Debates of Feb. 26th, 2015

Health

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. That is the bottom line. She is referring to estimates, and that is all they are: estimates. We will see an increase in Public Health Agency funding. In fact, our spending on public health security issues has doubled since 2010. The Public Health Agency is very active and engaged in the issue of hep C, particularly through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and research to support those who are suffering from hepatitis C.

Mining Industry

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 25,000 mining sector stakeholders and investors from many different countries will soon meet in Toronto. Every year, the government waits until the last minute to extend the tax credit for mining exploration. This year there is a lot of uncertainty because the federal budget has been postponed. That uncertainty is putting a damper on mining investment in Canada and Abitibi—Témiscamingue.

My question is simple: will the government extend the tax credit for mining exploration?

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

Mr. Speaker, the NDP is standing up for mining. I think so. It is rather ironic. When it comes to the mining exploration tax credit, the NDP voted against it every single time.

Make no mistake about it. First of all, we applaud PDAC, the largest mining conference in the world, and we wish them success. Our government is a supporter of the Canadian mining footprint around the globe and responsible resource development. We continue to lower taxes, reduce red tape, open new markets, and create the conditions for companies, for mining companies, particularly those in the extractive sector, to succeed in Canada and around the world.

We have the lowest overall tax rate for new business investments in the G7, and that is giving Canada's companies, our mining companies, a distinct advantage.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, starting this weekend, more than 25,000 people from around the world will gather in Toronto for a global mining conference. Canada is a world leader in mining, but the Conservatives have failed to support mines here at home. The flow-through tax credit is set to expire in March, with no budget to renew it, and we have still seen no commitment to help unlock the potential of the Ring of Fire.

Why are the Conservatives leaving Canadian mining companies and communities in uncertainty?

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

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of questions coming from the NDP.

Every time we have tried to introduce an initiative for mining, the NDP has voted against it every single time. Make no mistake about it. People across northern Ontario are well aware that the Leader of the Opposition refers to mining and refers to forestry as a disease. The NDP will account for that later next fall. In the meantime, we will continue to support responsible resource development in Canada and to strengthen the conditions in which they operate here and abroad.

Industry

[John Carmichael, Conservative, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's suite of policies—low taxes, global trade opportunities, investment policies, and a skilled workforce—have kept Canada's auto sector competitive among global leaders.

Over a year ago, our government made a strategic investment in the Oakville assembly plant that has helped transform it into one of Ford's most innovative facilities.

Would the Minister of Industry please explain how our government is encouraging investment, strengthening Canada's economy, and creating high-quality jobs for Canadians?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we have had a series of good news announcements from the auto sector. Chrysler has announced that it is investing $2 billion more in Windsor. Honda is investing more in its facility. Ford is going to be building its new GT in the province of Ontario. The new generation Chevy Equinox is going to be built as well in the province of Ontario, and today, Ford Motor Company announced that it is going to be further expanding its footprint in Oakville, creating 400 new jobs in Oakville, full-time, good-paying jobs, in the auto sector. They are doing this, in part, because of the investment we are working with them on, but it is also because we have kept taxes low, and we have opened global markets for Canadian autos.

Veterans

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Robyn Young, who was in the army, had a brain tumour removed and now needs treatment to restore her sight.

The minister refused to provide her with any financial help for her treatments even though the army misdiagnosed her condition. Now they are refusing to pay for her housing needs even though she needs to stay far from home for a long period of time to receive her treatments.

How can the minister say that things will change on his watch when he continues to neglect the basic needs of our veterans?

[Erin O'Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, CPC]

Mr. Speaker, as that member well knows, Ms. Young is an inspiring young reserve officer, and I know that the Minister of National Defence addressed her sad situation yesterday. In fact, her mother Pearl is a veteran, and their family is really an example of the tremendous generational service that many military families have. I know I will work in close concert with my colleague, the Minister of National Defence, to ensure that cases like hers are addressed while they are in uniform, and certainly the investments we are making for health care and vocational rehabilitation for veterans after they leave uniform will continue.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

The problem, Mr. Speaker, is that yesterday, in the House of Commons, the parliamentary secretary said, “The minister...will do everything and commit everything to helping her through this crisis”. This morning, the family got an email from the lieutenant colonel in Victoria saying that they are not prepared to do anything to help her in terms of her accommodation or food allowance when she gets there. In fact, they even questioned why she is coming to Victoria in the first place.

The reality is that it was DND that did the misdiagnosis. It did an operation on her that was not required. It has ruined her life. Now she is asking for basic help to get her life back together.

Will the Minister of National Defence now tell the House and the family that he will ensure that she gets all the help she needs when she gets to Victoria?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, it would be inappropriate to talk about the details of someone's private health care matters. Having said that, I have instructed my department to cover all of Captain Young's medical expenses related to her present condition and going back to before the Department of National Defence was made aware of her condition.

If there are any other outstanding medical claims, I encourage her to submit them to the armed forces. We are providing full support for her medical and rehabilitation costs. The matter is under close review by the Canadian Forces Health Services group, and all of the medical decisions involved are, of course, a priority for that group.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Amnesty International's annual report highlights systemic violations of the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. The report identified shameful behaviour from the federal government, including being the only country to take issue with outcomes from the UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, and of course, refusing to take action on missing and murdered indigenous women.

Will the government pay attention to the international community and end the systemic violations against indigenous peoples in our country?

[Bernard Valcourt, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated many times before, we have remained committed to working with aboriginal communities on our shared priorities since 2006, giving women living on reserve matrimonial property rights, which that member and her party opposed. We eliminated the discrimination clause in section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which again they opposed. We have taken concrete actions to try to improve lives on reserve by investing, and every time, New Democrats have opposed those measures.

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

Mr. Speaker, the list of violations continues.

Amnesty International believes that this government put natural resource development ahead of the rights of aboriginal communities. Amnesty International also criticized the discriminatory behaviour and chronic underfunding of child protection services in first nations communities. It is simply shameful.

Will the government respond to this report and finally respect the rights of aboriginal peoples?

[Bernard Valcourt, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we do not see the Amnesty International report as cause for alarm. We prefer to look at the facts.

No one can dispute the resources we have dedicated to improving life on reserves since 2006. We have made structural changes, particularly with the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act, giving women on reserves more rights. However, the opposition members voted against that.

We also adopted a range of measures to improve the quality of water and sewer systems on reserves, but the opposition members also voted against those measures. We will continue to work with first nations in the right direction.

Taxation

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the voluntary disclosure program targets taxpayers who come clean on their own, before the agency takes any steps. In those cases, the taxpayers pay their taxes, but are not subject to any penalties or prosecution.

The Canada Revenue Agency learned through a leak that 1,859 Canadians had hidden millions of dollars in Switzerland. That is not voluntary.

Why is the Canada Revenue Agency not imposing any penalties on those taxpayers who committed fraud, which is what it should do?

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

Mr. Speaker, the voluntary disclosure program has been extremely successful. We have unprecedented numbers being driven toward that program, and that is good news for the tax administration of those who have been trying not to fully disclose their tax affairs. As far as, for instance, the CRA's files related to HSBC from France are concerned, as I said before, 154 were duplicates, 801 contained zero dollars, and 394 were deemed high risk and are being worked on.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Young Farmers are in Ottawa. I met with many of them this week and they tell me that there is a great future in agriculture, but their biggest concern is how the government is treating them, especially the business risk management programs, which have been cut by over $200 million per year. With so much potential for agriculture, why are the Conservatives cutting this very important funding?

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I had the great opportunity to speak to the reception of the CFA the other night. I know the member was there as well.

We received a warm welcome as a government for the great job we are doing on the front lines of agriculture. Of course, business risk management programs are demand driven. When there is no demand, there is no program and no need for it. The last two years have seen record profits in the agricultural sector. That member should be celebrating what we are doing.

Correctional Service Canada

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, staff at the Atlantic Regional Treatment Centre for mentally ill prisoners in New Brunswick have been notified that the centre will close on April 1. Some 45 of the total capacity of 50 beds at Shepody are currently occupied, and we are told that current and future inmates with severe mental illness will be transferred to Archambault near Quebec City, where 100 of 119 beds are already occupied.

Could the minister confirm that he has ordered the closure of the Atlantic Regional Treatment Centre for mentally ill prisoners?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, our government has an action plan to deal with mental health throughout the country, and I will look into this matter.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the imminent closure of the Shepody Healing Centre in Dorchester could lead to an increase in deaths of psychiatric patients.

Closing this facility will also give rise to relocation costs for families and the loss of dozens of jobs.

How can the minister even justify closing Shepody when the institution is overflowing?

Why would we believe that it is a good idea to reduce the number of beds when Correctional Service Canada is already having problems dealing with inmates' mental health?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I will make one correction.

With our effective policies, the inmate population in our penitentiaries is declining and we have seen a drop in the crime rate. With respect to mental health, we have put in place a five-point action plan to identify problems. Screening is done in all penitentiaries, not just facilities for people with mental health problems.

We have a strategy for studying behaviour, we have action plans and we will continue to ensure that penitentiaries can treat people with mental health issues. However, once again, we should first ensure that people with mental health issues do not go to jail.

Foreign Affairs

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that every day we hear new reports of barbaric atrocities committed the jihadist terrorist organization, ISIL. Sadly, today is no different. According to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIL fighters have now abducted at least 220 Christians in north-eastern Syria.

The deliberate targeting of religious minorities is absolutely unacceptable. I ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs if he would provide Canada's reaction to these latest crimes committed against humanity by the organization called ISIL.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada condemns these abductions in the strongest possible terms. This is just further proof that ISIL's endgame is to establish an Islamic caliphate across the region. We cannot allow this to happen.

It is with the utmost sadness and outrage that I should also report that ISIL fighters have abducted a hundred Sunni Muslim tribesmen near the city of Tikrit in Iraq. These abductions are outrageous.

This is why we have deployed Canadian Armed Forces and why Canada will not sit on the sidelines while jihadist terrorists threaten the world and, indeed, civilization itself.