Debates of Jan. 30th, 2015

Northern Development

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, of course we have accepted the recommendations of the Auditor General and continue to make improvements to the nutrition north program, but do you know what northerners do not need? They do not need the policies of the NDP; they do not need an NDP carbon tax, which we reject; and they do not need the NDP long gun registry, which we reject.

We continue to make investments in the north, which are always opposed by the members of that caucus and the members of the Liberal Party. We will continue to deliver for Canada's north like no government in Canadian history.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Northwest Territories, NT]

Mr. Speaker, nutrition north is working so well that average Canadians now are sending food parcels to needy northern families. However, nutrition north is just one of the ways the government's narrow-minded policies have failed northerners. The government's so-called streamlining of environmental protections has led to lawsuits with first nations, which have increased uncertainty for development. Internationally, the government has chosen confrontation over co-operation in the Arctic.

When will the government realize that its northern policy is harming us in the north rather than helping?

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, no government has done more for the north than this Conservative government. We have invested, whether it is in the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay, which that party voted against; whether it is taking down the long gun registry, which was an offence to northern Canadians and aboriginals living in the north—we have dismantled it and they will bring it back; or whether it is standing up against an NDP carbon tax, which would increase the cost of everything in the north. We will reject that and continue to deliver for northerners, as we have done since taking office in 2006.

Taxation

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that, if given the chance, the Liberals and the NDP would take away our family tax cut. This is because they would rather impose higher taxes, like a carbon tax, on families.

Would the Minister of State for Social Development please update the House on how our government's plan is benefiting Canadian families?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Medicine Hat for the strong work he does to fight for tax fairness for Canadian families.

Almost two million families are looking forward to our family tax cut, which will benefit middle- to low-income families primarily. Every single Canadian family in Canada with children is looking forward to our increase and expansion of the universal child care benefit. Canadians know that this government will keep those things, to put more money in their pockets. The Liberals and the NDP would create bigger bureaucracies, more debt, and more taxes on Canadian families. The choice is clear. They can deny it, but Canadian families know what they would do.

Citizenship and Immigration

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with mushrooming processing times for family-class immigrants and too many unwarranted denials of visitor visas, it is hardly surprising that Conservative MPs hear complaints when they meet constituents on this topic. At one such meeting, the member for Willowdale actually told Iranian Canadians to go back to Iran.

Apology or not, will the Minister for Multiculturalism acknowledge that such comments have no place in Canada, let alone coming from his own parliamentary secretary?

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, during a three-hour-long meeting with the Iranian community, many comments were made and some of them might have been misunderstood. That is obviously not what I meant. As an immigrant to this country, no one understands better than me the great opportunity that Canada offers to so many.

Taxation

[Jim Eglinski, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents have been clear that they cannot afford another tax hike. Families are trying to save to help pay for their children's education and the everyday expenses incurred in raising a family.

Would the Minister of the Environment please update the House on our government's plan to help Canadians keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their pockets?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is lowering taxes and providing money directly to Canadian families with the family tax cut and enhanced universal child care benefit.

However, the Liberals and the NDP want to impose a carbon tax on hard-working Canadians. This tax would be very harmful to northerners, raising the price of things like groceries and fuel where the cost of living is already very high.

I am proud to be part of a government that is standing up for Canada's north. We will continue to do so by opposing the reckless job-killing carbon tax.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, the fact that the federal government is withdrawing its funding for social and affordable housing is shameful.

Agencies in my region are concerned about the end of federal assistance for underprivileged families. The waiting list with the Office municipal d'habitation de Saguenay may well get longer.

Will the government renew investments in social housing, or will it continue to make those less fortunate pay for its ideological budget cuts?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, we have invested in affordable housing in a number of ways, including direct funding in previous budgets to help renovate and retrofit social housing. We have expanded and extended our investment in affordable housing. Because provinces are directly responsible for housing, we provide the funding and they match that funding, which they use for a wide variety of things, like rent supplements, new affordable housing, and a host of other things. We are grateful that we can work with them. We will continue to work with them and allow them to do what is within their jurisdiction, which is housing.

Public Safety

[Maria Mourani, Independent, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety keeps talking about how urgent the situation is regarding the fight against terrorism.

However, the only thing he has done since realizing that urgency is to make cuts to research programs and to CSIS. No additional resources have been given to the RCMP and there has been no additional funding to prevent and counter the violent radicalization of young people.

Does the Minister of Public Safety realize that none of his new laws are going to stop jihadist groups from recruiting our young people, and what is needed instead are additional resources for prevention, research and intelligence?

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken strong action to combat radicalization. In fact, this is a key pillar of our counterterrorism strategy.

However, when we look at the history of what has happened here and globally around the world, just recently, in October, we had terrorist attacks in Quebec and here in Ottawa against our institution of government.

This government is moving forward with strong legislation, which we will actually be debating in the House today, Bill C-44. I would like it if, for once, that member who stands in the House and asks us questions about how we are going to counter terrorism actually stood up and supported measures that would keep Canadians safe.

Foreign Affairs

[Maria Mourani, Independent, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Premier of Quebec let the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia know that Quebec would be prepared to take in Raif Badawi, whose wife and three children are living in Sherbrooke.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs declared the sentence inflicted against Mr. Badawi a violation of human dignity.

When will the Prime Minister intervene with his Saudi counterpart to ensure that Mr. Badawi is pardoned and reunited with his family in Canada?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite is well aware, the minister and our government have taken a very strong stand on this issue. We consider the punishment of Mr. Badawi to be a violation of human dignity and of his rights.

We continue to call for clemency in his case, and we will continue to promote human rights around the world as part of our government's policies.

Anti-terrorism Act, 2015

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-51, An Act to enact the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act and the Secure Air Travel Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Firearms

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present from my riding of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

The first petition is requesting that Parliament pass a new firearms act that contains a provision for licensed handgun owners to carry a sidearm for protection from predatory wildlife.

International Development

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition asks the Government of Canada and the House of Commons to commit to adopting international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty; to ensure that Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers; and to protect the rights of these small family farmers in the global south to preserve, use, and freely exchange seeds, which, as members may know, was done in our recent legislation.

Veterans Affairs

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition to ensure the dignity of Canada's veterans.

The petitioners note that Canadian Forces veterans and their families deserve our deepest gratitude and to be taken care of, but that many veterans and their families still cannot access adequate health care, pensions, and other vital services and are now dealing with the closure of front-line Veterans Affairs offices.

The signatories further note that the NDP has a plan to end service pension clawbacks, to re-open shuttered Veterans Affairs offices, and to widen access to quality home care, long-term care, and mental health care. Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to implement the NDP's plan to improve services for Canada's veterans and their families.

Sex Selection

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today.

In the first petition, the petitioners call upon Parliament to condemn the discriminatory practice of sex-selective pregnancy termination of girls.

Impaired Driving

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the second petition, the petitioners call on Parliament to put in place tougher laws against impaired driving, so that a person convicted of impaired driving causing death will receive a mandatory sentence. As well, the petitioners want to redefine the offence of impaired driving causing death as vehicular manslaughter.

Genetically Modified Apples

[Leon Benoit, Conservative, Vegreville—Wainwright, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the third petition, the petitioners are against the approval of genetically modified apples for growth in Canada.

Agriculture

[Maria Mourani, Independent, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to present a petition on behalf of my constituents calling on the government to respect the right of small family farms to store, trade and use seed.

The petitioners are calling on us to adopt international aid policies that support small farmers. They are also calling on us to ensure that the policies and programs are developed in consultation with small farmers and that the policies protect the rights of small farmers in southern countries to store, use and freely trade seed.

Sex Selection

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions. In the first, the petitioners reference a CBC documentary revealing that ultrasounds are being used in Canada to tell the sex of an unborn child so that parents can then choose to terminate the pregnancy if that unborn child is a girl. In view of this gendercide and violence against women and the human trafficking of girls, I think it is a sad and shameful thing that the three deadliest words in the world are “it's a girl”. Females are full image-bearers and therefore should be treated with full respect and dignity.

Prostitution

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the second is a related petition. The petitioners note that a high percentage of prostitutes are forced into the sex trade and trafficked. The petitioners are requesting that the House of Commons legislate that it be a criminal offence to purchase sex with a woman, man, or child and that it be a criminal offence for pimps, madams, and others to profit from the proceeds of the dehumanizing sex trade.