Annick Papillon

[Search and Rescue, May 9th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we still do not have a clear answer. If they would talk to one another instead of spying on one another, we might not be in this predicament. We are talking about public safety. A responsible government must provide some reassurance and not leave the people who use the river and the centre's employees and their families in limbo. Keeping the centre open is the right thing to do.

Can the minister confirm that he will not transfer the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre to Halifax, Trenton or Montreal, yes or no?

[Search and Rescue, May 9th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, information obtained by Le Soleil indicates that the Conservatives are preparing to backtrack on their irresponsible decision to close the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre.

Under the pretext of eliminating the deficit, the Conservatives wanted to close the only marine rescue sub-centre providing services in French and thus put lives at risk. This centre responds to more than 1,500 distress calls every year.

Can the minister confirm that there will be absolutely no changes to the activities of the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre now or in the future?

[Telecommunications, May 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that regulations are imperative. We absolutely have to think a little bit about consumers. That is what we are doing on this side of the House.

We must remember that telephone services in Canada are two to four times more costly than in Europe and Asia. Our rates are too high, so we need regulations.

On this side of the House, we are not against a little more competition. However, there must be a real benefit for consumers. I will quote the Competition Bureau in that regard.

First, certain industry practices have tended to impose costs on consumers who wish to avail themselves of competitive alternatives. Second, consumers are not always provided with sufficient information in an adequately clear manner to make informed purchase decisions. These features can deprive consumers, competitors, and the Canadian economy of the beneficial effects of competition in this industry, namely lower prices, higher quality service, and greater innovation.

I will put the question to the government once more: Does it intend to take into consideration all those Canadian consumers who want much cheaper rates than those currently available?

[Telecommunications, May 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, on October 11, 2012, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, announced plans to create a code of conduct for wireless service providers in order to address issues related to the clarity and contents of wireless contracts.

All Canadians who are watching at home right now must be thinking about the contracts that they have been stuck with that are full of fine print. That is precisely what I want to talk about.

This plan to create a national, mandatory code for all wireless service providers is extremely important because the CRTC has not looked at issues related to the wireless industry since the mid-1990s. Given that it has been quite a while since anyone has looked at this matter, it is high time someone did so, especially considering all the changes that have taken place in this industry over the past few years.

The federal Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services processed 10,678 complaints in 2011 and 2012, an increase of 35%, yet he has issued only 55 recommendations and 11 rulings. This illustrates just how much the 27 million Canadians who use a cellular telephone feel their rights are being infringed upon, and with good reason. This also means that the vast majority of complaints are resolved between the consumer and the service provider. Unfortunately, in that regard, we have every reason to believe that these matters are not being resolved in the consumer's favour, which is why it is so important to have a closer look at what is going on.

That is why I rose in this House and asked this government to look into the problem and examine a number of aspects regarding wireless services. It is not just three-year contracts that pose a problem, although this issue is often at the top of the list of the most frequent complaints. Three-year contracts are too long and are a big problem. Other problems include the locking of cellular telephones, exorbitant roaming charges and excessive service charges.

The chairman of the CRTC himself admitted that the current market is dysfunctional and that the situation needs to be fixed. I am not the only one calling for this; the CRTC also believes that progress needs to be made. The Conservatives' inaction means that telephone service in Canada is two to four times more expensive than in Europe or Asia. We have the highest fees of all OECD countries, which says a lot.

Canadians absolutely need protection. Consumer advocacy groups have urged the CRTC to ban three-year contracts and cap them at two years, for example. They are also asking that this change be applied to all current contracts, not just new subscribers. The federal Competition Bureau also indicated that it supports measures to limit the length of contracts. However, for now, the CRTC has decided not to listen to calls for banning three-year contracts, and the federal regulator has instead focused on issues such as early cancellation fees to allow consumers to cancel their service at any time.

Many Canadians expressed their views during exploratory discussions, and they talked about more than just the length of contracts. They also talked about their concerns with locked cellphones and roaming charges. All of those contentious issues will be addressed during the hearings. I am calling on the government to take action on this issue.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, May 3rd, 2013]

With regard to human resources at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centres of Trenton (JRCC Trenton) and Halifax (JRCC Halifax): (a) how many Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) search and rescue coordinator positions are there (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (b) how many of these positions are officially unilingual English positions (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (c) how many of the positions in (a) are officially bilingual BBB positions (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (d) how many of the positions in (a) are officially bilingual CBC positions (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (e) how many of the positions in (a) are staffed permanently (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (f) how many of the coordinators in (a) meet the BBB language requirement (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (g) of these coordinators, how many are certified to take charge of a watch (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (h) how many of the coordinators in (a) meet the CBC language requirement (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (i) of these coordinators, how many are certified to take charge of a watch (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (j) how many unilingual English-speaking coordinators are there (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (k) of these coordinators, how many are certified to take charge of a watch (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (l) what were the expected schedules for January 1, 2013, and the following 12 months, specifying the bilingual positions, unilingual positions and names of the individuals assigned according to these schedules and the language proficiency of these individuals, (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (m) how many retirements are expected over the next 12 months (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (n) what is the language requirement for CCG JRCC supervisor positions (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (o) what is the language proficiency of the incumbents of the CCG JRCC supervisor positions (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (p) how much has the government committed to date to improve the French proficiency of CCG search and rescue (SAR) operations coordinators since June 2011; (q) how many Canadian Forces (CF) air SAR coordinators work (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (r) how many of these CF air SAR coordinators are bilingual (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; (s) what is the current individual language proficiency of the CF air SAR coordinators (i) at JRCC Trenton, (ii) at JRCC Halifax; and (t) following the Commissioner of Official Languages’ recommendations of August 2012 regarding air SAR coordinators, what actions has the Department of National Defence taken to assign bilingual air SAR coordinators to the JRCCs of Trenton and Halifax?

[Search and Rescue, May 2nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives are in trouble, they rush to hold a news conference.

Search and rescue has not been on the Conservatives' list of priorities for far too long. Lives were put at risk because of their failure to act.

Despite today's damage control attempt, the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada is about to implode, and its president has tried to get hold of the Minister of National Defence on numerous occasions, only to be ignored.

Why has the minister ignored this association that saves lives?

[Search and Rescue, May 1st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, they are unable to recover the money lost to tax evasion and meanwhile, they are cutting public services such as the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre.

Yesterday, the Auditor General confirmed the NDP's fears about the centre's closure. Closing this centre could have tragic consequences. It will put Canadians' lives in danger.

The Auditor General has said it. The Commissioner of Official Languages has said it. Even the Conservative association in Lévis—Bellechasse has said it. What more will it take? Will the Queen have to get involved?

[Taxation, April 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the minister wants the NDP to vote in favour of a $333 million tax increase on everyday consumer products, but we will not do that.

Too many Canadian families are struggling to make ends meet and pay their bills at the end of the month, not to mention the fact that household debt is reaching record highs.

The Conservatives finally admitted that they were wrong to increase tariffs on hockey helmets. When will they also admit that this increase is a tax on thousands of other consumer products?

[Quebec City Artifacts, April 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has decided to strip Quebec City of millions of artifacts. Pieces of history from the cradle of French civilization in North America will now be stored in warehouses in the Outaouais region.

Today the Government of Quebec requested that these artifacts not be transferred. This decision is unacceptable and outrageous. Numerous archaeological digs have uncovered these artifacts, the only witnesses to our shared history. Do not forget that UNESCO has recognized our city as a world heritage site.

Why does this government want to sever all connections with our history and with who we are? For a year now, the NDP has been calling on the government to leave these artifacts in Quebec City, not to rob us of our history and these reminders of how we came to be the proud people we are today.

By cutting 45 jobs at Parks Canada, limiting access to historic sites and putting our artifacts in storage, the Conservatives are showing disrespect, contempt even, towards all Canadians.

[Search and Rescue, April 22nd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that the members opposite seem to understand that this is not working perfectly. That is why I come back each time and ask a question. Each time it is not working.

Yesterday, another distress call was made by the people at the Quebec City centre, who are very concerned. A few weeks ago, pilots on the St. Lawrence were saying that they were unable to communicate in French and that they got the impression that they were not being heard in French. Of course, after receiving these calls, I am raising this issue again, and I am asking for accountability.

However, it is important to talk about the botched simulation that took place on February 27 or 28. It was a terrible simulation. In fact, there was more staff on hand than usual during a simulation. It was a regular simulation. More bilingual staff members were on hand than usual. The thought was that it would likely work, which would strengthen the government's position, but the whole thing was a failure.

It is pathetic. The government should use what happened during this botched simulation and all the failures related to this issue, take the high road and reverse this decision because it does not make sense.