House of Commons Hansard #92 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was munitions.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
This is taking up a great deal of time. The hon. member for Markham—Unionville has not finished asking his question. I would ask members to allow him to do so.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have in front of me a document from the department saying that four employers were on the blacklist, but all of them are under categories to do with wrong applications for labour market opinions. None of them is under category (c) for abuse of employees.
There is the proof. The Conservatives are wrong, and they do not care about facts. Why do they not care about employee abuse?
Costas Menegakis ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberals, our government has cleaned up this widespread misuse of the temporary foreign worker program.
In fact, when the Liberals were in power, they helped facilitate the importation of potential victims of human trafficking. We took action to restrict access to the temporary foreign worker program for strip clubs, escort services, and massage parlours, things the Liberals knew a lot about.
Because of our actions, they are now on the employers watch list. Others are under investigation, and those who abuse the system will—
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Mr. Speaker, the process the government used to appoint Justice Nadon was a disaster. In anticipation of Justice LeBel's imminent retirement this fall, can the minister tell us what lessons the government has learned and what process will be used to replace Justice LeBel so that Quebec does not have to go another year without its full contingent of judges on the Supreme Court?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, obviously, we took the time to get outside expert legal advice, including advice from former Supreme Court justices.
That advice pointed clearly to the fact that Mr. Justice Nadon was eligible. We proceeded on that advice. Subsequent to that, of course, the Supreme Court has made a ruling. We will respect the spirit and the letter of that ruling.
As I indicated yesterday, I have now had the opportunity to not only speak on the phone with but meet personally with the new Quebec justice minister, Mme. Vallée. We have working collaboratively to come forward with what we think will be a very good choice for the next Supreme Court justice.
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's appetite for the personal information of Canadians seems never-ending.
It has now been revealed that the Communications Security Establishment Canada is retaining information on the names and email addresses of Canadians for 30 years. This goes far beyond the foreign intelligence mandate of CSEC.
Can the government explain what retaining this information about Canadian citizens has to do with foreign intelligence, or is this really not more about the government building the capacity to track Canadians online?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, CSEC is in the business of protecting Canadians from foreign intelligence and protecting us from international terrorists and cyberhackers.
That being said, the activity of CSEC is reviewed every year by the commissioner. Each year, the commissioner has found that it has acted lawfully and has respected Canadian laws and privacy.
Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC
Mr. Speaker, CSEC maintains an information bank containing the personal information of potentially any individual who communicates electronically with a key computer network. This information is saved for 30 years and can be shared with domestic police agencies or foreign bodies.
Can the Minister of National Defence tell us what is meant by a “key computer network”? Can he also tell us with which foreign bodies the information can be shared and whether it can be shared without a warrant?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, CSEC is in the business of protecting us from international terrorists, cyberhackers, and kidnappers. Under the law, it must respect the privacy of Canadians and comply with all laws.
I have to point out, again, that the independent commissioner who looks at the activities of CSEC each year has said that it is completely in compliance with Canadian law. The NDP should support organizations like CSEC that are in the business of protecting us.
Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC
Mr. Speaker, the issue of RCMP suicides is serious and we must act now.
According to experts, almost one in five officers could attempt to end his or her life. However, the RCMP does not carry out systematic investigations when an officer commits suicide, although there are more police officer deaths by suicide than in the line of duty.
Does the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness have a report on the issue? What is the action plan to help RCMP members in distress?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP plays an important role in keeping Canadians safe. We have put in place measures to keep an even closer watch on the RCMP, through an oversight body. Unfortunately, we have not had the support of the New Democrats.
We will continue to ensure that agencies are in place to oversee the RCMP and ensure that it fulfills its mandate and protects Canadians.
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister misunderstands the question. What we are asking about here is the level of services to RCMP officers for mental health. It is even falling behind the inadequate levels for the Canadian Forces.
Today, the Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP admitted that 16 suicides of serving RCMP members that occurred in the last 8 years have not been reviewed. Dr. Greg Passey notes that the level of suicides is now greater in the RCMP than in the Canadian Forces.
RCMP officers are only allowed six therapy sessions without higher approval. Will the minister now allow RCMP officers to get additional professional mental health assistance without having to reveal themselves or their conditions to their superiors?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, the RCMP's role is to ensure that police officers have access to all the mental health programs and services they need. There are programs. We are working with veterans on mental health issues specifically.
We will continue to do so to ensure that we are able to support them and that they can return to their positions or civilian life.
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadian consumers, employers, businessmen, and tradespeople are all part of a national economy and a united country, but for certain sectors, it can be easier to move products or labour overseas than from province to province. For instance, it is well documented that it is easier for Ontario consumers to directly purchase wine from California than from British Columbia.
Internal trade barriers are inefficient. They hurt Canadian federalism and prevent companies from growing. Can the hard-working Minister of Industry please inform the House of what our government is doing to address these costly, inefficient trade barriers?
Intergovernmental AffairsOral Questions
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.
Conservative
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, from the Hudson's Bay Company through FTA, NAFTA, and now to the Canada-Europe free trade agreement, Canada has always been a country of free trade. We have gone from two countries to five. Now there are 43 countries around the world with which we have free trade agreements.
The problem now is that we have more free trade agreements with the world and more liberalized free trade around the world than we have within Canada. The agreement on internal trade within Canada was signed back in 1994. It needs to be rewritten and redrafted for a new era of free trade within Canada.
This summer, we are going to be working with all of my provincial counterparts to ensure that we have a new agreement of free trade within Canada so that Canada's economy will continue to move forward.
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, the NDP has always said that it would support a good trade agreement with the European Union.
The Conservatives told us that the agreement had been signed and that there were only a few details to iron out, but that was a while ago and we are still waiting.
Can the minister tell us what details had to be ironed out and can he tell us why, five months after the agreement was signed, Canadians still do not know more?
Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, we were very pleased last October to announce that Canada and the European Union had finalized an agreement in principle for a free trade agreement. That agreement now has to be translated into a legal text, which we expect will comprise of more than 1,000 pages. It takes a lot of work and we want to ensure we get it right.
However, the importance here is that this agreement will open up a market of 500 million consumers to Canadian companies that was not open before.
We are very much looking forward to getting this text in place, and we will certainly table it in the House.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want a good trade deal with Europe, but all we have from the government is delay, secrecy and confusion.
Just this morning in committee, the Minister of International Trade told us that, “All the substantive issues have been resolved” and we are now “converting it into legal text”. However, key players are saying that important details, including beef, investment and rules of origin, are still being negotiated.
So what is it? Are the negotiations complete, as the minister told us at committee, or are they not?
Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, it is pretty rich for NDP members to stand in the House and claim to be free traders when they have never once stood in the House to support a trade agreement that Canada signed. We have trade agreements with 43 different countries around the world, and never once have they stood to actually support these trade agreements.
On this side of the House, we know that trade and investment are the key drivers of economic growth for our country. On this side of the House, we stand up for the priorities of Canadians, not the special interest groups and big union bosses who the NDP represent.
Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, last month, Canada lost more than 30,000 full-time jobs, adding to the more than 1.3 million Canadians looking for work. Yet, the Conservatives have used their budget bill to kill a job-creation measure that over a half million small businesses used just last year. The CFIB has championed this credit as a win-win, as it supports small businesses and helps create the good-paying jobs that Canadians need.
Therefore, will the Conservatives listen to small business owners and the NDP and back off from their plan to kill the small business hiring credit?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite seems to have forgotten that the NDP voted against the hiring credit.
This credit was always meant to be temporary. It helped small businesses that were struggling during the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.
We recognize the vital role that small business plays in the economy and job creation, which is why we have frozen EI premiums for three years, putting $660 million into the pockets of job creators and workers last year alone.
Annick Papillon NDP Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are hurting SMEs by abolishing the hiring tax credit. Moreover, they are not doing anything about limiting credit card transaction fees. They have essentially abandoned SMEs.
The NDP is proposing meaningful solutions for our SMEs. We have proposed that we partner with them and consult them. That is completely different from what the Conservatives do.
Why do they Conservatives continue to ignore the needs of our real job creators?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the hiring credit, which the NDP voted against, was always designed to be temporary assistance for small businesses.
As for credit cards, we have heard the concerns of small businesses and we introduced a code of conduct. This code was welcomed by consumers and industry groups, in particular by small businesses.
We are always listening to small businesses.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, chicken farmers have not been reassured by answers from the Minister of Agriculture about the unprecedented imports of spent hens from the United States.
My question then is for the Minister of Public Safety. Why did the CBSA, under the duty relief program, allow 213 million pounds of spent fowl into Canada last year, jeopardizing supply management for chickens and creating worries about fresh poultry from consumers? Will the Minister of Public Safety remove spent fowl from that duty relief list immediately?