economic development, but if it does not walk the walk, then its message is meaningless.

When will the government stop making cuts to science and technology?

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the assertions the member makes are absolutely not true.

Our government launched the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, a legacy investment, to ensure Canada's post-secondary institutions remain world leaders in the next decade. We provided the largest increase to the granting councils in a decade.

Again, more testament to that is that Stephen Toope, then president of UBC, said:

I applaud the federal government's decision to spur greater Canadian leadership in global research and innovation.

Amit Chakma, chair of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, thanked the Government of Canada:

...on its 2014 budget and the significant investment of $1.5 billion....

Privacy

[Françoise Boivin, NDP, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Privacy Commissioner gave the government a serious warning yesterday: its cyberbullying bill's surveillance measures clash with the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Spencer. The court was clear that simple data can be used to develop very detailed profiles and deserves privacy protection.

Does the minister realize that in failing to listen to the Supreme Court's decision, he risks passing a bill that will likely be struck down by the courts?

[Robert Goguen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court's decision in Spencer clearly stated that the Criminal Code provisions dealing with voluntary disclosure and immunity do not provide legal authority for access to information without a warrant, and our government has continuously said those provisions regarding voluntary disclosure and immunity do not provide legal authority for access to information without a warrant.

We will respect the Supreme Court's decision.

[Françoise Boivin, NDP, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, you have to love their creative reading.

Like us, the Privacy Commissioner is concerned that the Conservative government is using the fight against cybercrime as an excuse to increase police powers unduly and to infringe on Canadians' privacy rights.

Why is the Minister of Justice refusing to subject police officers' new powers to judicial review?

[Robert Goguen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, this government will not apologize for wanting to protect the most vulnerable members of our society: children. We kept our commitment to ensure that children are better protected from bullying, including cyberbullying, by introducing legislation to combat online crime.

Bill C-13 did not create new police powers to access telecommunications data without a judicial warrant. Judicial oversight prevails and we are protecting our children.

National Defence

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the website of the member for Halifax is promoting an event that describes NATO's Ukrainian assurance measures as “...schemes to use Ukraine as a battering ram and platform on which to foster major aggression against Russia.”

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence please provide the House with an update on what the government is doing to stand up to Vladimir Putin and for Ukrainian sovereignty?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me say first that everyone on this side of the House is disgusted that the NDP would give voice to those who accuse NATO of aggression against Russia after Vladimir Putin has invaded sovereign Ukrainian territory. In allowing this to appear under her name, it is clear that the member for Halifax and the NDP are not serious about standing up for the rights of Ukrainians.

Our party and this Prime Minister will remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine until the day its territory is returned, whether it takes five months or 50 years. Our government will always condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine. As our Prime Minister said to Putin, “You need to get out of Ukraine.”

Natural Resources

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, northern Ontarians are looking for leadership to rescue the Ring of Fire, but all the Conservative minister does is point fingers and say it is someone else's problem.

Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investments for my region are on the line, and still the Conservatives fail to act. The CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources called the Ring of Fire “beyond the point of no return.”

Does the minister agree? Has he given up, or will he invest in northern Ontario to secure our economic growth?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to responsible resource development. Cliffs has made a private business decision, and our thoughts are with those who are affected by this closure. Our government remains committed to building on our successful job creation record and building the conditions for companies to succeed in Canada.

According to KPMG, Canada boasts the lowest overall tax rate on business in the G7. This has given us a distinct competitive advantage in the extractive sectors, and we will continue to build on this action.

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

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that Cliffs Natural Resources is no longer able to do business with this Conservative government. Every investment it has made here was a disaster. The Conservatives mismanaged the situation so badly that the company is now saying that it wants to walk away.

People are losing their jobs in Quebec and job opportunities are disappearing in Ontario.

Where is this government's strategy to secure and support investments and jobs?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we welcome the Ontario government to support the Ring of Fire. What it needs to do is to be clear that this is a priority for it.

We will continue to work with first nations, other levels of government, business and industry leaders to see that this project comes to fruition.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, because of the lack of payment protection for produce sellers, in October, agribusinesses in Canada lost their privileged access to the United States.

Will the government stop hurting fruit and vegetable farmers and harmonize its policies to better protect fresh produce companies when their clients go bankrupt?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government is aware of how vulnerable the fresh produce industry is and how much it contributes to the economy.

That is why we introduced clear legislation to provide a single dispute resolution body that would help reduce issues of non-payment faced by the fresh produce industry.

We are also consulting widely on Canada's bankruptcy and insolvency laws, and Parliament will be involved in that consultation.

Our government is committed to supporting Canadian producers and exporters. We are going to continue to look at this issue.

[Jean Rousseau, NDP, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the fresh produce industry is extremely vulnerable to non-payment issues because of the perishable nature of the goods. When a client goes bankrupt, it is impossible for producers to take back their goods, which results in losses. That is why they need better payment protection. The Fresh Produce Alliance is therefore calling for a trust mechanism comparable to what exists in the United States.

Will the government finally grant the alliance's request and help our produce growers?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I just explained, the government is very aware of the contributions of the horticulture and fresh produce sector to Canada and to Canadians' economy. We are also well aware of the high-quality products they export to the United States.

My colleagues and I, particularly those on the agriculture committee, just met with producers and representatives from the horticulture industry this week. We offered a number of different solutions within the discussions.

We have done a number of things. One of the things we did was to introduce clear legislation, which the opposition voted against, that would put in place a single dispute resolution body to help with payment-type problems.

Justice

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in less than two weeks Justice Louis Labelle will retire from the Supreme Court, yet Canadians remain in the dark about what, if any, process has been undertaken to replace him. As was the case with the last appointment, it appears that there will be no published protocol consultation, no selection panel, no parliamentary review, no public engagement, no transparency, and no accountability.

Will the minister tell us what, if any, process has been initiated to fill the upcoming vacancy?

[Robert Goguen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, our judicial appointments are based on one criterion and one criterion only: whether an individual is qualified for the job, determined by merit and legal excellence.

When making all appointments, our government conducts broad-based consultations with prominent members of the bar and the legal community. These appointments have always been made by the executive and they will continue to be so.

Infrastructure

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the cultural infrastructure deficit stands at no less than $40 billion, putting this infrastructure category in the worst position by far. Instead of wasting half a billion dollars of taxpayers' money on a so-called tax credit that will create only 800 jobs, $740 million on self-serving propaganda and over $2 billion on tax cuts for the wealthy, why is the government not investing that money in our theatres, our cultural institutions and our community and recreation centres, which are in a pitiful state?

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we are doing. Since we formed government we have tripled our investments in infrastructure. The new building Canada plan is the largest and the longest infrastructure investment in Canada's history.

I have not even mentioned the gas tax fund, which delivers $2 billion directly to municipalities every year, and this includes arts and culture.

CBC/Radio-Canada

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every day I meet with people who want to talk about the cuts to CBC/Radio-Canada. People care about their local newscasts and local programming. CBC/Radio-Canada does an excellent job keeping an eye on what is happening around us and making it relevant to our everyday lives. Local content is what makes CBC/Radio-Canada our broadcaster.

Why is the minister cutting our public broadcaster's budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member may be right about the uniqueness of the CBC. He is certainly completely offside and wrong about the funding for the CBC.

As Hubert Lacroix said, there are “challenges of a rapidly changing media environment to which no conventional broadcaster is immune”. The CBC's viewership has declined, despite getting more than $1 billion in direct subsidies from the federal government and taxpayers. Changes at the CBC are the result of declining viewership in certain demographics and lower than expected advertizing revenues. That is the issue, and that is what CBC is working on.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government does not understand anything. It is because of government cuts that CBC/Radio-Canada has been unable to fulfill its mandate.

There is a reason why, last Sunday, hundreds of people came out in Sherbrooke to support CBC/Radio-Canada and speak out against the dismantling of the crown corporation. Last Wednesday, Mr. Lacroix was in Sherbrooke and the employees of Radio-Canada Estrie refused an award that was to be given to them directly by Hubert T. Lacroix.

When will the minister stop attacking CBC/Radio-Canada and give it the resources it needs?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear the opposition members say that we should not interfere and then ask us to interfere. I think before they get to the end of a question, they should determine which and what it is they want.

Any suggestion of political interference is completely untrue. The CBC is solely responsible for its day-to-day operations, including decisions with respect to programming, with respect to human resource management, and with respect to the actual work it does on a daily basis on behalf of the country.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, Liberal candidates across the country are coming out and saying that tax cuts are a bad idea because Canadians will spend the money on the wrong things, and even that bureaucrats deserve more money, not Canadian families.

Would the Minister of State for Social Development update the House on what meaningful tax cuts this government is providing for Canadian families?