Hélène LeBlanc

[Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, February 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the immigration critic and deputy immigration critic. They are doing excellent work to improve the government's bills. These bills tend to be flawed, and we are not too sure what they are based on.

I would like to ask my colleague from Winnipeg North whether he thinks this bill was based on statistically valid facts that show a need for greater ministerial discretionary powers. Did the government look at how other countries deal with this issue and whether their approaches are successful? I am talking about countries that may have changed their immigration policies.

[Petitions, February 4th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the petition that I am tabling today pertains to cycling safety, particularly with regard to the installation of side guards on large trucks in order to prevent cyclists from being seriously injured or even killed.

[Foreign Investment, January 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that some Conservative MPs, like many Canadians, are worried about the blank cheque written by the Prime Minister in the Nexen file.

Selling off our natural resources to foreign interests behind closed doors, without consultation and without an explanation of the criteria used to make the decision is not in the best interests of Canadians.

Why did the Minister of Industry refuse to listen to his Conservative colleagues, who were only expressing the concerns of the vast majority of Canadians?

[Co-operatives, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the Special Committee on Co-operatives, all the Conservatives did was transfer responsibility for co-operatives to Industry Canada. That is worrisome.

They have already gutted the Rural and Co-operatives Secretariat and cancelled the Co-operative Development Initiative. Industry Canada is also facing major cuts.

In light of this, can the minister tell us what additional resources he will provide to help co-operatives flourish?

[Foreign Investment, December 12th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, after several months of delays and confusion surrounding the CNOOC takeover of Nexen, we expected the Conservatives to act seriously and responsibly, as other G8 countries have done, and clarify the definition of “net benefit”. Last week, however, instead of establishing clear public policies for Canadians and investors, they only added to the confusion and politicized the rules around foreign investments.

Can the Minister of Industry tell us exactly what he means by “exceptional circumstances” and “net benefit”?

[Foreign Investment, December 11th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, if I have properly understood his response, the minister is saying that the information is available but that it is impossible for him to give it to us. He is basically telling us to ask China. That may be his vision of transparent government, but it is not ours.

As we all know, the Conservatives’ record on protecting Canadian jobs when there are foreign takeovers has been disastrous. Just ask the former employees of Stelco.

Could the minister tell us what job protection measures are in the agreement signed with CNOOC?

[Foreign Investment, December 11th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, CNOOC spilled enormous amounts of oil into the South China Sea and never said anything about this environmental disaster for 30 years.

Despite this rather dismal environmental record, the Minister of Industry seems to believe that we can rely on China to protect Canada's environment.

Can the minister tell us what environmental protection measures are in the agreement signed with CNOOC?

[Petitions, December 10th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions signed by a number of my constituents on behalf of a family that is at risk of being deported. The petitioners support the family and are calling on the Minister of Immigration to reconsider his decision on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

[Foreign Investment, December 10th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources confirmed this morning that the transaction would not have been approved under the new guidelines.

Friday's decision by the Conservatives adds to the confusion. The Conservatives have still not defined the net benefit for Canada. They have created a new category: exceptional circumstances for foreign governments that want to buy Canadian companies.

There is one more term that is not clear. Can the Conservatives tell us what they mean by “exceptional circumstances”?

[National Defence, December 10th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, there is even more confusion and an even greater lack of transparency from this government—