Debates of Feb. 19th, 2015

Canada Post

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Mr. Speaker, an 81-year-old man in Windsor received eight stitches around his eye because he fell when he went to pick up his mail from the community mailbox. The reason was that there was three feet of ice and snow around that community mailbox. In spite of numerous requests to Canada Post to come and clear it, which were ignored, that snow was there, and that gentleman fell and injured himself.

Does the minister understand that the plan to give us community mailboxes and get rid of door-to-door service affects seniors, or does she just agree with the CEO of Canada Post, who said that they should just get some exercise?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member, on the issue of what happened to this poor gentleman in Windsor, is absolutely correct. Canada Post has a responsibility that is very serious, and that is to ensure that community mailboxes have paths cleared to them. It was notified of this several times, according to the newspaper article. Our office has been in contact as well.

Converting to community mailboxes has an inherent responsibility to do so safely, and we expect nothing less from Canada Post.

[Paulina Ayala, NDP, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the disappearance of home mail delivery is a nightmare for people, especially those with disabilities.

A visually impaired person from Honoré-Mercier told me that he had to cross several intersections to get to the community mailboxes.

Why did the Conservatives make such a serious decision without consulting the municipalities and community groups such as the Regroupement des aveugles et amblyopes du Montréal métropolitain, an association of people with visual impairments?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada Post's five-point plan, one of them is converting to community mailboxes. It did have consultation across the country. It is now implementing it, and it is working with Canadian municipalities.

Indeed, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities had a resolution before it in 2014 in Niagara Falls, where it was proposed that it have the position that Canada Post maintain the current system of residential door-to-door delivery in Canada. The resolution was defeated, 311 votes to 185 votes. Municipalities agree with us that this is the way to go.

Infrastructure

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we often hear the opposition complaining about the infrastructure investments from our government. It is quite puzzling, when we know that the Conservative government has made record investments and will continue to do so for the next decade with $75 billion.

Can the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs inform the House, and especially the opposition, about Canada's performance in infrastructure investment since 2006?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, since we took office in 2006, Canada has consistently ranked atop the G7 countries in total investment in infrastructure as a percentage of GDP. It is quite a contrast with the Liberal years, when we were sitting at the bottom of the group.

The new building Canada plan is the largest and longest infrastructure plan in the history of this country. We are clearly the champion of infrastructure under the leadership of our Prime Minister.

Foreign Affairs

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are trying to save money at the expense of the security of our diplomatic corps abroad.

If we send diplomatic staff to high-risk areas, the least we can do is keep them safe and provide proper protection.

Could we finally have a minister with a long-term vision who will put an end to his predecessor's administrative shenanigans and invest in proper protection for our diplomatic corps?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP and the hon. member have it completely wrong. The safety and security of our diplomats abroad is my foremost priority as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and this has been consistent throughout our term in office. To suggest that we are compromising security at our missions to cut costs is quite frankly false and offensive.

We will ensure that any non-security related upgrades provide value for taxpayers' dollars, but we will protect those individuals who are serving Canada abroad.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here is what is offensive. In the last three years, Foreign Affairs has cut $148 million for security upgrades at embassies. These security upgrades are not a luxury. The department itself called them urgent.

Let us never forget, we lost a diplomat, Glyn Berry, in Afghanistan, and we saw the devastation in Benghazi when U.S. diplomats were attacked by extremists.

The question is, why is the government putting the lives of our brave men and women on the line? These are the facts from the minister's own department; it was $148 million that was cut. He cannot deny those facts.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely wrong. We have been consistent that the security of our men and women in all our diplomatic offices around the world are our number one priority. To suggest anything else is completely false.

We will go forward and we will ensure, as we have in the past, their safety and security.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today many Canadians were asking themselves this question: Who is the actual Minister of Foreign Affairs? It was not the actual Minister of Foreign Affairs, after all, who greeted the Queen at Canada House. It was the former member for Ottawa West—Nepean.

Would the actual Minister of Foreign Affairs please stand up and explain why John Baird would play minister in London?

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member may have inadvertently used the proper name of the member for Ottawa West—Nepean.

The hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the renovations to Canada House are a testament to the enduring relationship between the United Kingdom and Canada. We can all be very, very proud of that.

I will tell members something else I am proud about. I am very proud that the member for Ottawa West—Nepean, a privy councillor and an outstanding foreign affairs minister, was there to open this house on behalf of Canada.

Rail Transportation

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, almost two years after the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, a watchdog committee has just been formed.

The members are dissatisfied with the safety measures put in place, they are not confident that the government will protect them, and they are still being kept in the dark. Furthermore, Transport Canada is not even returning their calls.

Will the minister at least mend relations with the people of Lac-Mégantic?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in general, the health and safety of Canadians is our top priority.

There are rules in place for railways to operate within. If these rules are not being followed, then it is appropriate for Transport Canada to ensure that there is enforcement. If the community or the public understand that there is a problem in their area, they should report it to Transport Canada.

If what the member says is correct, that Transport Canada is not responding, I will ensure that they do.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a disturbing CFIB study has forced the Canada Revenue Agency to evaluate its own services. The study found that one-quarter of the agency's telephone answers were incorrect. Some employees even advised things that are illegal. Canadians who have followed that advice are being penalized. The agency itself admits that its communications are muddled and disorganized and lack professionalism.

When will the Conservative government finally take action, and what is the minister doing to replace the ombudsman, who stepped down eight months ago?

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about the results of the investigation in question. The CRA commissioned that study in order to improve its services to Canadians. We expect the CRA to take immediate action to resolve the issues raised in this investigation and improve the services it provides to Canadians.

We encourage anyone who believes they may have received incorrect information from the CRA to file a formal complaint.

We take this seriously. This was commissioned by CRA to improve services.

Official Languages

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, then the ombudsman must be replaced as soon as possible.

The building of pipelines causes enough problems in Canada without adding language problems to the mix. That is what is happening in Quebec in the case of the National Energy Board hearings on the energy east pipeline project.

Will the government ensure that the language problem is solved, or will it show its usual indifference towards official languages issues?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the National Energy Board has fulfilled its obligations under the Official Languages Act. All of the documents produced by the National Energy Board must be published in both official languages. Questions related to documents filed by the applicant should be directed to the project proponent.

Parks Canada

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, after years of drastic cuts to Parks Canada, now we need volunteers to keep the parks open. The Conservative government funds hand-picked trails and private clubs. Canada's national parks are forced to scale back or shut their gates for the winter, but a study by Canadian Parks Council shows that an $800-million investment in parks can create $5 billion in economic activity in our local communities. Those are local jobs.

Why is the government abandoning Canada's parks and squandering both the environmental and economic benefits?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, there have been no reductions in the Parks Canada budget. In fact, the overall budget has increased by 26%. This is in addition to the $391 million we announced in economic action plan 2014 to maintain and upgrade Parks Canada infrastructure. These investments will ensure that Canadians and visitors are safe and continue to enjoy our country's natural heritage.

Our government launched the national conservation plan last year, which includes new investments to secure ecologically sensitive lands, conserve marine and coastal areas, and connect Canadians to nature.

Consumer Protection

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, 15,000 people in the Pontiac were cut off from the world. They had no phone, no Internet, and no way of calling 911 or emergency services. What is more, this happened in an area that has poor cellphone coverage.

This is the fifth time something like this has happened in six years. However, the CRTC refuses to force Bell Canada to improve its network.

How many more times will the government allow the people of the Pontiac to be treated like second-class citizens?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell members that protecting consumers in cases like this is a priority for this government. We have, in fact, increased competition in the wireless market, making it a priority for Canadians and for our government.

Canadians know that competition is good for everyone. It not only lowers prices but brings better services for both Canadians and businesses. We will keep doing exactly that.

Public Safety

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents strongly believe in keeping our communities safe by ensuring that our borders are safe and effective. Many dangerous foreign criminals find their way into Canada and terrorize our communities.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please advise the House on what our government is doing to get tough on foreign criminals?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for that question and for his work on the public safety committee.

Our Conservative government is committed to sending dangerous criminals back to where they came from. That is why we created the wanted by the CBSA program: to enlist the help of Canadians to remove these dangerous individuals.

I would like today to commend the CBSA on the 60th arrest of a criminal on the wanted by CBSA list. This list has proven, once again, to be a highly effective tool that leads to the apprehension of individuals who threaten the safety and security of Canadians.