House of Commons Hansard #376 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.

Topics

PlasticsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting two petitions today.

The first petition is on behalf of coastal British Columbians who are very happy to see the House unanimously pass my motion, Motion No. 151, to call on the Government of Canada for a national strategy to combat plastic pollution. With a garbage truck of plastic entering our waterways every minute, they are calling on the government to immediately act on Motion No. 151 to combat plastic pollution and develop a national strategy as soon as possible to mitigate and eliminate the amount of plastic entering our ecosystem.

Vision CarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is calling on the government for a national framework for action to promote eye health and vision care.

The number of Canadians with vision loss is expected to double in the next 20 years. The emerging crisis in eye health and vision care affects all segments of the Canadian population, with Canada's most vulnerable populations, children, seniors and indigenous peoples, at particular risk. Just 1% of the total expenditures on vision loss is invested in post-vision loss rehabilitation therapy.

Human RightsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Sheri Benson NDP Saskatoon West, SK

Mr. Speaker, I am very honoured to rise in the House today to present a petition that has garnered overwhelming support from people across Canada. On January 18, e-petition 1833 closed after receiving 18,200 signatures. It was initiated by Devon Hargreaves, co-president of the YQueerL Society for Change in Lethbridge. It calls upon the federal government to do more to protect minors in Canada from the harmful practice of conversion therapy. They have seen examples of municipal and provincial leadership. The petitioners are now asking the federal government to provide federal leadership.

As a proud LGBTQ member of Parliament, I am honoured to present this petition on behalf of the thousands of Canadians standing up for human rights.

Prison FarmsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to present two petitions.

The first is e-petition 1774. This petition relates to a very specific situation in a specific locality. It is the ongoing issue of prison farms in Canada. A number of them were closed down by the previous government and efforts to reopen are the subject of these petitioners' concerns.

The prison program is being used to advance, in their petition, commercial interests. Milk from the prison program will be sent to a multinational, processed and shipped to China. The petitioners are asking for the government to overturn the decision to establish this prison dairy operation, establish prison farms that support local food and prevent the use of animals in rehabilitation programs.

Marine Protected AreasPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition from many residents of Saanich—Gulf Islands relates to the issue of establishing marine protected areas. They note that there is a tremendous number of conflicting jurisdictions within the federal government around the issue of creating marine protected areas and they call for the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to work with colleagues to simplify the process.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

February 1st, 2019 / 12:15 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Is that agreed?

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

12:15 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion in relation to the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-64, An Act respecting wrecks, abandoned, dilapidated or hazardous vessels and salvage operations.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:15 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Sheila Malcolmson, proposed a number of amendments in committee. Unfortunately, the Liberals rejected nearly all of them at report stage. My colleague worked on this bill and based her amendments on a number of consultations with dozens of coastal communities and chambers of commerce across the country. They proposed a number of very good solutions to the abandoned vessels crisis. My colleague proposed the amendments to improve the bill because she was not given the opportunity to debate her own private member's bill.

The Minister of Transport saw no value in adding these amendments to his own bill. He turned them down flat, even though they had received nationwide support. He did not care. They had even garnered support in communities represented by Liberal MPs. How exactly does this bill serve democracy? This is appalling. This contributes to the pervasive cynicism infecting the public, which expects MPs to work together in the interests of all Canadians, but that is definitely not happening with this bill.

What is more, the bill is hobbled financially. In 2017-18, the government's vessel removal initiative only managed to deal with 21 of the thousands of abandoned vessels in Canada. It just goes to show what a spectacular failure this initiative has been. It was a step in the right direction, but there are many shortcomings, and the government has shown no willingness to improve its bill.

I want to list the amendments proposed by my colleague, Sheila Malcolmson. One was to implement a turn-in program for vessels, inspired by the cash-for-clunkers program that is working well for cars in several provinces. It was rejected by the Liberals. Without such a program, we cannot hope to address the backlog of thousands of abandoned vessels across the country. As a result, many coastal communities will be unable to get rid of the shipwrecks that have been lying abandoned in their waters for years.

Another rejected amendment proposed to establish a fee to cover the disposal cost of vessels. This amendment was based on the model used by Washington state, where vessel owners pay fees to fund the removal of derelict vessels, relieving taxpayers of a massive financial burden. I can give some figures later.

Another amendment that was rejected sought to formalize the Coast Guard's role as the agency in charge, the one-stop shop, for coastal communities so they do not have to go through several channels. In Beauharnois alone, how many times have people been redirected? It is a veritable bureaucratic quagmire. First we were told the Coast Guard was responsible for the Kathryn Spirit. Then it was Transport Canada, because the vessel was moored. Then we were told it was Environment Canada, because a working committee was being struck.

We were in limbo for seven years. Forgive the expression, but people really had no idea which way to turn, because federal department officials could not make up their minds. The same is true in the House of Commons. One day it was the transport minister who would answer our questions, the next it was the minister responsible for the Coast Guard. It would change from one week to the next. If a sole receiver of wrecks would be designated, it would be much easier for everyone, including the government, to manage this, but once again a common-sense solution was rejected.

Another amendment that was rejected sought to ensure greater transparency and accountability and correct the Canadian Register of Vessels and the pleasure craft licensing system. In February 2018, Andrew Kendrick of Vard Marine appeared before the Standing Committee on Transport. He said the licensing database needs to be improved and updated because it is out of date. He said that would be very helpful in tracking vessel ownership in many cases.

A Transport Canada backgrounder from 2018 indicated that improving vessel owner identification systems related to pleasure craft licensing was not part of the proposed bill.

Why not add it if it could help identify the vessels?

Another amendment was rejected. It would have compelled the minister to take responsibility for vessels. The response was that this responsibility would be discretionary. It would be up to the minister to decide whether or not to take measures with respect to a vessel. What good is the law if the minister has discretionary authority?

Another amendment that was rejected called on the government to use the Washington State model, which would decrease the wait time for communities to take action with respect to abandoned vessels from two years to 90 days. I remind members that it took seven years to get rid of the Kathryn Spirit. In fact, it took five years for the federal government to agree to take charge of the vessel. The dubious Mexican company, which bought the vessel, went bankrupt. Thus, the federal government had no choice but to take responsibility for this vessel, which was lying in a drinking water reservoir and, with each spring thaw, could have capsized in Lake Saint-Louis. That took far too long, and still, the 90-day period was rejected. There is going to be red tape and it could take far too long for the federal government to do its part and take charge of an abandoned vessel.

The government also rejected the idea of increasing transparency, reviewing the problems in the legislation every five years and following up. I have spoken about this. I think that seems appropriate. Every time we pass a bill we monitor it to see whether it has been effective and whether there is anything to improve, but no, this bill is apparently perfect right off the bat and has no need for improvement.

The government also rejected an amendment to add conditions of sale or disposal in the legislation to prevent Crown-owned vessels and other vessels seized and sold by the government from becoming abandoned.

There were more. It makes absolutely no sense. As we learn about the amendments to this bill that were rejected, we can see that these measures did not come from a single person. A number of municipalities and business owners worked together on these amendments. This is hurting tourism and the fishing industry. It affects those who live on the waterfront and, in some cases, people who need drinking water.

I would like to close by providing statistics from other jurisdictions that implemented the effective measures that we suggested but that the Liberals rejected. The municipality of Bowen Island, one of the 450 islands in the Islands Trust, has done 400 hours of work and spent over $75,000 since 2014 to remove over four tonnes of debris from vessels, wrecks and mooring buoys. From 2013 to 2017, Washington state removed over 750 vessels under its derelict vessel removal program. We proposed that the government model its approach on those methods, but the Liberals rejected our proposal.

Nearly 100 vessels have been removed under this program since it was launched in 2014, and the cost of removing them is included in the vessel registration fee. That was another measure that we proposed, but the Liberals rejected it as well. Why? I have no idea. Perhaps it was too logical.

I could go on and give countless examples of solutions that have been implemented in places like France, Finland, Florida, California and Oregon. We did our research and our amendments were based on the work of experts, but the Liberals rejected them all out of hand without any analysis or explanation.

We will continue to support this bill because it is a first step and one step in the right direction is better than nothing. However, it would have been nice if the Liberals had added the amendments proposed by my colleague from Nanaimo—Ladysmith, Sheila Malcolmson, who is no longer a member of the House. Another NDP MP, Jean Crowder, proposed these same amendments before Ms. Malcolmson, and she had support from across the country. I do not think the Liberals should be so quick to pat themselves on the back. After all, their budget for this is a drop in the bucket when it comes to dealing with thousands of wrecks. The budget is $1.25 million, but the Kathryn Spirit alone cost taxpayers over $24 million. I think they need to rethink this.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, if we want to look at the glass being half full, I suspect there are many measures within the legislation that address this very serious issue that has been there for many years. The abandonment of watercraft has been a huge concern.

We have a department that has done a great deal of work in terms of consultations and ultimately bringing the legislation forward. The bill did go to committee. We have seen, whether in this legislation or other legislation, the government being very responsible in terms of looking at and taking into consideration amendments. In fact, this government has had a policy of accepting amendments where it can be determined that they better the legislation.

As much as the member might have some issues with respect to not seeing enough amendments passed, would she not agree that at the very least what the bill would do is move the area of dealing with the issue of abandonment forward? It may not be to her personal satisfaction but at least we are moving in the right direction.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Mr. Speaker, once again, the member's self-congratulatory remarks leave a bad taste in my mouth, especially since I just listed all the amendments we proposed in committee that were summarily rejected. Twelve of our 13 amendments were rejected. We consulted 50 coastal communities before drafting our amendments. Chambers of commerce supported our amendments and helped draft Bill C-352. That should tell the Liberals something. That bill was rejected outright before it was even debated.

The Liberals say they are open to amendments. I can list plenty of bills that were not amended in committee at all because the Liberals want nothing to do with opposition parties' amendments. The Green Party member knows what I am talking about. She proposes dozens and dozens of amendments, all of which are instantly rejected without ever coming up for debate. It is a hard no every time.

I am saying that we do not have any receivers of wreck. In the seven years that I rose to talk about the Kathryn Spirit and call for intervention from the federal government, Conservative or Liberal, it was always the same old story. I kept getting referred from one department to another, one contact person to another without ever being told who was in charge. We called for a receiver of wreck. The Liberals said no.

We also asked for a registry. The Groupe St-Pierre is responsible for bringing the Kathryn Spirit to Lake Saint-Louis to be dismantled. The ship was sold to a Mexican company. Since the ship had no registration on board, it was extremely difficult to identify that company, who it was, what they were about. When we called the company, it took months for them to return our calls. If we had a registration system, that would make the administrative process much easier.

Eventually, the company declared bankruptcy. It is extremely complicated. To ensure that the public did not bear the full financial burden, we asked that the shipowners contribute and pay to have their ship recycled. The Liberals did not like that idea either. They rejected that amendment. The Kathryn Spirit cost the people of Canada $24 million because the Conservatives and the Liberals dragged their heels on this file and did not want to intervene.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:30 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Salaberry—Suroît for her speech.

I too presented amendments to the committee when it was studying Bill C-64. I am more satisfied with Bill C-64 than the NDP is. That may be because I am the MP for the Gulf Islands.

Derelict vessels and wrecks are a serious problem. They are also connected to another problem, which is that homeless people are taking shelter in these extremely dangerous vessels. This is a serious threat. That is why I am especially eager for this bill to come into force. We need more funding to address the threats posed by the vessels off the coast of British Columbia.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Mr. Speaker, I agree that this bill has some positive elements, and we do support it. As we have said, the NDP will naturally be supporting this bill, because it is a step in the right direction.

My colleague mentioned funding. It is true that $1.25 million will be invested over five years, but that is just a drop in the ocean. The dismantling of the Kathryn Spirit alone cost $24 million. If we do the math, there is a major shortfall somewhere.

If there are thousands of wrecks, many of them in British Columbia, how can a preposterously low budget of $1.25 million be enough to dismantle these vessels safely and get them out of the water for the benefit of coastal communities?

There are some sanctions, it is true, and there are steps that can be taken to have vessels dismantled. However, only 21 vessels have been dismantled since 2017. It is better than nothing, at least. What the NDP is saying is that the bill does not go far enough. The Liberals lack the vision and commitment to ensure that this bill is truly effective once it comes into force.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, as we have moved out of the building with the Peace Tower and Memorial Chamber that honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice to Canada, it is quite fitting that in my final speech of the week, during this first week in the new chamber in West Block, I am going to speak about something that is very important to military families, veterans and Canadians: preserving the legacy of those who died in the service of Canada.

Bill C-64 is a bill that deals with wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels, and there is a lot in it. At times, the abandoned, hazardous vessels that appear listless, to me, sounds like a description of the Liberal cabinet.

Regardless, this is a bill that deals with an important maritime safety piece. It is an example of how the Senate and the House of Commons, but most importantly Canadians, have worked to make sure Bill C-64 preserves something far greater than the maritime regulations for safety regarding abandoned vessels. It is going to preserve the remains of those who died on the sea in service of our country.

As a veteran and someone who spoke regularly in the old chamber on these issues, and now in this one, I am honoured to say a few words and to thank the Canadians who helped the Senate and the House make this legislation better and to preserve the legacy that we owe to our fallen.

This bill, as amended by the Senate, would allow the government to make regulations to protect and preserve Canada's war graves. I want to thank the patriotic Canadians who brought this to committee and to the Senate, and who pushed these amendments forward in collaboration with many members on both sides of this chamber.

Project Naval Distinction was behind this effort. I want to thank its leaders, and most importantly retired captain Paul Bender, a World War II veteran who has been fighting passionately on this issue for many years to protect the final resting place of our service men and women. It is going to be achieved by this legislation. Alongside him is retired vice-admiral Denis Rouleau and the hon. Ian Holloway, a naval veteran who is now the dean of law at the University of Calgary, as well as a good friend of mine, Richard Blackwolf, the head of the Canadian Aboriginal Veterans and Serving Members Association. These volunteers and passionate Canadians have been pushing for this.

I also want to add to that group a friend and former staff member of mine, Patrick White, a naval lieutenant in the reserves who is currently attending law school. He worked for me when I was parliamentary secretary and when I was minister of veterans affairs. He was one of the serving or veteran members of my office. I was so proud that as a law student, working alongside Captain Bender, he appeared before committee to ensure that we preserve this important testament to the people who gave their lives serving Canada.

This legislation would preserve the final resting place of our merchant marine and warships on which Canadian sailors and merchant mariners perished, and in particular, those from the longest single battle of the Second World War. While there are war graves from before that, many of the vessels that would get protection by regulations from this legislation are from the Battle of the Atlantic, which between 1939 and 1945 achieved victory in that conflict. It was the single longest battle of the Second World War.

This legislation would recognize and define the war graves of these shipwreck sites, provide regulations regarding their preservation and even attach penalties for violating these sacred areas. Thank you to the amazing Canadian veterans and volunteers, the passionate patriots who pushed to make this happen.

The U.K. has had similar legislation for about 20 years, which is the Protection of Military Remains Act. I want to also thank our our allies in France, whose government also has legislation preserving shipwrecks. Captain Bender and the volunteers of Project Naval Distinction have actually worked with the French to protect HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Guysborough, which lie in French territorial waters. These volunteers have been working not only to make sure our legislation is better but have been working with our allies.

I want to thank our ally, France.

Let us review how profound the Battle of the Atlantic was. Seventy-two merchant marine vessels supplying the war effort were lost as well as over 1,600 lives. In fact, Conservative MP Elsie Wayne fought for years to ensure our merchant marine veterans received better and appropriate recognition. Their loss and casualty rate was one in seven in the Second World War. I want to thank those veterans and their families, and let them know we will preserve those wrecks.

The Royal Canadian Navy lost 26 warships and seven torpedo boats. Over 2,000 lives from the Royal Canadian Navy were lost in the Battle of the Atlantic and 752 from the Royal Canadian Air Force, which was flying in conjunction with the anti-submarine warfare type missions to protect the convoys.

As a proud naval air veteran in the House, I am proud of the navy and air force's tradition of working on this. I am proud to have served on the HMCS St. John's as part of the air detachment. We continued that legacy of protecting the ships and lives at sea from the subsurface threat. There was incredible collaboration between the merchant marine, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and our allies to ensure the war effort was run.

Civilians can be recognized through this as well, because 136 lives were lost on SS Caribou, a ferry which was sunk in transit between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. You seem to be very aware of that, Mr. Speaker. This is part of Canada's remarkable contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic and to global peace and security. We should be proud of it, but we should fight to preserve it. The bill would do that.

When we talk about our military history and veterans and when we hear numbers like 2,000 in the navy, 752 in the air force and 1,600-plus in the merchant marine, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that those are not numbers. Each one is a family that was gripped by the loss of its son or daughter. We cannot lose sight of that. Therefore, I invite parliamentarians to think of that as we pass this and support it with these amendments, that we are thankful for all sides and Project Naval Distinction for making it happen.

In Westboro, there is a bench with a plaque dedicated to Lieutenant Leslie Ward, who died aboard HMCS Athabaskan on April 29, 1944.

Now, lives lost at sea are recognized in the naval monument in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax. I and many members have been there. We can hear the bell toll for each ship lost, and the many rings makes us realize how many ships were lost. However, the names are not there because we count them in ships.

Decades ago, Lieutenant Ward was honoured at the Point Pleasant monument. Fortunately, naval veterans and his family also honoured him in Westboro on Wellington Street just down the road. People can go have a seat on the bench in his honour and contemplate the thousands of Canadians who died serving us on the oceans.

To end my remarks on a Friday and to end my remarks with respect to those lives lost, I will say a a few words selected from the naval prayer:

Preserve us from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; that we may be a safeguard unto our most gracious Sovereign Lady...and her Dominions...that the inhabitants of our Commonwealth may in peace and quietness serve Thee...and that we may return in safety to enjoy the blessings of the land...

For those who did not return to enjoy the blessings of the land, this bill and its amendments, thanks to many Canadians, will preserve and protect their final resting place.

Lest we forget.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:45 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us should be passed. The protection of war graves below the waterline certainly has been attended to by the other place. However, the imperative to pass the legislation, of course, is the current threat to life and limb that exists, particularly along the west coast of British Columbia. It is obviously not an issue at that level that touches on the member's riding.

However, I want to assure him that the bill is urgently needed, that there is a current threat along the coast of British Columbia. I will have an opportunity in a moment to explain what it is more fully, but I really do welcome the legislation. I am pleased to know that members of his party will be voting for its passage.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree with my friend from Saanich—Gulf Islands. This is a very serious issue that we have heard of for many years in a variety of forms, particularly from our Pacific coast in British Columbia.

I was fortunate in the fact that there seemed to be general agreement in the House on the pith of the legislation itself. However, I wanted to take the opportunity to not just highlight the importance of the remembrance of those who had served Canada, but the great example of passionate advocates like Captain Bender, who I think is in his eighties.

Canadians can influence this place, because we are their representatives. This is a process with Bill C-64 where their passion has helped make the legislation better. Therefore, I have dedicated my remarks today really to showcase what they have done, alongside the Senate and members of this place, to ensure we amend this to fix the real public policy challenge we see on the west coast and also to show that passionate Canadians can make their changes to preserve our history.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

Jim Eglinski Conservative Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Durham for his advocacy in protecting our military sea graves.

We have so many historical events that happened in our country during World War II, whether on the east or west coasts, with the lost sailors and airmen, the Alaska Highway route where we supplied military aircraft from the United States to Alaska and then on to Russia during the war. We have so many of these sites and so many are forgotten.

Could he elaborate on the need for us to now start to recognize these historically significant spots in Canada where things happened, tragedies happened, during World War II, on our east or west costs or in the Arctic?

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am happy my friend from Yellowhead asked that question. He knows service well from his decades of service in uniform to our country, and we appreciate his service now in Parliament after giving a lifetime of service.

The member is right. In fact, several of us were just talking with him about how special and sacred the National Military Cemetery at Beechwood in Ottawa was and how few Canadians actually knew we have a national military cemetery in our nation's capital. Certainly, it is not as well known as the hallowed grounds at Arlington, which I have had the privilege to lay a wreath at, but Canadians should explore and know these places.

I met with passionate people, including retired General Beno of the Juno Beach Centre. It now has lost some private sector funding. This was to preserve the landing place where thousands of lives in the Normandy Operation were lost, starting at Juno. It is now looking for funding. I hope the new Minister of Veterans Affairs can work with the organization.

Here is another example of passionate Canadians who opened the visitor centre and museum in France on their own, really with no help. Now, there are little operating funds, but I hope the government comes forward with a plan to preserve it, like it did with Vimy, which we started and the they opened. It can be done this with Juno.

My friend is right, as McCrae said over a century ago:

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

We are now losing so many World War II veterans. It is up to us to preserve that legacy. We can hold the torch high, not in combat but in recognizing their sacrifice, preserving their final resting places and educating future Canadians who enjoy the country they provided us.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:50 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, I could not be more pleased to take the floor. I think I may be the last speaker at this stage of the progress of the bill. We are now reviewing the amendments sent to us by the Senate before approving the bill to go back to the Senate.

I want to share with members who do not experience it what it means to have the problem of derelict and dilapidated boats. It might sound to someone who does not live on a coastline as though it is a rather small issue, as though it is something one could leave waiting a while. After all, the boats are derelict and dilapidated and abandoned.

On the east coast, where I lived for so long, certainly around Cape Breton Island, we did not have a problem with derelict and dilapidated boats, because they were generally smashed to bits by the winter storms, and we did not see them the following year. However, on the more tranquil inland waters of the Salish Sea, around the southern Gulf Islands and up into the northern areas of our Gulf Islands, around Gabriola, Hornby and the islands stretching up into the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, we have a lot of problems with derelict boats. Many areas of British Columbia have peaceful inland waters and a lack of winter storms. Boats are abandoned, which owners do far too frequently at no cost and no risk to themselves. They just abandon the vessels. That has caused threats to navigation and hazards in the waters.

More recently, we have had a profound problem. The housing shortage in southern Vancouver Island and on the Lower Mainland is so acute that homeless people have taken up residence in abandoned vessels. Try to imagine the multiple threats and hazards that involves, and it is growing at an epidemic rate.

On January 21 I took a tour with local residents of Tsehum Harbour, where multiple vessels, some of them rafted together to form something of a community of vessels, are housing people. Some people are paying rent to the owners for substandard living conditions. Of course, there is no proper heat. Living on a vessel on open water in the winter is not a safe living condition, but it is particularly acute on Salt Spring Island, where Burgoyne Bay and Ganges have become magnets for crime. They are no longer safe areas. It is a significant problem. That is compounded by not having adequate RCMP attending to the southern Gulf Islands. There just are not enough RCMP officers to help where crime is increasing in areas, such as Pender Island and Salt Spring Island, which are idyllic places. This is really a crisis. We need to find homes for these people who are taking refuge in inadequate habitation on abandoned vessels. We need to deal with abandoned vessels rapidly.

There is another problem that is worse than this situation. That is in a bill that is currently before the Senate. I am going to seek amendments there to deal with Bill C-69, which amends our navigable waters protection act, now the Navigation Protection Act. Under the previous government of Stephen Harper, they made it much easier to put buoys out and ignore them. They did not think they were making it easier to put buoys out. They just exempted minor works. This needs to be dealt with now, because what has happened is that it is easier to place buoys in the water without proper review, because we treat them as minor work and they are therefore exempted. That is another matter to return to.

I want to let the House know that multiple layers of government are struggling with this problem and waiting with bated breath for Transport Canada to have the additional resources and focus. The current situation involves local governments, municipalities, the Islands Trust, and the Capital Regional District for the Victoria area, which has an abandoned vessel program and gets stuck with the costs. We need to find federal funding to help the CRD with the costs it experiences. We also have the Coast Guard and the RCMP involved and primarily Transport Canada, which is gearing up. I have to say that the civil servants working on this in our local area are terrific. There are also numerous local residents for whom this bill cannot come soon enough.

I am extremely grateful to the local residents who organized that meeting on January 21, which brought together mayors, CRD officials, the Islands Trust, the RCMP and Transport Canada. This has been a nightmare of an issue. We know that funding is waiting. It will not be enough, but it is a good start.

I would like to thank the House for doing everything possible, as expeditiously as possible, to get this legislation passed, get those derelict boats out of our waters and find housing for people who are currently taking shelter in abandoned vessels.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Todd Doherty

Is the House ready for the question?

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Question.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Todd Doherty

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels ActGovernment Orders

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Todd Doherty

(Motion agreed to, amendments read the second time and concurred in)