Debates of Dec. 12th, 2014

Rouge National Urban Park Act

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I guess “double standard” is the catchphrase. I am giving the hon. members a gift, a gift of knowledge and wisdom: double standards are the force of the current government.

It is about doing it right. It is not about winning or losing. It is about doing what is best for everyone involved, for all the parties involved. As I said to my colleague across the way, it is about ensuring that all parties with a vested interest in the area that the bill touches on walk away with a sense that they have accomplished what they needed to accomplish.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to try again because I do not think the member or the NDP understands that the bill before us deals with, in essence, the 5,000 acres owned by the federal government. That land is owned by Transport Canada. It was reserved for an airport, as part of one of the largest land-grabs in the history of this country. That is what we are talking about. It has nothing to do with the provincial lands. If the provincial government does not want to transfer its lands, that is its business.

The bill before us here today would deal exclusively with those thousands of acres of land that the Trudeau Liberal government took away from our farmers 40 years ago, forcing the farmers into one-year leases. That is all the bill deals with. It would give these farmers long-term leases. The only objection is from those environmentalists, who want to take half of that 5,000 acres, evict the farmers, and plant trees. That is what we are talking about here.

Does the member actually support the NDP position, which would see half of this land reforested and those farmers who have been farming in this area for 400 years, some of them the very same farmers whose land was expropriated 40 years ago—

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

Order, please. We are out of time. The hon. member for Jeanne-Le Ber.

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member's perspective. As I have said before, it behooves this place to ensure that all parties involved are heard and can participate. In essence, that is the problem. There is not only one party, the Government of Canada, there is a multi-party system, as well as the Canadians who the House serves. It is their voices that we all represent and their voices we need to ensure are heard in this place.

Forces et Démocratie

[Jean-François Larose, Forces et Démocratie, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to wish everyone all the best for the holiday season. I also want to tell people not to lose hope for 2015.

Despite the political cynicism caused by a government that refuses to listen and opposition parties that continue their attacks and perpetuate the lack of decorum, Forces et Démocratie is here to listen to the people and give them the power that is rightfully theirs.

Working with the people and listening to them is the best way to successfully build the solid foundations for long-term collective prosperity. Rallying the strengths of our urban and rural areas is how we will create a future that we will be proud to pass on to our children and grandchildren. We need to do politics differently if we are going to succeed together in creating the wealth that we all deserve.

It is time to stop tearing down and, instead, come together to build our future.

Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone about the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign. For more than 100 years, the annual Christmas Kettle campaign has been a great way for people to help others in need in their local community.

Canada's first kettle was used in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1906. Today, the familiar kettles, or “bell ringers”, are seen in more than 2,000 locations across our nation.

The holiday fundraising activities of the Salvation Army play a crucial role in sharing the spirit of the season with families in need. The Salvation Army does its best to ensure that no family goes without food, no child is without presents under the tree and that Christmas is a time of hope and healing. Beyond providing Christmas dinners, the money raised at kettles is also used to provide clothing, shelter, food, toys, financial assistance, and counselling year round.

As a volunteer, it is absolutely heartwarming when I see young children and teenagers come up and give what they can. Therefore, when people hear those bells of hope, please give generously.

René Chartrand

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the remarkable life of René Chartrand.

For 21 years, from 1987 to 2008, René was a constant presence on Parliament Hill, caring for the colony of cats that lived behind the Centre Block. Every day, rain or shine, through lockdowns and holidays, René came to feed and care for the cats. As he said, “I'm not allowed to get sick--the cats would get angry if I missed a day.”

He greeted visitors from around the world, in both official languages, with a smile and an open heart, and became legendary as the “Cat Man of Parliament Hill”. In 2003, he received the Heroes for Animals Award from the Humane Society of Canada.

René Chartrand died this week at the age of 92. René's commitment and empathy are an inspiration.

I know all members will join me in celebrating his contribution to life on Parliament Hill.

Public Safety

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to report that private member's bill, Bill C-483, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (escorted temporary absence), passed third reading in the Senate yesterday. I would like to thank the members of the House and the Senate for supporting the bill.

The bill deals with release provisions for escorted temporary absences of offenders serving life sentences. Now offenders will remain under the control of the National Parole Board for the duration of their term. This means that the families of victims will retain having their concerns heard and taken into account when decisions regarding escorted temporary absences are being made for those serving sentences for the most heinous crimes. The bill also ensures that decision makers are accountable to the public for the approval or refusal of an escorted temporary absence.

I would also like to especially thank Kim Hancox, the widow of Detective Constable William Hancox, for all of her time, effort and support for this bill. I look forward to seeing it become enacted into law soon.

Jewish Refugees

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we recently commemorated the 67th anniversary of the UN partition resolution, the first ever blueprint for two states for two peoples. Regrettably, Arab leaders declared war on the nascent Jewish state, and repressed and expelled their Jewish nationals, resulting in two sets of refugees—Palestinian Arab refugees and some 850,000 Jewish refugees, the forgotten forced exodus.

Canada can be proud that Prime Minister Paul Martin was among the first western leaders to recognize the plight of Jewish refugees, recently joined by all parties in the House. This past November 30, Israel observed its first annual national day of commemoration to mark the exile and expulsion of Jews from Arab states and Iran.

Regrettably, this forgotten exodus has been expunged and eclipsed from the international and Middle East peace and justice narrative for 67 years. It must now be affirmed, acknowledged, and acted upon in the interest of history, justice, and peace.

In this spirit of peace, I take this opportunity to wish all members a happy Chanukah, a merry Christmas, and a happy new year.

Invasive Species

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced proposed new aquatic invasive species regulations that will create new regulatory tools to help prevent the spread of invasive species, such as freshwater zebra and quagga mussels.

South of the B.C. border, there are a number of infested lakes that, given the popularity of B.C. as a freshwater boating destination, could pose a serious threat to the many pristine freshwater lakes in British Columbia. Make no mistake, invasive freshwater mussels can destroy drinking water intakes. In fact, they can destroy entire aquatic ecosystems. Establishing these new regulations will serve as an important first line of defence at our B.C. border crossing.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the good work of the Okanagan Basin Water Board and the many constituents bringing this important matter forward. I would also like to thank my colleague from Kelowna—Lake Country and the minister for their strong support in ensuring that these new regulations become reality.

Our government will continue to protect the interests of British Columbia from invasive species, and support our environment and infrastructure.

Claude Huot Award

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on December 10, the sixth Claude Huot award ceremony was held in Saint-Raymond-de-Portneuf. This award, created by the Saint-Raymond heritage society, acknowledges efforts to protect and conserve heritage buildings in the municipality.

I want to congratulate the 2013 award winners, Marcel Gilbert and Pierrette Genois, the proud owners of a magnificent, eclectic Victorian home built in the 1920s.

This year, the award ceremony was especially moving because the man who inspired it passed away on September 29 at the age of 89.

I want to offer my deepest condolences to Daniel Dion, the mayor of Saint-Raymond, and Christiane Huot, Mr. Dion's spouse and Mr. Huot's daughter, and their entire family.

Claude Huot was passionate about history and geography and was the founder of the Saint-Raymond heritage society. He was known for his phenomenal memory and his great love for his home town, which he shared with us through his many writings. We paid a rather emotional tribute to him on December 10.

Thank you for everything, Mr. Huot. Through the Saint-Raymond heritage society, your work will live on.

Veterans Affairs

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the opposition has been playing politics at the expense of our veterans, the government has been working hard.

Through eight budgets, our government has earmarked over $5 billion in new funding to improve the benefits and services for veterans and their families.

Our 2014 economic action plan allocated $2.1 billion to veterans and their families.

The veterans affairs committee introduced the enhanced new veterans charter act moving forward, which was unanimously adopted.

Thanks to a partnership with Service Canada, our veterans have access to more than 600 points of service across the country.

We invested $65 million to enhance the funeral and burial program by simplifying the program for veterans' estates, and by more than doubling the current funeral services rate from $3,600 to $7,400.

I would like to wish a very merry Christmas to all our Canadian Forces members and veterans and to all the wise people of Orléans.

Please join us for breakfast tomorrow morning at the Royal Canadian Legion, the friendliest Legion in the region.

The Marsden Theatre

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House of Commons today to mark the end of an era in radio broadcasting in the Durham region and, indeed, across Canada. This weekend will feature the final episodes of The Marsden Theatre, hosted by legendary broadcaster, David Marsden, the “Mars Bar”.

He has been a pioneer in radio broadcasting in Canada, starting in the 1970s and 1980s with the spirit of radio at CFNY in Toronto. He was an early champion for Canadian music in Canada, including helping to create the CASBY Awards, or Canadian Artists Selected By You. For the last decade, at 94.9 The Rock, in Oshawa, he has hosted one of the final live-to-air radio programs in North America.

I want to thank David Marsden for being a decades-long champion of Canadian music. I want to thank him for his eclectic mix of music and his cheeky humour. I hope he stays curious and that he knows that all of us will be listening this weekend.

Conservative Party of Canada

[François Pilon, NDP, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, on this last day of the 2014 session, I would like to wish all the people in my riding of Laval—Les Îles a merry Christmas and a wonderful 2015 filled with happiness, love, health and prosperity.

Second, I would also like to congratulate them for having put up with successive Liberal and Conservative governments in recent years that have not looked after them. We have seen the loss of quality jobs, record household debt, increased poverty, especially among children and seniors, cuts to public services and the complete abandonment of the middle class.

Those are just a few of the difficulties that my constituents, like people in many other countries, have had to face with courage and strength of character.

I hope that all my constituents will be able to hang on for another few months until fall 2015, when they will finally have a government that looks after them, their needs and their interests—an NDP government.

Taxation

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the Liberal leader would raise taxes on them, making life more expensive for families. Last month, prospective Liberal candidate, Bill Casey, confirmed that the Liberal leader would raise taxes for families and cut programs to pay for the Liberals' costly schemes. This is the same Bill Casey who once upon a time said, “federal surplus money should go back to Canadians in the form of meaningful tax cuts for families...”. Voters will see right past this opportunistic stunt by Casey to further his personal vendetta.

The people of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley know that they can count on their Conservative member and this Prime Minister to lower taxes and stand up for Canadian families.

Julia Turner

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday, December 16, the Welland minor hockey midget teams will join members of the community for a good old hockey game and to remember the life of Julia Turner. Julia tragically lost her life to cancer three years ago at the age of 15. She was an avid hockey fan and worked at the arena every Sunday night, where she would watch her friends play. Now, every year, her friends come together to play in her memory. They all wear purple, Julia's favourite colour.

Julia was committed to helping those less fortunate in our community. She was so young, but for much of Julia's life she gave selflessly to her community. To celebrate her life and work, those who attend are asked to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the HOPE Centre in Welland, a cause that was very special to Julia.

I would like to thank the organizers of Julia's hockey night in Welland, especially her family and friends, for their touching tribute to a remarkable young woman. I would also like to remind all members of the House and all Canadians to think of those less fortunate as we enter the holiday season, and perhaps to donate to a local food bank. I know Julia would be smiling on all of us.

Taxation

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economy is ranked among the best in the world, despite weathering a global economic crisis. Our government has significantly reduced the tax burden for Canadians by implementing smart, sound financial policies that reduce government spending and increase returns for Canadians.

We refuse to weigh down the economy with another tax on Canadian families, unlike the New Democrats and the Liberals who have repeatedly called for increasing taxes on Canadians. It is no secret that the opposition would like to bring in a job-killing carbon tax that would raise the price on everything from fuel costs in Victoria to groceries in Inuvik, to home heating in St. John's. This is a tax that no Canadians want. Our government will never punish Canadians with the job-killing carbon tax called for by the opposition.

National Flag

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of our national flag. On the evening of December 14, 1964, MPs gathered to conclude a controversial and sometimes acrimonious debate on the commitment made by then Prime Minister Pearson to adopt a distinctly Canadian pennant

Today, everyone loves our flag. It has become a proud symbol of our Canadian identity, our values and our hopes. I encourage all members of the House and all Canadians to discover the history of our flag in all its splendour.

The results of a free vote that took place at 2:15 a.m. on December 15 are as follows: 125 Liberals voted in favour and one voted against; 6 Progressive Conservatives voted in favour and 73 voted against; 19 Socreds voted in favour and 3 voted against; 13 New Democrats voted in favour and one voted against.

In all, 163 MPs voted in favour and 78 voted against.

In conclusion, I hope that we might all agree that 50 years ago the House of Commons acted decisively and did the right thing.

Taxation

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, families in Mississauga and all families with kids across Canada will benefit from our new family tax cut plan. The average benefit is over $1,100 per year, and most benefits will go to low- and middle-income families. We are putting decision-making power into their hands.

However, notwithstanding his lack of experience, the Liberal leader has shown that same old Liberal arrogance by pledging to reverse our tax breaks. The Liberals would take this money away from Canadian families.

Let us be clear, the Conservative Party is the only party in the House whose members trust Canadians to make their own decisions. Now that we are in a position to balance the budget, we are proud to be helping families balance theirs.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Conservative government, Canada has lost over 400,000 jobs. Employment growth has been less than 1%. Youth unemployment is at 13%, and yet all they gave us this year were more omnibus bills, more shutting down of debate, and more ethical scandals. The Prime Minister will not even meet with provincial leaders.

That is why more and more Canadians are counting on the NDP to take on the Conservatives every single day. We fought for fair elections, even when the Liberals were ready to fold. We fought against the Conservatives on the war in Iraq. Day in and day out, we held them to account on corruption, on their job-killing policies, and on their mistreatment of our veterans.

Better days lie ahead. We are only one election away from change, with an experienced leader who will fight for a $15 an hour minimum wage and $15 a day child care.

This new year, let us resolve to toss these Conservatives to the curb.

Taxation

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to our work, Canadian families can be assured that their hard-earned money is making its way back into their bank accounts. Soon, families in my riding will receive just under $2,000 annually for children under the age of 6 and $720 for children age 6 to 17.

Instead of bureaucratic spending, we offer a simple time-tested plan. We are investing directly in families. We trust parents to invest in their children and spend their money as they see fit. We want families to be better off and we will continue to put forward measures to ensure that.

As this is the last member's statement for 2014, I would like to take the opportunity to wish all Canadians a very merry Christmas, and to especially thank the hospital workers and first responders who will not be able to spend that day with their families.

Merry Christmas.

National Defence

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last night, Canadians heard the grim news that yet another Canadian soldier has been lost to suicide. We all extend our heartfelt condolences to the grieving family of Corporal Scott Smith of CFB Gagetown.

Corporal Smith is the 16th Canadian Forces member to die by suicide this year alone. When we have lost more soldiers to suicide than we did to the Taliban, we have a sacred obligation to ask why. When will the minister recognize the crisis in front of him and acknowledge that his government has not done nearly enough?

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

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Corporal Scott Smith, which is dealing with this very tragic loss.

This matter is under investigation. Any loss of a Canadian Armed Forces member is a tragedy that affects all of us right across the country.

The Department of National Defence ensures that all members of the Canadian Armed Forces receive mental health support throughout their careers.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister ignores the Auditor General, disregards veterans, and seems more interested in photo ops than in helping veterans.

Now the Conservatives take money from General Dynamics, one of the world's biggest weapons manufacturers, to pay for our military mental health research.

Do the Conservatives not understand that when our soldiers sign on the dotted line, for unlimited liability, to put their lives on the line, it is the government's sacred duty to provide proper care for them? Do they really not understand their duty to our nation's veterans?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to providing the best possible care for our soldiers. These funds will help our soldiers and our veterans. I do not understand why the NDP and the opposition have a problem with that.

The last thing we want to do is discourage private sector donations to hospitals like The Royal Ottawa mental health centre foundation.

Unlike the Liberals and the NDP, I am going to take this opportunity to thank all our private sector partners for their commitment to supporting our armed forces through charitable giving.