Judy Foote

[Petitions, November 23rd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition against the closure of the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

This petition has been signed by close to 100 members of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council, which is Canada's leading consultative body for all issues affecting maritime safety in Canada. These are members who come from every province in our country and some from our territories. They say that the decision to close the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's is irresponsible, in fact a reckless decision, because it puts in jeopardy the lives of those who earn their living at sea and even those are vacationing on tour ships. They say we need to ensure that the centre continues to operate. We need to be able to take advantage of the local knowledge, the history and the skill set of the employees who work at the centre. The petitioners call on the government to rescind this reckless decision, change its mind and say we have to keep this open.

When a body like the Canadian Marine Advisory Council says that we should--

[Search and Rescue, November 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, just days before the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans was in St. John's, where he refused an invitation to visit the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre, members of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council, the body Transport Canada consults on marine safety, were signing a petition in Ottawa, calling on the government to rescind its decision to close the centre.

Since the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans will not visit the centre, see the operation first-hand and see the need to keep it open, I ask the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities to do so and stop this reckless move.

[G8 Summit, October 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it would appear that I am not going to get the answer from the parliamentary secretary any more than I got an answer from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The reality is, rules were broken. That is the problem I have with how this money from the border infrastructure fund was spent. It certainly was not meant to be spent in Muskoka, and it certainly was not meant to be spent without the approval of Parliament, which is exactly what happened.

The problem I have with all of this is that the government can stand and talk about how the money was spent, acknowledge that the Auditor General said that rules were broken, and then turn around and treat areas of this country with such total lack of respect in terms of what needs to be done to keep the country going and to make viable options. For instance, through an agency like the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, we know that cutting to the tune of $56 million will have a devastating impact on the people who make a living from the fishery. Why in the name of Heaven the government would cut the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council and at the same time turn around and invest money in things like a fake lighthouse and fake lakes is beyond me. It does not make sense. Why is the government not recognizing the importance of putting money where it counts, instead of doing things that the Auditor General says was breaking the rules?

[G8 Summit, October 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I posed a question back on October 5 to the President of the Treasury Board. He has not risen to answer any questions with respect to G8 spending.

Fifty million dollars was spent out of the border infrastructure fund. The money that was spent in the minister's riding really had nothing to do with the border infrastructure fund, so that money should not really have been spent in the minister's riding. That $50 million was spent on projects that did not qualify to come out of that particular fund. I have to question the government's priorities when it spent $50 million from the border infrastructure fund and cut $56 million from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

The Auditor General said that “rules were broken” with respect to how that $50 million was spent. When the Minister of Foreign Affairs stands to defend the President of the Treasury Board, he always responds by saying that the government is paying attention to what the Auditor General had to say. It is all well and good for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to say that, but in reality $50 million was spent on projects for which the money was not intended.

When I look at what the government is doing in terms of cutting $56 million from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, all I can do is shake my head and think that the government has it all wrong. It is spending money from the border infrastructure fund on projects that should never have been approved under that fund, while at the same time it is cutting $56 million from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, thereby cutting services and safety. That is such an important department in terms of a renewable resource. As an example, cutting the marine sub-centres in St. John's and Quebec will impact on the safety of anyone who goes on the ocean, not just fishers.

The government is also making cuts to the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council , the very body that takes science into account, that takes the input of fishers--the people with the experience--into account, and takes the industry into account. The government is cutting from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans something that is vitally important to the future of our country. It is extremely important to the future of people not just in Newfoundland and Labrador, but the entire country. We are talking about a renewable resource.

Because the government had spent this money without any approval and because there was some suggestion that the RCMP was investigating the legality of how that money had been spent, I put my question to the minister. I asked him if he or any of his former staff had been approached by the RCMP. I raise the question now to the parliamentary secretary, because I did not get an answer: has the minister and/or his former staff been approached by the RCMP about the legality of how the money out of the border infrastructure fund was spent?

[Fisheries and Oceans, October 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives sent an SOS warning to Canadian fishers when they went after the three vital S's of the fishery: safety, science and service.

They are slashing safety at sea by closing the maritime rescue sub-centres in St. John's and Quebec. They are slashing science by getting rid of the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council. Now they are slashing service by putting fishing licences out of reach for those without access to the Internet.

Will the minister commit to reversing his plan, which will hurt rural fishers who do not have access to broadband Internet, and keep the current licence application system?

[Ground Observer Corps Wings, October 31st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize James Hodder, formerly of St. Bernard's and now St. Lawrence in my riding of Random—Burin—St. George's.

As a postmaster and telegraph operator in the 1950s, Mr. Hodder volunteered as a chief observer with the Royal Canadian Air Force Ground Observer Corps. In 1957, after three years of outstanding service identifying and documenting all low-flying planes, he was awarded the Ground Observer Corps Wings.

Unfortunately, those wings commemorating his patriotic service to his country were lost. Mr. Hodder's wife, Nella, of 43 years, knew he was distraught over the loss. Not knowing exactly where to turn, Mrs. Hodder started making inquiries and called my office wondering how she could secure another set of wings for her husband.

On September 1, along with acting wing commander Major Luc Girouard and Chief Warrant Officer Joe Burns, I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Hodder presented with another set of wings.

An appreciative Mr. Hodder declared, “This is a wonderful day, a very good day, I will never forget this”.

Today I ask all members of the House to join me in telling Mr. Hodder that we will never forget him and the service that he and other veterans give and continue to give to our country.

[Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, October 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Liberal members will be voting no.

[Marketing Freedom for Grain Farmers Act, October 24th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals will be voting in favour, including the member for Ottawa—Vanier.

[Veterans Affairs, October 20th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I have written to the government requesting that the October 31 deadline for the Canadian Forces appreciation fare on Marine Atlantic and the quota system be removed.

One of my constituents, who recently returned from Afghanistan, inquired about the fare and was told the crossing he wanted to take had its quota of veterans and that he would have to pay. That is some appreciation.

Over 30,000 trips have been taken by veterans since the start of the program. Clearly the need exists. Will the minister commit today to extend the program, eliminate the quota and honour all our veterans who give so much to our country?

[Fisheries and Oceans, October 17th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans cannot continue to speak out of both sides of his mouth and expect to retain his credibility. The government cannot on one hand shut down the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council and at the same time say it supports science.

First it puts the lives of fishers at risk by recklessly closing the Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre in St. John's and now it wants to take the fishers out of the industry altogether by cutting the guts out of the department.

When will the government live up to its responsibility and support the fishing industry instead of trying to destroy it?