Devinder Shory

[Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to debate Bill C-43. If passed, the faster removal of foreign criminals act will go a long way toward ensuring the safety and security of Canadians, and for that, I wholeheartedly support it.

Unfortunately, the opposition has put forward several amendments that would essentially gut the bill and prevent it from becoming the law. In other words, the NDP and Liberals are trying to prevent us from protecting the safety and security of Canadian families.

Canada's immigration system is rightly regarded to be among the most open and generous in the world. Immigration has always been a sustaining feature of Canada's history, and continues to play an important role in building our country. In fact, our Conservative government has welcomed the highest sustained levels of immigration in Canadian history.

Our immigration system works really well, but it is not perfect. No system is, but with Bill C-43 we are taking action to correct one glaring problem afflicting our immigration system.

We see time and time again that foreign criminals who have committed serious crimes on our soil are able to endlessly delay their deportation by using an avenue of appeal that exists under the current law. There are many examples of convicted foreign criminals who have abused our generosity and tested our patience by drawing out their removal process via this avenue. They include fraudsters, drug traffickers, rapists and child abusers, some of the worst people humanity has to offer.

Take the case of Cesar Guzman, who was issued a deportation order after being convicted of sexually assaulting a senior citizen. As Nadia Moharib reported in the Calgary Sun, his victim was an 87-year-old woman at a senior care facility where he was employed. Despite the seriousness of his loathsome and sickening crime, this sexual predator, a man who preyed on and violated one of the most vulnerable members of our society, was sentenced to only 18 months in prison.

To make matters worse, the short length of that sentence allowed this sex offender to appeal his deportation order. This man should have been sent packing back to Peru as soon as he walked out the prison gate after serving his sentence, but because of the avenue of appeal that opened for him, the removal process ended up dragging on for years. Having initially been ordered deported in May 2007, Mr. Guzman was not removed from Canada until April 2011, amounting to nearly four years of delay.

Canadians can be forgiven for seething with rage when they hear the details of this disturbing case. The bottom line is that this man should never have had the opportunity to appeal his deportation in the first place.

Currently, a permanent resident or foreign national may be ordered deported if they could receive a maximum sentence in Canada of at least 10 years for their crime, or if they receive an actual sentence of more than six months.

The problem is that under the current system, as long as their sentence is less than two years, a permanent resident can appeal their deportation order to the Immigration Appeal Division at the Immigration and Refugee Board. If they lose their appeal at the IAD, they may then apply for leave and judicial review of that decision at the Federal Court, and on it can go from there.

As a result, serious foreign criminals are often able to delay deportation from Canada for many months, even years on end. In all this time, while their victims suffer, they are free to walk on the street. What is worse is that many of these convicted criminals have gone on to re-offend while they are in Canada, endangering Canadians and making a mockery of our laws.

With Bill C-43, we want to send a clear message to foreign criminals. If they commit a serious crime in Canada, they will get their day in court, but they will then be sent packing as quickly as possible. Under Bill C-43, any permanent resident who receives a sentence in Canada of six months or more would no longer be able to appeal their deportation to the IAD. Also, those who have committed serious crimes outside Canada will be barred from accessing the Immigration Appeal Division. In addition, those who are inadmissible on the most serious grounds, such as organized crime or war crimes, would no longer have access to a program that is meant for exceptional cases deserving of humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Yet another key change would give the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism a new authority to deny entry in exceptional cases to the foreign nationals who give rise to public concern, such as individuals who encourage or incite hatred likely to lead to violence. This would close a loophole in our current system whereby certain foreigners who are not admissible to Canada are admissible even though they might represent a risk to us. Those foreigners may, for example, have a long track record of promoting hatred and inciting violence against vulnerable groups.

Individuals with immediate family members who are inadmissible on grounds of security, human or international rights violations, or organized criminality would also be barred from visiting Canada under Bill C-43, even if they are travelling alone. That being said, we would facilitate the visits of those individuals with immediate family members who are inadmissible on less serious grounds, such as health.

The government is committed to the safety and security of Canadians and Bill C-43 is a strong expression of that commitment. Indeed, the proposed changes in this legislation would increase our ability to protect Canadians from criminals and security threats, including newcomers who have come here to find peace and build a new life. At the same time, we would also strengthen our immigration program and facilitate entry for some low-risk visitors. These tough but fair measures would ensure that foreign criminals are not allowed to abuse our generosity endlessly.

I hope that my hon. colleagues in the NDP and Liberal parties will stop opposing this bill and join us in supporting Bill C-43 and help make these measures a reality.

[Season Greetings, December 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this is my fifth Christmas as the member of Parliament for Calgary Northeast. On December 16, at 3 p.m., at Falconridge/Castleridge Community Hall, I will host my fifth Christmas open house and all are welcome to attend.

Here in Canada, friends from many backgrounds bring many traditions. From Vaisakhi to Hanukkah, from Chinese New Year to Eid, from Diwali to Christmas, we are free to celebrate them all.

As we are free to celebrate the new traditions together, we should also celebrate the old ones. In the spirit of the holidays, I wish my constituents and colleagues on behalf of the entire Shory family and from the bottom of my heart, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, December 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is a very good question, but I laughed when I heard my colleague from the Liberal Party ask it.

There is nothing groundbreaking in this. Indeed, the Liberal government's last budget implementation bill in 2005 amended dozens of different pieces of legislation. A wide range of legislation was amended, including everything from the Auditor General Act, the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada Act, the Broadcasting Act, the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador Additional Fiscal Equalization Offset Payments Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Canada Post Corporation Act, the Employment Insurance Act, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act, the Department of Human Resources Development Act and many more. I suggest my Liberal colleague go back and check his own records.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, December 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that this government has a record of having the maximum tax deductions in the history of Canada.

The government believes in balancing its approach, attracting business and creating jobs by reducing taxes. That is the record of our government. I suggest my colleague go back and study this.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, December 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to speak in favour of the jobs and growth act, 2012, which implements key elements of economic action plan 2012.

When we introduced the plan back in March, we highlighted its importance in taking decisive action to ensure our economy would create good jobs and sustain a higher quality of life for our children and grandchildren, including measures to help the environment.

When it comes to the environment, Albertans care deeply about the natural beauty of our province and about protecting it for future generations. When my family and friends come to visit, I love to show them the beauty of Kananaskis, Banff and Jasper. However, the concerns of Albertans with respect to the environment can be seen in many other ways besides our pride in our national parks.

For example, more and more Albertans are looking into thermal heating solutions. I paid extra to install the technology in my new home. As Albertans, we are not afraid to put our money where our mouth is. However, the key factor is balance. That is exactly how I would describe the measures contained in this bill.

In my remarks today I will focus on elements of today's legislation that expand the eligibility for the accelerated capital cost allowance for clean, green energy generation. Not only would this measure help protect Canada's natural environment; it would support our government's top priority, that being jobs and growth.

Before I speak to that in greater detail, I will speak to the larger economic action plan 2012.

This is a low-tax plan that will build on the strong economic foundations we have built since forming government in 2006. It is a plan that has ensured and will continue to ensure that we avoid the problems facing other countries.

Creating jobs and long-term economic growth is key to our success, not to mention that it is the reason we first introduced Canada's economic action plan. Central to our strategy is our government's low-tax plan for jobs and growth, a policy that has made Canada one of the best places in the world to invest. Not only that, but our economy has created more than 800,000 net new jobs since July 2009, of which 90% are full time.

What is more, all of the major credit rating agencies, such as Moody's, Fitch and Standard and Poor's, have renewed Canada's AAA credit rating.

The plan includes a bold tax reduction plan that has branded Canada as a low-tax jurisdiction for businesses to invest—and the best place to do business, according to Forbes magazine.

Indeed, we are making it easier for Canadian businesses to successfully compete in the global economy and more attractive for others to invest in this country, with the end goal being more and better jobs for Canadians and a healthy, thriving economy.

We must now stay the course with our low-tax plan to protect the economy and create jobs, a plan that has made Canada the envy of the world.

In the words of German Chancellor Angela Merkel:

Canada's path of great budgetary discipline and a very heavy emphasis on growth and overcoming the crisis, not living on borrowed money, can be an example for the way in which problems on the other side of the Atlantic can be addressed. This is also the right solution for Europe.

Nevertheless we know that, when looking to the future, it is important to find a balance between economic and environmental priorities.

Canada is an energy superpower, with one of the world's largest resource endowments of both traditional and emerging sources of energy. More and more, the rest of the world looks to Canada as a secure and dependable supplier of a wide range of energy products.

Since 2006, our government has taken significant steps to establish our country as a global clean energy leader, including through regulatory actions, investments in technology and innovation, and broad-based incentives.

This past March, acting on the advice of the witnesses who appeared before the House of Commons finance committee's prebudget consultations and on the advice of the committee report, which recommended that “the federal government continue to use tax incentives to promote the development and use of renewable energy”, economic action plan 2012 proposed to support these sectors through the tax system by expanding eligibility for the CCA, accelerated capital cost allowance, for clean energy generation equipment.

For the purpose of today's bill, let me quickly describe for Parliament and for Canadians watching at home the technical details behind the accelerated CCA for clean energy generation contained in part 1 of the bill.

The existing measure applies to a broad range of specified equipment that generates or conserves energy by using a renewable energy source, using fuels from waste or making efficient use of fossil fuels.

Through today's legislation, our Conservative government proposes to expand this incentive. Currently, waste-fuelled thermal energy equipment produces heat using waste sources.

Today's legislation proposes to expand the eligibility of the accelerated CCA for clean energy generation equipment to allow waste-fuelled thermal energy equipment to be used in a broad range of applications, including space and water heating. For example, wood waste could be used as an alternative to heating oil for space and water heating in a shopping centre.

District energy systems transfer thermal energy between a central generation plant and a group or district of buildings by circulating steam, hot water or cold water through a system of underground pipes.

We propose to expand the accelerated CCA for clean energy generation equipment by adding equipment that is part of a district energy system that distributes thermal energy primarily generated by waste-fuelled thermal energy equipment.

For example, in a remote community, a district energy system that uses heat generated by waste-fuelled thermal energy equipment could provide an alternative to equipment that uses only fossil fuels.

And finally, today's legislation proposes to add the residue of plants to the list of eligible waste fuels so that it can be used in waste-fuelled thermal energy equipment.

The residue of plants, such as straw, corn cobs, leaves and similar organic waste produced by the agricultural sector, can be used in a number of ways, including the production of heat, electricity, biofuels and other bio-products.

Our government believes that investments in our energy future will be essential to realizing economic opportunities, creating employment and enhancing the Canadian advantage.

It is through measures like expanding the accelerated capital cost allowance for clean energy equipment that we will balance environmental protection and economic growth.

Economic action plan 2012 recognized, for example, that to effectively compete and succeed globally we need to maximize the value that Canada draws from its natural resources, while protecting the environment at the same time.

I am proud that the measures contained in today's bill will help further unleash the potential of Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs to innovate and thrive in the modern economy, to the benefit of all Canadians for generations to come.

In doing so, our Conservative government will reinforce Canada's comparative advantages and ensure the sustainability of public finances and social programs for future generations.

I would therefore encourage all members to support this bill and economic action plan 2012, to support Canada's economy, and to cast their vote for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.

[Liberal Party of Canada, November 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast are disgusted with the divisive comments by the Liberal MP for Papineau. His anti-Alberta remarks display an Liberal arrogance that is deeply ingrained in that party's beliefs.

This is the same Liberal arrogance that makes that member and his party think they are entitled to run Canada and that those who do not agree with them are un-Canadian. It is the same Liberal arrogance used to justify their funnelling of millions of taxpayer dollars into their party's coffers under the guise of national unity.

We on this side of the House will always stand up against that kind of divisive arrogant attitude that is damaging to our country.

It is time for the Liberal amateur sports critic to show some real contrition for his arrogant divisive comments and to follow the lead of his Liberal Ottawa South colleague and resign.

[Oil and Gas Industry, November 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, in the 1980s, the Trudeau Liberals brought in the national energy program that absolutely destroyed the economy and cost my constituents and Alberta families their jobs, their homes and billions of dollars.

Comments yesterday by the senior Liberal spokesperson for natural resources show that the Liberals have not changed much since then. When will the Liberals understand that Alberta's energy industry brings incredible prosperity and jobs right across the country?

Can the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism update the House on our government's commitment to Canada's energy industry?

[Business of Supply, September 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we need to realize the facts. The reality is that the Liberals' policy has been tax and spend. The fact is that an average family now pays over $3,000 less in taxes than when the Liberals were in power and the incidence of poverty is at an historic low. The unfortunate part is that all members of the Liberal Party voted against all of the measures this government took.

[Business of Supply, September 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that since 2003, there are 225,000 fewer children in poverty if we compare it with the Liberals. We enhanced the national child tax benefit, which unfortunately the Liberal Party and the member voted against. The low income rate for female children under the age of 18 in lone parent families has dropped from 56% under the Liberals in 1996 to 21.8% in 2010, and the member and his party voted against it.

[Business of Supply, September 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. While the opposition talks, we are acting to help Canadians families. Over 770,000 new jobs have been created since the end of the recession. Also, this government has made unprecedented investment in skills training, post-secondary education and student financial assistance to provide Canadians with skills they need today and in the future.