Megan Leslie

[The Environment, February 24th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, a report from the Bedford Institute of Oceanography shows that the Arctic Ocean is absorbing more energy from the sun. Canada's north is increasingly at risk from climate change, yet the government continues to minimize the threat. Conservatives on the environment committee are not even allowed to use the phrase, because they have been told so by the PMO.

Conservatives may not want to talk about it, but scientists do. There is increasing scientific evidence of the real threat posed by climate change. Why are the Conservatives continuing to delay taking action?

[Canada Elections Act, February 14th, 2014]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-575, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (residence of electors).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill. The bill would strike down section 11(d) of the Canada Elections Act, which states that Canadian citizens who have lived outside of Canada for more than five years do not qualify as electors in Canada. It is patently undemocratic to restrict people's ability to participate in our democracy because they are engaging in the myriad opportunities that are available globally. Canadians living outside the country still have a vested interest in the decisions of government, taxation, our economy, our justice system, and rights. While there might have been sound policy reasons to create this restriction in the past, in this day and age of airplanes, Internet, social media, and instantaneous information transmission, those reasons are long outdated.

Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadian citizens who are 18 years and older have the right to vote as well as the right to enter, remain in, and leave Canada. Canadians living abroad are a significant asset to Canada domestically and internationally. These Canadians may not hold citizenship somewhere else, yet they are being totally and unreasonably disenfranchised. I hope the House looks favourably on the bill. I look forward to its passage.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Committees of the House, February 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of State for Democratic Reform called cross-country hearings on the fair elections act a “costly circus”, and his colleague called them a “gong show”. Yet the Conservatives are happy to propose spending $600,000 on other committee travel.

Could the Minister of State for Democratic Reform tell us why some committee travel is acceptable to him, but travelling across the country to talk about democratic reform is not worth the effort?

[Committees of the House, February 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of State for Democratic Reform called public consultations a “costly circus”.

However, the day before, the Chief Government Whip was complaining about the NDP's opposition to travel by committees.

Can the government tell us whether committee trips are a circus, as the minister says, or whether it is ridiculous to prevent committees from travelling, as the whip says?

[Rail Transportation, February 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in a Radio Canada report last night, we learned shocking new details about Lac-Mégantic. A briefing note to the minister obtained by Radio Canada said that Transport Canada let some very troubling practices continue. This led to the occurrence of the accident and could have increased its consequences.

Transport Canada knew that this company was breaking the rules and public servants were raising the alarm bells, so why did the minister not act?

[Atlantic Canada, February 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I have a valentine's message to our Prime Minister from Atlantic Canadians.

Frankly, we are doubtful of his love for us. He puts us down and claims we have a culture of defeat. He lets his friends tell us we are lazy no-goods who do not want to work. He cuts us off from our family and friends by starving VIA Rail. He tells us to be more innovative and diversify our economy, yet there is not one red cent more for ACOA in this budget, the very agency that is supposed to help us to do so.

When he bellies up to his lobster dinner with his buddies or trims his Christmas tree, I hope that he remembers us and how his changes to EI are making it impossible for seasonal workers to get by. I hope he thinks of us every time he hires a young person from Atlantic Canada who, under a crippling debt load, has come west for work.

He says he loves us, but we have seen his in-and-out scandal and his robocalls and we are sick of his serial cheating. On this Valentine's Day from Atlantic Canada, please know there is no love lost between us, and in 2015, we will not choo-choo-choose him.

[Democratic Reform, February 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP people, power to the people.

This morning, the Minister of State for Democratic Reform was at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, but he did not explain his attacks on Marc Mayrand or his refusal to consult Canadians outside the Ottawa bubble. I would like to give him another opportunity to explain himself.

Why does he refuse to travel to the various provinces across the country to consult all Canadians about his electoral reform plans?

[Taxation, February 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister's answer, but the Conservatives are flailing around in confusion and the finance minister is directly contradicting Conservative policy. Under the Conservatives' tax plan, 86% of Canadians will get absolutely no benefit—86%.

Does the Minister of Finance stand by his criticism that a plan that does not benefit the vast majority of Canadians does not benefit Canada?

[Taxation, February 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in 2011, the Conservatives promised to bring in income splitting, which would benefit less than 15% of the population.

Yesterday, the Minister of Finance cast doubt on that promise and then, right after, the Minister of Employment and Social Development said that the promise would be kept. The Prime Minister said that we would see.

Will they abandon their promise to bring in income splitting, keep it, or will we have to see?

[National Defence, February 3rd, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the Minister of National Defence could not confirm that the Communications Security Establishment had never spied on Canadians in our airports. The minister avoided answering by talking about a culture of respect for the law and for the privacy of Canadians. That is not an answer.

Has CSEC collected information on Canadians in our airports?