Nathan Cullen

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, November 2nd, 2009]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-472, An Act to amend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act (Civilian Investigation Service).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present the RCMP civilian oversight act, seconded by my colleague from Hamilton Centre, a former solicitor general in Ontario.

It was four years ago that Ian Bush was arrested in the parking lot of a hockey arena in Houston, B.C. and a short time later was found dead in the local detachment of the RCMP.

In order for the RCMP to do the difficult and dangerous job we ask it to do, it needs the public's confidence and trust. To restore that trust, we must end the tradition of police investigating themselves.

Ian's mom, Linda, and sisters, Andrea and Renee. have joined me here on Parliament Hill to watch the presentation of this bill. It has been named in memory of their fallen family member.

Of all the legislation I have worked on over the years, I have never seen the courage and conviction for change that I have seen in Linda Bush and her ability to push through all obstacles to see true reform in honour and memory of her son.

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

[Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, October 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am a little confused and I would like my hon. colleague to stop reading the paper and answer a simple question.

I asked her a question about torture. This has been an incredibly important part of the debate surrounding terrorism. I asked her why torture was not included and all she could do was read her PMO prepared notes. I also asked her a question about the International Criminal Court and if her government supports such efforts while the United States has turned its back on it. I asked two simple questions and she went off to some other place.

Simply and calmly stated for the member, I ask her to put the paper aside and tell me what she thinks. Why was torture not included in this piece of legislation, obviously a component that is connected to international terrorism? This is not a complex question. This is a straightforward, simple question. I do not need PMO script. I need her thoughts on this.

[Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, October 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering what my colleague's opinions are about the apparent omission of any charges of torture, that may be perpetrated by another state, in this piece of legislation. We recognize that in the field of antiterrorism, one of the components that is used is torture, and sometimes state-sanctioned torture, in other parts of the world.

In allowing the Canadian government to pursue these types of cases in court, there are two things. One is the piece about torture, which seems to be glaringly absent. I am curious as to why she thinks that is and why she thinks that the government, in constructing this entire piece of legislation, made no mention of the International Court of Justice in the Hague. It is set up to do many of the things that she mentioned were important to her in her speech.

There is no component of a court that actually already exists to pursue some of the very cases that our government seems so interested in. Will she not endorse the work done in the Hague and other places that try to keep the international rule of law in mind when countries are facing each other in conflict?

[Forestry Industry, October 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, apparently the government is unable to use the tool called Google to find out that I will be supporting the bill next week when it comes to a vote.

In this unprecedented crisis in the forestry industry, we were told that this very program, this subsidy, would keep our mills open and our forestry towns alive but the program is deeply flawed.

Could the minister explain why a program that was supposed to protect our mills is, instead, helping to shut them down? What answer can the government offer to the 3,000 families affected and the many tens of thousands of families that may face the same fate across this country?

[Forestry Industry, October 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, West Fraser Timber announced that it is closing the Eurocan mill in Kitimat, British Columbia. More than 500 people will lose their jobs and as many as 3,000 others in related industries will also be out of work in the Terrace and Kitimat region.

Despite the closure, West Fraser will still receive a $30 million subsidy from the government for the very same mill that it is mothballing.

Could the minister explain why West Fraser is getting a subsidy at the same time that it is dealing a crippling blow to the workers and their families that put their blood, sweat and tears into this operation for more than 40 years?

[Renewal Northwest, October 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, recently a gathering of progressive leaders met in northwestern British Columbia under a program we launched called Renewal Northwest to talk about a future economy, a greener economy for the people of our region.

First nations leaders, environmental activists, businesses and non-profits got together to create the kind of change that we want to see in the world, a plan for a region that has had a long and proud history of economic development but recently has suffered mightily under the downturn across the world. The list of ideas is long and includes greener transportation, greener mining practices, environmental retrofits for our homes and offices, and much more.

We need the federal and provincial governments as willing partners in the efforts of the northwest. We want others from across the region to get involved online and in other forums. Northwestern British Columbia will recover and rebuild from this. We will do it together.

[Fisheries, October 28th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday 40,000 Atlantic salmon escaped from a B.C. fish farm.

With this year's salmon stock facing a devastating collapse and as it is eight months since the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that the DFO and the minister must regulate fish farms, will the minister step up and protect our west coast fisheries?

The minister has the power to fine the polluting farms up to $500,000. Will she enforce the rules, or will she remain silent and be complicit in the crisis? Will she finally wake up to this disaster in the making and do her job?

[Tax Harmonization, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it was the government's brilliant idea to use taxpayers' money to bribe the provinces to raise taxes on those same taxpayers.

The bottom line is that the HST hurts families. Even minor hockey is being targeted. Yesterday, the Prince George Minor Hockey Association said that it has worked hard to keep costs down, but the so-called hockey-mom sales tax is going to hit parents with higher costs.

Why does the government hate hockey? Why will the government not let kids play Canada's game? Just let the kids play.

[Tax Harmonization, October 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians gather together this weekend in their homes to give thanks, why is it that the Conservative government is making it more expensive to put food on the table and buy that home in the first place?

According to the B.C. Real Estate Association, the government's HST rip-off will significantly increase the cost of buying a home. It says that the biggest losers will be consumers, and regardless of any rebate, the cost associated with buying any type of real estate will still increase.

Instead of making homes more affordable so hard-working people can put roofs over their heads, why is the government leaving them out in the cold?

[The Environment, October 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the government has misspent billions of taxpayer dollars subsidizing the production of corn ethanol and offering rebates to folks buying E85 vehicles. It claimed that it would be cutting greenhouse gas emissions but now Canadians have learned from a briefing note to the minister herself that her own department does not even believe the spin.

With only 14 E85 stations, most Canadians would need to drive hundreds of kilometres just to fill up. These vehicles are being filled with regular old gasoline. Emissions continue to rise and taxpayers are being taken along for the ride.

Could the minister explain why the government continues to pour billions into a failed idea when its own officials are telling them it does not work?