Debates of March 13th, 2015

National Defence

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Military Police Complaints Commission found the military's investigation of the death of Corporal Langridge to be incompetent and lacking professionalism. Its handling of this traumatic situation has been mired in secrecy and a seven year ordeal for the family.

The family has asked to see the entire board of inquiry report, but have been stonewalled. Instead, this week it was provided with a selective partial report, which blames the soldier and his family for this horrible tragedy.

Will the government denounce these deplorable findings and commit to releasing the full report?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, what happened in this case is completely unacceptable. The inclusion of these remarks in the board of inquiry report is further evidence of how unacceptable it was.

Our thoughts remain with the family of Corporal Stuart Langridge during this very difficult time. The Department of National Defence is reviewing the Military Police Complaints Commission report. We want to ensure we act upon those recommendations so this never happens again.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the honour of debating my bill to harmonize Canada's laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Unfortunately, the Conservatives immediately refused to seize this historic opportunity for real reconciliation.

My question for the minister is very simple: does he share the opinion of his parliamentary secretary, who insinuated that the rights of indigenous people are incompatible with the rights of other Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I must correct the member. The parliamentary secretary did not say that. He simply said that the hon. member's bill would give a group of Canadians, in this case aboriginal Canadians, a veto over the will of Parliament.

That flies in the face of the Canadian Constitution, which is why we will not be supporting his bill.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, recognizing human rights is not a zero-sum game. The parliamentarian should know that.

This is the same shameful rhetoric the Conservatives use when it comes to Bill C-51. It was denounced yesterday by the National Chief Perry Bellegarde. He said:

First Nations know better than anyone how easy it is for governments to ignore, erode and eradicate our most basic human rights and freedoms until you barely recognize the land you’re living in.

Why will the government not listen for once?

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

Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased that the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations appeared at committee yesterday. I gave me an opportunity to respond to his concerns and to clarify the misconceptions that had been spread by the opposition parties.

Let me be very clear. With regard to the information sharing act, in the bill we stress, “For greater certainty, it does not include lawful advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression”. This means that it is not included in this section for information sharing. However, it also has to apply to the fact that, “if it undermines the sovereignty, security or territorial integrity of Canada or the lives or the security of the people of Canada”.

Protests are not any of those.

The Economy

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, while the Liberals and the NDP are focused on their carbon tax and tax-hike plan, our Conservative government is working on the economy and projects that will create jobs.

The Prime Minister was in Saskatchewan to announce an important project for our economy. Could the parliamentary secretary update the House on this important announcement?

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Palliser for all the hard work he has done for his constituents, not only in his riding but also in Saskatchewan.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister was in Saskatchewan to announce a major infrastructure program of over $32 million for the twinning of Highway 7 to four lanes, from Saskatoon west to Delisle. This project will not only create jobs, it will improve safety, enhance traffic flow and reduce travel time.

Unlike the NDP and Liberals, whose only plan to improve the economy is to raise taxes, we are committed to lowering taxes. That was why we launched the building Canada fund and approved, to date, over $5 billion worth of projects.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Income Tax Act is based on self-assessment, but the act is getting more and more complex.

The Conservatives are trying to use it to win votes. The agency acknowledges that 44% of the calls it receives go nowhere and that even when people manage to talk to someone, they have a one in four chance of being misled. Furthermore, the letters the agency sends are unreadable. For all of these reasons, I am concerned that seniors in particular will be at a disadvantage.

What will the minister do to ensure that these people are treated fairly?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, to begin with, we encourage anyone who believes they have received incorrect information from CRA to make a formal complaint.

We expect CRA to continuously improve the quality and accuracy of the telephone service it provides. We are implementing several measures to improve the quality of services offered by CRA.

Justice

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in our 2013 Speech from the Throne, our government promised to introduce legislation to ensure a life sentence meant a sentence for life for those convicted of the most heinous murders.

I am proud to say that this week we have delivered on yet another promise made to Canadians by introducing the life means life act. It is part of our government's commitment to return Canada to a place where the severity of punishment meets the severity of the crime.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice inform the House of the effects of this legislation?

[Robert Goguen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Oxford for previous career and work as a police officer, keeping Canada's streets and communities a safer place for all Canadians.

Canadians do not believe that those convicted of the most heinous murders should have access to parole. This legislation would make that a reality. It would protect Canadians and our streets and communities by keeping the dangerous offenders in custody for most of their natural lives. Importantly, it would do this by eliminating parole eligibility. It would ensure that those who suffered the tragedy of the loss of their loved ones would no longer have to revisit the horror of that tragedy through the ongoing parole.

The Canadian justice system exists for Canadians—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

Public Safety

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today in question period, we heard the parliamentary secretary for public safety say that, “I was very pleased to be able to respond to those concerns and explain how the bill would work”. She was referring to the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations who explained that Bill C-51 must be withdrawn for violating the rights of first nations under section 35 of the Constitution.

My question is for the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. Could he please undertake an educational program for members of his caucus to understand the notion of constitutionally-enshrined rights cannot be explained away by a parliamentary secretary?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across the way already knows that all legislation is vetted through legal evaluation. We are very confident in the constitutionality of this piece of legislation.

National security agencies have identified gaps in keeping Canadians safe and protecting national security. That is what this bill is about.

There has been enough hysteria from across the way from the NDP and the Green Party. It is time to support measures that will protect Canadians and keep our borders safe.

Employment

[Jean-François Larose, Forces et Démocratie, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Lanaudière have not been spared the woes of the current economic climate.

The Conservatives claim that the economy is a priority. However, instead of investing in communities, they are spending billions of dollars on measures such as income splitting that benefit the wealthiest people but do not create a single job in Lanaudière. Ottawa is even holding back money earmarked for economic development.

At what point will the federal government finally do something meaningful to support workers and to help entrepreneurs in Lanaudière create jobs?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is working very hard to foster economic diversification of all regions of Quebec. Since 2006, over 440 projects have been distributed in Quebec, and we will continue with that approach.

Natural Resources

[Jean-François Larose, Forces et Démocratie, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every day we see more people and municipalities in Lanaudière opposing the energy east pipeline. They refuse to assume all the risks of an oil spill and reject the idea that the only economic spinoffs will come from cleanup fees in the event of a disaster, especially when it comes to oil that even the U.S. President describes as extraordinarily dirty.

Why do the Conservatives, Liberals and the NDP think it is okay to force a pipeline on Quebeckers that even the United States is refusing?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are not taking a position until the review is completed.

The National Energy Board is responsible for listening to people directly affected who have pertinent information or knowledge in the field. We have been clear. The plans will be studied only if they are safe for Canadians and pose no risk to the environment.

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 22 petitions.

Government Operations and Estimates

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates in relation to its study of the supplementary estimates (C), 2014-15.

I am proud to report that the committee, in keeping with its commitment to make a more thorough and robust examination of the supplementary estimates, undertook to study $730 million of the $733 million in estimates that were referred to the committee, which is again in keeping with what all committees should be undertaking: to examine the estimates and not simply allow them to pass unnoticed.

Official Languages

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled “The Economic Situation of Official Language Minority Communities: Building Sustainable and Growing Economies”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requested that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a dissenting report to the previously mentioned report. It is entitled “Providing Responsible Governance to OLMCs: the New Democratic Vision”.

There are good things in the report. The NDP fought hard for multi-year funding and support for arts and culture infrastructure. However, there was important testimony that was omitted concerning the identification of vulnerabilities and the lack of services of equal quality, lack of good data, the importance of co-operatives as tools of development, and problems with francophone immigration.

Recognition of Charlottetown as the Birthplace of Confederation Act

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-659, An Act to Recognize Charlottetown as the Birthplace of Confederation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to table a private member's bill to recognize Charlottetown as the birthplace of Confederation.

We just went through a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the meetings of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown. Immediately after the 2014 celebrations, Province House began a substantial renovation. It is my sincere hope that this bill will pass in time for the 150th anniversary of Confederation itself. There was, in 1996, a declaration by the Prime Minister that gave Charlottetown this very recognition; the goal of this bill is to enshrine that declaration into an act of Parliament.

I would particularly like to recognize the substantial efforts by Philip Brown from Charlottetown, who was instrumental in pushing to have this measure come to the floor of the House of Commons.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to table in the House the following petition.

It is a petition signed by the people of Orleans who support Development and Peace and are calling on the government to adopt international aid policies that support small farmers, especially women, in order to recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty.