Debates of May 1st, 2014

The Economy

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what is frightening is this minister's selective reading of important real facts about what is happening to the Canadian economy.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, the Conference Board of Canada, and now the OECD all contradict what that minister just said. Income inequality is a growing threat to the Canadian economy.

Denial and Conservative ideology are not going to fix the problem. Because of the government, the vast majority of Canadians are falling behind top earners faster than those in France, Spain, and even Portugal.

The income gap has seen decades of dramatic growth under both Liberal and Conservative governments. Why is the current government making policies that make a bad situation even worse?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the facts are not on the side of the hon. member.

Low-income families have fallen to the lowest percentage level in three decades. Canadian children from poor-income families have a higher probability of moving up the income scale than in most countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, or Sweden.

Canadian families at all levels have increased their real income by about 10% or more since 2006, and net worth has gone up by 45%. This is an amazing record, and Canada is admired around—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for New Brunswick Southwest.

The Environment

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Council of Canadian Academies today released a report on hydraulic fracturing. Our government is already working with partners to study the impact of shale gas progress so more Canadians, and provinces in the east, can benefit from responsible resource development.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment give an update on the work being done across the country to protect our waters and land while developing this job-creating resource?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that hydraulic fracturing has been used safely in Western Canada for decades, with no incidents of contamination to drinking water. In fact, the Alberta Energy Regulator, the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources confirm there has never been a proven case of well water contamination resulting from hydraulic fracturing under their jurisdictions.

Of course, this is where most oil and gas drilling activity occurs in Canada. As the provinces and territories are the primary regulators for this industry, we will continue to work with them to ensure Canadians benefit from safe, responsible development.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one has to wonder whether they have read the same report we have.

Today, the Council of Canadian Academies released its long-awaited report on hydraulic fracturing. The findings of the study should give the Conservative government some food for thought. Indeed, the report points out that there is not enough information to conclude that this technique is safe; provincial regulations are not based on sufficient research; and the federal government is once again failing in its environmental and health-related responsibilities.

What tangible action will the minister take to address the concerns in the report?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, it is important to note that hydraulic fracturing has been used safely in Western Canada for decades, I think over 60 years, with no incidents of contamination to drinking water.

As I mentioned before, not one, not two, but three prominent bodies: the Alberta Energy Regulator, the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources, confirm that there has never been a proven case of well water contamination resulting from hydraulic fracturing under their jurisdiction.

That is where the drilling occurs and we are going to continue to work with the provinces and territories, because they are the primary regulators, to make sure that Canadians get the best benefit out of this resource.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the report they ordered says that they are not doing anything to regulate fracking. This is the report that the Conservatives ordered.

The parliamentary secretary knows full well that for three years we have been waiting for action and they have done nothing to better regulate fracking. All they have done is pass the buck.

However, the report is clear. It says, “...there is no national plan and no coordination or federal facilitation of...provincial efforts”. Therefore, will the minister and the parliamentary secretary stop dodging and will they actually act to better regulate and keep Canadians safe?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, it is important to note that hydraulic fracturing has been used safely, I repeat, in Western Canada for decades and there have been absolutely no incidents of contamination to the drinking water. As I said, this is provincial-territorial. They are the regulators. The Alberta Energy Regulator, the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources confirm there has never been a proven case of well water contamination resulting from hydraulic fracturing under their jurisdiction.

We will continue to work with them to make sure we have the safest use of this resource for Canadians.

Canadian Heritage

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are obviously more interested in helping out their oil lobbyist friends than actually protecting Canadians. Special interests like the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers are buying themselves more than just a little good PR when they donate to the Canadian Museum of History, because for a million dollars they are provided exclusive access to influential audiences and key decision makers like senators, MPs, cabinet ministers, and their staff.

Does the minister really think that cash for access is appropriate?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite disturbed by what was said by the member. I think that all members in the House ought to take tremendous pride in the museums that we have here in Canada. In fact, I am very proud of the government's investment in our museums. We are in fact the only G7 country not to have cut direct funding to our museums during a global recession. We continued to allow them to operate at arm's-length. They make their own operational decisions and there has been no benefit given to any of their donors. It is sad to see the NDP attack donors.

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

Mr. Speaker, oil lobbyists are buying access to cabinet ministers and senators by donating money to museums, and the minister does not see a problem with that. Give me a break. Cultural institutions are being exploited to benefit the oil industry, which goes to show how important culture is to this government. It also shows that the Conservatives will stop at nothing to advance the interests of their friends at Canadians' expense.

Under the Conservatives, Canada's museums are struggling to get public funding and are being forced to cave in to lobbyists. Why?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, again, I think it is sad to see the official opposition attacking those who truly value our history and our museums.

Our museums across the country operate at arm's length from the government. We are proud of what our museums are doing, and we would never attack Canadians who are prepared to support and make donations to them. We trust our museums. There is no interference and we are proud of that.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP is not denying media reports that it has now identified over 1,000 cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, so the government's own numbers of victims of what was already an unspeakable and ongoing national tragedy have now doubled. In the face of these appalling new statistics, how can the government claim that it is tough on crime or supportive of victims?

I ask again, will the Prime Minister finally do the right thing and call a national public inquiry into the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls here in Canada?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated, one missing person in this country is too many. A government-wide effort is helping Canadians to better understand and deal with this issue.

The time for action has come. We are committing an additional $25 million in budget 2014 to tackle this. Status of Women Canada is working on that. We are working as a government and we are committed to bringing more action, as we have done for the last six years.

The Environment

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment says “...shale gas deposits can be developed...with the strict environmental policies and regulations in place”. However, today's fracking report, which obviously the parliamentary secretary has not read, says that not enough is known to declare it safe and provincial regulatory systems “are not based on strong science” and there's virtually no federal regulation. The government cannot have it both ways. It cannot have strict regulation and no federal regulation at the same time.

What is it? Is it strict or is it nothing?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want to know is that hydraulic fracturing has been used safely for decades and there have been no incidents of contamination of drinking water, absolutely zero.

The three regulators, the prominent bodies that I talked about, the Alberta Energy Regulator, the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission, and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy Resources confirmed there has never been a proven case of well water contamination resulting from hydraulic fracturing under their jurisdictions.

Labour

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today is May Day when we honour the hard-fought gains of working people, the struggles for a safer workplace, better working conditions, and fair wages. The Conservatives have launched attacks on the rights of workers and have failed to act to better protect workers. There must be consequences when companies and senior executives fail to keep workers safe.

Why is the minister refusing to hold companies to account?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on what matters most to all Canadians and, of course, growing the economy and helping create jobs. We also have to be committed, and we are committed, to ensuring that all workers have access to a safe, fair, and productive workplace. At the end of the day, healthy workers mean a healthy economy.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are playing a dangerous game by eliminating fundamental measures that protect Canadians.

In their latest budget implementation bill, the Conservatives have changed the definition of what constitutes dangerous work. In recent years, workers have lost their lives on the job just a few metres from this chamber.

Why does the minister not drop his irresponsible plan to change the definition of what constitutes dangerous work in order to ensure workers' safety?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace. It is important to note that between 2007 and 2011, the number of disabling injuries for all federally regulated sectors decreased by 22%. Building and sustaining safe workplaces contributes to Canada's continued prosperity and we as a government will continue to ensure employees and employers are making Canada's workplaces safe, fair, and productive.

Health

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Mr. Speaker, investments in health research, and particularly research in the area of mental health, are important contributions to both the health of Canadians and indeed the world at large. Millions of Canadians will suffer from neurological illnesses during their lives, impacting their families and their communities. That is why I am proud of our government's yearly investments of up to almost $1 billion to support nearly 13,000 health researchers. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister update the House on the government's latest investments in health research?

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

Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more with my hon. colleague on the importance of health research. Just today, the Prime Minister was in Montreal announcing that we will be supporting five new research projects in the areas of Alzheimer's prevention and autism, under the Canadian brain research fund. As members know, this fund was introduced in 2011, and it represents one of the largest public-private investments in health research in Canadian history. Our government remains committed and will continue to support health research across this country.

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative attacks on rural communities continue. Already this year, 50 communities in Newfoundland and Labrador have had their postal services reduced, with another 24 facing the same fate. Canada Post is often the only federal presence in these towns, and courier and Internet services are limited or simply do not exist. By reducing postal services, the government is hurting local businesses and limiting access to a service readily available to others. Why does the current government insist on treating rural Canadians as second-class citizens?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, Canada Post has embarked upon a five-point plan to ensure that it returns to self-sufficiency and is not a burden on the taxpayer here in Canada. More importantly as well, it is charged with ensuring that the rural moratorium stay in place, and indeed it does. Those are protected communities in which these services will not be suspended. Indeed, it is our government that put that in place and gave it some teeth, and it is a very important part of our policy. Finally, I would say when we look at the amount of service that is provided, it is important to note that in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador there are more Canada Post outlets than there are schools.