House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 30% of the vote.
The Environment October 21st, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency plays a crucial role. Investments worth $500 million are planned for natural resource projects, yet this government is strangling the agency that oversees those projects. Now the agency's managers are worried about the amount of work that lies ahead.
Is the government's economic projection false, or does the government prefer to let industry do what it wants without worrying about the environment?
The Environment October 21st, 2011
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency confirmed that the agency will face $13 million in cuts next year. That is 43% of its budget gone. That is one-third of its staff gone. The agency's job is to look into potentially harmful policies and projects before they get the green light.
The government has abandoned environmental protection. How can the agency do its job properly with huge cuts to staff and programs?
Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act October 7th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, we all know that Canada has been lacking in green infrastructure. I listened with interest to the member's statements on the green economy. I would ask her to elaborate on how many jobs we have missed out on due to the lack of a green economy in Canada, as well as the government's unwillingness to move toward a green economy.
The Environment October 4th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the minister might be tired of talking about his reckless cuts to ozone monitoring but there are expert scientists who would love to talk and who are being muzzled by the government.
We have a hole in the ozone twice the size of Ontario. We have increasing pollution, especially in the tar sands, and new evidence today shows that Conservatives have been planning to fail on the environment.
It is no wonder that the minister is so afraid to hear from scientists. Where is the government's plan for ozone monitoring?
The Environment October 4th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the report tabled today confirms that the government gets failing marks when it comes to environmental protection. It is just one more example of how this government is not interested in the reality of the situation and has no plan for our environment.
There is a hole in the ozone layer. That is a scientific fact.
Will the government commit to maintaining funding for the monitoring program?
Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act October 3rd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, we believe that the government should give RCMP officers the tools that they need to enforce the laws that are in place now rather than create new discriminatory regulations that would actually discriminate against legitimate refugees. We believe that the government needs to enforce the laws in place now that protect the rights of refugees facing persecution in their home countries.
Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act October 3rd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her question.
It is clear that this bill will not put an end to refugee smuggling. It targets refugees as opposed to the real criminals. We also feel that this bill is discriminatory because it creates two classes of designated claimants. There is the likelihood of violating equality rights as set out in the charter and in the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which prohibits a government from imposing penalties on refugees for illegal presence or entry.
We believe that the Conservative government needs to stop using refugees as a political tool and that it must respect human rights.
Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act October 3rd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, earlier my colleague cited the example of Australia. However, we know that similar measures in Australia met with opposition from Amnesty International, which has announced a campaign to condemn the misinformation surrounding refugees who arrive by boat.
Furthermore, we know that the bill blatantly violates the charter, because it would result in indefinite detentions based on identity issues with no possibility of release until the minister determines that identity has been established.
Arbitrary detention is also a violation of a number of international treaties and we believe that it is outrageous for children to also be detained in such an arbitrary manner.
Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada's Immigration System Act October 3rd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today about Bill C-4 on human trafficking.
I would first like to remind the hon. members that this bill is similar to Bill C-49, which was hastily introduced by the Conservative government in the last Parliament. Bill C-49 was the government's response to the arrival on the coast of British Columbia of two ships carrying Tamil migrants.
At the time, all the opposition parties opposed Bill C-49 because of the large amount of power it would bestow upon the minister and because it appeared to violate Canadian and international law. We still have these same concerns with Bill C-4.
Given the Conservatives' mistrust of newcomers and their tendency toward repression, I am not certain that more discretion should be given to the government, particularly to this Conservative government. The main problem with the bill is that it is arbitrary and discriminatory. It is discriminatory because it creates two categories of refugees depending on the method of transportation these individuals used to enter the country. The bill limits the rights of legitimate refugees who arrive in Canada in a group that was smuggled across the border.
The bill grants the minister the power to arbitrarily designate a group's arrival in Canada as irregular if the minister is of the opinion that examinations relating to the identity of the refugees cannot be conducted in a timely manner or if he suspects that the arrival involves organized human smuggling activity for profit, or in support of a criminal organization or terrorist group.
Designated claimants would then be subject to a host of special rules that do not apply to other newcomers. For example, the bill stipulates that designated claimants, including children, will be automatically detained upon their arrival or at the moment they are so designated. In a state with ordinary rules, individuals are judged on case-by-case basis according to their individual circumstances. It is appalling that an administrative decision with such serious consequences could be made on the basis of an individual's belonging to a certain group. Nevertheless, that is what the Conservatives' Bill C-4 is proposing.
Once again, the Conservatives are using the refugee issue for political purposes, as they are also doing with the whole crime issue. Their way of doing things is well known. They use any random news item as a pretext for amending legislation and showing off their might. Ultimately, the problems remain unresolved and the government would be better off using the existing legislation. It would certainly be less spectacular, but it would be much more effective.
In the case of smuggling, for example, there already are laws against human trafficking. Why not enforce them? A few months ago, Parliament passed new strong, balanced legislation regarding refugees. What we need now is better enforcement of that law. Instead of playing political games, the government should also provide the RCMP with the resources it needs to do its work effectively. The Conservatives are saying that this bill will cut down on human trafficking. But in reality this bill, as it stands, concentrates too much power in the hands of the Minister of Immigration and unfairly penalizes refugees.
By contrast, the NDP wants to directly penalize the criminals: the traffickers and the smugglers. As currently drafted, Bill C-4 punishes legitimate refugees and the people who try to help them. The proposed process is neither clear nor transparent and, in addition to being arbitrary, it is ultimately quite discriminatory. We feel that Bill C-4 may break Canadian laws and contravene Canada's international commitments. Bill C-4 may violate section 15 of the charter, which guarantees equality before the law.
For the benefit of the Conservative members, I would like to read part of section 15 of the charter:
Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law...
How can anyone claim that this will not create two classes of refugees? Depending on the mode of transportation they use to enter the country, certain refugees could be denied permanent residence, a temporary residence permit, and the right to apply for permanent residence based on humanitarian grounds.
The bill appears to create inequality before the law among refugees. Bill C-4 may also violate section 9 of the charter, which says, “Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.” Bill C-4 provides precisely for the arbitrary detention of foreign nationals “designated” by the Minister for 12 months.
Bill C-4 also clearly contravenes article 31 of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees by which Canada has undertaken not to impose penalties on refugees who come from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened. We believe the government is failing in its responsibilities in respect of refugee protection and human rights.
A number of civil rights associations have spoken out against Bill C-49 and Bill C-4. For example, Amnesty International says the bill “falls far short of Canada's human rights and refugee protection obligations and will result in serious violations of the rights of refugees and migrants”.
As well, the Canadian Bar Association has argued that Bill C-49 “violates Charter protections against arbitrary detention and prompt review of detention, as well as Canada’s international obligations respecting the treatment of persons seeking protection”.
The Refugee Lawyers’ Association of Ontario has “expressed its profound regret over the decision of the [Conservative government] to re-introduce Bill C-49”. The association has described the bill as a “human rights travesty”.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has spoken out against “the creation of a new class of ‘designated foreign nationals’.”This class is defined extremely broadly so as to potentially apply to most people fleeing persecution, torture or death in their countries of origin. In effect, the bill creates a two-tier system, with numerous restrictions and negative consequences for those who fall into the designated class.
The NDP is mindful of its responsibility to refugees, unlike the Conservatives who have adopted an approach that damages our reputation in the international community and violates our commitments under the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The proposed process is arbitrary and extremely discriminatory. It also does not provide the means to put an end to human trafficking.
We believe that the Conservatives should ensure that existing laws against human trafficking are properly enforced, and we are opposed to this bill.
The Environment October 3rd, 2011
Mr. Speaker, it is only through the foreign media that Canadians are becoming aware of the threats to their health and their environment.
David Tarasick conducted a study for Environment Canada which revealed the presence of a hole in the ozone layer, but this government is preventing him from talking to the media.
Is the government trying to hide scientific data or trying to cover up its error in cutting the budget for monitoring the ozone layer?