Debates of May 2nd, 2014

Canada-U.S. Relations

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

Mr. Speaker, one would think that if it was such a fabulous agreement, the Conservatives would not have buried it in the middle of a 400-page omnibus bill, but they did.

The Conservatives called the long form census a terrible invasion of privacy, but now they are in a mad rush to hand over to the IRS personal and private financial information from up to one million Canadians. They are ramming through the implementation of FATCA in spite of these serious concerns.

Will the Conservatives pull this flawed agreement from the omnibus bill, take a breath, and get this right for once?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that FATCA has raised a number of concerns in Canada, which is why we came up with an intergovernmental agreement. The agreement addresses these concerns by relying on the existing framework under the Canada-U.S. tax treaty. CRA will not assist the IRS in collecting U.S. taxes, and no new taxes will be imposed.

In our negotiations, we obtained a number of concessions, including exempting certain accounts, like RRSPs, RDSPs, TFSAs, et cetera, from FATCA reporting.

We are now in a much better position than without an agreement.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government went to extraordinary lengths to dismiss its own report on fracking. Apparently the government does not know and does not care, “...that there isn't enough known about the...health impacts”. It does not know and does not care that, “...key elements of the provinces' regulatory systems 'are not based on strong'” evidence. It does not know and does not care that, “...there isn't enough known...to declare it safe”.

If the Conservatives do not care about safety, health, or science, what is it that they do care about?

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

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of Canadians is our priority and that is why it is very important to note that hydraulic fracking has been used safely in western Canada for decades and there have been no incidents of contamination to drinking water.

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

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, transportation, and use of our natural—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Sydney—Victoria.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, grain farmers and westerners are well aware of the income losses resulting from the Conservatives' mishandling of the grain industry. News from the prairies this week states that there is going to be a lack of cash and lack of fertilizer for this year's planting.

Will Dodd, who farms in Saskatchewan, states he will need $750,000 to plant his 4,000 acres and he is sitting on 20,000 bushels of barley that are not sold.

What are the Conservatives going to do to help farmers get their crops planted this year?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, the member should know well that under our leadership we have brought forward the fair rail for grain farmers act, which is strong legislation that addresses the serious issue of grain backlog. This piece of legislation would strengthen contracts, contractual mechanisms between producers and shippers, but most importantly, it obligates the rail companies to move one million metric tonnes of grain each and every week. This is critical legislation and I am calling on the member to support the legislation and to help pass it when it comes back to the House next week.

National Defence

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, six years ago, Corporal Stuart Langridge took his own life. Ever since, his family has struggled to uncover the truth and find closure. After lengthy and painful hearings before the Military Police Complaints Commission, they still cannot get answers. An interim report into what happened has finally been prepared and given to the minister for his comment, but the family is not being allowed to see it.

Why is this report being withheld from the family and when will the minister provide it to them?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the complaints commission is acting in accordance with the National Defence Act and contrary to what was reported, the Chief of the Defence Staff does not have legal authority to alter those reports. That being said, and I will be clear, in accordance with the National Defence Act the final report will be made public to the family and released as it should be.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Fynes have lived through the worst nightmare any parent could imagine. Their suffering is compounded by the shamefully out-of-touch investigation into their son's death. In fact, even his suicide note was kept from them for 14 months. The minister withheld documents regarding his death from the commission and now as the process wraps up, his own parents are being shut out. The minister has the interim report. Why will he not let the parents see it so they can participate in the final process?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, this has all been done in accordance with the National Defence Act and as I pointed out to the individual, there will be a final report. According to the National Defence Act, that will be made public and of course it will be made available to the family as is appropriate and as it should be.

Employment

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, too many recent Canadian graduates are underemployed while employers are searching for workers. In economic action plan 2014, this government committed to creating paid internship opportunities for youth.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development update the House on the status of this commitment to our youth?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government today is delivering on a promise. The Right Hon. Prime Minister and the Minister of Employment and Social Development are announcing support for 3,000 new Canadian internship opportunities. These paid internships will help post-secondary graduates get the skills and experience needed to find jobs in high-demand fields such as science, technology, and skilled trades.

Since 2006, our government's youth employment strategy has helped more than half a million young Canadians develop the skills they need to secure jobs and help our economy grow.

Fisheries and Oceans

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

Mr. Speaker, along the coast of Newfoundland and southern Labrador, crab fishermen are in desperate straits. Ice is jammed into our harbours and ports and the fishermen are unable to steam out to get their catch. Now both fishermen and forecasters believe the ice will not dissipate anytime soon and for many of them they have received no income for quite some time. Based on the programs of 2007 and 2009, will the minister commit today to a new ice compensation program for Newfoundland and Labrador fishermen?

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague well knows as a former weatherman himself, weather and ice conditions are unpredictable at this time of year.

DFO is working closely with industry to monitor those conditions. It has been a particularly heavy ice year in Atlantic Canada. I understand that some fisheries have been delayed, although most only minimally, as a result of this weather and ice.

In the past, though, as he referred to, compensation has only been issued under extreme circumstances when the fishery was delayed into late spring or even early summer.

The minister and her officials will—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for London—Fanshawe.

Pensions

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

Mr. Speaker, a social worker from my riding who works with CPP tribunals came to me with very disturbing news.

She told me that since the Conservatives restructured the appeal system, new hearings are not being booked. The previous backlog was already at 7,400 cases. People are not being helped. A crisis is brewing for vulnerable Canadians.

Does the minister have any plans to fix this situation so that elderly and low-income Canadians will no longer be left to suffer and left to wait?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have made changes to CPP to help make sure that the retirement program is there when Canadians retire.

We are going to stand up and make sure that Canadian seniors always have the support of the federal government as they engage in their golden years.

The Economy

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to our government's sound fiscal management, the strength of Canada's economy is recognized around the world. The IMF says we have the best fiscal position in the G7.

Unfortunately, it is apparent the Ontario Liberals may have been influenced by the philosophy of the member for Papineau that budgets magically balance themselves.

Yesterday's Ontario budget proposed massive new spending, higher taxes, and more debt. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance please tell the House what our position is on fiscal discipline?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Ontario Liberals are now on track to be the last province to balance its books, with debt that is almost the combined debt of every other province in Canada.

On the other hand, our Conservative government has controlled spending and cut waste, and despite continued global economic uncertainty, we are on track to balance the budget in 2015.

We know that sound economic management requires tough decisions and focus on priorities. Canadians can rest assured that despite Liberal plans to skyrocket spending, taxes, and debt, our Conservative government will continue to demonstrate prudent financial management—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Jonquière—Alma.

Justice

[Claude Patry, Bloc, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for eight long months, the Supreme Court has been missing a judge from Quebec. All along, everyone has known that the Prime Minister appointed Justice Nadon, who did not have close enough ties with Quebec to ensure respect for Quebec's legal traditions and distinct social values, out of blind ideology.

When will the Prime Minister finally put an end to this shameful chapter and commit to appointing a judge recommended by the Government of Quebec?

[Robert Goguen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice sought outside legal advice from a former Supreme Court judge regarding the eligibility criteria of Federal Court justices for the Supreme Court. That opinion was reviewed and supported by another former Supreme Court judge and by Professor Peter Hogg, a renowned constitutional scholar. That opinion was made public.

No legal experts saw any merit in the final position of the court. Their point of view was similar to the dissenting opinion of Justice Moldaver.

The Environment

[Claude Patry, Bloc, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Mr. Speaker, even though the federal government abandoned the Kyoto protocol, Quebec has made significant efforts and has exceeded its greenhouse gas reduction targets. While Quebec companies pay for pollution, Alberta's big oil companies are saving $1.8 billion a year because they are not subject to any rules.

When will the federal government give the oil companies a reality check and when will it change this system that penalizes Quebec and the companies that are doing their part to protect the environment?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the environment while keeping the Canadian economy strong.

Thanks to our actions, carbon emissions will actually go down close to 130 megatonnes from where they would have been under the Liberals. This is equivalent to shutting down 37 coal-fired electricity generation plants.

We are accomplishing this without the Liberal and NDP $20 billion job-killing carbon tax, which would raise the price of everything.