Debates of Dec. 7th, 2015

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I also want to congratulate the member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing on her election.

Members of the Liberal Party do not want to just talk the talk. We want to walk the walk. I am not the only member in the caucus from northern Ontario. I am joined by the minister and member for Thunder Bay—Superior North, and the members for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Kenora, Sault Ste. Marie, Nickel Belt and Nipissing—Timiskaming.

We will work together to get things done in northern Ontario and to develop our mines. We do not want to just talk the talk. We want to walk the walk.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the people of my riding, Joliette. I also want to congratulate all hon. members of the House on their election or re-election, including the hon. member for Sudbury.

The Speech from the Throne is mum on the fight against tax evasion. I would like to know where the hon. member for Sudbury stands on this subject and what measures he would like to see implemented in order to effectively fight tax evasion.

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate the hon. member for Joliette on his election. As a tax specialist and former professor of international tax law at the University of Ottawa, I appreciate his question.

It is clear from our platform that we want to clean up and rework Canada Revenue. We want to allocate resources to the right places in order to tackle tax havens. There is a lot of work to be done because this issue was largely ignored in the past 10 years. I want to play a role and work together with the minister to see what we can do to reduce the number of tax havens and make them less attractive.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as this is the first time I have risen in the House, I want to congratulate you on your election.

I would also like to congratulate all my colleagues in the House on being voted into office. I have the opportunity to rise today because more than 34,000 voters put their trust in me, and I am extremely grateful. I want to assure the House that I will be representing all the people of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.

I would also like to thank my family, my girlfriend Kathryn, my brother Mathieu and his wife Anick, my nephew Noah, and my parents.

If nothing changes, we will have to honour the greatest supporter of the House, the person who has yet to miss a session, and that is my father, who is again seated in the gallery watching the House conduct its business. One might say that he is a true supporter of Canadians.

As a Franco-Ontarian, I am delighted to debate the throne speech. Nearly seventy per cent of the wonderful riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell is francophone. Our region has a rich cultural and heritage legacy.

I am proud to say that the only francophone agricultural college outside Quebec, Collège D'Alfred, is located in my riding. It is important for Franco-Ontarians, and for all francophones outside Quebec, to preserve their language and their cultural heritage. I know that my colleague from Orléans believes this as well.

It starts with our public institutions providing adequate service in both languages. I am proud to be part of a government that understands and respects that fact.

That is why our government will support CBC/Radio-Canada and encourage the use of the country's two official languages by investing in Canada's cultural and creative industries.

That is real change. Diversity matters to this government, and we recognize that it is a source of strength, not a weakness. Diversity is what brings us together here in Canada. That is why it is so important for us to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada.

In Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, nine out of 10 families earn less than $150,000. The new Canada child benefit will help 90% of families with children under the age of 18 and will lift 315,000 children out of poverty. That is a fair plan for Canadians.

Yesterday was the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. To my dismay, last week I found out that 107 cases of sexual assault were reported in Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, more than last year. That is unacceptable.

In the throne speech, the government committed to introducing legislation to provide better support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

I will work with my colleagues on this because I hope that, next year, I will be able to rise in the House to say that that number has gone down.

Two weeks ago, I was in here after my swearing-in ceremony with my three-year-old nephew. It got me thinking about the legacy that I wanted to leave him. I want to ensure that the next generation inherits a house with a stronger foundation.

Can a homeowner really claim that the family budget is in the black when the roof is leaking? The answer is no, because down the road, major repairs will cost a lot more money, which will have an even greater impact on the budget. This is why we need to make infrastructure investments now. This is not a Liberal idea; it is simply a government listening to Canadians. It is what all mayors across Canada have been asking for. It is what all nine mayors in Glengarry—Prescott—Russell have been asking for.

For instance, the municipality of Clarence-Rockland has been advocating for the expansion of Highway 174/17 for many decades now. Residents are telling me that while they would love to take public transit to come to work in Ottawa, it is simply not advantageous for them to do so. After all, what is the point of taking public transit if one is stuck in traffic, just like everybody else? It also makes sense, as Ottawa is building its light rail transit system.

Another example is Maxville, where every year the largest highland games in North America are hosted. It still relies on water wells. Unfortunately, the wells are getting dry. A senior's residence is forced to truck water in, which is costing it over $100,000 per year. This only increases the cost for our seniors to stay there. Surely, we can do better than that. Our seniors deserve better.

For over two months, we had the opportunity to ask people what they thought as we went door to door. Access to home care was a recurring theme. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the excellent work done by Prescott and Russell Community Services. This organization provides home care services to people who need them. A large part of the population is aging, but these people want to stay at home. That is why it is important to continue investing in health care. That is why it is important for our Prime Minister to sit down with the provincial and territorial leaders to sign a new health care accord.

We can choose to ignore the fact that our population is aging and not invest in our health care system, but that would mean governing with our heads in the sand. A responsible government looks at what is coming.

The last point I want to raise is the importance of agriculture. While some might worry the word “agriculture” was not included in the Speech from the Throne, I and many of my colleagues who come from rural ridings will work to ensure our agricultural sector is a growing part of our economy. However, the only way to create the jobs of tomorrow is to invest in research. That is the commitment we made during the campaign.

That is the promise that I made to Ferme d’la sept, to the Lafrance, Lemieux, and Lalonde families, and to others.

I know we will honour our commitments.

In closing, the throne speech presents a vision for Canada that brings Canadians together, invests in the middle class, seeks to grow the economy by investing in our infrastructure, respects official languages, and will rely on fact-based decision-making.

I look forward to working with all of my colleagues from the two sides of the House. I know we will not always agree, but we must keep the level of debate to a mutual respect. After all, we all share a common goal, and that is to improve the lives of all Canadians.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely honoured to be in the House today for the first time. I would like to congratulate all members of the House on their election and I would like to thank the residents of Sarnia—Lambton for their confidence that is placed in me.

We have heard today already about the tragic events of December 6. Those were my sister engineers. As the first female engineer rising in the House, I respect that and we need to ensure this never happens again.

I heard the hon. member from Sudbury and others talk about the government's commitment to research and development. As the critic for science, I thought that was very absent from the throne speech. There was little emphasis on anything except clean tech. There was no mention of agriculture, mining, fossil fuel sector, genomics, nanophysics or IT big data.

With the billions of dollars that the government is spending in every other area, I would hope the Liberals would commit the billions of dollars that are needed to inspire innovation but also to inspire basic research so Canada does not continue to fall further behind.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on her election as well. During the campaign we spoke about the need to invest in innovation, and our commitment was to invest $200 million a year to increase the access to accelerators and incubators. It is extremely important for small businesses to contribute and have access to those types of services so we can create the better jobs of tomorrow.

[Matthew Dubé, NDP, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have an opportunity to ask my colleague a question. After my own riding, of course, his is probably my favourite riding. It is where my wife is from. She is also Franco-Ontarian, from Hawkesbury in fact.

Knowing his region, I also know that many farmers took part in the demonstration on Parliament Hill. Some of the farmers there were from his region, but many were also from Quebec, including my region. The demonstration was about the trans-Pacific partnership and the fact that supply management will be gutted if that agreement is adopted in its current form.

Since farmers are at the core of the economy in the member's riding, is he not worried that not only did his government fail to mention agriculture in the throne speech, but it is also prepared to ratify that agreement without adapting it to our reality and that it basically plans to adopt it as it was presented by the Conservatives?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I first want to congratulate the member on his re-election.

I was here on the Hill one Tuesday when the farmers came to demonstrate. We heard them say that they want their voices to be heard. I know that my colleague, the Minister of International Trade, has already consulted certain farm groups. We have committed to holding open, transparent consultations with farmers. The people of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell will have their voices heard loud and clear.

I will be working with the Minister of Agriculture and his parliamentary secretary to discuss these issues.

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on his election. I also want to give a shout-out to André and Justine, who live in his riding. It is truly a beautiful riding.

I heard the member talk about CBC/Radio-Canada in his speech, but he just touched on it briefly. I would like to know what funding commitments this government is making for CBC/Radio-Canada, because this is an extremely important issue. He mentioned that it serves linguistic minorities across Canada. The broadcaster needs stable, multi-year funding, which we committed to providing during the last election campaign.

However, the throne speech did not mention this topic and I have not seen any figures about funding for CBC/Radio-Canada. Does the member also have a particular interest in the crown corporation and its funding, to ensure that it can provide quality services across Canada in both official languages?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I also want to congratulate the member on his election and I thank him for his question.

Radio-Canada obviously plays a key role in francophone minority communities outside Quebec. This is what I have heard from the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada. I plan on working with the Minister of Canadian Heritage to ensure that the $150-million commitment we made to CBC/Radio-Canada during the campaign will be honoured.

Of course, I invite my colleague to work with us to talk about the issues affecting Radio-Canada. I know that this is an issue that also affects my colleague's constituents in Sudbury.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be here representing the people of Gatineau.

I congratulate my hon. colleague on his speech. I know him well.

Considering his background, I wonder if he might comment on francophone minority communities and the French language and bilingualism in Canada in general.

I know these things are important to him, so I would like to hear what he is planning to do in this area.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Gatineau on being elected. I am proud to be here alongside him.

Official languages are certainly a very important issue to us and to my colleague from Gatineau. Certainly, in my riding, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, I have often heard people talk about the importance of having official languages in Canada and of ensuring that the public service honours that fact.

I know that this is an issue that really matters to my colleague, so I will work with him and with other members whose ridings have francophone minority communities outside of Quebec because we must honour official languages in Canada.

Miramichi—Grand Lake

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to send greetings to the good people of my riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake.

Since the early days of our great country, the four Mi'kmaq communities in my riding have shared their magnificent land with newcomers from Acadian, Irish, Scottish and so many other backgrounds.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the western provinces, particularly Alberta, for providing good work for our men and women as our local economy was struggling. My goal, however, is to bring back economic prosperity to my region.

As my region is a historical trade gateway to Europe and the rest of the world, I trust that the final touch on the European trade agreement will happen soon, so our region can take advantage of this tremendous opportunity.

Lastly, I would like to thank the people of my riding for putting their trust in me. On behalf of my wife, Lise, and myself, I wish them happy holidays and a prosperous and healthy new year.

I wish happy holidays and a prosperous year to all.

Softwood Lumber

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as this is my first opportunity, I would like to congratulate and welcome all members into this place. I cannot say their names, but obviously they know who they are.

This weekend I returned to my amazing riding of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. Over the weekend I heard a fair bit of concern over last Friday's throne speech. In my experience, it is unusual to hear concerns over a throne speech.

Many citizens were concerned that the government's upcoming priorities made no mention of a softwood lumber agreement. For communities such as Princeton, Merritt, and West Kelowna, forestry is the single largest employer. These communities critically depend on market access and obviously on a softwood lumber agreement.

As the Liberal government has not yet named a lead British Columbia minister, I am hopeful that the importance of a softwood lumber agreement to many B.C. communities, like my own riding and elsewhere, is not overlooked.

Decorum in the House

[Alaina Lockhart, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the first female member in the history of Fundy Royal and the second Liberal member since Confederation. This is a true testament that real change is afoot in Canada.

I am truly honoured to represent the hard-working people of Fundy Royal, and I thank them for the trust they have placed in me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank one of those hard-working New Brunswickers. His commitment to government, his vision, and his wise counsel guided me to my journey to take my seat here in the House of Commons.

Please allow me this opportunity to recognize Mr. Roly MacIntyre. Mr. MacIntyre is a former long-time member of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly and a former cabinet minister. The sentiments he expressed in his last speech in the legislature are sentiments I wish to begin my career with here in the House. Mr. MacIntyre said we should treat each other with respect and we should leave here as friends.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the House in this 42nd Parliament to strengthen our communities and our country.

Violence Against Women

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I come from Coast Salish territory, sent here by the voters of Nanaimo—Ladysmith. I thank its voters, its volunteers, my family, and friends. I thank all Canadian voters who sent the great diversity to this Parliament. It holds great promise.

So too was the case 26 years ago when 14 women were killed in the École Polytechnique massacre. They too held great promise. New Democrats will work across the aisle with the government on its promise to implement a national action plan to fight gender based violence. We stand with grassroots indigenous and women's organizations across the country, including especially in my own riding, I think of Nanaimo's Haven Society that has been doing the hard work this last dark decade of supporting victims of violence in our communities.

New Democrats will work with the government to ensure that those organizations have the funding they need to support the inquiry, the domestic violence action plan, that comes before us. New Democrats will stand with all Canadians.

Lobster Fishery

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in recognition of dumping day, in Nova Scotia. Dumping day marks the opening of the lobster fishing season in southern Nova Scotia and takes place on the last Monday of November.

The brave captains and crew gather on the wharves, at daybreak, to dump their traps as they head out to sea in search of the most lucrative and prosperous fishing grounds.

The south shore of Nova Scotia is world renowned for the quality of its lobster, and this industry is vitally important to the sustainability of many rural communities, as well as to the greater provincial economy.

It is for this reason that many risk their lives in treacherous seas and unpredictable weather in order to provide for their families.

This past dumping day was marked with tragedy, as one fisherman lost his life and two others fell overboard before being rescued.

I wish to thank all the fishermen of district 33 for all they do to provide for our communities and to wish the fleet and their families a safe and successful lobster season.

Evan Leversage

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, seven-year-old Evan Leversage of St. George, Ontario, lost his battle with cancer.

Many have heard about Evan's story and the way it brought together a community and galvanized our nation.

Having been told by doctors that Evan's time might be running out, his aunt Ashley asked neighbours to put up their Christmas lights early so that Evan could take in the joy of Christmas one last time.

The town of St. George responded in an overwhelming way, beyond anyone's expectations.

On October 24, it was incredible to be part of Christmas in St. George, which brought more than 7,000 people together to support Evan and his family.

To his mother Nicole, his father Travis, his brothers Logan and Tyson, and his family, I know that I speak for this House in expressing our deepest condolences for their loss.

Evan's obituary reads:

Some say he was an angel, placed here to remind us of the important things in life.

May the open arms of our loving God embrace Evan and may he rest in peace.

Laurentides—Labelle

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to rise and speak here today after working in the back rooms of this place for many years.

I want to begin by thanking the people of Laurentides—Labelle for placing their trust in me and this new government.

The riding of Laurentides—Labelle is the most beautiful riding in Canada. It is where I was born and raised. Our 43 municipalities, spread over 20,000 km², can count on me to give them a strong voice here in Ottawa and across Canada.

In honour of my great-great-uncle Leon Crestohl, who served 13 years in this place, and my great-great-grandfather Hirsch Wolofsky, the founder of Canada's first Yiddish daily, I wish everyone Chanukah Sameach.

When a flame is lit, its benefit is not restricted to the one lighting it; it is for everyone.

Let us all benefit from the flame of this Hanukkah in the year 5776.

Joyeux Hanukkah.

Ron Hynes

[Nick Whalen, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I advise the House of Commons that on November 19, 2015, Newfoundland and Labrador's pre-eminent songwriter Ronald Joseph Hynes died at the age of 64, following a second bout of throat cancer.

Ron Hyne's body of work, from Sonny's Dream, to the St. John's Waltz, to Godspeed, captured the spirit of our people and inspired a generation of musicians, artists, and actors.

Since his passing, he has been publicly and spontaneously feted in parks and pubs throughout the province, and he continues to be celebrated.

His work was fostered through performing arts grants, his work on CBC, and other public arts funding. Our lives are richer for it and for him.

While his life was not a model for governance, it is a lesson for all parliamentarians that the heart of a just society is the freedom to live, love, succeed, fail, and be redeemed.

Godspeed to Ron Hynes. May he pass into the source of all that is good.

Manmeet Singh Bhullar

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I stand today and give tribute to a friend and past colleague, Mr. Manmeet Singh Bhullar, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary—Greenway.

Manmeet was struck and killed by a vehicle two weeks ago, after stopping to help a motorist during a storm on an icy section of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway just north of Red Deer.

Manmeet was the youngest MLA ever elected to the Alberta legislature. He was well known for his humanitarian work at home and abroad, most recently advocating tirelessly on behalf of Sikh and Hindu Afghan refugees.

I had the honour of working with Manmeet in the Alberta legislature for many years. We both served at one time as cabinet ministers, and we worked closely on numerous issues related to our portfolios.

Today I want to extend my sincerest condolences to Manmeet's wife Namrita and the Bhullar family, as well as his legislative colleagues, some who now serve in this chamber. Rest in peace, Manmeet.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which was on December 3. This day was proclaimed by the United Nations. This year's theme was “Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities”.

It is an honour to do so on behalf of the Hon. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. Legally blind since birth, my hon. colleague is Canada's first ever minister dedicated specifically to Canadians living with disabilities.

Canada is proud to have been one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and will continue to ensure that this convention is upheld.

We look forward to working with our colleagues in the House and across the country on pursuing these efforts. Over the coming months, we will contact the provinces, territories, and municipalities and stakeholders to work on drafting legislation for Canadians with disabilities. Let us never forget the importance of making tangible improvements to the quality of life of Canadians with disabilities.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Although this is a new Parliament and an exciting time, new members need to know that we do not mention the name of another member, including ministers.

The hon. member for York Centre.

Hanukkah

[Michael Levitt, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last night at sundown marked the first night of Hanukkah. ln communities across Canada and around the world, Jewish families will gather to light the menorah and celebrate the festival of lights with their loved ones.

The Hanukkah story is one of perseverance and great resilience, a story of hope and triumph against oppression. When we light the menorah, the candles help us remember the universal desire for the right to celebrate and express our own beliefs.

This celebration of triumph over adversity gives all Canadians an opportunity to reflect on the great contributions of our country's vibrant Jewish community. This serves as a reminder that our country has been made strong, not in spite of our differences but because of them.

With the festival of lights upon us, I, on behalf of my riding of York Centre, would like to wish all members of this House, and all Canadians, a season of health and happiness. Happy Hanukkah.

[Member spoke in Hebrew]

Justice

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the tremendous courage of Isabelle Gaston, the mother of Olivier and Anne-Sophie, who lost their lives at the hands of their father, Guy Turcotte.

For six years, Isabelle set aside her own life in order to exact justice for her children. She fought for the reconsideration of the bewildering first ruling, which found Guy Turcotte not criminally responsible. She worked very hard to improve the lives of victims' loved ones. She asked questions, met with elected officials, and shared with us what a mother feels when a part of her life is so violently ripped away from her. She condemned violence against innocent victims. Today, justice is on her side. Isabelle said that she is relieved by the sentence handed down yesterday, and I think all Quebeckers are as well. I hope now that she will find some peace and serenity again.