Robert Sopuck

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, where does one start? It is hard to know. What the other side has to realize is that there is a real difference between environmental performance, environmental outcomes and environmental process. That bunch is so in love with process they do not understand that almost all of Canada's environmental indicators have improved markedly under our watch: sulphur dioxide, NO₂, protected land, water quality, and so on.

As an example from the member's constituency of environmental process that has run amok, I was a young biologist in the 1970s working on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. That 34-year environmental process resulted in no pipeline being built. We know how to build pipelines in an environmentally sound way and all those communities in the Western Arctic have the distinct possibility of remaining impoverished for the foreseeable future. That is what that environmental process has done. How can he defend it?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP's love affair with red tape and bureaucracies that generate no result never ceases to amaze me. In particular, I want to talk about the Navigable Waters Protection Act and ask my friend a specific question.

Under the old act, a rural municipality in my constituency was required to spend $700,000 on bridges across temporary waterways. The total budget for that municipality was $1.4 million. Thankfully, we were able to get that reversed.

Like my friend, I represent a rural constituency. Can he talk about his municipalities and counties' views on the changes that we have made to the Fisheries Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, one thing that astonishes me about the New Democrats is that they do not know anything about the environment. All they talk about is process.

Let me talk about our government's record. On our watch, sulphur dioxide emissions, nitrous oxide emissions and carbon dioxide emissions are down. We are number two in the world on water quality based on a 2010 UN report. We have doubled the amount of protected areas and environmental farm plans. Randle Reef is being cleaned up in Hamilton harbour. We have established new emission regulations.

We are actually doing something about the environment and all the New Democrats talk about is process. Why will they not focus on the environment?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. About a minute ago my hon. friend used an unparliamentary word during his speech. He used the word “lies” in referring to—

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, November 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, as a member of both the fisheries committee and the environment committee, I stand in this House and strongly defend the measures we have taken to reform and strengthen our environmental laws.

One of the things I am very curious about, however, is that the opposition parties never actually focus on the environment itself. All they focus on is protest, like environmental lawyers always do.

Let us look at what is actually happening to the environment, in our environment, on our watch: sulphur dioxide emissions are down, nitrous oxide emissions are down and carbon dioxide emissions are down. We are number two in the world in water quality based on a 2010 UNESCO report. We were in government when this report came out.

We have doubled the amount of protected areas. We have increased the number of environmental farm plans. Randle Reef in Hamilton harbour is getting fixed. I could go on and on with measurable environmental achievements. Why do the opposition parties not actually focus on measuring the environment itself?

[Holodomor, November 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, last week marked the 79th anniversary of the Holodomor genocide. I had the opportunity to commemorate this important event with my colleagues from all parties at a very moving ceremony right here on Parliament Hill.

The Holodomor embodies a period in which Stalin's Communist regime engineered a devastating famine on the Ukrainian people. Stalin's government ruthlessly confiscated supplies down to the very last seed, inciting food shortages across the land.

Soviet armed units surrounded the Ukrainian population in the Kuban region and Ukraine preventing the people from obtaining food in neighbouring Soviet regions. The result was death in the millions in what can only be described as one of the most horrific genocides in history.

I hope that every member was able to take a moment to remember the men, women and children lost in this tragedy.

[Member spoke in Ukrainian and provided the following translation:]

And to our brothers and sisters of the Holodomor, may their memory be eternal.

[Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act, November 7th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, one thing about the NDP that never ceases to amaze me is when it opposes free trade agreements with developing countries because it claims to be the party that helps the poor. However, its opposition to trade agreements with developing countries does nothing but keep those countries poor, which is really shameful on its behalf.

In terms of agriculture, I have the honour of representing the constituency that is the largest canola producing constituency in the country. I was very pleased to learn of the potential for the canola industry.

Would my hon. friend tell me about other markets for specialty agriculture products that may become available with this free trade agreement?

[New Democratic Party of Canada, October 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend my family and many of my constituents will prepare for the Halloween festivities. Canadians will head to their local farms and pick up pumpkins, to the grocery stores for candy and to the shopping centres for costumes. It is a spooky time of year, but always a fun time of year, one that many Canadians thoroughly enjoy.

Unfortunately, it can also be a costly time of year, which is why my family and constituents are thankful for the lower taxes our government has brought in since coming into office. That is why they would absolutely not want to see higher prices on these items because of the NDP's proposed carbon tax.

The NDP leader claims that his sneaky carbon tax scheme would bring in billions of dollars from Canadian taxpayers and fails to mention that it would also raise the price on everything we love about Halloween: the pumpkins, the candy and the costumes.

Why does the NDP want Canadian families to pay more for the things they love at this time of year?

[Business of Supply, October 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this is a pilot project to encourage EI claimants to pursue and accept all opportunities to work. We will always consider refinements to ensure it achieves these goals.

[Business of Supply, October 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, again, the key to economic development, economic growth, job creation and job retention is having a public policy environment in place that creates wealth and jobs.

It is interesting that opposition members voted against all the measures that we have put in place to help Canadian workers. They voted against the youth employment strategy, the EI hiring credit, the apprenticeship incentive grant, the targeted initiative for older workers, tax credits, the pan-Canadian framework for foreign credential recognition and the foreign credential recognition micro loans program. The list goes on and on. It is all about creating wealth.