House of Commons Hansard #215 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was families.
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I remind the member that Canada Post is an independent, arm's-length, crown corporation that is run by a board of directors and a CEO. They are responsible for their operational decisions and their day-to-day decisions.
I remind the member that Canada Post delivered 1.4 billion fewer letters in 2014 than in 2006. It has a responsibility to not be a burden to Canadian taxpayers. This government expects it to follow through on its commitment to be fiscally sustainable.
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government has a real problem listening to communities, not just in Montreal, but here in Ottawa.
Here in Ottawa, city council is poised to vote on a motion that will formally request that the federal government relocate the victims of communism memorial. The request is very simple. The council wants the government to respect the long-term plan for this piece of land.
Is it not ironic, though, that the Conservatives are willing to ignore democratic voices in order to build a monument honouring those who fought for democratic rights?
Rick Dykstra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, this memorial is going to honour more than 100 million lives lost under communist regimes and pay tribute to the Canadian ideals of liberty, democracy and human rights. In this country alone, over eight million people trace their roots to countries that suffered under communism.
Our government committed to honouring the victims of communism in our Speech from the Throne. We look forward to fulfilling that and making sure that this monument is built.
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, no one disagrees with the idea of the memorial, but what is with the high-handed attitude of the government?
Putting the monument in front of the Supreme Court actually violates the national capital plan that the government and this Parliament approved. The minister is ignoring the plan. He is also ignoring the concerns of architects, he is ignoring the Mayor of Ottawa, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and local citizens.
How hard is it for the politburo over there to actually listen to people, change its mind and change the location of the monument?
Rick Dykstra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I find it strangely ironic that the member for Ottawa Centre, downtown, does not even know where the monument is going to be located. He continues to perpetuate a falsehood about where the monument is actually going to be located.
Let us be clear. I will dispel the falsehood. It will be constructed, not in front of the Supreme Court of Canada, but further west on Wellington Street. If the member would like a little bit of direction on where it is going to be, I suspect that we will go for a walk down Wellington Street and I will personally show him.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, political influence in the management of the RCMP is undermining the force in both its reputation and its ability to do its job. Following an earlier media report yesterday, the RCMP was charged under the Canada Labour Code for the lack of training, equipment and supervision surrounding the Moncton shootings.
We know that the RCMP was pressured to kick back money from the treasury to help the government meet its deficit targets strictly for political optics.
Will the minister now come clean and accept responsibility for this disarray in the RCMP?
Roxanne James ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, our thoughts continue to be with the families of the RCMP officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
As I said earlier today in question period, we have full confidence in the RCMP to enforce the laws of Canada and to keep all Canadians safe. The RCMP, as I mentioned earlier, had commissioned a report into this incident and is acting on those recommendations.
This matter is now before the courts, so I will not comment on it any further.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the government accepting responsibility for the mess that is within the RCMP.
Beyond the charges under the Canada Labour Code, the Information Commissioner yesterday asked for criminal charges to be laid for the destruction of documents. We also know that hidden in the budget bill is a cover-up to try to cover for that destruction of documents.
Who within the government ordered this action, and who within the RCMP complied with this illegal act?
Roxanne James ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. We firmly reject any claim that the RCMP did anything wrong by following the expressed will of Parliament to destroy the data from the long gun registry.
Our Conservative government fulfilled its commitment to end the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry. We will make no apologies for ensuring the will of Parliament is followed and the long gun registry data is destroyed once and for all.
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
Mr. Speaker, in early April, Public Works and Government Services Canada apparently found legionnaires' disease bacteria in the water at the Place du Portage III building in Gatineau. However, the minister found out only yesterday.
Thousands of public servants have been exposed to the bacteria for more than a month, and no one at Public Works and Government Services Canada saw fit to notify the people working there.
Why did Public Works and Government Services Canada keep this under wraps for so long? Is the minister going to do something now to protect all the public servants at Portage III?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of people working in those buildings remains our priority.
Yesterday, the chief public health officer said that the risk to people working in those buildings was low. According to official statements, the risk to the buildings' occupants is low. They can safely work there.
That said, an information line is available to people with questions or concerns and the necessary measures have been taken to monitor and manage the situation.
Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, there are serious administrative problems with the skills link program.
Other Quebec organizations have experienced delays, and now it has been more than 15 months since SADC de Rouyn-Noranda filed an application. Despite multiple attempts to reach the department, there has been no response. Because of the delay, the organization has decided not to offer this service to residents because doing business with Service Canada is too complicated.
Is the minister deliberately undermining the skills link program or is he just extremely incompetent?
Jacques Gourde ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we are working together to establish this program across Canada. We will submit this question to the minister concerned.
Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have travelled throughout my riding, speaking to hard-working parents about the opportunities our Conservative government gives them to save more money for their families.
Our government wants to help all Canadian families succeed by keeping taxes low and delivering programs like the universal child care benefit and family tax cut.
Can the Minister of Employment and Social Development please update the House on what families across Canada are telling him about our efforts?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, families are telling me they are very happy to receive the Prime Minister's enhanced universal child care benefit.
Those who do not know about it are sure happy to learn. That is why I am working seven days a week to inform moms and dads right across the country that because of the Prime Minister's increases they are now entitled to almost $2,000 for each child under 6 and $720 per year for each child 6 through 17.
The Liberals and the NDP would take away the universal child care benefit altogether, so they do not want parents to know about it. On this side of the House, not only are we delivering it, we are making sure parents know about it so that they get the money in their pockets when the cheques go out in July.
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, for 40 years Quebec Native Women has been standing up for abused aboriginal women. Coincidentally or not, after the organization criticized the government's inaction on this issue, its funding was reduced to nil.
Can the government honestly say that this is just a coincidence?
Mark Strahl ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, our priority is creating conditions for healthier, more self-sufficient first nations communities.
That is why our government is committed to improving the living conditions and economic development of aboriginal communities. We provide funding towards the core operation of aboriginal representative organizations and national women's organizations. The Quebec Native Women association is welcome to apply for this funding.
We will continue to work with first nations to advance our shared priorities.
Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, in 2017, Canada will celebrate its 150th anniversary. It is a key milestone in our history, a history we can be proud of.
Today, the Prime Minister announced what our government will do to celebrate this milestone. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister update this House on what infrastructure initiative our government is launching to mark this occasion?
Paul Calandra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, in addition to supporting the festivities celebrating the 150th anniversary of Canada, we will support the renovation, expansion, and improvement of existing community infrastructure.
There are thousands of organizations that will receive significant support to renovate their facilities, which are often essential to local life. Obviously it is good news for communities across this country.
These new investments will support the implementation of projects that celebrate our shared heritage, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, the G7 environment ministers meet regarding climate change in Berlin next week.
Canada has the weakest performance of any G7 country in meeting our climate projection targets.
When will our Prime Minister announce a real plan to prevent dangerous climate change? How does he intend to meet even our feeble targets? Especially, where is his commitment to controlling all greenhouse gas emissions from all oil sands activities, not just some of them?
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, we will submit Canada's targets this month.
We are implementing our responsible sector-by-sector approach to reduce emissions in a way that protects our environment and also our economy.
Our government is the first government in Canadian history to achieve a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. We will continue to take action to reduce emissions without the job-killing carbon taxes and schemes proposed by the NDP and the Liberals.
Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, in 2007, the Prime Minister visited Nipigon in Thunder Bay—Superior North, proudly proclaimed our newest national marine conservation area, and promised $20 million and an interpretive centre. He reaffirmed those promises in 2009.
In good faith, Nipigon has invested heavily in waterfront development.
Nipigon kept its part of the deal. After eight years, will the Prime Minister finally keep his word and his part of the deal?
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the environment. Since we formed government, we have created two national marine conservation areas, three marine protected areas, three national wildlife areas, four national parks, one urban national park, and national historic sites.
The total land that we have protected is equal to an area about twice the size of Vancouver Island.
Bruce Hyer Green Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, well-off Conservatives think that student debt is a student's problem, but Roman Jakubowski, president of the Lakehead University Student Union, would disagree.
Fifteen billion dollars in student debt is a tax on the future of our young people and a drain on our economy.
Meanwhile, Conservatives hand out $34 billion in fossil fuel subsidies each and every year. How will our Minister of Finance reduce high tuition costs?
Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, our government's economic action plan 2015 is helping young Canadians and helping students.
The youth employment strategy is helping thousands of students across this country. We have the futurpreneur program, and we have much more to help students get jobs and get trained in Canada.