Debates of May 16th, 2014

Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize our government's unwavering support of children in the developing world. Child protection is an integral part of our government's foreign and development policies.

The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development has commenced a study on a motion that I introduced to study the many challenges facing youth in developing countries and how best to protect them.

The first witnesses to appear before the committee recognized Canada's leadership role in this regard and commended our government for establishing the child protection unit.

Later this month, our government will continue to seek ways to protect children and youth by holding a summit on maternal, newborn, and child health. The theme, “Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm's Reach”, will provide the opportunity to galvanize consensus on where to focus efforts to maximize results for those in need.

All Canadians can be proud of our government's record in this important area.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on this International Day Against Homophobia, we renew our commitment to safeguarding the political, economic, legal, and social rights of all individuals, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

Although several nations have recently made great strides in the recognition and protection of LGBTQ rights, many who identify as LGBTQ continue to face considerable discrimination and abuse. Shockingly, it is still a crime to be gay in India, Russia, Uganda, and seven other countries, and it is a crime to publish LGBTQ material in many more.

We are fortunate that here in Canada we have laws against hate crimes, and that gays, lesbians, and transgendered people are free to marry. Happily, we are seeing many states in America following Canada's example.

The persistent denial of the right to full self-expression and a life free from fear and violence to LGBTQ individuals is inexcusable. Today we stand in solidarity with them and dare to envision a world that is safe for all and accepting of all humanity.

Veterans

[John Carmichael, Conservative, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was proud on May 9 to attend the National Day of Honour here in Ottawa. It was a remarkable time to pay our respects and our honour to our veterans and their families.

Today the hiring veterans act is being debated in the House of Commons. Our government believes that injured veterans should move to the front of the line for public service jobs if they are qualified.

However, veterans might be surprised to learn who is opposing the hiring veterans act: the public sector unions. They believe that a veteran who has been injured in the service of Canada should be left to the back of the line. Our government will not let that happen.

I call on all members in this place to drop their talking points. Let us all stand up for our veterans.

Leader of the New Democratic Party

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, instead of being focused on creating jobs or running the country, the Prime Minister and his Conservatives are working with the third party Liberals to turn committee into a kangaroo court.

Well, the committee for unconservative activities did its best. However, the Leader of the Opposition turned the tables on this unprecedented attack. He answered every question put to him with a smile.

However, in an ironic twist, the Conservative would-be prosecutor, the member for Kitchener Centre, was actually the one caught breaking the rules and inappropriately using parliamentary resources during the election. Conservative and Liberal hypocrisy knows no bounds.

The Leader of the Opposition proved once again that good humour and the truth can overcome even the most unfair Conservative and Liberal smear campaigns. The NDP has shown itself to be the strongest, most united official opposition that these Conservatives have ever faced.

Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition appeared before the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. Not only was the member for Outremont unable to clearly explain why party employees were involved in partisan activities while on the public payroll, but he went even further and insulted my colleague, the hon. member for Kitchener Centre.

During his less-than-convincing testimony, he offered up vague statements and contradictory explanations. However, the rules of the House of Commons are clear: no employee on the public payroll is allowed to work in party offices.

The Leader of the Opposition's behaviour is unacceptable. Will he admit that he broke the rules of the House and mislead the Board of Internal Economy? Will he apologize to my colleague for his disparaging and unparliamentary comments?

Aboriginal Affairs

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the RCMP is releasing its long-awaited report on murdered and missing indigenous women. The findings are staggering: 1,186 police-recorded cases.

Conservative policies and programs are not working, so will they finally listen to the families and to Canadians across the country and call for a national public inquiry?

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the RCMP for the report. One missing person is too many.

We expect the RCMP to investigate every single missing persons case, including any that were discovered while compiling the report.

The report was quite informative about some of the root causes of violence against indigenous women. The RCMP's findings were clear. According to the data, 62% of the homicides of aboriginal women were committed by a family member who had previously abused the victim, 40% of aboriginal women were killed as the result of an argument, and nearly 90% of the homicides were solved, which is a resolution rate the same as in the non-aboriginal population.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP report is clear: there are more and more victims every year.

Last year Kelly Nicole Goforth, Heather Ballantyne, Cassandra Joan Desjarlais, Miranda McKinney, Jodi Roberts, Tricia Boisvert, Rocelyn Gabriel and Loretta Saunders disappeared or were murdered.

The Conservatives claim that they are taking action, but they have been unable to determine why these women have disappeared or been murdered.

When will there be a public inquiry to help us understand but primarily prevent these crimes?

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the report did indicate one of the most significant causes of violence against aboriginal women, and that is domestic violence.

The government has taken substantial steps to address that. Now is the time to take action, not to continue to study the issue. For example, in economic action plan 2013, the government committed new funding for the family violence prevention program, which supports shelters for women, children, and families living on reserves.

Employment

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has finally been forced to admit that the temporary foreign worker program was a real mess.

Canadian workers were pushed aside to make room for cheap labour; foreign workers were parachuted into regions with high unemployment; and labour market assessment tools are inadequate.

When will the Conservatives fix the problems that they exacerbated, and will they strengthen access to citizenship instead of promoting the misuse of temporary foreign workers?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the temporary foreign worker program is to provide employers with employees during acute labour shortages in regions and sectors where there are no Canadians available for the job.

We recognize there have been some complaints about this program. We have taken strong steps to deal with any employer who abuses this program. We are going to continue to bring in further regulations and changes so that the workers and the employers know that they have a system that always provides the opportunity for Canadians to get the job first.

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

Mr. Speaker, “some” complaints?

The reality is that Conservative changes have made this program worse and more open to abuse. That is the record of the government.

Too many Canadians are seeing their jobs taken away and too many temporary foreign workers are facing mistreatment and abuse. These issues are national and they are program-wide. The minister's failure to fix the program earlier has left it wide open to these abuses. Canadians know that they just cannot trust Conservatives.

Why will the minister not agree to an independent review of his gross mismanagement of this program?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, the hypocrisy is again upon us.

Canadians know who they can trust: they can trust the Conservative government to make the necessary changes so that every Canadian will always get first crack at any available job before a temporary foreign worker is brought in.

Let us compare that to the NDP, whose members stand in the House and complaint that we are bringing in foreign workers to take Canadians' jobs but who continually write letters to the minister asking for temporary foreign workers in their own ridings.

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

Mr. Speaker, the fact is quite clear that this program is in crisis because of Conservative mismanagement.

We have heard stories of temporary foreign workers whose wages are heavily docked or withheld altogether, like indentured servants in the 19th century. We have heard stories of temporary foreign workers facing egregious working conditions and even threatened with deportation.

This minister has shown gross incompetence. Will the minister agree to a complete audit? Will he work to include a formal path to citizenship for those brought in under this program?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, not only do they want to bring temporary foreign workers into the country, they also want to try to make these temporary foreign workers permanent citizens of the country.

We are going to ensure that Canadian workers have the first shot at all available jobs, but we have also taken strong steps to ensure that the temporary foreign workers who do come to fill the jobs when no Canadian is available are protected. We are making sure that any employers who try to abuse this system have strong penalties against them. We have legislation before the House right now that will actually have financial penalties for any employer who abuses the system.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the Conservatives said that paying temporary foreign workers up to 15% less than Canadians would help our economy. Last year, they said paying temporary foreign workers the same amount as Canadians would help our economy. Today, they are saying that requiring employers to pay higher wages to temporary foreign workers will help our economy.

When will the minister stop improvising and making decisions blindly ?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, we have taken steps to make sure that the temporary foreign worker program treats both the Canadian workers who are applying for jobs and temporary foreign workers who take jobs when no Canadian is available fairly in terms of wages. We have made changes to make sure everyone is paid a proper wage at the prevailing wage rate.

Further changes are coming. We are going to make sure we tighten the system up so that all Canadians will know that their jobs will be protected, and temporary foreign workers will only be filling those jobs if no Canadian is available.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, everyone from Don Drummond to the Auditor General to thousands of public servants agree that the government is not collecting the necessary information to determine the real needs of the labour market. Without reliable data, the government is simply making up policy on the fly. Then, when the Conservatives' bad policy inevitably leads to bad outcomes, they have another knee-jerk policy reaction.

There is no dispute that Conservatives prefer ideology over data, but would they not agree that it is time to give evidence-based policy-making a try?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, we have said that there is no general labour shortage across Canada. What we are facing are sectoral and also regional shortages of labour in specific sectors in specific industries.

We are taking strong steps to make sure that we increase the ability of the government to have proper labour market information so we can make public policy based on true facts and true data.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, will we have true facts and true data from the party that killed the long form census?

Liberals have been calling for temporary foreign worker reforms for over a year. In fact, our leader has put forward five specific changes needed to fix the program.

Let me ask a really simple question. Will the minister commit now to disclosing the use of the temporary foreign workers program by region and by occupation?

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, let me add a sixth thing the Liberal leader has asked for. When pressed in his own riding to bring temporary foreign workers in, he was one of the first ones to write a letter to the minister asking for a temporary foreign worker chef to be moved into one of his favourite restaurants.

That is how the Liberals treat temporary foreign workers. They stand in the House and make complaints, but they always ask the Minister of Employment and Social Development for temporary foreign workers when it comes to their own ridings.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in June 2012, the Conservatives cut health care funding for refugees. They claimed it was to prevent abuses of the immigration system. Except that children were the first victims of this despicable act.

According to a study in the Public Library of Science Journal, six months after the Conservatives' cuts, hospital admission rates of children from refugee families doubled. Without government assistance, the parents are waiting until the last minute to take their children to a doctor.

Will the Conservatives reverse these cuts and restore health care services for refugees?

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear about who will get interim federal health care and who will not. Refugees will continue to benefit. Failed, fraudulent, and bogus claimants will not be entitled to our interim health program, just as 10 million visitors to Canada every year do not qualify for our health care. Besides, health is a provincial responsibility. If the Ontario Liberals want their doctors to treat failed claimants, taxpayers and ultimately voters will have to hold them to account for that decision.

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' decision to make cuts to health care for refugees is appalling.

Without assistance from the government and without insurance, refugees wait until the very last minute before seeking care. This means that when they do see a doctor they are sicker, weaker and represent a higher risk of contamination. Once again, it is the least fortunate who are paying the price for the Conservatives' lack of compassion.

Why is the government trying to save a few pennies at the expense of refugee children?

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that if there is an acute need, if there is a traumatic need for health care, they will get it. However, we are not here to provide health care for people who do not deserve it, people who are not permanent residents or legitimate refugees.