House of Commons Hansard #172 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was rcmp.
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, after 30 years, we need to give our intelligence agency a wider range of tools in order to protect Canadians, especially when it comes to reducing threats.
However, we will do so in keeping with the laws of Canada and while ensuring that, if there are any legal implications, the intelligence agency will have to obtain a warrant and judicial authorization.
This is therefore another good reason to support the bill. I look forward to seeing the NDP's position on this.
Rosane Doré Lefebvre NDP Alfred-Pellan, QC
Mr. Speaker, terrorist threats can take many forms and arise for many different reasons. The plot in Halifax, which was brilliantly foiled by RCMP officers over the weekend, is an excellent example.
However, many people were surprised to hear the minister say that it was not considered terrorism because it was not culturally motivated. Does the minister realize that the definition of terrorism in Canada includes political, religious and ideological motives, and not cultural motives?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question and for underscoring the important work that was done by the Halifax and RCMP police forces and by the people who helped foil a terrorist attack on St. Valentine's day. They deserve all our gratitude.
That being said, on this side of the House, when Nathan Cirillo was shot for extremist reasons and one of our symbols was threatened, we did not nitpick over definitions. We recognized that it was a terrorist attack. Is the NDP prepared to accept the truth about this?
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, Canadians were pleased to see that Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy was released on bail after more than 400 days in an Egyptian prison, but this is not the end of Mr. Fahmy's ordeal. Instead of coming home, he now faces a new trial.
Australia's prime minister personally, and repeatedly, spoke to the Egyptian president to secure the release of his citizen, Peter Greste.
Why has this Prime Minister not done the same thing for Mr. Fahmy?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, while we welcome Mr. Fahmy's release on bail, we remain deeply concerned about this case. We continue to call for his immediate and full release. My colleague opposite knows that the Prime Minister has personally raised the issue of Mohamed Fahmy with the Egyptian president. The minister of consular affairs and the former minister of foreign affairs have raised the case as well, as have our officials. We will continue to do that. We are optimistic that this will be resolved.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canada's allies have issued new sanctions. It is time for Canada to send a stronger message and to do more than just tell Russia to get out of Ukraine.
Canadian sanctions still omit key members of Russia's business and political elite, despite the fact that our allies have listed them. I have a simple question for the new minister. Why are Igor Sechin, Sergei Chemezov, and Vladimir Yakunin not being sanctioned by the Canadian government?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member may have missed this, but Canada has been a leader in the global response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. In addition to our military NATO assurance measures, we placed sanctions on more than 210 individuals and entities. This is more than the United States or our European Union allies. We have announced over half a billion dollars in assistance to Ukraine.
We stand with Ukraine, and we will continue to do so, with or without the support of the NDP.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is not about the number of people. It is about targeting the right people.
The truth is that this government keeps sparing those close to the Putin regime. The United States, for example, sanctioned three Russian oil, weapons and transportation barons. Nonetheless, the Conservatives keep sparing them.
Can this government explain to us the point of imposing sanctions if they are not imposed where it hurts?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, this is exactly what we are doing. Nobody has been tougher on the Putin regime than this government.
The hon. member wants action. Let her just examine what this country has done. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was in Munich, and President Poroshenko made a point of thanking me for Canada's contributions and said how much he appreciates what Canada has done for Ukraine. That will continue.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, considering that Canada is a bilingual country and that French is an important language in international diplomacy, we do not understand how the Prime Minister could have appointed someone who cannot communicate in French as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
How does the Prime Minister explain that he was unable to find a bilingual Minister of Foreign Affairs in his cabinet, when even the U.S. Secretary of State speaks French and speaks it very well?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Prime Minister for my appointment. It is a great honour for me. We have two official languages in Canada. I speak English and as far as French is concerned, I do not speak it very well yet. However, I understand it quite well. I will keep trying to improve.
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, it seems that guests who attended the Minister of Justice's wedding had a much better chance of getting a job as a judge than of catching the bride's bouquet. His best man and his wife were appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. Since being appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in 2013, he has appointed nine judges in his province, and six of them are friends or Conservative organizers.
Will the Prime Minister finally put an end to this appalling patronage, which undermines the credibility of our courts?
Bob Dechert ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, it is preposterous to accuse the Minister of Justice of appointing these eminently qualified individuals to the bench based on political affiliation. As the member opposite should know, candidates are vetted by the judicial advisory councils, and it is upon their recommendations that all appointments are made.
The Broadbent Institute's efforts would be better spent investigating the inappropriate use of tax money to fund NDP regional operations across Canada.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, let us look at this theme of the Nova Scotia judicial appointments. They tend to go to people who were invited to the justice minister's wedding. Joshua Arnold, the best man, was appointed to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, and his wife was appointed too. Other nominees read like buddies of the minister and party donors.
Judicial appointments are supposed to go to the most eminently qualified. Why is it that at other weddings they toss the bouquet, but here they tossed around nominations to the court?
Bob Dechert ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, all members know that candidates are vetted by the independent judicial advisory councils, and it is upon their recommendations that all appointments are made.
Our judicial appointments are based on one criterion and one criterion only: whether that individual is qualified for the job, determined by merit and legal experience.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government is clipping the wings of Canada's air force, compromising its ability to train and to protect Canadians.
Search and rescue helicopters and most aircraft are spending more and more time grounded in order to pinch pennies. Why? It is because the Conservatives are using defence budget cuts as a giant piggy bank to fund their election tax goodies, like the $2-billion income splitting tax break for the wealthiest Canadians.
Will the minister restore DND funding and stop the broken promises to Canadians and to the women and men in uniform?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, first let me say as I rise in this place for the first time as Minister of National Defence what an honour it is to serve our men and women in uniform.
I begin this mandate proud of this government's achievement of rebuilding the Canadian Forces, with a 28% increase in funding from the decade of darkness of the Liberals.
Just last Friday, I was at CFB Trenton. I saw some of our new C-17 Globemasters—we have acquired four, and a fifth is coming, allowing us to project Canada's reach around the world—17 new Hercules series J tactical airlift, and 17 new Chinook helicopters.
We will not return to the decade of darkness.
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government assured us many times that the Prime Minister had been in communication with the highest authorities in the Egyptian government regarding Mohamed Fahmy's case.
My question is very simple: did the Prime Minister communicate directly, in person, with President el-Sisi, and if so, when?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I already answered that question.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister, our mission, our officials, have all raised the issue of Mr. Fahmy, and we will continue to do so. As I said earlier, we expect and look forward to the resolution of this case.
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
I will take that as a no, Mr. Speaker.
The Australian prime minister spoke directly to President el-Sisi on three occasions in an effort to secure the release of Peter Greste, efforts which ultimately proved successful. Our own Prime Minister appears to have made no such effort in the case of Mr. Fahmy, arguing that Mr. Fahmy's dual citizenship complicated matters.
As far as we know, Mr. Fahmy is no longer an Egyptian citizen. Why is the Prime Minister not doing all he can to secure the release of Mr. Fahmy?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, we continue to call for his immediate and full release. The Prime Minister has personally raised the case with the Egyptian president. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular has raised this issue. The former minister of foreign affairs has raised this issue. Our officials have raised the issue. We are going to continue to do that, and we expect that there will be a resolution of this case.
Jonathan Genest-Jourdain NDP Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, as federal ministers prepare to sit down with provincial, territorial and aboriginal leaders to discuss the crisis we are facing, with more than 1,200 missing or murdered aboriginal women, we have learned that the Minister of Status of Women did not consult key groups, such as the Native Women's Association of Canada, before launching her so-called action plan last September.
Why does the minister refuse to listen to these groups and immediately launch a national inquiry?
Kellie Leitch ConservativeMinister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, it is simply not true. I met with the president of NWAC and with numerous organizations privately in my office, with Status of Women officials, and also with families across the country.
What is most important here is what families are looking for. Our government is taking action to make sure that women are safe and secure and that they are protected and supported in their time of need.
Carol Hughes NDP Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON
Mr. Speaker, families of the over 1,200 women and girls who have disappeared or been murdered in Canada deserve better than the current government. They deserve to see real action to get answers. They deserve a genuine consultation process, where their names will not be used without their knowledge or consent to shore up an action plan that offers nothing but the status quo.
Will the minister apologize to the individuals listed who were not consulted, and when will she finally listen and act on their ask for a national inquiry?
Kellie Leitch ConservativeMinister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, I spoke with numerous families across the country, and those families actually asked to be kept confidential. I spoke with numerous organizations across the country and was delighted to get their input so that we could move forward.
What families are looking for is action. They were very clear: make sure that we are supporting these individuals, make sure that we are protecting them, and make sure we prevent these actions from happening in the future. Now is the time for action.
Unlike the NDP, which wants to vote against initiatives we take to protect these women and make sure they are supported, we are acting to make sure that they are treated appropriately.