Debates of April 4th, 2014

National Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing Heritage Day

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, later today I will rise in the House to address my private member's bill, Bill C-501, which would designate the third Saturday in September each year as Canada's national hunting, trapping, and fishing heritage day.

Hunting, trapping and fishing historically set the tone and direction of our nation's economic and social development, as these activities were the first forms of trade and currency.

The purpose of this bill is twofold: to honour the heritage of those who have gone before us and to bring special recognition and encouragement to those who participate in hunting, trapping, and fishing today.

These activities are part of my family's heritage, and I encourage all my fellow Canadians to explore this wonderful country of ours by getting outdoors and doing a little fishing and hunting.

I ask all the hon. members here today to continue supporting this bill.

Ovarian Cancer

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, imagine a young mother being diagnosed with a type of cancer that usually affects older women.

Imagine that there is no reliable early detection screening and that the average survival time is less than five years in 75% of cases.

Imagine that this same woman is resistant to the most effective chemotherapy and that her survival depends on experimental research protocols.

Imagine that one of the drugs is not covered by her insurance company and costs her $4,000 every three weeks. Imagine the pressure on her family's budget.

Imagine that the benefits from treatment will not be permanent and that she will soon have to travel if she wants to live longer.

That is the true story of a young mother in Louis-Hébert with ovarian cancer. What she wants is quite simple: to watch her daughters grow up for as long as she can. We can help her if we improve our research capacity and allow physical and financial access to experimental treatments.

Iran

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, despite President Rouhani's charm offensive, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to violate human rights and persecute political prisoners at an accelerated rate. Over 50 executions were reported in the first month of 2014. In 2013, 660 prisoners were executed in Iran, with 430 of them put to death after the June 14 election charade, often in horrific public group executions to intensify the atmosphere of terror throughout Iran.

Additionally, there are recent reports that Iraq is in negotiations with Iran to extradite the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, who are Iranian refugees. The MEK would become political prisoners if deported to Iran to face torture and execution by Iran's clerical regime.

Finally, Ms. Reyhaneh Jabbari is at risk of imminent execution for defending herself and killing an attacker who was attempting to rape her. The regime tortured her until she confessed to the murder. This is just another example of Iran's flagrant abuse of human rights.

We must not forget the daily atrocities going on inside Iran. The Iranian people deserve the dignity, respect, and freedom they have been denied for far too long.

International Cooperation

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been following with great interest the events taking place in the Philippines since the devastating Typhoon Haiyan. Shortly after the disaster, the Minister for International Development visited the region to assess the damage.

When catastrophes strike, Canadians have always shown themselves to be extremely generous. Recognizing their willingness to help, our government acted swiftly and announced the Typhoon Haiyan matching fund. Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that $85 million in eligible donations will be matched by the government. It means clean, safe drinking water; nutritious food; warm, dry clothing; and shelter. Much of that money has already been put to use in the Philippines.

I am very proud of our government's leadership on this file, and Canadians can be proud of their response to this tragedy.

Homelessness

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday in the House, I asked the Conservative government if it planned to reverse its cuts to funding for the fight against homelessness. I was told that there had been no cuts.

Yesterday, when I met with the minister responsible for this file, I was told once again that there had been no cuts. However, in the Outaouais, the situation is very clear. Funding for organizations has been cut. For example, funding for Entraide familiale de l'Outaouais has been reduced by more than $14,000.

We have been told that budgeted amounts are being redistributed and that other moneys will be available soon. Homelessness must be addressed right now.

People who do not have a roof over their heads need help right now.

Community organizations working with the most vulnerable in the Outaouais are having trouble meeting their commitments right now.

The federal government must clarify the situation and honour its commitment to fund the fight against homelessness right now.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...”. So wrote Charles Dickens at the beginning of his book, A Tale of Two Cities. When it comes to the economy, the worst of times may be when a leader really believes that the budget balances itself, as the Liberal leader has recently concluded. However, the best of times is when a country in the midst of the most ambitious trade expansion in its history. That is where we Canadians are today.

When our Conservative government came to office Canada had only five concluded free trade agreements. Our government has added 38 signed or concluded agreements. The results are clear. Statistics released yesterday show that Canada's overall trade balance returned to a surplus in February of $290 million.

With 38 countries, our government has added more free trade agreements than there are Liberal members.

Chinese Veterans

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to honour a fellow Londoner whom I have known since I was four years old. Hank Wong is a veteran who served during World War II. He, along with 12 other Chinese Canadian men, was trained as part of British special operations. Their mission was to go behind enemy lines.

Hank is the last remaining survivor of Operation Oblivion. His story, and that of his fellow Chinese Canadian recruits, is only now being told. Earlier this year, a television documentary film aired their experiences during the war. Even after Canada had stripped away their rights as citizens and essentially left them excluded from much of society, these brave men were still willing to enlist and serve the country that exposed them to racism and marginalized them.

There is now a campaign to have a permanent commemoration for Operation Oblivion at the Canadian War Museum to finally acknowledge their contributions to the war. I truly hope that the heroism and dedication to Canada of Hank Wong and his colleagues will be honoured.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberal leader has demonstrated that he is in way over his head. He recently called on the government to keep an open line of communication with the Iranian regime. As members know, the Iranian regime constitutes the greatest threat to global peace and security. This is a continuation of a troubling trend that Canadians have seen from the Liberal leader.

Let us examine the record. Last year the member made excuses for the Boston marathon terrorist bombers. Last year he said that he admired China's “basic dictatorship”. He also joked about the crisis in Ukraine and said that the Prime Minister's recent visit to Ukraine was no more than a three-hour photo-op.

The Liberal leader does not have the experience, substance, or judgment to lead Canada in uncertain and challenging times.

Michel Picard

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank a man whose community is very important to him and whose career is coming to an end. After working at Radio-Canada for 41 years, today, Michel Picard is retiring, thus ending a remarkable career in the media.

Michel is known for his professionalism, volunteer work and warmth and, over the course of his career, he attracted the interest of an ever-growing number of people who watched and listened to his programming on Radio-Canada.

I would like to recognize and thank his wife, Brigitte, for agreeing to share him with us for so many years.

Although tomorrow is the first day of his retirement, Michel plans to remain closely and actively involved in our community. By way of evidence, I will be seeing him tomorrow at lunchtime as he judges a pancake-eating contest taking place near the Vanier sugar bush—North America's only urban sugar bush—as part of the 28th edition of the Maple Sugar Festival.

The Economy

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today we have more proof that our plan to create jobs is working. StatsCan has announced that job growth beat expectations in March, increasing by over 42,000 jobs. Indeed, under the strong leadership of the Prime Minister, Canada has created over one million net new jobs since the depths of the recession.

However, the global economy remains fragile. We know that good economic management requires tough decisions and sound judgment. Unfortunately, the Liberal leader consistently displays a total lack of judgment. While collecting his taxpayer-funded salary, he also padded his personal wealth by ripping off charities with excessive speaking fees. With judgment like that, it is no wonder he thinks that budgets magically balance themselves and that he has no plan for the economy.

Despite the Liberal leader, our government remains focused on balancing the budget, keeping taxes low, and creating jobs for all Canadians.

Elections Act

[Alain Giguère, NDP, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister responsible for electoral “deform” insists on misinterpreting quotes from the Neufeld report, even though Neufeld himself has tried to correct him.

The minister turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the Chief Electoral Officer. He fought tooth and nail to defend the tall tales told by his colleague from Mississauga—Streetsville, even when it became clear that the so-called fraud he was talking about was a product of his overactive imagination. Most of all, he did nothing as everyone pointed out that the new law would do nothing to stop the Conservatives' fraudulent calls or to help the criminal investigation into these calls. He proved, once again, that a criminal can get out of anything if he pulls out a Conservative Party card.

It is no surprise that a bill based on a satirical TV show has become a running gag. The minister needs to stop joking around and start taking this seriously.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in an interview with a Toronto Farsi-language media outlet, the leader of the Liberal Party called on Canada to take a more balanced approach to the Middle East. So what balance would he be talking about?

Balance, by joining the hordes who condemn Israel for the sake of anti-Zionism, rather than standing up for the only liberal democracy in the Middle East? Balance, in approaching Hamas, because somehow a murderous, terrorist enemy bent on the destruction of Israel will respond to a kinder, gentler approach? Balance, by joking about Crimea in the midst of an invasion that destabilized global peace and security? Balance, by empathizing with the Boston Marathon bombers? Or balance by believing that the Iranian supreme leader has somehow magically become a moderate? Has the leader of the Liberal Party forgotten that the government of Iran has murdered more, not fewer, political prisoners since Rouhani was installed as president?

Clearly, the Liberal leader is in over his head.

Democratic Reform

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Sheila Fraser did not pull punches when she was investigating Liberal corruption during the sponsorship scandal. She is a Canadian hero, and she has been clear on the Conservatives' unfair elections act. She calls it an attack on democracy. She is particularly troubled by limitations imposed on the Chief Electoral Officer's independence.

Independent officers of Parliament and the government is now restricting what they can say? It's just so inappropriate.

Does the minister finally understand that his changes are inappropriate and unfair, and will he withdraw his attack on democracy?

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

Mr. Speaker, we already knew Elections Canada's position on this. We just disagree with it. Elections Canada and the government disagree on the view that Canadians should present ID when they vote. The everyday Canadian voter has no problem presenting that ID. It is a reasonable position, it is common sense, and the Canadian people support it.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should stop attacking Sheila Fraser and chief electoral officers from across the country, and witnesses as well, and he should start listening to Canadians.

The minister has been answering questions about Sheila Fraser's stinging criticism by attacking this trusted public figure. We are seeing this again now. He is trying to demonize Elections Canada and attack the credibility of Sheila Fraser.

Sheila Fraser deserves our country's thanks. She stood up against Liberal corruption, and she is getting shameful treatment by the Conservatives. Will the minister now stand up and apologize to Sheila Fraser for his inappropriate comments?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is entirely appropriate for an elected government, based on reason and common sense, to disagree with Elections Canada. Elections Canada serves Parliament, not the other way around. That is the way it works in a democracy. Elected officials listen to the views of all Canadians and then make decisions in their interest. That is what we have done with the fair elections act. It is based on common sense, it is reasoned, and the Canadian people support it.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's former auditor general, Sheila Fraser, who exposed the Liberal sponsorship scandal, feels that Bill C-23 is an attack on Canadian democracy.

When it came time to go after the Liberals, with good reason, the current Minister of State for Democratic Reform mentioned the former auditor general's name 65 times in the House. Today, he is acting as though she does not even exist.

Will the minister listen to Sheila Fraser and withdraw his bill?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have already listened to officials from Elections Canada, but we do not agree with their proposals.

We do not agree with Elections Canada when they say that people should be able to vote without ID. It is not that we did not listen. Quite the opposite, actually. We listened closely. It is because we listened that we disagree with Elections Canada's proposals. Our bill is reasonable, it makes sense and Canadians support it.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Native Women's Association of Canada provided an eloquent reminder of the significant barriers to the electoral participation of aboriginal women.

By eliminating Elections Canada's education and awareness initiatives, Bill C-23 will exclude even more aboriginal women who are already wary of our electoral system and a government that does not care about their needs.

The government should withdraw its bill and come up with a totally new approach to reform. Will it?

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

Mr. Speaker, the education function and the advertising function of Elections Canada are not being limited. They are being focused on their real purpose, and that is to inform Canadians of the basic information about voting.

For example, I think it is a terrible failure of the election agency that it failed to inform three-quarters of aboriginal youth that they can vote early if those aboriginal youth happen to be working on election day or are busy with their studies and cannot make it to the polling station. They missed their chance, because Elections Canada failed to inform them in the last election that there are other opportunities to vote. We are going to fix that by requiring that the agency provide people with information.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Minister of State for Democratic Reform pulled another rabbit out of his hat.

He said that his electoral reform was needed to protect stay-at-home moms from administrative headaches when they make calls for political parties. That statement is unacceptable.

Can the minister tell me where he found even one stay-at-home mom who was concerned about the administrative burden of call centre operators? Maybe on Infoman?

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

Mr. Speaker, what the NDP is proposing is that if a volunteer is making phone calls from home or from a local community campaign office to a group of other volunteers to organize putting up lawn signs or some other local campaign initiative, they would first have to fill out a full registration with the national telecommunications regulator.

That is outrageous. If there was one way to drive people out of the democratic process, the NDP has found it.

Infrastructure

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, after two months of denial, the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs is starting to fess up.

In his last answer in the House, about the building Canada fund, he finally admitted that it has, in fact, been chopped from $1.6 billion down to just $210 million. That is an 87% reduction.

This is the major fund for big municipal projects: just $210 million for the whole country. What portion of that small amount will be available for infrastructure in places like Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo regional municipality? Precisely how much for them?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, what the member said is completely false. The infrastructure plan consists of a number of components. He wants to isolate just one to make himself look good, but what he is saying is incorrect.

Canada's municipalities are already benefiting from the gas tax, which brings in $2 billion a year. We indexed it, we doubled it and we made it permanent. These are unprecedented measures.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should check his own budget, at page 178.

Cutting this fund by 87% makes no sense. The finance department itself says that infrastructure funding is the most cost-effective way to drive future growth. Investments now capture low interest rates and transform that value into long-term capital assets, but the vast majority of the building Canada fund is postponed. Three-quarters of it will not happen until after 2019, and municipalities cannot get answers.

I ask again, of the small amount that is available, how much is earmarked specifically for Fort McMurray?