Patricia Davidson

[AGRICULTURE, April 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the agricultural sector in Canada is one of the most important components of our economy. Our country produces a wide range of agricultural goods for domestic and international consumption. It is something of which we should all be proud.

However, no one has been spared from the global economic downturn, and agriculture is no exception. For this reason, more than ever, we must ensure that our farmers remain competitive on the world stage against competition from other OECD countries, in particular, the U.S.

Competitiveness of Canadian farming operations is of paramount importance to maintaining growth in food production and ensuring that our farmers have access to the newest, most innovative and safest products available.

Motion No. 460 reminds us that our agricultural sector is part of a global marketplace. It comes at a time when we must send a clear signal to our agricultural community that we are ready to support them in today's difficult economic climate.

Farmers across the country have told us that their competitiveness against foreign growers is an important issue for them. If they are not afforded access to the same production management tools as competitors in other countries, they will face stronger resistance from those markets.

In fact, this issue is so important that the first hour of debate on this motion became the first news item in the March 15, edition of The Canadian Cattlemen's Association Action News. The cattlemen praise our colleague from Lambton—Kent—Middlesex for this motion and conclude by asking farmers to get involved in this debate. They say:

—let your MP know of any experiences you have with inputs like endectocide, herbicide or other regulated products costing you more than in the U.S. Also let them know when you cannot get a product that is available south of the border. Improving Canada’s regulatory processes should help to improve access to new products and to keep prices competitive with those in the U. S.

The government wants Canadian farmers to know we have heard this message loud and clear and we are taking action.

When we are talking about production management tools, we are talking about farming products, such as seeds, feeds, fertilizers, veterinary biologics and drugs and pesticides. In Canada all of these tools are subject to comprehensive and rigorous scientific assessments that are on par with international regulatory partners and are carried out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency and Veterinary Drugs Directorate. This ensures that the products used on livestock and on crops can be used both safely and effectively.

We must acknowledge that in the global context there are markets that are larger than ours. In these markets, increased competition drives innovation in technology and often quicker adoption of new pesticide uses. For business, this is sometimes more attractive. This means that Canada is not always the first place that springs to mind for companies that want to sell their production management tools.

For this reason, we must create a climate conducive to bringing those products here, so our farmers can compete on equal footing with their competitors. Supporting this motion is a step forward in addressing that gap. That is why I am supporting Motion No. 460.

I would like to spend some time to talk about some of the work the government is doing to ensure that Canadian farmers have access to the same production management tools available in other countries. This important work is ongoing and efforts must be sustained in the future, but we must also acknowledge that more can be done and that, in certain, areas we can do better.

For example, over the years, there has been a growing movement toward the use of generic products for use on crops and to control pests. Being based on proven brands and benefiting from low manufacturing costs often makes generic products highly attractive to many growers.However, strict data protection laws in Canada made it difficult for generic alternatives to be available to Canadian farmers. This meant that they only had access to more expensive brand name products. Ultimately, this did little to foster innovation on the part of the bigger manufacturers. That is why the government is updating its legislation with regard to pesticide data protection.

Both innovators and generic manufacturers provided input to the design of a mechanism that would benefit all stakeholders in order to achieve three broad objectives: first, encouraging the registration of new innovative pesticides, including for use on minor crops; second, facilitating timely registration of competitively priced generic pesticides; and third, to ultimately benefit pesticide users, particularly the agricultural sector.

Thanks to these efforts, we are one step closer to providing an environment where generic manufacturers can enter the Canadian market earlier, potentially providing thousands of dollars in savings for individual farmers and much more for the industry as a whole. It will encourage the registration of new innovative pesticides and uses on minor crops and the timely entry into the market of competitively priced generic pesticides for the agricultural sector.

While generic products are based on brand name chemicals, it does not mean that they are subject to less stringent standards. Generic products submitted to Health Canada for evaluation and potential registration will be subject to the same scientific rigour as any other product. As a result, Canadian farmers can be assured that should they choose to use generic products, not only will they be affordable but they will also safeguard their crops and boost their yields. In turn, these savings will help translate into better competitiveness and resilience in the global marketplace.

While this motion focuses specifically on products that are not yet available in Canada but available elsewhere, there is a related issue that affects the competitiveness of Canadian farmers that I would like to discuss.

In many cases, there is a variety of pest control products that are available in both the U.S. and in Canada. However, due to the dynamic nature of the U.S. market, product labels are often expanded at a much faster rate than they are here.

What does this mean for our farmers? It means that they do not have as much flexibility in pesticide use as their southern counterparts. In order to address this challenge, the government is actively working with growers to regularly update a database that identifies and prioritizes products and uses available in the U.S. but not in Canada.

This was a major step forward and for the first time we were able to quantify the difference in availability between the U.S. and Canada. This database will continue to be a valuable tool as we address this gap and bring more value to Canadians.

These initiatives are beginning to bear fruit and Motion No. 460's goal of achieving global competitive parity for Canadian farmers can be achieved. However, only with meaningful change in the way we act on improving competition in the agricultural sector will we achieve this goal.

The health and safety of Canadians is the government's priority and our path forward will continue to require that all products meet Canada's stringent regulatory requirements before being registered for use. Support for this motion signals the intent of the government to support Canadian farmers by making the necessary changes to ensure that more production management tools become available to them.

I would encourage all members of the House to vote in favour of Motion No. 460. Let us all put Canadian agriculture first today.

[Economic Action Plan, March 25th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, through Canada's economic action plan, our government has worked co-operatively with provinces and municipalities to create jobs and hope in communities across Canada. To date, almost 16,000 projects are up and running in the largest cities and the smallest towns from coast to coast to coast.

Could the Minister of Transport tell us what the mayor of Sarnia recently said about our government's record when it comes to the success of our efforts to provide stimulus to local communities?

[Gary Kendall, March 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, on January 30, 2010, a tragic accident occurred during an ice rescue training exercise being conducted by rescue experts from Herschel Rescue Training Systems for members of the Point Edward Fire and Rescue department. It is my understanding that a large ice floe trapped one fireman under water and on January 31, firefighter Gary Kendall succumbed to his injuries.

Gary was 51 years old and a 17-year veteran with the fire service. He had received two awards for going above and beyond the call of duty as well as a life-saving medal. Gary served his community well and without reservation. The full honours funeral attended by over 1,000 emergency services personnel was a fitting tribute to an outstanding individual who had given so much.

My sincere sympathy goes to Gary's wife Brenda and children Myrissa, Corey and Joshua. Her husband and their father was a caring individual whose commitment to helping others will not be forgotten.

[Status of Women, November 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, today is the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against Women.

This day also marks the beginning of the 16 days of activism against gender violence. Canada signed on to the UNIFEM “Say No - Unite to End Violence Against Women” campaign on behalf of the Government of Canada and we have also endorsed the Iqaluit declaration which recognizes the need for sustained and coordinated action to reduce sexualized violence against aboriginal women.

Could the minister of state please update this House on what Canadians can do to end violence against women?

[Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, November 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague opposite for her comments and her study of this bill, which of course is a huge step forward and is fulfilling some of our campaign promises.

We all know there is a great number of people who are self-employed. There are certainly thousands of self-employed tradespeople who are currently unable to participate in the EI program. I would ask the member opposite to give us her thoughts on how this would greatly help the tradespeople.

[Technical Assistance for Law Enforcement in the 21st Century Act, October 29th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is certainly encouraging to hear that the Bloc is going to be supporting Bill C-47. It is also encouraging to hear that, because of that, it must be getting serious on cutting down on crime. It is a move forward.

Is the member opposite aware of the international practices for accessing basic subscriber information, such as is proposed in Bill C-47? For example, in many countries including the United States, Australia, England, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Norway, police can access subscriber information without a warrant.

I would ask my colleague to comment on why Canada should not have practices similar to these other countries. Why should Canada be any different than they are? Why should our police forces not have the same options available to them that other countries do?

[Medical Radiation Technologists, October 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, November 8 to 14 is MRT week, a celebration of the contributions of the medical radiation technology profession to health care in Canada.

If people have ever had an x-ray, MRI or CT scan, a mammogram, nuclear medicine procedure or radiation therapy, they have been in the care of these highly educated, highly skilled professionals as they capture diagnostic images or applied radiation therapy.

MRTs are integral members of the health care team who are certified to perform precise diagnostic imaging procedures and administer radiation treatment to cancer patients.

MRTs make an enormous difference to patients in hospitals and clinics, to athletes injured in sport and in the most challenging conditions as members of National Defence medical units on the battlefields in Afghanistan.

I am proud to have been a past member of this profession and honoured to bring the contributions of Canada's medical radiation technologists to the attention of the House today.

[Employment Insurance Act, September 17th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that we have been having this debate since this morning and this question has been asked many times and answered many times.

Certainly the Conservative government is focused on what matters to Canadians. We are helping those who are hardest hit. We are investing in training. We are creating jobs.

If there were another process the opposition parties wished to pursue, there is an avenue by which they could have pursued it. They chose not to.

We are bringing forward this bill in very good faith. We believe we need to benefit the Canadians who need it most and we will continue to do that.

[Employment Insurance Act, September 17th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to this debate since we first introduced Bill C-50 and started the debate this morning. Certainly that question has been asked many times and it has been answered many times.

Bill C-50 is an extremely important bill. We, as the Conservative government, have been focusing on what matters to Canadians. We have been helping those who have been hardest hit. We know that the global recession has caused a great deal of concern to many Canadians and we are providing the support to Canadians when they need it.

Bill C-50 is just another part of the support we are providing for Canadians. We have introduced legislation today to provide extra support for long-tenured workers. Prior to that we had support for other Canadians who need it through the economic action plan. The best way to help the unemployed, their families and the economy is to get people back to work. We need the extra program to help those long-tenured workers who want to work, who have worked for years and now find themselves unemployed. This program will give them that extra time to find work. It will give the extra time for the economy to rebound and those workers who want to work will be back to work.

[Employment Insurance Act, September 17th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to continue my remarks on Bill C-50, this very important bill that we are proposing which will do even more for long-tenured workers under the EI program.

These Canadians deserve our continued support while the economy recovers. Bill C-50 will provide between 5 and 20 weeks of additional EI regular benefits to unemployed long-tenured workers. It will help Canadians who have worked hard and paid EI premiums for many years and who now find themselves in need of a hand up.

It does not represent permanent change in the duration of EI regular benefits. It is a temporary response to a temporary situation. We think that that is prudent.

What is unfortunate is that the opposition members continue to advocate for the 45-day work year scheme which is both irresponsible and unaffordable. What is worse is that they walked away from the table and away from efforts to help the unemployed.

Now they are playing political games here in the House today, again without taking proposals to the table where these things are usually worked out.

This side of the House is focused on Canada's economic recovery and on helping Canadians come through this rough time. Further to the help we are proposing for Canadians in Bill C-50, we have already taken other measures to help long-tenured workers.

Long-tenured workers who need a transition to a new industry can get help through the career transition assistance initiative introduced in Canada's economic action plan. Through this initiative our government is providing help to long-tenured workers who have been laid off to upgrade their skills. This initiative has two main parts.

First, we have extended the duration of EI regular income benefits for long-tenured workers who participate in long-term training. They can collect benefits for up to two years or 104 weeks. Second, it allows earlier access to EI for long-tenured workers who invest all or part of the money from their severance package in training. Thousands of long-tenured Canadians could benefit from these measures.

We are working with the provinces to help Canadians with this initiative. I would also like to remind the House that while all long-tenured workers are not necessarily older workers, for those who are we have other programs in place to help those older workers.

The targeted initiative for older workers, or TIOW, is not a new initiative. It has been around since 2006 when our government introduced it. It has done a lot to help older workers in this country, and now with the global economic downturn it is needed more than ever.

Through our economic action plan we are investing an additional $60 million over three years in the targeted initiative for older workers to enable people 55 to 64 years of age to get skills upgrading and work experience so they can make the transition to new jobs.

We are doing this because we believe in the skills and experiences of Canada's older workers. We believe they can be retrained and get back into the workforce if they want to continue working.

We are also building on this successful program to extend its reach and scope. The targeted initiative for older workers was designed to meet the needs of people in what we call vulnerable communities; that is, communities with a high rate of unemployment or a high reliance on one employer or industry affected by a significant downsizing or closure.

This year we expanded the number of communities that are eligible for the program to include more cities. Why did we do this? Well, because the recession has been difficult for everyone, but it has been particularly hard on people over 55. In fact, with this change an additional 250 communities could be eligible.

When older workers lose their jobs, we want to help them get back into the workforce as soon as possible. We know it is not easy for an older person to start a new career; however, through TIOW projects unemployed older workers can acquire the skills they need to find and keep new jobs or even start up their own new businesses.

These projects typically offer services such as skills assessment, job search strategies, work experience placements, skills upgrading and income support. This new federal-provincial joint investment will help older workers across the country build their skills and find work.

There are many other success stories from this program. They all involve older workers who had to face a major life change, a change that could have been devastating, but they were able to regroup and retrain for a new career. Thanks to the TIOW, they were able to do that in the company of people their own age. The new funding we are putting into the TIOW will enable more older workers to receive the specialized support they need to make the transition to new jobs. With practical help from the TIOW, older workers can continue to contribute to their communities and to the Canadian economy.

Our government is demonstrating its commitment to supporting all Canadians who are affected by the downturn but especially older workers and long-tenured workers. We do not want an unnecessary election. We want to continue to work to help Canadians. That is what the bill would do. I urge everyone in the House to support Bill C-50.