Debates of March 7th, 2014

Agriculture and Agri-Food

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

Mr. Speaker, today is a great day for western farmers in Canada. Up until two days ago, the opposition's solution was to bring back the mandatory Wheat Board monopoly. That is exactly what western grain farmers do not want.

Today the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Agriculture have announced action on behalf of the government, to help our grain farmers move their grain to port. I would ask the opposition, particularly the Liberals, to stop sniping from the sidelines and, instead, get on board and help our western Canadian grain farmers.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a message from the farmers—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North has the floor.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, let me give a message to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Minister of Transport: It is just not good enough.

Quite frankly, farmers and prairie farmers have been in need for months and the government has sat back and done nothing.

We are challenging the government to stand up and listen to the needs of our prairie farmers. Will the government be prepared to expand interest-free cash advances and meet with the banks today? Will the government make that commitment?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said, today is indeed a great day for western Canadian grain farmers, as this government takes action to support them in moving their grain to port.

The Liberal Party is mired in its Wheat Board theories and about how that would fix the problem, and that is absolute nonsense. Today, the minister announced that we are going to require the railways to more than double the amount of grain currently being moved or face penalties of up to $100,000. Also, we will be introducing get-to-work legislation to further address the situation. I ask the Liberals to get on board and to help western Canadian grain farmers.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

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

Mr. Speaker, the CRTC does not have a commissioner for the Quebec region. We just found out that the position has been vacant for almost nine months. The CRTC is conducting a major study on the future of television without Quebec at the table. That is unbelievable.

The same thing is happening at the Supreme Court. Major cases are being heard without adequate representation from Quebec.

Why do the Conservatives keep making the same mistakes? It is unacceptable. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage please tell us why it is taking her so long to get to work and appoint a competent commissioner to represent Quebec at the CRTC?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I will let him know that the CRTC is doing its work and fulfilling its mandate. When it comes to the filling of positions, whether they be in Quebec or anywhere else in our country, we ensure that they are done properly, that there is full research, and interviews have taken place to produce the person who is going to do the best job for both the CRTC and this country. That is exactly what we intend to do, and we are going to do it. We are going to get it done right.

Rail Transportation

[Tarik Brahmi, NDP, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Transportation Safety Board revealed that the oil that exploded in downtown Lac-Mégantic was much more volatile than MMA had declared. Forty-seven innocent people were killed.

Does the Minister of Transport still believe that the companies should regulate themselves, or will she take responsibility and impose strict rules on rail companies that put the lives of Canadians at risk?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense. The industry is regulated and the minister has taken action with respect to a protective direction with the full force of law on properly classifying. That is because the health and safety of Canadians is a priority for this government. This directive will ensure that all crude that is being transported be properly tested, classified, and the results sent to Transport Canada. This is an additional means of monitoring industry compliance and it will bring great security benefit to all Canadians.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Stella Ambler, Conservative, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over the past year, the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women has heard from over 60 witnesses, including members of families of victims of violence. The testimonies from these families were especially moving. They told us that they are tired of reports and that they want real, tangible action. They want tougher sentences for perpetrators and real protection for victims of violence.

As chair of the committee, I look forward to tabling the committee's report today after question period. In the meantime, could the Minister of Justice please inform the House what actions our government is taking to combat violence against indigenous women?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Mississauga South for her leadership, and all members of the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women, for the work they have done and the effort they have put forward on this important issue.

I have no doubt that this report will, in fact, better inform the action our government has already taken, and will continue to take, to address the violence, tragic disappearances, and brutal murder of indigenous women in Canada. The fact is, this government is taking action. We have a comprehensive justice agenda, which is focused on preventing these crimes while ensuring that offenders receive the tough sentences that they deserve.

The time for talk is over. The time for action is now. It is time for the opposition to start supporting important criminal justice initiatives.

Rail Transportation

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, why do railroads provide such bad service to grain farmers? Some people in the government blame the revenue cap in the Transportation Act, but getting rid of the revenue cap is a sure guarantee of only one thing: farmers' freight rates would double and service would be lousy.

To investigate who benefits from the revenue that comes from moving grain, will the government launch a full railway costing review? It is time. The last one was done in 1992.

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

Mr. Speaker, given the current problem with moving grain to port, we are making an announcement today to benefit our farmers in that regard.

The railways have performed poorly in this regard, which is why the announcement will be asking them to double the transport of grain from the western Prairies to port. Otherwise, they will face fines of up to $100,000. We will also be introducing legislation here in the House, get to work legislation for the railways.

Status of Women

[Manon Perreault, NDP, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, women with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than men with disabilities. According to Statistics Canada, these women are also almost twice as likely as other women to be the victims of domestic violence. In addition to physical violence, almost all women with disabilities experience psychological, verbal or emotional abuse. One of the major obstacles to breaking this cycle of abuse is that these women may be afraid to speak out because of isolation and dependence issues.

What programs are in place to break this cycle of poverty and abuse?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to preventing all forms of violence against women and girls here in Canada. Since 2007, we have invested over $63 million in funding over 300 projects to end violence against women and girls. It is the highest level of funding ever. We also launched a call for proposals that will support local projects to help prevent cyber and sexual violence against women and girls. We introduced legislation that would give police and prosecutors new tools to address cyberbullying.

If the members opposite are serious about making Canada safer for women and girls, they should support our initiatives.

International Development

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, people in my riding are concerned with the health of newborns and their mothers around the world, especially in developing countries.

Since 2010 with the signing of the Muskoka initiative, Canada has been instrumental in helping drive global efforts to help mothers and children, pledging $2.85 billion to an initiative that will save the lives of 1.3 million children and 64,000 mothers.

Can the parliamentary secretary please update the House on the announcement that was made yesterday furthering our country's support for women and children?

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, our commitment continues.

Canada is well on its way to achieving our goals under the Muskoka initiative. Yesterday the Prime Minister announced that Canada will hold a maternal, newborn and child health, MNCH, summit in May. This summit will provide the opportunity to build consensus on where to focus our efforts to maximize future results.

Canadians agree that children everywhere deserve a healthy, productive life and that no woman should lose her life bringing another into the world.

Our commitment is clear.

Natural Resources

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it was disappointing to see the National Energy Board authorize Enbridge's line 9B reversal project, even though the company is not abiding by all the conditions set by the Quebec National Assembly. Quebec only wants to ensure that Enbridge—which is responsible for the worst-ever oil spill on American soil—fully complies with all of the security regulations.

When will the Minister of Natural Resources intervene and ensure that security measures will be taken before this project gets under way, in particular by creating an intergovernmental oversight committee, conducting a review of oil transportation legislation and requiring a sufficient financial guarantee to ensure that Enbridge can pay for any and all damage in the case of a disaster?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this decision is good news for Quebec and for Canada.

The National Energy Board made this decision. A number of people were involved in the hearings. I think over 170 people participated in this.

This is great news, not only for the people of Quebec but for all of eastern Canada, which will have a greater supply of western Canadian oil, thereby allowing us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It is also extraordinarily good news for Montreal and Lévis, Quebec. We will have refineries.

It is good news for the people in the Maritimes. All around, it is a very good news day for Canada. It is good news for eastern Canada.

Air Transportation

[Dean Del Mastro, Independent, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently in the House, I brought to the attention of the Minister of Transport that a proposed wind turbine project named Sumac Ridge threatened the future of the Peterborough regional airport, and I requested that she investigate the matter and intervene.

Given the substantial investment and significant growth that has occurred at Peterborough airport since the Prime Minister himself cut the ribbon at the new facility, it is shocking that the Ontario government would permit any new build to interfere with this incredible regional success story.

Can the minister confirm that she is seized with the situation, and can she update the house in this regard?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Peterborough for the question. As was said in the House earlier on this matter, the Ontario government is responsible for approving land use plans when it comes to wind turbines. The federal government does not approve wind turbine projects. The role of the federal government and Nav Canada is to ensure that wind turbines do not cause concerns with respect to aviation safety.

As I reported earlier, because of the importance of this issue to the member, the minister said she would have her officials look into the matter. I can confirm for the House that officials are in fact looking at the matter presently.

[Dean Del Mastro, Independent, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the parliamentary secretary for that response, and the government for demonstrating its commitment to the future and success of the Peterborough airport.

This situation at Peterborough airport highlights a very serious problem with Ontario's Green Energy Act, in that consultations with airports are not required on the siting of wind turbines. The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association is one of several groups joining with the City of Peterborough calling for a new and more robust review system, involving consultations with Nav Canada prior to any consent being granted for the construction of wind turbines within any aerodrome in Canada.

Will the government direct Nav Canada to immediately undertake to discuss any and all wind turbine applications with airport owners so they can better understand the future growth of these airports?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will simply remind the member that wind farm proponents are the ones who are responsible for engaging interested parties, including Nav Canada. Nav Canada is a private company and, as such, it provides its input insofar as impacts on aviation safety are concerned.

Oral Questions

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture made a substantive error in his answers. He claimed that the doubling of car movement would be such a wonderful thing. However, the doubling of car movement only gets to the normal movement of rail cars and does nothing to deal with the backlog.