House of Commons Hansard #40 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was banks.

Topics

Elections CanadaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of State (Democratic Reform)

Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the member wants to ask questions based on facts that are not true.

The truth is that I had an excellent meeting with the CEO of Elections Canada, and I read his reports thoroughly before we drafted the bill that will be introduced.

Elections CanadaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, consulting Elections Canada on changes should have been step one, if the government were actually serious. We know there were no consultations. A spokesperson for Elections Canada said the Chief Electoral Officer was not consulted on the bill.

The Minister of State (Democratic Reform) says he is proposing a major overhaul to Elections Canada. These will affect every Canadian. Can the minister tell us why he failed to speak to the country's top elections expert, the Chief Electoral Officer, or explain how he thinks he consulted with that person?

Elections CanadaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of State (Democratic Reform)

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is false. I did meet with the CEO of Elections Canada some time ago, and we had a terrific and a very long meeting, at which I listened carefully to all of his ideas. The fair elections act would keep everyday citizens in charge of democracy by putting special interests on the sidelines and rule breakers out of the game altogether. It will give law enforcement sharper teeth, a longer reach, and a freer hand, and it will crack down on and close loopholes to big money in politics.

Elections CanadaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that delaying this bill as long as he has is deliberately reducing the likelihood of any changes being allowed to it.

Let us remember when, in 2008, this minister claimed that Elections Canada singled out the Conservative Party for that party's in-and-out election expenses scandal. He also claimed that Elections Canada invited opposition parties to a raid on the Conservative Party headquarters.

Now we should trust him to reshape Elections Canada. Does the minister still believe that Elections Canada targeted the poor Conservative Party?

Elections CanadaOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of State (Democratic Reform)

Mr. Speaker, the fair elections bill will keep everyday Canadians in charge of democracy by putting special interests on the sidelines and pushing rule breakers out of the game altogether.

It will close loopholes to big money, and it will give law enforcement sharper teeth, a longer reach, and a freer hand.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Mr. Speaker, in another striking example of Conservative mismanagement, we have learned that the RCMP is considering even more significant cuts to essential national police services.

These are cuts that will frustrate police investigations and further delay prosecution of criminals. Instead of helping protect Canadians, Conservatives are forcing more budget cuts on the RCMP.

Keeping the public safe should be job one for any government, so why is the government trying to balance the budget on the back of essential police and public safety services?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Scarborough Centre Ontario

Conservative

Roxanne James ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to giving our front-line police officers the tools that they need to do their jobs.

We are taking steps to streamline the delivery of forensic lab services. The level of service will not be impacted. In fact, by consolidating there, we will be improving on the backlog.

The Auditor General recommended a more efficient system in her 2011 report, and despite the NDP objections, that is exactly what this Conservative government is doing.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives cut police services, then tried to convince people that theirs is the law-and-order party. Honestly.

Services such as the Canadian Police Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, the National DNA Data Bank of Canada, the Canadian Bomb Data Centre and the national sex offender registry are critical to keeping our communities safe. Our communities will pay the price for Conservative cuts.

What is their plan for maintaining the integrity of RCMP services despite these cuts?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Scarborough Centre Ontario

Conservative

Roxanne James ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, I find that question very rich, considering the NDP has opposed every single measure that we have tried to implement to improve the services for all law enforcement across this country.

Shamefully, the New Democrats have voted against different measures that we have implemented, including the Safe Streets and Communities Act and Combatting Terrorism Act. In fact, while I was a member of the immigration committee, this NDP member and the Liberals adamantly opposed and obstructed a bill that would revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists.

VeteransOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

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

Mr. Speaker, a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War is planned for Thursday in Rimouski. The Bas-Saint-Laurent Royal Canadian Legion had asked me to take part and hand out certificates to veterans of that conflict. However, it appears that Veterans Affairs Canada told the Legion that it had to replace me with an official from the department. I informed the minister of this situation in writing.

Can the minister confirm whether there are any directives stipulating that opposition members must be replaced by a departmental official during ceremonies?

VeteransOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Brampton—Springdale Ontario

Conservative

Parm Gill ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to speak to the member opposite if he would like to bring the issue to my attention. I would convey that to the minister and provide an appropriate answer.

VeteransOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Mr. Speaker, the minister has retracted his apology and claims he did nothing wrong. He lost the faith of veterans and he must resign.

Retired Sergeant Major Barry Westholm tore up his Conservative Party membership this weekend; even Conservative Party members are disgusted by the government's lack of respect for veterans.

Will the minister reinstate those closed veterans offices and start giving Canada's heroes the respect that they deserve?

VeteransOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Brampton—Springdale Ontario

Conservative

Parm Gill ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, we have invested almost $5 billion since coming into office, in additional funding to help veterans and to provide them with services and benefits.

Out of the eight district offices that are being merged with the Service Canada locations, five are in the same building and two are within one kilometre. There is only one office that is approximately four kilometres away. In each one of these locations, we have made sure that there is a fully-trained VAC employee present at the Service Canada location to assist.

VeteransOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veterans Affairs really has a lot of nerve. Last week, the minister gave a half-hearted apology, not because he had insulted our great veterans, but because he had arrived late. This past weekend, the minister showed us just how sincere his apology was by saying that he has done nothing wrong. Worse still, he considers all the calls for his resignation as a badge of honour. Does that not seem incredibly arrogant? Will the minister offer an unconditional apology and admit all of his mistakes?

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Brampton—Springdale Ontario

Conservative

Parm Gill ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I can assure members the Minister of Veterans Affairs is extremely committed. He is dedicated to helping veterans in his portfolio.

As a matter of fact, all members of our government, all members on this side of the House, work every single day to speak to veterans, to listen to their issues, to listen to their concerns.

We will continue to do that, even though the NDP and the Liberals oppose every single measure we bring forward to help our brave men and women who are veterans.

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, let us see. A year ago, the member for Calgary West fell asleep during a veterans committee and then accused the veterans presenting of being friends of Vladimir Putin.

Then, we have a minister who displayed rudeness to veterans who came to the Hill.

The other day, we had the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke say, “the stigma that has to be overcome is a stigma within themselves”, when referring to our men and women in the military who are prematurely released before their tenth year.

We know that over 200 military personnel were removed from the military because of their post-traumatic stress disorder.

Does the Minister of National Defence agree with the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, or is the stigma within the Conservatives themselves?

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Niagara Falls Ontario

Conservative

Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, we take all issues with respect to the mental health and the well-being of our men and women in uniform and our veterans very seriously. As a government, we have invested over $100 million more into health care. We have almost 400 full-time mental health professionals. We have to make this a priority and we will continue to make it a priority. We all have a stake in that.

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are closing veterans' service centres and laying off nearly a quarter of the staff at Veterans Affairs Canada. At the same time, they are expanding their ministerial regional offices and hiring more and more staff for those offices. On top of that, the Minister of Veterans Affairs insults the veterans who come to see him. Why are the Conservatives cutting services to our heroes while ignoring the consequences?

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Brampton—Springdale Ontario

Conservative

Parm Gill ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, this sounds very rich coming from the Liberal Party over there, whose critic for veterans affairs, on Remembrance Day, disrespected our brave men and women and veterans. Let me quote what he said about giving money to veterans:

...that's like hanging a case of beer in front of a drunk.... They get a lump sum, they go and spend it, either trying to buy a house or buying a fast car or spending it on booze or addiction.

They need to fire that critic right now.

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, today I am asking the government to listen to Canada's veterans and stop arguing with them. These are men and women who respect authority, follow orders, and put themselves in harm's way for us, for Canadians.

Last week, a veteran told me he is losing services at his local office. He waited one hour on the phone to talk to Service Canada and then he was told, sorry, it could not help him with that.

We owe Canada's veterans respect. We owe them better than this. When will the government do the right thing and reverse the budget and service cuts to our veterans?

VeteransOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Brampton—Springdale Ontario

Conservative

Parm Gill ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I can assure this House our government is committed to helping and investing in services and benefits to help Canada's veterans.

The question is: Why is it that the Liberal Party over there has opposed virtually every single measure we have brought forward to help Canada's veterans, almost $5 billion in additional funding since taking office in 2006?

They can continue to oppose it. We will continue to stand up for Canada's—

VeteransOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Joe Comartin

The hon. member for Cape Breton—Canso.

VeteransOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary says that veterans will be able to get their services a kilometre down the road. What they will be able to get a kilometre down the road is one former Veterans Affairs counsellor taking over the responsibility of 17 counsellors who lost their jobs when the Conservatives shut down the office.

We are able to debate freely in this chamber because of these veterans' sacrifice. When will the government give them the respect they have earned and the services they deserve?

VeteransOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Brampton—Springdale Ontario

Conservative

Parm Gill ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, it seems like it is only the Liberals and New Democrats who do not get the math.

We have created 600 additional new points of service to help Canada's veterans right across this great nation.

There are hundreds of cities and towns across this country where veterans did not receive the services. Now they will be able to go to Service Canada, to that point of service, and will have altogether 650 locations across this country where they can obtain information.

Consumer ProtectionOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadian families are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Middle-class Canadian workers are poorer today than they were 35 years ago, and they are being crushed by debt. They need action in the upcoming budget, not just promises, as in the throne speech.

Will the Conservatives support the NDP motion to limit ATM fees and include this policy in the budget?