Ryan Leef

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, March 6th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I think the minister has made his point quite clearly.

As members of the Canadian public reflect back on Hansard, they will see clearly that members of opposition have taken an opportunity to engage in this debate. One after another, they are not talking about the substance of this bill. They are talking about process, not content.

The only questions that have involved the content of this bill at all have come from members on this side. On that note, I would like to ask the minister what he has heard. I can share the experience of the Yukon's “Sharing Common Ground” report, and the review of Yukon's police force asks for some very specific things, which are reflected directly in this bill in terms of accountability and in terms of improving the RCMP.

I was wondering if the minister would take an opportunity to comment on what he has heard across all provinces, particularly the Yukon experience, and how this bill is going to help that territory with its relationship with the RCMP?

[Yukon, March 1st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, February may be the dead of winter, but that does not slow Yukoners down. The Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race celebrated its 30th year. Congratulations to the dedicated volunteers and organizers who have made this race a world-renowned success year after year. I would also like to recognize the athletes, both the drivers and the dogs, who endure the world's toughest sled dog race.

Earlier in the month Michael Sumner, Yukon's own Special Olympian figure skater, won the silver medal at the world championships in Korea. It was a pleasure for me to award Michael the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for being such an awesome ambassador for athletes, for Yukon and for Canada.

Last week we enjoyed the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival. Congratulations to Kim Solonick, this year's Rendezvous Queen as Miss Ecofor Consulting. Congratulations, Kim.

Rendezvous is our mid-winter festival and the only legal cure for cabin fever blues. We have broken the back of winter. Spring is on the way.

[Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act, March 1st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, many of our bills focus directly on the rights of victims. Our government is moving closer to recognizing that victims are an important part of the Canadian justice system, and we want to make sure they are adequately protected.

I am wondering if the minister could talk about what the bill would do in terms of taking care of and protecting victims, and maybe what he has heard victims say about this legislation.

[Business of Supply, February 14th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I will be pleased to stand in the House and support the motion when that time comes.

Could the member comment on some of the work that I know is happening in Yukon territory with the “Sharing Common Ground” police report that came out and the progress of that report? I am encouraged to see the progress report demonstrating that women's organizations have been getting together to ensure they are able to meet some of the needs of the “Sharing Common Ground” recommendations, including coalition member organizations like the Women's Transition Home Society, Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre, Whitehorse Aboriginal Women's Circle, Yukon Aboriginal Women's Council, the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society, Les EssentiElles and Yukon Status of Women Council. These are a few examples of the groups that are getting together to meet the needs of that report. The Government of Canada has had a significant role in that. It is a good news story and a good news model in the territory that is being followed.

Could my hon. colleague comment on some of those things?

[Business of Supply, February 14th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague mentioned in his speech that the parliamentary secretary largely talked about, in his opinion, things that happen after a crime has been committed. The parliamentary secretary was pretty clear in asking the opposition about real matrimonial property rights for first nations women and the impact it would have on reducing poverty. The parliamentary secretary asked the opposition why it would not support it, knowing that poverty is a root cause of social inequity and thus a root cause of victimization.

I would ask my hon. colleague to stand and please explain why his party would not support that kind of thing, knowing where it leads. Our government is bringing these kinds of initiatives forward to deal with these things before crime happens and before people are impacted.

[New Democratic Party of Canada, February 12th, 2013]

That is right; they heard him make this promise as the leader campaigned for the leadership of his party. On this side of the House, we know Canadians cannot afford any carbon tax that would increase the cost of gas, groceries, electricity and everything else in the north. That is why we will spend every day reminding Canadians and reminding Yukoners that the NDP has a dangerous plan that would affect our economic stability.

[New Democratic Party of Canada, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Premier of the Yukon and Yukon caucus colleagues were in Ottawa to celebrate our great territory and the clear and close partnership the governments of Yukon and of Canada have, marked by record levels of transfer payments, health transfer payments, a historic resource revenue-sharing agreement, increased territorial borrowing limits and a common belief that the north's time has come.

The other common belief is our opposition to the NDP leader's $21 billion job-killing carbon tax.

[Enhancing Royal Canadian Mounted Police Accountability Act, February 12th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition has brought up a few points in terms of wanting to stop sexual harassment but it is not going to vote for a tool that would allow the commissioner to do just that. The opposition has selected a few key phrases that were critical to highlight in the testimony, but then did not articulate the remainder of the follow-up questions that came from our committee.

Each and every witness who testified before committee acknowledged clearly that the legislation was a good starting point. I will acknowledge that they did raise some concerns. However, it is written right here in the bill. The act is “to establish the responsibilities of members;...to provide for the establishment of a Code of Conduct that emphasizes the importance of maintaining the public trust and reinforces the high standard of conduct expected of members”. Each and every witness said the proof will come in the administration, the policy development and the regulatory development, not in prescriptive measures within the act. They are very supportive of the bill. They are looking forward to the administrative, operational, policy development and regulatory development. All of them are hopeful for that.

Why would the NDP vote against a positive framework that each and every witness supported?

[Safer Witnesses Act, February 11th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her support of this bill.

We have heard a couple of times, and again in the member's speech, that resources are going to be an important factor in dealing with this program. However, there is one thing that has been missed in all the presentations by members of the opposition. That is that appropriate sanctioning and sentencing is also a key element. While our government has moved forward in Bill C-10 to put in meaningful sentences and sanctions for people who commit crimes, the faster removal of foreign criminals act and other like legislation, those are the kinds of things, partnered with resources, that encourage witnesses to come out.

I know, as a front-line police officer dealing with victims and witnesses, that if I am a witness, and I do not think there is a substantial likelihood of the person getting any meaningful conviction, I am not likely to move forward as a witness to testify. It is not solely the resources that need to be put forward; it is meaningful sentences. Our government is doing that.

Instead of continually pounding on the government to throw more money at it, I wonder if the member will support future bills our government puts forward to make sure that this important element of protecting witnesses and victims is covered and that we actually complete the circle by providing meaningful, appropriate sentences for people committing crimes, .

[Safer Witnesses Act, February 11th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we are having a wonderful history lesson here, so I thought I would chime in on this. I remember back in 1998, as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police academy, under the leadership of the then Liberal government, we were told that the depot would be closed, that there would be no more recruiting of police officers. That is why into the future our government had to bring in the recruitment fund to deal with the major gap in policing numbers. The Liberals did that during a time when we knew that two-thirds of Canadian police officers were about to face retirement age, so there was absolutely no forethought or planning in that. Thank goodness we were able to recover that.

Let us skip ahead. In 2011, our government introduced crime prevention programs. The Liberal members voted against 138 grassroots projects, including in Winnipeg, in which 16,000 youth have participated.

I just thought I would add my two cents' worth into that wonderful history lesson we were having.