James Moore

[Privacy, June 9th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows very well that Bill S-4, which is before Parliament, protects the interests of Canadians online.

I know my colleague has seen the bill because the member herself said about Bill S-4, “I welcome the proposals in this bill. This bill contains very positive developments for the privacy rights of Canadians.”

Bill S-4, the digital privacy act, was supported by Privacy Commissioner Chantal Bernier. It is supported by Canadians all across the country who recognize the need to protect Canadians' privacy rights online. The member herself spoke favourably of the bill. I am disappointed to see her change of heart.

[Industry, June 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for the question. He represents one of the largest electoral districts in Canada and understands what none of us should ever forget, which is that Canada's resource industries and people who live in rural and remote communities in this country must have reliable access to communication networks as it is essential to create jobs and have access to tourism and opportunities in those parts of this country.

Today I was very pleased to announce that we will be dedicating 40 new radio channels across British Columbia to ensure that this access to information and communication will be a fact all across British Columbia: the Okanagan, across the island—all across British Columbia. It is essential for us to move forward on this, which we are. We are working with the Province of British Columbia and we will continue to stand up for B.C.

[Intergovernmental Affairs, May 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, for years my colleague from Peterborough has been advocating this kind of reform.

Earlier this year I asked my deputy minister to go across the country and meet with our counterparts in all parts of the country to see what the interest was in moving forward with a new free trade agreement within Canada.

To my great satisfaction, there is great news for all Canadians who want to have more free trade. From British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador and now in Quebec, all parts of this country want to sit down and have a new, comprehensive, pan-Canadian free trade agreement within Canada. This is great news.

It should not be easier for a small business in Cornwall to do business in Syracuse than it is to do business in Sherbrooke. That is currently the case, and we want to make it right.

[Intergovernmental Affairs, May 29th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, from the Hudson's Bay Company through FTA, NAFTA, and now to the Canada-Europe free trade agreement, Canada has always been a country of free trade. We have gone from two countries to five. Now there are 43 countries around the world with which we have free trade agreements.

The problem now is that we have more free trade agreements with the world and more liberalized free trade around the world than we have within Canada. The agreement on internal trade within Canada was signed back in 1994. It needs to be rewritten and redrafted for a new era of free trade within Canada.

This summer we are going to be working with all of my provincial counterparts to ensure that we have a new agreement on free trade within Canada so that Canada's economy will continue to move forward.

[The Budget, May 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, these changes absolutely benefit small businesses.

These treaties, by the way, were signed back in 2001. It is our government that is taking action to implement them. They protect the interests of small businesses.

It is true there are those, of course, in the Canadian Bar Association, others who represent lawyers and patent lawyers, who want to be able to charge small businesses $3,500 to $5,000 to register patents in 20, 40, 50 countries around the world.

We stand with small businesses. We stand with those businesses that are dependent on intellectual property so that they can have their patents registered in Canada and recognized on the global level so that they can move forward and engage and be successful on the international scene.

[The Budget, May 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the changes to trademark are very important for small and medium-sized businesses across Canada.

What we are doing in Bill C-31 is enacting three international protocols that protect the interests of small businesses on the international scene. These three treaties will allow Canadians who work in the IT sector and those who are dependent on their intellectual property on the world stage not to have to hire 50 and 60 lawyers around the world but to hire one.

When a patent is registered in Canada, it will be recognized on the world stage so that Canadians who are investing in intellectual property will be protected on a global level, not just a Canadian level.

I understand that the Canadian Bar Association does not like it, but it is because it is good for small business.

[Telecommunications, May 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, that is entirely not true. Wireless prices across this country since 2008, in the AWS spectrum auction, have gone down 20%. Employment in the sector has gone up 25%.

It was the New Democrats who raised no policy proposals on this file, but it is our government that has shown leadership in our tower-sharing policy, in our spectrum and roaming policies, and in the way in which we approached the 700-spectrum option policy that the NDP said would fail. Experts said it would draw in $2.1 billion in revenue. Instead it brought in $5.27 billion in revenue. That money is going to be reinvested back into Canadians as we move forward with more competition in the future.

[The Budget, May 15th, 2014]

Going back to the first point of the hon. member's question, Mr. Speaker, the legislation that we have put before Parliament will serve Canada's interest.

It is supported by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. It is supported by Canada's ICT industry. It is supported by the Canadian chambers of commerce, and those who recognize that supporting Canada's intellectual property regime on the international stage is essential for a country like Canada that invests so heavily in our universities and individual technology that those businesses will do great on the international stage.

With regard to the rest of the budget, we have put forward record investments to support our veterans and to ensure that our economy moves forward and that all Canadians will benefit from a prosperous—

[The Budget, May 15th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the concerns with regard to the five treaties that are embedded in the government's legislation on the budget are critical for Canada's future going forward.

These are treaties that were signed by Canada between 2008 and 2010. They protect Canada's intellectual property on the international stage, so that, for example, in the digital round, those who are investing in their IP will be protected, not just within Canada, but on the international scene.

These treaties were supported by all parties in the past. Now that we have finally put the budget forward and we are implementing these treaties, the New Democrats pretend to have some concerns about it. It would be nice if they knew what they are talking about before they decide to criticize.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 12th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to contracts under $10,000 granted by the Canadian Tourism Commission since January 1, 2013, Industry Canada, in consultation with the CTC, does not hold any information relevant to this question as CTC policy and procedures do not require contracts for purchases under $10,000.