Debates of Nov. 7th, 2014

Champlain Bridge

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

Mr. Speaker, that is not very reassuring. The minister is the one who unexpectedly put two giants of our history in competition with each other.

Quebeckers were not speaking out against the hero Maurice Richard. They were standing up for Champlain, the founder of Canada.

Even the Minister of State for Small Business and the Minister of International Development are urging the Minister of Infrastructure to keep the name “Champlain”.

If, however, the minister insists on changing the name of the Champlain Bridge, he could call it the “Samuel de Champlain Bridge”.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will take note of my colleague's suggestion.

However, no decision has been made.

National Defence

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, news has come out this morning that the government has told the United States that it plans to buy at least four F-35 fighter jets. Pentagon documents show that the Conservatives have asked to swap places with the United States Air Force in the production line and place the order in the current fiscal year.

Could the government confirm that this is the case? Did it really bring back the sole-sourced F-35 purchase without Canadians or Parliament being told anything about it?

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House and the member that no decision has been made on replacing the CF-18s as of yet.

As the member also knows, the CF-18s are being life-extended to maintain a fighter capability for missions like Iraq. The extension of the life of the CF-18 will be through 2025.

National Capital Commission

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the NCC has proven that it is unable of protecting Gatineau Park. More than 5,000 people signed our petition to stop the encroachment on the park and to protect this green space.

Will the minister commit to working with us to reform the NCC so that it is more transparent and more responsive to the people who live in the national capital region?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the environment.

Since we formed government, we have created two national marine conservation areas, three marine protected areas, three national wildlife areas, four national parks, and one national historic site. We have done more than any other government. In fact, the total area of the lands that we have protected is an area that is nearly twice the size of Vancouver Island.

The Economy

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on what matters most to Canadians, and that is creating jobs and economic growth, not the high-tax, high-spend agenda of the opposition.

Our economic action plan provides positive pro-growth measures, like landmark investments in research and innovation, creating the Canada apprentice loans, supporting more paid internships for recent graduates, cutting red tape for small business, delivering additional tax relief for families, and so much more.

Can the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance update this House on how our jobs and growth plan is working?

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

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is focused on what matters to Canadians, growing the economy and creating jobs.

While monthly employment numbers can be volatile, more important is the long-term trend. Since coming to office, our government has had the best job creation record in the G7. We are leading in economic growth. In fact, on a relative basis, we have created almost 20% more jobs than our closest competitor. Since the depth of the global recession, over 1.2 million net new jobs have been created.

However, Canada is not immune to the economic challenges beyond our borders. That is why our Conservative government is working hard to help create jobs and economic growth.

Statistics Canada

[Ted Hsu, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to be able to measure long-term trends.

Bill C-626 will be debated later today, a bill to restore the mandatory long-form census so that we have the trustworthy information we need to govern ourselves wisely.

Instead of voting it down, would the government consider a compromise to restore the long-form census but remove one or two of the questions that it says cause the most complaints? If not, is the government having a look at a move towards the systems used in some European countries where they have quality national statistics but no census?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)]

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to collect reliable statistical data while maintaining the privacy of everyday Canadians.

What we do not want to do, as the member's bill proposes, is to increase the burdensome red tape and costs to Statistics Canada, and ultimately taxpayers, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in more taxes.

I know the Liberals are okay with increased taxes, but Statistics Canada has said that the national household survey has yielded high-quality data that covers 97% of the Canadian population.

That is getting it done for Canadians, and that is getting it done efficiently.

Shipping

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for three years now, the ship Kathryn Spirit has been rusting in one the water reservoirs in greater Montreal. Three years, and the Conservatives have done nothing.

Finally, Transport Canada has apparently recently issued a towing permit so that the ship can be removed from Lac Saint-Louis.

Can the minister unequivocally confirm that a towing permit has been issued for the Kathryn Spirit, and if so, can she tell us when the ship will be moved?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member will know, the responsibility for any stranded vessel rests with the owner of the vessel. We do provide an authorization role for those who are seeking to move those types of things.

I do not have the specific answer at the moment about the timing of the permit, but allow me to report back to the House with specificity later on.

Canadian Heritage

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the finding of the HMS Erebus is a magnificent accomplishment, one that was celebrated in Canada from coast to coast to coast and throughout the world.

Parks Canada divers and archeologists report that there may be many artifacts on and around the ship, which can aid in our understanding of the Franklin expedition and Arctic exploration during this period in Canadian history.

Can the Minister of the Environment please tell the House about the significance of an artifact that was recently discovered at the HMS Erebus?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was proud to unveil the bell from the HMS Erebus, which had been recovered during this year's search for the Franklin expedition.

If the HMS Erebus is a treasure, then this artifact, this bell, is a treasure from within the treasure. The bell, which long ago signalled the passing of time and the change of the watch, will now serve to connect Canadians to our history and to our north.

This discovery would not have been possible without modern technology and the oral history of Inuit, equipped with this government's vision and determination.

This bell further proves that the Arctic belongs to Canada, the country of the true north, strong and free.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, and Agriculture will meet with dairy and cheese producers next week in Quebec City.

Will the minister take this opportunity to announce that he will compensate cheese producers, as he promised to do when the free trade agreement was signed with the European Union?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, our government strongly defends supply management. The Canada-European Union trade agreement is very important for Canada and its economy, but particularly for agriculture. Our government has made a commitment that should dairy farmers lose as a result of CETA, our government would put forward mechanisms to help provide compensation to those farmers. Those consultations are ongoing.

The Economy

[Manon Perreault, Independent, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the price of oil goes down, the value of the Canadian dollar goes down considerably as well. Over the coming months, a large portion of the oil sands tax revenue could disappear into thin air.

Are government members aware that by abandoning the other sectors of our economy to focus on oil production, they are potentially exposing Canada to major economic turmoil?

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

Mr. Speaker, as we have continually said, the global economy remains fragile and events that occur outside of our borders can affect Canada. Fluctuating oil prices have implications on the economy. Our government remains on track to return to a balanced budget in 2015.

As the Minister of Finance stated yesterday, a full update of the economic and fiscal outlook will be provided on November 12.

Public Safety

[Françoise Boivin, NDP, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I learned this morning that a jail in Halifax has mistakenly released a 22-year-old man who was awaiting trial on charges including attempted murder, home invasion and robbery. I am wondering if this law and order government can update the House on what exactly happened.

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all law enforcement agencies across this country for the fabulous job that they do in keeping Canadians safe each and every day.

Government Response to Petitions

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 26 petitions.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth and sixth reports of the Standing Committee on National Defence in relation to order in council appointments referred to the committee.

Canadian Heritage

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, presented on Thursday, June 12, 2014, be concurred in.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I understand we are talking about the fifth report from the Canadian heritage committee.

[An hon. member]

Not the third, not the second, not the sixth.