House of Commons Hansard #171 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was rcmp.
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
Mr. Speaker, in addition to having created zero day care spaces, the Conservatives have cut existing spaces located in workplaces. Some day cares within the federal public service, including those in Ottawa, are being forced to close because the Conservatives have stopped subsidizing rent and cleaning costs.
Why are the Conservatives bound and determined to complicate the lives of public servants who are parents and are trying to balance work and family life?
Paul Calandra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, our public service is like all of our Canadian families, and under our plan 100% of Canadian families would benefit from the announcements we have made. In fact, on average, Canadians would have an additional $1,200 in their pockets because of the changes we have introduced.
I note, of course, that the NDP and the Liberals would take away that benefit. They would take the $160 a month that families are already getting per child under six. They would take away the $60 a month. They would probably reverse the $1,000 increase in child deductions that we have put in place.
Canadians families understand that when it comes to protecting them and their families, they can count on—
David Wilks Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, we understand that our immigration system must be fast, flexible, and adaptable to Canada's labour market needs.
On January 1, our government introduced express entry, Canada's next-generation approach to managing and processing applications for our most popular economic immigration programs.
Can the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration please explain how this new apparatus will benefit the best and brightest would-be newcomers?
Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I thank the very hard-working member for Kootenay—Columbia, both for the question and for the amazing work he does for his constituents every day on immigration matters and all of the other issues of concern to them.
Yes, express entry is the new system for delivering Canada's economic immigration programs, which remain the best in the world. Instead of just taking the next person who turns up, we will now be selecting and recruiting those with the in-demand skills that Canada's economy needs.
That is excellent news for employers. It is great news for temporary workers transitioning to permanent status—
Laurin Liu NDP Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Speaker, as National Eating Disorders Awareness Week wraps up, Canadians are coming together to call the government to action and shed light on the seriousness of eating disorders that affect more than a million women and men across Canada. On this side of the house, we are listening, and with our new berealcanada.ca campaign, we are taking action.
For families struggling with eating disorders, it remains a battle to obtain care. For many, help comes too little too late.
Will the government join us and support our call for a national eating disorder strategy?
Paul Calandra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question, and while I have the floor I would also like to thank the member for Oakville who brought forward a recommendation that the status of women committee investigate this. I know that the committee has been working very hard and has introduced a report that we will obviously take a look at.
This is a very serious issue. That is why, when we first came to office, we started to reverse the billions of dollars in health care cuts that were a hallmark of the Liberal government.
By putting those reinvestments in place, our provincial partners have the resources they need to invest, not only in this, but in so many other areas of health care that have suffered under the previous Liberal government.
Laurin Liu NDP Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Mr. Speaker, maybe the government should tell that to the families that have to wait a year for treatment.
Only 4% of women are satisfied with their appearance, and over half of all women whose weight is normal want to be thinner. Even though eating disorders affect primarily women, about 20% of the victims are men.
I will therefore repeat my question. Will the government listen to the people working on the front lines and implement a strategy to fight eating disorders?
Paul Calandra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, our government is listening, and we started listening from the day we were elected. That is why we reversed the previous health care cuts that were a hallmark of the previous Liberal government.
Again, I would like to commend the member for Oakville for his work on this, and the status of women committee. They have been doing a great job on this.
We will continue to listen to our health care partners because it is very important. I note, of course, that we have transferred 6% additionally, each and every year that we have been in office. However, for example, Ontario has only reinvested 3% of that 6%.
We will continue to invest what we need to invest to improve health care benefits for all Canadians, and we will do that by working with the professionals in the industry.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, they have no reason to be proud, since they have cut billions of dollars in health transfers.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
On another subject, Mr. Speaker, thousands of Canadians living in remote and rural areas, like the ones in Beauharnois—Salaberry, still do not have Internet access. Either the connection is too slow, unreliable or ineffective, or else the price is exorbitant.
In the United States, the minimum connection speed was increased to 25 megabytes. Here in Canada, we are still at five megabytes. Our slow network is bad for investments and is hindering the economic development of our regions.
Will the minister finally fix the situation?
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of State (Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, I do not think my colleague has been following the debates in the House or has read the bills we introduced recently. In fact, we have a program that has existed for a few years now to help bring Internet access to northern communities and other communities in Canada that do not have it.
It is important that Canadians have Internet access, and under our government, we put this program in place to ensure that they do. I invite my colleague to look into the Industry Canada program. She will see that high-speed Internet access is available to all Canadians.
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday in Trois-Rivières, the Coalition d'aide aux victimes de la pyrrhotite launched a national solidarity campaign, in response to the government's inaction and its failure to help thousands of families break free from their nightmare. In the meantime, the government is collecting millions of dollars in taxes from the repair work being done on the homes.
When will the minister show some courage and finally work with the different levels of government to find a definitive solution to help the pyrrhotite victims?
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of State (Small Business and Tourism
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit disappointed in the question from my colleague since she should know that this matter falls under provincial jurisdiction. This government respects the jurisdictions. The provinces are capable of working in their own jurisdictions. What is more, in 2011, the Government of Quebec launched a program to address this issue.
I would tell the people affected by this problem to contact the Société d'habitation du Québec.
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, the imprisonment and torture of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi is a clear violation of international law and the human conscience.
Will the Canadian government call on Saudi authorities to put an end to this torture and for the immediate and unconditional release of Raif and his lawyer, so that Raif Badawi may be reunited with his family here in Quebec?
Foreign AffairsOral Questions
February 6th, 2015 / 11:50 a.m.
Cypress Hills—Grasslands Saskatchewan
Conservative
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, Canada considers the punishment that is faced by Mr. Badawi to be a violation of his human dignity. We continue to call for clemency in his case.
The promotion and the protection of human rights around the world is an integral part of Canada's foreign policy, and we will continue to pursue that.
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, I hope the next response will be more specific.
We are on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the crackdown on peaceful protests in Venezuela, which left 43 dead, 3,000 arrested, and scores of political prisoners, including Leopoldo López, the leader of the democratic opposition.
Will the Canadian government join the U.S., the UN, the European Parliament, the papacy, and other world leaders, in calling for the immediate release of Leopoldo López and other political prisoners, an end to domestic repression, and the safeguarding of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Venezuela?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, we continue to call for those principles around the world and will continue to stand strongly for them and speak up on these issues.
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, a Quebec City resident received a hefty fine from border services for having brought in a food powder containing 2.1% meat. This powder exceeded the limit by 0.1%, and she was fined $800. Eight hundred dollars for Bovril powdered bouillon is a bit much.
This story proves that the Conservatives' security priorities are misguided. This woman wrote a letter to the Minister of Public Safety. When will the minister respond?
Roxanne James ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity, first of all, to thank the Canada Border Services Agency for the good work it does in helping to keep our borders safe. On this particular issue we are taking action regarding our relations with the United States as well. The result of all the good work we do as a Conservative government is greater security, continued economic growth, and more jobs for Canadians in the years to come.
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, for the second time in two years, Canada Post has announced that the post office in Chicoutimi-Nord will be closing. This post office provides an essential service, and is the second most profitable post office in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. However, the words “essential” and “profitable” do not mean much to the Conservatives.
From 2001 to 2006, the Liberals shut down 50 post offices, while the Conservatives shut down 100 from 2012 to 2013. Can we put an end to this race to the bottom, and can we save our post office in Chicoutimi-Nord?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, in 2013, Canada Post delivered 1.2 billion fewer letters than in 2006. Two-thirds of Canadians do not receive home delivery. Canada Post must balance its finances without imposing a burden on Canadian taxpayers, and we would expect nothing less.
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, the communities in my riding are filled with hard-working Canadian families who need tax breaks to help with the costs of raising their families—not the opposition's massive spending schemes and carbon taxes that would kill their jobs.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister please update the House on the action that our government is taking to help Canadian families?
