Debates of March 7th, 2014

Pink Tie Event

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I attended a “pink tie” event put on by the Montreal regional conference of elected officials. The evening's theme was “the added value of equality”. At the event, I met women entrepreneurs, presidents of chambers of commerce and boards of directors, and women elected as officials of the City of Montreal.

Women are becoming increasingly active in a wide range of sectors and are assuming their rightful place in decision-making positions. They are demonstrating courage, creativity and leadership.

In LaSalle—Émard, I wish to commend the achievements of groups dedicated to women's advocacy: Mamies immigrantes pour le développement et l'intégration; the Centre communautaire des femmes actives; and the Association Messinese de Montréal.

As chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, I tip my hat—and my pink tie—to all women who really help make our society better.

State Visit to India

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on February 21, I had the honour to accompany Their Excellencies Governor General David Johnston and Mrs. Johnston on the second state visit to India. I also had the honour and privilege to accompany the then Governor General Roméo LeBlanc on the first state visit in 1998. This state visit followed the Prime Minister's two visits to India, which I was also part of.

In 2006 the Conservative government stated in the throne speech that building relations with India was one of its priorities. As Their Excellencies stated, with 1.2 million Indo-Canadians it is but natural that Canada and India have a strong, vibrant relationship. The theme of the state visit was education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

We were accompanied by a very strong delegation of Canadians. Their Excellencies and Rideau Hall staff maintained a very robust program to achieve the objectives of the visit. To all of them we owe a big hand of applause.

Violence Against Women

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is International Women's Day. It is a day dedicated to celebrating the successes of women and girls and to renewing our resolve to fight for gender equality around the world.

It is also an opportunity to think about how we can do better. I hope that all Canadians will remember a tragedy that is close to their hearts, namely our government's ongoing failure to protect the most vulnerable in Canada: aboriginal women and girls.

Wednesday, at a memorial just outside, family and friends of Loretta Saunders demanded justice, a justice that is only possible when meaningful action is taken to prevent the loss of any more mothers, daughters, sisters, or friends.

Today, the special committee on violence against aboriginal women and girls will table its report. I am once again adding my voice to the friends and family of Loretta Saunders, the premiers, and thousands of others demanding that the government call a national public inquiry to address this critical issue. The time for action has long since passed.

Henry Taschuk

[Peter Goldring, Conservative, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to a dedicated educator and family man who touched the lives of many, leaving an indelible mark of excellence in his community. Henry Taschuk was a teacher, a math consultant, a principal for Edmonton public schools, and a hockey and softball coach in the community. He was profoundly admired, respected, loved, and appreciated by the thousands of students he taught and mentored during his 35-year career.

A loving husband for 46 years to Jean, a devoted father to daughters Stephanie, Jennifer, and son-in-law Martin, and adoring granddad to Cassidy and Jude, Henry was a true family man, always taking great pride in his Ukrainian heritage and rural upbringing and delighting in traditional gatherings with extended family and friends. We have many fond memories of Henry's brilliant sense of humour and his genuine love of family and children. I am proud to have called him not only my brother-in-law but my friend.

On February 28, Henry Taschuk passed away. Henry, rest in peace. You are greatly missed.

Paralympic Winter Games

[Manon Perreault, NDP, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, the 11th Paralympic Winter Games open in Sochi. Great athletes from across Canada will be taking part in the games. Medallists Benoît St-Amand and Ina Forrest will be competing in sledge hockey and wheelchair curling respectively. A special mention goes out to Yves Bourque, who, at age 46, is participating in the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time in the para-Nordic cross-country skiing event.

These Canadians are true role models. In addition to keeping up with the demanding lifestyle of a high performance athlete, they have to deal with the challenges of their disability. We think this shows extraordinary tenacity and determination. However, following the recent events in Ukraine, I sincerely hope that the games will remain safe and unfold harmoniously in the spirit of sportsmanship

In closing, on behalf of the NDP and myself, I wish the best of luck to our athletes who are representing Canada's colours on the world stage.

Nuclear Industry in Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Canadian Nuclear Association and the wider nuclear industry in Canada on their successful annual conference here in Ottawa last week.

Many Canadians may not realize that the nuclear industry across the nation represents almost $7 billion of economic activity and employs 71,000 Canadians across the country. Canada has long been a leader in the nuclear sciences and industries. We were the second nation to have controlled nuclear fission, and in the decade since then, our technology and expertise have been sought after around the world.

In my riding of Durham, people are very proud of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. In 2003, the Institute of Nuclear Operators gave it an award as one of the top plants in the world based on an assessment of safety, operations, and management.

I salute the thousands of people who work at Darlington. It is part of the nuclear system that generates 50% of the electricity in Ontario, all of it GHG emission-free.

Journey of Recovery

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a journey of recovery. On May 17, 2012, 13-year-old Lydia Herrle was struck by a garbage truck near her home in Wilmot township. The next month, I spoke in this house, asking all Canadians to pray for her recovery. Our prayers were answered. Lydia's recovery is a miracle.

A few months later, Lydia said, “I will be able to tie my shoes all by myself when I am fourteen. My hand will be steadier when I am fourteen. I'll be able to feed myself—even soup!”

Lydia is so grateful for the support she has received. She would like, foremost, to thank God for his steadfast presence with her, as well as her therapists and teachers for their compassion and expertise; her family, friends, and community for their love; and all Canadians who have prayed for her or encouraged her in her journey of recovery.

Tomorrow Lydia turns 15. We can only imagine the things she will be able to do when she is 15. Happy birthday, Lydia.

La Francophonie

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in this country that is enriched by its cultural diversity, March is the month when we celebrate the Francophonie here and abroad. When we celebrate linguistic diversity, we also celebrate the place and the vitality of one of Canada's founding nations.

By celebrating the Canadian Francophonie, we ensure a greater understanding and sharing of this heritage by everyone. Canada has chosen to be a bilingual country, which is not an easy task. It requires everyone's support, respect for the other experience and a desire to express our Canadian identity in both official languages.

However, la Francophonie is also 77 states and governments on five continents, including 32 that have French as their official language. It accounts for 13% of the world's population and 20% of international trade. La Francophonie has a very bright future because 60% of francophones today are under the age of 30.

Consequently, at a time when many communities throughout the world are in turmoil, I hope that we, francophones and francophiles, will celebrate and work together in order for Canada to become a model of growth and development for the peoples and cultures that share the same space.

Canadian Film Industry

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to offer my sincere congratulations to the seven talented Canadians who were recognized last weekend at the 86th Academy Awards. The critically-acclaimed film Dallas Buyers Club, directed by Canadian Jean-Marc Vallée, won three Oscars this year. Six deserving Canadians won scientific and technical awards. Yves Boudreault, André Gauthier, Benoit Sévigny and Robert Lanciault won an Oscar for the design and implementation of a software called FiLMBOX, and Tibor Madjar and Colin Doncaster each won a scientific and technical award for their scientific and technical achievements in the film industry.

Our government is very proud that Canadians continue to shine on the international stage through their meaningful contributions to the film and entertainment industries and the arts. We will continue to support and promote film and television production in Canada.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

[José Nunez-Melo, NDP, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The UN encouraged the international community to eliminate all forms of racial and ethnic discrimination by declaring this international day in 1966, to commemorate the day in 1960 when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful protest against the pass laws imposed under apartheid. In a world in which people are increasingly interconnected, tolerance, intercultural dialogue and respect for diversity have become essential. This international day is an opportunity for us to rally around the fundamental principle of the United Nations charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the equality of all human beings. Let us give this day the recognition it deserves.

International Women's Day

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, March 8, Canadians will come together to celebrate International Women's Day. This year's theme is “Strong Women, Strong Canada: Canadian Women — Creating Jobs One Business at a Time!”. This year's theme reflects the priorities announced in economic action plan 2014, including plans to support women entrepreneurs by increasing mentorship opportunities.

Today the London Abused Women's Centre is hosting their annual International Women's Day breakfast, bringing together Londoners from all backgrounds to celebrate and recognize the many women and girls across London.

Our government is working to support women-led businesses through the economic action plan for this reason. When women-led businesses succeed, communities benefit and Canada prospers.

William MacRae

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon at the RCMP's Depot Division training academy in Regina, hundreds of people will gather to pay their final respects to the late William MacRae.

Retired Superintendent MacRae was an icon of Canada's national police force. He passed away last week at the age of 87.

Born in Manor, Saskatchewan, Bill served in the Royal Canadian Navy in World War II. He joined the RCMP in 1948, trained in Regina, and was assigned to J Division in New Brunswick before coming home to Depot in 1960.

He was a superlative trainer. He commanded respect. He inspired excellence. He was an innovator and helped bring police training into its modern era.

After his retirement in 1979, Bill remained active in public service and was involved in everything from working with disabled children to serving as aide-de-camp to the Lieutenant Governor. I got to know him working on the RCMP Heritage Centre.

Thank you, Bill MacRae. Our thoughts and prayers are with Muriel and the family.

Festival of Nowruz

[John Weston, Conservative, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as spring arrives in Canada we look forward to celebrating the Nowruz, the Persian new year across our country.

In 2009 the House of Commons unanimously proclaimed Nowruz officially to acknowledge its importance. As the government liaison to the Persian and Iranian community in Canada, I am pleased that our government has put great emphasis on building relations with Canadian people of Iranian background.

In addition to regular informal discussions, our Prime Minister and several cabinet ministers have, on many occasions, held formal round tables with people in the Canadian Iranian community, responding to their needs and taking part in their efforts to introduce the highlights of Persian culture to Canadians.

While our government takes issue with the Iranian regime on matters of human rights, nuclear proliferation, and its destabilizing of the Persian Gulf region, wherever possible we make sure these criticisms are consistent with our support of the interests of Canadian Iranians. As we approach Nowruz, our thoughts are with the people of the Persian Gulf region and with people of Iranian background in Canada.

We are thankful to those who share the legacies of Cyrus the Great for their support for freedom, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Happy Nowruz. Nowruz mobarak. Nowruz pirooz.

Electoral Reform

[Matthew Dubé, NDP, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Chief Electoral Officer, Marc Mayrand, completely debunked the myths that the Minister of State for Democratic Reform has been trying to spread for weeks.

He could not have been more clear. The Conservatives will deny tens of thousands of voters of their right to vote and will treat every honest Canadian as a potential cheat. He explicitly spoke out against the measure that excludes fundraising from the spending limit. He spoke at length about the bill's many other flaws.

However, the Conservatives want us to ignore this expert on our democratic system and would prefer that we listen to the opinions of a few “normcore” MPs who, to make themselves more interesting, are inventing all sorts of stories about potential fraud. The Minister of State for Democratic Reform himself has been accused of making things up by none other than Harry Neufeld, the very person the minister keeps using to defend his botched reform.

Canadians deserve better. They deserve a government that takes the integrity of our electoral system seriously. They deserve a government that does not use every trick in the book to try to keep experts from testifying. They deserve an NDP government.

Paralympic Winter Games

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the official opening of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

The Canadian Paralympic Team, made up of 49 athletes and five guides, will be led into the opening ceremony by Canada's flag-bearer, B.C.'s own two-time medallist and wheelchair curling member, Sonja Gaudet.

Our team will join the more than 575 athletes representing 45 countries in six sports at these Paralympic Games. Our Canadian athletes have been training and preparing for this incredible milestone in their sports careers for years, and I know they are ready to compete against the world's best in their pursuit of excellence in Sochi.

Our government is proud to support the Canadian Paralympic Committee with annual funding of more than $5 million in direct funding, along with funding to our Paralympians through our amateur athletes assistance program.

I, along with Canadians across the country, will be watching, cheering, and believing as our athletes compete for Canada while proudly wearing the Maple Leaf.

Democratic Reform

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Chief Electoral Officer refuted every argument made by the minister on the unfair elections bill.

Today, we learned that Harry Neufeld, the author of the other report used by the Conservatives to disenfranchise voters, also disagrees with the minister.

Will the government agree to bring Mr. Neufeld to the committee?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, of course we will.

I disagree with Mr. Neufeld's conclusions, but I do not disagree with his facts. His facts remain the same, and I will cite them in exactly the same way as I have. They are the following, in his own report:

Errors that involve a failure to properly administer these procedures are serious. The courts refer to such serious errors as “irregularities” which can result in votes being declared invalid.

The Neufeld report also said that courts may overturn elections as a result of the errors, the kind of which we saw related to vouching.

We think that is very serious. We are going to solve that problem.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Harry Neufeld clearly contradicted the Conservatives and the Minister of State for Democratic Reform.

He says there is not a shred of evidence that voter identification card problems alleged by the government actually happened. He says that the minister has been using that statement, the one he just quoted, out of context and inaccurately.

Why does the government not ask Harry Neufeld to appear in order to shed light on what he really thinks?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, I hope that Mr. Neufeld will testify.

I disagree with his opinion, and I will continue to talk about the facts. The facts indicate that when voters voted without identification, there were over 50,000 irregularities, serious mistakes that could contribute to a court overturning an election or declaring a person's vote invalid.

We are looking at these facts, and our policy is the right one.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Neufeld said, “I never said there was voter fraud”.

This expert is very concerned about the fact that the Minister of State for Democratic Reform's bill will disenfranchise people, such as students, seniors and members of aboriginal groups, who have a harder time producing proof of address.

Why is the minister refusing to take these concerns seriously?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, I have quotes from the Neufeld report in which he says, on page 14, in reference to procedures like vouching:

Too frequently, the errors are so serious that the courts would judge them to be “irregularities” that violate the legal provisions that establish an elector’s entitlement to vote.

On page 10, he said:

...the Supreme Court made it clear that such errors in other circumstances could contribute to a court overturning an election.

That is very serious. Those are the facts he has stated. I will continue to accurately cite those facts.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

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

Mr. Speaker, western Canada has been having a grain crisis for months now.

The Minister of Transport has been aware of the situation. On Wednesday, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food said that a solution would be introduced at the right time and place. However, the right time was several months ago.

Why did the Conservatives allow rail companies to take farmers hostage for so many months before taking action?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, there have been a number of complicating factors affecting grain logistics, one of them being cold temperatures and the other a record harvest, an additional 20 to 25 million tonnes in grain harvested.

Our farmers need a safe, reliable, and efficient logistics systems. As we have said previously, our government is taking action to help our farmers move their grain to port.

I would ask my opposition colleagues to put aside the rhetoric and instead follow the announcement that is going to be made this morning, showing that our government is taking action.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a government of inaction.

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Minister of Transport have known about this grain crisis for months, and they did nothing.

Millions of tonnes of grain lie unmoved. Farmers are unpaid. Western communities are losing millions. Conservatives have let farmers lose millions on undelivered grain, waiting for the government to act.

Why has the government waited so long to finally take action?

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

Mr. Speaker, just to show how disconnected the NDP is from western grain farmers, the NDP has been advocating a monopoly by the Canadian Wheat Board as the only solution. I would like to read a quote about just how ridiculous a solution that is. Levi Wood, the president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, states:

It’s preposterous to suggest that the move to marketing freedom is the cause of this year’s shipping problems. In the first year of an open market, our wheat and barley moved to market without a hitch. The problems being experienced in this second year are instead related to the failure of the railways to provide adequate shipping capacity to move this year’s crop.

We agree. I ask the NDP to get current on this file.