Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed, as I always do, the speech from the member for Hamilton Mountain. She is a very passionate advocate for ordinary Canadian families. She pointed out that this is nothing less than a punch in the gut to seasonal workers and families that are just trying to get by, to make sure they have food on the table and to pay for their kids' education.

Transboundary Waters Protection Act  Mr. Speaker, the NDP is pleased to rise in the House to support Bill C-383. I would like to thank all of the Canadian activists who have been pushing for years to ensure that we do not have water exports or interbasin water transfers. Canadians across the country have been concerned about this.

Foreign Investment  Mr. Speaker, there are 18 days left on Nexen and the minister still refuses to respond to Canadians' concerns, including the following. CNOOC's chair was nominated in 2011 by the secretive organization department, confirmed by the Politburo and announced by the central committee.

Foreign Investment  Mr. Speaker, it is only 19 days until decision day on Nexen. The government does not have time to keep making stuff up in the House of Commons. It should be addressing the concerns of Canadians right here. Even CSIS has raised concerns about these types of takeovers. On page 19 of last Thursday's report, it states, “...certain state-owned enterprises...have pursued opaque agendas”...when they “seek to acquire control over strategic sectors of the Canadian economy, it can represent a threat to Canadian security interests”.

Foreign Takeovers  Mr. Speaker, instead of taking all this energy just to make stuff up, the government should invest energy in listening to Canadians. That is what it should be doing. The minister is refusing public consultations. He refuses to say how it will define a net benefit to Canada. He will not address CNOOC's human rights record or its history of oil spills and environmental devastation.

Foreign Takeovers  Mr. Speaker, it is now only 24 days until the deadline for the proposed takeover of Canadian Nexen by CNOOC. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation has poor environmental and human rights records and has left behind massive contaminated sites in Burma. Yesterday, the Minister of Industry had no answer for people concerned about this deal.

Foreign Investment  Mr. Speaker, a lesson we can give them is that instead of making stuff up in the House they should be consulting with Canadians outside of the House of Commons. Today, the Minister of State for Finance said this about the Nexen takeover, “I've heard many concerns, varying concerns, from my constituents”.

Foreign Investment  Mr. Speaker, it is 25 days until the review deadline for the proposed takeover of Nexen by CNOOC. Yesterday, when we asked the minister what steps he would be taking to clarify the net benefit to us there was no answer. We asked what they would be doing for public consultations but there was dead silence and no answer at all.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the anticipated arrival of debris on Canada's west coast from the 2011 Japanese (Tohoku) earthquake: (a) how has the government prepared for the arrival of the debris on the west coast of Canada; (b) does the government still expect a 2014 arrival date; (c) has the government created a contingency plan and, if so, what is it; (d) what are the current best estimates for the total cost of implementing this plan; (e) which federal departments or agencies are involved or are expected to become involved in this matter; (f) has an environmental impact assessment of the debris hitting the west coast (i) been conducted or (ii) currently being conducted or (iii) is there a plan for such an assessment in the works; (g) which provincial counterparts has the government been consulting with; (h) has the government liaised with the US federal government and/or any US states for coordinating a response plan and, if so, which states; (h) has the government allocated funding towards this problem and, if so, what is the amount; (i) which departments and other entities will be allocated these funds; and (j) does the government anticipate the arrival of any radioactive debris and, if so, what is its plan for mitigating the potential dangers of this debris?

Foreign Takeovers  Mr. Speaker, we know what is happening behind closed doors because the lobbyist registry shows extensive meetings between CNOOC lobbyists and the government. Canada's twelfth largest oil company is at stake and meeting with lobbyists is not consulting with Canadians. On this side, we believe Canadians must be consulted about this deal, about the impact on jobs and the economy and on our communities.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from hundreds of representatives throughout southern Ontario, Toronto and Hamilton. They are representatives for the hundred thousand strong Serbian community in Canada. The petitioners call upon the Canadian government to join with the European Union and the 25 European states that have waived visa requirements for Serbian visitors.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the last month has seen many major oil spills in Canada: a quarter of a million litre oil spill near Elk Point; a half million litre spill into the Red Deer River threatening the water supply; and nearly a million litres in northern Alberta. The Conservatives response has been to cut corners on reviewing the northern gateway pipeline.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives have actually done is given cabinet special powers, allowing Conservative politicians to override experts and scientists. There are words for this, it is wrong. The Conservatives are not only using their chainsaws on assessments, they are eviscerating the whole process.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to understand the bill, they should talk to Tom Siddon, John Fraser, former Conservative fisheries ministers, who agree with us, not with them. They believe this is a reckless and flawed bill. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has serious concerns about how the northern gateway and that pipeline would impact over 1,000 sensitive waterways.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, Canadians have learned the hard way that there are only two choices when it comes to environmental protection: be responsible and pay now or be irresponsible and pay later. Canadians will have to pay literally until the end of time for disasters ranging from the Sydney tar ponds to the contamination of Lake Erie.