House of Commons Hansard #77 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was funding.

Topics

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Prince George—Peace River.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Intergovernmental RelationsStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-François Fortin Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts are with the new federal Minister of Finance. Apparently he is fraught with worry about the state of Quebec's finances and its ability to return to a balanced budget.

Ironically, it is his government that changed the health care formula, which will deprive Quebec of $10 billion over 10 years; it is his government that allocated billions of dollars to Ontario's automotive industry, while abandoning dozens of manufacturing and forestry companies in Quebec; it is his government that has begun stripping Quebec of its jurisdiction over securities and undermining Quebec's entire financial sector; it is his government that ignored Quebec when it came time to award shipbuilding contracts, thereby depriving it of billions of dollars in spinoffs; and it is his government that eliminated the tax credit for labour-sponsored funds.

Since we all care about the Minister of Finance's well-being, I have some advice for him: to ease his concerns, all he has to do is reverse the unfair decisions made by his government regarding Quebec. Then everybody wins.

Battle of the AtlanticStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Robert Goguen Conservative Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House to highlight the efforts of the local veterans associations in the riding of Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe in putting together their ceremonial service of remembrance on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, which will take place on May 4, 2014.

The Battle of the Atlantic ceremony is held in memory of those who laid down their lives at sea and ashore during the Second World War victory, which came at a huge cost to our navy. Canada lost over 20 ships and 2,000 personnel.

This is also a personal commemoration, as my father-in-law, Robert Green, a teenager at the time, took part in this battle and, thankfully, survived it.

I would like to encourage my colleagues, as well as the members across the aisle, to participate in similar ceremonies taking place in their ridings to honour those who lost their lives in the cause of freedom.

Lest we forget.

Rail TransportationStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

NDP

Mike Sullivan NDP York South—Weston, ON

Mr. Speaker, last year's rail tragedy at Lac-Mégantic has prompted an examination by Parliament of the transport of dangerous goods. We learned that for 25 years, experts had been saying DOT-111 railcars were unsafe to carry dangerous goods, yet we still see hundreds rolling past homes, schools and daycares in my riding every day. The minister's announcement last week, ten months after the disaster, that these dangerous cars would continue to roll for three more years is not good enough.

At a recent town hall meeting on rail safety, residents in my riding asked why these trains were not being redirected onto safer routes, away from dense population centres. If the Transportation Safety Board says that these railcars can rupture at 20 miles per hour, why are these trains not being slowed down in populated areas? Why can the public not know what is being transported a few feet from their bedrooms? Why is the minister allowing the railroads to decide whether these routes and speeds are safe or not?

My residents, and residents elsewhere living near railway tracks, deserve better.

Canada-ChinaStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Wai Young Conservative Vancouver South, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to His Excellency Junsai Zhang, ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Canada, whose tour has ended. As co-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association, I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. During his tenure, we have experienced remarkable growth in the relationship between our two countries.

Each year, Canada exports over $20 billion in goods to China, and Canadians invest over $4 billion in the Chinese economy. Our cumulative trade is estimated at $75 billion. In addition, over 80,000 Chinese students study at Canadian institutions today, and almost 500,000 more visit Canada annually.

I know our countries will continue to build upon over 130 years of friendship, as we embrace our complementarity through these and other areas of trade, as well as build stronger people-to-people ties.

I wish Ambassador Junsai and his wife, Madame Yin Guomei, the very best. Canada is grateful for their service to our two nations and our two peoples.

Canadian Armed ForcesStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, this past week, several courageous members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces came forward about the sexual assaults they experienced while serving, and the force's disturbing response. We heard accounts of complaints dismissed by the military police, ostracism and harassment, and even rape by superior officers.

In the face of daunting obstacles, these brave men and women came forward to share their ordeals, standing up for other victims of sexual assault. It is an incredible act of bravery from individuals who already give their country so much.

We need a better approach for prevention and stronger safeguards for those who come forward, and we need them now. The system in place is clearly failing.

The defence minister is ultimately responsible for what happens in his department, so I appreciate the planned independent review, and I expect him to oversee strong, clear measures to correct this unacceptable situation.

To the men and women who have come forward, on behalf of my colleagues in the House, I simply want to thank them for their bravery, and we stand with them.

Council of EuropeStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Mr. Speaker, May 5 marks the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Council of Europe. Promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as well as co-operation among its members states in the aftermath of World War II has long been its goal and each year it continues to show its strength in that regard.

As an observer, Canada participates in its activities on a regular basis. I have just returned from leading a delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association where members and senators took part in discussions on the ongoing situation in Ukraine and Russia, something I know we are all deeply concerned about.

The council continues to allow Canada to advance positions on key issues in international affairs. We exchange ideas on important matters in human rights, democracy and rule of law, for example, the role prostitution laws can play in addressing human trafficking.

As president of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, I congratulate the Council of Europe on 65 years of important and critical work.

Shannon ParkStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Robert Chisholm NDP Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's news that the former DND property of Shannon Park has finally been transferred to Canada Lands is very welcome in my riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. This property has been empty since the military community left in 2004 leaving its status unclear.

After 10 years, this announcement finally provides some clarity for the Millbrook First Nation that have an outstanding land claim to Turtle Cove, for the families whose children attend Shannon Park Elementary School, and for the citizens of my riding who see the development opportunities of this neighbourhood.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be speaking to constituents about their ideas on the future of Shannon Park and will be working hard to ensure Canada Lands Company follows its reported robust consultation process.

My constituents deserve the full complement of consultative efforts that Canada Lands and other levels of governments can administer, including an advisory committee of local residents.

What happens to Shannon Park must not be decided for the residents of Dartmouth. It must be decided with the residents of Dartmouth.

UkraineStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Goldring Conservative Edmonton East, AB

Mr. Speaker, the crisis in Ukraine continues, with distrust on all sides. There seems to be no political willingness to legislatively address the issue of linguistic and cultural inclusivity in the present or for the future.

Leadership is needed to guarantee linguistic rights for minorities, be they Romanian or Russian, to counter the fermenting linguistic discord and restore unity to Ukraine. Such action must come from those most trusted by the majority of Ukrainians: their religious leaders.

The All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which brings together the leadership of Ukraine's faith groups, could craft an instructive proclamation for future direction and governance of Ukraine, reflecting the desire for linguistic and cultural inclusivity and easing tensions and concerns.

Orthodox church leaders and diplomatic representatives are in agreement that such an approach offers hope, and certainly it is an effort that would be constructive. The time for doing is now.

VeteransStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Parm Gill Conservative Brampton—Springdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to commend the sacrifices made by our brave men and women who have proudly served our country. Our government is committed to supporting the selfless acts of bravery of our veterans have made by investing almost $5 billion in additional funding since 2006.

In addition to the support we provide our veterans, a Canadian charity, “To the Stan and Back”, is providing further support through post combat wellness programs for returning troops from Afghanistan.

Tonight, To the Stand and Back is hosting its sixth annual fundraiser, “Party Under the Stars”, which is always a great time while raising money for such a worthy cause.

I encourage all of my colleagues in the House to attend tonight's event at Ottawa City Hall in support of the men and women who have made a tremendous sacrifice defending our great country.

Lest we forget.

FisheriesStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Ryan Cleary NDP St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL

Mr. Speaker, yet another commercial fish stock off the east coast is in trouble.

The quota for northern shrimp will be cut this year by 30%. That is a lot of grief that the Conservative government has chosen to inflict on the inshore fishermen of Newfoundland and Labrador, on our processing plants and on our outports that have had more than their fair share of grief.

The Conservative government has decided to follow the so-called last-in-first-out policy that favours big business offshore licence holders. This is not about conservation or economics; it is about blatantly serving the top of the food chain at the expense of our fishermen.

The principle of adjacency whereby those closest to the resource benefit from the resource has been tossed overboard. The last-in-first-out policy should only work for the Conservative government and the cabinet ministers on the front bench.

Our inshore fishermen, who have cast their nets outside their front doors for 500 years, should be at the front of the line. They should play second fiddle to no one.

HamiltonStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

David Sweet Conservative Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to hear the long-awaited news yesterday that Correctional Services Canada has decided not to renew the lease of the Hamilton Correctional Centre at 94 York Boulevard and it will close down. Everyone in the community is happy with this decision. We have felt for some time that the high-risk offenders housed there would be better served elsewhere for the safety of the community and for the offenders' rehabilitation program.

I want to thank the minister for his hard work on this file. I would also like to thank and acknowledge all the behind the scenes work done by the current mayor of Hamilton, Mayor Bob Bratina, and also former mayor of Hamilton Larry Di Ianni, who got the ball rolling on this during a time when he was the mayor.

The people of the Hamilton area can now be assured of safer streets, especially as downtown Hamilton experiences a renaissance and is attracting more people and businesses to the city core. Safety and security is the highest priority in the operation of the federal corrections system. Today there is more proof positive that this commitment counts.

PensionsStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Peggy Nash NDP Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, pension experts across the country support the NDP plan to improve retirement security. But the Conservative government is twisting itself into a pretzel to avoid taking real action on pensions. Today I am asking if the government will address the issue of poverty among women seniors.

Seventy per cent of seniors in poverty are women and women are twice as likely as men to be impoverished in their retirement.

Women face lower pay for their work, career interruptions to care for children or parents, and systemic discrimination experienced by aboriginal women and new Canadians.

Despite the significant gains that women have achieved, they still face many of the same challenges as their mothers and grandmothers.

New Democrats call on the government to ensure the social and economic equality of women. Improving their retirement security is a key step. All Canadians deserve better.

Natural ResourcesStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Leon Benoit Conservative Vegreville—Wainwright, AB

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the natural resources committee I am thrilled to speak about the importance of the natural resource sector to Canadians and to the good people of Vegreville—Wainwright constituency.

The natural resources sector employs 1.8 million Canadians, including more than 32,000 first nations people, making it the single largest private employer of first nations people in this country. These are good, well-paying jobs for hard-working Canadians. The natural resources sector also contributes nearly 20% of Canada's GDP. This allows the government to contribute to health care, education, and other programs that help support the high standard of living that we enjoy as Canadians.

Our government is proud to support this important sector of the Canadian economy and will continue to support the responsible development of our natural resources and the many jobs that this sector provides for Canadians.

Canadian Kumite Karate ChampionStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Foote Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Christopher Coady, a talented 15-year-old from Newfoundland and Labrador who recently won the Karate Canada National Cadet Kumite championship in the under 63 kilogram division.

Christopher's proud grandparents, Patrick and Sarah Brake from St. Lawrence in my riding of Random—Burin—St. George's, justifiably boast about his accomplishments at every opportunity.

As the Canadian Kumite champion, Christopher is looking forward to competing at the Pan-American karate championships taking place this summer in Lima, Peru.

Christopher's talent was obvious at an early age when he started training at the age of six. He has been successful on the provincial and national stage. In addition to being the current national champion, he is the current Atlantic Canada karate champion and represented Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2013 Commonwealth championships and the 2013 Montreal open.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating Christopher and wishing him all the best when he represents Canada at the Pan-American karate championships this summer.

Public SafetyStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Joyce Bateman Conservative Winnipeg South Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is committed to keeping Canada safe and secure from radical extremists who wish to harm us and our way of life.

That is why yesterday the Minister of Public Safety listed the Hamas-linked group IRFAN-Canada as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. This builds on our government's strong national security record that includes passing the Combatting Terrorism Act, investing nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in protecting Canadians from hacking and cyber espionage, and removing over 115,000 illegal immigrants since being elected in 2006.

Contrast this with the Liberals, whose leader mused about compassion for terrorists who bombed the Boston marathon just over a year ago and whose public safety spokesman, the member for Malpeque, opposed listing Hezbollah as a terrorist entity.

This type of reckless national security policy shows the leader of the Liberal Party is just in over his head.

Conservative Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Dan Harris NDP Scarborough Southwest, ON

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister celebrates his birthday today, I wonder if he will invite his close friend and ally, Tom Flanagan? For those who do not remember, he is the guy who used to write articles with the Prime Minister in the late 90s. He helped the PM become leader of the Canadian Alliance and Conservative parties, and managed—

Conservative Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Conservative Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Order, please.

The hon. member for Scarborough Southwest has the floor.

Conservative Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Dan Harris NDP Scarborough Southwest, ON

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

He also managed the Conservatives' 2004 campaign.

How does this stalwart of the Reform-Conservative movement describe his old friend these days? On the weekend, Mr. Flanagan said the unfair elections act shows the ruthless, vindictive, and hyper-partisan side of the Prime Minister and he confirmed the Conservatives are indeed using the unfair elections act to give them an advantage in the next election.

Even after promising to compromise, Conservatives are rejecting every single opposition amendment. No wonder his closest friends are calling out his ruthlessness.

However, while Conservatives use their majority to ram through unfair new rules, Canadians know they can count on the NDP to defend their democracy.

UkraineStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Lawrence Toet Conservative Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to recognize the significant contributions of the Ukrainian community in Canada in the development of our nation's rich history and heritage. Winnipeg is home to a large and vibrant Ukrainian community. Over the past few months I have had the privilege to attend many local events in support of a free and democratic Ukraine. This past weekend I was pleased to attend the Ukrainian Professional and Business Club of Winnipeg fundraiser with proceeds being donated to the Maidan relief effort fund.

Amid developments in Ukraine, there are many upcoming events in Winnipeg that will provide Canadians of Ukrainian descent with welcomed opportunities to visibly promote their culture and heritage. Specifically, I would like to convey my best wishes to organizers of the upcoming Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre's benefit concert gala dinner on May 10 and the Knights of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy 20th anniversary celebration on May 20. These special celebrations allow us to show our solidarity with Ukrainians working tirelessly to restore political and economic stability in their country.

PrivacyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, how can the Prime Minister justify the invasion of the privacy of a million Canadians by his government?

PrivacyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I obviously do not accept the premise of that question.

What we do understand is that various Canadian investigative law enforcement and other agencies will, from time to time, request information from telecom companies. They always do this in accordance with the law. They always seek a warrant when they are required to do so. Of course, we expect the telecom companies to also respect the law in all of their dealings.

PrivacyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister telling us that he thinks it is okay that a million Canadians have had their privacy invaded by his government? Is he trying to justify the unjustifiable?

PrivacyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, once again, I do not accept that statement.

The reality is that law enforcement and other investigative agencies will, from time to time, request information, as is their right. They always obtain a warrant when it is required by law.

Of course, we expect the telecom companies to comply with those obligations as well.

I should also mention that we are aware that there has been considerable evolution in the marketplace since these privacy laws were passed a decade ago. There is legislation before Parliament now, and I encourage all parties to focus on that.