House of Commons Hansard #88 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was priority.
Bob Dechert ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. Our government is moving very quickly to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court and will be doing so very soon.
Élaine Michaud NDP Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I are pleased with the decision by the National Defence ombudsman to finally launch an inquiry into the accidental explosion of a grenade on CFB Valcartier in 1974.
This tragic incident cost the lives of six cadets. The survivors and the victims' families have been waiting 40 years for the government to shed light on this incident.
Can the government formally commit to providing the ombudsman with its full co-operation during this inquiry?
James Bezan ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, let me first express my sincere condolences to the victims and their families affected by this horrific accident. Although this occurred many years ago, Canadians have not forgotten.
As the member said, the ombudsman of national defence will be investigating this matter, and we all look forward to his report.
Dave MacKenzie Conservative Oxford, ON
Mr. Speaker, like many Canadians, I have read with concern and horror the recent reports of a young Christian woman who was sentenced to death in Sudan for converting to Christianity. I understand from news reports that the woman is eight months pregnant.
My constituents are concerned about this barbaric act of tyranny toward basic human rights and religious freedoms. Can the parliamentary secretary please update the House as to Canada's position?
Lois Brown ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development
Mr. Speaker, our government finds this announcement both shocking and appalling. Canada has called for Sudan to respect the religious freedom of this woman and of all the Sudanese people. Our expectation is for Sudan to respect its obligations under internationally accepted principles of human rights.
It does serve as an important reminder of the need for the Prime Minister to host a summit in Toronto designed to focus efforts on saving the lives of mothers and children in the developing world.
Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, we must price carbon, and a carbon fee and dividend almost does it all. It prices carbon fairly and scientifically. It uses only free market forces to reduce CO2. It costs virtually nothing to administer, it benefits lower-income Canadians, and no money goes to government.
The Citizens Climate Lobby strongly supports carbon fee and dividend. Will the Minister of Finance consider carbon fee and dividend?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, our government places priority on the environment, while keeping the economy strong. In fact, we are the first government to achieve an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over a number of years, while still growing the economy.
I am proud to be part of a government that is getting results for Canadians.
Maria Mourani Independent Ahuntsic, QC
Mr. Speaker, on May 13, Jacques Roy, director of the Academic Department of Logistics and Operations Management at HEC Montréal said that the Aéroports de Montréal, ADM, should be placed under the purview of a federal control agency.
He maintains that:
Ottawa did not properly negotiate its contract...in 1992. Since...it was a free for all with projects carried out without any studies or transparency...Who is monitoring ADM's investment decisions? Its charges for airport improvement fees?
There is a real problem with governance. Will the Minister of Transport at least undertake to have ADM subject to review by the Auditor General?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as the member will know, the Aéroports de Montréal operates at arm's length from the federal government and is responsible for its own operational day-to-day decisions.
With respect to the latter part of the member's question, I will take that matter under advisement, bring it to the minister and report back.
Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the most important book of 2014 is called Waking the Frog by venture capitalist Tom Rand. Rand has climate solutions on how we can build an economy that will reduce CO2 and create jobs and wealth.
I ask the Ministers of The Environment, Natural Resources and Finance if they are willing to consider Rand's template for a renewed and sustainable 21st century Canadian economy.
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we made an exciting announcement.
Canadians across the country have applauded the announcement we made in New Brunswick on the national conservation plan, which promotes our government's strong legacy of conservation work. It includes new investments for our ecologically sensitive lands, conserves marine and coastal areas, and helps connect Canadians to nature in urban areas.
This was a commitment we made in the 2013 Speech from the Throne. I am proud to be part of a government that keeps its promises and listens to Canadians.
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I regard it as a great diminution of MP abilities to have my integrity falsely attacked.
The member for Scarborough Southwest has falsely asserted in the House that I broke House of Commons rules in 2011. In fact, I proactively approached the House of Commons to pay for my cellphone use. The House of Commons specifically authorized me to purchase my cellphone use. On discovering that an MP ad ran after the 2011 vote of non-confidence, I immediately repaid the cost of it.
That is not breaking the rules; that is being scrupulously ethical, down to the very last penny, and complying with the rules.
I ask the Speaker to order that member to withdraw his false statement.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, The Hill Times article came out after the meeting yesterday. I am going to quote from that article. It stated that the Conservative member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre—
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
Order, please. The hon. member for Kitchener Centre has raised a question of privilege. As is customary in these cases, members from other parties who may wish to provide a comment on the question of privilege raised by the hon. member have the opportunity to give a brief comment on the question.
Customarily, we take these matters into hand and render a decision at a later time, depending on the nature of the question that was raised.
I am giving the floor to the hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster for his additional comments.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, as you have ruled on a number of occasions, when we have had serious differences of opinion with the government's often flamboyant misuse of facts, the reality is you have judged in the past that the Conservative government has had the right to throw whatever facts they want out. Often they are unable to back them up.
In the case of The Hill Times article, the member for Kitchener Centre:
....had to repay the Commons for $326 worth of telephone and printing services he used for his own election campaign that year, Elections Canada records show.
That is what the article indicates, and nothing that the member for Scarborough Southwest has said contradicts those facts. There may be a difference of opinion, but the reality is the Elections Canada records are pretty clear. The member for Kitchener Centre is protesting just a bit too much.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, it was not my intention to rise on this point, but the nature of the response from the opposition House leader is so below what we expect for the conduct of members of Parliament in dealing with each other in the House that I must respond.
I understand the members could have made an error by relying on a media report. However, now the facts have been laid on the table by the member, before the House, that have make it clear that he was not, in the words of the opposition House leader, “required to repay”, but rather he took the initiative to repay, not at the request of House administration but on his own initiative, to ensure the rules were scrupulously followed.
That having been put in front of us now, and our being aware of the facts, and as hon. members of course accepting what we say, the appropriate response is not to continue. This is not a matter of debate on political rhetoric. This is a question of the member's conduct in the use of resources of the House.
The response of the opposition House leader is shocking to me. I am getting a little emotional because it is upsetting.
The appropriate response at this point is in fact to apologize, to accept what has been laid on the table by the member for Kitchener Centre rather than persist, having been acquainted with the facts and ignoring them.
For that reason, I would ask that it go beyond a simple request for an apology, and rather that we have the appropriate motion placed, after a prima facie finding of contempt, that the member's privileges have indeed been impugned inappropriately.
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out very briefly that nowhere in the article that my colleague opposite quoted does it say that I broke the rules. In fact, it describes me as complying with the rules. Therefore, I think it is unwise for him to rely on that article in support of his comments.
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
I appreciate the interventions by the opposition House leader, the government House leader, and the original intervention by the member for Kitchener Centre. We will certainly take a look at what was iterated in the House, as we customarily do, and get back to the House if necessary.
On the face of it, it appears to be a dispute as to the facts of the issue, but we will be happy to take a closer look at what has been said and see if, indeed, there was any breach of the hon. member's privileges.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 19 petitions.
Foreign Affairs and international DevelopmentHouse CommitteesRoutine Proceedings
Newmarket—Aurora Ontario
Conservative
Lois Brown ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development entitled “Responding to the Conflict in Syria”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Philip Toone NDP Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-599, An Act to amend the Navigable Waters Protection Act (Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine region).
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé for her support.
The Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine region is amazing. It is one of the best areas to take part in wildlife- and nature-related activities. The people of the Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine region alone spend 1.4 million days a year participating in fishing, hunting, wildlife and outdoors activities, and contribute $41 million in economic activity. Quebec generates $2.8 billion in economic activity. More than 11 million days a year are spent on sport fishing in Quebec. These sectors deserve ongoing and permanent support.
However, the Conservative government is going in the complete opposite direction. The Conservatives have weakened the legislative framework that protects our lakes and rivers. Instead of systematically protecting them, the new legislative framework protects only 62 rivers and 97 lakes in the entire country.
Before the Conservatives took an axe to it, the Navigable Waters Protection Act protected not only our lakes and rivers, but also the sport fishing and outdoor activity sectors. We need a long-term vision to protect the environment and the associated industries.
I am introducing this bill in the hopes of restoring this protection, so that the House can show its support for fishing, hunting and outdoors enthusiasts and restore access to our Canadian heritage.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
I apologize for mispronouncing the name of the hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by over 300 people from my riding. They are calling on the Government of Canada to reject Canada Post's plan for reduced services and to explore other options to update Canada Post's business plan.
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Mr. Speaker, these petitioners ask that the House condemn discrimination against females occurring through sex-selected pregnancy termination, in that in Canada ultrasounds are being used to tell the sex of an unborn child so expecting parents can choose to terminate or abort the pregnancy if the unborn child is a girl.
The petitioners call on Parliament to condemn this worst form of deadly discrimination against females.