Debates of Sept. 29th, 2014

Marine Transportation

[Jean-François Fortin, Independent, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, business people who contact the government want it to understand their needs and support them in their activities. Transport Canada's administrative burden forced Meridien Maritime in Matane to abandon its plans for a dry dock in Gros-Cacouna. The project would have created about a hundred long-term, high-quality, environmentally friendly jobs, but it became a casualty of paperwork when the company asked for a short extension to produce some documents.

The other project under way in that area, an oil port, is getting all of the government's attention and enjoying the fewest constraints possible.

Why the double standard?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, when Transport Canada officials assess projects or when they are undertaking whether or not vessels can be utilized in certain harbours and safe ports in our geography, they do take into consideration safety and security, other people who work on board the vessel, and other people in the area. That is their primary focus, and in this case, that is exactly what happened.

Taxation

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the government will be eliminating the federal tax credit for labour-sponsored funds even though it has not carried out any real impact studies or consultations.

According to one study, the gradual withdrawal of the tax credit will halve annual investment in Quebec businesses from $521 million to $250 million in three years.

Rather than eliminate the tax credit, will the minister here commit to carrying out a closer review of the labour-sponsored funds' new proposal to create a new partnership with the federal government based on mutual interests?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, when we are dealing with taxes, of course, we are attempting to leave more money in the pockets of Canadians. As to the specific tax credit the member is concerned about, I will take it under advisement, and perhaps we can get together and talk a little bit about what he is suggesting here.

Employment

[Brent Rathgeber, Independent, Edmonton—St. Albert, AB]

Mr. Speaker, all Alberta MPs are hearing from their constituents regarding our unique labour shortages. In fact, the new Alberta premier, our former colleague, Jim Prentice, has indicated that changes to the temporary foreign worker program will be the first order of business he wants to discuss with the Prime Minister.

Last week the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association president, Helen Rice, implored the government to reverse the changes announced last spring, stating that Alberta MPs are not listening to Albertans and that Alberta employers desperately need access to both temporary workers and permanent immigration.

When will the employment minister and Alberta MPs start listening to Albertans and Albertans' elected representatives and reverse the ill-thought-out changes to the TFW program?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the member opposite, we are listening to Albertans who want to ensure that Albertans come first for Alberta jobs and that the temporary foreign worker program is only a last and limited resort. We are concerned about the 110,000 Albertans who have no work but are looking for it.

We take note of the growth of the labour force by 100,000 people a year in Alberta. We have seen immigration double since our government came to office. We will continue to work with Albertans to ensure that they get the first crack at available jobs.

Presence in the Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw attention to the presence in our gallery of His Excellency Ramtane Lamamra, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Oral Questions

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, when she was interrupted in her question, turned and said, in reference to the Minister of the Environment, “Isn't she disgusting?”

That is clearly a personal attack and unparliamentary. I ask that the member rise in her place, withdraw the remark, and unreservedly apologize for the unparliamentary language.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that we go through what we do here in the House, but I do apologize, and I withdraw the remark.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I thank the hon. member for that, and I remind all members about the rules of decorum and about not heckling during questions while they are being put as well.

Assaults Against Public Transit Operators

[Corneliu Chisu, Conservative, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill S-221, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (assaults against public transit operators).

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to introduce Bill S-221 in the House for first reading. I would first like to thank and recognize the recent hard and diligent work on Bill S-221 and the carriage of this bill by Senator Runciman in the other place.

This bill aims to address the far too frequent abuse and mistreatment of our public transit operators by implementing stricter penalties for those who aim to harm these people while they are carrying out their duties. This bill would act as a deterrent against violent incidents upon public transit operators in our communities and would increase overall safety on public transit.

(Motions deemed adopted and bill read the first time)

Internet Service Providers

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition, on behalf of my ratepayers, requesting that Parliament require Internet service providers to provide a mandatory opt-in Internet pornography filter as a tool parents can use to protect their children from Internet pornography.

Victims Services

[Craig Scott, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition in support of victims of crime. The petition is signed by about 120 members of my riding, Toronto—Danforth. The petitioners ask in particular for the government to create a meaningful country-wide system of public support for the loved ones of murder victims as well as for the victims of crimes who survive those crimes against them and to ensure adequate funding. This is in the name of Kempton Howard, who died in 2003.

I wish to also note the death by murder this weekend, in my riding, of Nahome Berhane, a leading member of the Eritrean community, who also died through public violence.

Genetically Modified Alfalfa

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, petitioners in southwestern Ontario continue to ask this Parliament to impose a moratorium on the release of genetically modified alfalfa. The signatories on this petition join the many others presented in this House over the last many years. Canadians remain justifiably worried about cross-contamination, co-existence, transportation, and production and call upon the government to impose a moratorium on its release until such time as a proper comprehensive analysis of the impact on both organic and non-organic alfalfa is done.

Agriculture

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to table two petitions on behalf of constituents.

One petition is calling on Parliament to refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act or the Plant Breeders' Rights Act through Bill C-18.

Sex Selection

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the House to condemn discrimination against females through sex-selected pregnancy termination.

Komagata Maru

[Jasbir Sandhu, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition to this House signed by thousands of people with the help of the Prof. Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation and Sahib Thind. The petitioners are bringing forward to this House that this week marks the 100th anniversary of the return of the Komagata Maru to Budge Budge Ghat, where 19 passengers were killed by the British government at that time.

As members know, the Komagata Maru is a dark chapter in Canadian history. The ship was forced back, on July 23, 1914, from Burrard Inlet, based on racist, exclusionist policies of that government at that time. We live in a more tolerant country today. However, the petitioners are asking for the current government to officially recognize the Komagata Maru and apologize in the House of Commons so the healing process can begin.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

[Ted Hsu, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first is from residents of Kingston, Ontario. They are asking that the Canadian government work with other countries who have ratified the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to demand that signatories comply with the disarmament conditions in the treaty.

Agriculture

[Ted Hsu, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from people in the eastern Ontario area. They are calling upon Parliament to enshrine in legislation the rights of Canadians to save, reuse, select, exchange and sell seeds, and to not infringe upon those rights through Bill C-18.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a petition that has been signed by individuals who are concerned with the growing number of murdered and missing aboriginal girls and women across Canada, which is well into the hundreds. They are calling upon the government to have a national public inquiry that would study the high number of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls. They are looking for answers. That is one of the reasons there was a sit-in protest that went on for weeks just outside the Manitoba legislature. They have taken the time to sign the petition and have asked me to bring it forward. They are calling upon the Prime Minister to do the right thing and call for that public inquiry.

The Environment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions. The first is from residents of Qualicum Beach, Campbell River, Galiano Island and other locations within Saanich—Gulf Islands. They are calling upon the House to recognize the inherent dangers of coastal tanker traffic in British Columbia, to honour the moratorium that has been in place since 1972, to respect the first nations' constitutionally enshrined rights, and to reject the Enbridge project.

Human Rights

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has hundreds of names from residents primarily of the greater Toronto area. They are calling upon the government to speak up very clearly and forthrightly to the People's Republic of China about the persecution of Falun Dafa and Falun Gong practitioners.

In a related matter, I note the persecution and the life sentence given Ilham Tohti of the Uighur community, the Muslims in China, who are also being persecuted.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Is that agreed?