Debates of March 6th, 2014

National Defence

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have just learned that there is not one single uniformed clinical psychologist employed by the Department of National Defence—not one. The minister's gross incompetence has led to a tragic failure in providing mental health services to injured soldiers.

The minister has been forced to apologize for insulting a grieving family, with a one-cent cheque. How many more tragedies and failures must military families endure before this minister listens to his own mental health experts about the needs of armed forces members?

When will he stop making excuses and act?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, what is insulting is the Liberal Party's inability to support any of the measures to help our ill and injured men and women, or our veterans, for that matter.

That said, we have increased the budget in health care. We are hiring more mental health professionals. We are making this a priority. We have made it a priority, and we will continue to do so.

Consumer Protection

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, just last month credit card companies and banks assured the finance committee that customers will be reimbursed if their credit cards are used for fraudulent online transactions, but now they are reneging on their so-called zero liability policy. The banks' complex electronic access agreements do not match what they are saying.

Will the minister make sure that Canadians are not left on the hook for other people's fraud? When will the Minister of Finance stop allowing the banks and credit card companies to take advantage of Canadian consumers?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our government takes the issue of fraud very seriously. We have been consulting with Canadians to update the consumer protection code. It is very important. I am meeting with various bank executives tomorrow and on Monday in Toronto. It is a subject that we need to pay a lot of attention to, including the issue of identity fraud.

I am more concerned, actually, with the Liberal leader's idea of being able to balance the budget automatically. I know that we are taking a break and that St. Patrick's Day is coming up, so I hope that he catches that little person, that little leprechaun.

[Annick Papillon, NDP, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some credit card companies seem to be reneging on their commitment concerning their zero liability policy. The zero liability policy does not apply in cases of fraud committed with a PIN, nor does it apply when people give their security code for online purchases. Once again, the Minister of Finance must recognize that voluntary measures simply do not work.

When will the minister bring in binding regulations to fix the flaws in the zero liability policy?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would listen more closely to the member opposite and the other members opposite in the official opposition if they had not voted against every consumer protection initiative that was brought before the House over more than eight years, including the consumer protection code.

It is easy to say these things, but it is not easy to do them. We have been doing them, and we will continue to consult and to improve them.

Veterans Affairs

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian veterans are admired for their leadership and their teamwork. They are well trained and hard-working, and they have an important role to play in Canada's workforce.

Will the Minister of Veterans Affairs please update the House on how our government is leading by example by placing veterans ahead of the pack for jobs in the federal government?

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his question. We are helping retrain injured soldiers with up to $75,800 for university or college training programs. We are opening private sector career opportunities with programs within the public service, such as Helmets to Hardhats and Hire a Veteran. For the first time in generations, veterans with three years of honourable service will have preferential treatment for entry into the federal public service.

This government is breaking new ground for veterans' benefits, while the other parties are breaking their promises by voting against them.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see that the Minister of Transport has finally doffed her muzzle and is prepared to answer some questions about western grain transportation. She accuses the opposition of empty rhetoric, but the fact of the matter is that we are concerned about empty railcars, empty ships, empty terminals, and empty bank accounts for farmers.

There is a $5-billion hole in farmers' bank accounts this winter. The government said it is going to act. When will that be? Will it be before the weekend?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the hon. member did not try to call me a dog in the House of Commons by assuming that I have a muzzle or anything like that.

I will get past that and answer that we have real concerns with respect to what is happening in the movement of grain in our logistics chain. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has been working with his people and I have been working my stakeholders, but we are at a point where we understand that action must be taken, and that is what we will do.

National Revenue

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can be ashamed of this type of behaviour.

Community organizations that help the less fortunate, such as Entraide chez nous in my riding, in Longueuil, are struggling. Communities have a great need for these groups, which are putting on fewer and fewer tax preparation clinics because of the Conservatives' cuts to the Canada Revenue Agency. These clinics are vital, however.

We have learned that the main estimates contain new cuts to the agency.

Will the government stop targeting the vulnerable and the organizations that help them and reverse these ill-considered cuts?

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, CRA's volunteer tax preparation clinics are essential because they help seniors and low-income Canadians prepare their income tax returns.

There have been no cuts to this program's budget.

However, in Quebec the program is delivered jointly with Revenu Québec. CRA works diligently with Quebec to ensure that the differences in our delivery models and training models do not impact the support provided to these important community organizations.

Health

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have always been a huge proponent of palliative care supports in Canada and I am pleased to see the level of investment that our government has made in this area to help Canadians receive the compassionate end-of-life care they need.

Can the Minister of Health please update the House on some of the investments that our government has made recently in this area?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Kitchener—Conestoga for that question and for his commitment to this very important issue.

In fact, since 2006, our government has invested $43 million to support palliative care research, and today I was very pleased to deliver an additional $3 million to the Pallium Foundation of Canada to support training in palliative care for front-line health care workers.

Our government remains committed to delivering support to Canadian families who are caring for loved ones in need of palliative care at their end of life in a compassionate and high-quality way.

Canada Post

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Shefford do not understand Canada Post's reckless decision to eliminate door-to-door mail delivery.

Once again, the Conservatives are targeting seniors and people with disabilities—the most vulnerable people in our society. However, Canada Post is not offering them any alternatives.

When will the government work to improve services to the public instead of doing away with them?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before in the House, Canada Post is facing a real crisis in terms of the lack of mail that is being put through: one billion pieces. In the past, it has taken the decision not to deliver directly to houses. In fact, two-thirds of Canadian households are like that. Canada Post is going to be moving in its plan to removing that from the other one-third of Canadian households, while of course working with concerns that people have regarding seniors and the disabled.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Maria Mourani, Independent, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the 2006 crisis in Lebanon and after the 2009 earthquake in Haiti, the government issued guidelines allowing non-Canadian parents to accompany their Canadian minor children to Canada. Again last week, two Canadian children—Gabriel, 3 and Laya, 4—were unable to come to Canada because their Syrian mother was denied a visa. The only reasons provided were the war in Syria and the possibility that they may not be able to return home. I should add that this file was followed by the minister's office.

Why is there still no special guideline for Syria?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, we were not aware of the situation of the parents of these two young children. We are keen to know the details and investigate this matter.

Canada is very proud of its role in Syria. We have invested more than $6 million to address the needs of the millions of refugees and displaced persons in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. We will continue to monitor their situation, their humanitarian needs, and their needs as potential immigrants.

Oral Questions

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder if I could get unanimous consent from the members opposite. To an issue arising in question period today, I would like to table the initiatives that we have taken as a government to address murdered and missing women, the 40 reports that have now been completed in the last number of years and the over 30 justice and public safety bills that relate specifically to violence against women and girls. Do I have unanimous consent?

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The minister may well know that as a minister he does not need to ask for consent from the House, as long as they are in both official languages and as long as they are here. If they are, then he can table away.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North is rising on a point of order.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I see that the minister is busy at his desk looking for some possible papers to table. Now that he has made the commitment to table the documents, when can we anticipate that they will in fact be tabled?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, they will be tabled in five minutes.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would just like to draw the attention of the Minister of Justice to the pages who are conveniently located in front of the Chair. There are several pages in the room at most times of the day, especially during question period, and rather than having to throw papers on the floor or walk across while the Speaker is trying to proceed, the pages would be happy to help the minister.

It being Thursday, how about we move on to the Thursday question.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North has another point of order.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice provided me with copies, but they are all in English. I would ask if—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I am going to stop the member there.

In order to be tabled, the documents need to be in both official languages. In order to be handed from one member to another they can be in any language they happen to be in. The minister has made a commitment to come back to table them, and I am sure that at that time, we can all trust they will be in both official languages. If not, we will take appropriate action.

To the hon. member for Hull—Aylmer, I certainly cannot wait for her to put the Thursday question.

I apologize to the hon. member for Hull—Aylmer, but the Minister of Finance is rising on a point of order.

The hon. Minister of Finance has the floor.