Kevin Sorenson

[Rural Tourism Industry, March 30th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, Canadian families planning their vacation should know that rural Alberta offers all the best in summer vacations.

The Growing Rural Tourism Conference is an initiative of the Camrose Regional Exhibition, Alberta Tourism, Parks & Recreation, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development and Travel Alberta. The 10th annual conference will be hosted by the Camrose Regional Exhibition, April 12 to 14.

Our communities understand the importance of our rural tourism industry, and the many and unique opportunities it offers. During the current economic times, our tourism industry boosts local economies and provides great attractions and experiences for Canadian families.

When one visits Alberta, it is not just for the beautiful mountains and sunshine; there is much more. We have great music, live theatre, historic sites, museums, golf, and rodeos everywhere.

I urge members to come visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller and see the hoodoos. There is the Big Valley Jamboree, country music at its best in Camrose; the historical Atlas Coal Mine; the Canadian Badlands Passion Play; and the world's largest lamp.

[Business of Supply, March 23rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, around the world countries are taking note of Canada. They are seeing Canada take a leading role in Afghanistan, not only in the combat mission but in the developmental mission as well. They are seeing the difference that Canada has made in regard to maternal and women's issues in Afghanistan. We have seen the girls and the women in schools where they had not been before. It is not only in education, commerce and the economy, but it is also in dealing with other health issues as well.

To that end, we gave notice that at this year's G8 meeting our government would be putting forward maternal and child health initiatives. We have chosen to focus this initiative on saving the lives of pregnant mothers and children under the age of five.

Today we have seen in this House an attempt to politicize this issue, to take it down a different trail and to try to use it as a wedge. However, this government is taking a leading role.

The maternal and child health discussion is not about what we are including or excluding; it is about simple measures that focus on saving the lives of 500,000 pregnant mothers who die annually during pregnancy and childbirth, and nine million children every year who do not make it past their fifth birthday due to the lack of quality health services, nutrition and clean water.

Does the member—

[Business of Supply, March 23rd, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, last night when I saw the motion the Liberal Party was bringing forward, I was very disappointed because again we see a party that is adrift, the Liberal Party. We see a party that is trying to politicize an issue on the backs of women and children. I think history will say shame, shame on them for trying to accomplish that.

We need to be very concerned with the issue at hand. I know it has been brought out in speeches that our government has been very clear about the maternal and child health initiatives we will be putting forward at this year's G8 meeting. Those who come together are looking forward to the agenda that has been brought forward, a positive agenda, an agenda that will deal with mothers and children, one that is about saving the lives of 500,000 pregnant mothers every year. This is what Parliament needs to be concerned with, not a divisive issue that is politicized.

The Liberal Party also politicizes a former American. I am questioning the member as to why they would be so political on an issue like this.

[Petitions, March 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by almost 100 of my constituents from towns in my riding in Alberta, including Camrose, Glecian, Carseland, Strathmore, Standard, Ohaton, Drumheller, Nacmine, Oyen, Delia, Craigmyle, Coronation, Erskine, Meeting Creek, Killam and Chestermere.

These petitioners share our government's concern about the welfare of the animal kingdom. Many of these petitioners are part of the one billion people around the world who rely on animals for their livelihood. We also want animals to be a consideration in natural disasters and relief efforts.

[Olympic Athletes, March 12th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, Rob Pool from Standard, Alberta wrote to me, telling me that watching the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver “made his spirit soar”. He said that as a hockey fan he thought he would watch the hockey games and very little else, but as the games continued, he said:

I became captivated by the enthusiasm of what became a celebration of life...I can sympathize with a young girl from rural Quebec who spends her life from age five to age twenty, only to lose her mother on the eve of her greatest challenge in sports, this transcends sports and becomes life. When young Joannie rose above her misfortune and changed a negative into a triumph, it becomes the triumph of a nation's spirit over adversity.

My constituent asks the House to balance the challenges of difficult funding decisions and the taxpayers' agenda with the spirit of national pride created by Canadian Olympians. Therefore, during the next two years, our Conservative government is delivering to Canadian Olympians an additional $34 million on top of $11 million a year we already spend. We have renewed $10 million to help identify and develop superior athletes and another $10 million to the Canadian Paralympic committee.

We will continue to cheer. Go, Canada, go.

[The Budget, March 9th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I commend my friend from Selkirk—Interlake for his speech and for his answers to the questions that he faced.

We have heard members of the NDP stand and say that this terrible Conservative government will lower taxes. We say, with a great deal of pride, that is correct. We will lower personal income taxes and we will keep the GST down as we lowered it in the past. We will keep corporate taxes down so our small businesses can be competitive and survive. We will not do what the Liberals did and just simply boost taxes in order to meet this deficit.

The government has said three things in this budget: that the stimulus will end, that the targeted spending growth restraint must happen and that there must be a review of government. Is this just a good news budget or does it tell Canadians that there must be a slow down in spending?

[Business of the House, December 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I think there is agreement for the following motion.

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, on Thursday, December 3, 2009, Statements by Ministers, pursuant to Standing Order 33, shall be taken up at 3:00 p.m.

[Canadian Northwest Passage, November 25th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand in the House as the member of Parliament for Crowfoot and also, with respect to this speech, as the chair of the foreign affairs and international development committee.

I want to commend the member for Prince Edward—Hastings for bringing this motion forward. I also commend the member for Newmarket—Aurora for the amendment that she has moved.

This friendly amendment to the motion will reflect how the Inuit have used and occupied the so-called Northwest Passage since time immemorial. It will be a constant reminder to the House of the importance of these waters to those Canadians who have long used its ice and waters for fishing, hunting and living. It will remind us that all Canadians have the obligation to protect this vast fragile place for the benefit of the Inuit, for the benefit of northerners and for the benefit of all Canadians.

To be clear, this motion asks the Government of Canada to endeavour to refer to the various waterways known as the Northwest Passage as the Canadian Northwest Passage. The motion does not propose an official name change and it imposes no legal obligations on the government or on Canada.

The various waterways of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago already have proud, colourful, historic names. The Amundsen Gulf, the M'Clintock Channel, Peel Sound, Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait are names that may not be familiar to all, but they are just a few of the official names already borne by the different waterways in our Arctic Archipelago.

Viewed as a whole, however, these waterways are commonly referred to as the Northwest Passage. It is not a legal name but rather a concept. It is this concept that we will endeavour to refer to as the Canadian Northwest Passage. There is no official name in English for it, just as there is no one Inuktitut word for this concept.

Endeavouring to refer to these waters as the Canadian Northwest Passage is without prejudice to our legal rights, and serves only to honour the fact that the Inuit made these waters Canadian long ago.

This is not an official change or an attempt to erase existing names, but endeavouring to refer to these waters as the Canadian Northwest Passage is a reminder to the House, to all Canadians and to others internationally that these waters are Canadian. It is a reminder to this government and all Canadians of our national responsibility for these vast, beautiful and fragile places. It is a responsibility conferred on us by our sovereignty.

It is important for all members of the House and for all Canadians to be aware that Canadian sovereignty over the various waterways known as the Northwest Passage is not contested. This is a point that bears repeating. The Northwest Passage is and remains Canadian, full stop. Canada enforces its laws and regulations in the Northwest Passage just as it does in all Canadian territory.

Canadian Inuit have used and occupied the Northwest Passage since time immemorial and it is important to note that the friendly amendment proposed today will reflect that fact. Proudly making the effort to use the term Canadian Northwest Passage is simply one more way for Canada to demonstrate its historic title over these waters.

No one disputes that the Northwest Passage is Canadian. Every country recognizes these waters belong to Canada. Canada's sovereignty over the lands and waters of the Canadian Arctic is long standing, well established and based on historic title. The country exercises its sovereign rights responsibly in the region. The issue is not one of ownership but one of transit.

The only dispute that exists about the waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago is with the United States over the legal status of these waters. The United States believes these waters comprise a strait used for international navigation. These waters are not a strait used for international navigation. The various waterways known as the Northwest Passage are internal waters of Canada by virtue of historic title, developed through Inuit use since time immemorial. The limited international navigation that takes place in them is done with Canadian permission and usually with our help. The dispute is well managed. Canada and the United States agreed in 1988 that the United States would request Canadian permission for its icebreakers to enter these waters.

Canada welcomes shipping through Canadian Arctic waters so long as it meets conditions related to security, the environment and Inuit interests. We exercise control over foreign shipping in our Arctic waters. Navigation is taking place under Canadian regulation and control, like any other internal waters of Canada. That said, each year when the passage is navigable, the number of transits remains very low, under 20 yearly.

A second misconception is that the reduction of the ice that covers the waters of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago somehow impacts Canadian sovereignty over these waters. To be clear, the amount or type of ice that exists in the Arctic has no bearing on Canada's sovereignty, including over the various waterways known as the Northwest Passage. The impact of this reduction of ice is that it could make the Northwest Passage more attractive as a potential shipping route for commercial marine traffic.

However, as I have already noted, because the various waterways known as the Northwest Passage are internal waters of Canada by virtue of historic title, should the ice ever retreat sufficiently to make these waters a viable shipping route, Canada's sovereignty over them will not change. Our laws and regulations will remain in effect. Foreign state vessels will continue to be required at international law to seek our permission to enter these waters.

Our own Canadian Ice Service, however, believes that the various internal waterways known as the Northwest Passage will not likely be a reliable commercial shipping route for decades, owing to extreme ice variability. Canada, however, will continue to regulate shipping through the passage.

Too few Canadians realize that our Arctic is not a place of conflict, but rather an opportunity for co-operation. The importance of the Arctic in Canada's interest has never been greater. We work closely with our partners in the United States, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and Finland, as well as regional indigenous organizations, to co-operate on a wide range of issues, including for example search and rescue, shipping safety and science and technology. We are also co-operating with the United States, Denmark and Russia on the scientific work required to delineate our continental shelf.

There is great interest from other countries in the potential found north of 60. With interest from other countries, including nations that are geographically far removed from the north, Canada's Arctic is increasingly becoming a focus of foreign and defence policy.

Without question, our government has taken deliberate and demonstrable actions to say to the world that it is our land, that we will continue to use it and that we will not waiver in our commitment to keeping Canada's Arctic the true north strong and free.

Our leadership in the north involves consultation, collaboration and, in some cases, the settlement of disputes or differences with our Arctic neighbours. All the Arctic states work closely together in the Arctic Council, which Canada and Canadians did so much to develop.

Make no mistake, however, when an issue of national importance is raised at the Arctic Council, our government does and always will stand up for our interest and ownership over the Arctic. This is why we react so strongly when other countries, like Russia, engage in exercises and other activities that appear to challenge our security in the north and undermine the co-operative relationships that we have built.

Many states and institutions that have historically not paid attention to the Arctic are now turning their attention there. We have seen various actions and initiatives that demonstrate a lack of sensitivity to the interests and perspectives of the Arctic people and states. Canada will continue to address these situations firmly.

Although there is no conventional military threat in the north, we are projecting the operational capability of the Canadian Forces northwards. This is being done by means of investment in offshore patrol ships and berthing and a refuelling station in Nanisivik on Baffin Island.

We are also increasing the number of and improving the equipment of our eyes and ears in the north, the Canadian Rangers, as well as establishing a primary reserve company in Yellowknife. There will also be a Canadian Forces Arctic training centre in Resolute Bay to ensure that our forces are able to co-operate in the most challenging climate in our country.

In short, the motion to endeavour to refer to the various waterways known as the Northwest Passage as the Canadian Northwest Passage will continue to help Canada affirm its sovereignty over its Arctic lands and waters.

[Child Protection Act (Online Sexual Exploitation), November 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from the NDP for her remarks, which showed some of her reservations about this bill. That is all right. Sometimes when governments bring forward bills, the opposition tend to say, “Our job is to critique them”, and we look forward to the NDP doing that.

It is a great day when we see legislation like this being brought forward. It reminds me of a number of years ago when, as the Speaker will remember, we had a large man in this House by the name of Myron Thompson from Wild Rose. His seat was just a little bit from mine. I remember he would stand to protect our children, which was a passion of his. He would stand and speak with the most eloquence and passion in defence of these young children, in many cases babies. Police forces, such as the Toronto Police Service, had brought forward the issue to him and he was an ambassador for the protection of children. Thus when we have a bill like this, I am certainly reminded of Myron Thompson.

The last statistical data we have in regard to child pornography are from 2007. During that year, there were over 1,400 reported child pornography incidents, of which 440 resulted in charges.

The government has always been bringing forward legislation that would protect the most vulnerable. In the remarks by the New Democratic member, she said she was not sure that mandatory reporting was enough. We can certainly look at more. However, time after time when we bring forward this legislation, we watch as the opposition votes against it, stalls it here, and stalls it in that other place. Therefore, I am encouraged when I hear something positive said about this bill.

She asked whether it was enough and if we needed it and responded, “Well, maybe”. I do not think there should be any “Well, maybe” about this. We need these kinds of steps and I commend the justice minister for bringing this bill forward. If we do not need it when we have 1,400 incidents reported in a year, I ask my colleague how many incidents she wants to wait for before she knows that we need it.

[Support Measures for Adoptive Parents, November 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as I listened to the testimonials of various speakers today, I was very moved. It was very touching to hear the life story from the Liberal member for Nipissing—Timiskaming in regard to the adoption by his family.

I appreciate the support the motion is receiving and I commend the member for whom this has been a real issue. The member for Essex, whether in caucus or in the House, is always bringing forward policies or policy initiatives dealing with the fundamental institution in this country, the family. The member for Essex has done a remarkable job putting forward issues that help enhance the strong unit called the family, and the motion before us would do that. The motion reads:

That the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities be instructed to examine current federal support measures that are available to adoptive parents and their adopted children, recognizing and respecting provincial and territorial jurisdiction in this regard and, following completion of the study, report back to the House with its findings.

For those who may be listening to the parliamentary station, this is a very substantive motion. The motion is saying that we need to do our homework, that we need to have a standing committee look at the rights of the adoptive parents, the birth parents, the biological parents and the children, and that we need to put our information together, not for politics because it sounds like most parties will support the motion, and come up with a comprehensive strategy that will make the family unit even stronger and our country stronger as well.

I applaud the member who has, in the past, been very forthcoming in bringing forward this type of policy. He has done it again and I commend him for doing that.

I do not know where to begin but I will talk about my own life. My wife and I were married in 1986 and we had plans for a large family. That is what we had hoped for and what we had prayed for. After a number of years, however, it became evident that was not going to happen. All of a sudden, we found that we were not alone. We found that there were literally thousands of Canadians with the same type of difficulty. Then the process began. I remember the disappointment on my wife's face as friends made the announcement that they were pregnant. We rejoiced with them and were excited for them but there was always that hurt. When we went to the mall, it seemed that many young ladies were pregnant. After years of marriage, we realized we would never be able to rejoice for our own in that way.

I will tell members why this motion is important. We began the process as a young married couple with a house payment, a new job and a car payment. We were young and just starting out. Although we were blessed with jobs, we had a passion to have a family. We realized that it would be very expensive. If this were a priority for us, we knew we would need to commit to saving, to budgeting, to planning and all those things in order to fulfill our dreams of a family.

I had played some hockey in Saskatoon and worked in Saskatoon. We ended up moving back to Alberta. The very first thing we did was to seek out an adoption agency. We went through what is called the Christian Adoption Agency in Calgary. We found people there who were very easy to deal with and to speak with and had a real love and concern for what we were going through. They introduced us to the process in which we would find ourselves over the next number of years.

We found out that we needed a home study. A social worker would come in and do a long study as to whether we would we be effective parents.

I think the member for Vegreville—Wainwright talked about some of the issues of the home study. The social workers went into everything. They looked at the finances, at what was going on in the home and at the extended family. They looked at everything. It cost us a significant amount money in order to do this, money that we had set aside over a long period of time. However, I am glad they did. I would never want to see that process cut short where we made adoption available for anyone. Although the desire to have children is perhaps by anyone, I think there were certain things that they really checked on to ensure we would be a loving and solid family.

As I stated, when we moved to Alberta, a home study was done. We went through the wait, which is the best way to describe it. We put forward a scrapbook. Different people looked at the file and eventually we received the call. Our whole life changed. It was like every prayer we had given had been answered. We took off and we went to where this young lady had given birth to a beautiful young girl and she had chosen us. That had very much significance.

I do not want to go through the whole thing but we now have two children that were through this adoption process and in each case it was very different.

The 10 day wait period is a time where young couples are on the edge of their chairs. They are hoping now that the phone will not ring. First they are hoping that it will ring and that they have been chosen but in the next 10 days where the birth mother has the opportunity to change her mind, they hope the phone will not ring. We were blessed both times that the call did not come and that we were able to raise a young daughter who is now 17 and a son who is 15.

This has changed our lives. Every day I am thankful for the family that we have. I really believe that it is in the best interest of our country that we continue to encourage strong family units. It is the building block. We talked about that today. I think it may have been the Liberal member who said that it is the main building block of our country.

As a government, we have looked at legislation continually and have asked whether it will be family friendly legislation. We have brought forward very positive steps that have been family friendly. As the member for Essex has done, he has brought forward ideas that have come into policy, and here is another example.

What we are calling for now is that we sit down with all members of the committee and look at the process again and ask about the lead up to the birth mother having a child. Is there something for an adoptive family? Is there time that should be recognized because of the major change all of a sudden in their status or in their family dynamics. What about after?

We have seen already that there has been an extension to EI benefits. We need to continue to look at ways to enhance this process. There are many different opportunities and ways to realize a family now, but in this process we need to look at this and say that this is what we can do. Because of motions like this, this government is willing to say that this is important and that we will move forward and make it even better.