Irene Mathyssen

[Former Canadian Forces Members Act, April 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the wisdom that they bring to this particular bill. I am, of course, referring to colleagues on this side of the House. I would like to particularly thank the member for Saint-Jean for introducing this important bill. I am sure members are aware that the intent is to make regulations under the Department of Veterans Affairs to extend health care benefits to former members of the Canadian Forces who meet military occupational classification requirements and have been honourably discharged.

I have to say that despite what we have heard tonight from the government benches, the veterans of this country know that they have been shortchanged and undermined by the government. They know that they have been disrespected. When the government throws around money numbers and rhetoric, the veterans of this country know that it means nothing when it comes from the government. They have been disrespected over and over again, and they will remember. There is an election next year, and the veterans of this country will most certainly remember.

I want to talk about the bill before us.

I believe that it is absolutely the honourable thing for us to do because it would honour those who have sacrificed so much for our country and give honour to our country. The sad truth is, as I have said, that the current government, the Conservatives, and previous Liberal governments, have failed our veterans. Passing and implementing this particular piece of legislation would be a step in the right direction, an important step in the right direction, and would undo some of the terrible wrongs that we have seen over the last years.

I want to reiterate some of what my colleague from Châteauguay—Saint-Constant said because I think it bears repeating. Veterans Affairs has been hit with many cuts in recent years. In 2011, the transfer of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Hospital to the province of Quebec marked the loss of the last federally funded and federally run veterans hospital in this country. At the time, job cuts accompanied that closure, and New Democrats were terribly concerned about the negative impact this would have on the standard of care provided to our veterans.

In 2011, the government maintained it could cut those 500 jobs through attrition and better planning, but those job cuts were accompanied by a slashing of $226 million from Veterans Affairs' budget, a reduction of 5% to 10%. Canada was the only country to do this. Everyone else went through austerity, the Brits and the Americans, but they did not cut their veterans' budgets. Only the Conservative government did that, and it is despicable.

[Library and Archives Canada, April 2nd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, our history should not be contracted out to a U.S. company.

Library and Archives Canada plays a vital role in preserving our history. Yet, Conservatives have given a sole-sourced contract to a U.S.-based company for the new catalogue.

Mr. Speaker, who do you think the Americans will say won the War of 1812?

Canadians, experts, and companies should have had the chance to bid on this important project. Will the government agree to have a real and open bidding process?

[Petitions, March 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is to draw the attention of the Minister of Health and the House of Commons to the fact that the federal government absolutely needs a national strategy for dementia and the health care of persons afflicted with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia-related diseases. The petitioners ask—

[Petitions, March 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first is in regard to a terrible tragedy that we experienced in London, Ontario, where we lost three members of a family.

The petitioners are very cognizant of the fact that there has been a reduction in public service staffing levels and that this has increased the workload in federal departments. They are asking, therefore, that Citizenship and Immigration Canada ensure that the department is properly staffed and resourced in order to reach decisions on applications in a fair and timely manner, and to ensure that immigration officials consider all factors in regard to an individual's application for status, including humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

[Juno Awards, March 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher was in Winnipeg this weekend to celebrate the best of Canadian music at the Junos.

The proud people of Winnipeg were all about music last week, celebrating en masse how music brings culture to life and makes it travel the world.

Our music thrives from coast to coast, from Quebec City's Karim Ouellet and Burlington's own Walk Off the Earth, to Calgary's Tegan and Sara, the multi-talented and awarded Serena Ryder, and Métis band, A Tribe Called Red. Music in Canada is prolific, diverse, and alive.

I want to congratulate the winners of the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, iconic couple Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, for all the work they have done with War Child Canada.

Times are changing for musicians as the digital world changes the way we access music. It is up to us as parliamentarians to make sure Canadian music shines and remains a strong cultural industry.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her very good overview of what is going on in this country. She talked about the lack of consultation and the fact that whatever the government does, it sort of wanders ahead without talking to the people of this nation.

In addition to that, I live in Ontario; I survived the Mike Harris years, and I watched not just a lack of consultation but continual downloading. When the Harris government sold off the Bruce nuclear plant, the people who bought it got all the profits. Guess who got the liability in terms of decommissioning? It was the people of Ontario. It seems to me that it is the same story over and over again.

We have not even seen the end of the cost of Chernobyl, and the Japanese people are dealing with a horrendous liability. How on earth can $1 billion even begin to touch it? I am absolutely appalled that the government would say that somehow the people of this nation are liable and the corporations are not.

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 7th, 2014]

With regard to the Wolseley Barracks: (a) what was the reason for the 2013 demolition of the three buildings at the Barracks; (b) why has said work been called to a halt; (c) how much is the demolition predicted to cost; (d) how much money was spent on repairs to the three buildings between 2008 and 2013; (e) how much is the demolition supposed to save in the long run; and (f) how will those receiving training at Wolseley Barracks be housed once all the designated buildings are gone?

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 6th, 2014]

With regards to the indoor fish farming facility in Thames Centre, Middlesex County: (a) how much funding was issued; (b) was the funding a result of the promise of job creation; and (c) what verifications were made to ensure funding was spent appropriately?

[Petitions, March 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from Londoners who are very concerned about a recent tragedy in London, Ontario, that involved the deaths of three members of the same family. Their concern is with regard to the government's practices around citizenship and immigration. They would like the Government of Canada to ensure that CIC is properly staffed in order to ensure that fair and appropriate decisions are reached in a timely fashion with regard to applicants, and that in all of the decisions, humanitarian and compassionate grounds are considered in the applications that are presented.

[Democratic Reform, March 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are having a hard time selling their radical and unfair changes to the Elections Act. Canadians just are not buying it, and now even their own friends are questioning it.

This weekend, Preston Manning added his name to the growing list of Canadians deeply troubled by this unfair act. He said Conservatives should be “...strengthening rather than reducing the role of...the Chief Electoral Officer with respect to promotional and educational activities...”.

Then there is Harry Neufeld, B.C.'s former elections chief, who drafted a report on problems following the 2011 election. He warned that the unfair elections act is going to make things even worse. He said changes on how polling supervisors are selected are “...completely inappropriate in a democracy”.

Canadians are tired of the Conservative government rewriting rules to benefit itself. Canadians want a government that will listen to their concerns and strengthen democracy, not undermine it.