Megan Leslie

[Budget Implementation, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the minister still has a chance to get it right with this misguided budget bill.

Canadians were never told that the budget would tax health benefits, erase protection for Canada's waterways or hold vacation back from employees. Instead of learning their lesson, Conservatives did not consult with Canadians, and they are ramming through this dangerous budget bill with who knows how many jobs on the line.

Will the minister stop hiding from the consequences of his failed plan? Will he allow proper study and amendment of this budget bill before it is too late?

[The Economy, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying the price for the Conservatives' cuts. The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed that there will be 125,000 fewer jobs in the country in 2016 because of the cuts. That is not all. The GDP will shrink by 1% in the next two years. Inequality is rising and real income is falling.

Why is the minister giving the government less room to manoeuvre and attacking workers instead of economic problems?

[Petitions, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is about saving the Experimental Lakes Area. The petitioners note that since 1968 the ELA has been a global leader in conducting whole ecosystem experiments, which have been critical in shaping environmental policy and understanding human impacts on lakes and fish. They are asking the government to reverse the decision to close ELA research stations and to continue to staff and provide financial resources to the ELA at current or higher levels of commitment. The petitioners and I look forward to the minister's response.

[Petitions, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to present two petitions today.

The first petition is about environmental sensitivities. The petitioners point out that this is a chronic condition that affects multiple body systems. It can develop in people of all ages. They also note that there is very limited awareness of and education about this medical condition in Canada. Therefore, they are asking the House of Commons to declare May as the month of awareness and education on environmental sensitivities in Canada and to declare May 12 as environmental sensitivities day in Canada, and join the ranks of other countries that are providing health and social services to their citizens who suffer from this medical condition. The petitioners and I look forward to the minister's response.

[The Environment, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, with the Navigable Waters Protection Act this has gone from comedy to farce. We know what the minister is saying in the House is just not true and the words are there in black and white on his own website. The examples are piling up so fast that the minister's own minions cannot remove them as quickly as we can find them.

When will the minister finally admit that he has overreached and put an end to this attack on environmental protection?

[The Environment, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, while references to the environment have been deleted from the frequently asked questions section of the minister's website, those same references still exist in black and white in the application guide section of the same site. It reads: “This process usually takes less time to complete, but might still require...an environmental assessment”.

It is 2012, not 1984. When will the minister finally admit that his website was correct and that navigable waters is about protecting the environment?

[The Environment, October 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport erased all references to the environment from his website. And now, the word “environment” has returned, but all the government is saying is that protecting the environment is a responsibility shared by several federal departments and agencies.

Can the Minister of Transport tell us whether his department is responsible for protecting the environment?

[The Environment, October 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I could do this all day long.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency website says the same thing.

The Navigable Waters Protection Program (NWPP) is responsible for the protection of the public right to navigation and the protection of the environment....

Let us review. This is an act that protects navigable waters, and navigable waters are a part of—wait for it—the environment. So when the minister deletes this website, will we at least be able to see a copy of it at the Canadian Museum of History?

[The Environment, October 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, first it was the employment insurance program, and now the word ”environment” is on the road to extinction. The environment is scarier than Casper, but the Internet knows no bounds. According to the Marine Service On-line website, “Navigable Waters Protection Program ensures the protection of the public right to navigation and the protection of the environment through the administration of the Navigable Waters Protection Act.”

Do the Conservatives understand the connection between the environment and navigable waters protection?

[Government Accountability, October 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, even the minister's own department knows that this bill plays an important role in environmental protection, despite his late night website rewrite to purge references to the environment. The Conservatives have snuck a raft of changes into the bill that were never mentioned in the budget. They are taking money from the pockets of Canadians and taxing health benefits. All these components need to be studied by the appropriate committees and not some kind of look but do not touch type study.

Will the government allow amendments to its massive omnibus bill to change and fix the problems that are in the bill?