Roy Cullen

[Main Estimates, 2004-05, December 9th, 2004]

Madam Speaker, I had the pleasure of working with the member for Medicine Hat on the finance committee when he was the finance critic. I have always valued and respected his opinion.

We are here right now to debate the estimates of the Governor General, but I noticed he mentioned something about the gun registry. I am surprised he would reach the conclusion he did when the facts speak about a totally different case. Let me give the House some examples.

Since 1975, the rate of firearms homicides has decreased by more than half. The number of rifle and shotgun homicides has consistently dropped. It has been a very steep slope since 1995. If we look at firearms homicides in 2002 and compare them with the United States, the numbers are not even close. In Canada in 2002, the rate of firearms homicides was .48 per 100,000 population. In the United States, the rate was 4.0 per 100,000 population. We know the United States has much more relaxed rules with respect to firearms.

If we compare Canada and the United States with respect to female spousal homicides, we will see female spousal homicides on a very steep decline. The comparison between Canada and the United States is not even close. There are fewer female spousal homicides in Canada than in the United States.

The member said the gun registry and the firearms program are not useful at all. This flies right in the face of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, which has endorsed the firearms registry and firearms program. Not only that, but Canadian front line police officers have now endorsed the gun registry.

Those experts over there are denying the views of front line police officers and police chiefs who are accessing this system--

[Robert Gordon Teather, December 9th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the efforts of a retired RCMP officer who recently passed away, Corporal Robert Gordon Teather.

Corporal Bob Teather joined the RCMP in 1967 and served primarily within British Columbia in a variety of roles until his retirement in 1998.

On April 25, 1983 he was awarded the Cross of Valour, the highest Canadian bravery award that can be bestowed in peacetime, as a result of his actions and courage when he rescued two fishermen trapped in an overturned hull of a boat in September 1981, nearly losing his own life in the process. Indeed, his actions had serious repercussions which impacted his future quality of life.

He is the only member of the RCMP to ever have been bestowed with the Cross of Valour. Corporal Teather is also leaving a significant legacy through his mentoring and books. A memorial service will be held on December 10, 2004.

I encourage members of the House to join me in recognizing this most extraordinary individual.

[Department of Social Development Act, December 6th, 2004]

Madam Speaker, when we deal with a human tragedy like this, it is never easy or simple. Of course, we mourn the loss of this life. As I pointed out, the job hazard analysis working alone strategy was commissioned in part to examine ways in which we can improve working conditions for the employees of the Canada Border Services Agency and improve their security. This strategy is a work in progress.

As I mentioned, the government has made a commitment to protect the safety and security of Canadians by forming a single integrated border agency. This agency is evolving and actively looking at all aspects of its operations in an effort to improve working conditions for its employees, including those who work alone, and to improve their security.

[Department of Social Development Act, December 6th, 2004]

Madam Speaker, I rise in response to the question put to the House by my hon. colleague, the member for Kootenay--Columbia, regarding his assertion that the government has neglected border security.

I would first like to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Adam Angel, the Canada customs officer who died while on duty.

As my hon. colleague knows, the Canada Border Services Agency was established to consolidate customs, immigration, food inspection and border security functions. This agency relies on existing programs to speed up the flow of legitimate traffic across the border and to improve security so that persons and cargo posing a threat to our country are intercepted.

Since its creation, the safety and security of Canadians has never been compromised. Neither has the safety and security of employees of the Canada Border Services Agency. The health and safety of our employees is among the CBSA's highest priorities.

Far from ignoring our border agency, we have invested billions of dollars in the security of this country, much of which has been dedicated to our borders, be they land borders, sea ports or airports, to ensure the safety and security of Canadians.

As well as ensuring the safety of the Canadian public, the Canada Border Services Agency is taking measures to ensure the safety of its employees. Customs inspectors are equipped with tools to improve their health and safety while performing their duties. They also receive comprehensive training, which is repeated throughout their careers, to support the use of their equipment.

Management is taking extra measures to double-check equipment and support systems to ensure that customs inspectors have the required support when they need it. To resolve certain employee health and safety complaints from customs inspectors, the former Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, the CCRA, Human Resources Development Canada, Labour Canada and the Customs Excise Union Douanes Accise agreed that the Canada Revenue Agency would hire an independent consultant to conduct a job hazard analysis.

As part of this agreement, the CRA agreed to proceed with implementation of the job hazard analysis recommendations. Today the CBSA continues to implement the recommendations from the job hazard analysis and discussions with the union regarding the findings and recommendations. In addition, the CBSA is also working with Treasury Board to address the associated resource implications.

In summary, the government is serious about and committed to protecting the public at the border and it will take the necessary steps to do so.

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, December 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member well knows, this was an operational decision of the RCMP.

If resources were unlimited, we would have a lot of easy decisions in government. This was an operational decision of the RCMP. The member knows full well that the commissioner was at the committee the other day and he reaffirmed that. The committee will be meeting with the RCMP on that specific question. I know the mayors will be coming to town.

We should be guided by the experts. The RCMP has said that this is to help with the safety and security of Quebeckers and Canadians.

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, December 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.

We have dealt with this in the House many times. This was an operational decision of the RCMP. It is to enhance the critical mass of RCMP officers in the province of Quebec so they could focus on the fight against terrorism and organized crime. The same measures were implemented in the province of Ontario just a few years ago, and that is working very well.

We should rely on the expertise of the RCMP who have advised the government that this is in the interest of the citizens of Quebec and Canada.

[International Day of Disabled Persons, December 3rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to talk about International Day of Disabled Persons. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in 1982 proclaiming December 3 every year as International Day of Disabled Persons.

The motto of this year's observance is “Nothing About Us--Without Us”, an appropriate embodiment of the crucial principle of full participation of the disabled in society.

In Canada, I know the Deputy Prime Minister is attending a celebration today in Edmonton at the open house of the Alberta Committee of Citizens with Disabilities. This is an organization that provides services to citizens with disabilities throughout the province of Alberta.

In my riding, organizations, such as the Rexdale Community Health Centre, Canes and the Albion Neighbourhood Services, strive every day to do the same.

I would ask all members to join with me in observing the 2004 International Day of Disabled Persons.

[Committees of the House, November 30th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Edmonton—Strathcona was a member of the finance committee, and he spoke out very forcefully for some action with respect to the apparel industry and textiles in particular.

I am not a big fan of studying things to death. We need to study this industry to better understand it so, in moving forward, we can make a clear decision of how the resources of the government could best be used to work with these industries to ensure they can survive, grow and prosper.

In the short run we should not stop the duty remission on December 31. The government should find a way to renew it partially, maybe not for the whole seven years, so we can buy a bit of time to better understand the interrelationship of these programs and duties and duty remissions. Then we can put it in a package that would make sense in moving forward.

[Committees of the House, November 30th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member for Windsor—Tecumseh is the critic on public safety and emergency preparedness. I want to make it clear that I am speaking on behalf of the member for Etobicoke North. As we are in this place longer, we find we have different hats. I am speaking on it because I am interested in the topic, and I was involved as chair of the finance committee.

I am saying this needs further study, but only in the sense of how the government could best deploy resources in the medium and long term. We need some short term decisions. The government is seized with that based on input from other members on this side of the House.

On duty remission, as I said, we need to do something before the end of December. I would like to see that rolled out beyond December. A cold turkey stop on January 1 is not appropriate. Jobs are at risk and the government should deal with duty remission before it expires at the end of December.

[Committees of the House, November 30th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite sure the member from Kelowna was a full member on the finance committee. He certainly was at some of the meetings when we were preparing the report.

I always get a little nervous about big macro studies. My experience with them is that a huge study often leads nowhere. I understand what he has said about looking perhaps at duties and tariffs in the whole global context of the issue within the Government of Canada. Then look at them in the context of the World Trade Organization.

It is a big issue. We do have a changing world though. China was brought into the World Trade Organization and it made certain commitments to move to a market economy. As a result of that, some tariff barriers are coming down and the Chinese economy is growing at an enormous rate. For these purposes, maybe we could use it as a pilot to look at duties as they relate to the apparel and textile industry. If we find there is more meat in there, then maybe it could be expanded. However, I am just worried about this being lost in the shuffle of a major study, where two years from now we are no closer to any answers.

On his other question, I would like to clarify that I do not buy necessarily the notion that the industry has been asleep at the switch. I remember this came up in the context of the rising Canadian dollar. Some were arguing that the Canadian industry fell asleep at the switch, that it should have been making productivity enhancements. Canadian industry generally is always making productivity enhancements. In the context of the apparel industry, maybe there was an expectation that the duty remission would always be there. Maybe it has pushed the limit on the productivity enhancements already implemented. Maybe we are up against the question of whether it can be internationally competitive. I do not know the answers to those questions, but I will not make the assumption that it should have made the adjustments but have not. That is not what I am thinking.