Pierre Lemieux

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, September 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough that the CFIA has not and will not make changes that would put the health of Canadians or our potato industry at risk. Indeed, the budget will allow the agency to focus its valuable resources where they are most needed.

As I mentioned before, washing cars is not a good use of CFIA's time. Inspecting the vehicles to ensure there is no contamination, to ensure that vehicles do not go on to the ferry contaminated, that is a good use of CFIA time, but not washing the vehicles themselves.

We are going to ensure, by working with the different levels of government, that car wash facilities are available to Canadians. If their vehicles have contamination, then they will have the proper washing facilities to remove that contamination.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, September 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government remains strongly committed to protecting Canada's plant resources and recognizes that we all need to help to ensure preventative measures are taken.

Like all departments and agencies, the CFIA is contributing to the government's promise to balance the budget. Canadians know that, unlike previous governments, we take the spending of taxpayer money seriously. Our budget supports the CFIA's drive toward modernization and will allow the agency to focus its valuable resources where they are most needed.

Vehicle inspection and cleaning stations were set up in Port aux Basques and Argentia, Newfoundland, in order to mitigate the risk of spreading potato wart and potato cyst nematode to other provinces. These invasive pests can be transported in soil and other high risk items such as plants and plant products.

The CFIA's inspection activities are essential in order to respect its regulatory obligations under the Plant Protection Act and to protect vulnerable potato growing regions in other parts of Canada.

This change will have no effect on food safety. The CFIA will continue to inspect all vehicles prior to their boarding the ferry in both Port aux Basques and Argentia, Newfoundland. Contaminated vehicles will not be allowed on the ferry until they are properly cleaned. The CFIA, however, will no longer wash the vehicles at these ferries after they have been found to be contaminated with soil.

Using taxpayer dollars to pay for car washes is not needed. Vehicle operators are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are free of soil contamination prior to boarding these ferries. The CFIA will, however, work with other federal bodies to ensure that drivers will still have access to washing facilities.

This initiative is common sense and I ask that in the future the opposition understand what is in the budget before it votes against it.

[Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, September 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to my colleague across the way twist himself out of shape trying to defend the indefensible.

I would like to raise a few points. The first is that being in Canada is a privilege. If a foreign criminal is guilty of a criminal act, the member is advocating that there should be no consequences, that the person should retain the privilege of being in Canada. That is absurd, both to me in the House and Canadians.

If a foreign criminal is responsible for a criminal act here in Canada, who is the victim? Canadians are. The member is advocating that a foreign criminal who commits a criminal act here in Canada and victimizes Canadians should retain the privilege of staying in Canada. How does the member defend that position?

[Petitions, September 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table in this House a request to members to review the definition of "human being" that has been used in Canada for 400 years.

[Committees of the House, September 21st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109, I would like to table, in both official languages, the government response to the third report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, entitled Growing Forward 2, which was tabled in the House of Commons on May 28, 2012.

[Food Safety, September 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is committed to keeping Canadian food safe. That is why we are proud to announce today that Canada has a new chief food safety officer and a new chief veterinarian officer.

I am confident that Dr. Martine Dubuc and Dr. Ian Alexander will fulfill their new roles according to the highest standards and ensure that Canada continues to have a world-class food safety system.

I would also like to thank the outgoing chief veterinarian officer, Dr. Brian Evans, for his outstanding 14 years of service with the CFIA.

In the last two budgets alone we have invested over $150 million to improve food safety. And what do NDP members do? They vote against this funding and against safer food for Canadians.

Likewise, what will NDP members do when the safe food for Canadians act comes to the House from the Senate? They intend to vote against it. They are also promising to raise the price of food by introducing a carbon tax.

It is clear that for the NDP safe food is not important but that expensive food is its priority.

[Petitions, June 15th, 2012]

Madam Speaker, I would like to present two petitions from residents of communities throughout my riding—St. Isidore, Dunvegan, Clarence Creek, Casselman, Rockland, and others. These petitioners are asking Parliament to examine Canada's 400-year-old definition of a human being that says that a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth.

I would also like to point out that 20,000 Canadians came to Parliament Hill to support a motion to that effect.

[Petitions, June 13th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table four petitions from people all across my riding, places like Alexandria, Bourget, Hammond, Curran, Pendleton, Plantagenet, St-Eugène, Vankleek Hill.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to review Canada's 400-year-old definition of a human being, which says that a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth. This is contrary to modern science.

I would also like to point that on the Hill there was a demonstration of about 20,000 Canadians supporting this type of motion.

[Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, June 11th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to comment on that because my colleague is absolutely right. I am from a rural riding myself. My mayors for the past six years have been pressuring me on the difficulties and the challenges they face in maintaining rural infrastructure. What my colleague just said in terms of a discussion that she has had with one of her mayors, it is the same discussion I am having with my mayors. They are asking us to simply find a balance that would allow them to fulfill their responsibilities in a cost-effective and time-effective manner. I believe that this review of the Fisheries Act conducted by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is exactly what Canada needs.

[Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act, June 11th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would invite my opposition colleagues to work with the mayors in small rural communities, such as mine, and in other rural communities across Canada. They would then hear feedback from the mayors who are trying to maintain the infrastructure within their ridings and yet it is far more costly, far more time demanding and requires more resources because the way in which the Fisheries Act is currently written is employed within small rural communities.

I believe the fisheries minister has his focus right, which is focusing on Canada's fish stock and fish resources and ensuring that we do whatever is possible to protect those resources without compromising what our rural municipalities are trying to achieve.