Robert Sopuck

[The Budget, February 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honour to follow such an illustrious colleague as the member for Mississauga South. To pick up on her excellent comments, I would like to talk first on the issue of returning to a balanced budget.

Let us go back a few years. Prior to the recession, when the Conservative government took office, we paid down $37 billion of debt. That was a remarkable achievement. It allowed Canada to be very well prepared when the recession of 2008 hit. It allowed us to launch one of the largest infrastructure programs in Canadian history.

We deliberately went into a deficit of $55.6 billion at that point. However, we have a Prime Minister and a Minister of Finance who know what they are doing and who had a game plan to stimulate the Canadian economy at that time and then return to a balanced budget over time. That is exactly what has happened. It is exactly as predicted. The deficit this year will be in the range of $2.9 billion, and next year the surplus is expected to hit $6.4 billion.

I would like to give a little lesson to my NDP friends across the way on why eliminating the deficit is important. Why is a balanced budget important? It means that less taxpayer money is needed to pay interest on the debt. It helps keep interest rates low for Canadian families. Taxes are kept low. It signals stability to the rest of the world. It attracts investment to Canada, leading to a higher standard of living. It gives the government more flexibility to invest in and support job creation programs.

A balanced budget avoids the instability and draconian cuts seen in other parts of the world, such as Greece. As a grandparent myself, I see it avoids burdening our children and grandchildren with our debts. That is very important.

Our fiscal situation is the envy of the entire world. Canada's net debt is expected to remain the lowest by far of any G7 country. Japan's debt is incredible. Its net debt is 150% of its GDP, whereas Canada's is in the neighbourhood of about 35% to 40%. We have the lowest by far. That means Canada is in a very good position to weather any economic storms that might occur.

That is the big picture of what the budget would do for the entire country. Being a rural MP representing a large, remote, rural constituency, I tend to look at things through a rural lens. When I look at the measures for rural Canada in this budget, it is very clear to me that rural Canadians would be very well taken of by the government.

We have strong rural representation right across this caucus and right across the country. Approximately 65% of Canada's rural seats are held by Conservatives. Rural Canadians place their trust in us.

Let us talk about some of the measures. In western Canada, we now have livestock price insurance to mitigate risk for livestock producers. There is rural broadband expansion, with $305 million allocated. This has been wildly popular in my constituency, as I hear through phone calls and emails, and right across the country.

Let us talk about what the farm leadership is saying about our expansion of fast, reliable Internet across rural and remote areas of Canada. This is a quote from Mark Wales, an Elgin farmer and president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. He says that is a huge boon for farmers and small-town entrepreneurs, who will finally be able to do business in a way other Canadians take for granted. It is something they have been calling for, for a long time: full Internet service, much improved.

That is a promise made and a promise kept; end of story.

The growing forward program is continuing along. It has been a very successful program for agriculture right across the country.

Living next to a national park, as I do, almost right next to a national park, I was delighted to see the $390 million allocated to improving and protecting national park infrastructure. I would like to say to the constituents who are listening that I have already made my request known for what I would like to see happen.

I want to talk about a program that the member for Mississauga South referred to, the recreational fisheries conservation partnerships program. It has been increased. It started off as a $10 million program. It is now $15 million. It has been wildly successful. Last year, that program funded almost 100 fisheries conservation projects right across this country in partnership with dedicated angling conservation groups. That is true environmentalism. We do not just talk about the environment or about process; we actually get out there and do things on the ground to fix the problems that people see.

I would gladly debate that with anyone on the other side who talks about the environment. All they talk about is process, but we get things done. The Sydney tar ponds are being fixed up. Others include the Lake Simcoe watershed and Hamilton Harbour. It goes on and on. Problems are being dealt with. I defy any members opposite to name any environmental indicator in this country that has become worse on our watch. They are all getting better on our watch.

Let us talk about the interest-free loans for apprenticeships.

There is a labour shortage in my constituency. We have a booming oil industry, a burgeoning oil industry. We have a forestry industry. We need workers in the skilled trades. Our interest-free loan program for apprentices would fill that gap.

We have a major tourism industry in my constituency and across the country, and there is now $10 million allocated for recreational trails.

There is a $90 million investment for the forest industry. It is called the forest industry transformation program.

There is a national disaster mitigation program. We all know about the disastrous 2011 floods that Manitoba experienced, as well as the floods that occurred a couple of years ago in Alberta.

There is a Canada First Research Excellence Fund. As a person who represents an agricultural constituency, I take a keen interest in biotechnology and agricultural research. It is because of our government's funding of high-class research and of scientists that Canada's agriculture is and will continue to be world class.

Here is a nice little program that I think all members will agree with, our little program to remove red tape from the beer industry. There is a small microbrewery in my constituency that is starting to emerge. Members may have seen it on Dragon's Den a few weeks ago. The beer is called Farmery beer. There are two young lads who started this brand of beer. They were on Dragon's Den. They are neighbours and constituents of mine. I am so very proud of Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk and their Farmery beer.

That is a free commercial for those guys, and it is worth it. I am looking for great things to happen for them. I urge all members to try this beer if they have a chance. They should.

[The Budget, February 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend across the way continues the NDP's attack on oil sands workers and their families.

A recent study, entitled “Oilsands the giant of Canada's economy”, says that oil sands production supports more than 478,000 direct and indirect jobs. Why the member opposite is attacking these families is beyond me. The study also expects that government revenues from the total effect of oil sands investment in Canada will jump from $28 billion to $61 billion in 2025.

My question relates to a recent poll that said there is remarkable consensus about deficit reduction that crosses regional and party lines. Almost 60% of Canadians believe that the deficit should be eliminated before any increased spending occurs.

This is very surprising. The Harris/Decima poll also found that even among self-identified New Democrats, the split was 48 to 44 in favour of retiring any deficit before increasing spending.

Could the member opposite inform the House why he and his party are so offside with public opinion?

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the member's points were bogus. The point is that his party and the other party over there, over the decades, enabled Communist and left-wing regimes to thrive and prosper. Actually, they have a lot to atone for with what is happening today. The sooner they understand what they have done and what their parties have done and the sooner they realize what they need to do to atone for the crimes that they have enabled, the sooner we will be better off.

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, when I look at the Ukrainian people in Canada and reflect upon their accomplishments, I see that what they have done is remarkable. In my particular constituency, Ukrainian people are some of the best farmers in the area and some of the best business people. They are very hard-working and have a fierce attachment to property rights. The Ukrainian people have contributed mightily to what makes Canada survive.

[Ukraine, January 27th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, since our last take note debate on Ukraine on December 10, the situation has escalated to the point where Canada can no longer stand by without taking action. Canada was both shocked and disappointed when the Ukrainian government suddenly announced on November 21 that it would not pursue an association agreement and a deep and comprehensive free trade area with the European Union. This was an abrupt reversal from years of planning and earnest negotiations on the part of our European partners. As millions of Ukrainians agree, Canada believes that the Ukraine's future lies in a free Europe.

One day after our debate on December 10, the Ukraine authorities ordered the use of riot police against peaceful demonstrators in Kiev's market square. The Prime Minister issued a statement to express his deep concern regarding the use of force against Ukrainian citizens who were within their rights to protest and express their opinions. As protesters demonstrated in the hopes that it would change the future of their country and bring them closer to Europe, braving harsh winter conditions to stage 24-hour protests, President Yanukovych again blighted the Ukrainians' faith for a better future.

On December 17, President Yanukovych travelled to Russia to be with President Putin, where he accepted a $15 billion aid package along with reduced prices for natural gas.

Far from calming protesters, this deal had the opposite effect and massive rallies took place in Kiev and other parts of the Ukraine. University students and staff joined in the protests to express their discontent, but Ukrainian officials attempted to apply pressure on the administration students of the Ukrainian Catholic universities across the country, and Ambassador Bennett, Canada's ambassador for religious freedom, issued a statement to express his concern about these attacks on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religious educational institutions to operate without undue interference.

As the holidays settled in and a sense of calm took over the main square in Kiev, a prominent Ukrainian activist and journalist, Tatiana Chornovil, was ruthlessly beaten to the point of disfigurement. Ms. Chornovil now requires reconstructive surgery because of the severe beatings that were inflicted upon her. Once again, this move inflamed Ukrainian protesters and revived their determination to fight against oppression and violence.

Instead of showing any willingness to diffuse the situation and negotiate with the Ukrainian citizens, Mr. Yanukovych opted to enact new laws that introduced criminal liabilities for seizing or occupying buildings.

On January 11, Yuri Lutsenko, former minister of the interior, was injured in clashes between police and anti-government activists as he tried to diffuse the situation.

On January 16, the situation in the Ukraine took a decisive turn for the worse when a series of repressive laws was rushed through parliament without a proper vote. These laws substantially limit the rights and freedoms of Ukrainians, constrain independent media and inhibit the operation of non-government organizations. These laws also give new powers to the police and security services. Despite their unconstitutionality, President Yanukovych signed these laws the next day.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed Canada's deep concerns about the new draconian laws. He called on the Ukrainian government to reverse its decision on legislation that would give the government tools to control its population and thwart democratic expression, a situation our minister called completely unacceptable. He said that Canada was ready and prepared to consider all options to make clear on whose side we stand.

Canada condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of protestors in Ukraine. The deputy minister of foreign affairs called in the Ukrainian ambassador to express Canada's condemnation of the violence used by Ukrainian security forces. The minister stated that continued violence would further undermine democracy and freedom in Ukraine and bring serious consequences. The unrest has now spread well beyond the capital into other parts of Ukraine, with no end in sight.

Even as President Yanukovych attempted to negotiate with the opposition and made several important concessions—the first ones to date, actually—for the Ukrainians these were too little too late. Ukrainians have made it clear that they will accept no less than the dismissal of the cabinet of ministers and early elections.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also sent Canada's ambassador for religious freedom to Ukraine this past weekend to express our ongoing concerns about the violations of basic freedoms and reinforced Canada's commitment to the Ukrainian people.

While Kiev is under a fragile truce, it is clear that the situation has evolved to the point of no return. Ukrainians have taken a stance for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

I should make the point that my constituency of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette has one of the highest populations of people of Ukrainian descent in the entire country, and my constituents are deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine. They have been watching the situation unfold in Ukraine with increasing angst. Although they are proud of the stance Canada has taken vis-à-vis the deplorable acts of the Ukrainian government, they have made it clear that they expect Canada to hold individuals responsible for the oppression and violence, accountable for their actions.

I would make the point also that I am a child of the 1960s. I remember 1968 when the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia. I am of Czech extraction and my family living in Winnipeg took in refugees from the Czech Republic at that time. So I have a deep and a visceral commitment to the freedom of people of eastern Europe.

Again, when I see what is going on in Ukraine, I am deeply troubled, not just from a political perspective but from a personal perspective. The Government of Canada is determined to continue to assist the Ukrainian people in achieving their aspirations for a fully free and democratic society, while helping to transform Ukraine's economy into a more transparent, rules-based and liberalized marketplace, better equipped to integrate with a more diversified global economy.

The Government of Canada has also made it clear that the actions of the Ukrainian officials responsible for the violence and repressions will not go unpunished.

I should also make the point that I am very proud to be a part of a caucus that has a member like the member for Mississauga East—Cooksville. The member fought on the side of solidarity in Poland. The member has skin in the game. The member has blood in the game, like many of us on this side of the House, and we are deeply concerned about what is happening in eastern Europe. For us, as I said, this is not political; it is visceral.

Our Canadian values and our deep and long-standing friendship with the Ukrainian people demand nothing less of us.

[Situation in Ukraine, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Chair, the rule of law is critical to the development of diplomatic ties, trade ties and industrial ties. The rule of law ensures that contracts are enforced. I know that in Ukraine, the economic development and economic ties with Canada are critically important. We can only have economic ties when company to company negotiations can take place. Under the rule of law, contracts will be respected and the economic job will be done.

That is why what my hon. friend has asked is so very important. It is the rule of law.

[Situation in Ukraine, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Chair, even though we may be opposite sides of the House, I have enormous respect for the member and what he does.

Canada, with 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent, has the third largest Ukrainian population in the world, after Ukraine and Russia. People have an extraordinary level of interest in what is going on in Ukraine and it is reciprocated.

I sat in on a meeting of the foreign affairs committee and I asked the delegation what the Ukrainian government thought of what Canada thought. It is extraordinary the influence we have there. We have to use it.

We can never lose sight of our principles, where we came from, what matters and what counts: freedom, democracy and the rule of law. We stand for that.

[Situation in Ukraine, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Chair, I disagree. The truth never destroys anything. I am very glad that the other side has now come over to our side, but history cannot be forgotten. History must be remembered and the people must be remembered.

[Situation in Ukraine, December 10th, 2013]

Mr. Chair, this is a very emotional debate for me personally. I am of eastern European descent. My father was born in Czechoslovakia, my mother was born in Poland, and I remember the Prague Spring of 1968. I remember being a young Czech lad in Winnipeg. My father being the treasurer of the Czecho-Slovak Benevolent Association, we hosted Czech refugees in Winnipeg when the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia.

Of course, since I was a teenager at the time, the import of this and how important it was really did not sink in. It is only now, as one of the two people of Czech extraction ever to be in the Canadian Parliament, I realize what a significant event that was.

From that point on, tyranny was something that I abhorred and freedom was something that I revered.

When I look at what has happened to Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic and Slovakia after the Velvet Divorce, and I look at Poland, and I remember that half of the Berlin Wall fell, I see that two and then three countries managed that transition very well. Those three countries are now functioning democracies. They have their issues and their problems, but they are run by the rule of law and democracy.

I visited the Czech Republic a couple of years ago. I was struck by the progress that country has made. It has joined the European family, joined the democratic world, joined with participating in free trade and free markets. The Czech Republic's technology is remarkable, and Slovakia is now the European leader in automobile production per capita, which is something that I did not know.

Therefore, when I look at the success of those three countries, I ask myself what happened to Ukraine. Why has Ukraine devolved into what it is now?

It is not that the people are not innovative. It is not that the people are not productive. It is not that the land is not productive. It is not that there are no energy resources. Ukraine has everything to make itself a successful and functioning democracy.

I should make the point of how proud I am as a member of this particular Conservative caucus to have people like the member for Mississauga East—Cooksville, who fought with Solidarity in Poland, and the member for Etobicoke Centre, who fought in Bosnia against tyranny. That is a track record this side of the House has that few others have. I am very proud to be part of a caucus with those two individuals and others.

I must say that I listened to the other side. As a person of east European background, I hear their fine words. They all sound good. However, people on that particular side of the political spectrum were the enablers of Communism for all those many years. They had writers like Walter Duranty lauding Stalin.

I may believe that the other side now has had a change of heart, but deep down inside I am suspicious. They have a lot to atone for and they have not atoned for it.

I think they are just riding on the coattails of this issue. I am happy to have their support, and it all sounds good, but they need to look at their heart of hearts and search where they and their parties came from. They need to think about it.

The promise of Ukraine is, as I said, remarkable. It has the land, it has the energy, it has the resources, but because of where it is located and because of its proximity to Russia, it is, as the saying goes, caught between a rock and a hard place. The tragedy, quite frankly, is epic.

My constituency has the largest population of Ukrainians in Canada. They make up roughly 35% of my constituency. When I look at what the Ukrainians in my constituency have done, it is truly remarkable. They are successful farmers, successful small business people. We have lovingly maintained churches that maintain the Ukrainian culture. In the Ukrainian museums in my constituency, the poems of Taras Shevchenko still resonate among the people there.

There are monuments to the Holodomor, the grotesque villainy that was visited upon Ukraine by Stalin.

Again, I look at Ukraine. I am very proud of the Conservative government and our Prime Minister. I am very proud of the fight that the Ukrainian people are fighting right now. Ukraine needs to belong to Europe.

[Foreign Affairs, December 9th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians just cannot trust the NDP to stand up for what is right on the world stage.

On Friday, when our Minister of Foreign Affairs and other foreign ministers visited the peaceful demonstrators in Ukraine's Independence Square, the member for Ottawa Centre said, “Joining the protest signals that you are on one side”.

Unlike the moral relativism we too often see from the NDP, on this side of the House we stand for a principled foreign policy.

The NDP critic also said he wanted the Minister of Foreign Affairs to explain why he talked to these brave Ukrainian demonstrators. Would the minister tell the House now?