Diane Whalen  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Hon. Diane Whalen, a former colleague in the legislature of Newfoundland and Labrador, who passed away on October 3 after a courageous battle with cancer. She is being laid to rest today. As colleagues in the provincial legislature, I saw Diane work diligently as a member of the House of Assembly and a cabinet minister.

Lighthouses  Mr. Speaker, it is obvious when it comes to wasting money that the Conservative government knows no limits. Waste, not safety, is the name of the game. While the government was telling lighthouse keepers in Newfoundland and Labrador they were no longer needed, it was spending money on a fake lighthouse and a fake lake.

Lighthouses  Mr. Speaker, it is only the minister and the government who are asking for a review. It is not only in Newfoundland and Labrador where the current government is playing with people's lives. The International Ship-Owners Alliance of Canada has said the government must stop any move to automate lighthouses.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of 1,100 MS patients in Newfoundland and Labrador; of course, we know there are many more throughout the country. This petition is signed by people throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. They are calling on the government to make it possible for MS patients throughout the country to avail themselves of the liberation treatment.

Newfoundland and Labrador  Mr. Speaker, seeing images on TV of the destruction that hurricane Igor inflicted on Newfoundland and Labrador is one thing but seeing it first-hand, as I did this weekend, hits home the seriousness of the situation. As rivers and ponds overflowed and the rush of water could not be handled by the culverts, homes flooded, cars were submerged, roads disappeared, bridges collapsed and some people lost everything.

Government Advertising  Mr. Speaker, today we learn that the Conservative government actually spent a record $130 million on TV and radio ads. That is a whopping 215% increase in advertising spending since 2006. Worse still, the minister claims this was for H1N1 prevention, when we know that $50 million alone was spent on economic action plan ads which provided no useful information for Canadians.

Government Advertising  Mr. Speaker, worse still, the government's own polling data shows that when it came to informing Canadians, their ad campaign was a total failure. Of the Canadians who recall seeing the workers ad, for example, fully 93% said they were useless. Given that their own evaluation is such a disaster, how can the Conservatives look pensioners in the eye when they are shamelessly blowing their hard-earned money?

Questions on the Order Paper  With respect to the new Aquatic Science Research Laboratory, officially opened at the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans on June 11, 2010: (a) how many of the scientists who have retired over the past 10 years at Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre have been replaced; (b) has the Department of Fisheries and Oceans replaced any of the research specialists for cod, shrimp, lobster, yellowtail, capelin, scallops and turbot who have retired from the Centre over the past 15 years and, if yes, how many and which specialists have been replaced; (c) when will the Science Library at the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre reopen; (d) when will the Newfoundland-based research trawl vessel the Templeman be returned to use; (e) which research programs have been cut because of a shift in priorities by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to the new ecosystem-based approach; (f) how many researchers and scientists are working on the ecosystem-based approach to management; (g) how many trained technicians are currently employed to go to sea to collect data; (h) what is being done to replace the technicians who were originally hired at extension of jurisdiction and who are now reaching retirement age; and (i) are scientists at the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre permitted to speak to the media without prior permission from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans?

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With respect to the new National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, announced by the Ministers of Defence and Public Works and Government Services on June 3, 2010: (a) how many new jobs are expected to be created through the new strategy; (b) when will the two shipyards be selected for the construction of combat and non-combat vessels; (c) had the Washington Marine Group, of British Columbia, and Irving Group, of Nova Scotia, been asked by the federal government to make a submission to become the centre of excellence for large combat shipbuilding in Canada prior to the announcement of the strategy, as reported by the Vice President of Washington Marine Group John Shaw; (d) has the Davie Shipyard in Québec City already been chosen to build the non-combat ships that will be built under the strategy; (e) what shipyards in the country are capable of being a centre of excellence in shipbuilding; (f) what are the criteria that will be used to determine if a shipyard will be chosen as a centre of excellence in shipbuilding; (g) is it necessary to be a member of the National Shipbuilders’ Association to make a submission or to qualify to be a centre of excellence in shipbuilding; (h) what are the details regarding the fairness monitor and the independent third party experts’ participation in the selection process for the establishment of the long-term strategic relationship with two Canadian shipyards; (i) what are the Canadian shipyards that have received federal government contracts for the construction of combat and non-combat vessels over the past 20 years; and (j) what smaller ships will be set aside for competitive procurement?

Honorary Naval Captain  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a former resident of Harbour Breton, a community in the riding of Random—Burin—St. George's. Captain Sid Hynes who, early in his career, distinguished himself as a marine captain, has also proven to be equally adept as a captain of business.

Lighthouses  Mr. Speaker, the current government is using the new Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act to offload historical buildings. The wholesale dumping of lighthouses shows a complete disregard for these iconic structures. Instead of protecting lighthouses, the government is identifying those it considers surplus and is expecting others to take responsibility for them.

Questions on the Order Paper  With respect to the New Veterans Charter, does Veterans Affairs Canada experience a cost-savings associated with the granting of the lump-sum Disability Award and Death Benefit, as compared to other longer-term assistance measures such as, but not limited to, the disability pension and health care benefits?

Questions on the Order Paper  With respect to the new Veterans Charter and the tax-free, lump-sum Disability Award and Death Benefit for fiscal years 2005-2006 to 2008-2009: (a) how many Disability Award or Death Benefit files have been forwarded to the Deputy Minister or Minister of Veterans Affairs' because of problems associated with the lump-sum payment; (b) how many recipients of the lump-sum Disability Award or the Death Benefit filed a complaint with the department about the lump-sum payment; (c) after receiving a lump-sum payment, how many recipients or their dependants have requested additional funds; and (d) has Veterans Affairs Canada reviewed or evaluated the lump-sum Disability Award and Death Benefit programs and, if so, what findings or conclusions have been made?

G8 and G20 Summits  Mr. Speaker, we all are hearing from our constituents how angry they are that the government has allowed the summit costs to balloon to over $1 billion. They know this all goes back to the costly political decision to have two summit sites. The government now plans to hold a meeting of 18 world leaders in Muskoka when it claimed it was impossible to host 20 leaders without spending half a billion dollars more for a separate site in Toronto.

G8 and G20 Summits  Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board is so lost for ideas on how to cut the Conservative deficit that he is holding a contest. Here is a free tip for him: he should drain the lake. That will save him $2 million alone. The Minister of Natural Resources says that spending $1 billion to build a 50 year reactor for isotopes for cancer patients is “irresponsible”.