House of Commons Hansard #86 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.

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 Scarborough—Guildwood.

[Members sang the national anthem.]

Trent-Severn WaterwayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Independent

Dean Del Mastro Independent Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the Trent-Severn Waterway will open for the season across its 386 kilometre span. As a national historic site, the Trent-Severn Waterway is recognized as one of our nation's truly incredible accomplishments, and its value to our country cannot be overstated.

After years of neglect, this government has committed record funding to repair and restore the Trent-Severn Waterway, and work completed to date is really beginning to show.

It is with sincerity that I ask the Prime Minister to find a way to restore the 2012 operating hours to the entire system. While I have presented many different alternatives and proposals to achieve this outcome, I would happily support any solution that would extend the operating hours, which support jobs and economic growth in my region.

As a person privileged to have had the opportunity to grow up along the banks of the TSW and who now gazes at it from my living room, I encourage the government and the Prime Minister to do what is necessary to restore the operating hours of the entire Trent-Severn Waterway.

Jan KarskiStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Ted Opitz Conservative Etobicoke Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Jan Karski, an operative in Poland's home army during the Second World War, witnessed unspeakable horrors. Karski was dispatched to inform the Polish government in exile and western allies of the Nazi terror in occupied Poland. He infiltrated Warsaw's Jewish ghetto and witnessed Nazi soldiers hunting Jewish children for sport and Jews being herded onto boxcars and sent to their deaths.

Karski urgently described what he witnessed and appealed directly to Franklin D. Roosevelt for the world to acknowledge and to stop the Holocaust. Astonishingly, he was not believed. Karski continued to speak out and documented what he saw in a book.

His determination to tell the world about the Holocaust and other atrocities reminds us to never stay silent. Jan Karski stood courageously and defiantly in the face of the greatest evil this world has ever known, and we are inspired by his example.

I invite all members to attend a reception hosted by His Excellency Marcin Bosacki, Poland's Ambassador, honouring Jan Karski tomorrow evening and to learn more about his extraordinary life.

Foreurs de Val-d'Or Junior Hockey TeamStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

NDP

Romeo Saganash NDP Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Foreurs de Val-d'Or capped off their 21st season by winning the final match in a best of 7 series against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Last night, they brought home their third President’s Cup. Congratulations.

The players' courage and determination was a source of inspiration for the entire region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and the people of Val-d'Or in particular.

I have a very special message for Samuel Henley, the team's captain, and Maxime Presseault: you have made your hometown proud.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the work accomplished by the new owners of the Foreurs. These businessmen have done a wonderful job getting this team back on track in just two seasons.

Again, congratulations to the Foreurs. Thank you for the wonderful memories you have given us, and good luck in the games ahead. We are the Foreurs. We want the Memorial Cup, and it will be ours.

Win4Skin Hockey TournamentStatements By Members

May 14th, 2014 / 2:05 p.m.

Conservative

James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an event taking place in my riding on May 30-31, the Win4Skin hockey tournament. This fundraiser was started in 2009 following the unfortunate passing of Owen Schlosser, a young and vibrant University of Alberta athlete. The first ever Win4Skin three-on-three street hockey tournament was held in 2010 at the Brookside Community Hall. Teams registered for what was supposed to be a three-on-three ice hockey tournament, but changed course shortly before the event due to weather conditions. From then on, it was a street hockey tournament.

This year's event features some great hockey games as well as an incredible silent auction, delicious barbecue, and other activities. The money raised is shared between the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Alberta Cancer Foundation in support of the Owen Schlosser Endowment Fund for Underprivileged Athletes and the Mary Johnston Chair in Melanoma Research. For this year's fundraiser, organizers and Owen's family are hoping to continue with their success and are working to reach their goal of raising $500,000 for this worthwhile cause.

I would like to thank Owen’s family and friends for their outstanding efforts. I wish them best wishes for this year’s event.

ted northeStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC

I rise to pay tribute to a man who, with Prime Minister Trudeau, was responsible for the passage of the historic Bill C-150, 45 years ago today, decriminalizing homosexuality. ted northe began his activism in 1958 when he stood on the steps of the Vancouver courthouse in full drag demanding rights for gays, and so began a lifetime devoted to human rights and charitable works.

In 1971, he founded the Dogwood Monarchist Society, an organization that raised money for HIV-AIDS and for the vulnerable LGBT community. His work on LGBT rights with Harvey Milk in the U.S. earned him the keys to the cities of San Francisco and Portland. Over his lifetime he helped raise over $50 million for charities and was honoured with the Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian and Distinguished Citizenship Award and the Governor General’s Special Service Medal for Distinguished Citizen and Humanitarian.

ted northe passed away on March 30. His legacy proves that one person with dedication can change the world.

Citizen of the YearStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege for me to rise today to tell Canadians about the winners of the Brooks Citizen of the Year awards in my riding. The award winners are picked annually by Grassland Family and Community Support Services to recognize folks who give countless hours of their time every year to organizations that need it.

Vivian Wiebe, a long-time community activist and volunteer, won Citizen of the Year award for 2014, and I can think of no person more suited to receiving this wonderful award. Vivian's volunteerism in our region goes all the way back to 1967, and she is still working tirelessly today for various local groups.

I would also like to congratulate Gideon Mentie, winner of the 2014 Junior Citizen of the Year award. Gideon is a highly motivated young man from Brooks Composite High School. He volunteers in several organizations, including his church. He also commits some of his time to international aid organizations.

Once again, congratulations to Vivian and Gideon.

Mining IndustryStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Ève Péclet NDP La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canadian mining companies are doing business in more and more developing countries. In many cases, the host countries where these companies do business do not have the political will or the ability to enforce adequate environmental and human rights protection measures.

The list of cases of Canadian companies committing abuses is far too long. This is an especially important responsibility for Canada, which is a world leader in the mining sector because 75% of the world's mining companies are registered here in Canada.

To correct the situation, I introduced Bill C-584, which would create an ombudsman for extractive sector responsibility. I introduced this bill because, for a long time now, individuals and a number of organizations have been asking for it, and companies themselves signed on in 2006 in the report on the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Today, Development and Peace is on Parliament Hill to ask the government to pass this bill and take action on this issue. I applaud the work of Development and Peace, which, since 2006, has been giving a voice to those who, in too many cases, have none.

Rosy Rhubarb FestivalStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

Mr. Speaker, every year the village of Shedden, in my riding, comes together for the Rosy Rhubarb Festival, which celebrates the plant that put the village on the map.

Twenty-two years ago, a small group of people gathered together with an idea to promote Shedden and to also raise some money for a new community complex. From that small group of people, the great traditional Rosy Rhubarb Festival was born. As a result of that first festival and the hard work of many other groups working together, the Southwold Keystone Complex is now up and running.

Rosy Rhubarb won an award for rural excellence in the category of outstanding volunteerism, and to date, the Rosy Rhubarb fund has raised over $322,000 for the community.

Right now gardens are lush with ripe rhubarb. On June 6, 7, and 8, I encourage all to stop by and partake in the fun. Browse the yard sales, participate in the rhubarb pie auction, and indulge in local baked goods and the famous ice cream with rhubarb sauce.

Bullying AwarenessStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC

Mr. Speaker, beginning in April 2014, in St. John's, Newfoundland, Ralph Morrison, of Kelowna, British Columbia, began a cross-Canada road trip to raise awareness of the effects of bullying. It is my pleasure to welcome him to Parliament Hill today.

At the age of 52, through his book, The Fear Inside, Ralph found the courage to tell his story about bullying and how he overcame his fear to speak out. As he journeys across the country, Ralph is reaching out to communities, boys and girls clubs, and especially troubled teens in the hope that his experience will help those who suffer in silence to find the courage to speak out and begin to heal.

On behalf of the constituents of Kelowna—Lake Country, I want to wish Ralph Morrison safe travels as he continues his journey to his destination of Victoria, British Columbia. We thank Ralph for his courage, for reaching out to young people to encourage them to stand up and to speak out against bullying, and for sharing the message that the fear inside can be healed.

Zamudio FamilyStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Pierre Dionne Labelle NDP Rivière-du-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Zamudio family fled Mexico after receiving death threats from a drug cartel. Luz Maria Zamudio and her husband and two children are now facing the possibility of being deported from Canada.

The Federal Court denied them refugee status, claiming that the family could live safely in another state where the cartel does not have a presence. The family has already been threatened and chased out of three different areas of Mexico where it was taking refuge before coming to Canada. The Zamudios will never be safe in Mexico because all the cartels are part of a larger network and are in collusion with the police.

The community of Saint-Jérôme says that it wants the family to stay. The Zamudios are a model family. They are productive and remarkably well integrated. What is more, they learned French in no time and they enjoy the unequivocal support of the community.

The Zamudio family must be allowed to stay in Canada on humanitarian grounds, for the good of everyone.

Cannes International Film FestivalStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Lois Brown Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON

Mr. Speaker, today marks the opening of the 67th annual Cannes International Film Festival. An impressive number of Canadian films have been selected to compete this year. In fact, this is a historic milestone for the Canadian film industry.

Out of 18 submissions vying for the Palme d'Or, 3 are Canadian: David Cronenberg for Maps to the Stars; Xavier Dolan for Mommy; and Atom Egoyan for Captives (The Captive).

Three other films are nominated in other categories: Tu dors Nicole, Jutra, and Petit frère.

Our government is proud to support Canada's film industry. Every year, we invest more than $600 million in this sector, through Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canada Media Fund, and tax credits. This important industry supports more than 127,000 jobs across the country.

Our government wishes all the Canadian nominees the best of luck for the 67th Cannes International Film Festival.

NDP Women's CaucusStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that, following the 2011 election, 40% of my party's caucus is comprised of women, which is the largest women's caucus in Parliament.

As the re-elected chair of the NDP's women's caucus, I would like to remind members of the importance of working on fostering a supportive and positive environment for women in politics.

As women feminist politicians, we are proud to stand for issues that matter to and that empower Canadian women. New Democrats are committed to gender inclusive politics and believe that we can make meaningful, progressive change to break down barriers, empowering all women to thrive in a Canadian society that values and respects our rights.

The NDP is the party that best represents women because of the diversity in our caucus and the party's strong positions on women's rights.

Together, we continue to work for an inclusive Parliament that works for all Canadian men and women.

Iran Accountability WeekStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, as part of Iran Accountability Week, parliamentarians are highlighting the efforts of the global Iranian political prisoner advocacy project. Canadian parliamentarians are paired with Iranian political prisoners, on whose behalf they advocate.

Last year, I sponsored Hamid Ghassemi-Shall, who was released. This year, I am paired with Ms. Reyhaneh Jabbari. Ms. Jabbari continues to be at risk of imminent execution for defending herself and killing her attacker, who was attempting to rape her. She is only 26 years old and has been in Tehran’s Evin prison since 2007.

On the day of her attack, she was abducted under the guise of a professional meeting, was poured a drink and told that she had no way of escaping. Ms. Jabbari tried to defend herself and, during the struggle, stabbed her attacker and fled. Her attacker later died. Lab analysis showed that the drinks contained sedatives. Ms. Jabbari was arrested and thrown in Evin prison. She was tortured until she confessed to the murder, and was given the death penalty.

This is just another travesty of justice in Iran, and a flagrant abuse of human rights. I call on President Rouhani to exercise clemency, stay her execution and suspend her sentence.

Democratic ReformStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL

Mr. Speaker, it is with a certain degree of disappointment that I must rise in the House today and challenge members of the government caucus for passing the unfair elections act at third reading. It is an act widely panned as an attack on our democracy. It is a bill whose process was flawed, and there is more. It is a bill whose objectives has more to do with ensuring a Conservative advantage in 2015.

Sheila Fraser put it best when she described the law as “clearly an infringement on the independence of the chief electoral officer”.

The flaws in the reduced vouching system, the independence of the officer, and the inability of the elections commissioner to compel witness testimony mean that the bill should be sent back to the drawing board, not sent to the Senate.

However, seeing as the bill is now in the Senate, I call upon our senators to show that they are indeed the house of sober second thought and take the time to carefully dissect and fix the significant flaws of this democracy changing bill.

The Conservatives have placed the health of our democracy in the hands of the Senate. Good luck.

Oil and Gas IndustryStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Peace River, AB

Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago, Alberta's oil and gas industry was born, changing Alberta's economic future forever. In fact, the Turner Valley Oilfield in my home province became the largest producer of oil and gas in the British Empire.

Today, the oil and gas industry continues to play an integral role in the Canadian economy. Over 300,000 people are directly employed by the energy sector, which contributes over 10% of Canada's GDP. Government revenues from the energy sector support important programs, including health care and education, and our government will continue to take action to ensure the success of this important job creating industry.

While the NDP thinks the oil sector is a disease and opposes its development, Canadians can be confident that our government will continue to focus on jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians.

New Democratic Party of CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, in 2011, Quebeckers and Canadians gave the NDP the keys to the office of Her Majesty's loyal opposition. It was not so that the NDP could do the same thing as the old parties.

When Jack Layton told Canadians that we were going to work together, that did not mean speaking to the same lobbyists and engaging in the same shenanigans as the old parties have been for 150 years. When people put their trust in us, they expected us to talk to them in person and to do things differently.

In Montreal, we hired employees that do an excellent job of going out and meeting with groups that the Conservatives refuse to listen to. We organized press conferences on rail safety in Lac-Mégantic, on cycling safety in Montreal, and on the marine rescue sub-centre in Quebec City.

The Conservatives do not want to consult and the Liberals are more concerned about lobbyists than Canadians. That is their choice. We are being innovative. We will leave it up to the establishment to provide more of the same.

The NDP does things differently and we are going to bring real change to Ottawa.

Our staff in Montreal and I have one thing to say to everyone: go Habs, go!

National Day of HonourStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Parm Gill Conservative Brampton—Springdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, the National Day of Honour gave Canadians across our great nation the opportunity to recognize over 40,000 brave men and women who served in Afghanistan.

I was honoured to participate in a ceremony held at the cenotaph in Ken Whillans Square at Brampton city hall. I was joined by many veterans and Bramptonians to honour the sacrifices of the wounded, the special burden borne by families and, most important, paid tribute to the 158 members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the 40 Americans under Canadian command and the civilians who paid the ultimate sacrifice to better the lives of Afghan people.

This was truly an occasion for all Canadians to look back on our contributions and achievements in Afghanistan with pride and appreciation.

Lest we forget.

HealthOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the World Health Organization announced today that the threat of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has significantly increased.

Can the Prime Minister tell the House and Canadians what the government is doing to combat this deadly virus?

HealthOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada and its agencies continue to work with the World Health Organization on such issues. I can assure the House that the government will do the same in this case.

JusticeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, who in the Prime Minister's Office asked Marc Nadon to resign and rejoin the Barreau du Québec before being appointed to the Supreme Court?

Could we have a clear answer for once? What is the Prime Minister afraid of?

JusticeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, our position is clear. I received legal and constitutional advice indicating that it is longstanding practice to appoint judges directly from the Federal Court to the Supreme Court. That is what I did in this case.

JusticeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, 650 eminent lawyers and law professors from all across Canada are now asking the Prime Minister to apologize and to retract his personal attacks on the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Will the Prime Minister finally do the right thing and apologize to the Chief Justice of our Supreme Court?

JusticeOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, once again, I reject the premise of the question.

The fact is this. A matter came before me that I thought was likely to come before the Supreme Court of Canada based on information that I had. For that reason, we completed our consultations with outside legal experts and later referred the matter to the court.

Rail TransportationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Outremont Québec

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition

The Prime Minister can reject what he wants, Mr. Speaker, but he cannot reject the facts.

Six hundred and fifty eminent lawyers and law professors are asking him to apologize.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that in the case of the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, the rules were not followed. There is still no financial penalty for companies that do not abide by the rules. The government should not wait until someone is killed before taking action. In 2012, two years ago, Parliament gave the government the power to impose substantial financial penalties on railroad companies that endanger public safety.

When will the Prime Minister finally do something about railway safety?