Erin O'Toole

[Forestry Industry, April 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber agreement continues to enjoy strong support from the industry and provincial governments across the country for the stability it provides. In fact, the industry has thrived under this agreement.

While the NDP, and it seems the Bloc, continue to promote policies that would actually slow growth and kill jobs in this industry, our government is building trade relationships in Europe and Asia that would secure jobs in our lumber and wood product industry.

[International Trade, April 1st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for that question and his personal efforts to grow our trade relationships. Yesterday, we saw the anti-trade NDP rear its head again, when its members voted against the Canada-Honduras free trade agreement.

Whether it is our blockbuster European deal, the Korean, our first deal in Asia, or even a smaller deal in our own hemisphere, the NDP opposes trade and the one in five jobs that come from it.

I can assure the member that Peace Country will benefit from this agreement in a big way.

[Canada-Honduras Economic Growth and Prosperity Act, March 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the real concern that we on this side of the House have is not with this agreement, nor the CETA agreement, but just with the New Democratic Party's view of trade in general and its spectre that trade is bad for our country, despite two million jobs being attributable to NAFTA, which the NDP opposed. That member, in his own release on the European trade agreement, said that it would put the Canadian way of life under threat. Whether it is small trade agreements or large, the NDP's philosophical opposition to trade is that it is holding back our economy.

If that member is not in favour of even a huge agreement like CETA, is he not in favour of trade at all?

[Forestry Industry, March 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, at current market prices, all Canadian exports of softwood lumber have duty-free and quota-free access to the U.S. market as a result of our agreement. The agreement reflects a negotiated outcome to a complex trade dispute and does not discriminate against any province or region of the country. That member should recognize this. He should listen to voices from Quebec, like Tembec, and get behind this agreement.

[Forestry Industry, March 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member is referring to the softwood lumber agreement. That agreement continues to enjoy strong support from industry across the country, and from provincial governments, for the predictability and stability that agreement has provided.

I would refer the member to a statement from Tembec, a Quebec-based forestry company. It stated:

Thanks to the Softwood Lumber Agreement, lumber exports are free of export tax or quotas today and for the majority of the past year, resulting in a resurgence of exports from Ontario and notably Quebec.

This is another example of our government standing behind job creation.

[International Trade, March 28th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, that trade agreement has a built-in review cycle to see the impact on human rights, and there has been no impact on human rights as a result of that agreement. I would also note that $161 million has been dedicated to that country as a result of our relationship and our economic diplomacy in the region, to build its institutions and to help our partners build up their own human rights records.

It is sad that the New Democrats criticize trade and oppose every measure our government brings before this House to create more jobs in our exporting sector, which is already creating one in five jobs in Canada. I would ask that member to look past the rhetoric, get behind our job-creating—

[Divorce Act, March 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for bringing this debate to the floor here today, and particularly for mentioning Kristen Titus. I am happy to call Kris a friend and a resident of my constituency. She has been a passionate advocate on these issues as a mother talking about the importance of parents in the lives of children.

One of the positive developments I have seen since my years at law school and following the evolution of family law is the increase in collaborative law settings that avoid the strife and the real impact on children that the drawn-out traditional approach to divorce has caused in Canada. Many family law lawyers are opting out of that and agreeing to work within a collaborative setting that is focused on making sure that the children do not get missed as the parents settle these disputes.

I am wondering if that evolution of collaborative law toward family law would complement what the member is suggesting in terms of equal parenting and keeping the children and their needs at the focus of family law.

[Energy Safety and Security Act, March 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his remarks. Certainly we can see his passion for Newfoundland and Labrador when he speaks. I had the honour, when I was sailing on HMCS St. John's, to land on Hibernia as part of a Sea King helicopter crew in order to analyze the rig on a search and rescue aspect. It was great to see. In fact, it was the Conservative Mulroney government that ensured that the benefits from those developments and the development of the offshore came to Newfoundland.

The member addressed some of his concerns with respect to the legislation, but started off his remarks by suggesting he was in general support of portions of the agreement. As an opposition member, he focused his speech on his opposition. As a government member, I would like him to bring out the positive aspects he was referring to at the outset and talk about how he thinks this would be potentially good for the resource sector in Newfoundland and Labrador.

[International Trade, March 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the third party leader for his question.

Korea has been our seventh largest trading partner, a strong ally and friend, with 26,000 Canadians having secured the democracy that Korea has enjoyed. We look forward to bringing a deal to the House, which estimates suggest will raise our GDP by $1.5 billion.

We are glad to hear that the Liberals are behind this agreement. We are hoping that the NDP can support jobs in Canada.

[Energy Safety and Security Act, March 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I only caught the last half of the speech by the member for Windsor West. What troubles me about his remarks is that he was praising a number of groups that opposed steam generator transport, thereby criticizing the work of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which is a quasi-judicial body that uses science and expert testimony to determine whether something is safe for transport.

In the case of those steam generators, the misinformation by the Council of Canadians and other groups, which is not based on science but on fear, actually hurts the economy and hurt jobs, like those of the Power Workers' Union.

Those generators would have less chance of exposing people to radioactivity than an X-ray a Canadian might have. It is a radically low amount.

I would ask the member if his party, the NDP, puts the work of the Council of Canadians and some of these email-based groups above the work of our quasi-judicial Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.