Debates of March 13th, 2015

Polyform Inc.

[Réjean Genest, NDP, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, founded in 1963, Polyform Inc. is Quebec's largest manufacturer in the business of transforming expanded cellular plastic.

In 2012, the company built its own recycling facility, which can transform a wide variety of plastics. Every year, Polyform continues to invest and develop new technologies that enable it to increase its recycling capacity. Today the company recycles no less than five million kilos of plastic of all kinds.

On March 2, 2015, at this year's EPS EXPO in Indianapolis, Polyform won the Excellence in Expanded Polystyrene Recycling Award. This is the second award the company has won since the beginning of the year. I want to congratulate the entire Polyform team, not only on the recognition it has received, but also on its environmental commitment.

Persian New Year

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Nowruz, the Persian new year, is fast approaching. This is a very important celebration in my riding of Richmond Hill, which is home to one of the largest, most dynamic Persian communities in Canada. Festivities of all kinds are taking place, from elegant Nowruz galas to the hustle and bustle of the Nowruz bazaars to the thrilling fire festival at Richmond Green. Richmond Hill has it all.

This is also a time to celebrate the rich culture of the Persian people and the extraordinary contributions they have made and continue to make to our great country, including, of course, the great town of Richmond Hill. Their remarkable talents and expertise include business, academia, medicine, science, and arts and culture, to name but a few.

I am proud to call so many Persian Canadians my friends. I wish all of those who are celebrating across Canada a very happy Nowruz.

Nowruzetan pirooz.

Montreal North 100th Anniversary

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of Montreal North.

Montreal North is in the riding of Bourassa, which I have the honour to represent in Parliament. Montreal North is also where I spent my first 10 years in Canada. That is where I went to high school, at the Henri-Bourassa composite school. I have good memories of those wonderful years.

Montreal North has a slogan that makes me proud because it represents us so well: “Where everyone feels right at home”. Montreal North welcomes people from all over. It has a wealth of diversity. Is that not the image we have of Canada?

I want to thank everyone who contributed to this celebration: the elected officials, in particular Mayor Gilles Deguire; the members of the Société Montréal-Nord 2015 board of directors and its chair, Claude Poirier; Sister Angèle; Oliver Jones; and all the volunteers. Happy anniversary and enjoy the celebration.

Team Canada Brier Victory

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to extend warm congratulations to Team Canada on winning its second straight Tim Hortons Brier victory. After a slow start at the Brier, the foursome switched up the roles and moved Moose Jaw native Pat Simmons up to skip. They never looked back after the switch. The team was rounded out by John Morris, Carter Rycroft, and Nolan Thiessen. Simmons, who shot 93% in the final, was named winner of the Hec Gervais award as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

I am also proud to offer congratulations to Saskatchewan's Steve Laycock on their bronze medal victory over Brad Gushue's team.

Finally, I hope all members join me in wishing Team Canada well at the Ford World Men's Curling Championship beginning at the end of this month in Halifax.

Pensions

[John Rafferty, NDP, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are facing a retirement security crisis. The Conservatives have blocked attempts to make retirement more secure for Canadians.

The Canada pension plan is proven and reliable, yet the Conservatives have broken their promise to strengthen it for future generations of Canadians.

The Conservatives have also raised the age of retirement from 65 to 67. Private pension plans and the workers who own them must take a back seat during bankruptcy proceedings. The Conservatives want to make it easier for employers to change secure defined benefit pension plans to risky target benefit plans. As well, younger Canadians today are financially squeezed between having to care for their aging parents and raising their own children.

Canadians want their government to act, and New Democrats are ready. We will secure and enhance the CPP, restore the retirement age to 65, help make the workplace pensions of Canadians more secure, help lift seniors out of poverty, and help our young people prepare for their own retirement.

All Canadians deserve a secure and dignified retirement, and a New Democratic government will take action to ensure that each and every Canadian has just that.

Wearing of Veils

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the wearing of the burka and the niqab has been the subject of polarized debate.

The wearing of religious symbols and clothing in the public sphere is appropriate under all but a few specific circumstances.

Obtaining a driver's licence, a citizenship card, or a passport are some of these circumstances, the latter requiring that citizens even remove their glasses for their photo.

In addition, everyone's face should be uncovered during the course of the citizenship ceremony and while he or she is voting.

Basic common sense dictates that a person needs to allow visual identification by the public servant dealing with the issue. If a woman refuses to uncover her face because the official in front of her happens to be male, we should be able to accommodate her by having a designated female public servant available to step in.

Furthermore, anyone wearing a veil that does not cover the face should be allowed to testify in court.

Reasonable Canadians will debate this topic in a measured and respectful manner.

Margaret Kennelly

[Pat Perkins, Conservative, Whitby—Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to honour the life and exceptional career of a Whitby—Oshawa resident who recently passed away.

Margaret Kennelly, a Second World War veteran, joined the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service in 1943, when she was just 18 years old. She served as Leading Wren and was stationed in Halifax until her return back home in 1946.

Following her discharge, Margaret became a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Ladies' Auxiliary Branch 112. She also served the Legion as treasurer and the first female president. In 1988, she was made a lifetime member.

I know that all members of the House will join me in sending our heartfelt condolences to Margaret's family. We would like them to know that we are forever grateful for her service to our country.

International Day of La Francophonie

[Anne-Marie Day, NDP, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as the official opposition critic for la Francophonie, I invite all Canadians to celebrate the International Day of La Francophonie, which is held every year on March 20.

It is a day of celebration for 275 million French speakers on five continents. This magnificent language, the fifth most spoken language in the world, gives us a great power, the power of numbers, but also the means to build international relationships.

We have major responsibilities with respect to this language. We can write and speak French properly in order to perpetuate it. By being committed to French, we undertake to promote French in all its forms. We should be proud of French and promote French through tangible and progressive actions. Our history, our traditions, our culture and especially our future are amazing because of the French language.

On March 20, let us be proud to celebrate la Francophonie.

Halabja Massacre

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the Halabja massacre, also known as Bloody Friday.

March 16 marks 27 years since the brutal chemical weapons attack perpetrated by Saddam Hussein's regime on Kurdish civilians, which killed as many as 5,000 innocent people and injured almost 10,000 more.

Kurdish Canadians will be gathering across the country over the next week to remember this horrific crime against humanity and its victims.

As we reflect on what took place at Halabja, we also recognize the determination of the Kurdish people, who are today facing off against ISIL in northern Iraq. Kurdish forces have played a crucial role in protecting civilians and religious minorities from ISIL.

Canada is proud to be advising and assisting our Kurdish allies as they combat this genocidal death cult, and we stand with them and Kurdish Canadians in commemorating the Halabja massacre.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as a woman who is a member of a visible minority, I know what kind of damage intolerance can cause, no matter where it originates. I strongly condemn this form of violence.

It is therefore with a great deal of emotion that I rise to draw the House's attention to the upcoming International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. This day is an opportunity to recognize how all cultural communities and people from all walks of life help to build our country.

At a time when the government is playing on the fears of Canadians to try to win votes, I would like to remind members of the essential role that political leaders and elected officials must play in combatting racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. The statements that we have heard recently from the other side of the House are unacceptable. Racism has no place in our speeches.

I strongly believe in the values of love, openness and freedom, which are values that all Canadians share. These values will help us to combat discrimination in our society, help everyone to feel welcome, and help us to work together to build a united Canada that better reflects who we are.

Justice

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, since 2006, our government has introduced more than 30 tough-on-crime measures.

Through these measures, we have made significant accomplishments in three key areas: tackling crime by holding violent criminals accountable for those crimes, giving victims of crime a stronger voice, and increasing the efficiency of the justice system.

As promised in the 2013 Speech from the Throne, this week we further built upon this success with the introduction of the life means life act. This legislation will ensure that those convicted of the most heinous murders will breathe their last breath behind bars. Providing for life sentences without parole is essential to express society's denunciation of the worst criminals.

Canadians knows that our government will always put the rights of victims before the rights of criminals.

2015 Templeton Prize

[Ted Hsu, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there are saints who live among us.

The 2015 Templeton Prize has been awarded to a man of deep faith, Jean Vanier, the son of our 19th Governor General, Georges Vanier.

Jean Vanier was called to found L'Arche, now a federation of 147 communities in 35 countries where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together as peers, and all are transformed by the encounter. Vanier co-founded Faith and Light, consisting now of 1,500 groups in 82 countries supporting the intellectually disabled, their families, and their friends.

Everywhere in the world, we live with brothers and sisters who have intellectual disabilities. To really meet them and become friends is also becoming open, in Vanier's words:

...to love people, to respect them deeply, to live authentic relationships with others, to yearn for truth and justice in the huge family of humanity.

Today, let us celebrate the saints who live among us.

Veterans Affairs

[Ryan Leef, Conservative, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, the retirement income security benefit announced on Monday will provide financial stability for veterans who are moderately to seriously injured as well as to their families.

However, our Conservative government is not stopping there. Earlier today the Minister of Veterans Affairs announced strengthened benefits for Canada's part-time reserve force veterans to ensure they have the support they deserve. These improvements will ensure the earnings loss benefit is calculated in the same way for reserve force veterans as it is for regular force veterans.

We place the highest priority on making sure veterans and their families have the support and services they need when they need them. Today's action is more evidence of our Conservative government's commitment to ensuring that veterans and their families are treated with care, compassion, and respect.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Alexandrine Latendresse, NDP, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, debating ideas and bills is a healthy activity in any democracy, even if the different parties do not necessarily share the same opinions. However, ethics should generally be something that everyone agrees on. We owe that to Canadians.

The Conservatives would not stop talking about an ethics overhaul before they came to power, but their ethics record this week has been terrible. We have lost count of how many people from the Prime Minister's Office will have to testify at the Duffy trial. The former public works minister was found guilty of patronage and conflict of interest. We learned that Nigel Wright and the Conservatives are punishing the people of Maniwaki because they turfed out Lawrence Cannon in the last election. Furthermore, this week we learned that the RCMP is trying to get more information on 150 fraudulent invoices submitted by Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin.

It is no wonder that Canadians cannot wait to get rid of this government in the upcoming election. This fall, they will have the option of voting for an honest, progressive government that will look after everyone, not just its own friends.

Taxation

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, As tax season approaches, constituents in Newmarket—Aurora have been overwhelmingly supportive of the tax-free savings account.

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons agreed that the tax-free savings account is extremely important for seniors. This is another example of how our government is helping seniors, middle-class families and indeed, all Canadians.

Unlike the Liberal leader, they cannot rely on their trust fund to pay for their retirement or their kids' education. The Liberal leader wants Canadians to pay more tax and the NDP voted against the tax-free savings account.

Overall, 11 million Canadians of all ages and income levels have opened an account, allowing them to save, tax-free, for their own priorities.

Our Conservative government is fulfilling our promise to keep taxes low, and we will continue to do so while putting more money back in the pockets of families.

Public Safety

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is now being reported in Turkish media that the individual who was detained for allegedly helping three British schoolgirls join ISIS was working for the Canadian embassy in Jordan, where Bruno Saccomani, the former head of the Prime Minister's security detail, is the ambassador.

Can the government confirm that someone linked to Canadian intelligence, an employee, an agent or an asset, is being detained in Turkey?

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

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are aware of some of these reports. However, I cannot comment on operational matters of national security.

I would like to remind the House that the threat of terrorism, the international jihadi movement against Canada, is real. We just have to look at the news. Day after day we are hearing of more instances of people who have allegedly left Canada to join ISIL, to fight for ISIL beliefs. Canadians know that it is this government that is bringing forward legislation to better protect Canadians.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last night's committee testimony underlined that the sweeping changes Conservatives have put forward in Bill C-51 are excessive, unnecessary, and dangerous to our freedoms, but what really stood out last night was the disrespect shown to a witness. The member for Calgary—Nose Hill suggested that the National Council of Canadian Muslims had ties to Islamic terrorist groups and that they were, in her words, “half-hearted in the fight against terrorism”.

Will the member apologize for her disgraceful behaviour?

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

Mr. Speaker, the international jihadist movement has declared war on Canada and its allies, countries like Canada that believe in openness and tolerance. We see this again and again in the news. We have seen recent attacks here in Canada, Paris, in Copenhagen and Australia.

Let me talk about the reasons why we brought forward Bill C-51. Our national security agencies have identified serious gaps in the existing legislation that they need to better protect Canadians. That is what this government is doing. We brought forward common-sense measures and I certainly hope that the NDP will eventually get on our side.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Ronald Atkey, a former Conservative minister and chair of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, stated very clearly that allowing CSIS to ask a judge to violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms will turn into a constitutional nightmare.

Why does the government want to rush a bill that is ill-conceived?

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard from a number of witnesses. It was the second day of testimony. The first day, of course, was Tuesday with both the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Justice appearing. We look forward to continued debate and information coming from all sides with their views on this.

Talking about the gaps that have been identified by our national security agencies, it was very clear when Commissioner Paulson said that it would also be very helpful in respect of those people we do not know anything about. He was referring to the information-sharing aspects of this particular bill. We have brought forward these common-sense measures and I certainly hope the opposition parties will get on board.

The Economy

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is strange. They are pushing this controversial bill, but they will not introduce a budget. Canadians deserve better than that.

This week, private sector economists said that the government had no reason to delay introducing a budget. The Conservatives are futzing around while Canadians are losing their jobs. Again this morning we learned that the unemployment rate rose by two points in February. In other words, there are now 50,000 more unemployed workers. What is the government waiting for to introduce a budget that will stimulate job creation?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, our government is lowering taxes. We are bringing forward measures that help create new jobs. The Liberals and the New Democratic Party are pushing a high-tax, high-debt agenda that would threaten jobs. The New Democratic Party is pushing a $21-billion carbon tax, and that would hurt our economy and kill Canadian jobs.

We know that monthly job numbers can be volatile, but what is more important is the long-term trend. Since the recession, we have created 1.2 million net new jobs. They are overwhelmingly full-time jobs in the private sector.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Here is the long-term trend, Mr. Speaker. Conservatives have lost more than 400,000 full-time, family-sustaining manufacturing jobs and they have the worst record for good job creation in a generation. Canadians deserve better than Conservative policies. Unemployment jumped by more than 50,000 Canadians last month and we saw 29,000 private-sector jobs disappear. Far too many Canadians either lost their jobs or fear that their jobs will be the next to go.

When will Conservatives admit they have messed things up and when will they finally introduce a budget that puts good jobs first?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, the New Democrats and Liberals propose one job measure, and that is their tax increases. They believe that the only way to create jobs is to, in their words, increase taxes on families and on job creators.

We have the opposite approach. We have a low-tax plan for jobs and growth. It has created 1.2 million net new jobs; 85% of them are full-time, 80% are in the private sector, and two-thirds are in high-wage industries. We will continue to ensure taxes go down so that job creation goes up.