House of Commons Hansard #33 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was right.
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, what we have said many times in the House is that the Minister of Justice and all ministers, and in fact all reporting public office-holders, will be governed at all times by their responsibility in the Conflict of Interest Act and the code that applies to members of Parliament.
We take our advice on these issues from the independent Ethics Commissioner, and we will always follow that advice.
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Yes, Mr. Speaker, and so I went to the page of the Ethics Commissioner, and the Ethics Commissioner stated that the justice minister can no longer perform some of her duties because of a conflict of interest. That is due to her husband lobbying the Liberals. Now we have the Site C dam decision, which places her in another conflict.
Is the Minister of Justice going to establish yet another ethical screen to deal with this conflict as well?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the member does no service to members of the House, or anyone in public life, by making a series of false allegations. The Ethics Commissioner at no time has made reference to the Site C dam and any imagined conflict of interest that the member opposite is making up.
If the member had the courage of her convictions, she would step outside. There are a lot of cameras there today. She should feel free to make that same allegation outside.
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Mr. Speaker, last week the member for New Westminster—Burnaby and I visited the Comox marine communication centre, where staff shared their concerns about the pending closure. We are very worried too.
This month, the fisheries committee heard recorded evidence of the poor quality of the so-called new technology that the minister claims will replace life-saving search and rescue capacity.
Will the minister see reason, abandon the foolhardy Conservative plan, and commit to keeping the Comox MCTS station open?
Serge Cormier LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, we welcome the study by the parliamentary committee. We will listen to the concerns being expressed.
Centres across Canada are equipped with radio communication technology that has been regularly tested and is safe. The Canadian Coast Guard analyzed the recording of the garbled message presented to the committee on March 10. This transmission reflects some of the earliest problems experienced in 2013 with the new communications software.
The new technology is working. When something is old, we need to change it. This is the right choice for the new centre.
Cheryl Hardcastle NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, recent events in Honduras are of grave concern.
Berta Cáceres and Nelson Garcia, two indigenous environmental and human rights activists, have been assassinated. As a result, the Dutch development bank and the Finnish investment fund suspended all activity in Honduras.
Will the government condemn these murders and call on the Honduran government to hold an independent international investigation?
Stéphane Dion LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, will my colleague permit me to reiterate what we have said?
We call on the government of Honduras to respect human rights, and in this specific case to do the right thing. It is completely unacceptable what has happened. Canada is there to protect the victims of this unacceptable gesture.
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, the new political adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jocelyn Coulon, once said that NATO was amplifying the Russian threat to Ukraine and Europe simply because it wanted member states to increase their military budgets. He wrote, “They use any argument, even the stupidest, to advance their rearmament agenda.”
Does the minister agree with his political adviser that the Russian threat to Ukraine, among other countries, is not all that serious and is just a pretext for boosting NATO military budgets?
Stéphane Dion LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I will leave my colleague to his interpretations, but the facts speak for themselves.
Canada just strengthened sanctions against Russia. We are doing so in solidarity with Ukraine and in concert with our allies. Instead of acting alone and being the only ones to use an empty chair tactic against Russia, we will engage with Russia in order to speak out on behalf of Ukraine and in favour of peace in the region.
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In light of the many and frequent jihadi attacks throughout Europe, including today in Brussels, does the minister agree with his senior policy and political adviser who said that the threat of ISIS is without a doubt, greatly exaggerated?
Stéphane Dion LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, today is certainly the day to say that the threat of terrorism is a terrible danger to humanity.
All human civilization should be all together to fight terrorism, and today the people of Canada are shoulder to shoulder with the people of Belgium.
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Mr. Speaker, the advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs not only accused NATO of amplifying threats, which are already serious in Ukraine, but he also invited Israel to reach out to Iran, the same country that wants to destroy the only democratic state in the Middle East.
Can the minister tell us if he advises his Israeli counterparts to unconditionally embrace a country that is threatening to destroy their nation?
Stéphane Dion LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, once again, I will leave my colleagues to their twisted interpretations.
One thing is certain: Canada is a friend to Israel. It was not serving Israel in the least to completely cut off all ties to Iran and use the Italian embassy to engage with Iran. Such a policy made no sense, and we put an end to that nonsense. One thing that will never end is our support for Israel and our determination to impose sanctions when Iran steps out of line.
Joël Lightbound Liberal Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, supporting science and research has to be one of the pillars of the government's strategy to grow the economy in a sustainable way and to ensure Canada's success in a knowledge-based economy.
Can the Minister of Science tell the House about the initiatives she is taking to promote research, more specifically with regard to Université Laval, which I am extremely privileged to have in my riding, Louis-Hébert?
Kirsty Duncan LiberalMinister of Science
Mr. Speaker, Canada research chairs is one of the most effective programs for attracting and retaining the most accomplished and most promising researchers in the world.
Recently I announced 305 new and renewed Canada research chairs at over 50 post-secondary institutions across Canada, an investment totalling $619 million, including $28 million at Université Laval in my colleague's riding.
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal orgy of spending continues. Canadians want to know how much it cost to fly, wine, and dine hundreds of the Prime Minister's friends at the Paris climate change conference. New information shows that the Liberal junket will cost taxpayers well over $1 million.
Now the environment minister is refusing to divulge exactly who went to Paris with her. She gave us a list of 155 people, but no names attached.
Why the secrecy, and what is the minister hiding?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, in fact my hon. colleague should know who was there because I was glad that he was able to join me.
I was very pleased by the effective role that Canada played, that we brought members opposite, that we brought indigenous leaders, that we brought youth, and that we brought environmental NGOs.
As the U.S. said, the Canadians in Paris were very effective.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, under section 48 of the Broadcasting Act, CBC/Radio-Canada cannot sell a building valued at more than $4 million without the approval of the governor in council. That means that CBC/Radio-Canada cannot sell the Radio-Canada tower in Montreal without cabinet's approval.
Will the minister step up and halt the fire sale of the Radio-Canada tower and ensure that real public consultations are held?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for the question.
First, I am very much aware of the socio-economic impact that CBC/Radio-Canada has in Montreal and the federal government's historical responsibility in the region. Again, I understand that CBC/Radio-Canada, which operates at arm's length, is assessing the different scenarios that are currently on the table.
As I have said many times in the House, I hope that CBC/Radio-Canada can work with the employees, the unions, Montreal's political players, as well as—
Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have consistently heard my constituents in Brampton North speaking of unacceptable wait times and processing of immigration cases, in particular out-of-country spousal reunification. Married individuals are sometimes waiting for up to two years to reunite and start their lives together. We also see situations of spousal applications where children have been born, and, still, the application remains pending.
Would the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship inform this House what he is doing to improve the situation for my constituents, and all Canadians?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, it is true that over the last 10 years, these Conservatives starved my department of money and diverted resources from families, to the point where it takes an unacceptable two years for a husband and wife to be reunited.
We are putting more money in. We are learning from the Syrian experience to do things faster. And first and foremost, my objective is to clean up this big fat Conservative mess.
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am going to try again. My question is for the Minister of Environment . I would remind her that had there not been a lone Conservative in Paris at the climate change conference, think of the billions of dollars more that would have been spent on the Prime Minister's foreign vanity projects. It now appears that mine is the only name that she has disclosed as being part of that delegation to Paris.
So, again, the question: Why is the minister now refusing to tell Canadians exactly how much this Liberal boondoggle—
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to thank the member opposite for joining our delegation in Paris. It was actually a historic opportunity where we reached an ambitious agreement. Unlike the party opposite, which did not believe in working with all sorts of groups, we were there with indigenous leaders, with business, with environmental NGOs, and with members opposite. We worked very hard to get an ambitious agreement to tackle climate change, and I am happy that at least one person on the other side actually believes that climate change is real.
