Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2014

Canada Post

[Djaouida Sellah, NDP, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for months, we have been asking the government to reconsider its position on the Canada Post job cuts and the elimination of the home delivery service. To date, we have collected more than 1,000 signatures, in Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert alone, against the elimination of this service. The government is turning a deaf ear.

It is now the municipal officials' turn to mobilize. I congratulate the municipal officials from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville for taking a firm and clear stand by passing a resolution asking Canada Post to abandon its plan to unilaterally impose the termination of the home delivery service.

What is the government waiting for to finally listen to Canadians and local elected officials too?

Suicide Prevention

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on September 4, I hosted a round table with local mental health service providers in Chilliwack to discuss suicide prevention and mental illness as part of the Mental Health Commission of Canada's 308 conversations initiative.

We talked about innovative programs that were working and talked about gaps in the system of care. We identified the importance of mental health first aid training, not only for front-line emergency services personnel but for the general public. We talked about problems in getting patients the mental health care they need when they need it, especially in emergency situations, and we discussed the challenges of treating concurrent disorders in mental health patients.

I would like to thank all of the participants for their contribution and for their work in our community. Mental illness has an enormous impact on our society. We need to talk about this issue and educate ourselves on the factors that contribute to it. Together, we must continue to share the message that help is available if someone is suffering. Together, we must continue to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Franco-Ontarian Day

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Franco-Ontarian Day is almost upon us. It is a time to celebrate francophones in Ontario and pay tribute to their contribution to Ontario's rich culture and history. The francophones in my riding, who live mainly in Lafontaine, Penetanguishene, Perkinsfield and the townships of Tiny and Tay, carry on in the tradition of generations of francophones who, since the late 18th century in Upper Canada, have invested their time and talents in agriculture, education, business and the arts.

I salute the Franco-Ontarians in Simcoe County and across the province for their contribution to our history and our society.

Jim Deva

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to Jim Deva, who died unexpectedly in Vancouver on September 21.

Jim was so much a part of Vancouver that it is hard to verbalize the full impact of his life on our city and its people. He is a legend in the LGBTQ community. He successfully fought Canada Customs censors for decades for freedom of expression for the Little Sister's bookstore. Jim was a leading advocate against hate crimes and pioneered better police liaison and community action.

He inspired us, made us laugh, showed us courage and selflessness, and never shied away from challenging bigotry and injustice. He held the door open for many to come out.

This dear man will be hugely missed. It is hard to imagine our city without Jim. Our love and support goes out to his partner, Bruce Smyth, and his family and friends, as we grieve this terrible loss of a great advocate, champion, friend, mentor and leader in our community.

Rosh Hashanah

[Mark Adler, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow evening at sundown, Jews here in Canada and around the world will mark the start of the high holidays, beginning with Rosh Hashanah and concluding 10 days later with the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. This Rosh Hashanah will mark the beginning of the year 5775. It is a time to reflect through prayer and self-examination, and to perform teshuvah, or repentance, which is when we take the time to apologize to those we have wronged and commit to bettering ourselves.

During the 10 days, the Jewish community will come together to pray and fulfill the mitzvah of hearing the blowing of the shofar, the ram's horn, as a reminder to repent, to look within ourselves, to recommit ourselves to prayer, remember the blessings that come from helping those in need, and most importantly, to believe in the power of humility and compassion to deepen our faith and to repair our world. During this time of repentance and renewal, let us recommit ourselves to a more hopeful future, a future filled with sweetness, health and prosperity for all.

L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Eternal Life for a good year.

International Day of Peace

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace, and that is the theme of this year's International Day of Peace.

This year we think about the many peoples of the world who long for peace, those in the Central African Republic, in South Sudan, in Syria, in Iraq, in Israel and Palestine, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Mali, in Ukraine, in too many places.

On behalf of the New Democrats, I would like to thank the many peace-builders and humanitarian workers who risk their lives every day with the aim of bringing peace to their communities.

Afghanistan

[Bryan Hayes, Conservative, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday we learned that Afghanistan's leaders were able to put their differences aside to form a government of national unity. We congratulate the president-designate, Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, who yesterday moved decisively to confront Afghan corruption. We also congratulate his former rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who will assume the role as newly created chief executive. This agreement will bring about additional stability and prosperity to Afghanistan by ensuring that the new government will represent all Afghan citizens.

Our government welcomes and congratulates the people of Afghanistan in this historic transfer of power from one president to the next. Afghanistan still faces many challenges and the new government must be united in its efforts to address them. Our government stands ready to assist the new government in tackling these challenges.

Alzheimer's Disease

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Canadian Medical Association called on the federal government to engage the provinces in creating a pan-Canadian dementia plan. Canada is the only G7 country without a comprehensive national strategy.

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Currently, 500,000 Canadians live with this degenerative disease. That number will double in the next 20 years. While research into cause and treatment is important, the most vital missing element is building the health system's capacity to deliver care to the increasing number of Alzheimer's patients.

While the federal Minister of Health may shrug off this responsibility to the provinces, she is wrong. In every country with a national plan, the national government led the way, integrating dementia care into their health systems, which includes best practices in management, prevention of chronic disease, and ensuring that community and social services, housing and caregiving are integral parts of the system.

While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, research shows that by early identification and proper management we can delay its onset to the point of near elimination of the disease.

Resumption of Parliament

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

Mr. Speaker, during the End of Summer Tour by our political lieutenant and the hon. member for Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, a tour that took him all across Quebec, one thing became clear: Quebeckers' values have much more in common with Conservative values than those of the other parties.

Quebeckers want lower taxes for families, a balanced budget and job creation. They also want safer streets for our young people, the end of lenient sentences for offenders and the recognition of victims' rights.

In the meantime, what is the Liberal leader's priority? He thinks the most important thing for our country is to legalize marijuana.

While the member for Papineau tries to come up with a credible party platform, our Conservative government is already working on what truly matters to Quebeckers and Canadians.

The Liberal and Conservative Parties of Canada

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if we want real change, not just the appearance of change, we cannot just keep switching from blue to red and back. When it comes to employment insurance, Keystone XL, Cacouna and the Senate, those two are cut from the same cloth.

The two old parties have grown so alike that they are courting the same candidates. This week, we learned that both the Liberals and the Conservatives tried to recruit Nathalie Normandeau for the next election and that former Liberal organizer Beryl Wajsman is vying for the Conservative nomination in Mont-Royal. As we all know, Wajsman was booted out of the Liberal Party after he appeared before the Gomery commission, and Nathalie Normandeau was put through the wringer by the Charbonneau commission because of the many gifts she received from building contractors.

It is hard to believe that the Liberals and the Conservatives really want to clean house when they are raiding commissions of inquiry for candidates, in the same way they raided the employment insurance fund. Canadians who want change have a simple choice: vote for the old, worn-out parties rife with corruption and cronyism, or vote for the NDP, the only party that stands for change.

Justice

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, no reasonable person could disagree that Omar Ahmed Khadr is a heinous criminal. His murderous terrorist actions left one American army medic dead and another soldier blind. We learned today that he has not responded to the legal action put forward by his victims, and therefore owes them in excess of $100 million.

Our Conservative government supports the efforts of his victims to receive compensation for their horrible loss. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the Liberals are opposed to this principled stand. In fact, the Liberal leader actually refused to rule out giving special payments to this convicted terrorist, but was silent on whether his victims should receive any compensation at all. He further went on to say that revoking the passports of radical Islamic terrorists was an affront to Canadian values.

Canadians want to know when the Liberal leader will stop running from important matters of national security and start standing up for the rights of victims.

Foreign Affairs

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has failed to answer clear questions about his ill-defined military deployment in Iraq.

Yesterday, Conservatives refused once again to answer in this House, but the member for Selkirk—Interlake stated on CPAC that the mission will end on October 4.

Will the Conservative government confirm that the 30-day Canadian commitment in Iraq will indeed end on October 4?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of confusion with respect to the NDP position on Israel.

I wonder if the Leader of the Opposition could confirm for me whether Alex Anderson, who identifies himself as a fundraiser at the New Democratic Party, speaks for the NDP when he says “[eff] the IDF and all who supports them. I am sick and tired of the media [BS] trying to sell lies and hide an [effing] genocide”.

Does Alex Anderson speak for the NDP when he says these shameful things?

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I can understand the confusion. We are in the Middle East and we are under the I's, but we are talking about Iraq.

It took over a week for the Prime Minister to answer a simple question about the number of troops involved in the Iraqi deployment. It now appears that Canadian soldiers may require visas approved by the Iraqi government.

Since this military deployment is still ongoing, and since it is set to conclude in 12 days, precisely how many Canadian soldiers are on the ground in Iraq today?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, what does the Leader of the Opposition not understand? Our friends in Israel are on the front lines combatting terrorism.

When people who work for the NDP, like Alex Anderson, who identifies himself as a fundraiser at Canada's NDP, calls what the Israel Defense Forces are doing an effing genocide, and calls the media BS for not supporting the fact that they call it an effing genocide, what does he not understand?

Israel is on the front lines. Canada will continue to support our friends in Israel. We will stand up for peace and security around the world. Unlike them, we are not confused by our position.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there are rules in the book about question period. You are our arbiter. We ask you to enforce the rules on relevance and on question period.

When asked at foreign affairs committee just a couple of weeks ago, the minister said that a status of forces agreement with Iraq outlining operating rules for Canadian forces had not yet been completed.

Has that agreement now been completed? If so, when can Canadians see it?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, again, clearly the Leader of the Opposition does not identify or understand the fact that our friends in Israel are on the front lines combatting terrorism in the region.

That is why on this side of the House we support our friends in Israel. Unlike the NDP whose position is all over the place, Canada will stand up for Israel, will stand up for freedom around the world.

The NDP supporter calls it an effing IDF, and all those who support it. He claims that the media is ignoring it, and calls it BS.

We will stand up for Israel. We will stand up for—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, well, that does not speak very favourably about your neutrality in this House.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Papineau.

Employment

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Conference Board of Canada confirmed what Canadians have been long telling us, that today's young people are perhaps the first generation of Canadians to be worse off than their parents.

The Conference Board says that this is a serious economic problem. We agree.

Will the government please tell us what the plan is to address this problem?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, under our Conservative government, we will continue to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the G7. Since coming to office, we have helped 2.1 million youth obtain skills, training, and jobs. However, we recognize that more can be done, and that is why our economic action plan 2014 will help young Canadians get the skills they need for in-demand jobs, help young entrepreneurs start more businesses, and support more paid internships for graduates.

The Environment

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that we are also going to be leaving our children an environment that is ever more threatened. The Prime Minister has shown no leadership on climate change, and indeed cannot even be bothered to show up. He uses a megaphone on the world stage when it suits his purpose.

Why is the Prime Minister completely missing on climate change?