Debates of June 1st, 2015

Citizenship and Immigration

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last year the federal government announced its intention to attract double the number of international students, but once again it failed to follow through. A Citizenship and Immigration Canada report obtained by The Globe and Mail shows a 30% increase in processing times for study permits and a doubling of time for temporary resident visas because of a lack of coordination between government departments.

Does the minister understand that failing to attract international students hurts our competitiveness and leaves Canada falling further behind?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, that member's question, as usual, is eye-wateringly misinformed.

This government has doubled the number of foreign students in this country since 2005. Last year, we saw a double-digit growth across the board once again, and 29,000 Chinese international students who came to this country in 2013 were succeeded last year by over 60,000. That is from one single country.

We have never seen growth like this. We are proud of our universities and colleges. Our strategy is working, and an unprecedented number now have the opportunity to become permanent residents of this country as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, apparently no one talks to one another in this government.

Not quite a year ago, the government announced that the number of foreign students would double in the country, then nothing. The departments work in isolation and the results are more than disappointing. The processing times for study permits have increased by 30%, and wait times for visas have doubled.

Can someone explain how this government's objectives can now be met?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is so great that after four years, since the last election, the NDP has managed to be so poorly informed, or even misinformed, about the situation with foreign students.

We have doubled the number of foreign students studying at Canadian colleges and universities. In 2013, we welcomed 29,000 new students from China alone, and that number was more than 60,000 in 2014.

Our strategy is working very well, and we have never had so many foreign students become immigrants—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Saint-Lambert.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is really so great is that family reunification has become such a nightmare in Canada thanks to the Conservative government's incompetence, piecemeal approach and insensitivity.

It now takes four years just to be eligible to sponsor a parent or grandparent, and that is if things go smoothly. Mr. Momcilovic has been waiting seven years to sponsor his mother, who is now a widow.

When will the minister show a little compassion and do something about the backlog in processing applications?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the real nightmare, once again, is the NDP's determined campaign to misinform Canadians.

The parent and grandparent program has brought in up to 75,000 new immigrants in three years through a family reunification program. This year, 70,000 new immigrants arrived in Canada thanks to our family programs, and that is not including our super visa, which made it possible for 50,000 parents and grandparents to come to Canada in less than three years.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the people who are directly affected know that the current government has failed to deal with the immigration backlog. That is the reality.

These long delays create havoc for newcomers, who just want to come to Canada, build a better life, and make a contribution. These delays affect real people such as Kerstin Mulfinger, who waited four months longer than the standard wait time just to renew her permanent resident card. It impacted her job.

When will the Conservatives show their humanity, reduce the processing wait times, and make life easier in Canada for immigrant families?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, that is what we have been doing for nine years in this country. In our economic immigration programs, there are no backlogs of the sort that we knew under those Liberal decades of darkness. In fact, under express entry, some new permanent residents are being processed in two weeks. On family reunification, our action plan for faster family reunification has brought together 75,000 parents and grandparents in only three years, in addition to the 50,000 super visas issued in only three years.

We are getting the job done. The backlogs are down. Immigration has never been faster.

Foreign Affairs

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and concerns military sales to Saudi Arabia.

As we know, Canada is obliged to screen any military sales to a country whose government has a persistent record of serious violations of the human rights of its citizens. Canada must in fact receive assurances “that there is no reasonable risk that the goods might be used against the civilian population.”

Have those assurances been asked for, and have they been received by Canada?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the export contract that the member refers to is the largest in Canadian history and will create and sustain more than 3,000 direct jobs in southwestern Ontario alone. Export permits are only approved if they are consistent with Canada's foreign and defence policies, including human rights. I can assure the member that such an assessment was done in this case.

Of course, it is his leader who has said that they should be abandoning manufacturing in southwestern Ontario. That is something that this government will not do.

The Environment

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is now committed to a 225 megatonne reduction of greenhouse gases by 2030. Delusionally, she said that her government will reduce its methane emissions for the oil and gas sector and regulate the production of fertilizer.

Can the minister tell the House precisely how many megatonnes will be reduced and eliminated by fertilizer and methane regulation, and what is the plan for the rest?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I announced last month, our government has announced a fair and ambitious target for Canada that is in line with other international countries. We plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, a reduction of 225 megatonnes.

We have also announced regulations in the transportation sector and banned traditional coal-fired electricity in Canada. Now we are moving on three new areas to reduce methane from the oil and gas sector, reduce the production of chemicals and nitrogen fertilizers, and regulate the emissions of natural gas-fired electricity generation. We are doing all—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Surrey North.

Public Safety

[Jasbir Sandhu, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week there was another shooting in Surrey. That is 28 shootings in just over two months. Every week brings more shootings and more fear in our community. People should not have to live in fear. Immediate action is needed, but the Conservatives are stalling and refusing to commit to a timeline for the arrival of new RCMP officers in Surrey.

Will the minister please provide a clear timeline today for the deployment of new officers in my community?

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

Mr. Speaker, there are ways that the member could help the people of Surrey, such as by supporting the additional funding we are providing for the RCMP, the measures we have put in place to deal with gang violence such as drive-by shootings, and our initiative to invest millions of dollars into prevention.

That is because we stand up for the people of Surrey. We will ensure that their community is safer and we will continue to pursue our efforts with the RCMP.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a crisis. The community is devastated, and the minister's words offer no solace. The Conservatives have to be pushed every step of the way to take any action at all. We have asked repeatedly in this House for a clear timeline for the deployment of new RCMP officers in Surrey. People in our community deserve a response. They are scared.

Will the minister stop playing politics and playing with words and tell us when the new RCMP officers will arrive on the ground in Surrey?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. The citizens of Surrey merit much better than the lip service of the New Democrats when it comes to talk of public safety.

I am proud to stand up with members who are supportive of preventing gang violence in Surrey with programs that have proven efficient and who work with the Government of British Columbia and the school board. We are standing up. We are committed to sending 100 RCMP officers. We also have tough-on-crime sentences for those who are threatening the safety of Surrey. When will the NDP stand up with us—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Miramichi.

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Allan Legere, known as the monster of Miramichi, is a heinous criminal. He murdered a shopkeeper in Black River Bridge and then escaped from prison and committed four more murders. He is the worst of the worst.

My constituents recently found out that he will have a parole hearing this October and could be released into the community.

Could the Minister of Public Safety tell the House what our government will do to keep dangerous criminals like the monster of Miramichi behind bars?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Miramichi for making sure that the people of her community are safe.

Allan Legere was convicted of horrific crimes, and I can assure the hard-working member for Miramichi that we will take every step we can to ensure that individuals like Mr. Legere are kept behind bars.

Under the leadership of our Conservative government, we have taken strong action to restore victims to their rightful place at the heart of the criminal justice system and to ensure that the worst of the worst stay in prison for life.

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

Mr. Speaker, in answering my recent written Question No. 721, the Conservatives wrote bluntly that “...the Government of Canada will not revisit the decision to close the prison farms.” However, the Conservative candidate in Kingston and the Islands launched his campaign by stating his “unshakable” conviction to restore prison farms, and he bought a share in the herd of prison farm dairy cows.

Could the Conservatives please clarify for Canadians their position on having inmates pay their way through work on prison farms?

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

Mr. Speaker, correctional services have many programs to help inmates reintegrate into society successfully.

We continue to support Correctional Service Canada programs, but we are also ensuring that people who have committed serious and dangerous crimes serve their time behind bars. We will also continue to offer balanced rehabilitation programs.

Housing

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the pyrrhotite problem keeps getting worse and worse.

Last Saturday, over 3,000 people took to the streets in Trois-Rivières to call on the federal government to help the families that have had to pay sometimes over $200,000 to have their foundations redone.

The municipalities and the Quebec government have answered the call, but there has been nothing but silence from the federal government, if not complete denial.

Will the government finally acknowledge that there is no excuse for its failure to act and will it ever implement an emergency plan to help the pyrrhotite victims?

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we understand how much of an impact this has had on the people of that region.

As many members know, the pyrrhotite problem falls under provincial jurisdiction. In fact, the Government of Quebec has created a provincial program to provide financial help to property owners dealing with damage caused by pyrrhotite. I invite anyone affected by this problem to contact the Société d'habitation du Québec.