Rick Norlock

[Veterans Affairs, November 10th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country will be gathering tomorrow to pay tribute to our veterans and our men and women in uniform. It is our soldiers, our air force, our navy and our merchant mariners who have always been there to defend and protect our great country.

Could the Minister of Veterans Affairs share with the House the importance of taking time to honour our veterans?

[Business of Supply, October 19th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the member speaks of so-called budget cuts and cuts to vital programs. The previous Liberal member, who was discussing the fiscal condition of Canada, referred to a relative of his, his grandmother. I would like to refer to some friends of mine who live in my community, most of the people who actually live in my community.

They are suffering from high taxes. They are suffering from skyrocketing prices of every commodity that they buy every day. I will tell members how they make ends meet. They go to the grocery store and they buy the can of peas that is cheaper yet provides the same kind of nourishment that they need for their families. They go to the grocery store and they buy the bread that is on special. They ensure they have saved a few cents, so that they can afford to pay their property taxes, provincial taxes and federal taxes.

It is up to the Government of Canada to show the same kind of responsibility with regard to its budget as the families that go to work every day, pay their taxes, and try to make ends meet. That is why the government is treating the finances of this country the same as average Canadians treat their finances, by finding savings here and there so that they can afford to do the things they have to do for their families. These families want to be responsible. They want to pay down their mortgages, so that near the end of their financial cycle they can afford to pay for their children's high school.

To the hon. member, that is what this government is doing. It is doing the same thing that families do every day, and that is balance their budgets and pay down their mortgages, so that they can afford to do the things that they have to do.

[Petitions, October 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on behalf of my constituents. They pray that the government assembled in Parliament take all measures necessary to immediately raise the age of consent from 14 to 16 years of age.

[Petitions, October 6th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first is from my constituents in Northumberland—Quinte West. They call upon the federal Minister of Justice to amend the privacy act to allow more discretion in the release of information to families of deceased persons.

[Foreign Affairs, October 5th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, this past Tuesday North Korea announced its intention to conduct a nuclear test in the future. This announcement has provoked a strong reaction by the international community as it is a threat to regional peace and stability.

What is Canada doing to respond to this threat?

[Situation in Sudan, October 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Chair, tonight I heard from the right hon. member for LaSalle—Émard and other members in the House with regard to what we should do in Darfur in Africa. I know there is a senator who has been so eloquent in his plea for this country to do more.

However, I ask members of the House, are we not in another area of the world where we have been asked to go? Are we not there because of terrible genocide and terrible atrocities done to women and children? Are we not there because the United Nations and the world community asked us to be there?

I speak almost every other week to members of the Canadian armed forces who are signing up for their second and third term in Afghanistan. They believe in what they are doing. Do we need to open up another front and then another front where our limited resources are spread throughout the world?

I ask the members who have just spoken, and in particular the right hon. member for LaSalle—Émard, are we not asking this country to do more than its resources can already permit it to do?

[Michal Gutowski, September 29th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, today I join with the Polish Canadian community in mourning the passing of General Michal Gutowski, a remarkable individual who has contributed greatly to both his birth country of Poland and his adopted country of Canada.

During the second world war General Gutowski served with distinction in the Normandy campaign. He was decorated for this valour by the Polish, French and American governments.

When he arrived in Canada in 1948, he began a long relationship with the Canadian Olympic Equestrian Team. Most notably, he was the team's trainer when it won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968.

After the death of his wife, General Gutowski returned to Poland, where he recently passed away at the age of 95. He was put to final rest in Warsaw with full military honours in a state funeral. He will be greatly missed by all.

I ask that all members of Parliament join with me in recognizing this remarkable Canadian and his significant contributions to our country.

[Emergency Management Act, September 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the bill coordinates all federal government agencies in order to provide the services that each community and province needs. There would be an integrated approach from a central location to provide the services that were needed.

I think back to the ice storm, which was quite a large disaster for our country. It involved more than two provinces, if I remember correctly. It required the federal government, through the armed forces and numerous other federal agencies, to get involved. This bill, in a larger catastrophe ice storm scenario, especially if it were interprovincial in nature, would provide for a more seamless and integrated approach in order to provide to municipalities and provinces the kind of assistance they would need with less bureaucratic hoops to jump through.

The bill is designed to provide a more seamless federal government approach to emergency management to ensure there is one central location with which to access all the needed assistance.

[Emergency Management Act, September 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am quite familiar with the procedures regarding emergency measures and those ancillary items. In my prior occupation as a police officer I was involved in emergency planning in the municipalities in which I served and in particular in Northumberland where we managed all levels of emergency response to situations and how those agencies integrated their efforts.

If we look at the current bill before the House, we will find that the federal government works in conjunction with its provincial and municipal partners upon request, and only upon request, and will respond directly to the urgency at hand.

The hon. member mentioned a particular translation into languages, et cetera. Of course the federal government would endeavour to work with all parties, municipalities as well as the provinces, to ensure that the appropriate authorities and instances that the government would be required to assist in would be addressed.

I bring her attention back to my address before the House when I mentioned the subway bombing in London and how quickly the Government of Canada was able to bring that kind of information to heighten the emergency preparedness intelligence network throughout Canada, in particular those in our mass transit systems, so they could take the appropriate action to secure the safety of the people using their services.

Those items have been addressed. Quite frankly, we are looking for a seamless integration, and Bill C-12 does that.

[Emergency Management Act, September 21st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for the speedy passage of Bill C-12, which would create a modern and effective emergency management act.

Like all Canadians, I am concerned by the prospect of a serious and far-reaching emergency, a threat to public health, for instance, like the world now faces from an avian influenza virus, or an attack on our mass transit system, such as those suffered by the people of London and Madrid. These are frightening scenarios, but we cannot afford to ignore them or to try to hide from them.

I am persuaded that the proposed new statutory framework would strengthen the capacity of the Government of Canada to work with partners in a way that would enhance the safety of Canadians in the face of all types of hazards, whether natural or intentional.

For all the heartbreak caused by the September 11 tragedy in the United States, we can at least say that countries like Canada drew important lessons from it. As a result of these sad events, Canada has taken many steps to better safeguard the lives, health and property of Canadians. For example, an all hazards emergency response system and the Government Operations Centre now provide round the clock monitoring and coordination in the event of an emergency.

In 2003, the outbreak of SARS put Canada's comprehensive emergency response capabilities to the test. Gaps and inadequacies became apparent. According to a study by the pre-eminent health care expert Dr. David Naylor, better cooperation and collaboration among jurisdictions involved in this emergency would have resulted in more seamless and effective interventions. Professor Naylor also called for better communication among officials and with the Canadian public.

This was sound advice for SARS and for other emergencies as well. In the event of a pandemic, for instance, the Canadian pandemic influenza plan, CPIP, would kick into action. This is a robust plan that provides sound technical and public health advice and has been praised by the World Health Organization as the first of its kind anywhere.

A strategy that builds on the CPIP is also required to address essential elements such as the protection of critical infrastructure, business continuity for government and the private sector, and economic and security considerations.

At this time, I would like to mention that I will be splitting my time with the member for Edmonton Centre.

To continue, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are co-chairing a deputy ministers' committee on pandemic and avian influenza planning. This committee is leading the coordination of efforts of 20 departments and agencies.

The Government of Canada is working toward raising Canada's level of preparedness for an avian and pandemic influenza. The strategy will highlight the need for a coordinated response across all levels of government, with international partners and key stakeholders, to help minimize the impact of an influenza pandemic on Canada.

In 2005, with the devastating effects of hurricane Katrina, Canada worked with the United States to provide relief for victims in more than one area. Canadians expect all levels of government to act together in responding to emergencies.

Let me give another example of this collaborative approach. An intelligence-sharing network has been put in place by Canada's Department of Transport, involving all the major rail and urban transit systems in our country. When the subway system in London was bombed by terrorists last July, this network kicked in. Information from relevant sources was being shared from the earliest possible moment with rail and mass transit across the country. As a result, security was immediately heightened within the Toronto transit system and elsewhere in Canada.

Rail and urban transit security will rely heavily on law enforcement and security information. To that end, the Government of Canada has initiated work to improve the readiness of Canada's urban transportation sector to respond rapidly to emergencies and to develop effective emergency plans. In times of crisis, it is essential that activities be coordinated. Our resources and expertise must be managed and deployed in the most effective way.

While always respecting the jurisdiction of all partners, the federal government has the experience, expertise and the necessary authority so that all players in an emergency have the information and resources they need to safeguard the well-being of Canadians, which brings me to the legislation before us.

The emergency management act proposed under Bill C-12 would further strengthen and integrate Canada's collective capacity to defend against all types of disasters and emergencies. Here is why.

The proposed statutory framework would put the public safety and emergency preparedness minister in a clear and unequivocal coordinating role for the Government of Canada. In particular, Bill C-12 sets out his authority. It also sets out his responsibility to coordinate all activities at the federal level and the spearhead interaction with the provincial, territorial and international emergency management authorities. The proposed law also provides for an integrated and coherent approach to emergency management across the Government of Canada through the application of standardized emergency management planning principles.

Another aspect of the proposed act, which I believe merits attention, relates to the protection of critical infrastructure. I am referring to health related installations such as hospitals, clinics, blood supply facilities, labs and pharmaceutical companies. I am also talking about transportation related infrastructure for rail, air, marine and surface vehicles, including those for mass transit.

There are many other sectors including finance, energy, food and agriculture, but to mention just one more, think only of the security of information and communications technologies, the computer systems that play a pivotal role in every facet of society. The bill before us would make federal ministers responsible for identifying risks to the critical infrastructure related to their portfolios and for incorporating these considerations into their emergency management plans.

People do not generally want to contemplate the prospects of serious emergency, like a bombing in our urban core or a pandemic flu outbreak, which the World Health Organization predicts could kill millions of people around the world. However, the government has no choice. It must think of such scenarios. It must accept that the threats are real and put in place the plans that would help Canadians pull through. The bill would enhance the federal government's ability to act as a collective force against modern threats.

For that reason, I urge my hon. colleagues to speed the bill through the legislative process.