//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1020)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to my colleague's remarks and I want to remind the House and Canadians about the process that was followed.Mr. Speaker, you referred this issue to the procedure and House affairs committee. You said it was a prima facie breach of privilege, which means on the surface it appeared there was a breach of privilege. I had the honour and privilege of sitting on that committee during a constituency week when members should have been back in their ridings. We listened to some great input in committee. We heard from Mel Cappe, a number of ministers, and many other witnesses during the two days of hearings, and then a third day for another matter.The problem is that the decisions of that committee, which should have been made after the input was received, were made long before the committee ever met. At the end, the committee was presented with the demands of the coalition opposition, one of which was that there would be a maximum of two pages in the report, two days of hearings and two pages in the report. It is unbelievable.What is worse, the coalition demanded that there be no summary of evidence presented at the meetings to the House of Commons. We can talk about democracy and the contempt of parliamentary process, but I would ask my hon. colleague this question. If we do not provide information on the process that the procedure and House affairs committee went through for three days here in Ottawa, is it not a contempt of the parliamentary privilege of the members of the House?Business of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsPrima facie breach of privilegeStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1030)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague from Carleton—Mississippi Mills, the chief government whip.I rise today to speak to the motion introduced by the Leader of the Opposition on a matter of non-confidence in the government.I wish I could say I am pleased to make this speech today, but I am not. In fact, I am saddened that a Parliament, which has accomplished a lot recently, will come to an end because of the reckless actions of the Liberal, Bloc Québécois and NDP coalition in forcing an unwanted and unnecessary election on Canadians.Yesterday, I listed 10 important government bills which had received royal assent this week, bills like Bill S-6 to eliminate the faint hope clause, Bill C-48 to eliminate sentencing discounts for multiple murderers and Bill C-59 to get rid of early parole for white-collar fraudsters, a bill the Liberal leader opposed. That was a very positive week.We also tried to pass important bills like Bill C-49, which would crack down on human smugglers and those who would take advantage of our generous immigration laws, and Bill S-10, which would get tough on drug dealers and date rape artists who would target our youth. I stood in this place just yesterday and asked for those bills to be passed. What was the response from the opposition coalition in passing these bills? No. No to getting tough on human smugglers. No to getting tough on drug dealers.Instead, we find ourselves here today faced with the most partisan of attacks from an opposition coalition bent on defeating this government at all costs.I know the Liberal members over there claim that the government was found to have done something wrong. What they are not telling Canadians is that this was an opposition-stacked committee that used the tyranny of the majority to get the predetermined outcome it wanted. Let us be clear. It was predetermined. After all, the members for Kings—Hants, Ottawa South, Joliette and Acadie—Bathurst said so in the media.In my speech I could focus on all the abuses of parliamentary democracy and the absolute contempt that the opposition demonstrated, not just at that committee but on virtually every other committee of the House in overruling chairs, in making political decisions, ignoring the rules of this place, and on and on.One may ask why we have never heard about these things. It is because the opposition coalition has a majority on every committee. Its members were the ones who demonstrated real contempt for Parliament, and they will have to answer to the Canadian people for that.Let us be clear about what this vote of non-confidence is really about. It is a vote against the next phase of Canada's economic action plan. It is a vote against our low tax plan for jobs and economic growth. It is a vote against hard-working Canadians and their families. It is a vote that will weaken Canada's economic recovery.(1035)[Translation]It is a vote against the budget. It is a vote against our plan.[English]Let us be clear. The latest phase of Canada's economic action plan encourages owners of small businesses to hire more people. It provides potential employees with new opportunities to train and to hone those skills. It invests in innovation. It lays the groundwork for private sector growth to replace government stimulus. This is good for all Canadians in every region of our great country from coast to coast to coast.For seniors across Canada, I am proud to report that our government is delivering once again. For the poorest of seniors, we are providing an important hike to the guaranteed income supplement. For people caring for infirm loved ones, we are providing support in the form of a $2,000 tax relief credit. For the many public servants who make their homes in my riding, we are providing a guarantee that we will not slash programs and eliminate jobs as the Liberals did in the mid-1990s. Instead, we will provide a strategic review to enhance efficiency and reduce overall overhead with minimal impact on service to Canadians.I was pleased to see included a request from the Canadian fire chiefs to provide for our volunteer firefighters. Next week we could be enacting that tax credit in law, but it will not happen because of the Liberal-led coalition.I hope Canadian colleges and universities will drive innovation and help Canada forge closer ties with promising markets like India's. Carleton University made a great proposal to do just that, but it will have to wait. We will certainly be supporting our students in new ways. I am especially proud to say that our government is providing real support to people who find their pensions at risk because their employer goes bankrupt. The budget would provide at least some help from the federal government to the former Nortel workers, despite the fact their pension plans were provincially regulated. It is something. Unlike previous but misguided efforts in this place, this will not hurt Canadian businesses.In short, Canada's economic action plan is another huge help for people in my riding of Ottawa West—Nepean. It will be a huge help to my home province of Ontario. We are working closely with the government of Dalton McGuinty to cut corporate taxes to make Ontario and Canada a magnet for jobs, investment and opportunity. It will be a huge help from coast to coast to coast right across our great country. It will help secure our economic recovery. It will help create jobs and it will support all Canadians.By voting against this motion of non-confidence in our government, the opposition coalition can stop this unnecessary and unwanted election later today. I want to urge the opposition to reconsider its support for an unnecessary and costly election. I hope it will vote for the things Canadians find truly important, for the measures that will help so many right across the country.I move:MotionThat this question be now put.Business of supplyC-49, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Marine Transportation Security ActCanada's Economic Action PlanConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentLegislationMotionsNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsPrevious questionStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1040)[English]Mr. Speaker, what the Liberal Party is doing today is the first act in a reckless coalition with the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois.Let me say, particularly to the member for Toronto Centre and very directly, we have seen what bringing the NDP members into the cabinet room in Ontario can do. They over-governed Ontario. They over-regulated in Ontario. They killed jobs. They killed opportunities. Most importantly, wherever the NDP has been in power, it has stolen the soul of the Canadian dream, the soul of the Canadian people.We will not allow opposition members to do it lightly. We will take our case to the Canadian people and say that this reckless coalition is wrong for Canada, bad for the Canadian economy and bad for Canadian jobs. Simply put, we will not let them get away with it.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentEmployment opportunitiesNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1045)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have great regard and great respect for the member for Vancouver East.However, if she wants to talk about the record of the government, let me be succinct, 19 months, 480,000 net new jobs. That is the priority of Canadians. That is what they sent us here to do. That is the job that we want to move forward with, with the next phase of Canada's economic action plan.We can start on that path. We can start on Monday, or we can start it in two months, but we are committed to jobs, the economy and economic growth.Business of supplyCanada's Economic Action PlanConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsGordonO'ConnorHon.Carleton—Mississippi Mills//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): (1045)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to a motion put forward by the leader of the opposition. I must state at the outset that I find it strange that we are debating this motion when the Liberal member for Kings—Hants introduced a motion in the House two days ago relating to the same matter.Why did he do that? He did it to avoid debate on the issues that matter to Canadians. He did it to avoid debate on the excellent budget that was introduced by the Minister of Finance and our government. He did it to avoid having a vote on the budget that is in the best interests of Canadians, including his own constituents. That is shameful.The Liberals, Bloc Québécois and NDP coalition have been caught up in political and partisan games at the expense of the best interests of Canadians. We have seen them time and time again play these games both in the House and in committees. They are the ones who have contempt for this House and for Canadians by forcing an unwanted, unnecessary election. I suppose we should expect nothing less from them.Let me address the report from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. It is a report that in no way reflects the committee's hearings. Despite receiving all of the information requested and hearing clear, reasonable testimony from ministers, public servants and independent experts, opposition members were determined to rig the outcome of the committee hearings. It was a true kangaroo court.However, they were not content with that alone. Now they want to act as judge and jury for the Minister of International Cooperation. They want to use their tyranny of the majority to find her guilty when the evidence from committee shows quite the opposite. There is nothing so blind as a closed mind.Let me speak for a minute about the Liberals. The Liberal Party should not be speaking about ethics. This is the same party that stole $40 million from Canadians. While it paid back a measly amount, much of it remains unaccounted for. I understand that 13 ridings benefited from this scandal. That is a lot of envelopes filled with tainted money funnelled through back doors of the Liberal Party. I ask the Liberals, where is the $40 million? When one is asked, “What first comes to your mind when you hear Liberal at the federal level?”, the answer certainly is not ethics. The answer is corruption.The Liberal plan is tainted. This is the ad scam party that opposes laws that would prevent drug dealers from targeting children outside their schools. This is the ad scam party that opposes laws to end early parole for criminals who prey on seniors who have worked all their lives to comfortably retire. This is the ad scam party whose own members cannot even play by the rules. They want to talk about ethics.When the Liberal immigration critic said that calling so-called honour killings barbaric went too far, what did the leader do? Nothing.When one of its members was charged with a criminal offence, what did its leader do? Nothing.That is some ethics.Now I turn to the Bloc. Who do the Liberals want to form a coalition with? The Bloc Québécois, a party whose primary goal is to stand against Canada, a party whose members, like the member for Sherbrooke, have attended events and fundraisers organized by the RRQ, a group that includes neo-FLQ terrorists, a party whose policies are all about metropolitan Montreal, forgetting the regions of Quebec.It is our Conservative government that has delivered for every part of Canada and every region of Quebec.We gave Quebec a seat at the UNESCO table.We recognized “les Québécois” as a nation within a united Canada.We have delivered on the infrastructure priorities of Quebec's towns and cities.We have celebrated Quebec's history and culture, including Quebec's 400th anniversary celebrations.The Bloc Québécois is purely trying to distract Quebeckers from the fact they have done and can do nothing for the province of Quebec.It voted against our world leading economic action plan.It voted against opening trade with the world for Quebec businesses.It also voted against legislation that would impose mandatory minimum sentences for people convicted of child trafficking.Bloc members sit in the House and collect their salaries. They sit in the House and will collect their pensions, yet they do nothing for Quebec. It is shameful.(1050)The NDP members support an opportunist election that would not only kill the government's legislation, but also the legislation they have introduced. They would stop a bill that would provide low-cost drugs to Africa, a bill the member for Ottawa Centre now sponsors. They clearly planned on campaigning on the introduction of their private members' bills, but not on the passage of these bills. How is that for ethics.Why would they introduce legislation they do not care about? Probably for the same reason they invited media to tour their war room a few months ago. They have obviously been scheming with their coalition partners for this election for months. The same plan they revealed to Canadians in 2008, a coalition with Liberals in the driver's seat, the NDP spending taxpayers' money with abandon and the Bloc Québécois with a veto on every policy of the coalition.When it comes to following up on promises, the NDP cannot be trusted. An example is the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore, who flip-flopped on his position on the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry when it came down to the final vote. The minute that his vote would make a real difference for law-abiding duck hunters and farmers in this country, what did he do? He jumped ship. He turned tail. He is not the only one. The members for Welland, Sudbury, Timmins—James Bay, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing and Nickel Belt all flipped their votes. I hope their voters will flip them.How can seniors and families in their ridings trust them to make the best decisions when they flip-flop on policy because parts of their caucus are worried about losing their seats? I do not want to hear them talk about misleading. What they have done is misleading their constituents. I believe that we have accomplished a lot in this session. Just this week, 12 new laws have been granted royal assent. These new laws are repealing the faint hope clause, cracking down on crooked consultants and protecting children from online sexual exploitation. Unlike the other parties, our Conservative government is here to make Parliament work, and there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.The motion before us makes a mockery of Parliament. Canadians expect and deserve better. For the last five years we have delivered. We have steered Canada through the great recession. We have cut all forms of taxes the government collects. We provided seniors with pension income splitting. We reduced the GST from 7% to 6% to 5%. We introduced important tax credits: the Canada employment credit, the work income tax benefit, the child tax credit. The budget before the House goes even further while making targeted investments in people and our economy.The other parties have no plans and no ideas to offer, so they resort to smear and slander. We have witnessed committees they control turned into kangaroo courts. We have seen them use the cover of privilege to try to convict the innocent. We are now seeing them force an unwanted election on Canadians and mislead them about their intent to form a coalition of the Liberal Party, the Bloc Québécois and the NDP.One last jarring thought: If the coalition were to come about following the election, picture the Bloc in charge of public security, the NDP in charge of finance and the Liberals in charge of accountability. God help Canada. But enough fiction. Canadians are smarter than that. They can count on a Conservative government to stand up for their priorities and stand up for Canada.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentFirearms registryGoods and services taxLegislationNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanBrianMurphyMoncton—Riverview—Dieppe//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1055)[English]Mr. Speaker, according to a recent poll, the Liberals are the fourth party in terms of trust in this Parliament. They are fourth. Do members know why Canadians do not trust the Liberals? It is because their brand is tainted; it is a corrupt party.When, during the election, the matter of ethics comes up, I would expect Liberal candidates to put bags on their heads.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsBrianMurphyMoncton—Riverview—DieppeClaudeBachandSaint-Jean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1055)[English]Mr. Speaker, we do live in a democracy. Anyone legitimately elected from Quebec is legitimately here.However, I am questioning the Bloc. Its members have been here for 20 years. They have been here, gaining their pensions, et cetera. What have they achieved? Nothing. They basically have no function. They have no purpose. They are nothing. I would hope the voters of Quebec make better choices.Bloc QuébécoisBusiness of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsClaudeBachandSaint-JeanPaulCalandraOak Ridges—Markham//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1055)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot of talk today. It is funny to hear the NDP members talk about ethics because when they had an opportunity in 2004 to throw out one of the most corrupt governments in Canadian history, they went and signed a deal with it. We have a Liberal Party that, of course, campaigns constantly on things. It campaigned for child care. Did it do it? No. It said it would cut the GST. Did it do it? No. It said it would kill free trade. Did it do it? No. It said that it would not cut health care and social spending. Did it? Yes. It cut $25 billion from the provinces in health care and social services. That is the legacy of the Liberal Party--Business of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentGoods and services taxHealth care fundingNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsGordonO'ConnorHon.Carleton—Mississippi MillsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the Government]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1055)[English]Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a few comments about the NDP.With the NDP, there is drama, screaming, yelling and outrage. It voted against seniors. It voted against students. It voted against medical care. It voted against trade bills. It voted against crime bills. It worked to obstruct the progress in Parliament. All I ever hear from its members is talk, talk, talk.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentContempt of ParliamentNon-confidence motionsOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJamesRajotteEdmonton—Leduc//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersYouth ConferenceInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Kenora, CPC): (1105)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize youth from across Canada, as well as seven members from the great Kenora riding, visiting Ottawa for the Town Youth Participation Strategies Conference.Since 1993, youth from across Canada have been researching and developing programs to reduce behaviours that put youth at risk. Their conferences and workshops held nation-wide are helping bring youth community groups together to discuss issues like drug use, suicide prevention and bullying.TYPS focuses on issues that are critical to all Canadian communities. Initiatives such as their teen anti-smoking videos, after-school recreational programs and youth centre science clubs have received federal and provincial support. This year's conference is being held in Ottawa with workshops dedicated to stress management, teen homelessness and substance abuse.I ask all members of this House to join me in recognizing the courageous work being done by these future community leaders. These kids are just another example of what makes the Kenora riding so great.Statements by MembersTown Youth Participation StrategiesGeoffReganHon.Halifax WestRobertBouchardChicoutimi—Le Fjord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe BudgetInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, CPC): (1110)[English]Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday our government presented the next phase of our economic action plan, a low tax plan for jobs and growth. Shockingly, the opposition coalition of the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc Québécois did not even bother to read it before rejecting it. No wonder those guys cannot get a number straight.In rejecting the next phase of our economic action plan, the opposition parties are rejecting the needs of families, seniors, and all Canadians, including the hard-working people of Peterborough. Let us be clear: this is their election. Their reckless coalition is threatening our economic recovery with their unnecessary election. They will do it all by hiding their true intentions. Shame on every one of them.It has been said there are two doors in this election, but even you know, Mr. Speaker, that lurking behind that red door are socialists and separatists plotting for cabinet seats.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Opposition partiesStatements by MembersSukhDhaliwalNewton—North DeltaNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is not the case. That information has been tabled not just in committee but also in this place.The leader of the Liberal Party wants to talk about contempt. It is the Liberal Party that is demonstrating contempt for the Canadian electorate. It has said that it will not accept the results of the next election and it wants to form a coalition government with the NDP and the Bloc. The worst part of that contempt is that those members will not be open, honest and transparent with the Canadian people. Shame on them.Access to informationCoalition governmentContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, with respect to that coalition, we know the leader of the Liberal Party sent a letter to the Governor General endorsing a coalition between the Liberals, the Bloc and the NDP. Just this week, when asked about whether he would revisit that coalition idea, he ran away from the media.Not being honest, not being upfront, and not being transparent with Canadians will not work. The leader of the Liberal Party can run away from the media, but he cannot run away from Canadians.Access to informationCoalition governmentContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want is stability. They want a steady hand on the wheel. They want a strong government that will focus on jobs, the economy and economic growth.Again, the member mentioned choices. The choice will be clear. Do Canadians want a government led by this Prime Minister and the Conservative Party, or do they want an unstable, risky, reckless coalition with the Liberals and their friends in the Bloc Québécois and the NDP?We saw in Ontario how badly the NDP did for this country. We saw how bad it was for this country in British Columbia. We will not let the socialists take power in Canada.Access to informationCoalition governmentContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, this government has brought forward major reforms to the justice legislation to ensure that violent offenders who commit offences against children spend more time in jail. We are pleased with those reforms.We believe that tax cuts are an important part of economic growth. That is why the Ontario Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty was supporting those tax cuts with us every step of the way.We also believe that when men and women sign up for the Canadian Forces, the Canadian people should stand behind them. We do not want to turn the Canadian air force into a no-fly zone like the Liberal Party would.Access to informationContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the New Democratic Party genuinely wanted a solution, then why has his campaign bus been idling in front of the House of Commons for the past week?The reality is that we saw the leader of the NDP rewrite the budget of the member for Wascana. Simply put, the NDP's company is just far too expensive. We saw that in Ontario, where taxes rose dramatically, when spending spiralled out of control. We need a low tax pro-job agenda for our great country.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Conservative Party of CanadaGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresNew Democratic PartyOral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. We brought forward a budget this week that had substantial new resources to help vulnerable low income seniors and volunteer firefighters. We increased health care transfers to the provinces by 6%. We put measures in there to support small businesses, the real economic engine of our country.However, every time we bring forward these good measures, the New Democratic Party votes against it. What it wants to do is to form a coalition with the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois and raise taxes by tens of billions of dollars. Canadians will not let it get away with it.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Conservative Party of CanadaGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresNew Democratic PartyOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, we do not want an election. Canadian families do not want an election. They want all hands on deck focused on jobs and the economy.The reality is that we will not follow the example of the member for Wascana and have hotel room meetings in Toronto with the leader of the NDP and have him walk out with $5 billion in his pocket. It is financially irresponsible and it is not in the best interest of Canadian families. We brought forward initiatives to cut taxes for Canadian families by more than $3,000, and every time we did, the NDP voted against it.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Conservative Party of CanadaGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresNew Democratic PartyOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member opposite suggested the efforts by a coalition in 2004. Here is what the leader of the Bloc Québécois said about that effort: “In no way are we in a coalition and we won't be in a coalition”.Here is what the leader of the NDP said about that same effort: “It's impossible to imagine that these three parties, with their completely different policy platforms, could form a coalition as we find in other countries”.There are the facts.Carson, BruceCoalition governmentEthics and ethical issuesGovernment accountabilityOral questionsDenisCoderreHon.BourassaDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1135)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member opposite cannot name a single dollar that ever went to that individual. These are serious allegations. Carson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment accountabilityOral questionsDenisCoderreHon.BourassaMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird: (1135)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know because the member has not talked of a single dollar. He has not been able to table a single document in the House. If the member has these facts, what is he afraid of? Why is he hiding this information from Canadians?Carson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment accountabilityOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1135)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I said, unlike the Liberal Party when it was in government, when $40 million ended up in the pockets of the Liberal Party and Liberal operatives, not a single dollar has been suggested that has gone missing in this regard. Serious allegations were brought forward to the government. We did the responsible thing and turned the matter over to the relevant authorities. That was the right thing.Why will the Liberals not talk about jobs and the economy? Why do they always want to push high taxes that hurt Canadian families?Carson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment accountabilityOral questionsBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1135)[English]Mr. Speaker, on a personal level, I have great admiration and respect for the member from Toronto Centre, but this coalition is all about him. He has been in both of these parties. He has made coalition deals in the past. However, it is wrong to bring the Bloc into a coalition arrangement. Canadians do not like that and they do not respect that. Why will the Liberal Party not be open and transparent? Why does it not tell Canadians, before they vote, if it is not prepared to accept the result of the next election?Carson, BruceCoalition governmentEthics and ethical issuesGovernment accountabilityOral questionsBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party is holding democratic elections in contempt. It ignored the results of the last election when voters spoke and gave this party increased seats and increased votes. It formed a coalition with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP.The Liberals have an opportunity now to support a low tax plan for jobs and growth. We have put forward that plan. The Canadian people support that plan. Why will they not rise with us today, put the country first and vote for that low tax plan?Coalition governmentOral questionsMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do not know why that member thinks that her party is above the democratic process.After the last election, which the Liberals lost, they then tried to overturn the result by forming a coalition with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, a coalition that would dramatically raise job-killing taxes and destabilize our economy.We have put forward a low tax plan for jobs and growth. It is the responsibility of every member of this House to support measures to improve our economy and bring about a great recovery. That is what we have done with our low tax plan. Why will the Liberals not support it?Coalition governmentOral questionsMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineKellyBlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionMrs. Kelly Block (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, since July 2009, Canada's economic action plan has helped create over 480,000 new jobs. We have had six straight quarters of economic growth and we have had one of the strongest fiscal positions in the G7.Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tell this House how our government is working to help keep our economic recovery on track?Canada's Economic Action PlanOral questionsPierrePoilievreNepean—CarletonGregRickfordKenora//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government was proud to introduce the recently tabled phase of Canada's economic action plan.This budget includes a hiring credit for small businesses. It would reduce red tape. It would legislate permanent gas tax funding for municipalities and would allow for the construction of a cyclotron to produce medical isotopes in Thunder Bay.However, the reckless coalition is trying to force an unnecessary and opportunistic election that will kill these important measures for northern Ontario and for Canada. That is unfortunate.Canada's Economic Action PlanOral questionsKellyBlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarMeganLeslieHalifax//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, this government has done so much to ensure that people around the world have access to ARVs and other medications. We have added $950 million to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. We have doubled our international assistance.What I find curious is that the hon. member cites democracy as the reason to pass the bill and yet her party is short-circuiting this 40th Parliament to go to an unnecessary election with its coalition buddies. If they would just let Parliament continue, this bill could be reasonably debated.AfricaGovernment accountabilityGovernment expendituresOral questionsPharmaceutical industryMeganLeslieHalifaxPatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, the real scandal here is that the member is joining with his coalition partners to block a low tax plan for jobs and growth, a plan that would provide tax credits for children's arts, tax credits to help families who provide caregiving in the home to infirm relatives and the opportunity to provide more doctors and nurses in rural communities. That is the low tax plan that we brought forward. The member has a chance to do the right thing and support that low tax plan. Why will he not rise right now and announce that he will do the right thing and support that plan?Government accountabilityOral questionsPatMartinWinnipeg CentreJoséeBeaudinSaint-Lambert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment SpendingInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government has done an awful lot in the last five years to help people in need. We helped seniors by putting in pension income splitting, by increasing the GIS significantly in terms of access and making it automatic. We are proposing in this budget the largest increase in the guaranteed income supplement in the last 25 years, but instead of spending that $300 million to help our most vulnerable seniors, the hon. member and his colleagues in the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition would rather spend that money on an unneeded, unwanted election.Government assistanceGovernment expendituresOral questionsMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodG8 SummitInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, with the onus of full disclosure, the hon. member across the way should actually acknowledge what his party's record is on helping the most vulnerable Canadians. Let us take a look at it. It voted against making scholarships and bursaries tax free for students. It voted against increasing student internships. It voted against increasing the age credit to help our seniors. It voted against the raising the age limit for the RRSP and the new horizons program that would help our most vulnerable seniors. That is its record on disclosure. We do not—Access to informationG-8 SummitGovernment expendituresOral questionsMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1200)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, what we have done with our economic action plan is to offer those who are unemployed opportunities to learn new skills and take training courses to prepare them to get jobs today and in the future. We want to help them to work, to work for themselves, so that they can take care of their families and regain their dignity. This is something that the Bloc Québécois has denied.Employment insuranceOral questionsYvesLessardChambly—BorduasDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, during question period, the member for Ottawa South referred to the Prime Minister in a derogatory and, I think, unparliamentary fasion. I expect him to apologize. Otherwise, I will refer to him as a gutless member.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!McGuinty, David J.Members' remarksOral questionsPoints of orderUnparliamentary languagePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise once again to try to bring unity to the House, changing the subject to do something good for Canada.Mr. Speaker, I believe that if you were to seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:MotionThat notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, following Question Period today a member from each recognized party and the Deputy Speaker may make a brief statement and the time taken for these statements shall be added to the time provided for government orders.Daily ProgramGovernment ordersLeave to propose a motionSpeaker of the HouseTributesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodSpeaker of the House of CommonsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am very privileged to rise today to pay tribute to a great Canadian, someone who will not be seeking re-election to this place after serving 23 years as the member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. I am, of course, talking about you, Mr. Speaker.The Speaker and I have known each other since I was 19 years old when I was a young Queen's University student. Our first encounter was rather interesting and I think he knows what I am talking about. I was protesting the Speaker when he was running against the Honourable Flora Isabel MacDonald. All judicial matters were cleared up a few months after that first encounter.Mr. Speaker, for four terms as the Speaker, you have conducted yourself with great integrity, with great professionalism. You are thoughtful. You are intelligent. You have enjoyed the confidence of this House each and every sitting day of those four terms. That is a remarkable accomplishment.You are aware that you have been elected by majority Liberal governments, by minority Liberal governments, and by minority Conservative governments. I think it speaks to the number of friends and the high esteem in which you are held by each and every member of this place.After becoming government House leader, I had an opportunity to visit the Palace of Westminster, the mother of all parliaments. The Speaker of the House of Commons there said that he and Speakers in the Commonwealth around the world looked to you as their leader and their inspiration as someone who has conducted himself very professionally. For a Canadian to hear that from a British Speaker is a pretty remarkable conclusion and assessment of your role as Speaker.Not only are you the longest serving Speaker in Canadian history, you have also been elected, so others who have served at great length did not have that distinction. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, you will go down in history as one of the best Speakers, if not the best Speaker, that the House of Commons has ever had.On behalf of the Prime Minister, on behalf of the government caucus, on behalf of the people of Canada, and I think especially on behalf of the people of Kingston and the Islands, we want to thank you for your remarkable contribution to Parliament and your remarkable public service to this great country. We want to wish you well.Milliken, PeterReferences to membersSpeaker of the HouseTributesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodSpeaker of the House of CommonsInterventionMr. Andrew Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle, CPC): (1215)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I hope the House will allow me a few minutes to speak so that I, too, may pay tribute to you. I will not repeat all that we have already heard about your illustrious career as the Speaker of this historic Chamber.[English]Mr. Speaker, you have been the voice of the Commons for just over 10 years. I have been very proud to have served with you as a Chair for just about half of that time.In your speech to the House on the first day of the current Parliament, you told members that in your view: —in a minority House there are certain circumstances that require expertise, not merely experience.That, I think, has become clear to all members who have served with you since you first took over the speakership of this House in the 37th Parliament. You have shown a great deal of expertise, and not merely experience.Mr. Speaker, you have consistently demonstrated your vast knowledge of the rules and procedure that guide our deliberations and the precedents that guide the Speaker's rulings[Translation]But what stands out the most is the fact that, not only did you carry out your duties with a great deal of expertise, but you did so with a genuine love for Parliament, a true grasp of the important role this institution plays in Canada, and true commitment to its traditions.(1220)[English] Beauchesne's, citations 167 and 168, tells us that:The essential ingredient of the speakership is found in the status of the Speaker as a servant of the House. The Presiding Officer, while but a servant of the House, is entitled on all occasions to be treated with the greatest attention and respect by the individual Members because the office embodies the power, dignity and honour of the House itself.The chief characteristics attached to the office of Speaker in the House of Commons are authority and impartiality.I think all members will agree that those are two characteristics you have displayed very well over the past several years.[Translation]Perhaps many Canadians do not know that the Speaker is often called upon to represent Canada abroad at meetings such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, with the speakers of other G8 countries and on bilateral diplomatic visits.[English]I can tell the members of the House and, indeed, all Canadians, that Canada was always very well represented when Speaker Milliken represented us. Members of the next Parliament will no doubt miss your presence in the Chair. They will miss your affable nature in guiding this House through some interesting times, and they will certainly miss your expertise.However, it is said that it is not what one gets out of something that one is remembered for, but what one leaves behind.[Translation]You can be proud of the legacy you are leaving here today. I am not talking only about statistics and numbers, as the longest-serving Speaker, for instance, or the highest number of votes taken, but rather as a Speaker who has left such a mark on the position that it is probably difficult for the members and for Canadians to imagine you no longer occupying the chair. [English]On behalf of all of those who have worked with you, both in the Chair and as table officers and as the many clerks you have served with over the years, I wish you all the best in whatever your days may bring. I know you will always be welcomed in these corridors.Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees of the WholeMilliken, PeterReferences to membersSpeaker of the HouseTributesLibbyDaviesVancouver EastPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsLabrador Inuit Land Claims AgreementInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): (1240)[English]Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the 2008-2009 annual report of the Labrador Inuit land claims agreement implementation coordinating committee.8525-403-36 Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement for the period of April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009Aboriginal land claimsInuitLabrador Inuit Land Claims AgreementLabrador regionLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1240)[English]Mr. Speaker, before I table the documents with you which will be for the last time, I will make a few very brief remarks, if I may. I do not profess to be as eloquent as those who spoke before me, but let me say, as one who has dealt with you on a daily basis on procedural matters for the last five years, I know this must be a joyous but also a very difficult day for you. “Mixed emotions” has once been described to me by definition as watching one's mother-in-law drive over a cliff but driving one's own brand new Cadillac. With all due respect to mothers-in-law across Canada, what it means is that you must be viewing this day with a mixture of joy and regret because this place has been such a big part of your life. From my perspective, I have benefited greatly from your rulings, your advice, your guidance and your patience. From the deepest part of my heart, thank you so much for all you have done for me over these past several years and I hope this is not the last time we see you in this place.For the last time, let me say, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.Government response to petitionsMilliken, PeterReferences to membersSpeaker of the HouseGregRickfordKenoraPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35724BruceStantonBruce-StantonSimcoe NorthConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/StantonBruce_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsIndian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentInterventionMr. Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, CPC): (1245)[English]Mr. Speaker, before I table my report, I would like to use this occasion also to thank you for all the work you have done and the help you have provided. It was a great privilege to travel with you in May of last year. That is a trip that I am sure will be in my memories for the rest of my years and I appreciate that.[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development concerning Bill C-530, An Act to amend the Northwest Territories Act (borrowing limits). The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.8510-403-239 Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (Bill C-530, An Act to amend the Northwest Territories Act (borrowing limits)), without amendment)Borrowing authorityC-530, An Act to amend the Northwest Territories Act (borrowing limits)Milliken, PeterNorthwest TerritoriesReferences to membersSpeaker of the HouseStanding Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern DevelopmentLeeRichardsonCalgary CentreJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59143RayBoughenRay-BoughenPalliserConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BoughenRay_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPovertyInterventionMr. Ray Boughen (Palliser, CPC): (1305)[English]Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of 32 of my constituents on the subject of poverty reduction in Canada.The petitioners are in support of Bill C-545, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada. I am proud to be part of a government that is working to create jobs and growth for all Canadians in order to allow them the opportunity to rise above poverty.C-545, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in CanadaEqual opportunitiesNational anti-poverty strategyPetition 403-1692PovertyNikiAshtonChurchillGeoffReganHon.Halifax West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1315)[English]Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 924, 925, 926, 927, 928 and 933.Written questionsDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions Passed as Orders for ReturnsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1315)[English]Madam Speaker, if Questions Nos. 922, 923, 929, 930, 931, 932, 934, 935, 936, 937 and 938 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.Orders for return to written questionsDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions Passed as Orders for ReturnsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1315)[English]Madam Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.DeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the government]InterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1330)[English]Madam Speaker, I listened to the member's speech with great interest, although it seems it could have been a speech he could have just as easily read in 1993 or 1997. Who knows at what point over the years he could have read that speech, because it is so old and tired.The bottom line is this is the government that has delivered record equalization payments to Quebec. This is the government that solved the fiscal imbalance. This is the government that is providing record health transfers to Quebec. This is the government that is providing record transfers to Quebec for education, and to each and every province in this great Confederation. This is the government that provided a seat at UNESCO for Quebec. This is the government that said that the Québécois represent a nation within a united Canada from coast to coast to coast.The leader of the Bloc Québécois sounds like an angry guy today, and he is angry because after 20 years he cannot list a single thing he has ever done for the people of Quebec.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentEqualization paymentsOpposition motionsProvince of QuebecGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-MarieGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Confidence in the government]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1345)[English]Madam Speaker, I believe you will find unanimous consent of the House that the previous question moved earlier today be withdrawn.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentDeemed withdrawnOpposition motionsPoints of orderPrevious questionDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will try this again. I believe you will find unanimous consent of the House that the previous question moved earlier today be withdrawn.Business of supplyConfidence in governmentOpposition motionsPrevious questionWithdrawal of a motionDeniseSavoieVictoriaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to Petitions InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 15 petitions.Government response to petitionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsDeanDel MastroPeterborough//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterparliamentary Delegations InterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the first part of the 2011 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held in London and Strasbourg from January 20 to 28, 2011.8565-403-51-07 Report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the Meeting of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the First Part of the 2011 Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, held in London, United Kingdom and Strasbourg, France, from January 20 to 28, 2011Canada-Europe Parliamentary AssociationTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreBryonWilfertHon.Richmond Hill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25522LarryMillerLarry-MillerBruce—Grey—Owen SoundConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/MillerLarry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsAgriculture and Agri-FoodInterventionMr. Larry Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on program review. I hereby present the report today. 8510-403-234 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, "Program Review"Farming and farmersGovernment programsOperational reviewsStanding Committee on Agriculture and Agri-FoodMaximeBernierHon.BeauceDeanAllisonNiagara West—Glanbrook//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsForeign Affairs and International DevelopmentInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on the situation of persons with albinism in Tanzania.8510-403-235 Ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (situation of persons with albinism in Tanzania)Albinism and albinosCivil and human rightsHomicideStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentTanzaniaVictims of violenceLarryMillerBruce—Grey—Owen SoundHelenaGuergisHon.Simcoe—Grey//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1020)[English] Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.The Speaker: Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. Dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order PaperCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-HubertScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1030)[English]Order, please. I want to remind all hon. members not to use the given names of other hon. members.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1050)[English]The hon. member for Kings—Hants has moved an amendment.Questions and comments, the hon. member for Peterborough.ScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsDeanDel MastroPeterborough//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1050)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened to the member's speech and it seems his memory is not very good, so I will remind him of a couple of things.It was $2 million that then justice minister Allan Rock claimed the gun registry would cost and $2 billion is what the Liberals spent on it, but they never told Canadians and hid it. That is 1,000 times, not 1,000%, over budget. The amount was $1 billion that disappeared in the HRSDC boondoggle when Liberals were in government. There was $363 million stolen through the ad scam. That is what the Liberal government did.The member stood and defended ad scam in the House. I do not think he was really fulsome in his answers because he never said which ridings got the money. If he wants to stand on ethics, he can stand in the House right now, come clean with Canadians and tell them which ridings got the stolen money. Where is the more than $40 million that is still missing? If the Liberals want to run on the bandwagon of being as clean and pure as the white driven snow, then they can start today with a little bit of honesty in the House.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCostsFirearms registrySponsorship ProgramBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1055)[English]Please stop the clock. It is my understanding that there was no translation for the question from the hon. member for Burnaby—Douglas. If he could quickly and concisely repeat his question, that would be appreciated.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesSimultaneous interpretation and sound reinforcementBillSiksayBurnaby—DouglasBillSiksayBurnaby—Douglas//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1100)[English]The Chair would also like to extend best wishes to the member for Burnaby—Douglas as he leaves this place of his own volition.The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesReferences to membersSiksay, BillScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1120)[Translation]The hon. member for Hochelaga just proposed an amendment to the amendment.Questions and comments? The hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine.Amendments and subamendmentsBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDanielPailléHochelagaMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]The Chair would remind all hon. members that there are rules and practices of decorum in this place and that there are certain phrases that are not used. I would ask the hon. member from Hochelaga if he would like to address this.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDecisions of the SpeakerMembers' remarksUnparliamentary languageDanielPailléHochelagaDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]The hon. member from Mississauga South is rising on the same point of order.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesShellyGloverSaint BonifacePaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]Before the hon. member for Hochelaga rises, perhaps I was not clear in my first comment. The Chair is requesting the hon. member for Hochelaga to withdraw his remark.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDecisions of the SpeakerMembers' remarksPoints of orderUnparliamentary languagePaulSzaboMississauga SouthDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]I consider the issue resolved.Resuming debate. The hon. leader of the NDP.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDecisions of the SpeakerMembers' remarksPoints of orderUnparliamentary languageDanielPailléHochelagaJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35539PhilMcColemanPhil-McColemanBrantConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/McColemanPhil_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMr. Phil McColeman (Brant, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, these are the items the NDP has been asking for over the course of budget consultations: enhance the GIS for low-income seniors; employment insurance; pilot project extensions; extension of work-share enhancements; a one-year extension of the eco-energy retrofit program; renewal of the clean air agenda; support for key sectors, agriculture, forestry, mining; continued openness to CPP expansion; helmets to hard hats; forgive loans for medical professionals in rural and remote areas; and close several tax loopholes used by corporations. We have delivered on all of these. There has been much talk about the coalition. Will the leader of the fourth party be forming a coalition should the result of an election be a minority government?Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCoalition governmentMinority governmentJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1140)[English]Order, please. I would ask all hon. members to refrain from referring to other members by their given names.Resuming debate, the hon. member for Outremont.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDecisions of the SpeakerDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthThomasMulcairHon.Outremont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace (Burlington, CPC): (1210)[English]Madam Speaker, I want to thank the parliamentary secretary for sharing her time. She is new to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and is doing an excellent job in leading our committee. I want to thank her for her efforts.Today, I have 10 minutes to talk about everything that is in our low tax plan, this budget that the Minister of Finance has brought forward. I want to focus on a number of things that affect Burlington in particular. If I wanted to go through all the good things for Canadians that are in this budget, it would take me about two hours instead of 10 minutes. I am going to focus on things that are for Burlington. I hope my NDP friends listen because this is some of the stuff that they actually asked for and are now going to an election. I think they hoodwinked the Liberal Party into thinking that the NDP was going to support the budget, so they could say anything they wanted. But all of a sudden, no, they are not. Now the Liberals are caught with egg on their face, now that we are facing an election.Let us get back to what is important to Burlington in the budget. First and foremost, the majority of the calls, emails and visits to my office are from seniors, by far the greatest number are from seniors about the issues facing seniors in my riding of Burlington.I have advocated for a number of things for seniors over the years with the finance minister and with other departments. I am very happy to see what we are doing for the poorest seniors in this country. In the past we have looked at seniors issues, and with pension splitting we have been able to resolve some issues. It is a big benefit to the seniors of Burlington.In this budget we are enhancing the money that is going into GIS. GIS, for those who do not know, is the guaranteed income supplement. That supplement is for those who have the lowest income levels in Canada. This change that we are making today will affect 680,000 seniors across this country, including many seniors in my riding. It is $600 annually for an individual or $840 for a couple, which will make a significant difference in the income levels for those seniors.I did a study when I first got into office, five years ago, on what a senior's income actually is. At that time it was just over $18,000 a year for Burlington seniors. It has gone up. Our party has done things for seniors, in terms of deductions and so on. We have been able to address this.This is a significant change that we are making, that is targeted—Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesGovernment assistanceSenior citizensSplitting speaking timeShellyGloverSaint BonifaceDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace: (1215)[English]Madam Speaker, we have made some significant improvements in that area.Another area in the budget that I want to highlight, which has not been well-talked about but will be over the next 36 to 45 days, or however long the election campaign will be, is the investment of $10 million in the new horizons program. I will give an example of what the new horizons program has done for Burlington. We have a seniors centre in Burlington that provides a breakfast program to shut-in seniors once a month. Through the new horizons program, we were able to put a new kitchen in that seniors centre. This program provides support for groups that are doing good work for seniors in our communities every day. I am honoured that the finance minister saw that the new horizons program does deliver and that we will continue to deliver by adding $10 million over a two-year period to this program.I advocated for a couple of things in the budget for families. They are a little different than what I was asking for but they do attack the problems that I have been talking about. My wife works for Easter Seals, which is a charity in Ontario that raises money for disabled children. I actually used to work there myself a few decades ago. This budget would eliminate the $10,000 cap on the medical expense tax credit. If one is disabled, there is no limit on the amount one can spend and receive for a tax credit. However, if one is caring for someone else, in this case a child, there is a $10,000 limit on what one can spend each year and receive as a tax credit. This budget would eliminate that $10,000 cap.From my own experience, as well as my wife's experience, the costs and difficulties that parents face every day while caring for a disabled child is a tremendous burden to begin with, but one that the parents who I know take on willingly. They are willing to spend what they can to ensure their disabled children are comfortable, productive and enjoy life as much as possible. However, that costs money. We are removing that cap on the capital expense through the medical expense tax credit that is in existence now. I am proud of that move. I also advocated introducing a new caregiver tax credit. As we all know, our population is aging. I have two 93-year-old grandmothers still with us and I have known four great-grandparents. In the case of both grandmothers, one lives with my parents and the other lives with my uncle and aunt, so they are caregivers to those individuals. There are caregivers in every single community. What we are doing for those 500,000 caregivers is providing a tax credit to recognize the work they are doing to look after either their spouses, grandparents, parents, children or their common-law spouses. We are recognizing the value and the efforts those people put forward to ensure a good quality of life for those individuals who need help and are given care at home.The other area I want to mention, which may not have been discussed in great detail yet, is that we are offering a forgiveness of loans to those young doctors and nurses who are graduating from medical school if they choose to practice in rural or remote areas.Some might ask why that would be important to someone from Burlington, which is an urban area. I actually grew up in a small town in Ontario of approximately 5,000 people. I can say that over the last number of years members of my family have struggled to find a doctor after their doctor retired. It has been very difficult for that community to attract doctors and nurses to come and practice there. This money will give a new doctor or nurse the ability to start a practice in these communities, such as the one in which my parents and family live, without the burden of that debt that he or she may be facing.(1220)I have had meetings with medical students who are looking at debts of a hundred thousand dollars, which is a significant amount. We want to encourage young people in the medical field to go to those rural areas and provide the services that we receive in the urban areas.The previous speaker mentioned the eco-energy retrofit program. I am proud that we are going back to ensuring that individuals are able to look at their energy efficiency needs for their own home. We will support them in reducing their costs and their consumption of energy, which is very important in this province and around the country. I heard that we were not supporting research and development. I want to read a quote that I do not think too many folks have read. It is from McMaster University, which has a campus in my riding. The president of McMaster University, Patrick Deane, said:The Federal Budget announced on Tuesday included new funding to support a variety of important university initiatives. “The government has again recognized the critical role universities play in building Canada's future through its budget commitments to university research and support for students”.We are putting money into innovation, students and research like no other government ever has in this country. I am very proud to be a Conservative, I am proud to serve in this government and I will be proud to serve in our future government after we go to this unnecessary election.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCaregiver tax creditCaregivers and health care professionalsDoctorsecoENERGY Retrofit - HomesGovernment assistanceGrants and loans for studentsHealth care systemInnovationMedical expenses tax creditNew Horizons for Seniors ProgramResearch and researchersRural communitiesSenior citizensTax deductionsDeniseSavoieVictoriaScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace: (1225)[English]Madam Speaker, I do not know what the member will tell his people back in his riding about forcing an election when we had an opportunity to make a difference for Canadians.To the credit of the Minister of Finance, he put out a pamphlet in a relatively short form so that the Liberals would understand it because we knew they would not read it. However, if the member went through it, he would see that under “supporting families and communities”, we have enhanced the GIS, we have enhanced he new horizons senior program, we are eliminating the federal rules on retirement age, we are supporting families through the family caregiver tax credit, we are changing the medical expense tax credit and we are introducing flexibility on the registered disability plan. There are pages and pages that Canadians will not benefit from because the Liberals were caught with their pants down thinking the NDP would be supporting the budget. Now they are facing an election and they have no idea what they are doing. However, we are going to beat them at that.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesFamilies and childrenFederal electionsGovernment assistanceSenior citizensScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsLoisBrownNewmarket—Aurora//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1225)[English]Madam Speaker, I heard the member mention many of the initiatives that we are undertaking for seniors and many of the investments that we are making in innovation and research. However, one of the things that he did not comment on, and I wonder if he could expand on, is the initiative that this government has put forward on tax credits for the arts. As a person who studied music all my life and has seen the benefit of it in my own family, I wonder if the member could comment on what this means to the families of Burlington.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesChildren's arts tax creditGovernment assistanceInnovationResearch and researchersSenior citizensTax creditsMikeWallaceBurlingtonMikeWallaceBurlington//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace: (1225)[English]Mr. Speaker, that was a very good question for me. I am a big supporter of the arts. I have been working since 1999 on getting a performing arts centre for the city of Burlington, which is under construction as we speak with the support of federal money.As a father with daughters, I have taken advantage of the credit for activity in sports. I have very active, sports-oriented children. However, the community of Burlington has a tremendous arts community for young people taking dance and music. We have the Teen Tour Band, a world renowned band of 200 young people performing in their red coats all around the world. They will be travelling to commemorate Pearl Harbour and will be the only Canadian representatives there. This tax credit will make a big difference to the families of Burlington in ensuring their children are able to participate in the arts, which makes culture, not only in Burlington but across the country, an important aspect of everyday life.Arts, recreation and travelBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesChildrenChildren's arts tax creditChildren's fitness tax creditSportsLoisBrownNewmarket—AuroraJohnMcCallumHon.Markham—Unionville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/54325LisaRaittHon.Lisa-RaittHaltonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/RaittLisa_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Lisa Raitt (Minister of Labour, CPC): (1315)[English]Madam Speaker, I am very honoured to be here today talking about the budget. I think it is incredibly important that we have a full discussion on the important issues that are facing us today and that we also take a look at the solutions that we have presented to the people in order to make it through the next phase of the recovery from the recession.At the very core of it, I am very proud to represent the constituency of Halton. I am the mother of two boys. They are nine and six years old. My worries, when I am home in the riding, are with regard to the economy. I am concerned about jobs for my family, for my friends, and for my neighbours. I am concerned about the rising costs in my household. I am concerned about whether or not my friends and family, and myself can make ends meet. I am also concerned that my kids are safe and healthy. So when I, in this House, take a look at the budget, first and foremost, that is how I look at it. I look at it as what we call that ordinary, typical family, that person who is worrying about those kinds of things that I just talked about.What do I see in this budget? I see support for job creation. I see support for families. I see that support for communities. I see investment in innovation, education and training, those kinds of things that are going to help my kids to do better in the future, and my community to do better. I also see what I very much like, which is a plan to ensure that we are taking care of the expenses in government, that we are looking after taxpayers' dollars. All of these things will allow me to manage my day-to-day life. The child arts tax credit would be incredibly beneficial for a lot of my residents in Halton. Indeed, we have already proven that we care about families, with $3,000 for the average family being saved already from the measures that we have put in place. I am very proud of these things. That is why I know that this proposed budget would make a difference for residents in Halton because I know it would make a difference in my life.It is important to understand that this budget was built from the ground up, that it was a process that was thoughtful, and we had gone through very specific steps.As a local member of Parliament, I consulted with municipal councillors, with businesses, with seniors, and with local families. However, as the Minister of Labour, my job is to ensure, as well, that the workplace is the most productive, healthy, innovative, and positive place that we can have people working in because it is there where the economy grows. It is there where we do the great things we need to do in order to ensure that our country continues to prosper.I was lucky enough to go to consultations in Sydney, Nova Scotia, the place where I was brought up. I was in Thunder Bay. I was in Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver and Iqaluit. I made sure in every single case that organized labour had input. I am the daughter of a Cape Breton labour organizer and very proud of it. I respect and I want to hear that voice.We also had experts in the fields of occupational health and safety as well as labour relations. We listened, we responded, and we heard.So, what have we done from the labour perspective?First and foremost, a strike or a work stoppage on the economy could be absolutely devastating. If we were to have a rail strike in this country, we would see a cost to the economy of $125 million a week. Not only that, it is the harm to the third parties, those innocent parties who are not part of the collective bargaining process, who have to live with what is happening at the table, who will feel the pain associated with the work stoppage.Our role in Labour Canada is to ensure that the parties come to an agreement. That is why we are providing money for preventative mediation and conciliation services to ensure that work stoppages do not happen in Canada. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Never more has this been more appropriate in this case.In consultations, we listened and we heard from employees about the importance and the dignity of continuing to work past the age of 65. People want to work past 65. There is no question about it. Indeed, on my town hall teleconference on Tuesday night with members of my community, I was told that by separate residents, that they have retired, they want to use their skills, and they want to be productive. In fact, 65 is just an artificial number in any event, that came inherited to us from the past and is truly meaningless.However, we listened to employers as well. The importance of listening to employers is that in some cases there truly are some bona fide occupational requirements that are needed in order to ensure that there is a healthy and safe workplace at play.Finally, in 2008, we introduced the wage earner protection program. It gave certainty to people in the event of a bankruptcy, certainty in two ways: first, they would be paid out in a timely fashion as the government steps into their shoes and assumes their claim in a bankruptcy action; and second, they knew that they would get some form of payment for lost wages, severance and termination.(1320)Before that, they were assured of nothing but a long, protracted legal settlement that they would have to go through and pay for out of their own pocket in order to reclaim their wages. Our government stepped into their shoes. Our government recognized the importance of it. It is a lean, efficient, effective program that delivers rock solid results when workers and families are at their most vulnerable.I have been thanked by organized labour many times in consultations for this program, but I did hear, as I was in Thunder Bay speaking with two of our candidates, Richard Harvey and Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann, about a situation for workers at the former Atikokan Forest Products where, because of the restructuring effects, they were unable to claim the wage earner protection program. We took those complaints back, and I heard them from organized labour as well, and we introduced in this budget the fix.The member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River has been, in his local media yesterday, discussing this issue too and offering to help his constituents. His complaints regarding the situation and his commiserations with the people are nothing but crocodile tears because he has an opportunity to make a difference in these people's lives. He can do it now, today. Instead, his response is to talk about what will happen after the election. It is not enough. The solution is there. It is too little, too late.In the past 14 months I have absolutely treasured the ability to be the Minister of Labour, the role I have taken on. I have met good people and I have seen the great work they do, both domestically and internationally on the organized labour scene. I sincerely want to thank the Prime Minister for the opportunity I have had in these past few months.We all recognize, as I have said before, that the workplace drives the economy. Organized labour recognizes that too. They understand the importance of working with dignity. They have imparted that importance on to me. I take the matter very seriously and I understand very sincerely that these are the issues that are important to them.As a government, we have listened to organized labour. As a government, we are the ones who have taken their concerns and translated them into effective measures that we are proposing in the budget. That is exactly why Ken Georgetti of the Canada Labour Congress talked about how important it was that we had put in place the provisions for seniors and that we had put in place the provisions for all the matters respecting EI and work sharing. He is pleased with the announcements in the budget about extending work sharing programs, about EI pilot projects, support for laid off older workers, and improving wage protection for laid off workers. That is a great laundry list of items on which we have delivered.In terms of seniors, he made it very clear that this as well is a budget that is a win for seniors. We have taken care of that matter too. We respected and we listened to the point of view of organized labour, and I am very proud that we were able to do that in this budget.It is quite unfortunate, however, that there are different opinions in the House with respect to whether or not the point of view of organized labour should be respected in terms of the budget.In conclusion, labour relations is a very fulfilling field. Getting to a deal at the negotiation table is incredibly satisfying when we know we have done the best we can, we have gone through the process, that we are able to get a deal that is good for our company and good for the people we represent.Ken Georgetti from the Canada Labour Congress has over 30 years in senior roles at the table. I have great respect for his negotiating skills, and I have greater respect for his innate sense of when to close a deal. He knows how to do a deal. He knows when negotiations are at an end, and that is why, when he said the following, representing 3.2 million brothers and sisters of the organized labour movement, it meant something. He said:I'd say to [the NDP leader] there's enough in this budget that we want to look at it seriously in the labour movement. We would think that...if we were at a negotiating table we'd take that offer.Plain and simple.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesChildren's arts tax creditFamilies and childrenFederal Mediation and Conciliation ServiceIncome and wagesIncome taxInnovationLabour ProgramLabour relationsLabour unionsMediation and mediatorsMiddle classRail transportation and railwaysRetirement termsStrikes and lockoutsWage Earner Protection ProgramWorkplace health and safetyDeniseSavoieVictoriaRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/54325LisaRaittHon.Lisa-RaittHaltonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/RaittLisa_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Lisa Raitt: (1325)[English]Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question with respect to forestry. In my former role as minister of natural resources during the economic recession, I had a large role to play with respect to delivering for the forestry industry. In the same way, we built the budget and the proposals from the ground up. We talked to the Forest Products Association of Canada, the labour industry and the communities that were being affected, which is why the programs we put in place were very important. The green infrastructure fund associated with pulp and paper facilities received $1 billion. That went to help pulp and paper facilities upgrade, modernize and become more green and efficient. That was incredibly important. The community adjustment fund assisted communities to ensure they diversified so they would have something more than forestry to deal with in the future. We also have dedicated resources to marketing. In fact, our forest companies have done a wonderful job of getting to markets in areas that we had not expected before. For example, we are doing great work in China. We were doing great work in Japan with respect to the sale of wood. I know companies do a great job and will continue to do so. Our role in government is to support what the companies want to do and support the workers and the communities.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCommunity Adjustment FundEconomic diversificationExportsForest products industryGovernment assistanceGreen Infrastructure FundPulp and paper industrySoftwood lumber industryRobertCarrierAlfred-PellanShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/54325LisaRaittHon.Lisa-RaittHaltonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/RaittLisa_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Lisa Raitt: (1325)[English]Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her friendship and kind words. We have done great work this year. I must point out that I was reading in this week's issue of Maclean's magazine a quote from a senior Liberal adviser who stated that the Liberals needed to win back votes who are largely female, largely under 50, largely suburban and largely non-Anglo-Saxon.In answer to the member's question, that would be a great description of my riding, quite frankly, and me, except in terms of ethnicity. However, it is clear from the position of the opposition party that the Liberals have given up on that very demographic. They have given up on seniors, young families, working-class people, volunteers, entrepreneurs and students. However, we should not be too surprised. As I said in the beginning, I am here to work for my constituents. I am here only because of my constituents and every day I think about what is better for them.It is very clear that the coalition will be led by a Leader of the Opposition who is not in it for Canadians, like we are in it for our constituents, and is clearly in it for himself. Otherwise, the opposition would not be turning down a budget that would be very beneficial for my constituents and for people who are severely affected across the country. The leader did not come back for Canadians and that could not be more obvious than right now.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCoalition governmentEthnic minoritiesShellyGloverSaint BonifaceRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35724BruceStantonBruce-StantonSimcoe NorthConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/StantonBruce_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe BudgetInterventionMr. Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, in January I held several meetings in my riding with constituents to consult on the budget. My constituents were clear.They asked for support for low income seniors. Our budget has delivered on that, with a guaranteed income supplement top-up of $600 for single seniors and $840 for couples. They asked for an extension to the eco-energy retrofit homes program. Again, our budget has delivered, with an investment of $400 million. They asked for tax credits for small businesses to create jobs and to reduce red tape. Our budget has delivered, with a $1,000 small business hiring tax credit and the Red Tape Reduction Commission. My constituents have rarely shown interest in partisan political games, but they are concerned about their jobs, their families and their futures. I ask the members opposite to listen to the priorities of Canadians, set their political ambitions aside and support this budget.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Government assistanceStatements by MembersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsSergeCardinSherbrooke//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35663TerenceYoungTerence-YoungOakvilleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YoungTerenceH_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersLiberal Party of CanadaInterventionMr. Terence Young (Oakville, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberal leader was asked by reporters if he would form a coalition with the socialist NDP and the separatist Bloc Québécois. Of course, the Liberal leader avoided the question. The Liberal leader signed on to a coalition before and he will do it again. His own personal ambition comes ahead of Canada's stability.The Liberal leader and his coalition partners want to return to reckless policies that failed Canada decades ago, raising taxes to pay for spending we simply cannot afford. The reckless tax-and-spend approach would kill jobs, stall our recovery and set Canadian families back.The coalition still has a choice: Its reckless ambition for an unnecessary election or the important measures in the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, a low tax plan for jobs and growth, to support Canadian families and to complete our economic recovery.We encourage the coalition to join with us, put the interests of Canadians first and help us complete the economic recovery.Coalition governmentLeader of the Liberal PartyStatements by MembersPabloRodriguezHonoré-MercierRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, we want to ensure that the young men and women who serve in our air force are protected and have the best equipment to keep us safe. These men and women are putting their lives on the line to serve Canada. The best they can hope for is that the Government of Canada will be as supportive of them as they are of this great country.Government expendituresGovernment policyOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party of Canada wants to waste $400 million on an unnecessary and reckless election. The real scandal here is that the Liberal-led coalition with the NDP and Bloc Québécois will not even accept the democratic will of Canadians. Worse yet, they will not be open and transparent about it.Unlike the reckless, Liberal-led coalition, the government wants to put hundreds of millions of dollars in the pockets of the hard-working people who built this country, seniors living on modest incomes, rather than spend that money on an unnecessary election.Government expendituresGovernment policyOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, one of the most fundamental traditions in Canada and one of the most fundamental parts of our liberal democracy is that the person with the most votes wins. The Liberal Party is showing outrageous contempt for Canadian voters by saying that it does not matter which government they elect because it will form a coalition with the NDP and the Bloc Québécois and make reckless decisions from an unstable government. Instead of spending $400 million on an early election, let us put that money into the pockets of low income seniors, the vulnerable who need our help, the men and women who built this great country.Government expendituresGovernment policyOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party is showing incredible contempt for Canadian voters. The Liberals want to simply set aside the results of the next election campaign and form a reckless and unstable coalition with their friends in the Bloc Québécois and in the NDP. Worse yet, they refuse to be honest and transparent about it.Instead of wasting $400 million on an unnecessary election, let us work to improve the quality of lives of seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement for those women and men who built our country and need our help.Bloc QuébécoisCoalition governmentElectoral systemEthics and ethical issuesLiberal Party of CanadaNew Democratic PartyOral questionsPublic Service and public servantsMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, that suggestion is absolutely outrageous.We brought forward a budget designed to have low taxes and to create jobs and economic opportunity, a budget that provided support for the most vulnerable seniors by increasing support for the guaranteed income supplement to the men and women who helped build our country and needed a bit of extra help. We increased transfers to health by 6%.Why will the NDP members never stand and support good measures that help health care and Canadian seniors who are vulnerable? Why will they not do the right thing and support a great budget from an even better Minister of Finance?Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canada Pension PlanFamilies and childrenFuel oilGoods and services taxGuaranteed Income SupplementOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, there were a good number of consultations with Canadians from coast to coast to coast. The Minister of Finance and ministers and members of Parliament from right across the country did a lot of listening. We responded with a balanced package focused on jobs and opportunity and on helping the most vulnerable seniors, through increasing support for the guaranteed income supplement.The NDP wants a coalition with the Liberals, and that should be absolutely outrageous. The real concern that Canadians have is the NDP might get more seats than the Liberals and the leader of the NDP could end up as prime minister of a risky, unstable minority government.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canada Pension PlanFamilies and childrenFuel oilGoods and services taxOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, if we wanted to take advice on how to run an economy and how to run a federal government, we certainly would not take it from Paul Martin.Less than four months after meeting in a Toronto hotel room with the leader of the NDP, walking out with $5 billion in his pockets, he voted to turf the scandal-plagued Liberal government out of power. The real scandal is the Liberals want to work with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP to force a coalition government on Canadians, a government that they did not vote for, a government about which they will not be honest and transparent in telling Canadians. That is not in the interest of Canadians. That is wrong for Canada.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canada Pension PlanFamilies and childrenFuel oilGoods and services taxOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely outrageous. The Liberals are showing absolute contempt for Canadian voters. Normally in Canada the winner of the election gets to form a government, but not with the Liberals. They have such contempt for the Canadian electorate that they want to form a risky, unstable government with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. They do not have the courage to be open and transparent with Canadians.Rather than spend $400 million on an unnecessary election, let us focus and put that money to work for Canadian seniors who desperately need our help through the guaranteed income supplement.Aboriginal peoplesCarson, BruceDrinking waterGovernment contractsInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South CentreAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is more slander, more smear from the Liberal Party.The Liberals are bankrupt of ideas. They have nothing to show Canadians on jobs, the economy and economic growth.We have a low tax plan to help create jobs. We have a budget before the House that will support the most vulnerable seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement.What we have is a Liberal Party that has contempt for the Canadian electorate. It wants to force an unnecessary election rather than do the right thing and help Canadian seniors.Aboriginal peoplesCarson, BruceDrinking waterGovernment contractsInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, not one single dollar went to that company, not a single dollar. If the Liberal Party has any evidence of that, I would encourage it to table it before the House. The reality is the Liberal Party is making it up as it goes along. It will not be honest and transparent with Canadians about its plan for a coalition government with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. This would be unstable and would cause great damage to our country.There is a great Canadian tradition that the person with the most votes wins. That should apply to Canadian democracy. The Liberals should stop their contempt for the Canadian electorate.Aboriginal peoplesCarson, BruceDrinking waterGovernment contractsInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, a former British prime minister said the following:I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.That is the Liberal Party. When it comes to jobs, the economy and economic growth, the Liberals have absolutely no solutions to offer the Canadian people. Our government is focused on jobs. Our government is focused on helping the most vulnerable seniors in Canada.Aboriginal peoplesCarson, BruceDrinking waterGovernment contractsInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, no. We have had good discussions with the Government of Quebec. They are going well and we have made progress. Unfortunately, the coalition wants to have an election, so things will be delayed.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Government compensationHarmonized Sales TaxOral questionsProvince of QuebecDanielPailléHochelagaDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have presented the right budget for all of Canada. It is a plan praised across Canada from coast to coast, a plan that has the credibility of top economists, a plan that keeps taxes low, a low tax plan that helps low income seniors, families, small business, caregivers, manufacturers, workers, and many more. That is what Canadians want, not an unnecessary election caused by a power seeking coalition.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Government compensationHarmonized Sales TaxOral questionsProvince of QuebecDanielPailléHochelagaNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHousingInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1440)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, it was our government that invested nearly $2 billion in affordable housing and much more under our economic action plan for the renovation and construction of nearly 12,000 units all across Canada. If it were left to the Bloc, no one would have had any improvements in housing because the Bloc members would have voted against it, just as they will vote against the budget tabled this week to help Canadians. What they want is a coalition, which Canadians oppose. Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Oral questionsProvince of QuebecSocial housingChristianOuelletBrome—MissisquoiGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question there. He was cut off.Aboriginal peoplesCanada School of Energy and EnvironmentCarson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment assistanceInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do not think I got the hon. member's question. We can have another try from the member for Parkdale—High Park.I remember when Peggy Nash was here. She was always fighting for the cause of senior citizens. If Peggy Nash were in the House today, she would be voting for the guaranteed income supplement increase because it is in the best interests of Canadians, and they deserve it.Aboriginal peoplesCanada School of Energy and EnvironmentCarson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment assistanceInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, more scandalous talk from the Liberal Party. The real scandal before Canadians is the Liberal-led coalition which wants to push aside the results of the next election campaign and assume power in a risky coalition government with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. That is in the worst interests of Canadian taxpayers.Worse yet, the Liberals will not be open and transparent about their attempts to push aside the results of the next election campaign. Canadians deserve better and our seniors need the help from the guaranteed income supplement. They need that support. Instead of spending $400 million on an election, let us put that money to work for Canadian seniors.Aboriginal peoplesCanada School of Energy and EnvironmentCarson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment assistanceInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentDenisCoderreHon.BourassaDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, this from a man who sat around the cabinet table when Alfonso Gagliano was named ambassador to Denmark. It is just a little rich.Aboriginal peoplesCanada School of Energy and EnvironmentCarson, BruceEthics and ethical issuesGovernment assistanceInfluence peddlingOral questionsWater treatmentDenisCoderreHon.BourassaRandyHobackPrince Albert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59148RandyHobackRandy-HobackPrince AlbertConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/HobackRandy_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionMr. Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on the priorities of Canadians. This week, the next phase of Canada's economic action plan was introduced in the House. Unfortunately, the reckless coalition, led by the Liberal leader, has said it will force an unnecessary and opportunistic election. As a member from the north, could the Minister of Health update this House on the new measures included in the budget to improve the welfare of Canadians?Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canada's Economic Action PlanNorthern CanadaOral questionsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanLeonaAglukkaqHon.Nunavut//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1450)[English]None, Mr. Speaker.Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyConservative Party of CanadaEthics and ethical issuesOfficial languages policyOral questionsPolitical appointmentsPatMartinWinnipeg CentreCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPost-Secondary EducationInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has the facts all wrong. We introduced the Canada student grants program to help students with the cost of their education, to allow them to attend a post-secondary institution and reduce their debt. We want to help them take advantage of training and have access to education. Unfortunately, the Bloc voted against all of our efforts, the same way they will vote against—Canada Student Grants ProgramColleges and universitiesFederal-provincial-territorial relationsGovernment transfer paymentsOral questionsResearch chairsNicolasDufourRepentignyPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that bill, as drafted, would not do anything to help the people that the member purports to want to help. That is what the hon. member knows but does not want to say.If he really wants this bill to pass in the Senate, he should be voting for the budget. He should be voting for the government to continue. Then the bill will be debated in the Senate. However, he is too chicken to do that. He is too susceptible to his fellow colleagues and their ridiculous arguments that are going to dissolve this Parliament and plunge us into an unnecessary election so that they can form a coalition.AIDS and HIVC-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActCanada's Access to Medicines RegimeDefeat of a House of Commons bill in the SenateHumanitarian assistance and workersMalariaOral questionsPharmaceuticalsTuberculosis in humansPaulDewarOttawa CentreDonaCadmanSurrey North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Very smug, Mr. Speaker, a very smug official opposition. Some hon. member: Hear, hear!Hon. John Baird: When members are called smug, they all cheer and applaud.As for the business of the House, I believe the minister responsible for the Status of Women has a motion that she would like to move after I have concluded my response to the Thursday question. Following that, without anticipating the outcome of any vote of the House, there seems to be an appetite to allow members who will not be running in the next election to have two minutes each to make statements. Following these statements, we will continue with day one of the budget debate.Tomorrow we will consider the last allotted day in this supply period. I do not know why the opposition coalition is talking about ending this very productive Parliament to force an unwanted and unnecessary election. Recent weeks have led me to conclude that this is the most dysfunctional Parliament in Canadian history. Yesterday our Conservative government achieved royal assent for the following bills: Bill S-6 to eliminate the faint hope clause; Bill C-14 to provide hard-working Canadians some fairness at the gas pumps; Bill C-21 to crack down on white collar crime; Bill C-22 to crack down on those who would exploit our children through the Internet; Bill C-30, R. v. Shoker; Bill C-35 to crack down on crooked immigration consultants; Bill C-42 to provide aviation security; Bill C-48 to eliminate sentencing discounts for multiple murderers; Bill C-59 to get rid of early parole for white collar fraudsters, a bill the Liberal government opposed but the Bloc supported; Bill C-61, the freezing of assets of corrupt regimes; and Bill S-5, safe vehicles from Mexico. What a legacy for the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.The work of this Parliament is not done. There are a number of key and popular government bills that Canadians want. Next week, starting on Monday, we will call: Bill C-8, the Canada-Jordan free trade agreement; Bill C-46, the Canada-Panama free trade agreement; Bill C-51, investigative powers for the 21st century; and Bill C-52, lawful access.Does the Minister of Justice ever stop fighting crime? He gets more and more done. In many respects, as House leader I am like the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Justice.Of course, we need to complete the budget debate to implement the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, a low tax plan for jobs and growth. Therefore, Tuesday we will debate day two of the budget, Wednesday we will debate day three of the budget and on Thursday we will debate day four of the budget. We have lots to do and I suggest to the members across that we turn our attention back to serving the interests of the public.While I am on my feet, I would like to serve those interests by asking for unanimous consent for the following motion. I move that, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Marine Transportation Security Act shall be deemed to have been read a second time, referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.Adoption at all stagesAsylumC-49, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Marine Transportation Security ActForeign personsGovernment billsHuman smugglingIllegal migrantsLeave to propose a motionMass arrivalsRefugee statusShip passengersWeekly Business StatementDavidMcGuintyOttawa SouthPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would again ask for unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, Bill S-10, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, shall be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed for the Minister of Justice.Adoption at all stagesDrug-related crimeLeave to propose a motionMandatory sentencingOrganized crimeS-10, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsSenate billsSentencingPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I move: That Bill C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, shall be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.Adoption at all stagesArrest warrantsC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsLeave to propose a motionOwnersProperty crimeSelf-defencePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, this is the last one. I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That Bill C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation), shall be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.Adoption at all stagesC-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsLeave to propose a motionMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionMrs. Kelly Block (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, CPC): (1545)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.I would like to make one thing very clear: this budget is a good budget. As a member of Parliament, I take my job very seriously. I represent the wonderful riding of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar and I am honoured to have the important role of ensuring that this government delivers for my riding.This budget delivers.Unfortunately, the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition has already formed. It has indicated that it will vote against this budget. Let us look at what it is they are voting against.They are voting against seniors. What is worse, they are voting against the poorest of the seniors. Through the prebudget consultations held in my riding, I heard one thing over and over, that seniors need more assistance.We listened. There is real affordable help for seniors in this budget, but the NDP, with its Liberal leader, has said no to help for seniors. This is a great shame because the NDP used to stand for something. Its members claim to stand up for the little guy, but when push comes to shove they would rather try to grab power in a coalition government supported by the Bloc Québécois than support measures that make sense for Canadians.Another common theme raised in the prebudget consultations in my riding is that we need to stay on track, keep taxes low and eliminate the deficit. That is exactly what this budget does.While the opposition coalition is coming out firmly against the best interests of Canadians and the best interests of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, our Conservative government is delivering to Canadians exactly what it promised, focusing precisely on the priorities of Canadians.Mr. Speaker, this budget would see an increase in transfer payments to Saskatchewan of $1.2 billion. That is $1,182 for every resident of Saskatchewan. I asked the only Liberal member in Saskatchewan, the member for Wascana, how he would explain to his constituents that he voted against this. This budget provides for tax relief for Canadians. In fact, the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition will vote against $60 million in tax relief. It is voting against a family caregiver tax credit, which would provide $2,000 for caregivers, or over $13 million for Saskatchewan families, and against an investment of $3 million toward the development of community-based end of life care. This is something I am particularly proud of as a founding member of the parliamentary committee on palliative and compassionate care.I ask the following: How can someone claim to support hard-working Canadian families and vote against measures such as this? How can someone who claims to represent the middle class vote against the children's art tax credit, which would provide families a tax credit of $500 per year? That is another $19 million for Saskatchewan that the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition would rather families did not get.What about our volunteer firefighters? Do they not deserve some credit for putting their lives at risk to help our communities? We have put a $3,000 tax credit for them in the budget, and the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition members just cannot find it in their hearts to support it.Conservatives know that we cannot go on with deficit spending indefinitely. Our Conservative government knows that fiscal responsibility is important to Canadians. That is why we are staying on track to eliminate the deficit by 2015 without implementing risky and reckless new spending programs that would force us to raise taxes or keep us in a deficit for our children and grandchildren to pay off. That is why we have taken action.We have already cut the deficit by a third from last year and are on track to balance the budget by 2015. What we are not doing is balancing the budget on the backs of the provinces. We are not cutting transfer payments to Saskatchewan. In fact, we are increasing them.(1550) Our Conservative government knows that health care and education must be properly funded. The Liberals cut funding for health care and for education, but we did not. We know what is important to Canadians and we will keep fighting for their priorities. We know that infrastructure is of vital importance to cities like Saskatoon and rural municipalities like Delisle, Asquith, Biggar, Herschel, and the many others that make up my great riding.This budget has delivered for municipalities. We are making an annual investment of $2 billion in gas tax funding permanent, so municipalities would be able to forecast accurately the funding for their community.However, the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition voted against that as well. Actions speak louder than words, and it looks like the opposition does not support sustainable and stable infrastructure funding for rural municipalities. We should not be surprised because the Liberals and the NDP have a history of voting against what they claim to support. The Bloc, on the other hand, has always been very clear on its intentions, and that is to vote against the best interests of Canadians because the Bloc only cares about one thing, breaking up this great nation of ours.I would not want to make these claims without backing them up. We know that today Canadians are still burdened with a costly, wasteful, inefficient, and useless long gun registry because the elected members of Parliament for the NDP broke their promises. They promised and even campaigned on scrapping the long gun registry. When push came to shove, though, the NDP could not be trusted. It pretends to understand rural Canadians, but it does not.As for the Liberals, it is almost a waste of time to point out the hypocrisy. Everybody knows that the Liberal Party is the party of broken promises. Among them is its promise to remove the GST. That is another of the promises made, promises broken.Conservatives do not make empty promises. We said we would cut the GST to 5% and we cut the GST to 5%. We promised we would fight to scrap the wasteful long gun registry and we have fought to do so. If the NDP did not flip-flop on campaign promises, the long gun registry would be gone right now.We promised to work to reform the Senate. We have introduced legislation that would limit senators terms to eight years and provide an opportunity for Canadians to vote for their senators. The NDP claimed to support Senate reform, but when push came to shove, it voted with the Liberals instead of with its constituents.I call on members opposite who claim to represent their constituents and not their leaders. I call on them to support this budget. Do not vote against Canadians. Do not vote against seniors and families, and jobs and growth. If members vote against this budget, then they are sending a clear message to Canadians. If Canadians want a member of Parliament who will represent their interests and their priorities, they should elect a Conservative in the next election.Balanced budgetBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesBudget deficitChildren's arts tax creditCities and townsCoalition governmentFamily caregiver tax creditFirearms registryGas Tax FundGoods and services taxGovernment assistanceGovernment transfer paymentsHealth care systemIncome taxInfrastructureSaskatchewanSenate reformSenior citizensVolunteer firefighters tax creditPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionMrs. Kelly Block: (1600)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my congratulations to the hon. member as well and wish him all the best in all of his future endeavours.As far as the member's question goes, we are making tremendous investments in research and development. We are making tremendous investments through the P3.We do understand that Canadians do not want an election. Because of these investments, we do not want an election while our economy is in recovery. We know that these investments are very important in terms of business development and in terms of our country moving forward.This is why we have introduced the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, a plan that will ensure that we go forward through business development and by encouraging the private sector to get involved in research and development.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesInvestmentPrivate sectorProductivityResearch and researchersKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de FucaDonDaviesVancouver Kingsway//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionMrs. Kelly Block: (1600)[English]Mr. Speaker, time and time again during pre-budget consultations, as I mentioned in my speech, I understood, and heard from seniors, that we needed to do something to provide more assistance for seniors. Again, that is why we have introduced the next phase of Canada's economic action plan. It is a plan that will keep taxes low to promote jobs and economic growth while supporting Saskatchewan families and seniors. It includes supporting job creation, strengthening our families and communities. It is a plan that Canadians expect in times of fiscal restraint. I believe that seniors across this country are going to thank our government for the measures that we have implemented in this phase of Canada's economic action plan.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCorporate income taxGovernment assistanceSenior citizensDonDaviesVancouver KingswayCathyMcLeodKamloops—Thompson—Cariboo//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionMrs. Kelly Block (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, CPC): (1625)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of working with the member on the human resources committee. I would like to ask the member how she will explain to the people of Saskatchewan and across Canada that she is voting against $1,182 per Saskatchewan resident. She will be voting against $2,000 for caregivers. That is $13 million for Saskatchewan families. She will be voting against a $500 per year art tax credit for middle-class families. That is $19 million for Saskatchewan families.In my riding, no Liberal candidate has been named. Does the member care about Saskatchewan? Do you care about what you are voting against for Saskatchewan? What will your answer be—Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesSaskatchewanRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1625)[English]Order, please. I would remind all hon. members to direct their comments and questions to the Chair rather than to one another.[Translation] The hon. member for Laval—Les Îles has the floor.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesDecisions of the SpeakerRemarks addressed to the ChairKellyBlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1625)[Translation]Pursuant to Standing Order 38, I must advise the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Brossard—La Prairie, Champlain Bridge; the hon. member for Malpeque, Agriculture and Agri-Food; the hon. member for Western Arctic, Air Transportation.RaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesIrwinCotlerHon.Mount Royal//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/69482JulianFantinoHon.Julian-FantinoVaughanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FantinoJulian_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionHon. Julian Fantino (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC): (1645)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the most recent arrival in this honourable place, I have been listening to the opposition very intently and I am beginning to believe it is the opposition's position that the Conservative Party probably also sunk the Titanic.I will be splitting my time with the member for South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale.It is good to have the opportunity to speak today about the budget. The global economy is emerging from the deepest and most synchronized financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression. In particular, I would like to talk about the significant improvements this budget would make in the lives of Canadian seniors.Canada's seniors have made many sacrifices and contributions to our country, for which we are forever grateful. That is why we are committed to doing everything we can to improve their quality of life.Our budget lays out a low tax plan for jobs and growth. As part of the plan, we will keep taxes low. We will undertake additional targeted investments to support jobs and growth. We will control government spending and stay on track to eliminate the deficit. We will not do what the previous Liberal government did when it cut $25 billion from transfer payments to crucial services like health care and education. Nor will we impose massive tax increases or tax our way to recovery because we know that increasing the tax burden is not the way to build a robust economy.We remain focused on securing our economic recovery. We are focused on improving the financial security of Canadian workers and families and especially helping seniors. Canada's seniors represent a generation of Canadians who helped us build a country and a quality of life of which we can all be proud.Our government recognizes the need of seniors in communities across our great country. We are committed to ensuring that seniors have the opportunity to enjoy their retirements in comfort. This is part of a strong record of supporting seniors, their safety, security and quality of life. Indeed, since taking office in 2006, our government has provided unprecedented support to Canadian seniors and pensioners. We have provided over $2 billion in annual tax relief for seniors and pensioners. We completely removed 85,000 from the tax rolls. We raised the guaranteed income supplement exemptions from $500 to $3,500 and introduced pension income splitting. We introduced an automatic renewal of the guaranteed income supplement, meaning seniors no longer have to reapply each year. Our government has made significant investments in affordable housing for low-income seniors. We raised the age credit amount twice and doubled the pension income credit. Since being elected a few months ago, I have met with hundreds, if not thousands, of seniors across the land. They have told me as recently as today that they are certainly in support of what we are endeavouring to do. Those seniors need to be heard. They told me about the hardships they faced. Many of them were never married or their spouses have passed away and they live alone on very low incomes. I heard loud and clear that we need to do more to help these vulnerable seniors.I passed this message on to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance and it is the message that is embodied in the budget submissions that have gone forward. It has been taken to heart. We listened to seniors and we responded. This budget proposes enhancing the guaranteed income supplement by providing an additional $600 per year to single seniors and $840 to couples who are below the income threshold. Some people have trivialized this amount. According to the seniors I have spoken to, this is very meaningful and they are grateful.(1650) These new measures are expected to help improve the quality of life for more than 680,000 of the most vulnerable seniors across Canada and this represents a significant commitment. In fact, the changes to the guaranteed income supplement proposed in this budget represent an investment of more than $300 million per year. However, we believe that it is the right thing to do at this time.We are dedicated to improving the lives of Canadian seniors. After living lives dedicated to their communities and families, low income seniors deserve the same quality of life as everyone else. Passing this budget would go a long way toward ensuring they receive the support they need and justly deserve. While important, this is only one of several measures in this budget that would benefit Canadian seniors.This budget proposes providing $10 million, over two years, to the new horizons for seniors program. This extremely successful program provides funding to support local community-based projects across Canada. These projects enable seniors to participate in social activities and contribute to their community. New horizons also funds programs to raise awareness of elder abuse and to give front line workers the training they need to recognize the signs of abuse, and know what to do when they suspect it. It is an important program that allows our seniors to live more active lives and helps protect them from exploitation and abuse. This budget also proposes two very important measures for seniors and near-seniors who want to keep working. First, it proposes extending the targeted initiative for older workers for the next three years. The economic downturn was especially hard on older workers. While it is never easy to lose one's job, it is particularly hard for an older worker who has worked at the same job for many years. Thanks to our government's economic action plan, Canada has recovered all of the jobs lost in the recession. Since the beginning of our economic recovery, we have created 480,000 net new jobs.However, there are still older workers who need our help, with training and support, to help them find new jobs.The targeted initiative for older workers ensures older workers have access to training and employment programs that help them find new careers. It also opens training and employment programs to displaced older workers. This ensures that these workers have the support they need to find new jobs. It is a good program that is helping people in real need. I hope that everyone in this House will join us in voting to extend it.The next phase of Canada's economic action plan also proposes to make an important legislative change. It is a change that would benefit those Canadians who decide that they want to keep on working longer. Canadians are living longer, more active lives than ever before. Seniors who want to remain active in the workforce should have the freedom to make that choice. It should not be forced upon them. That is why we are proposing to introduce amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit federally-regulated employers from setting a mandatory retirement age. This would apply unless there is an occupational requirement for a mandatory retirement age.Banning mandatory retirement would allow Canadians the freedom to choose how long they remain active in the workforce. This budget builds on the progress that we made through the economic action plan.It is a responsible low tax plan that does not threaten the economic recovery by raising taxes. Instead, it lays out a path to a balanced budget by 2015-16, while making certain key investments. It does so while providing real, tangible support for Canadian seniors.I urge members to listen to all of the people across our country who are looking to us to support our most vulnerable seniors. It is time to put politics aside and think of those vulnerable seniors who are looking to us for the help they need, for the help they so badly need. If members want to support them, I ask simply that members do the right thing and support this budget, so that we can collectively continue to improve the quality of life of the very people who sent us here.Balanced budgetBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesEconomic recoveryElder abuseGovernment assistanceGuaranteed Income SupplementNew Horizons for Seniors ProgramPensions and pensionersRetirement termsSenior citizensTargeted Initiative for Older WorkersIrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/69482JulianFantinoHon.Julian-FantinoVaughanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FantinoJulian_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionHon. Julian Fantino: (1655)[English]Mr. Speaker, I look at this from the point of view of what the seniors tell me, not what we perceive in this place. It truly is a significant amount. With utilities rising, another impact that seniors are facing today, it is a very significant amount. I pity anybody who trivializes that amount as not being very helpful and generous at a time of difficult circumstances in this country.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesGovernment assistanceSenior citizensLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/69482JulianFantinoHon.Julian-FantinoVaughanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FantinoJulian_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionHon. Julian Fantino: (1655)[English]Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to what I think has been a great misconception. I try to analyze things in a realistic and practical way. All the things that we are doing are not mutually exclusive. They are necessary and critical. Were it not so, these things would not come forward. Serious considerations are given.Giving our military men and women the tools they need to do the job we are asking them to do is a responsible approach to what needs to be done.Regarding prisons, I have been in law enforcement for some 48 years and I have put a lot of people in prison. I hate to think that we are now suggesting that we do not need to ensure that we have proper facilities to prevent people from continuing their life of crime and to protect victims. If we are looking for a crime prevention strategy that really does work, keep the recidivist criminals in jail and look after victims. Believe me, it does work.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesCorrectional facilitiesGovernment assistanceSenior citizensRobertCarrierAlfred-PellanEdFastHon.Abbotsford//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/69482JulianFantinoHon.Julian-FantinoVaughanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FantinoJulian_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance ]InterventionHon. Julian Fantino: (1655)[English]Mr. Speaker, I suppose the best way to look at that is to draw on our progress so far. This is a work in progress. We will continue to have a lot of work for years to come, no doubt.Our government is committed to supporting low income seniors. We are proud of the fact that our actions have played a part in cutting the low income rate among Canada's seniors from 21% in 1980 to 5.8% in 2008. This most recent submission in the budget will reduce by 680,000 the number of seniors who would otherwise be adversely affected if we allow it to continue as we have.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget debatesEconomic recoveryGovernment assistanceSenior citizensEdFastHon.AbbotsfordRussHiebertSouth Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoyal AssentInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1725)[Translation]I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:Secretary to the Governor General and Herald ChancellorMarch 24, 2011Mr. Speaker,I have the honour to inform you that the Honourable Rosalie Silberman Abella, Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, in her capacity as Deputy of the Governor General, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bill listed in the schedule to this letter on the 24th day of March, 2011, at 4:02 p.m.Yours sincerely,Stephen WallaceThe schedule indicates the bill assented to was Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension Act—Chapter 12.(1730)[English]It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActCanadian ForcesDisability benefitsDisabled veteransGovernment billsNew Veterans CharterPensions and pensionersRoyal assentVeteransChrisCharltonHamilton MountainMariaMouraniAhuntsic//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCriminal CodeInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]The hon. member will have eight minutes should this bill come back for the second hour of debate.The time provided for the consideration of private members' business has expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.C-612, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in persons)Consecutive sentencesDropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order PaperHuman traffickingPrivate Members' BillsProceeds of crimeProstitution and prostitutesSecond readingSexual abuse and exploitationJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaAlexandraMendèsBrossard—La Prairie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment DebateChamplain BridgeInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[English]Order, please. The hon. member for Brossard—La Prairie had a question and it is important that we let the parliamentary secretary answer that question.BrianJeanFort McMurray—AthabascaBrianJeanFort McMurray—Athabasca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment DebateAir TransportationInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1850)[English]Order, please. Four minutes are up. I will turn the floor over to the parliamentary secretary.DennisBevingtonWestern ArcticBrianJeanFort McMurray—Athabasca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment DebateAir TransportationInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1900)[English]It has been a pleasure to serve as Deputy Speaker in this Parliament. It looks like this will be my last shift in the chair and it will be the last time I will say this. The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 7 p.m.)BrianJeanFort McMurray—Athabasca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/913GarySchellenbergerGary-SchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/SchellenbergerGary_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersRay Walter and Ken ReaInterventionMr. Gary Schellenberger (Perth—Wellington, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two fallen firefighters, Ray Walter and Ken Rea. These two brave men were killed in the line of duty last Thursday while battling a fire in Listowel, Ontario. Ray and Ken were not just firefighters, they were also community leaders. Ray was vice-president of the Listowel Kinsmen and a second generation member of the North Perth Fire Department. Ray leaves behind his wife Holly.Ken was a founding member of the Atwood Fire Department and active in the Atwood community. He leaves behind his wife, Louise, three children and three grandchildren.Ray and Ken showed true courage and dedication as firefighters by entering a burning building to protect their friends and neighbours. Let us hold their example as an inspiration as we mourn their loss.I know that all hon. members will join me in honouring these two brave men who gave their lives while serving their community.Deaths and funeralsFirefightersFiresListowelRea, KenStatements by MembersWalter, RayWorkplace fatalitiesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—Restigouche//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31664BevShipleyBev-ShipleyLambton—Kent—MiddlesexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ShipleyBev_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe BudgetInterventionMr. Bev Shipley (Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, the next phase of Canada's economic action plan will keep taxes low and continue to create jobs for all Canadians. What was the response of the opposition coalition? Together, it said no, no to seniors, no to municipalities, no to laid off workers, no to rural doctors and nurses and no to homeowners who want to make their homes more energy efficient. Shockingly of all, the coalition said no to our brave volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line every day.Today it is clear to all Canadians that the opposition coalition is the party of no. No to balanced budgets, no to small businesses, no to our brave men and women in uniform, no to jobs and job creators and no to farmers. The only thing the coalition wants is an election that Canadians do not want.I look forward to returning to my constituents in Lambton--Kent--Middlesex to tell them about this Conservative budget.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canada's Economic Action PlanJob creationStatements by MembersDennisBevingtonWestern ArcticKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the budget presented yesterday by the Minister of Finance focuses on the priorities of Canadians, whether it is most vulnerable senior citizens living in poverty, there is help for them; whether it is support for volunteer firefighters who do an extraordinary job in communities across Canada, there is support for them; or whether it is support for health care, which will have risen by 36%, an unprecedented commitment to public health care. The Liberal Party, and he will not know because he was not here, cut health care by $25 billion. I know that because the member for Toronto Centre told me so.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyGovernment expendituresOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the priority of the Liberal Party is to bring Canada into a reckless election and to form a coalition with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. That is not in the interest of hard-working Canadians.What Canadians told us, when we consulted on this budget, was seniors living in poverty needed help, and it is in there; that volunteer firefighters needed support, and it is in there; that the men and women who worked in our hospitals needed an increase in transfer payments to the provinces, and it is in there.The Liberal leader should put aside his own narrow partisan interest and do the right thing for Canadians and support the budget.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyFederal electionsGovernment expendituresOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Liberal Party cannot find billions of dollars for these fighter jets and cannot find billions of dollars for these alleged prisons he talks about.Let us look at what Canadians are saying about the budget. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said, “The government should be commended for standing up to the opposition calls to undo job-creating business tax relief”.The Canadian Labour Congress said, “This is a win for every senior living in poverty in Canada”.Environmental Defence said, “We applaud the decision to renew funding for the Chemicals Management Plan”.These are good benefits to Canadians. He should set aside his own ambition and stand up for Canada.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyGovernment expendituresOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, we will not tolerate anyone breaking the law.We brought in tough reforms to make Canada's government more accountable. We believe in those reforms. We brought in the five-year ban on lobbying. When these allegations were brought to our attention, we immediately informed the authorities. That was the right thing to do. Another right thing to do would be for the Leader of the Opposition to put aside his calls for the government to raise taxes by $6 billion and get behind our job-creating economic action plan contained in the budget.AdvisorCarson, BruceGovernment accountabilityInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is the leader of the Liberal Party who is showing contempt for Canadian voters. He does not accept the fundamental democratic principle that the person with the most votes wins elections. He wanted to establish a coalition government with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP and now the coalition is back again. That shows utter contempt for Canadians. What should be the right thing for Canada is to get behind this low tax plan to create jobs, more hope and more opportunity.AdvisorCarson, BruceGovernment accountabilityInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1430)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we have had productive discussions with the Quebec government and with the finance minister about the HST. We hope to sign a deal soon. We will continue these discussions with the Quebec government.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyGoods and services taxGovernment expendituresHarmonized Sales TaxOral questionsProvince of QuebecRetail sales taxTax harmonizationDanielPailléHochelagaDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the fourth party had bothered to read the budget, he would know that more than 480,000 net new jobs have been created in this country. This is the best job creation record in the advanced economies of the world.The IMF looks at Canada and says this is the best place to invest in the next five years. It looks at our financial systems and says this is not just the best financial system in the G7 or the G20, it is the best financial system in the world.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyEconomic recoveryGovernment expendituresJob creationOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, once again, there is a tremendous benefit to reading the document. As I said yesterday, it is not that long a read. It is one of the shortest budgets in the last 20 years.There is a wonderful chart in there that shows the job creation and it shows, contrary to what the member opposite says, that about 75% of those 480,000 jobs are full-time jobs in high paying industries.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyEconomic recoveryGovernment expendituresJob creationMiddle classOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, once again, the leader of the fourth party is demonstrating his uncanny ability not to let the facts interfere with his argument.We have negotiations ongoing with the provincial governments, as the member opposite should know because he has been in this place long enough. He ought to know that the federal government cannot unilaterally alter the Canada pension plan. We share jurisdiction with the provinces. There are rules. They are constitutional. We need two-thirds of the provinces to agree, and two-thirds in terms of population. We are continuing to work with the provinces on modest improvements to the CPP.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyCanada Pension PlanConstitutionFederal jurisdictionFederal-provincial-territorial relationsGovernment expendituresOral questionsPensions and pensionersProvincial jurisdictionJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, there have been serious allegations raised around Mr. Carson. The matter has been correctly and immediately referred to the relevant authorities. We expect every single Canadian to obey the law. This is an important law. It's a law that is so important that we made it a matter of first priority to table it, pass it, and push through caucus. We believe that everyone who breaks the law should face the full force of the law.AdvisorCarson, BruceGovernment accountabilityInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsMinister of the EnvironmentOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeGerardKennedyParkdale—High ParkGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is not unusual at these climate change negotiations to invite a variety of people representing industry, environmental groups, labour groups, first nations, Inuit or Métis people. I remember, when I was minister of the environment, even inviting the member for Parkdale—High Park. The difference is that with these delegates we generally elect them to spend the whole time there and not go home halfway through the meeting.AdvisorCarson, BruceGovernment accountabilityInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeGerardKennedyParkdale—High ParkDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would say to my friend from Bourassa that he has a rather interesting use of vocabulary and a different sense of the word than I would have thought, and certainly in relation to this file.Here is what we know. Serious allegations were raised with the Prime Minister. He did the right and proper thing, and immediately referred the matter to the three relevant authorities. I hope they will do two things. I hope they will conduct an investigation into the matter. Second, I hope they will use the full strength of Canadian law on anyone who broke it.AdvisorCarson, BruceGovernment accountabilityInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsMinister of the EnvironmentOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeDenisCoderreHon.BourassaDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, these slanders and outrageous implications by the member for Bourassa will not create a single job. They will not help a single senior living in poverty. They will not help volunteer firefighters and they will not help health care workers. That is what our budget does and the Liberal Party should get behind it. It is the right thing for Canadians.AdvisorCabinet ministersCarson, BruceGovernment accountabilityInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeDenisCoderreHon.BourassaYvesLessardChambly—Borduas//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1440)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member and his colleagues had taken the time to read yesterday's budget, they would know that we are proposing to extend a number of things, such as two pilot projects, the targeted initiative for older workers and improvements to the work sharing program, which has already helped 280,000 people and protected jobs. They did not even read the budget before deciding to vote against it.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Employment insuranceEmployment insurance accountOral questionsYvesLessardChambly—BorduasYvesLessardChambly—Borduas//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1445)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in the budget, we presented four proposals for extending improvements to the employment insurance program and helping the unemployed across Canada. As usual, the Bloc said it will vote against these measures. It has already voted against five additional weeks and against the program to help long-tenured workers and the targeted initiative for older workers. It always votes against the interests of the unemployed in Quebec and the regions. It is shameful.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Employment insuranceEmployment insurance accountOral questionsYvesLessardChambly—BorduasRobertBouchardChicoutimi—Le Fjord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/69482JulianFantinoHon.Julian-FantinoVaughanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FantinoJulian_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Julian Fantino (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting low income seniors. We are proud of the fact that our actions have played a part in cutting the low income rate among Canada's seniors from 21% in 1980 to 5.8% in 2008, one of the lowest rates in the world. We have increased guaranteed income supplement benefits, cut taxes for seniors, introduced pension income splitting and invested in seniors' housing.We will keep working hard to deliver for seniors as demonstrated in our budget yesterday.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresOral questionsPovertySenior citizensThomasMulcairHon.OutremontThomasMulcairHon.Outremont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/69482JulianFantinoHon.Julian-FantinoVaughanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FantinoJulian_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Julian Fantino (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is coming from a party that has consistently voted against any seniors' help. It is shameful.In our budget yesterday we elevated the poverty line for seniors. Across the country, 680,000 seniors will benefit from yesterday's budget submission.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budgetary policyGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresOral questionsPovertySenior citizensThomasMulcairHon.OutremontJoséeBeaudinSaint-Lambert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30979PatrickBrownPatrick-BrownBarrieConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownPatrickW_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Patrick Brown (Barrie, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, Filipino Canadians work hard to build this country. A recent example of nanny abuse was shocking. We know that nannies had substandard working conditions, had their immigration status threatened and passports confiscated so they could not flee.Today the Toronto Star reveals that one of the nannies was coerced into a gag order, preventing her from talking to media or law enforcement. Alarmingly, this all happened in the house of a member who sits across the floor in the Liberal caucus.Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration tell this House what the government's position is on immigration abuse?Abuse and exploitation of foreign workersForeign workersImmigration and immigrantsLabour lawLive-in caregiversOral questionsWorking hours, terms and conditionsJohnDuncanHon.Vancouver Island NorthRickDykstraSt. Catharines//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Immigrant women enjoy the same rights and protections under provincial labour laws as Canadian workers. If they are being abused they should report that abuse to the relevant provincial agency.Our government is ensuring immigrant women know their rights. Whether it is abuse or exploitation, immigrant women have the right to speak out.The real question is, would the Liberal leader not take a stand on this issue and state that treatment like this is wrong and is unacceptable?Abuse and exploitation of foreign workersForeign workersImmigration and immigrantsLabour lawLive-in caregiversOral questionsWorking hours, terms and conditionsPatrickBrownBarrieJohnMcCallumHon.Markham—Unionville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodIndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, the fact is this government has already given this particular company $20 million through our aerospace program. It has asked for an additional $35 million, on top of the $20 million.It is our responsibility, as keepers of the taxpayer interest, to ensure that we do our diligence on the books of a company like this, and that work is ongoing.Aerospace industryAircraftDiamond AircraftGovernment assistanceOral questionsJohnMcCallumHon.Markham—UnionvilleChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions ]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, on CTV News yesterday, Mr. Georgetti said as follows:I'd say to the NDP--Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canadian Labour CongressFalse or misleading statementsMembers' remarksPoints of orderReplies to oral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions ]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty: (1510)[English]Does the member for Wascana want to hear or not? Take it easy, you will get a hernia and hurt yourself.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Hon. Jim Flaherty: He said that “I'd say to the NDP leader, there's enough in this budget that we want to look at it seriously in the labour movement. We would think that would be...if we were at a negotiating table, we would take the offer”.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canadian Labour CongressFalse or misleading statementsMembers' remarksPoints of orderReplies to oral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions ]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]It is to respond.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canadian Labour CongressFalse or misleading statementsMembers' remarksPoints of orderReplies to oral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions ]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on another point of order.I want to clarify my comments when I talked about the Canadian Labour Congress quote. I was not suggesting that it endorsed the budget, it was just to comment that it had said, and I quote:This is a win for every senior living in poverty in Canada and we're proud to have played a significant role in that campaign on their behalf.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canadian Labour CongressFalse or misleading statementsPoints of orderReplies to oral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodMinister of State for Democratic ReformInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do rise as well in the defence of the member for Winnipeg, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, the Minister of State for Democratic Reform.Yesterday, I raised in the House an issue of $10.00 being charged to participate in a conference call by the member for Kings—Hants, the Liberal finance critic. I want to report two things.The Minister of State for Democratic Reform had the following happen to him. He answered the main line and it was a recorded message from the hon. member for Kings—Hants indicating that, “You have been selected to participate in a live telephone town hall meeting today at 6:45.” I want to defend the Minister of State for Democratic Reform. He has never donated $10.00 to the Liberal Party of Canada.Brison, ScottFletcher, StevenFundraising and fundraisersLiberal Party of CanadaMinister of State (Democratic Reform)References to membersJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanStevenBlaneyHon.Lévis—Bellechasse//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(b) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 15 petitions. Government response to petitionsLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacGordonBrownLeeds—Grenville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25483GordonBrownGordon-BrownLeeds—GrenvilleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/BrownGordon_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterparliamentary DelegationsInterventionMr. Gordon Brown (Leeds—Grenville, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following reports of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Southern Governors' Association, which was held in Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America, August 27 to 30, 2010.8565-403-59-15 Report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-United States Inter-parliamentary Group respecting its participation at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Southern Governors' Association, held in Birmingham, Alabama, from August 27 to 30, 2010Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary GroupTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreKevinSorensonCrowfoot//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCanadian HeritageInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1520)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage regarding the mandate and funding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.8510-403-230 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation funding)Canadian Broadcasting CorporationGovernment assistanceStanding Committee on Canadian HeritageKevinSorensonCrowfootJoePrestonElgin—Middlesex—London//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsProcedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): (1520)[English]Motion for concurrenceMr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 28th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. Pursuant to Standing Order 92(3)(b) the committee hereby reports that it does not concur in the fifth report of the Subcommittee on Private Members' Business and is of the opinion that Bill C-486, An Act respecting the negotiation and conclusion of treaties, should remain votable.8510-403-231 28th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (Private Member's Business)C-486, An Act respecting the negotiation and conclusion of treatiesConsideration by the Subcommittee on Private Members' BusinessPrivate Members' BusinessStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsVotable and non-votable itemsMichaelChongHon.Wellington—Halton HillsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsProcedure and House AffairsInterventionHon. John Baird: (1525)[English]Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 924, 925, 926, 927, 928 and 933.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"AfghanistanBank accountsCanadian ForcesCanadian Forces mission in AfghanistanCanadian investments abroadConservative Party of CanadaConsultantsElections CanadaFederal Economic Development Agency for Northern OntarioGovernment expendituresGovernment programsIncome and wagesIncome taxJoint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraftJoint strike fightersLegal proceedingsLegal servicesMilitary exit strategyNorthern OntarioPoints of orderPrivate sectorQ-924Q-925Q-926Q-927Q-928Q-933SwitzerlandTax evasionUnpaid taxesWritten questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Procedure and House Affairs]InterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1555)[English]Madam Speaker, it is a true travesty that we are spending this time dealing with this motion today. Last week was a constituency week when members of Parliament should have been in their ridings hearing from their constituents who sent them here to represent them, but instead there was a motion that required the procedure and House affairs committee to spend three days on hearings. During that time, we heard from multiple witnesses. Three ministers of the Crown appeared. With less than a day's notice, two of them appeared for a second time to answer the questions that were asked of them by committee members. Many other witnesses appeared. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in convening our procedure and House affairs committee last week.At the end of those hearings, that opposition member and his coalition partners presented a motion to the committee. I want members to listen carefully to the motion, which read, “that they would not allow any summary of evidence to be presented in that report”, after two full days of hearings and hundreds of thousands of dollars to get those witnesses here, as well as all of the required material that was prepared for it. At the end of that time, they had the audacity to ask that no summary of evidence be included in, what they said could be a maximum, two-page report. How can the member stand here and defend democracy when, at the end of a two-day hearing, he actually asked that no summary of evidence be included in the record? Then, because the opposition members had the majority, they could pass any motion they wanted to pass. Of course they would pass the motion. How can that be called democracy?8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Procedure and House Affairs]InterventionMr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): (1605)[English]Madam Speaker, I guess I should just point out right at the outset that this is what I dealt with all last week: a member who just would not stay within the boundaries of what he is supposed to talk about; a member who just would not stay within the boundaries of his time; and, I am sorry to say, a side of the table that just would not stay in the bounds of politeness. It was about as discouraging as it might get.I have made plenty of mistakes in my life and I am happy to admit them. Long before politics I knew the member for Kings—Hants and found him to be a very honourable gentleman. This week he has tried my patience on that one, as to whether I really truly believe it at all any more.The other mistake is I thought I had the best job in the world. I came here as a member of Parliament some seven years ago and I thought, “I can't believe how good this is. You're representing your people and it's just incredible”.I got to be the chair of procedure and House affairs, a chair of a committee of the House, and I have been proud of it. I have been very proud of it. It is not often that a chair will get up on a fairly partisan issue that we are talking about here, but I got to see this first-hand last week from the end of the table, not from the side of the government, not from the side of the opposition, but from the side that had to watch it, much like the TV cameras had to watch it last week. I would like to give members my view of what we are talking about here.So, the second mistake that I have made is I came here thinking this was the best job ever and that we really, truly could get along, and do great things and things that we are all proud of.After two very long days looking at this issue last week, I am not certain I want to share with my grandkids what I did those two days here in Parliament. I am not sure I want to share with my grandchildren, and I am sorry I do not have any yet, but my future grandchildren what I saw from an abuse of, truly, the procedures.The member for Kings—Hants, somewhere in his, I was going to say statement of facts but I would have to assume, then, there were facts in there, got up and said that it was about defending taxpayers and it was about defending the democratic systems.I am happy to say I am the chair of a committee that does defend democratic systems. Last week when we attempted to do that, I saw every dirty trick and every rudeness. It was just over the top. I will explain some of them to members, and Madam Speaker, I know you have seen some of them. I know you have even seen how rude some of us can be even in this House. It was over the top.I want to tell members that there is a group of people out there who really truly do watch us on TV. We were the only act in town last week. The only thing happening was the procedure and House affairs committee and so, many people watched it. I guess if we go by the CPAC channel, we watch and see what is going on. I have to tell members there are groupies, there is a group of people out there, and I said groupies, I guess maybe we should use that term, who sent emails. I have received emails from across this nation last week about the job of being the chair of the procedure and House affairs. There were a lot of suggestions as to what we should do to some of the members, and I have to suggest that sometimes during some of those very long sessions last week, I thought some bad thoughts about what I should do to some of those members, too.Hon. John McKay: And they're all in your caucus.Mr. Joe Preston: You can see, Madam Speaker, the heckling from the other side. It happened last week, too. It was that way, too. It just was.Let us just talk a bit about what we attempted to do last week.I do not sit on the committee for finance. As I shared with members, I chair a different committee. However, the report came to this House from the finance committee looking for information. That is what the report was about. The committee members felt they needed more information, so they moved a motion and asked the Speaker to find a case of privilege, saying that the information had not been delivered to them.(1610)Maybe some members do not know this, so I will give them a bit of an education on what happens when a motion of privilege is moved. What we first get from the Speaker is a prima facie case, a legal term. I am not a lawyer but I understand it well enough to say that it means that the Speaker has found, on the surface, that someone else should look at the case. Therefore, the case was moved to our committee.As a matter of convention, since I have been the chair of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs the Speaker normally comes and explains to us how he arrived at his decision, the basis for his thought. We were not able to do that last week because, as many members know, it was not a week the House was sitting and so not all members were available to us. Thus the committee was not able to start in the way it would normally do with a study.The other thing that was different last week, and I have already pointed this out, is that the member for Kings—Hants was there but not as a standard member of our committee. He does not usually sit on our committee. I take pride in the fact that committee members get along. Our standard committee is made up of the whips of most of the parties and other more senior members of the other parties, including our own. I have found over the period of time I have been the chair that we have certainly been able to get along and maybe even accomplish the impossible every now and again, just by being able to get along, by not making issues partisan or over the top. It is not about trying to get that press clip on the evening news. The committee seldom meets in public, and so it was really different to be before TV cameras all of last week and have to deal with them too, because I do find there is a difference. I will admit to being a bit at fault here also. When we know a TV camera is on us, we maybe act a little differently than usual. We might take the roundabout way to get to our point because we think it might make a nice clip on a website or on the evening news, instead of just working with the people across the table and getting to the facts and, as a member just said, defending taxpayers and democratic institutions. Instead of just working to do those two things, we chose to make a show of it. We chose to make it look like a circus at times, at other times like a daycare and at other times somewhat like warfare. It really went over the top.The issue comes to the committee and we have to look at the whole thing to see if it really is a prima facie case and we spend a great deal of time looking for facts. The reason we hold these committee meetings is to look for facts. We call witnesses. At the beginning, we very co-operatively ask each party for a list of witnesses they would like to hear from. Each party hands in a list of people, including some experts on the system. Surprisingly enough, oftentimes the same name is on the lists provided by many of the parties.The member for Kings—Hants mentioned Mel Cappe, an eminent former clerk of the Privy Council and a professor now at the University of Toronto. I would love to spend some time in his classroom. I really enjoyed listening to Mel Cappe while he was at committee. He is a very knowledgeable gentleman.Rob Walsh, the House of Commons law clerk, often comes to our committee because we deal with those types of issues. He was probably on more than one witness list.We are going to have a permanent name tag made for Ned Franks because he attends almost everything we study at the procedure and House affairs committee. He knows his constitutional law. He knows things about the House of Commons. He knows where all the bones are buried. We can pretty much ask Ned anything and he will have an opinion on it. We did find at committee that there certainly were times when Ned had two or three opinions. I mean no offence, because he would admit to it, but there were many times when after a case was made by one of the sides at the table, he would change his view and see that side.Therefore, we all put together a witness list, including ministers such as the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Public Safety, who were both there on the first day of our study. (1615)The member for Kings—Hants is correct that a lot of information was given. It is my understanding that some months ago, a document was given, a foolscap piece of paper, with a costing structure for all of the crime bills. It had some boxes on it and the numbers were filled in. It was fairly fulsome in what it was covering. That day, when the ministers came, they brought the supporting documents for that piece of paper. The member from Kings—Hants is correct that it was quite a show. There was a pretty good binder full of information.My colleague said something like: “Holy, they looked like dogs that finally caught the car”. The committee did not know what to do with it, because there it was, all of the information. All of a sudden, they had the information they wanted. There it was. Then the committee said it was too much. They could not read it all. It was too much, and they complained they were only given 15 minutes to read it, which was not enough.What did we do? We asked two very busy ministers, who were on their way to other things, to come back the next day so that we would have the time to read the documents and they could spend another hour with us and explain what was in the documents. That sounded fair.I recognize ministers are very busy people. I know it was hard for the clerk and I, when scheduling the first witnesses and helping to set up the witness list in the first place, to get them together at the same time to do this. So we had ministers come back the next day because the members asked them for more information. It sounded great, and so we did have them back.In-between their first and second appearances, we had a number of witnesses. We mentioned some of them, such as Mel Cappe. We had a lot of good, interesting questions about his theory on cabinet confidentiality and what information could be shared with committees, legislatures and members of Parliament so that we can make the right decisions when voting on legislation. The member from Kings—Hants has just suggested this was what we were trying to do. I agree it was exactly what we were trying to do. We were trying to find a way for information to get into MPs' hands and therefore into their minds when looking at legislation, whether at the committee level or here in the House, so that we can do our proper due diligence. That was our “fiduciary responsibility”, I think was the term used. Therefore, all of the committee's meetings, all of the show trial, was about answering whether the information was sufficient. It was not sufficient when it was provided at committee, apparently. It was not sufficient when the document was tabled here in the House with a good amount of information. As I said, I was not a member of the finance committee and I do not know whether the numbers were what that committee wanted or not. However, the member from Kings—Hants has just said: “No, they weren't”.We did not get there. We had done of all of that and had all of those witnesses and all of their testimony, then something happened that I have never seen before in my life in this whole place. Two things happened. The night before the whole committee meeting started, there was an article in the newspaper about how the committee was going to find the government in contempt. I thought that was a little off and a bit of a predetermination of where we were going. At the end, the very that minute that testimony stopped, a document came forward on how this was going to work out, with all of the conclusions reached by the committee, but without any evidence to prove what was said. It would only be two pages long and there were going to be five recommendations by the committee. The minute we stopped hearing the evidence, we were apparently going vote on the motion. That is what happened in that committee. It was as blatant and over-the-top abuse of power as I have ever seen.(1620)I have spoken a long time and I have got a little off my chest and am honestly feeling a little better.The good thing is that the reason we have committees in this place is to do that type of investigative work. It is not to predetermine where we are going to be. I have to say to the member for Kings—Hants and the other members from his party who filled that committee on a temporary basis, it is not how we usually work. We would not think of ignoring the evidence and then just give a report. We take a summary of the evidence into account.I move:MotionThat the House do now proceed to the orders of the day.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsMotion to proceed to the Orders of the DayRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionMr. Joe Preston: (1705)[English]Madam Speaker, the member for Kings—Hants mentioned a manual full of information. That is exactly what he got last week in committee and people should have seen his surprise, “Holy cow, I can't read this. I don't have enough time to read this. This might actually be what I asked for”. I shared in my dissertation, for those who were not there, that Liberals looked like dogs who finally caught the car. They did not know what to do with it when they got it. The member brought up manuals. I will talk about being discouraged. That is what I am reading in emails from people across the country about the shenanigans and happenings in last week's committee. The manual the member for Kings—Hants mentioned is not the one I used. The one I used is House of Commons Procedure and Practice. It is right here on the table if he would like to read it, and maybe he should.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionHon. John Baird: (1705)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was listening to the chair of the procedure and House affairs committee talk about binders with information that was delivered to committee. I am pleased to again table in the House the information that the House requested, which shows we were fully in support of the House's resolution.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsPoints of orderRequesting tabling of documentsTabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesJoePrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1710)[English]I did not hear anything that was a point of order. There has not really been a point of order. The minister rose to table some documents. 8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Decisions of the SpeakerMotion for concurrence in committee reportsTabling of documentsScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionHon. John Baird: (1710)[English]Mr. Speaker, they did not even read the documents before they said they did not answer the questions they had asked. This shows what a kangaroo court that committee had become.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsPoints of orderRequesting tabling of documentsTabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesPaulSzaboMississauga SouthAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1710)[English]Order, please. Order, order. We are in the period of questions and comments. If members have a question for the member for Elgin—Middlesex—London, he will answer it.The hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London will answer the question and then we will move on to another.JohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanJoePrestonElgin—Middlesex—London//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionMr. Joe Preston: (1710)[English]Mr. Speaker, when the House was presented all the information just now, I was still finishing my response to the question from the member for Kings—Hants. He asked me if I was discouraged. I did share in my speech that I was discouraged. I certainly was discouraged with the behaviour of the members last week at the meeting and have been discouraged with some of the emails I have had about their behaviour since them.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleYvonGodinAcadie—Bathurst//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionMr. Joe Preston: (1710)[English]Mr. Speaker, first of all, the member from the NDP shared most of his time at committee with the member for Winnipeg Centre which really was part of the problem. I have received more comment on the behaviour of the member for Winnipeg Centre than anything I have ever seen in this House. As chair of a committee, I have never seen a more disruptive member than that member. I would ask his own whip, and perhaps his leader, to take him under control. There is a meeting of volunteer firefighters and fire chiefs right here on the Hill tonight. For those who are thinking of voting against the budget, why do they not go and talk to them?8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstBlaineCalkinsWetaskiwin//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionMr. Joe Preston: (1715)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have to agree with my colleague's question, that yes I do. However, the real answer is it went further than that. The report was written before the committee was finished hearing witnesses. There was the report in front of us to try to find the guilt. This is like the members of a jury, before they arrive to be picked, all agreeing that it is going to be that way.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxFinancial forecastMotion for concurrence in committee reportsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesBlaineCalkinsWetaskiwinAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[Translation]The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst on a point of order.JoePrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonYvonGodinAcadie—Bathurst//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[Translation]That is not a point of order.[English]The hon. member for Mississauga South is rising on a point of order.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Contempt of ParliamentDecisions of the SpeakerMotion for concurrence in committee reportsPoints of orderYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1715)[English]Mr. Speaker, there is no way we call into disrepute the Speaker of this House. He is an honourable gentleman. He makes his decisions on the basis of the law.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Calling into questionMotion for concurrence in committee reportsYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstYvonGodinAcadie—Bathurst//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]I have not heard anything that would require an apology. The Chair will examine the transcript. If there is any reason to come back to the House to make any kind of request, we will do so in due course. We will move on.Resuming debate, the hon. member for Joliette.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Calling into questionDecisions of the SpeakerMembers' remarksMotion for concurrence in committee reportsYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[Translation]You have 10 minutes left for your speech.PierrePaquetteJoliettePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1720)[Translation]The hon. member for Wetaskiwin on a point of order.PierrePaquetteJolietteBlaineCalkinsWetaskiwin//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1720)[English]I am sure the House appreciates the clarification.The hon. member for Joliette.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Calling into questionMembers' remarksMotion for concurrence in committee reportsBlaineCalkinsWetaskiwinPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1725)[Translation] It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings on the motion at this time. [English]Accordingly, the debate on the motion will be rescheduled for another sitting.It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Motion for concurrence in committee reportsPierrePaquetteJolietteDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionMr. David Sweet (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, CPC)(1730)[English] Bill C-620. Second reading moved that Bill C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement), be read the second time and referred to a committee. He said: Mr. Speaker, it was a privilege to present Bill C-620, Fairness for Victims of Violent Offenders Act, to the House in February. It is a privilege today, although with mixed emotions, to be the first to speak on its second reading.I would like to use my time today to reinforce the reasons why this bill would help recalibrate the balance between the rights of violent offenders and the rights of their victims, but first, and most importantly, I would like to share with the House why I worked to bring this bill forward.Like many hon. members, I have received calls from constituents over the years expressing concern that our system, in their opinion, seemed to give more weight to the rights of those convicted of very serious and heinous crimes rather than the victims of those crimes. I heard story after story regarding the emotional trauma of victims and their feelings of being re-victimized by a system they felt favoured the guilty more.However, nothing could have made me realize their pain and trauma more than the experience I had last May when I visited a National Parole Board hearing. At the request of a constituent, I attended the National Parole Board to listen, learn and observe the process. The case was one of direct relevance to my constituent as well as to myself because of the local nature of it. Her sister and her sister's two children had been killed years ago by a murderer who was once again up for parole. I do not think anything could have prepared me for what I was about to experience.The violent offender and the family of the woman and children he killed shared the same hearing room for four hours. The raw emotion in the room was unspeakable. To this day it is hard to find the words to do justice to that experience. Exacerbating the situation, the triple murderer still refused to take responsibility for his crime. No real remorse was shown and still, to this day he has not taken any responsibility. As a result, thankfully, his parole was denied again. I would like to read something from a publication called The Record. It is a report on what the victim's family experienced. The witness at the hearing said that, “This horrible crime committed by Jon Rallo still affects me every single day. I know it will continue to do so in the future. The fact that Jon Rallo has never acknowledged his horrific deeds and has never revealed Jason's resting place only makes the burden more difficult to bear”.He did not even have graciousness to say where he dumped one of the bodies. They still do not know where Jason's body is.When I think of it now, it strengthens my resolve to bring this bill to fruition, despite the circumstances we find ourselves in the House today. Throughout the process of considering this bill, I consulted with victims groups, prosecutors, defence attorneys, police officers and many groups to come up with a realistic and workable bill that would be supportable for all members in the House.The Sampson report, named after former Ontario minister of Corrections, Rob Sampson, was entitled: A Roadmap to Strengthening Public Safety. It included 109 recommendations and improvements to corrections and public safety when it was released in December 2007 and it was a good resource in the development of this bill. The report cited the changing offender profile. Here are a couple of points from the report.Nearly 60% of inmates are now serving sentences of less than three years and have histories of violence. One in six now have known gang and/or organized crime affiliations. Also in 2007, the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime was established. Its members have been advocates for victims across the country, raising awareness and making recommendations for change.(1735)Let me give one small fact, but one with a big impact. When testifying before the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on March 3, 2011, Sue O'Sullivan, the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, in quoting a Department of Justice report said the following, “Victims pay 67% of the cost of crime”. That is an alarming statistic and it illustrates very clearly another reason why fairness for victims needs to be addressed. Let me clear up one misconception from the outset. The reforms we are talking about here, to give greater voice and choice to victims, cannot be quickly dismissed as simply following some kind of American model. Our Commonwealth colleagues like Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have also enacted some of these very same changes. While not everything can be accomplished in one bill, my hope is that the Fairness for Victims of Violent Offenders Act builds on the work of our government's tough on crime agenda, these reports and of the advocates that have been championing victims' rights in Canada for decades.What specifically would the bill do? In the simplest terms it would amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act in two important ways: One, it would give greater voice and choice to victims; and two, it would give the National Parole Board more discretion in how it reviews the cases of violent offenders, lengthening the time that the National parole Board has for mandatory review of sentences for offences involving violence.What does this include? This includes ensuring the victim's right to present a victim impact statement is enshrined in law, so that the National Parole Board must consider it as part of its hearing. It is simply a matter of fairness. I have not heard of a case to date when a victim was deprived of the right by the National Parole Board to present an impact statement. Nevertheless, enshrining the right to present a victim impact statement in legislation clearly establishes its importance to all Canadians.As I included each provision in my bill, I thought back to the Parole Board hearing I witnessed in the spring of 2010 and asked myself, would this make it fairer? Would this help ease the burden on victims and their families?What is more, my bill also includes recognition that technology has advanced since the last time the Corrections and Conditional Release Act was reviewed. As a result, the bill amends the act to ensure that in the event a victim cannot, or chooses not to attend a parole hearing, they are allowed to use any commonly available form of audio or video format to make the statement.This is entirely in addition to the written statement. It gives victims and families an option to not have to relive the pain at a hearing if a person so chooses. Given the proliferation of digital and video formats available today and the speed in which technology advances, this only makes common sense.I thought back to that experience in May 2010 and asked myself, would this law make it more fair? Would it restore balance? Would it help ease the burden on victims and their families?The bill, Fairness for Victims of Violent Offenders Act, also increases the period within which the National Parole Board must provide a further review of parole in the case of offenders serving a sentence for an offence involving violence. It would increase the review period from “within four years” from the current “within two years”. Let me repeat that for clarification. It would increase the review period to four years rather than the current two years.There is more. In the cases of statutory release, where offenders cause death or serious violent harm to another, it would increase double the review period to two years from the current one year. The net effect is to give more necessary latitude to the National Parole Board in dealing with cases of violent offenders. (1740)At this point, I want to read another excerpt from a piece of media, which is another experience of victims but this time of Clifford Olson. This was printed in The Province in 2010 and it reads:Olson, 70, who seems to take pleasure in revictimizing the families of those he killed, is automatically eligible for parole every two years until the day he dies.Ray King, whose only son was 15 when Olson killed him, plans to be at the parole hearing but said it's difficult facing the prospect of a hearing every two years. "Of course it's hard," he said. "It's hard just hearing [Olson's] name." King said he'd like to see the rules changed to prevent killers from having regular parole hearings. "I'd like to be able to fly, but that's not going to happen either. There's nothing that can be done until he's dead. I'd be glad if he died."Sharon Rosenfeldt, whose 16-year-old son Daryn was murdered by Olson in April 1981, said from Montreal that she and her daughter will attend Olson's hearing. "I will be attending parole hearings until Clifford Olson dies or I die," said Rosenfeldt, who attended the last hearing with her daughter in a Montreal-area prison in July 2006. "But it's always been really unsettling to us."When Clifford Olson was first sentenced I thought it would be for life. Well, he's been part of our lives for coming up 30 years. It will be 30 years in April that Daryn went missing and was murdered."To have to relive this every two years, it's so inhumane. It really is...”.Again, going back to my experience in May, I asked myself again whether this law will make it more fair, will restore balance and will help to ease the burden of victims. Victims should have the assurance as well that those who have harmed them so severely have actually taken seriously their responsibility to endeavour to be rehabilitated and return to society as a law-abiding and contributing citizen.Finally and additionally, this bill would allow victims increased access to offender documents related to the upcoming parole hearing. I just want to read one more excerpt. I know these are a little long but they are very germane to the subject at hand. This is about Constable Michael Sweet, who is no relation to me. It reads:In the early morning hours of March 14, 1980, brothers Craig and Jamie Munro entered what was then George’s Bourbon Street restaurant in downtown Toronto for the purpose of committing a robbery. Both men were high on drugs and armed with guns. At the time, Craig Munro was on mandatory supervision from a penitentiary....The brothers gathered all the people inside into one place but one of the victims managed to successfully flee. Once out on the street he flagged down a passing police cruiser. Constable Sweet, 30, entered the restaurant and was immediately shot twice. There then began a 90 minute standoff between the Munro brothers with their hostages and police. The police later stormed the restaurant and both brothers were shot and captured. During the standoff, Sweet was conscious and slowly bleeding to death. He begged his captors to let him go to a hospital and he told them about the three young daughters he had at home. While Sweet pleaded for his life he was laughed at and taunted. All three men were later transported to hospital. The Munro brothers survived their injuries. Sweet did not survive.Jamie Munro was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was granted full parole in 1992, married an Italian woman and is believed to be living in Italy under another name. Craig Munro, who was the one that shot Constable Sweet, was convicted of first degree murder. He was automatically sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years.As Karen Fraser said at the press conference, ”the crime against her husband took place in a public place”. Craig Munro’s trial and sentencing were held in public. However, the prison records that were available to Munro and used by the Parole Board in deciding whether or not he should be granted parole were not available to her or the public because they were protected under the Privacy Act. Craig Munro could have authorized the release of those records to the Sweet family but exercised his right not to do so. Again, this is a matter of fairness. Again I thought back to my experience of 2010 and asked myself whether this law would make it more fair and whether it would give the victims and their families more voice to help ease their burden?The answer to all these questions that I have asked throughout my speech is yes. I believe this bill reaffirms what the Sampson report said, which is that parole from prison is a privilege not a right. It must be earned and that includes showing remorse for the crime and seeking rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is the key. The National Parole Board must be convinced that the violent offender will not recommit. It is the least we can do to offer dignity to victims.C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Conditional releaseCorrections and Conditional Release ActLegal casesOlson, CliffordParole Board of CanadaPrivate Members' BillsReport of the Correctional Service of Canada Review Panel: A Roadmap to Strengthening Public SafetySecond readingStatutory reviewVictims of crimeViolent offendersAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessMessage from the SenateInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1745)[English] I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed the following bill: Bill C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeMessages from SenateNon violent crimeSenate passageDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdalePaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionMr. David Sweet (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, CPC): (1745)[English]Mr. Speaker, Bill C-39, which was introduced in the House by the government some time ago, does touch on some of the aspects of Bill C-620 but this bill would take the provisions in the government's bill a step further.Am I aware of anybody who would be against this bill? Once the bill was made public, the only thing I have received has been support for this bill. So, I know of no one who would object to it.C-39, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make consequential amendments to other ActsC-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Conditional releasePrivate Members' BillsSecond readingStatutory reviewVictim and community impact statementsVictims of crimeViolent offendersPaulSzaboMississauga SouthJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1745)[English]Order, please. I will stop the hon. member there.The hon. member for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionMr. David Sweet: (1745)[English]Mr. Speaker, I had a number of lawyers work on the legal aspects of the bill. I have talked with many groups, as I mentioned in my speech, regarding victims rights groups and I have found, as I said, unanimous support for it. I am very grateful for the member's vote of confidence that I will be back here. However, in all seriousness, I did mention in my speech that despite the circumstances we have here, it is necessary to make known the pain that victims go through and the minimal amount of rights they have when it is time for a person who has been convicted to come up for parole and the limited access they have to information so that they can be assured that when the person comes out that person will not reoffend and, quite possibly, re-victimize their families.C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Conditional releasePrivate Members' BillsSecond readingStatutory reviewVictim and community impact statementsVictims of crimeViolent offendersAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleDaveVan KesterenChatham-Kent—Essex//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31765DaveVan KesterenDave-VanKesterenChatham-Kent—EssexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/VanKesterenDave_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionMr. Dave Van Kesteren (Chatham-Kent—Essex, CPC): (1750)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for allowing me to second his private member's bill.I want to mention a case that goes back about 25 years. I know the parents whose daughter was brutally murdered in London, Ontario. It happened, as some members might remember, during a time when a series of murders were being committed. I know the parents continue to go through the horror of some of the things that he mentioned he did to her. I know the parents very well and I knew their young daughter who was an absolutely beautiful girl. I want to be able to go back to those parents and tell them what this would mean for them and how it would change how they go to these parole hearings.Perhaps the member could just quickly comment on that.C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Conditional releasePrivate Members' BillsSecond readingStatutory reviewVictim and community impact statementsVictims of crimeViolent offendersDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionMr. David Sweet: (1750)[English]Mr. Speaker, the key thing in the bill is that the National Parole Board would have up to four years from two years. It would give the Parole Board the discretion when it makes decisions regarding the bill.It would also give the families. who find that they are re-traumatized by going to the National Parole Board but who want to ensure they are there for the loved ones they have lost, the ability to send their victim impact statement on a DVD or some other transmission so they do not need to be physically in the room and have to go through that emotional trauma again.C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Conditional releaseParole Board of CanadaPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingStatutory reviewVictim and community impact statementsVictims of crimeViolent offendersDaveVan KesterenChatham-Kent—EssexMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1820)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have come to learn in this place that we always need to beware of a member of Parliament who says, “I support this bill in principle, but--”.I just want to make a couple of quick comments to my colleague, the member for Ajax—Pickering, who tried to somehow liken this bill to having something to do with California or Florida or Newt Gingrich. This has nothing to do with that whatsoever.This bill has to do with fairness for victims. That is what this bill is all about. I take some offence that my colleague from across the way could suggest that this has something to do with U.S.-style justice in any way. This is really about fairness for victims of violent offenders. It does not get any simpler than that.Let me just talk about the four things that this bill proposes to do to amend the CCRA. First, it would amend section 123 to increase the period within which the National Parole Board must provide a further review of parole in the case of offenders serving a sentence for an offence involving violence. This would increase “within four years” from the current “within two years”.Second, it would amend section 131 to increase the period within which the National Parole Board must provide a further review of statutory release for offenders who cause death or serious harm to another. For example, for an offence involving violence, it would increase “within two years” from the current “within one year”.Third, it would amend section 140 to ensure the victim's right to present a victim impact statement is enshrined in law, so the National Parole Board must consider it as part of its hearings. It would also amend section 140 to ensure that in the event victims cannot or chooses not to attend a parole hearing, to allow the victims to use any commonly available form of audio or video format to make their statement. As a result, the act would be modernized to account for the proliferation of digital and video formats available today. Having a choice will help ease the parole process on victims and their families.Fourth, it would amend section 142 to allow victims increased access to offender documents related to an upcoming parole hearing.Just to be very clear, that is what this bill proposes to do.I am pleased to rise today to talk to this bill put forward by the member for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, whom I am proud to call not just a colleague but a friend. The hon. member has always done a great job representing his constituents and he should be commended now for bringing forward a private member's bill that gives a voice to victims of crime.The short title for Bill C-620 is fairness for victims of violent offenders act. I believe he has struck the right balance in doing just that. In reading over this bill, I am impressed with the positive steps it proposes ensuring that victims of crime have their interests taken into consideration during the process of parole hearings. What a concept. Let us think about that, that we would actually take into consideration victims of crime. I think this is a very good idea.This is not to say that the possibility of parole will be infringed upon for those who the system deems to have been rehabilitated. Indeed, one of the cornerstones of our justice system is the belief that criminals can and should be rehabilitated, so that they can re-enter society as productive citizens.However, to force victims of a violent crime to relive the dramatic effects of the act by requiring them to face the perpetrator of that crime time and time again during parole proceedings is not, I think, what our justice system is about. Our system should not seek to put victims through a process that at the end of the day only causes them further pain and suffering.For this reason, I applaud Bill C-620 as put forward since it seeks to provide different avenues for victims to participate in the parole process that are less difficult for them on an emotional level. It also seeks to give the National Parole Board greater latitude through lengthening the time in which a mandatory parole review must occur. Of course, this bill is given ever greater credibility since it derives from a sincere desire to have the greater share of the burden shifted from the victim to the perpetrator.Indeed, as the member for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale noted in his remarks, the office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime has provided the disturbing statistic that under our current system, victims pay 67% of the costs of a crime. Simply put, this is not acceptable.I do not see how justice is being properly served through our current system that places an inordinate amount of pressure upon the victims of violent crime. Changes need to be made to take into account the traumatic circumstances that the current system demands that victims relive, time and time again.(1825)That is why I feel that one of the most rational aspects of the bill before the House is the part that provides victims the opportunity to supply their remarks in any commonly available media format. This avenue should, without a doubt, be made available to victims should they choose not to attend a parole hearing of the individual already responsible for so much of their physical and mental anguish. This would be in addition to the written statement that the victim, under the bill, would be able to provide and be able to have the National Parole Board legally obliged to consider during the course of the hearing. Most importantly, this option gives victims and their families the choice of avoiding having to relive their experiences by not having to attend the hearing in person.This in and of itself speaks volumes to the bill's intent of reducing the trauma that victims of violent crimes are forced to go through with each parole hearing. Indeed, the bill goes beyond simply providing new venues for victims and putting new regulations in place for the parole board, but ensures that victims of crime are accorded the dignity they deserve.I see the bill as an attempt to protect the families who have had their children taken from them by violent and malicious killers. The bill is for the survivors of those violent crimes, for those haunted by memories of assault and those having to live with the knowledge of their families' tormentors remaining unrepentant of their cowardly acts.In speaking to the bill I tried to imagine what it must have been like for those individuals to have their family members brutally murdered by an unapologetic murderer like David Shearing, to have to face the person who caused so much pain and suffering to their loved ones, to have to relive that experience every two years, with the threat of that person being released into society once again a very serious possibility. That is not fair to victims. That is not what I envision when I hear the talk about balance in our justice system.The particular individual I just mentioned, David Shearing, was found guilty of the murder of a British Columbia couple who was camping with their daughter and their son-in-law as well as the children in 1982. Shearing shot everyone, save for the two pre-teen girls, whom he kept alive for nearly a week to sexually assault the older daughter before killing them both and burning the bodies of the whole family in an attempt to cover his tracks. I can barely fathom the pain the family of these victims had to go through during the process that followed, the police reports, the trial hearings--C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Conditional releasePrivate Members' BillsSecond readingStatutory reviewVictim and community impact statementsVictims of crimeViolent offendersDonDaviesVancouver KingswayAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFairness for Victims of Violent Offenders ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]I regret to interrupt the member, but the time provided for private members' business has expired. (1830)[Translation]The order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.C-620, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (parole review and victim impact statement)Dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order PaperPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingDeanAllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoyal AssentInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1830)[English]I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:Rideau HallOttawaMarch 23, 2011Mr. Speaker:I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bill listed in the schedule to this letter on the 23rd day of March, 2011 at 5:57 p.m.Yours sincerely,Stephen Wallace, Secretary to the Governor General and Herald ChancellorThe schedule indicates the bill assented to was Bill C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsRoyal assentWritten declarationAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsArts and CultureInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1835)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member is clearly confused, so perhaps I can clear up her confusion. She is often confused on the heritage file but I will do my best to clear it up in the four minutes I have been given. The government has in fact increased funding to the Department of Canadian Heritage by 18% across the board since it became government. Canada is the only country in the G7 that actually increased funding to arts and culture through the recession. Every other country cut it, except this Conservative government: we increased it.Where did we increase it? We increased it for the Canada media fund, which I am sure the member is well apprised of, and for the Canada Council and things like cultural spaces. We put money behind all of those things. The member knows this well. She also knows that she voted against those increases. When Canada and the entire world was combatting the deep recession, rather than voting to support artists, the Bloc voted against the budget. Its members stood side by side and voted against the budget. However, we should not be surprised. A special legislative committee right now is studying the copyright bill. Witnesses have come in. Folks came from the feature film industry, some of them from the city of Montreal, I believe. They indicated that almost $1 billion, or $971 million, is evaporating and 12,000 jobs. The member claims to be proud of feature films like Barney's Version, made in Montreal. There may not be another Barney's Version if we do not fix the Copyright Act. However, that member and her party have stood wilfully in the way of updating Canada's copyright law and securing those jobs and the investment in the entertainment software industry, which is huge in Montreal and Quebec. That member stood against updating that act. It is not as if she just votes against increased funding for the arts, but she also votes against the private sector investment that would come into the arts. She is allowing things to be stolen because we cannot update the Copyright Act.Canada has five of the top ten piracy sites in the world operating within its borders. We want to put an end to that on this side of the House, because we believe that creators deserve to be paid for the work they do. That member does not and neither does her party: they are not supporting it.It really troubles me when I hear people stand up and say they support the arts, they support creators, they support artists, that they want to help them. Their deeds show exactly the opposite. That member has had a lot of opportunities to stand up and support artists and she has turned a blind eye every single time. Shame on her.Adjournment ProceedingsArtistsArts, recreation and travelCulture and creativityFilm industryGovernment assistanceCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-HubertCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsArts and CultureInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[Translation]The hon. parliamentary secretary.CaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-HubertDeanDel MastroPeterborough//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsArts and CultureInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro: (1835)[English]Mr. Speaker, of course the member picks and chooses between the numbers. We have increased funding for arts and culture by 18%. We have also found some administrative savings, things that Canadians will be proud of. I encourage the member to stand up in Montreal and go to the entertainment software industry, go to the film industry and to the radio stations that are advertising that she is attacking local radio with her stance on ephemeral rights in the copyright bill. I encourage you to go to them and preach your position to them, because you are contrary to Montreal, you are contrary to Quebec and contrary to artists.Adjournment ProceedingsArtistsArts, recreation and travelCulture and creativityGovernment assistanceAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsArts and CultureInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[English]I will just remind the hon. parliamentary secretary to address his comments through the chair and not directly at other members.The hon. member for Vancouver Quadra.Adjournment ProceedingsRemarks addressed to the ChairDeanDel MastroPeterboroughJoyceMurrayVancouver Quadra//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsThe EnvironmentInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1845)[English]The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 6:49 p.m.)MarkWarawaLangley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/913GarySchellenbergerGary-SchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/SchellenbergerGary_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Veterans Affairs]InterventionMr. Gary Schellenberger (Perth—Wellington, CPC): (1000)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. In accordance with its orders of reference of Tuesday, February 8, 2011, your committee has considered votes 1c and 5c under Veterans Affairs in the supplementary estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, and reports the same.8510-403-228 Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (Supplementary Estimates (C), 2010-11 — Votes 1c and 5c under VETERANS AFFAIRS)Department of Veterans AffairsStanding Committee on Veterans AffairsSupplementary estimates (C) 2010-2011GlennThibeaultSudbury//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsHuman RightsInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1005)[English]Madam Speaker, I present a petition from constituents in Wellington county that calls upon the House of Commons to remove section 13.1 from the Canadian Human Rights Act, indicating that it is not consistent with charter rights and charter values, such as the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly. I present this petition on behalf of these constituents in Wellington county.Canadian Human Rights ActCivil and human rightsFreedom of assemblyFreedom of speechPetition 403-1566JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order Paper InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1010)[English]Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.KevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1035)[English]Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for her argument against the bill. I understand where she is coming from and her logic. However, I want to give a different perspective on this. I believe that there is no constitutional principle that ensures that the Quebec division in this House has a certain percentage of the seats in this House. In fact, some of the members of the Bloc have mentioned that there is a guaranteed percentage of a quarter of the seats. In fact, they are below that level right now. There are 308 seats in this House and the Bloc has 75 of the 308 seats. That is, in fact, less than one-quarter. So clearly, there is no fundamental constitutional provision there.There was a fundamental constitutional principle that guaranteed the Quebec division a certain percentage of the seats, but that was in the Act of Union in 1840. Between 1840 and 1867, Canada East was guaranteed half of the seats in the legislature of the day. That changed with Confederation in 1867, in part because the then leader of the Liberal Party, George Brown, argued in favour of representation by population. That has been the fundamental constitutional provision since 1867, albeit modified by two minor provisions concerning the senatorial floor and the grandfathering of the seats in 1986 that guaranteed no provincial division would fall below that number. Nevertheless, the fundamental constitutional principle that governs the federal chamber here in the House of Commons is representation by population.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentProvince of QuebecRepresentation by populationSecond readingChristianeGagnonQuébecChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong: (1050)[Translation]Madam Speaker, I apologize to the hon. member, but it is contrary to the rules to say whether or not members are in the House.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationSecond readingDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1105)[Translation]Madam Speaker, between 1840 and 1867, the Quebec region, Canada East, was given half the seats in the House of Commons. That was also the case for Canada West.[English]In fact, this chamber, the original building, was built for the Province of Canada. The legislature of that Province of Canada sat for one session before Confederation. In that system, the provincial division of Canada East, that is, Quebec, was guaranteed half of the seats in this chamber, as was the provincial division of Canada West.However, during the debates that preceded Confederation in 1867, people like the Liberal leader, George Brown, and reformers like Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin understood that the changing demographic reality of Canada required representation by population in the people's chamber.In 1867, the fundamental constitutional principle enshrined in our Constitution was representation by population. The Supreme Court, in its 1991 ruling, reaffirmed that, and that is what this bill before us is all about. We need to ensure representation by population in this House.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationSecond readingGuyAndréBerthier—MaskinongéGuyAndréBerthier—Maskinongé//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1125)[English]Madam Speaker, as the member has pointed out, MPs in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario represent tens of thousands more Canadians than MPs in other provinces. This is a violation of the fundamental constitutional principle that this House be representative of the Canadian population.It is also a denial of the voice to new Canadians and visible minorities because the fact is that the 30 most populace ridings in this country are disproportionately made up of new Canadians and visible minorities. Those are ridings in the cities of Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. To deny those new Canadians a voice is not right. That is why the bill was introduced, to give those new Canadians and visible minorities a greater voice in this chamber and to ensure that this place properly reflects what Canada is today.My question for the member is whether or not he will be supporting the amendment from the Bloc and whether or not he will be supporting Bill C-12?C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationSecond readingKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de FucaKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1150)[English]Madam Speaker, members of the Bloc keep suggesting that the provincial division of Quebec in this House is guaranteed a certain percentage of the seats in this chamber. We did away with that in 1867. For 27 years, between 1840 and 1867, Canada east, Quebec, was guaranteed half of the seats in this chamber and Canada west was guaranteed the other half. However, we did away with that in the debates that led to Confederation. We went to a federal system of government. We did away with the unitary state which guaranteed both sides, in the division of Canada east and west, an equal number of seats and we went to a federal system where this chamber would be representative of the population. Where in law or in the Constitution Act does it say that the provincial division of Quebec in this House is guaranteed a certain percentage of the seats in this chamber? It has been suggested that it was guaranteed 25%. It is below that right now. Where in law or in the Constitution Act does it state that the Quebec division is guaranteed that percentage?C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentProvince of QuebecRepresentation by populationSecond readingMeiliFailleVaudreuil-SoulangesMeiliFailleVaudreuil-Soulanges//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong: (1155)[English]Madam Speaker, it is important for members of the House to understand that the 308 seats in this chamber, as well as the new seats that are to be added, do not belong to the provinces of Canada. They are simply provincial divisions for administrative purposes. These seats belong to this chamber. These seats are apportioned on provincial divisions. Therefore, the opinions of the provinces with respect to the number of seats that each provincial division should have is taken with respect and taken into account but are not relevant to the matter at hand. These are provincial divisions created for administrative purposes to decide how to apportion the seats in this chamber. They do not belong to the provinces of this country.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationSecond readingMeiliFailleVaudreuil-SoulangesMeiliFailleVaudreuil-Soulanges//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1225)[English]Mr. Speaker, since the member for Outremont mentioned me and my family, my father, who emigrated to this country from Hong Kong, lived in Montreal in the 1960s when mailboxes were going off. He was frightened because it took him back to the bombing that he lived through in Hong Kong. So, my family will take no lessons from the member for Outremont about the Quebec experience. I helped bury my father-in-law in Montreal only several years ago and there again, my family will take no lessons from the member for Outremont for the Quebec experience.However, he mentions that we in this House need to set aside a certain percentage of seats for the provincial division of Quebec. I will quote from the 1991 Supreme Court ruling, which said:A system which dilutes one citizen's vote unduly compared with another citizen's vote runs the risk of providing inadequate representation to the citizen whose vote is diluted...The result will be uneven and unfair representation.So that, clearly, is a fundamental constitutional provision.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentProvince of QuebecRepresentation by populationSecond readingThomasMulcairHon.OutremontThomasMulcairHon.Outremont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPoints of Order [Financial Disclosure]InterventionHon. Lynne Yelich (Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification), CPC): (1230)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the House that, on Friday, March 18, I was made aware that I had inadvertently invested my tax free savings account in a controlled asset, which is not allowed. Once I was made aware of this, I took all necessary measures to comply with the act, and will take any additional measures that are requested. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to make the House aware of this inadvertent mistake.Access to informationBank accountsPoints of orderReferences to membersThomasMulcairHon.OutremontChristianOuelletBrome—Missisquoi//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1250)[English]Mr. Speaker, I empathize with the members of the Bloc. I understand where they are coming from in opposing this bill and then proposing their amendment. However, in Canada, at the federal level, we have decided to protect the French language, the carrier of the culture, for the better part of 40 years through acts of Parliament like the Official Languages Act, through the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and through other measures we have taken. To protect the French fact in Canada, would it not be better to promote the use of the French language, to find ways in which to ameliorate the rate of bilingualism in Canada, rather than try to set in place a new rule that would guarantee a percentage of the seats in this House for the provincial division of Quebec?C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentProvince of QuebecRepresentation by populationSecond readingChristianOuelletBrome—MissisquoiChristianOuelletBrome—Missisquoi//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1335)[English]Mr. Speaker, once again, I appreciate the debate that the members of the Bloc are contributing to the amendment to the bill, but I want to reverse the question. If we do not do this, what are the consequences?One consequence may very well be that the Supreme Court of Canada may rule the current distribution of seats unconstitutional, as reinforced in its 1991 ruling on the fundamental constitutional principle of representation by population.The other consequence of not enacting the legislation is that it would become more difficult politically in 10 years to do this than it would be to do it now. In 10 years the gap would be that much larger than it is today.There are serious consequences both in the constitutionality of the current structure and in the political difficulties in achieving change if we do not enact the legislation. C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationSecond readingJean-YvesLaforestSaint-Maurice—ChamplainJean-YvesLaforestSaint-Maurice—Champlain//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong: (1340)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I believe in the promotion and protection of the French language. I think we should have francophone members in the House.[English]If we look at the number of francophones in the House, it is proportionate to the francophones in the Canadian population, and it should be. However, one of the reasons for this bill is many Canadians are under-represented in the House. In particular, the 30 most populous ridings in our country are disproportionately made up of visible minorities in cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. If we are to give these new Canadian citizens a better representation in the House, where they are only currently about 10% of this chamber and they should be double those numbers, we need to apportion more seats in those four large city regions. That is the purpose of this bill.I think we can accomplish that while, at the same time, ensuring the number of francophones in the House from across Canada is proportionate to their numbers in the population and through other measures, ensuring the protection and promotion of the French language in Canada.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)FrancophonesGovernment billsMembers of ParliamentRepresentation by populationSecond readingVisible minoritiesJean-YvesLaforestSaint-Maurice—ChamplainJean-YvesLaforestSaint-Maurice—Champlain//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1340)[English]I wish to inform the House that the first five hours of debate are completed. Therefore, now speeches will be 10 minutes and questions and comments will be 5 minutes.The hon. member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Jean-YvesLaforestSaint-Maurice—ChamplainMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1355)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, there is no principle in the Constitution Act of Canada that gives Quebec division 25% of the seats in the House of Commons. We had a principle under the Act of Union, 1840, but that act was cancelled in 1867.[English]We had a principle of equal representation between Canada east and Canada west for 27 years under the Act of Union, 1840. However that act was cancelled with Confederation that took place in 1867.Once again I say that the proof is in the pudding. The number of seats accorded to the division of Quebec today in the Canadian House of Commons is not 25%, it is 24.4%. So if it were a constitutional provision, we would have at least 25% of the seats in the House accorded to the provincial division of Quebec. That is not the case today, it is 24.4% and that is proof that this is not a constitutional principle.The fundamental constitutional principle is representation by population. That has been the case in this country since 1867, and that is what this act purports to do, restore representation in the three fast growing provincial divisions of this country.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentProvince of QuebecRepresentation by populationSecond readingMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1355)[Translation]The hon. member for Brome—Missisquoi has the floor for a very quick question or comment.MarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelChristianOuelletBrome—Missisquoi//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25483GordonBrownGordon-BrownLeeds—GrenvilleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/BrownGordon_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersHockeyvilleInterventionMr. Gordon Brown (Leeds—Grenville, CPC): (1355)[English] Mr. Speaker, for months now communities across Canada have been competing for the coveted title of Hockeyville 2011. The preliminary votes are in and on Saturday night, during Hockey Night in Canada, we learned that Wolfe Island in the riding of Kingston and the Islands is among the final five.Krafty, the Hockeyville wolf and some 300 islanders gathered in the Wolfe Island volunteer fire department hall this past Saturday to watch the results come in. The hall burst into cheers of joy and excitement when they heard that Wolfe Island received the third most votes in the country to become the national finalist from Ontario. With over 265,000 votes, Wolfe Island is proving that it is a strong contender for this year's Hockeyville title.Finally, I would like to congratulate the Wolfe Island Kraft Hockeyville committee which is busy planning for a celebration on April 2 when the winner of the 2011 Hockeyville will be announced. Wolfe Island for Kraft Hockeyville, the puck stops here.FinalistsHockeyHockeyville competitionStatements by MembersWolfe IslandMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe EconomyInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Kenora, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, communities across northern Ontario are telling us they are benefiting from Canada's economic action plan.It appears that NDP MPs in northern Ontario agree. In a recent mailout, the MP for Thunder Bay—Superior North said:Not only is it creating jobs and stimulating our economy, the funding is retraining workers, improving water quality, supporting our artists and fixing our roads. Imagine that.In a recent letter to the editor of the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal, a constituent questioned her MP taking credit for this government's work. It is perplexing. The NDP have consistently voted against Canada's economic action plan and strategically against other important legislation like repealing the long gun registry.I am confident the next phase of Canada's economic action plan will continue to benefit the people of northern Ontario in a number of key areas. It is time their MPs put the interests of northern Ontario first and support the next phase of Canada's economic action plan.Canada's Economic Action PlanEconomic recoveryNorthern OntarioStatements by MembersFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisMoniqueGuayRivière-du-Nord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersGlobal Transportation HubInterventionMr. Andrew Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, last week the Government of Canada delivered support for Regina's newest transportation facility. The funds went to help aggressively market the global transportation hub to attract new investments in Saskatchewan.Increased trade and investment with emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region means there are growing opportunities for the global transportation hub in Regina since it combines rail, truck, and air cargo facilities.The federal government's contribution will enable the transportation hub to brand itself as an attractive destination for international business and investment.The project will also highlight the Regina area as an important transportation hub along major North American shipping routes and as a link into the Asia-Pacific region.It is estimated that this project will help the global transportation hub authority attract up to $300 million in new investments to Saskatchewan and create up to 500 jobs.I have been proud to work with municipal leaders, the business community in southern Saskatchewan, and the provincial government on this important project.Thanks to this kind of forward-thinking from Saskatchewan entrepreneurs and community leaders, we have a new economic engine that is already bringing jobs to Regina.Economic developmentGlobal Transportation Hub ProjectIntermodal freight trafficInternational tradeReginaSaskatchewanStatements by MembersTransportationMoniqueGuayRivière-du-NordUjjalDosanjhHon.Vancouver South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58939EdHolderEd-HolderLondon WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/HolderEd_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersWolseley BarracksInterventionMr. Ed Holder (London West, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canada is privileged to have the best trained and most professional soldiers in the world. My city of London, Ontario is home to Wolseley Barracks, where the Royal Canadian Regiment has produced an incredibly strong reserve unit. These soldiers undergo the same rigorous training as full-time soldiers, which is critical when they are asked to contribute to Canada's sovereignty and Canadian interests throughout the world. We are proud of London and Canada's reservists for their commitment and we honour their service. A soldier is a soldier, whether full time or balancing both a commitment to their country and another career.Someone once told me, “A soldier is someone who, at one point in his or her life, writes a cheque, leaves the date open, makes it payable to Canada” and under the dollar amount writes “up to and including my life”. Today we stand to honour them.Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces ReservesRoyal Canadian RegimentStatements by MembersMassimoPacettiSaint-Léonard—Saint-MichelMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, as a matter of first priority, this government brought in the Federal Accountability Act that got tough on people who leave government for five years. The law is very clear.When issues arose with respect to one individual, we did the responsible thing. We immediately referred the matter, not just to the RCMP and to the Ethics Commissioner but also to the Commissioner of Lobbying.Let me be very clear. Those who break the law should face the full force of law.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeLibbyDaviesVancouver EastLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the fingerprints of the NDP members were all over that act. They unanimously supported the act. Some very serious allegations were brought to the attention of the government. We did the responsible thing and immediately referred the matter to the relevant authorities.Rather than letting the member for Vancouver East be judge, jury and trial lawyer, we will let the police and the courts deal with the matter.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeLibbyDaviesVancouver EastYvonGodinAcadie—Bathurst//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do not think it will come as a surprise to any member of the House that I completely reject the premise of the hon. member's question. It is this government who has been focused like no other on jobs, on the economy and on our low tax plan to help Canadian families. We have come very far over the past few years. The 480,000 net new jobs is nothing more than a good start. The Minister of Finance will present the next phase of Canada's economic action plan in the next few hours.Oral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstToddRussellLabrador//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about are the actions of a private citizen. There is no indication whatsoever that the individual received any grant or any favour from the government.Any individual who does not respect the tough new laws that this government has put in place should face the full force of law. When it was brought to our attention, we immediately forwarded the matter to the relevant authorities. That was the responsible thing to do.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeToddRussellLabradorToddRussellLabrador//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is making some rather outrageous claims. If he has any information to back up what he has said, he should table it in the House. If he refuses to, I would ask the hon. member what he has to hide.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeToddRussellLabradorRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canadians count on our government to do the right thing. When allegations about Bruce Carson came to light, we did the right thing and referred the matter to the Lobbying Commissioner, the Ethics Commissioner and the RCMP.I did meet with the individual once on February 7 to discuss the environment and the energy sector in his then capacity as the head of the Canada School of Energy and Environment. However, he did raise first nations water issues but, as these issues do not fall within the jurisdiction of Environment Canada, that conversation ended there.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceStandards in public lifeRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, there is no indication of one single dollar being paid to the individual. If the member opposite has any evidence to suggest that was the case, she should table it before this House.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesJoséeBeaudinSaint-Lambert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35724BruceStantonBruce-StantonSimcoe NorthConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/StantonBruce_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionMr. Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the government House leader could please tell the House if any member of the ministry is selling access to Canadians in return for a secret briefing on the budget that will be tabled in the House later this day?Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Fundraising and fundraisersLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsPolitical partiesPre-budget consultationsPeterMacKayHon.Central NovaJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, the government would never do that.The Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister and members of this government caucus have fanned out right across the country to listen to Canadians' views on the budget. But look at what the Liberal Party is doing. It is now charging people to “ensure your opinion is represented in the Liberal caucus room. All you have to do is make a donation to the Liberal Party of Canada”. I have here an email and it is very simple: “Taking part is simple. Just make a donation of as little as $10 and they can ensure your views are heard in the Liberal caucus”.Canadians reject this pay to play attitude from the Liberal Party and call on them to cancel this call this afternoon.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Fundraising and fundraisersLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsPolitical partiesPre-budget consultationsBruceStantonSimcoe NorthPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, when information was brought to our attention in this regard we did the responsible thing and forwarded it to the relevant authorities. We will let them conduct an investigation. We sent it to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Ethics Commissioner and the Commissioner of Lobbying. These are the independent officers who can look into this matter. Anyone who breaks this very important law should face the full force of the law.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeLindaDuncanEdmonton—StrathconaNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is this government which brought in the Federal Accountability Act that established this five-year ban because we believe it is important that Canadians who want to serve in government come with the best interests of Canadians and not to enrich themselves. When information was brought to our attention, we immediately referred them to the relevant authorities. We are going to let them conduct an investigation and if anyone has broken the law, he or she should face the full force of the consequence of that same law.Aboriginal reservesCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley ValleyChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, we believe that health care is an incredibly important priority, particularly when it comes to those in first nations, and those in northern Ontario and northern Canada. We have made an unprecedented commitment to health care, and we would be very pleased to look into the matter that the member raised.Budget cutsGovernment policyNational Housing StrategyOral questionsSocial housingTonyMartinSault Ste. MarieBernardGénéreuxMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodOfficial LanguagesInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1455)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that the Atlantic region has not been designated as a unilingual region by Service Canada. That is not the case at all. There has been no change in the bilingual services provided by our offices. All Canadians still have access to services in the official language of their choice, in every office of the country.Administrative regionsAtlantic CanadaFrenchLanguage of workLanguage rightsOfficial languages policyOral questionsService CanadaJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—RestigoucheRichardNadeauGatineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25504GaryGoodyearHon.Gary-GoodyearCambridgeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GoodyearGary_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodResearch and DevelopmentInterventionHon. Gary Goodyear (Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is very committed to improving the health of women and children in developing countries.I would like to congratulate the NRC scientists in Saskatoon, who have discovered a way to produce a treatment for malaria that is safe and affordable and will help save the lives of millions of women and children in Africa.This new malaria treatment represents a major development in the fight against this disease. I congratulate our Canadian scientists. It will strengthen Canada's position as a world leader in health research and provide a reliable and affordable treatment.Government assistanceMalariaMedical researchOral questionsDonaCadmanSurrey NorthHelenaGuergisHon.Simcoe—Grey//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersDemocratic Representation ActInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1530)[English]Madam Speaker, I respect the member opposite and his arguments but I must disagree with him.If we read section 52, it states: The Number of Members of the House of Commons may be from Time to Time increased by the Parliament of Canada, provided the proportionate Representation of the Provinces prescribed by this Act is not thereby disturbed.I think the member has wrongly interpreted the proportionate representation of the provinces prescribed by the act. I think that means that the number of MPs in each provincial division should be proportionate to the population from those provincial divisions, which means representation by population. That is consistent with how the Supreme Court has interpreted the act. It is subject to the two provisions of the senatorial floor and the grandfathering clause of 1986.However, those two restrictions aside, the fundamental principle is representation by population, as has been the case for the better part of 140 years.C-12, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation)Government billsMembers of ParliamentProvince of QuebecRepresentation by populationSecond readingMarcLemayAbitibi—TémiscamingueMarcLemayAbitibi—Témiscamingue//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC)(1600)[English]Motion moved:That this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government. He said: Mr. Speaker, today our government presents to Canadians the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, a low tax plan for jobs and growth.Since 2006, our government has worked hard to deliver real benefits to Canadians, real support for the challenges of the real world. We cut the GST twice, from 7% to 6% to 5%. We introduced the $1,200 per year universal child care benefit. We established the tax free savings account. We removed more than one million low income Canadians from the tax rolls. The list goes on. We delivered these benefits to support the financial security of Canadian families, while protecting health care and pensions. In good times and challenging circumstances, our government has made responsible choices. When times were good, we paid down debt. We strengthened our already strong financial sector. We delivered more than 120 tax cuts for Canadian workers, families and job-creating entrepreneurs. We also rejected calls from the opposition to impose a job-killing carbon tax.Most important, when the global recession hit, Canada was able to meet the challenge head on. Through Canada's economic action plan, we delivered further tax cuts to help stimulate our economy.(1605)[Translation] We enhanced unemployment benefits and expanded retraining for those hit hardest by the global recession. We also made historic investments in roads, bridges, public transit and higher education—creating jobs across the country, and building the foundation for long-term growth. [English]As a result, Canada is emerging from the global recession as one of the world's top performing advanced economies. Throughout the recession, the world has looked to Canada as a model and an inspiration, but still there is more to be done. The global economy is still fragile. The U.S. and other trading partners are facing challenges. Compared to other countries, Canada's economy is performing very well, but our continued recovery is by no means assured. Many threats remain.[Translation]In this period of global uncertainty, our government is focused on the number one priority of Canadians. We are focused on securing our economic recovery. We are focused on improving the financial security of Canadian workers, seniors and families. We have a plan to achieve these goals—a plan that is working—and we need to stay on track. [English]The next phase of Canada's economic action plan is critically important.To secure our recovery from the global recession, Canada needs a principled, stable government. Now is not the time for instability. It would make it harder for Canadian businesses to plan and to expand. It would drive investment away to other countries. It would jeopardize the gains we have made.Our government will provide a steady hand needed to secure our recovery and strengthen the financial security of Canadians. We have a balanced plan to achieve these goals, a low tax plan for jobs and growth.Today, Parliament faces a choice. It is a choice between stability and uncertainty. It is a choice between principle and opportunism. Our government is focused on securing our recovery from the global recession. We will keep taxes low. We will undertake additional targeted investments to support jobs and growth. We will control government spending and stay on track to eliminate the deficit.We will not cut transfer payments for crucial services like health care and education. We will not cut those transfers for health care and education like the previous Liberal government did. We will not give in to opposition demands to impose massive tax increases. This reckless policy would lead to continuing deficits and higher taxes for all Canadians. It would stall our recovery, kill hundreds of thousands of jobs and set families back.Sustained growth comes from the private sector.(1610)[Translation]We will help businesses to create jobs. We will not raise taxes on growth. This is a key principle moving forward in the next phase of Canada's economic action plan. I encourage all the hon. members of this House to examine in detail the comprehensive plan we are presenting today. For now I will mention just a few highlights. [English]First is our low tax plan to create jobs.Since July 2009, the Canadian economy has created more than 480,000 new jobs, more than were lost during the recession. Still we remain concerned about the number of Canadians looking for work. We need to keep protecting and creating jobs now. We need to keep building the foundation for long-term growth. A key part of that foundation is low taxes.Our government has delivered tax relief for all Canadians. There are cuts to the GST and personal income tax. The average Canadian family of four today is saving more than $3,000 each year. Our tax cuts are also helping employers to invest, grow and create jobs. Our commitment to low taxes is supported by strong consensus that protecting Canada's tax advantage is key to securing our recovery. It is key to creating jobs now and to ensuring long-term growth. That means greater job security for workers and greater financial security for their families. Our government will preserve this advantage for Canada. We will keep taxes low to keep creating jobs for Canadians.Even so, in the current global economic climate, many businesses remain hesitant to invest and hire. Now it is time for the private sector to invest again. Our government will take further action to encourage it to expand and create jobs.To encourage small business to hire new employees, we will provide a new targeted incentive. The hiring credit for small business will provide a one year EI break for some 525,000 Canadian small businesses. This measure will reduce payroll costs for new jobs and encourage hiring.We will also take further action to help the manufacturing and processing sector to encourage investment and job creation. We will extend the 50% straight-line accelerated capital cost allowance for manufacturing or processing machinery and equipment by an additional two years This will help businesses and exporters to invest, improve productivity and stay competitive. It will benefit a broad range of industries, including pulp and paper, primary manufacturing, computers and electronics, and the automotive industry.[Translation]To support the Canadian forestry industry, we will extend the current forest innovation and market development programs. In addition, through a consultative process involving the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and their member firms, we will conduct a comprehensive review of policies and programs to develop a federal policy framework to maximize the competitiveness of Canada's aerospace and space industry. (1615)[English]Beyond this, we will promote new export opportunities for all Canadian businesses. Canada is one of the world's great trading nations. We need to keep expanding our access to foreign markets to create new jobs here at home.Our government has signed a trade agreement with 8 countries and we have launched negotiations with some 50 other countries, including India and the European Union. To support these expanding trade relationships, we will modernize Canada's customs tariff legislation. This will cut red tape and make it easier for Canadian businesses to compete internationally.Also, we will extend Export Development Canada's temporary powers to support Canadian businesses in the domestic financing market for an additional year.We will also enhance Canada's engagement with India through stronger bilateral ties among businesspeople, public servants, researchers and academic institutions.In the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, our government will also take further action to support families and communities to build a higher quality of life for all Canadians. We will provide greater financial security for Canadians and practical help to help make ends meet.[Translation]Canadians work hard, looking after their families and contributing to their communities. Many individuals and families have added responsibilities in caring for infirm parents or relatives. These family caregivers make special sacrifices, often leaving the workforce temporarily and forgoing employment income. One may be caring for her mother, just as her mother once cared for her. Another may be at home full-time to look after her young son, who has a disabling illness. Another may be helping his wife as she faces the challenges of MS. Each family caregiver is unique, but all of them are generous Canadians. They are our neighbours, our friends, our family—and they deserve some extra help. To recognize and support Canadians caring for infirm loved ones, we will establish a new Family Caregiver Tax Credit. This new tax credit will be on an amount of $2,000 and will benefit more than 500,000 Canadians caring for loved ones. It will include, for the first time, those caring for infirm spouses, common-law partners and minor children.[English]We will also take action on other fronts to help families make ends meet. For so many Canadian children, involvement in the arts is a part of growing up. Whether it is dance, music lessons or art camp, it is a great way to make friends and develop their creativity. However, for some families the fees and other costs involved can be beyond their reach. To help parents in providing these important opportunities for their children, we will establish a new children's arts tax credit covering up to $500 per child in qualifying expenses for eligible arts and cultural activities.In addition, we will further help families make their homes more energy efficient by extending for one year the eco-energy retrofit homes program. This will help families lower their energy bills and support jobs in home renovation.We will also take action to help low-income seniors. In communities across our country there are seniors struggling to pay their bills each month. Often they are women. Often they are widowed. They worked hard their whole lives for their families and communities but lack any pension income. To provide greater support to seniors most in need, we will provide a top-up benefit to the guaranteed income supplement. This new measure will provide up to $600 extra per year for single seniors and up to $840 per year for senior couples. It will improve the financial security of some 680,000 Canadians who helped build our country to help them live their senior years in dignity.(1620)[Translation]Our government will also provide additional help to Canadians saving for retirement, including self-employed Canadians, through a new, affordable pension option. We will work with our provincial and territorial partners to implement the pooled registered pension plan as soon as possible. Federal, provincial and territorial governments are continuing work on options for a modest enhancement to the Canada pension plan. Any changes to the CPP will require a consensus among governments and reflect the need to protect Canada's economic recovery. [English]As I mentioned earlier, through Canada's economic action plan, we have implemented the largest federal investment in infrastructure in over 60 years. Going forward, we will work with the provinces, the territories, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and other stakeholders to develop a new long-term plan for public infrastructure. We will also introduce legislation to confirm permanent funding for municipal infrastructure through the gas tax fund. This will ensure a stable and predictable source of revenue for the renewal of local infrastructure, to improve the quality of life in our cities and towns.Our government will also take action to strengthen rural and remote communities. The number of doctors and nurses in Canada has increased in recent years, but Canadians in some regions of the country continue to experience a shortage. We will help address this problem by forgiving a portion of federal student loans for new doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners who agree to practise in under-served rural or remote areas. We will provide $52 million over the next two years to support programs for aboriginal communities across the country, including those in the territories. These investments include support to assist first nations to upgrade and replace their essential fuel tanks on reserve. We will also take action to support volunteer firefighting services in rural communities. Volunteer firefighters sacrifice their time, and some incur expenses, to provide a crucial service. As we were reminded just days ago by the tragic fire in Listowel, Ontario, they are also willing to sacrifice their lives to protect others. We will recognize the importance of this noble, necessary work, and help sustain volunteer fire departments by establishing a new volunteer firefighters tax credit. In addition to these concrete measures to strengthen communities, our government will keep investing in the knowledge and skills Canadians need to prosper over the long-term in the global economy. Since 2006 we have made major investments in research and development, in post-secondary education, and skills training. As noted in a recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Canada is increasingly attracting top talent from around the world. Canada has gone from “brain drain” to “brain gain”, and the world is taking notice. (1625)[Translation]In supporting research and development our goal is to promote innovation—and ultimately to create good, new jobs for Canadians. In the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, we will build on our successful investments so far. We will establish additional Canada Excellence Research Chairs. We will invest in world-class research through support for the Perimeter Institute, Brain Canada and the Institut national d'optique. We will extend advanced research funding to students and researchers at Canada's colleges and polytechnics. We will establish 30 Industrial Research Chairs at colleges and polytechnics across Canada. We will also provide new support for joint commercialization projects between colleges, universities and companies.Alongside our investments in research and development and in higher education, our government has also made substantial investments in skills training. Our goal is to help Canadian workers reach the next stage of their careers and to seize new opportunities in the years to come. [English]To foster competitiveness in the digital economy, we will encourage colleges to work with small businesses to accelerate the adoption of information and communication technologies. We will promote student enrolment in post-secondary science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.We will also provide tax relief for Canadians who are required to certify their skills in carpentry, in medicine, and other fields by making their exam fees eligible for the tuition tax credit.To respond to increased demand for help in career transition through post-secondary education, we will enhance the Canada student loans program for part-time students.To help older workers who may need special help to re-enter the workforce, we will extend the targeted initiative for older workers. Over the past two years, work-sharing has protected almost 280,000 jobs. Our government will continue helping businesses to retain employees and keep Canadians working. To continue protecting Canadian jobs, we will enhance and extend the work-sharing program.We will also take further action to support the outstanding Canadians who have served our country in uniform. We will build on our continuing, substantial support for career transition services through Veterans Affairs Canada. In addition, our support for the helmets to hardhats program will help former Canadian military personnel to find work in the construction industry. Our brave Canadian veterans have earned our deepest gratitude and highest respect. This is just one more practical way to provide the support they deserve.The next phase of Canada's economic action plan is designed to build on our actions so far. It is our plan to create jobs now and sustain economic growth for years to come. Looking ahead, Canada's leading private sector economists project steady growth over the next few years. Still, the plan our government is presenting today is based on a cautious estimate of Canada's economic growth in the near term. It reflects our government's consistent, responsible and balanced approach to the economy.(1630)[Translation]A key part of that balanced approach is our commitment to sound fiscal policy. Among other things, sound fiscal policy requires that we protect the integrity of the tax system. As promised in the Speech from the Throne last year, we will keep taxes low, while taking action to close unfair tax loopholes that allow a few businesses and individuals to take advantage of Canadians who pay their fair share. [English]Beyond this and most of all, sound fiscal policy requires that we return to balanced budgets. Canada’s deficit is much smaller than that of most other advanced countries. We are emerging from the global recession with the lowest net debt to GDP ratio of any G7 economy, by far. Even so, we must not be complacent. We must ensure that Canada remains financially sound, so that we can continue building a future of hope and opportunity for all Canadians.The global recession required extraordinary investments to protect Canadians, to stimulate our economy, and to create jobs. Canadians understand that a temporary deficit was necessary to limit the impact of the global recession in Canada and all parties in Parliament agreed. Going forward, to secure our recovery we must now focus increasingly on controlling government spending. We must complete the transition from providing temporary stimulus to ensuring long-term economic growth.To that end, we will continue implementing our plan to eliminate the deficit and return to balanced budgets by 2015-16. First, we will complete our stimulus package, as promised. Second, we will continue specific measures to restrain the growth of government program spending. Third, we will complete, within the next year, a comprehensive review of government spending. This strategic and operating review is designed to realize substantial additional savings through greater efficiency and effectiveness. It will place us in a strong position to resume paying down government debt, and to continue investing in priorities and supporting Canadian families. (1635)[Translation]Our government has laid out the next phase of Canada's economic action plan—a low-tax plan for jobs and growth. It is based on our extensive consultations with Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It reflects their values and responds to their priorities. Our plan does not say “yes” to every demand; it does not contain massive new spending—because that's not leadership. [English]Leadership is about finding a balance between needs. It is about staying focused on our number one priority: securing our economic recovery by creating jobs and growth now and in the years to come. We believe that the hon. members of the opposition will recognize that our plan addresses practical concerns with responsible solutions. As I said earlier, today Parliament faces a choice, a choice between opportunism or working together to secure our recovery and strengthen the financial security of Canadians. Our government is focused on providing the principled, stable government our country needs at this challenging but promising time in our history. We will keep taxes low and preserve Canada’s advantage in the global economy to keep creating jobs for Canadians. We will strengthen the financial security of Canadian workers, seniors and families.By implementing the next phase of Canada’s economic action plan, we can keep building a higher quality of life for our families and communities. By choosing to act in the best interests of our country, we can ensure a bright future for our children and grandchildren. We invite all hon. members to support our low tax plan for jobs and growth. Aboriginal reservesAccelerated capital cost allowance programAdult education and trainingAerospace industryBalanced budgetBrain Canada FoundationBrain gainBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget deficitBudgetary policyBuilding and construction industryCanada Global Excellence Research ChairsCanada Pension PlanCanada Student Loans ProgramCanada's Economic Action PlanCarpentry and joinery workCertificationChild care allowanceChildren's arts tax creditCities and townsColleges and universitiesCustoms tariff and customs dutiesDigital economyDoctorsecoENERGY Retrofit - HomesEconomic recoveryEmployment insuranceEmployment insurance premiumsExport Development CanadaExportsFamilies and childrenFamily caregiver tax creditForest Innovation and Market Development ProgramFuel tanksGas Tax FundGoods and services taxGovernment expenditure restraintGovernment expendituresGovernment policyGovernment programsGrants and loans for studentsGuaranteed Income SupplementHealth care systemHelmets to HardhatsHiring credit for small businessIndiaInformation technologyInfrastructureInfrastructure Stimulus FundInnovationJob creationJob sharingMachinery and equipmentManufacturing industryMedicineModernizationNational Optics InstituteNursesPart-time studentsPerimeter Institute for Theoretical PhysicsProductivityRecessionRegistered pension plansRemote communitiesResearch and researchersResearch chairsRural communitiesSenior citizensSmall and medium-sized enterprisesStrategic review processTargeted Initiative for Older WorkersTax Free Savings AccountTax reliefTaxationTrade agreementsTransfers to provinces and territoriesTuition tax creditVeteransVolunteer firefighters tax creditWays and means motionsWays and Means No. 11PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty: (1635)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think there was a question in there somewhere. There may have been a question in there.This is the same member opposite who voted in favour of the economic action plan. This is the same opposition that supported the economic action plan, that knew that we were in what is now called the great recession, and now we show our way out. Now we follow the plan, we show the way that we reduce the deficit and move to a balanced budget by 2015 and 2016, and we do that in a reasonable, moderate way so that we can sustain economic growth and create more jobs in our country.Balanced budgetBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Budget deficitCanada's Economic Action PlanEconomic prosperityGovernment borrowingJob creationWays and Means No. 11ScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty: (1640)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I have a question for him too: where is the Bloc Québécois?Some hon. members: Nowhere to be seen.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Ways and Means No. 11PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsCharlieAngusTimmins—James Bay//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty: (1640)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member opposite refers to the “people back home”.Where I am from in Whitby—Oshawa, the people back home expect me to vote according to what I say to them during an election campaign.When the member opposite, in election after election tells his people back home that he will vote to get rid of the gun registry and then stands in this place and votes in the contrary direction then I think he has a lot to explain to them.Angus, CharlieBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Firearms registryReferences to membersWays and Means No. 11CharlieAngusTimmins—James BayScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty: (1645)[English]Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to thank the hon. member for his support and his advocacy for Canada's volunteer firefighters.I want to also acknowledge the work of the long-standing member for Lethbridge who originally championed this measure in Parliament.The way the credit will work is a new tax credit on $3,000 available to those men and women who perform 200 hours of service annually or more.I want to recognize those who serve our communities as volunteer firefighters. Although we can never truly repay them for risking their lives as they do to protect us, we can give thanks to them. To the wives, families and friends of Raymond Walter and Ken Rea, along with the community of Listowel, Ontario we send our deepest condolences on the loss of those two brave Canadians.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Volunteer firefighters tax creditWays and Means No. 11ScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit ValleyMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. Jim Flaherty: (1645)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member was in the chamber when I read the budget speech. I know she has the budget documents. I commend the budget documents to her and to all hon. members of the House. It is an excellent read. It is one of the shortest budgets in the last 20 years or so in terms of pages.I know the member can manage it. She can do this.I am sure this hon. member can read the budget. She can read it on behalf of the constituents of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine. When she reads the story in the budget, she will see all the initiatives that will help her constituents in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine and I am sure she will want to communicate it to them.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Ways and Means No. 11PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersThe Budget [Financial Statement of Minister of Finance]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1645)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to the point of order. The member opposite did yell out that she had read it. Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Members' remarksPoints of orderWays and Means No. 11MarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachinePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC)(1105)[English] moved: MotionThat, in the opinion of the House, anaphylaxis is a serious concern for an increasing number of Canadians and the government should take the appropriate measures necessary to ensure these Canadians are able to maintain a high quality of life. He said: Mr. Speaker, I want to thank a number of individuals who have been behind the scenes working hard on this: Cindy Paskey, Chris George and Debbie Bruce from my area of the country. I know this is an initiative that has been worked on across the country but I want thank the people from NASK, which is in the Niagara region, for being such huge proponents behind the scenes and working so hard and tirelessly on behalf of this issue. It is an important issue and they have done a great job.It is a great honour to begin debate on my motion on anaphylaxis, which reads:That, in the opinion of the House, anaphylaxis is a serious concern for an increasing number of Canadians and the government should take the appropriate measures necessary to ensure these Canadians are able to maintain a high quality of life.I must admit that I have been overwhelmed by the public reaction to this motion since it was added to the order paper back in June 2010. I have received an enormous amount of emails and phone calls and have had many people come up to me and thank me for bringing this very important issue forward for debate.I have also been very encouraged by the support I have received from my hon. colleagues from across party lines who have voiced their support for this motion. I thank all parliamentarians who have spoken or written to me and all of those who took the time out of their busy schedules to attend the information luncheon I hosted back in December of last year.I would especially like to thank the hon. member from St. Catharines who first introduced a motion on anaphylaxis back in the 39th Parliament, which ended before he had the opportunity to bring it forward for debate. He and his staff have been most helpful throughout this process.Anaphylaxis describes the most severe form of allergic reaction. An anaphylactic episode is rapid in onset and, without immediate medical treatment, can sometimes lead to death. While the most common cause of these reactions is the ingestion of or contact with certain foods, they can also be caused by insect stings, medicine or even something as simple as contact with latex.An estimated 1.3 million Canadians suffer or are affected with this condition, and that number continues to rise. Most of us know someone whose life has been affected by anaphylaxis. It is for these people that this motion is being brought forward.It is for Carmen, whose daughter, Caitlin, has already been diagnosed with anaphylaxis and who has now been told that another daughter, Caroline, must wait eight months before being tested after having a horrifying episode while the family was dining out at a restaurant.It is for Susan and her five-year-old son, Lucas, who she describes as her most loyal friend. Susan actually worries more about the milk allergy that afflicts Lucas than she does his potentially fatal congenital heart defect that he also has been diagnosed with.It is also for Chris and his family who take their vacations by car rather than a plane so as to feel safer about avoiding a food allergy reaction that could prove deadly for seven-year-old David.How can bringing forward such a motion and passing this motion help these and other families living with anaphylaxis? Perhaps my greatest goal with this motion is to increase awareness. Education tends to lead to more consideration from those who do not suffer toward those who do. I think about how it is now becoming common to be asked whether one has food allergies when being invited to weddings and other public events,and even smaller dinner parties with new friends. This would have seemed very strange 10 or 20 years ago, but as food allergy organizations have increasingly educated the public, we are seeing this type of consideration become more commonplace.As the general public learns more about the grave dangers facing anaphylaxis sufferers, they can take and are taking more precautions in their daily lives, reducing that burden that, until recently, tended to lie solely with the affected person and their families.Thoughtful Canadians are now asking about allergies before cooking meals for dinner guests. They are now packing lunches for their children that avoid some of the most common allergens. They are using more discretion in the snacks they choose to eat in public places where they might be sitting too close to someone with severe food allergies. This is very important in places like sports stadiums and classrooms but even more so on a plane or train where medical assistance may not be readily available should an anaphylactic attack occur. This type of consideration by non-allergy sufferers is becoming more commonplace and it is hoped that through greater awareness this level of thoughtfulness will only continue to increase.(1110) To understand why this awareness and consideration is so highly sought by the anaphylaxis community, one must consider the fears that a parent of an affected child has on a daily basis. Let us imagine a father or mother who has seen first-hand their child having a life-threatening attack where, within minutes, their face and neck have swollen to become almost unrecognizable and the child struggles just to breathe.Let us imagine that each day when the child goes to school the parent is left worrying whether that child will unknowingly come into contact with the trigger that could cause a similar reaction. It could be something as simple and innocent as another child sharing a snack that could cause a life or death situation. These very real and terrifying fears of a parent can never go away, but collective steps can be taken to help ease them considerably.I have spoken with constituents who have a great deal more comfort because their child is in a school that has made it a priority to provide as safe an environment as possible. Food programs have been altered and alternative solutions found, making it less likely that children with food allergies will encounter their forbidden substance. While not all schools have been so accommodating, I believe that as awareness increases so too will the level of consideration and mutual level of respect that leads to the discovery of solutions agreeable to everyone.Of course, such an outcome is more important at the schools level because 80% of children with anaphylaxis do not outgrow their condition. It is hoped that it might eventually become more commonplace to see this dialogue and mutual respect, leading to protective measures throughout Canadian society.While raising awareness is a key motive for bringing forward this motion, it is also hoped that the passage of it will encourage further federal government action with measures designed to increase protection for those Canadians living with anaphylaxis. However, before talking about what can be done, it is important to underline what has been done. With the announcement of the 2007 food and consumer safety action plan, our government signalled an ongoing commitment to develop policies and standards in support of these issues. I am very proud to be part of a government where these words have been followed up with action. Last month I had the pleasure to participate in a very important announcement concerning new food labelling regulations.Our health minister announced new requirements for manufacturers to clearly declare all food allergens as well as gluten sources and sulphites by name in the products that they sell. This can either be in the list of ingredients or at the end of the list of ingredients using the word “contains”.The regulations will also require that food allergens, gluten sources and sulphites that are sub-ingredients of food be declared on the product label. For example, if a bag of potato chips uses casein in its seasonings, milk will be required to be declared in the list of ingredients. The mention of milk can appear in brackets after the seasoning declaration in the list of ingredients or in the “contains” statement. Once these new regulations are fully implemented by August 2012, consumers with food allergies will benefit greatly by being able to more easily avoid foods that contain their specific and potentially deadly allergens.However, more can be done, and going forward there are five key areas where stakeholders have asked the federal government to consider further action: One, initiating awareness campaigns; two, greater federal coordination on anaphylaxis matters; three, a long-term commitment to research; four, improved transportation safeguards; and five, improved allergen labelling.I have already talked about why awareness is so important to the cause and certainly a nationally coordinated information campaign will go a long way toward educating Canadians. However, this recommendation is also important as there needs to be greater levels of knowledge and understanding among health care providers.Health Canada can and should play a key role in providing accurate and targeted information to groups such as medical professionals, first aid and emergency training providers, child care workers, food service providers and to those who work in the hospitality industry. Consideration should also be given to establishing awareness initiatives for publicly regulated workplaces and public transportation vehicles, as well as public facilities.Greater federal coordination is not only important in an awareness campaign but also to the programs and services that deal with distribution of information regarding anaphylaxis and food allergy information. To this end, Health Canada could consider creating a primary contact in order to coordinate federal departments and agencies in the combined response to the growing instances and risks associated with anaphylaxis. This contact would also develop communications channels across federal, provincial, territorial and municipal borders in order to coordinate intergovernmental health information. (1115)It is important that all levels of government work together on this issue. I have been encouraged by municipal governments in my riding that have passed motions endorsing Motion No. 546. One of the benefits of working in coordination is that there are sometimes great ideas in one jurisdiction that could be considered by other jurisdictions, sooner rather than later. A prime example of this would be a private member's bill known as Sabrina's law that was enacted in Ontario and has received widespread praise for the positive effect it has had in the protection of students. What Sabrina's law does in the province is threefold: first, it provides strategies to reduce exposure to allergens; second, it provides procedures to communicate to parents, students and employees about life-threatening allergies; and three, it provides regular training to deal with life-threatening allergies for teachers and staff. What happened to Sabrina was quite sad but the legacy of the bill has been good for the whole community.Another important step that the federal government could take is a commitment to research. We, unfortunately, do not yet understand why the disease is becoming so prevalent, how to stop this upward trend or how to prevent food allergies from developing. It is incredibly important that we mobilize Canadian researchers to find ways to prevent this trend. A long-term financial and program commitment is necessary within Canada, and standardized and evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis, management and treatment of food allergy and anaphylaxis need to be developed.The federal government can also lead the way by implementing new allergy safeguards for people making use of public transit that will reduce the risk of unnecessary and potentially fatal anaphylaxis attacks. The establishment of a transport policy that implements risk reduction for anaphylaxis passengers should be explored. Air travel especially should require airlines to consult with the anaphylaxis community to develop policies to effectively reduce some of the risks. Small steps have been taken in this regard but I agree with anaphylaxis organizations that have said that more can be done. While the airlines, quite rightly, do not want to infringe unnecessarily on the freedoms of other passengers, the safeguards that could be enacted are relatively minor and could be life-saving. Working together with both the airlines and other stakeholders means that the federal government could play a key role in negotiating policies that are both mutually acceptable and that greatly reduce the risk of severe reactions occurring during flights. I will now talk about what could be done in the area of allergen labelling. As I mentioned earlier, I am very proud of the steps that our government has taken in this regard but there are some considerations as to what priorities might be going forward when it comes to labelling.The first is that currently there are no regulations surrounding the use of precautionary allergen statements such as “may contain...”, or “processed in a facility that processes....” The danger of the lack of formal rules in this area is that people may have seen those warnings on so many labels that they may incorrectly assume that because they do not see it that the product is necessarily safe. That actually might not be the case but rather that the producer of the packaging has simply chosen not to include such a warning.Another positive move to consider in this regard would be to consider the development of an allergy aware symbol that indicates that an item has been reviewed for the 10 major allergens.Effective steps can be taken to make the lives of anaphylaxis sufferers safer and provide a degree of relief to them and their families. Our government and members from all sides of the House have started down the right road in this important cause. It was encouraging to witness this Chamber pass a unanimous motion to designate May as Food Allergy Awareness Month in Canada. This means so much to so many families coping with anaphylaxis.I am, therefore, heartened by the response so far to Motion No. 546. I look forward to working together with all parliamentarians to see it passed and then acted upon in an effort to continue to improve the lives of anaphylaxis sufferers and their families.Air transportationAllergiesAnaphylactic reactionDepartment of HealthEnvironmental healthFederal-provincial-territorial relationsFood and Consumer Safety Action PlanGovernment advertisingHealth educationInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisMedical conditionsMedical researchPrivate Members' MotionsPublic transitRegulationSchoolsWarning labelsJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Dean Allison: (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, one of the things that the government wanted to do was to get some consistency in labelling.The starting process is getting the manufacturers and those that are putting things into foods to put it on the labels, so that when people start to look, they will know where to go and where to look for it.In terms of the thought process and phasing-in, I think there was a compromise struck. I know that the challenge of phasing-in any new regulations is the effect it has on packaging and costs. It is fair to say that the 18-month phase-in period would give those who manufacture and produce these labels a chance to work out the existing packaging they have and phase-in the new packaging at a minimal cost and disruption to those organizations.AllergiesAnaphylactic reactionInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisPrivate Members' MotionsRegulationWarning labelsJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaUjjalDosanjhHon.Vancouver South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Dean Allison: (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, most people who are affected are children. I do not think most parents are concerned at this stage that it is not on the beer labels.However, we continue to work with and engage all interested stakeholders. We believe this is important. As we continue to move forward, we did not want this to be the holdup. It has taken some time to get this done. We wanted to move forward with concrete steps because we believe this is so important for our children.Let us get this dealt with. As we move forward, we will have an opportunity to continue consulting to get that taken care of.AllergiesAnaphylactic reactionInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisPrivate Members' MotionsRegulationWarning labelsUjjalDosanjhHon.Vancouver SouthRickDykstraSt. Catharines//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Niagara West—Glanbrook. He has done an incredible amount of work on this issue and moved it forward. I am hoping he will receive the unanimous support of the House on this. It really is a motion that speaks to an issue that has perhaps been if not ignored at least not put in the forefront as he has done this morning.I know there has been a lot of work from the local Niagara community, assisting him and us in terms of moving this forward. Could the member just comment on the importance of the support from a local perspective that certainly has the influence and outcome of meeting a national issue that has a national need and that has the support from a local community?Anaphylactic reactionInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisMunicipal governmentPrivate Members' MotionsDeanAllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookDeanAllisonNiagara West—Glanbrook//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Dean Allison: (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, I did want to highlight that even though there has been an amazing amount of work done at the local level, this is an initiative that goes from coast to coast.One of the things I wanted to touch on before I go back to the great local support is that Canadian Anaphylaxis Initiative is an advocacy group that has moved forward all families to talk to all members from all parties. This is an initiative that has been moving forward from coast to coast, from B.C. all the way to the east coast.It is always great having a local initiative talking to the importance of an issue. As members of Parliament, one of the things we find important when a new issue comes up is that we want to understand and be encouraged by the fact that local people are concerned with the issue.It is with that in mind that I think NASK has done a great job informing not only the members here in Niagara but their counterparts across the country. Canadian Anaphylaxis Initiative has worked just as hard on this issue to coordinate efforts amongst all parties and all members to educate us, so that we could move forward with this initiative.Anaphylactic reactionInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisMunicipal governmentPrivate Members' MotionsRickDykstraSt. CatharinesUjjalDosanjhHon.Vancouver South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1135)[Translation]I must inform the hon. members that, pursuant to Standing Order 93(3), an amendment to a private member's motion or to the motion for the second reading of a private member's bill may only be moved with the consent of the sponsor of the item. [English]Therefore, I ask the hon. member for Niagara West—Glanbrook if he consents to this amendment being moved. Amendments and subamendmentsAnaphylactic reactionInformation disseminationM-546 Amendment to M-546M-546 AnaphylaxisPrivate Members' MotionsÈve-Mary ThaïThi LacSaint-Hyacinthe—BagotDeanAllisonNiagara West—Glanbrook//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1135)[English]Agreed. Amendments and subamendmentsAnaphylactic reactionInformation disseminationM-546 Amendment to M-546M-546 AnaphylaxisPrivate Members' MotionsAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleMeganLeslieHalifax//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak about an important issue for Canadians.Food allergies affect approximately 1.2 million Canadians. Most of those currently affected are children. Sensitivity to sulphites affects approximately 200,000 Canadians, the majority of whom have asthma. Taken together, these conditions affect the health of approximately 1.4 million Canadians. For these people, it is crucial that they or their caregivers have the information they need to make the right choices about the food they eat. The consequences of eating the wrong food could mean potential life-threatening reactions, such as anaphylaxis. That is why I support Motion No. 546.The member for Niagara West—Glanbrook who moved the motion accepted the amendment this morning, which shows his commitment to get the motion through Parliament, supported unanimously by all four parties in the House of Commons. It speaks volumes to the work he has done on the issue and the importance it has to Canadians and members in the House.The motion calls on the government to address anaphylaxis as a serious concern for an increasing number of Canadians and to take the measures necessary to ensure that Canadians are protected and able to maintain a high quality of life. Right now, the only way that Canadians suffering from food allergies can protect themselves is to avoid the ingredients they know will make them ill. This continues to be an important challenge. That is why our government has placed a high priority on helping allergenic Canadians make informed food choices to avoid life-threatening anaphylaxis. We rely on food labels to provide us with information about what we eat or should not eat. Strengthening ingredient labels on food, we have introduced new measures that require the use of clear language on food labels and the declaration of otherwise hidden allergens. The new measures, which were announced in February in Ottawa by the Minister of Health, ensure that labels of most prepackaged foods declare any food allergen, gluten source or sulphite in the list of food ingredients. They will also require that labels use plain and simple language that Canadians with food allergies, their families and caregivers will be able to understand.These measures will also create more predictability for food processors and reduce the number of food recalls. Most important, they will help reduce life-threatening reactions, such as anaphylaxis, that may result from the consumption of the undeclared ingredients in packaged food. The amended regulations will come into force 18 months from now and all prepackaged foods offered for sale from that time forward must comply. In the meantime, and a couple of members have mentioned this, we are certainly encouraging the industry to start making changes to improve food labels as quickly as possible. To the industry's credit, a number of companies have begun that process as we speak and will be completed much in advance of the 18-month timeframe.It is anticipated that the enhanced labelling requirements will result in improved quality of life for individuals and families and reduce costs to the health care system. In addition to changes in how we label food allergens, work has been undertaken to evaluate the health risks posed by certain foods and to support the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's compliance activities by providing experts to conduct human health risk assessments of undeclared allergens. We are also new allergen-detection methods and generating various educational materials on allergens.Health Canada maintains a world-leading food allergen method development program to address the lack of methodologies for the detection of low-level and undeclared allergens that are present in foods. This further supports the compliance and enforcement activities of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Anaphylaxis prevention is about raising awareness. To do this properly, there needs to be a better understanding of what anaphylaxis is, who it affects, how it affects them and how the impact of these reactions can be lessened. By acknowledging the seriousness of this issue, we are supporting the work of the Government of Canada and, more important, its partners. We have made and continue to make advancements in our understanding of the relevance and prevalence of severe food allergies and the attitudes and behaviours of those living with severe allergies.(1150)A full picture of the health, social and economic burden of illness that food allergies represent in Canada is essential in being able to determine their scope and impact on Canadians.In terms of anaphylaxis specifically, it is important that we are able to advance our knowledge of these types of reactions. If we can characterize these reactions, identify what triggers them and follow up with patients after they have suffered from such a reaction, we can begin the development of improved diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies that will contribute to reducing the incidents along with the morbidity and mortality of anaphylaxis.Again, by supporting the motion, the Government of Canada and the House will reaffirm its commitment to this important area of work and demonstrate how we can work within the health portfolio and among our stakeholders in advancing our knowledge and understanding of key health issues.Adoption of the motion will also provide an opportunity for the government and all in this place to reiterate that allergies are a serious public health issue that continues to challenge the health care sector, the food industry and the Canadian public.I would like to take a couple of minutes to congratulate the Minister of Health who has worked on this issue and has ensured that this has not been left in the background, while other issues have come to the fore.We attended an announcement at an Ottawa grocery store in early February on the whole aspect of food labelling, how it was going to work and the process that was going to be undertaken was announced. A retired individual who used to work in the ministry of health in Ottawa also attended. The first thing she did at the conclusion of the announcement was speak to the member for Niagara West—Glanbrook. She thanked him and the minister for the efforts they had put forward in this regard. She also thanked the government for taking action on food labelling. She worked on this issue for the past 18 years, not only when she was with the ministry of health, but also after she had retired. Hearing her speak to the issue showed how time had gone by, but her efforts were not in vain.Over the next 18 months, with this motion, the passing of the food labelling regulations and the advancement the industry has made in regard to food labelling, we will be on the right track.If we look at the five issues brought forward by our partners and fellow Canadians who are concerned about this issue, the federal coordination of programs and services which, as we see the motion today, is the beginning.With respect to an awareness campaign, there is no reason why, as members of Parliament and as a Canadian government, we cannot assist in that effort. In speaking to the motion today, all four parties have delivered speeches on it, which means a point of awareness needs to happen. All the members who spoke today referred to that.With respect a commitment to research, as indicated in my speech, it important to continue to better understand anaphylaxis and its impact. The more we research, the more diligent we become, we will have better opportunities to find a way to beat this disease at a very early age, rather than individuals having to be concerned their whole lives about what they are eating.We have improved allergy labelling, which is a huge concern within allergy circles and organizations in the country. The input they have had, whether it be, as the mover of the motion said, the assistance of individuals and groups locally or across this country, speaks to the issue. They all speak with one voice.The fact that we have moved forward on labelling speaks volumes to where the government wants to move with respect to this issue.(1155)Finally, with respect to the issue of transportation safeguards, there is no question that Canada is geographically large. We need to be concerned and we need to continue to work on those issues relating to transportation and food allergies.AllergiesAnaphylactic reactionFood safetyGovernment advertisingInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisMedical researchPrivate Members' MotionsPublic healthPublic transitRegulationWarning labelsMeganLeslieHalifaxLarryBagnellHon.Yukon//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessAnaphylaxisInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1200)[English]The hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country will have six and a half minutes left to conclude his remarks the next time the motion is before the House.It being 12:04 p.m., the time provided for the consideration of private members' business has expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.Anaphylactic reactionDropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order PaperInformation disseminationM-546 AnaphylaxisPrivate Members' MotionsRonCannanHon.Kelowna—Lake CountryAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1200)[English]The hon. member for Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor has 10 minutes.AndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1220)[English]Order. I will have to stop the member there as he is out of time. Resuming debate, the hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.ScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—WindsorAndréBellavanceRichmond—Arthabaska//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1235)[Translation]Resuming debate.The member for Don Valley East.AndréBellavanceRichmond—ArthabaskaYasminRatansiDon Valley East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1315)[English]The hon. member for Saint-Jean.JosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—LawrenceClaudeBachandSaint-Jean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1355)[English]There will be two minutes remaining for questions and comments after question period. We will now move on to statements by members.ShawnMurphyHon.CharlottetownRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersOntario Expropriations ActInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, under Ontario's Expropriations Act, if the province takes away people's land it must pay them full, just and timely compensation. The province must pay the market value of the land, plus moving costs, et cetera.However, if the government places restrictions on the use of people's land or requires them to make large expenditures to continue using their land as they always have, they get no compensation, even if compliance with the new rules financially ruins them. That is why MPP Randy Hillier and I have introduced identical resolutions in the Commons and at Queen's Park to extend these compensation rules to all actions of the Ontario government that devalue property by depriving landowners of the full use and enjoyment of their land. If passed in both places, this resolution would add property rights for Ontarians to Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms and it would ensure that the costs of new rules intended for the benefit of all would be borne by all Ontario taxpayers and not just by the unfortunate landowners whose rights to use or enjoy their property have been restricted.ExpropriationOntarioProperty rightsStatements by MembersMarthaHall FindlayWillowdaleYvonLévesqueAbitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersHarriet TubmanInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (St. Catharines, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, after meeting with stakeholders from the Salem Chapel in St. Catharines, one of the last stops on the Underground Railroad, over the disputed date of Harriet Tubman's date of birth, the issue has been resolved. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada will honour Harriet Tubman with a plaque to commemorate her heroism for future generations of Canadians.The plaque will now read: Born on a Maryland plantation, Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become one of the great heroes of the 19th century. The most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, she courageously led many of the people she rescued from American slavery on dangerous, clandestine journeys to safety and freedom in Canada. Tubman helped these black refugees settle after their arrival and played an active role in the fight to end slavery.On May 27, I will proudly be joined by the members of the BME Church and my community to celebrate Harriet Tubman as one of Canada's leading abolitionists and a person of national historic significance.Heritage sites and buildingsSt. CatharinesStatements by MembersTubman, HarrietUnderground RailroadJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-BoucherRodgerCuznerCape Breton—Canso//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, it will not come as any surprise to the leader of the Liberal Party that I completely reject all of the misleading premises in his question.There is no member of the government who is under investigation for a criminal offence. Let me be very clear that this government is the government that acted very expeditiously to bring in the Federal Accountability Act, to clean up the ethical mess that we inherited from the previous Liberal government.He was not in Canada to know exactly how bad the Liberal ethics policies were. Maybe he should look at the Federal Accountability Act and look at the great changes, especially, that the Prime Minister has ushered in.Aboriginal reservesAllegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Commissioner of LobbyingOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, I guess the Liberal leader believes we do not need to have police to conduct an investigation. We do not need to have a court system. He will simply assign guilt as he sees it on the floor of the House of Commons.Immediately after serious allegations were brought to our attention about a former member of the office, the matter was immediately referred to the RCMP, immediately referred to the Ethics Commissioner and immediately referred to the Commissioner of Lobbying. That was the right thing to do.Let me be very clear that this government has brought in tough penalties for people who break the law. Anyone convicted of breaking the law will face the full force of Canadian law.Aboriginal reservesAllegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Commissioner of LobbyingOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do not agree with the Leader of the Opposition at all.The Liberal Party can try to attack the government with political smears. It has become very good at it.This government is focused on the priority of Canadians, on jobs, on the economy and on economic growth. That focus has helped create 480,000 net new jobs.The Liberal leader has recently become a convert. Last week we learned he wanted to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to billionaires who owned hockey teams. He is going to have to explain that to Canadians.Aboriginal reservesAllegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Commissioner of LobbyingOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear at the outset that there is no information whatsoever to suggest that any individual or company obtained any contract from the government in any of these matters.Any individual who breaks the law should face the full force of the law. Rather than assigning the job of enforcing Canadian law to the member for Beauséjour, we have referred the matter to the RCMP. We will let it take it from here.Aboriginal reservesAllegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Commissioner of LobbyingOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think it is a matter of public record that the political staff in one office did have a meeting. It provided publicly available information. Let me be absolutely clear that no government funds and no government contract were awarded as a result of that meeting.Aboriginal reservesAllegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemGovernment accountabilityH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Commissioner of LobbyingOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member for Wascana seems to have come to conclusions.What we have recognized is that they are very serious allegations. The moment we learned about these serious allegations we referred the matter to the RCMP, we referred the matter to the Ethics Commissioner, we referred the matter to the independent Commissioner of Lobbying.It is our government that brought in these tough laws. We expect every Canadian to follow them. Those who do not should face the full force of law.Carson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment contractsH2O Global Group Inc.Lobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical influenceProfitsWater treatmentRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think this individual's past has certainly been well known. It has been well documented not just before the courts but it has also been well documented in the Canadian media.Let me be clear. When serious allegations were brought forward about this individual and his alleged contact, I think the government did the right thing and referred the entire matter to the RCMP, and referred the matter to the Ethics Commissioner and the Commissioner of Lobbying.As a matter of first priority, it was our government that brought forward the Federal Accountability Act, which brought in these tough ethics rules. We expect every single Canadian to be held accountable when he or she breaks the law.Carson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment contractsH2O Global Group Inc.Lobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical influenceProfitsWater treatmentBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. This gentleman's past was a matter of public record. It had been written about in the mainstream press. That is not a surprise and it should not be a shock to anyone. I know the member opposite knows that to be the fact as well.This government brought in the Federal Accountability Act, which imposed tough new lobbying and ethics rules. This government expects every Canadian to follow that act.When the allegations were brought to our attention we immediately referred them to the relevant authorities. We expect anyone who has broken the law to face the full force of the law.Carson, BruceDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment contractsH2O Global Group Inc.Lobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical influenceProfitsWater treatmentBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreJoséeBeaudinSaint-Lambert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear that when allegations were brought forward to the attention of the Prime Minister's Office, the matter was immediately referred to the RCMP, to the Ethics Commissioner and to the Commissioner of Lobbying. The Liberal member earlier asked how could this individual outside of government know who was going to be the new minister of Indian and Northern Affairs. I remember watching the news the night before and it was Craig Oliver on CTV National News who I think had the scoop.Allegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceCommissioner of LobbyingConflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment contractsH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-ConstantCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-Constant//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I guess the member from the Bloc Québécois does not feel that we should have an investigation, does not believe we should have a trial and she herself will determine the guilt or innocence of any Canadian. It is this government that wanted to reduce the influence of lobbyists and impose tough five-year bans on those of us in government for conducting lobbying. When any individual breaks the law, he or she should face the full force of the law. We felt so strongly about that issue that we wrote the law ourselves.Allegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceCommissioner of LobbyingConflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentGovernment contractsH2O Global Group Inc.Influence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-ConstantSiobhanCoadySt. John's South—Mount Pearl//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think it is a bit rich for the member to stand and talk about broken promises.I have a good friend in Timmins, Ontario, who listened to election campaign commitments from this member, not in one election, not in two elections, but in three elections, where he made a solemn pact with the voters to stand in this place and vote against the wasteful long gun registry. Finally, when his constituents needed him, he exposed an act of electoral fraud by breaking faith with his constituents. I do not need to hear about broken promises from this individual member.Allegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceCommissioner of LobbyingConflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemFirearms registryGovernment contractsInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPromisesRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentCharlieAngusTimmins—James BayCharlieAngusTimmins—James Bay//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEthicsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, why would the member's constituents trust him? This is a member who committed massive electoral fraud, not once, not twice, but three times. Let me say, his constituents will be convicting him in the next election.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Allegations of fraud and fraudCarson, BruceCommissioner of LobbyingConflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerDepartment of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentElectoral systemFirearms registryGovernment contractsInfluence peddlingLobbying and lobbyistsOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPromisesRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceWater treatmentCharlieAngusTimmins—James BayPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1445)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, they are called transitional measures for a reason. They were extended to give unemployed workers an additional solution. The transition period has been extended until economic recovery begins.Employment insuranceEmployment insurance benefits period extensionOral questionsYvesLessardChambly—BorduasYvesLessardChambly—Borduas//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we have tabled three budgets that included measures to help workers and the unemployed. These measures include five additional weeks of employment insurance benefits, help for long-tenured workers and help for self-employed workers.Yet these people who claim to defend the rights of workers and the unemployed voted against each of these initiatives. That is shameful.Employment insuranceEmployment insurance benefits period extensionYvesLessardChambly—BorduasScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodSales Tax HarmonizationInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, negotiations between Quebec and the federal government are going well. We are making progress, but both sides recognize that we still have work to do. We will continue negotiating.Agreements and contractsFederal-provincial-territorial relationsHarmonized Sales TaxOral questionsProvince of QuebecThomasMulcairHon.OutremontThomasMulcairHon.Outremont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodSales Tax HarmonizationInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that now is the time to resolve the issue, but to resolve the issue, there has to be the type of detailed arrangements that were made with the other provinces that harmonized recently, and that in fact were made with the Atlantic provinces that harmonized some years ago.These things cannot be done shooting from the hip or on the back of an envelope. They have to be done carefully to get to the conclusion that we all want.Agreements and contractsFederal-provincial-territorial relationsHarmonized Sales TaxOral questionsProvince of QuebecThomasMulcairHon.OutremontScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know the member shares my concern for Canada's economic recovery. Our government is focused on our low tax plan, keeping taxes low, and creating jobs for Canadians. The opposition parties want to force an unnecessary election in order to raise taxes and kill jobs. While they are focused on opportunism and partisanship, we are focused on bringing forward the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, and creating jobs and growth.Canada's Economic Action PlanEconomic prosperityEconomic recoveryOral questionsScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit ValleyAlexandraMendèsBrossard—La Prairie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAerospace IndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank the members for Elgin—Middlesex—London and London West for their hard work and engagement on this file.Our government was pleased to support Diamond Aircraft, with close to $20 million in financial support in February 2008 through our strategic aerospace and defence initiative. That was to support their R and D efforts.This new request is a lot of money. Our government does not take this lightly, and we will be considering our options.Aerospace industryAircraftDiamond AircraftGovernment assistanceJob creationOral questionsResearch and researchersIreneMathyssenLondon—FanshawePaulCalandraOak Ridges—Markham//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, since 2006 this Conservative government has focused on low taxes for Canadians.In the first phase of Canada's economic action plan, the government delivered a strategic injection of temporary, timely, targeted stimulus into the economy through programs like work sharing, which helped Canadian families like the Nelsons and the Peters from my riding maintain financial security.Could the Minister of State for Finance tell the House what time tomorrow the government will be letting the House and all Canadians know about the latest steps in our plan to create jobs, continue the recovery and improve financial security for Canadian families?Canada's Economic Action PlanEconomic recoveryJob creationOral questionsTonyClementHon.Parry Sound—MuskokaJimFlahertyHon.Whitby—Oshawa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberals clearly want to force an election. They want to impose higher and higher taxes on Canadians that would stall the recovery, kill jobs and set Canadian families back.That is not what our economy needs or what Canadians want. We are focusing on what matters to Canadians, which is jobs and economic growth. We are focused on building on the 480,000 net new jobs created since July 2009.We are going to continue our focus on creating jobs and growth for Canadians.Canada's Economic Action PlanEconomic recoveryJob creationOral questionsPaulCalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, at your request, if I used any unparliamentary language in response to a question from the member for Timmins—James Bay, I withdraw it.Oral questionsPoints of orderUnparliamentary languagePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsVicToewsHon.Provencher//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 33 petitions.Government response to petitionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsMichaelChongHon.Wellington—Halton Hills//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Canadian Heritage]InterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1505)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the impacts of private television ownership changes and the move towards new viewing platforms.I also have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the Canada-European Union comprehensive economic and trade agreement, the anti-counterfeiting trade agreement, and issues regarding cultural diversity. 8510-403-223 Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, "The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, and Issues Regarding Cultural Diversity"8510-403-224 Ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, "Impacts of Private Television Ownership Changes and the Move Towards New Viewing Platforms"Anti-Counterfeiting Trade AgreementCanada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade AgreementCounterfeitingCultural diversityDigital mediaEuropean UnionFree tradeIntellectual propertyPrivate broadcasterStanding Committee on Canadian HeritageTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreCandiceHoeppnerPortage—Lisgar//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPublic Transit SafetyInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present three petitions.The first petition is signed by Canadians who are calling on the Canadian government to recognize the growing incidents of violence against public transit, school bus, paratransit and city transit operators affecting their safety and that of the travelling public of Canada.They request that the Criminal Code be amended to give further protection to the hard-working essential members of our community.BusesCriminal CodeDriversParatransitPetition 403-1545Public transitSchool busesTransportation safetyViolent crimeWorkplace violenceBillSiksayBurnaby—DouglasDeanAllisonNiagara West—Glanbrook//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsChild PornographyInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, the next two petitions are identical to the ones I presented previously in the House. The petitioners call on Parliament to take all necessary steps to stop the Internet as a medium for distribution of repulsive victimization that is called child pornography.Child Internet luringChild pornographyChild sexual abuse and exploitationPetition 403-1545PetitionsPornographyDeanAllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookDeanAllisonNiagara West—Glanbrook//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsProtection of Human LifeInterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, the final petition calls on Parliament to enact legislation to protect human life from the time of conception until natural death.AbortionCivil and human rightsFetus and embryoPetition 403-1547PetitionsDeanAllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsTake Note DebateInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, there have been negotiations among the parties and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:MotionThat notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, after routine proceedings this day, the House shall resolve itself into Committee of the Whole for a take note debate, pursuant to Standing Order 53.1; that the committee consider the following motion: “That this committee take note of the March 17, 2011 United Nations Security Council resolution approving immediate action to protect the civilian population in Libya and Canada's contribution to international efforts to enforce that resolution”; that, after four hours of debate or when no member rises to speak, the committee rise and that a minister of the Crown be permitted to rise on a point of order.Committee of the WholeConsideration in a Committee of the WholeLibyaMotionsPoints of orderRebellionsRules of debateTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1973DeanAllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsTake Note DebateInterventionMr. Joe Preston: (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would ask for unanimous consent to return to reports from committees.Committee reportsRoutine ProceedingsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Procedure and House Affairs]InterventionMr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 27th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the question of privilege relating to the failure of the government to fully provide the documents as ordered by the House.8510-403-227 27th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, "Question of Privilege Relating to the Failure of the Government to Fully Provide the Documents as Ordered By the House"Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCostsFinancial forecastParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeStanding Committee on FinanceStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsTough on crime strategiesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsTonyMartinSault Ste. Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1525)[English]Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 824, 830, 832, 834, 835, 837, 840, 841, 848, 852, 884, 885, 888, 889, 903, 905, 906, 914, and 916.Written questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions Passed as Orders for ReturnsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1530)[English]Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 818, 819, 820, 821, 822, 823, 825, 826, 827, 828, 829, 831, 833, 836, 838, 839, 842, 843, 844, 846, 847, 849, 850, 851, 853, 854, 855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 868, 869, 870, 871, 873, 874, 875, 876, 877, 878, 879, 880, 881, 882, 883, 886, 887, 890, 891, 892, 893, 894, 895, 896, 897, 898, 899, 900, 901, 902, 904, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 913, 915, 917, 918, 919, 920, and 921 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.The Speaker: Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.Orders for return to written questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions Passed as Orders for ReturnsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1530)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionThe Chair: (1545)[English]Order, please. I will have to stop the member there to allow the minister enough time to respond. The hon. Minister of National Defence.JackHarrisSt. John's EastPeterMacKayHon.Central Nova//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionThe Chair: (1550)[English]I would just remind the hon. member to address his remarks to the Chair and not directly at other members. There is only about 10 or 15 seconds for the minister to respond.LibyaMilitary operations and eventsPolitical crisisQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarRemarks addressed to the ChairTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973JohnCannisScarborough CentrePeterMacKayHon.Central Nova//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionThe Chair: (1615)[English]Order, please. I will have to stop the member there. Resuming debate, the hon. member for Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher.BobRaeHon.Toronto CentreJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-Boucher//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionHon. Lynne Yelich (Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification), CPC): (1815)[English]Mr. Chair, the request from the Arab League, the United Nations Security Council resolution 1973, the meeting in Paris, and the formation of the immediate coalition and NATO action has been noted as being an unprecedented international determination. I would like the member to comment on that.International cooperationLibyaMilitary operations and eventsPolitical crisisQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973LaurieHawnHon.Edmonton CentreLaurieHawnHon.Edmonton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionHon. Lynne Yelich (Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification), CPC): (1905)[English]Mr. Chair, I would like to read some words of the Prime Minister, when he said:Canada has said, and leaders have agreed, that we must act urgently. We must help the Libyan people, help them now, or the threat to them and to the stability of the whole region will only increase. We must also ensure humanitarian needs are met, and that the humanitarian appeal is fully subscribed. Finally, we should all acknowledge that ultimately, only the Libyan people can or should decide their future. But we all have a mutual interest in their peaceful transition to a better future.I would like the member to comment on how well this was pronounced by the Prime Minister at the news conference in Paris and how important it is that the Libyan people, indeed, decide their future.LibyaMilitary operations and eventsPolitical crisisQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973JackHarrisSt. John's EastJackHarrisSt. John's East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1920)[English]Mr. Chair, I have a comment. I want to commend the member on an excellent speech.LibyaMilitary operations and eventsPolitical crisisQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973IrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalIrwinCotlerHon.Mount Royal//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1925)[English]Mr. Chair, I am pleased to participate in this debate. I do not think any Canadian in the country or any of us in the chamber can look at what is going on in North Africa, particularly in Libya, and not be moved with great compassion for the people who we know are in very desperate straits and suffering so much from what the regime has been doing.I am very pleased to say that Canada has taken its responsibility, along with the United Nations, and decided that it is going to participate and provide protection for the citizens of Libya and ensure that they have the opportunity to seek freedom. If there is one thing that Canadian citizens have and share, it is our great respect for freedom, democracy and rule of law. Given what has happened in North Africa over the last number of months, every one of us has been moved by the situation.I was interested to hear the earlier discussion about the right to protect. I know that the right to protect is a norm, a set of principles based on the idea that sovereignty is not a privilege but a responsibility. There was some discussion about whether Canada was going to use that term, but I want to read into the record what the responsibility to protect is all about. It can be thought of as having three parts. First, a state has a responsibility to protect its population from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Second, if the state is unable to protect its population on its own, the international community has a responsibility to assist the state by building its capacity. This can mean building early-warning capabilities, mediating conflicts between political parties, strengthening the security sector, mobilizing standby forces, and many other actions. Third, if a state is manifestly failing to protect its citizens from mass atrocities and peaceful measures are not working, the international community has the responsibility to intervene at first diplomatically, then more coercively, and as a last resort, with military force.Canada has decided to participate in the no-fly zone over Libya and we are working with our allied forces there. Currently we have airplanes in Italy that are going to participate in the no-fly zone. We want to see protection given to the citizens of Libya.What we have done, most importantly, is that we have assumed our great responsibility as Canadians to provide humanitarian assistance. We have made sure that food is going to Libya to help the Libyan people who are so in need of these resources they need. There are also resources going there to ensure that the people and the places they live are secure. As we move forward on this and work with our allies, we are very proud that our forces are there. Our young men and women have decided they are going to undertake this mission on behalf of the Canadian people and provide Libyans the security they need, to see that democracy is established, which is our long-term hope for that country, and that the people there are able to have the same kinds of benefits that we have in Canada.Canadian ForcesHumanitarian assistance and workersLibyaMilitary operations and eventsNo-fly zonePolitical crisisQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarResponsibility to protectTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973IrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersUnited Nations Security Council Resolution Concerning LibyaInterventionThe Assistant Deputy Chair: (1930)[Translation]It being 7:32 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, the committee will rise and I will leave the chair. (Government Business No. 12 reported) Government Business No. 12LibyaMilitary operations and eventsPolitical crisisQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarTake-note debatesUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1970United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973LoisBrownNewmarket—AuroraJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersLibyaInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1930)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.I first want to thank all members of the House for that thoughtful debate.[Translation]I appreciate all the interventions that were made about this very important matter.[English]Pursuant to the motion adopted earlier today after question period, there have been discussions among the parties and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:MotionThat, in standing in solidarity with those seeking freedom in Libya, the House welcomes United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973; that the House deplores the ongoing use of violence by the Libyan regime against the Libyan people; acknowledges the demonstrable need, regional support and clear legal basis for urgent action to protect the people of Libya; consequently, the government shall work with our allies, partners and the United Nations to promote and support all aspects of UNSC Resolution 1973, which includes the taking of all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in Libya and to enforce the no-fly zone, including the use of the Canadian Forces and military assets in accordance with UNSC Resolution 1973; that the House requests that the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development and the Standing Committee on National Defence remain seized of Canada's activities under UNSC Resolution 1973; that should the government require an extension to the involvement of the Canadian Forces for more than three months from the passage of this motion, the government shall return to the House at its earliest opportunity to debate and seek the consent of the House for such an extension; and that the House offers its wholehearted support to the men and women of the Canadian Forces.Canadian ForcesLibyaMotionsNo-fly zonePoints of orderRebellionsUnited Nations Security Council Resolution 1973BarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersLibyaInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1930)[English]Does the hon. minister have unanimous consent to move the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.(Motion agreed to)Decisions of the HouseMotionsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersLibyaInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1935)[English]Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 7:35 p.m.) BarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1030)[English]The hon. member for Dartmouth--Cole Harbour.PeterStofferSackville—Eastern ShoreMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1040)[English]Questions and comments. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.NicoleDemersLavalDeanDel MastroPeterborough//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1040)[English]Mr. Speaker, I want to point out a number of things that have been accomplished under this government and under the leadership of the veterans affairs minister . Obviously, we have accomplished a number of significant things for veterans. The member spoke about veterans quite a bit. We reintroduced the benefits for allied veterans, for example, under VIP, which had been terribly and shamefully stripped away under the previous Liberal government. We also extended VIP benefits to thousands and thousands of veterans who did not qualify under the Liberal government. We have done that.The member seeks to impugn the government for our actions and our support for veterans, but in the death throes of the 38th Parliament, under the Liberal government, a bill was brought forward for the veterans charter. It was passed in the days just preceding the election with the unanimous approval of the House. Many of the things that member is complaining about and saying are unjust, her party voted unanimously in support of. I think all parties have come back and said that we should fix this, and there is goodwill on this.Did the member support that veterans charter when it was brought in as the balance of her party did? I do not know if she was here in the 38th Parliament, but that was something that was enacted by a unanimous vote in Parliament.C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActCanadian ForcesDisability benefitsDisabled veteransGovernment billsNew Veterans CharterPensions and pensionersThird reading and adoptionVeteransAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1045)[Translation]The hon. member has 30 seconds to reply.GlennThibeaultSudburyNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1055)[English]There will be three minutes left for questions and comments for the hon. member for Sackville--Eastern Shore after question period. We will now move on to statements by members. PeterStofferSackville—Eastern ShoreGeraldKeddySouth Shore—St. Margaret's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersReligious FreedomInterventionMr. David Sweet (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, CPC): (1100)[English]Mr. Speaker, the world became a more dangerous place on March 2 when Pakistan's minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, was brutally gunned down in his country's capital. Others in the House have risen to condemn the extremist assassins and our Prime Minister, on behalf of all Canadians, has expressed deep shock and sadness.It is alarming enough that Minister Bhatti was the only Christian minister in Pakistan's government, but the ruthless ambush and murder is made all the more outrageous because he was killed for standing up for religious freedoms, standing up for those of all faiths in his country where, unlike our own, such freedoms can never be taken for granted. Too often Pakistan's blasphemy laws are abused to restrict freedom of religion and expression. They have been used disproportionately to target religious minorities. Canada and the international community have called upon Pakistan for this to stop. After last Wednesday, the world is now watching more closely than ever. Let us be mindful of Shahbaz Bhatti's great legacy. May his example strengthen our own resolve to challenge extremism wherever and whenever we may find it.Freedom of conscience and religionHomicidePakistanPoliticiansStatements by MembersJohnRaffertyThunder Bay—Rainy RiverLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, we are all now well aware of the infamous ethics breach by the member for Charlottetown when he advertised that he was selling Liberal Party memberships out of his taxpayer funded office.The hypocrisy of this ran high when just this past weekend the same member told the Charlottetown Guardian that, “Parliamentary materials are never allowed to be used for political gain, especially to drum up donations for political parties”.Of course, this was right before he said that constituency offices are all political anyway. Perhaps his more than most is, since a local reporter called to see about buying a membership there and the response from the staffer was, “No, we are not doing that”--and here is the operative word--“anymore”.Today in an interview with the CBC the same member claimed he did not even know about the ad. He said, “This ad was not prepared by me or my office. It certainly was not paid for by us”.Now we must wonder, who paid for the logo? Who paid for the ad that prominently features the Liberal logo? Can the Liberal leader tell us that neither he nor his staff have their fingerprints all over this messy situation? I would like to know the answer to that question.Constituency officesFundraising and fundraisersLiberal Party of CanadaMurphy, ShawnPolitical partiesPrince Edward IslandReferences to membersStatements by MembersJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodJapanInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1115)[Translation]The hon. member for Wascana.Oral questionsLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, it will not come as any surprise to the House or to the hon. member opposite that I completely reject the premise of his question.Let me tell the House what will be happening next week. This government will be working hard and will remain focused on the economy and creating jobs.We were very pleased with the 15,000 net new jobs that were created last month. While those members of the Liberal Party in opposition were scandal-mongering, were seeking to try to provoke an early election to get new jobs for themselves, this government was hard at work trying to create jobs for Canadians.Access to informationAdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActCanadian International Development AgencyConservative Party of CanadaContempt of ParliamentElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party is once again trying to distract Canadians from the real issues.I find it regrettable that the Liberal Party is now in a position where it wants our men and women in uniform to be flying 40-, 50- and 60-year-old airplanes in the future. They are not war planes. It is equipment that our men and women in uniform need to do the job that we have asked them to do. These men and women in uniform are prepared to pay the ultimate price to keep Canadians safe, to keep Canada sovereign, and the least they can expect is that the government provide them with the tools they need to do their jobs.Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemFinancial forecastGovernment accountabilityGovernment expendituresJoint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraftOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaBernardPatryPierrefonds—Dollard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I must be very clear. We have a great deal of respect for the Speaker of the House and his decisions. We are working hard and doing our best to provide the information that the Speaker has asked of the government. However, our absolute priority is economic growth and job creation. We are very proud of the Canadian economy, which created 15,000 new jobs last month. That is good new for Canadians and Quebeckers.Conservative Party of CanadaContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifePierrePaquetteJoliettePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we have a great deal of respect for the Speaker, for the House of Commons, and for democracy. That is why we created the Federal Accountability Act. It is also why we are focusing on the priorities of Canadians. We are working very hard on the economy, economic growth and job creation. These are our highest priorities and we will continue working on them.Conservative Party of CanadaContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifePierrePaquetteJolietteLucDesnoyersRivière-des-Mille-Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, we respect your ruling and are right now working to do everything we can do comply with your ruling. We look forward to the committee hearings next week.Conservative Party of CanadaContempt of ParliamentGovernment accountabilityOral questionsPolitical behaviourStandards in public lifeLibbyDaviesVancouver EastLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, there is no member of the Conservative caucus, neither in the House nor in the Senate, facing criminal charges. The House leader of the NDP should stand in her place and apologize and, if she does not, she should have the courage of her convictions to go outside of this place and make those outrageous charges against two outstanding parliamentarians.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaFinley, DougGerstein, Irving RussellIn and out financingOral questionsSenate and senatorsLibbyDaviesVancouver EastPatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do not know what to say to the member. I completely reject the premise. I think the member is getting a little out of control. There is no member of the Conservative caucus facing any criminal charges. We have worked hard to eliminate the role of big money in politics. We have made outstanding progress in that regard and I completely reject the premise of the member's claim.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaFinley, DougGerstein, Irving RussellIn and out financingOral questionsSenate and senatorsPatMartinWinnipeg CentreMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPersons with DisabilitiesInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of its record on helping persons with disabilities. In fact, our government brought in the registered disability savings plan to help the disabled and their families plan for the future. The Liberals voted against that one.We also are investing significant amounts in over 300 projects across this country to make community facilities accessible so that people with disabilities can fully participate in society. Of course, the Liberals voted against that. The member even voted against making his church, Saint Iona's, in his riding accessible. I say shame on him.Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesDisability benefitsOral questionsPersons with disabilitiesMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAboriginal AffairsInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1130)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we are doing a great deal to help all vulnerable populations, including aboriginal people, people with disabilities and even women, anyone who faces barriers to fully participating in our society. For instance, we have the WITB to help people get over the “welfare wall”. We have done a great deal to help these people. They should have supported us in our efforts.Aboriginal peoplesGovernment assistanceNative Women's Shelter of MontrealOral questionsSheltersWomenLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardSukhDhaliwalNewton—North Delta//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. member to explain why the Liberal Party transferred exactly $5,000 on July 19, 2004 to the Liberal riding of Simcoe--Grey, which then transferred $4,500 back on July 25, 2004. That was a direct in and out transfer during an election campaign. That in and out transfer was recognized by Elections Canada as a legitimate local expense and, therefore, all of the same transactions the Conservatives made should be recognized the same.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaDay, StockwellElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsReferences to membersSukhDhaliwalNewton—North DeltaSukhDhaliwalNewton—North Delta//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1135)[English]Mr. Speaker, the reason I have been systematically pointing out that members of the opposition engaged in in and out transactions is to demonstrate that their national parties transferred funds to local campaigns which then purchased services from the national campaign and transferred the money back to pay for those services. That is precisely what the Conservative Party did. If Elections Canada recognized all of those transactions by opposition parties as falling under local expenses, then it must also recognize similar Conservative transactions as local expenses.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaDay, StockwellElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsReferences to membersReimbursementSukhDhaliwalNewton—North DeltaMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1135)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, not at all. It is because the Minister of Immigration was also the minister responsible for multiculturalism.Perhaps the member for Repentigny could answer my question. I have here a press release regarding a cocktail fundraiser for the Bloc Québécois in Chambly—Borduas. It says that if you want information, you can call the riding office of the member for Chambly—Borduas.Could you explain why you are using public resources for your election campaign and—AdvertisingBudgetCabinet ministers' officesEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsParliament of CanadaPartisanshipNicolasDufourRepentignyAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1135)[English]Order, please. I would remind hon. colleagues to address their comments through the Chair and not directly at other members.Oral questionsRemarks addressed to the ChairJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanNicolasDufourRepentigny//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I already made it clear that this minister has two responsibilities. That is the reason for the change. He also returned over $300,000 to the Bank of Canada because he did not spend all of his money.But I do wonder why the Bloc is using public resources for a Bloc Québécois cocktail fundraiser. Why did it use the riding office of the member for Chambly—Borduas? Will he return all of the public money that was used? I have not received an answer to my question.AdvertisingBudgetCabinet ministers' officesEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsParliament of CanadaPartisanshipNicolasDufourRepentignyRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Immigration has two responsibilities, one as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and he has continued on with his good work as Minister of Multiculturalism in his new portfolio.He has done an outstanding job at welcoming new Canadians, and doing more for immigration settlement, particularly in the province of Ontario where the member and I come from.When my premier, Dalton McGuinty, had to come begging for a fair deal for immigration settlement funding, he did not get it from the previous government. This government is the only government that has delivered for immigrants in Ontario.AdvertisingBudgetCabinet ministers' officesEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsParliament of CanadaPartisanshipRobertOliphantDon Valley WestRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member for Don Valley West is pretty happy to stand in the House today to talk about partisanship. Why do we not take a little look at his website. On his Don Valley West constituency website, he endorses, through a letter on his website, a candidate for municipal office.The last time I looked, our jobs in Ottawa were to work for the people of our country, not determine who should sit on city council in the city of Toronto.AdvertisingBudgetCabinet ministers' officesEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsParliament of CanadaPartisanshipRobertOliphantDon Valley WestCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister reported at committee 11 times on December 9, 2010, that she was the one who made the decision.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRubyDhallaBrampton—SpringdaleRubyDhallaBrampton—Springdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member for Brampton—Springdale is just trying to change the channel. I have in my hand a press release, which says, “Paul Martin government announces prudent and ambitious budget”. It is at the www.fin.gc.ca press release. Who is quoted in this press release? I cannot mention his name, but his first name is Ralph.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRubyDhallaBrampton—SpringdaleWayneMarstonHamilton East—Stoney Creek//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodVeterans AffairsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1155)[English]The hon. Minister of Veterans Affairs. Oral questionsPeterStofferSackville—Eastern ShoreJean-PierreBlackburnHon.Jonquière—Alma//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35668RoyalGalipeauRoyal-GalipeauOttawa—OrléansConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GalipeauRoyal_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAerospace IndustryInterventionMr. Royal Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans, CPC): (1155)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I understand that building and maintaining the F-35 military aircraft will create thousands of jobs in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs explain to the House how the Government of Canada is going to create jobs for Quebeckers in the aerospace industry?Aerospace industryEconomic impactJob creationJoint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraftOral questionsProvince of QuebecJean-PierreBlackburnHon.Jonquière—AlmaJean-PierreBlackburnHon.Jonquière—Alma//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodOfficial LanguagesInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1155)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we are committed to providing Canadians with excellent service in their choice of either official language. All Canadians have the right to speak the official language of their choice, no matter which Service Canada office they go into.Administrative regionsAtlantic CanadaFrenchLanguage of workLanguage rightsOfficial languages policyOral questionsService CanadaRichardNadeauGatineauClaudeGravelleNickel Belt//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1155)[English]Order please.The hon. member for Nickel Belt.Noise/conversations/heckling, interrupting Member speakingOral questionsClaudeGravelleNickel BeltClaudeGravelleNickel Belt//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will in fact be in Sudbury on Sunday and Monday next week. I will be making a government announcement. I will be talking about issues like the gun registry on which a lot of New Democratic members broke faith with their constituents. I will also be talking about the GST, which has gone from 7% to 6% to 5% and how the New Democratic Party wanted the GST to stay high rather than support the significant tax reduction this government delivered to families in Sudbury, the Nickel Belt and throughout all of northern Ontario.Government advertisingNickel BeltNorthern OntarioOral questionsClaudeGravelleNickel BeltMauriceVellacottSaskatoon—Wanuskewin//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1262MauriceVellacottMaurice-VellacottSaskatoon—WanuskewinConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/VellacottMaurice_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPersons with DisabilitiesInterventionMr. Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise today to recognize the first anniversary of our Conservative government's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Our Conservative government is committed to removing barriers for persons with disabilities, who play a vital role in the success of our economy and our communities. Can the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development please inform this House about the important investments our government is making toward this goal?Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesGovernment policyOral questionsPersons with disabilitiesJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanDianeFinleyHon.Haldimand—Norfolk//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPersons with DisabilitiesInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, through the RDSP, the enabling accessibility fund, and unprecedented investments in training, our government continues to break down barriers to ensure that all Canadians can participate fully in and contribute to our great country and economy. We are delivering for Canadians with disabilities.I would quote Al Etmanski from the Plan Institute, who said:I believe...[this] Government is hands down the most effective Federal champion people with disabilities and their families have ever had.Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesGovernment policyOral questionsPersons with disabilitiesMauriceVellacottSaskatoon—WanuskewinMarkEykingHon.Sydney—Victoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHuman Resources and Skills DevelopmentInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1200)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we did two years ago. Two years ago, through Canada's economic action plan, we added $10 million to that program, and last year, we made it permanent. We did so in order to create 3,500 more jobs for students who need them. But the hon. member and her colleagues voted against that.Canada Summer JobsGovernment expendituresIncome and wagesOral questionsStudent summer employmentJoséeBeaudinSaint-LambertAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodRetirement CongratulationsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1200)[English]I'd like to draw the attention of members of the House to the presence in the back of the House of our Assistant Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms, Monsieur André Boivin. Today is his last day. He will be retiring after 37 years of service, 31 of which were in Parliament.Some hon. members: Hear, hear!Boivin, AndréDeputy Sergeants-at-ArmsHouse of Commons staffRecognition of visitors in GalleriesRetirement from workDianeFinleyHon.Haldimand—NorfolkJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, during question period, I made reference to a number of documents, and I am very pleased to table them.The first document is a press release entitled, “Paul Martin government announces...budget.” The sub-headline says, “Budget 2004, announced today by the Paul Martin government—”. Then the first paragraph says, “The budget today announced by the Paul Martin government—”. In the second paragraph, it mentions, “Minister of Finance [the member for Wascana]”. I cannot mention his name, but I believe that if members went to www.ralphgoodale.ca, they would find the name. It also has the government website at the end, www.fin.gc.ca.I want to assure the House that some press releases were saying the “H” government because if we called it the Paul Martin government, people would be very confused. I will table that.In response to a question by the member for Repentigny, I talked about a Bloc press release.[Translation]It is about a fundraising cocktail party for the Bloc Québécois in Chambly—Borduas. For more information, there is a number to call. I will table this press release in the House.[English]I am also pleased to table a story by the Canadian Press dated March 11, 2011, 11:51 a.m., about a senator appointed by the Liberal Party. It reads, “Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne guilty of fraud.”I will table all three of these documents in the House.8530-403-19 Documents relating to the 2004 Budget announcement (English text only)8530-403-20 Documents relating to fundraising activities (French text only)8530-403-21 Documents relating to the conviction of a senator (English text only)Allegations of fraud and fraudBloc QuébécoisBudget 2004 (March 23, 2004)Chambly—BorduasDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleFederal governmentFundraising and fundraisersGovernment of CanadaLavigne, RaymondLiberal Party of CanadaMinister citing a documentNews releasesNewspaper articlesOral questionsPoints of orderSenatorAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1205)[English]I would like to thank the hon. government House leader for tabling those documents, but I would also caution him that we are not allowed to do indirectly what we are not allowed to do directly. So when it comes to mentioning members by names, even if he thinks he is doing it in a roundabout way, I think the House would appreciate it if he remembered not to mention them by name.Decisions of the SpeakerDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleMinister citing a documentOral questionsPoints of orderJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1205)[English]Order, order. I have not heard anything that is a point of order. It sounds like there is a dispute about facts.Decisions of the SpeakerDykstra, RickMembers' remarksOral questionsParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and ImmigrationPoints of orderRobertOliphantDon Valley WestJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member opposite said that a member of the government intentionally misled the House. That is completely unparliamentary. The government requests that you require that member to withdraw his comments.False or misleading statementsMembers' remarksOliphant, RobertPoints of orderUnparliamentary languageAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1205)[English]The hon. government House leader is making a good point. The term “intentional misleading of the House” is unparliamentary in referring to a member of the House.I would ask the member for Don Valley West to withdraw those comments.Decisions of the SpeakerFalse or misleading statementsMembers' remarksOliphant, RobertPoints of orderUnparliamentary languageJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1205)[English]Order, order. It is not for the Speaker to pass judgment on the accuracy of statements made in the House.However, one thing the Speaker is tasked to do is to keep the rules of decorum. I did ask the hon. member for Don Valley West to withdraw the unparliamentary language that I heard. “Intentionally mislead” is a term that has consistently been found to be unparliamentary. That is something the Speaker is allowed to pass judgment on.I would ask the member for Don Valley West to withdraw that portion of his remarks.Decisions of the SpeakerFalse or misleading statementsMembers' remarksOliphant, RobertPoints of orderUnparliamentary languageRobertOliphantDon Valley WestRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1205)[English]I think the House appreciates that. I see the hon. parliamentary secretary rising. I am going to caution him. If this is another exchange or debate over facts, the Speaker is not going to have much time for that. We have to move on to other business.Decisions of the SpeakerPoints of orderRobertOliphantDon Valley WestRickDykstraSt. Catharines//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionMr. Rick Dykstra: (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am simply going to inform the House that I am quite prepared, with unanimous consent, to table this document that shows on the front page that the member is a member of Parliament. The email that the member referred to states, “[The member for Don Valley West], 1 Leaside Park Drive, Unit 1, Toronto, Ontario”, and the postal code. On the—Electronic mailOliphant, RobertOral questionsPoints of orderReferences to membersTabling of documentsAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1205)[English]The hon. member is requesting unanimous consent to table a document. Does the House give its consent to table the document?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.Decisions of the HouseElectronic mailOliphant, RobertOral questionsPoints of orderReferences to membersTabling of documentsRickDykstraSt. CatharinesLawrenceCannonHon.Pontiac//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35724BruceStantonBruce-StantonSimcoe NorthConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/StantonBruce_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]InterventionMr. Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, CPC): (1210)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (C) 2010-11”.8510-403-216 Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (Supplementary Estimates (C), 2010-11 — Votes 1c, 5c, 10c and 15c under INDIAN AFFAIRS AND NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT)Department of Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentStanding Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern DevelopmentSupplementary estimates (C) 2010-2011LawrenceCannonHon.PontiacTillyO'Neill GordonMiramichi//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPurchase and Sale of Precious Metal Articles ActInterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC)(1210)[English]Bill C-638. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-638, An Act respecting the establishment of a National Strategy for the Purchase and Sale of Second-hand Precious Metal Articles. He said: Mr. Speaker, as the title of the bill obviously implies, the bill seeks to drive out unscrupulous gold buyers from the purchase and sale of second-hand metals. As the prices of precious metals increase, more and more people are getting into this business. Therefore, the bill calls on the minister to work with his provincial counterparts to make sure that only those individuals with the actual intent of doing this properly are allowed to maintain and stay in this business. The bill would get rid of all of the unscrupulous people who would seek to prey on those who find themselves in desperate situations. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) C-638, An Act respecting the establishment of a National Strategy for the Purchase and Sale of Second-hand Precious Metal ArticlesIntroduction and First readingPrecious metalsPrivate Members' BillsSellingTradeUsed productsBrianJeanFort McMurray—AthabascaOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1220)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.RobertOliphantDon Valley WestAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1220)[English]Pursuant to an order made March 9, Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension Act is deemed read a third time and passed.(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed)C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActDecisions of the HouseGovernment billsThird reading and adoptionTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreRobNicholsonHon.Niagara Falls//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersProtecting Children from Sexual Predators ActInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC)(1220)[English] moved that the Bill be concurred in.Motion for concurrence(Motion agreed to)Bill C-54. Third readingHon. Rob Nicholson moved that the Bill be read the third time and passed. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to begin the third reading debate on Bill C-54, Protecting Children from Sexual Predators Act. The bill recognizes that sexual exploitation of children causes irreparable harm to the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society. The bill recognizes that we as legislators not only have the opportunity but also the responsibility to do all that we can to protect children from this harm. No less important, the bill reflects the view held by most, if not all, Canadians that sexual exploitation of children is reprehensible and that the criminal law must treat all forms of child sexual exploitation as such, including by imposing penalties that fit the severity of this crime.Bill C-54 therefore proposes Criminal Code amendments to ensure that all child sexual abuse penalties consistently reflect the serious nature of this crime as well as to prevent the commission of a sexual offence against a child.The bill proposes to add seven new mandatory sentences to existing child sexual offences that do not currently impose minimum sentences. It proposes to increase the minimum sentences for seven child specific sexual offences that already have mandatory sentences and to impose two new sentences in the two new offences proposed by this bill. In this way, Bill C-54 would ensure that all sexual offences involving child victims are treated the same by requiring all convicted child sex offenders to serve a term of imprisonment. This would eliminate a distinction that currently exists between the 12 child specific sexual offences that already impose mandatory penalties and the seven additional sexual offences that still do not.This existing distinction sends out the wrong message. In effect, it says to the majority of child sexual assault victims whose offenders are charged under the general sexual assault offence in section 271 that does not impose a minimum sentence that their victimization is less serious than that of the 19% of child victims whose offenders are charged under child specific sexual offences that do carry minimum penalties. This is just wrong and Bill C-54 would change this.The bill would also increase seven existing mandatory minimum penalties in the child specific sexual offences to ensure that the minimums are commensurate not only with the offence in question, but are also coherent with those for other offences. For example, offences that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment on indictment would have the same minimum penalty of one year.Accordingly, the existing minimum for the offence of sexual interference in section 151 would be increased from 45 days to one year, which in turn would be consistent with the new minimum proposed in section 271, the general sexual assault offence that also carries a maximum penalty of 10 years on indictment.During its review of Bill C-54 the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights heard from a range of witnesses, including victims' groups, police, academics, psychologists and criminal lawyers' associations. Some disagreed on Bill C-54's approach with minimum penalties. Some argued against minimum penalties. Some advocated for higher minimum penalties and some supported the reforms as proposed by this bill. But without exception they all agreed that child sexual abuse and the exploitation of children is a serious crime and must be treated as such. That is what this bill would do.This bill proposes reforms to prevent the commission of sexual offences against children. It does so in two ways. First, it proposes to create two new offences that target conduct that is preparatory to the commission of a contact sexual offence against a child. The first offence would prohibit a person from making sexually explicit material available to a young person for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a sexual or abduction offence against that child. This offence recognizes that child sex offenders often give this type of material to their victims, often with a view to lowering their sexual inhibitions and making it easier to sexually assault them. If the material is child pornography, irrespective of the reason for which it may be given, this conduct is already prohibited. This bill would now prohibit providing other sexually explicit material for this specific purpose. (1225)Our bill defines “sexually explicit material” in a manner that is consistent with its use and interpretation in the child pornography and voyeurism offences.The proposed offence would apply to transmitting, making available, distributing or selling such material to a young person for this purpose and would apply whether it is provided directly in a face-to-face encounter or over the Internet.The second new offence proposed is a prohibition against using telecommunications, such as the Internet, to agree or make arrangements with another person to commit one of the enumerated child sexual or abduction offences.The existing prohibition in section 172.1 against using a computer system to communicate directly with a child for the purpose of facilitating the commission of one of the enumerated child sex and abduction offences only applies where the communication is between the perpetrator and the child. It does not apply to a situation where, for example, one adult uses the Internet to communicate with another adult to agree with or arrange to commit a sexual offence against a third person, the child. Thankfully, this bill would close that gap.There was much discussion at the justice committee about this new offence as to what the term “telecommunications” includes. How would the offence work? Does its formulation deny an accused legitimate defences and even legitimize police entrapment? The answer to that of course is no. The term “telecommunications” is defined in the federal Interpretation Act as “the emission, transmission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds or intelligence of any nature by any wire, cable, radio, optical or other electromagnetic system, or by any similar technical system”.Using such a broad but clearly defined term would ensure that this new offence would apply to the same prohibited use of new technology that may be created after this offence is enacted.The new offence would operate in a similar manner to the existing luring a child offence that is found in section 172.1 of the Criminal Code. It includes the same provisions about presumed or reasonable but mistaken belief in the age of the child.Like the existing luring a child offence, the common law defence of entrapment would still be available to an accused in the appropriate circumstances.Bill C-54 also proposes to require a court to consider prohibiting a child sex offender and a suspected child sex offender under section 810.1 from having both access and opportunity to sexually molest a child. It proposes to expand the list of sexual offences for which such prohibitions could be included to include four prostitution offences where the victim is a child.Courts would also be specifically directed to consider imposing two new conditions prohibiting the offender from having any unsupervised access to a young person or from having any unsupervised use of the Internet.These conditions would help prevent the offender from being placed in a situation where he or she has access and opportunity to sexually assault a child, and from having unfettered use of the Internet or other similar technologies that are instrumental in the commission of child pornography and other child sexual exploitative offences today.Witnesses before the justice committee were generally quite supportive of these proposed preventive measures.There was some discussion of what is meant by these provisions' use of the term “the Internet or other digital network”. Bill C-54's use of “the Internet or other digital network” is consistent with its commonly understood meaning. It is also used in Bill C-32, the Copyright Modernization Act, which is currently before Parliament.Clearly, the intention here is to direct the court to consider imposing such a prohibition where it is appropriate in the circumstances of the accused and the safety needs of the community and, as specifically directed by this bill, to impose the prohibition subject to any appropriate conditions as determined by the court.(1230)I am confident that this proposal strikes the right balance in providing sufficient clarity and needed flexibility to enable the courts to craft a clear and understandable prohibition with any applicable conditions warranted by the circumstances of each case.This is an important step forward in the protection of children in this country, and I am asking the House to pass this bill as rapidly as possible.Attorney General of CanadaC-54, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual offences against children)Child Internet luringChild pornographyChild sexual abuse and exploitationComputer crimeConservative CaucusDecisions of the HouseGovernment billsMandatory sentencingMinister of JusticeMotion for concurrenceNicholson, RobPornographyReport stageSex offencesSex offendersThird reading and adoptionAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersProtecting Children from Sexual Predators ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1305)[English] Is the House ready for the question? Some hon. members: Question. The Deputy Speaker: The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. (Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed)C-54, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual offences against children)Decisions of the HouseGovernment billsThird reading and adoptionMalcolmAllenWellandKevinSorensonCrowfoot//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersProtecting Children from Sexual Predators ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1305)[English]Shall I see the clock at 1:30 p.m.?Some hon. members: Agreed.The Deputy Speaker: The House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.Decisions of the HousePoints of orderProceeding to next item earlyKevinSorensonCrowfootMarkEykingHon.Sydney—Victoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Beneficiaries of Long Term Disability Benefits Plans ActInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share my thoughts today on Bill C-624, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (providing protection for beneficiaries of long term disability benefits plans).I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for Sydney—Victoria for introducing this proposed legislation. The bill seeks to address the plight of beneficiaries of long-term disability benefits plans in cases where the employer has gone bankrupt. In essence, it aims to protect employees on long-term disability by granting them preferred status during bankruptcy proceedings.The Government of Canada does not view the bill as the best approach to addressing the challenges these beneficiaries may face, but we agree that this is an important issue. Fairness and compassion matter to all of us as Canadians.The Government of Canada understands the challenges faced by workers whose employers go bankrupt, including the possible reduction or loss of benefits, such as for long-term disability. That is why our government has already put in place a series of measures to help deal with the challenges these beneficiaries face. In fact, this issue was identified in the 2010 Speech from the Throne. We made a commitment to Canadians that we would look at how we could better protect workers when an employer faces these kinds of difficult circumstances, and we are delivering on that promise.We have consulted with citizens and are exploring workable, lasting solutions, but we are doing even more than that. We already have initiatives in place that are making a difference.I would like to take a few minutes today to outline what the Government of Canada is doing to support Canadian workers and to provide the protection they need while maintaining a balanced approach.The government recognizes that when an employer goes bankrupt, employees are often left in a difficult situation in regard to wages. Through no fault of their own, they can suddenly find themselves struggling to make ends meet. That is bad for workers and their families and it is bad for our economy.In response, our government established the wage-earner protection program, or WEPP. It provides timely compensation to employees who are owed money when their employers go bankrupt. As a result of this important program, eligible workers who lose their jobs and are owed money because their employer has gone bankrupt, or has become subject to receivership, are now compensated for unpaid wages and vacation pay. They are also eligible for more recent severance and termination pay up to a maximum of approximately $3,400.The WEPP was expanded in 2009. As a result there has been improved financial support for Canadian workers during the economic downturn, as more Canadians have been able to qualify for WEPP financial support and to secure higher average monetary claims. As a result, since January 2009, over 30,000 WEPP claimants have received almost $67 million in payments. In other words, the WEPP has made an important difference to those in need.We have also taken action to ensure better pension regulation in Canada. In December 2010, a number of regulatory amendments were proposed to the pension benefits standards regulations. The proposed amendments are designed to make federally regulated private pension plans less sensitive to financial market volatility while protecting plan members and retirees. It calls for four key measures. First, it would permit plan sponsors to secure properly structured letters of credit in lieu of making solvency payments to the pension fund, to a limit of 15% of the plan assets. (1405)Second, it would require plan sponsors to fully fund pension benefits on plan termination.Third, it would render void any amendments to a pension plan that would reduce the solvency ratio of the pension plan if the plan's solvency ratio is below 0.85 or the amendment causes the solvency ratio to fall below 0.85.Fourth, it would introduce a distressed pension plan workout scheme.These changes are part of the Government of Canada's overall commitment to further strengthen the retirement income system for our citizens. This is the kind of action that Canadians have been asking for and that we have been delivering.The Government of Canada stood side by side with Canadians during the recent global recession. We have worked very hard to ensure citizens have all the tools and all the support needed to ride out challenging times. We moved quickly to protect jobs. We have also invested in an unprecedented two year $62 billion stimulus program to create jobs, to strengthen innovation and to build for the future.From major infrastructure projects to reductions in personal and corporate taxes, from support for the unemployed and those at risk of losing their jobs to transfers to provincial and territorial governments for training, we have invested wisely in Canada and in its people.Our efforts did not stop there. Some $13.3 billion have been directed in targeted efforts to support regions and industries hardest hit by the recession.In addition, we also developed measures to allow for greater access to employment insurance benefits. This included extra weeks of benefits and extensions to work-sharing arrangements for eligible recipients. Combined, these initiatives have helped over one million workers and their families. The enhancements to the work-sharing program have meant that more workers have been able to keep their jobs while employers have retained skilled workers with years of experience.Our government believes in maintaining a fair and balanced approach to this issue. We are determined to continue showing our capability and capacity to act so that workers know that they will be protected.Through Canada's economic action plan, our government has acted decisively to protect livelihoods. We have acted to protect incomes. We have worked hard to help create jobs and to ease credit markets. Just as important, we have taken steps to help ensure that workers get back on their feet.We also emphasized in the Speech from the Throne and elsewhere that jobs and growth remain the top priority for Canada. There is a need for balance. We need to protect workers. We also need to protect our nation's economic competitiveness, something that we have all worked so hard to build and maintain.BankruptcyC-624, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (providing protection for beneficiaries of long term disability benefits plans)Disability benefitsEconomic policyGovernment policyLong term disability leavePensions and pensionersPrivate Members' BillsRegulationSecond readingWage Earner Protection ProgramMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Beneficiaries of Long Term Disability Benefits Plans ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1405)[English]Order, please. I will have to stop the hon. member there. If she likes, she will still have a minute and a half left to conclude her remarks the next time this bill is before the House.The time provided for the consideration of private members' business has now expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.It being 2:09 p.m., the House stands adjourned until Monday, March 21 at 11 a.m. pursuant to Standing Orders 28(2) and 24(1).(The House adjourned at 2:09 p.m.)C-624, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (providing protection for beneficiaries of long term disability benefits plans)Private Members' BillsSecond readingLoisBrownNewmarket—Aurora//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC)(1010)[English] moved: MotionThat, notwithstanding any standing or special order or usual practice of the House, C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members, be allowed to be called for the third reading stage today; that, during the debate at the said stage, not more than one member from each recognized party may speak for not more than two minutes, after which the bill shall be deemed read a third time and passed; and that the House then immediately proceed to consideration of the opposition motion under the Business of Supply.MotionsRules of debatePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1105)[Translation]Order. The hon. member for Québec on a point of order. DenisLebelHon.Roberval—Lac-Saint-JeanChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1105)[English]I would remind all hon. members that whenever we are engaged in debate that we discuss the matter before the House. The opposition day motion today is broad. It touches on several issues. I encourage all hon. members to speak to that. I anticipate that while it may take detours getting there, all hon. members will speak relevantly to the motion.The hon. Minister of State.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeChristianeGagnonQuébecDenisLebelHon.Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1105)[English]Order, please. I appreciate the point raised by the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona. He spoke to the intention of the hon. member. I would suggest that we do not know the intention of the hon. minister.However, I would encourage members to speak to the motion before the House. I note that the motion is broad and has many components. I believe all hon. members know that it is the practice of the Chair to give the members speaking every opportunity to bring their speeches back to relevance and to the point of the business before the House.The hon. minister of state.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaDenisLebelHon.Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1110)[English]Order, please. Is the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona rising on the same point of order or another point of order?AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeDenisLebelHon.Roberval—Lac-Saint-JeanJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1110)[English]I thank the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona.Once again I would remind all hon. members to familiarize themselves with the business before the House and to make their comments relate to that. The Chair grants great latitude in terms of what can be related back to the business of the House. However, members' comments ought to relate to the matter before the House.The hon. minister of state.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaDenisLebelHon.Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1268GarryBreitkreuzGarry-BreitkreuzYorkton—MelvilleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BreitkreuzGarryW_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Garry Breitkreuz: (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, this accusation is very spurious at the most. I have been listening to the speeches. I have read the motion. They are on topic, talking about Canada's economic action plan and all of the other things that are in the motion. The members on this side of the House are speaking to that. If opposition members would just listen, they would realize that these are relevant.AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeClaudeGravelleNickel BeltChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1120)[English]I have listened to the points of order raised surrounding relevance. It is the Chair's observation that there are several elements in today's motion before the House that touch on several topics. Some members are speaking to elements that are included in the motion. It would appear that some are speaking to elements they feel ought to be included in the motion, or ways that different elements of the motion could or should be interpreted. I go back to a point I raised earlier, which is that it is the practice of the Chair to grant latitude to members in speaking their minds and respect the fact that they are to make their comments relevant to the matter before the House. It is not the practice of the Chair to micromanage every minute in terms of that issue. I trust that all hon. members will respect this practice in the House of Commons and make their comments relevant to the matter before us.AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeLeonBenoitVegreville—WainwrightBrianJeanFort McMurray—Athabasca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]Order, please.The hon. parliamentary secretary, a short answer please.AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeBrianMasseWindsor WestBrianJeanFort McMurray—Athabasca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1140)[English]Order, please. I would ask all hon. members to refrain from identifying members by their names, including the Speakers.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerSpeaker of the HouseStandards in public lifeCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul'sCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1155)[English]Order. I would remind all hon. members to direct their comments and questions to the Chair.Questions and comments. The hon. member for Huron—Bruce.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRemarks addressed to the ChairStandards in public lifeCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul'sBenLobbHuron—Bruce//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35600BenLobbBen-LobbHuron—BruceConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/LobbBen_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Ben Lobb (Huron—Bruce, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, again, if I go back to the motion where it mentions “advance its partisan interests and oppose its regressive ideology”, perhaps the member may want to get off her high horse. She may remember a ten percenter which she would have signed off on and which she sent into a riding in northern Saskatchewan. There were pictures of body bags on the ten percenter. Perhaps when she is thinking about her speech about truth and ideology and all these highbrow concepts, she may think back to her own actions. Maybe she would have a response to that. We need to see both sides here.AccountabilityBennett, CarolynBody bagsFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityHouseholdersMembers' remarksOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerReferences to membersSaskatchewanStandards in public lifeBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1220)[English]Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his remarks, especially the volume of his remarks. It made it easy for me to hear and I did not need to use any amplification. We could probably save some taxpayer dollars on the amplification system.I want to ask the member if he is familiar with Mr. Robin Sears, the former national campaign director of the New Democratic Party. I had the occasion to speak to Mr. Sears recently in Toronto with respect to the arrangement known as the in and out arrangement. He told me very clearly that the New Democratic Party had in fact been doing exactly that for years, and that all parties did it. He did not understand what the big fuss was all about. He said on the CTV News channel on February 25, 2011:It's a load of nonsense—the guys at Elections Canada have a few bricks short of a load. Every party plays games with moving money around, have always done, will always do. What's a national ad, what's a local ad? It's nonsense. It's time we got back to things Canadians care about.This is a direct quote from the former national campaign manager of the New Democratic Party. Perhaps the hon. member could comment on that.AccountabilityConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingNew Democratic PartyOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical partiesPolitical powerStandards in public lifeDavidChristophersonHamilton CentreDavidChristophersonHamilton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace (Burlington, CPC): (1300)[English]Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my excellent colleague from Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup.I want to start with the basics of why we are here today. This is a business of supply motion. For those who do not know the history or understand what happens, the governments of the day determined that for the estimates to go through in a smoother way, they would provide opposition benches a day to talk about the issues and policies that are important to them. If they want to get on the record something they are in favour of or want to do, they can use the time, as we are today, to criticize the government.I worked very hard to get elected, as all members do. We come here to make a difference, to debate issues and policies, and the motions this week have had nothing to do with those issues. I am sad for the people who claim that we are here to work together. We hear that from opposition members on television all the time. In press conferences they say we should be working together to make this place work. We hear that all the time, but what kinds of motions do they bring forward? They bring forward partisan motions that have nothing to do with helping the economic or social well-being of Canadians.I am willing to debate issues and policies that I may not agree with on the economic or social services sides, but the motions this week are a complete waste of taxpayers' money for our time and effort. What are members doing here? This is a Bloc motion. On a supply day Bloc members are entitled to move any motion they wish. They have brought forward a motion to talk about the conduct of the government. I am very proud of the conduct. I can talk about it because it is mentioned in the Bloc's motion. However, let me talk about the conduct of the Bloc for a few minutes.This is not personal. I have great respect for Bloc members I have met and dealt with in committee. They are very intelligent and engaged in the issues at committee. I admire their efforts in getting elected, but what are they doing for Canada and Canadians? I forgot: they do not even care about Canada. That is the basis upon which they were elected. They go to the people in their ridings and say they are going to Ottawa to work on breaking up this country and they are allotted a day to debate a motion. They are entitled to it, but I do not understand why Quebeckers continue to elect Bloc members. What have they done in terms of policy, social services or anything else in the last 20 years? For 20 years they have been here and I can only think of one accomplishment, which is that they keep being re-elected. They collect paycheques and will get pensions, but they have done nothing to move the yardstick on policy.The other issue in this motion is about providing parliamentary committees with the cost of proposals. I would like to speak to this part of the motion. I sit on the Standing Committee on Finance and the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. There has been a plethora of Bloc private members' bills over the last number of years. How many of them have had costs? How many of those private members' bills have been researched to see if they are even legal, let alone financially sustainable? The answer is none, zero.(1305)I have been at these committees and have asked the individual movers of those private members' bills to provide that information. They look around, they look at their staff and they do not have it. They have not done their homework.People would expect that if one is going to change the laws for all of Canada, not just for Quebec or for a riding, that people would take the time and effort to get these items that are being brought forward at least priced out so that we would know if they are going to affect the taxpayers' pocketbook. We would know if they would have any effect from a social services perspective, but they do not do that work. They go to the Library of Parliament and say that they want to make the sky blue. They get a bill sent to them saying that the sky is going to be blue. They present to the House what they want to accomplish, but there is nothing. I have proof of this with the bills that have been sent to me. I do not want to pick only on the Bloc because it happens in other parties, including my own. These bills need to be vetted. I have sent them to the Parliamentary Budget Officer for review. The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer would respond and say, “Well, based on these assumptions, we really cannot price it out. We are not sure where we are going with this”.In this motion, how can the Bloc members criticize the conduct of the government when they do not do it themselves? Time and time again they have brought these ill-thought-out bills to committee to be voted on in the House and they have not done their due diligence to find out what it would actually cost the taxpayers of all of Canada, including Quebec. I do not know why they have the audacity to put the refusal to a parliamentary committee to provide costs when they will not do it themselves.The other point I wish to comment on is the conduct of this government. The economic action plan, year two, is the seventh report that we have put out on economic activity. Nobody in the House is denying that the world economy has been tough over the last couple of years. I have not heard anyone in the House say that. Canada is faring better than most other countries, including being number one in the G7. That is supported by the OECD and other commentaries around the world. We have quotes from British newspapers and from New York. I am not going to bother with a bunch of quotes because we all know it is true. We know that we are doing better. What should the opposition be doing today on a supply day? If those members do not think we are doing good enough on the economic recovery, why do they not ask questions? Why are they not putting forward what they would do differently? Why are they not giving their voters a chance to see what they would do if they were able to form a government, which they will not? Why will they not admit that they are not interested in forming a government? Bloc members may be interested in forming a coalition where they can have their say with the NDP and the Liberals. They may be interested in a coalition to see if they can get their way. They know they have no real responsibility because they have no accountability and are never going to form government. They are never going to put forward government legislation. It is not going to happen and they know that. So they put forward a motion that is a mixed bag of all these items, similar to what we had on Tuesday. Are we making a difference for Canadians? Are we making sure that Canadians have jobs? Are we making sure that even though we are in recovery and the economy is still fragile, we are doing something? Does the motion do anything to move the yardstick to make Canada, including Quebec, a better place in which to live? Does the motion do anything on the social policies of this country, whether it is providing services to individuals, children, adults and seniors? Are we doing anything in this motion? Are we spending a full day debating an issue that is going to make a difference in anyone's life in this country?My answer is no. It is shameful that opposition parties can hold this government to account on issues, but to waste their supply day on issues that have nothing to do with helping Canadians is a waste of time and I am almost embarrassed to be up here speaking to it.AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerSplitting speaking timeStandards in public lifeDeniseSavoieVictoriaLucMaloVerchères—Les Patriotes//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace: (1310)[English]Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question because it is exactly my point. Members are asking why is it so difficult for our party. Every time they bring a private member's bill to committee it is never priced out. Then we send it to the Parliamentary Budget Officer and he says he does not understand what they are trying to get, that they are not providing enough information.You want to be transparent. Tell your people that you are wasting Canadian taxpayers' time on motions like this and you will not do your work here. You be transparent--AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeLucMaloVerchères—Les PatriotesDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace: (1310)[English]Madam Speaker, I have two answers to that question.First, it will be interesting to see this afternoon whether the member comes to committee and talks about estimates. I have a lot of questions for the staff on the actual spending that is happening in that department. I will bet $1 million that the member from the New Democratic Party will try to trap the minister on some sort of policy issue or will not talk about the actual spending, which is what happens all the time at committee.Second--AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeBrianMasseWindsor WestBrianMasseWindsor West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Mike Wallace: (1315)[English] Madam Speaker, that is the problem with days like today. Opposition members do not take them seriously.We need to remind the House that on the issue with Elections Canada, we have taken it to court and we have won. It was appealed and we lost, but we are continuing that process. We believe we did the right thing based on the interpretation of the law at the time. When that interpretation changed, we changed our practice. There is nothing wrong with what we have done.AccountabilityConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeDeniseSavoieVictoriaBernardGénéreuxMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Conduct of Government]InterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1350)[English]Madam Speaker, there was a lot of torqued up and over-the-top language in the member's comments. There was also quite a bit of revisionist history.I served on the committee to which the member referred. We heard from quite a number of witnesses. In the summer of 2008 the committee heard a lot of evidence about how the Bloc Québécois transferred money from the central party into the ridings and back to the party. From the best we can see, the leader of the Bloc Québécois is the first person to have used this method. He was in fact referred to as the creator, or the father, of the transfer from the main party to the association and then back to the party.Perhaps the member could comment on whether she or any of her colleagues have ever used the technique designed by her leader?AccountabilityBloc QuébécoisElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical partiesPolitical powerStandards in public lifeCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-ConstantCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-Constant//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCanadian Jewish CongressInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, on Monday the Minister of the Environment will be in Montreal to unveil a plaque commemorating the founding of the Canadian Jewish Congress. The plaque reads as follows:In March 1919, more than 200 delegates elected by an estimated 25,000 Jews from across Canada met here at the Monument-National to participate in the first pan-Canadian Jewish assembly. This democratic exercise marked the birth of the Canadian Jewish Congress, an organization that was at the forefront of the struggle for equality, civil and human rights, and immigration reform in this country. Regarded by many as the “Parliament of Canadian Jewry”, the Congress continues to provide a voice for the Canadian Jewish community both nationally and internationally.The Canadian Jewish Congress has also been a strong and consistent voice and advocate for the civil rights of individuals from all races and religions. I congratulate the congress on this important milestone.Centre for Israel and Jewish AffairsEventsJudaism and JewsStatements by MembersAlexandraMendèsBrossard—La PrairieMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have tremendous respect for you, your office and your ruling yesterday.We had considered the information that we had provided to the House and believed that it responded in substance to the request that had been made by the House. Let me assure you, Mr. Speaker, that we will make every effort to comply with your ruling. That is our commitment.Decisions of the SpeakerGovernment accountabilityOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear that we will comply. We are working on that right now. What is absolutely shocking is that the leader of the Liberal Party is trying to distract Canadians from their priorities. Everywhere I go in my own riding and right across Canada, Canadians are concerned about jobs. They are concerned about the economy. They are concerned about themselves and the future of their families. All we have from the Liberals are these distractions. We are going to stay focused on jobs. We are going to stay focused on the Canadian economy, even if the Liberals do not want us to.Decisions of the SpeakerGovernment accountabilityOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodNational DefenceInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, there is no denying that the new jet fighters that our air force so desperately needs to replace the CF-18s, which will be 40 years old, will have a price.Let me say this. The men and women in the Canadian armed forces are prepared to pay the ultimate price. They are prepared to sacrifice. They are brave. What do they count on? They count on the government to provide them with the tools they need. If that means it is going to be $50 a year, or $1 a week, to provide for Canadian sovereignty and to give our men and women the tools they need to do the job, it is a price that we are prepared to pay.Financial forecastGovernment contractsGovernment expendituresJoint Strike Fighter F-35 aircraftOffice of the Parliamentary Budget OfficerOral questionsMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, I respect your ruling. I look forward to attending the procedures and House affairs committee and I will fully co-operate to provide the needed clarity.These are decisions that I have been tasked with the responsibility to make. This is how we are improving the lives of children in developing countries. For example, we have increased enrolment in the schools in Senegal to over 90%. We have increased vaccination. This is making good use of taxpayer dollars.ChildrenContempt of ParliamentDecisions of the SpeakerGovernment accountabilityOral questionsReferences to membersSchoolsSenegalGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-MarieGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance has routinely allocated money to inform Canadians about measures that may benefit them. This public information campaign was laid out at the start of the fiscal year in April 2010. Given the time frame of March 22 for this year's budget, it is unlikely the entire amount will be spent and whatever remains will be returned to the consolidated general revenue fund.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Conservative Party of CanadaElection expensesGovernment advertisingOral questionsChristianeGagnonQuébecChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Québec must answer to this: on July 15, 2004, the Bloc Québécois transferred $17,071.20 to the local election campaign of the member for Québec. The very next day, that same candidate transferred $17,071.20 to the Bloc Québécois. That is an example of the in and out system. How does she explain that?Bloc QuébécoisBudget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Conservative Party of CanadaElection expensesElection of 2004Government advertisingIn and out financingOral questionsChristianeGagnonQuébecJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me at the outset, on behalf of all members of the House, welcome back the leader of the New Democratic Party. We may spar on issues from time to time, but I have great respect for him and his values.We also respect the Speaker's decision of yesterday. We have stated that we believed we had provided the information requested. We appreciate the ruling and we will be working very hard to comply with it in the days ahead.Decisions of the SpeakerFinancial forecastLegislationOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]We respect your ruling, Mr. Speaker, and we will be working to comply with it in the days ahead. The Liberal member for Kings—Hants has presented a motion to the House about having a committee look into it and report back. We will be working very hard to comply with that measure.We will not be pushed away from the fundamental priority of Canadians, which is jobs and the economy. We are working tremendously hard on the budget to provide more hope and more opportunity. We have seen the creation of some 460,000 net new jobs over the past 18 months because of solid economic leadership.Decisions of the SpeakerEconomic recoveryFinancial forecastGovernment policyJob creationLegislationOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsTough on crime strategiesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have said that we will be working very hard to comply with your ruling. We remain focused on the priorities of Canadians, jobs and the economy. In every part of my riding and every part of the country, these remain the priorities of Canadians. We will be bringing down a budget in a few short weeks. The single priority in that budget is the creation of jobs, the creation of hope, the creation of opportunity. That is the priority of Canadians. They do not want an unnecessary election. They want us focused on creating jobs for them and not trying to get new jobs for ourselves.Government accountabilityOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthSiobhanCoadySt. John's South—Mount Pearl//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment SpendingInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the member opposite noticed, this question was just asked about five minutes ago. The Department of Finance routinely has allocated to it some money to inform Canadians about benefits in the budget and other steps taken by the Department of Finance with respect to benefits for Canadians.The budget this year is scheduled for March 22, so there will not be that much time left in the fiscal year. I anticipate that a good part of the money will not be spent and then it will be returned to the consolidated revenue fund.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Government advertisingGovernment expendituresOral questionsSiobhanCoadySt. John's South—Mount PearlPabloRodriguezHonoré-Mercier//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment SpendingInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberal government in the mid-1990s, we will not balance the budget in our country by taking money away from hospitals and schools. That is what Liberals did. They did it dramatically. They did it unilaterally. They did it without consultation. It resulted in fewer doctors in Canada, especially in rural Canada. It resulted in closed hospitals across the country. It resulted in teachers being laid off, all done by the Liberal government of the 1990s.We will not repeat that mistake.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Government advertisingGovernment expendituresOral questionsPabloRodriguezHonoré-MercierJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—Restigouche//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is simply wrong. However, I will give her the occasion to explain why, on July 26, 2004, the Liberal Party of Canada transferred exactly $5,000 to the local campaign of Aileen Carroll, in the riding of Barrie, who then transferred that money back roughly 10 days later, exactly $5,000, on August 6. That is $5,000 in, $5,000 out. That is an in and out transaction. I invite her to stand and explain what is different about that transaction from the ones that were undertaken by the Conservative Party.BarrieCarroll, AileenConservative Party of CanadaElection of 2004Election of 2006In and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsMarthaHall FindlayWillowdaleMarthaHall FindlayWillowdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, on January 5, 2006, the Liberal Party of Canada transferred $5,350 to the Liberal campaign in Malpeque, which then transferred back, on the exact same day, $5,350.In the riding of Don Valley West, the Liberal Party transferred $5,000 on January 9, 2004, which then transferred $5,000 back to the Liberal Party on July 15 of the same year.In Barrie, there was $5,000 in on July 26, 2004, and $5,000 out on August 6--Conservative Party of CanadaDon Valley WestElection of 2004Election of 2006In and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaMalpequeOral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we have done a lot to help the unemployed in the past three years. We added five weeks to employment insurance and opened it up to self-employed workers. We also provided special benefits for long-tenured workers. I am doubtful of the Bloc's sincerity, since it voted against all of these measures that would help vulnerable people.Employment insuranceEmployment insurance reformOral questionsYvesLessardChambly—BorduasRobertBouchardChicoutimi—Le Fjord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, to be clear, I am assuming that the hon. member is asking particularly about that one funding decision, not about everybody I spoke to in those two months.Regarding that, as I have indicated, I consulted with my staff. I got full briefings from the department. I have not specifically had any conversation with the minister of immigration, because it was not directly related to development or his responsibilities. I made the decision. I wanted to make sure that taxpayers' dollars were being used—Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesOral questionsBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, there were no conversations regarding KAIROS between me and the minister of immigration.However, this is really important. I have answered the hon. member's question, but again I want Canadians to know how we are spending their money. Today I am pleased to announce that Canada is supporting the Afghan-Canadian Community Centre where 1,800 people have received literacy training; 85% of them are women and 83% of the graduates have received employment.Adult literacyAfghan-Canadian Community CentreCanadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesOral questionsBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1809CherylGallantCheryl-GallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/GallantCheryl_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPensionsInterventionMrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government has been focused on protecting Canadian workers since coming to office in 2006. We have introduced the wage earner protection program to provide support for Canadian workers who face a bankrupt employer while still being owed wages, termination and severance pay. We have made unpaid wages a super priority in a bankruptcy and the Minister of Finance is working with his provincial counterparts to reform Canada's pension system.Can the minister please update the House on the reckless efforts of the opposition in this respect?BankruptcyOral questionsPension guaranteesPensions and pensionersWage Earner Protection ProgramChristianParadisHon.Mégantic—L'ÉrableTonyClementHon.Parry Sound—Muskoka//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPensionsInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, of course, last night the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition ganged up again and supported en masse Bill C-501 that would ensure, and listen to this closely, folks, that CEOs and their friends get a larger share of the remaining assets while workers are left with little or nothing. As a government, we have implemented the wage earner protection program to protect workers' severance and termination pay. But that is what they have been working on, this multi-million dollar severance plan for their CEO friends. That is what they work on when they are not trying to engineer—BankruptcyC-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Chief Executive OfficerOral questionsPension guaranteesPensions and pensionersSeverance payWage Earner Protection ProgramCherylGallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59148RandyHobackRandy-HobackPrince AlbertConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/HobackRandy_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionMr. Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-led coalition is flinging baseless rumours and innuendo to justify the opportunistic election it so desperately wants. Unfortunately, as it tries to throw mud, its own ethical breaches are leaving it dirty.Could the parliamentary secretary update this House on the priority of this government?Ethics and ethical issuesGovernment policyOpposition partiesOral questionsJamesMooreHon.Port Moody—Westwood—Port CoquitlamPierrePoilievreNepean—Carleton//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, the priority of this government is the economy and jobs. We are getting it done on both of those subjects. We have had six consecutive quarters of growth. We have had five million Canadians invest in the tax free savings accounts--Economic prosperityGovernment policyJob creationOral questionsTax Free Savings AccountRandyHobackPrince AlbertPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, five million Canadians have invested in tax free savings accounts, and 460,000 net new jobs have been created since July 2009. Unemployment is two points lower than in the United States for the first time in a generation.That is the reason we are in and they are out.Employment statisticsGovernment policyJob creationOral questionsTax Free Savings AccountPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsHelenaGuergisHon.Simcoe—Grey//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAccess to InformationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am quite surprised to see the member for Malpeque giving the member for Simcoe—Grey a standing ovation. I thought I had seen everything.Let me say to the hon. member for Simcoe—Grey that I will certainly take her question to the appropriate authorities, and we will do everything we can to ensure that all of the access to information laws are followed. I can only tell the member for Simcoe—Grey that at least she does not have to make an access request to the CBC because then she would never get anything.Access to information requestsOral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, with respect to your ruling yesterday, we are working right now as we speak to comply on that issue and we will be responding in short order.We will continue debate today on the Bloc opposition motion that began this morning. Tomorrow, we will call for third reading of Bill C-55, the new veterans charter bill. I appreciate that there has been support for the passage of that bill. It is important for Canada's veterans and I am pleased that we have been able to come together on that.Following Bill C-55, if time permits, we would debate Bill C-54, protecting children from sexual predators; Bill S-7, the justice for victims of terrorism; Bill C-8, the Canada-Jordan free trade agreement; Bill C-12, the democratic representation bill, which is an important bill for my premier in Ontario and particularly for the people in both Alberta and British Columbia; Bill C-46, the Canada-Panama free trade agreement; Bill C-57, improving trade within Canada; Bill C-43, RCMP modernization; Bill C-52, investigating and preventing criminal electronic communications; and Bill C-50, improving access to investigative tools for serious crime. With respect to the business for next week, I will be, among other places, working hard in my constituency for the people of Ottawa West--Nepean.Daily ProgramDavidMcGuintyOttawa SouthJohnDuncanHon.Vancouver Island North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1555)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member talked a lot about how he cares for people. I wonder if the member could outline for the House how he voted when we brought in a budget that reduced the GST from 7% to 6% to 5%. He talked about caring for people who are having difficulties. I was in the riding of Markham—Unionville the other day cutting the ribbon for a new social housing project that was funded by this government for 245 low-income families. The member from Nova Scotia talked about the economic stimulus program not helping families and individuals. I wonder if he could explain how he voted when we cut taxes by $3,000 for the average family, how the member's party voted when we brought in a tax credit for tradespeople, when we brought in a tax credit for people with disabilities, when we brought in a tax credit for people who use transit, when we brought in a tax credit for people--AccountabilityFamilies and childrenFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerSocial housingStandards in public lifeTax reliefYvesLessardChambly—BorduasAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1555)[English]The hon. member for Chambly—Borduas.PaulCalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamYvesLessardChambly—Borduas//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1620)[English]Order. Questions and comments.ShellyGloverSaint BonifaceShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1625)[English]Order. There is a lot of discussion and comments going back and forth.An. hon. member: I never heard it.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!The Deputy Speaker: Order. There is a lot of talking and heckling both when the parliamentary secretary is speaking and when the Speaker is speaking. [Translation]I will give the floor briefly to the hon. member for Terrebonne-Blainville to clarify what she said, because the hon. parliamentary secretary heard something. I did not hear anything.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsOrder and decorumPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeShellyGloverSaint BonifaceDianeBourgeoisTerrebonne—Blainville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1625)[Translation]I am going to look at the transcript. If unparliamentary language was used, I will come back to the House on this issue.[English]I did not hear anything. The member for Terrebonne—Blainville is indicating that she did not use unparliamentary language. I will check the record and come back to the House if necessary.On that note, hon. members are not doing themselves or the chamber any favours by heckling and yelling back and forth on both sides of the House while members are trying to answer a question, pose a question, or give a speech.We have enough time for one more question or comment. The hon. member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsOrder and decorumPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeUnparliamentary languageDianeBourgeoisTerrebonne—BlainvilleKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1625)[English]Order. The Chair is not going to make a ruling on the interpretation of facts. Members have disagreements on the facts all the time. We will move on.Resuming debate. The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de FucaTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1625)[English]Mr. Speaker, I must say I am overjoyed to be able to join in on the spirited debate we are having today. I will take a different approach to what some of my other colleagues in the House have been doing with their remarks, in that I will try to explain more clearly to the Canadian public who may be watching this debate what is happening here and the motivation behind the motion that we have before us today.Primarily, another element that has not really been discussed is we will be voting on this motion tonight. That is relevant and I will get to that in a moment.Of course the motion itself, as anyone who has taken time to participate in or to listen to the debate today undoubtedly knows, is so over the top, so inflammatory, it was done for a purpose. It was done to try and score some cheap political points. That is okay. All political parties do that from time to time.What we see as well is that we are actually having a vote on the motion tonight. Why that is relevant is that normally, the Bloc Québécois does not want to have votes on Thursday evenings. If it has an opposition day motion on a Thursday, It normally defers the vote to the following week. The reason it is having the vote tonight is that next week is a constituency week and perhaps, if one believes the rumours, the last week before an impending election. The Bloc is using the vote tonight, where the coalition parties I am sure will vote in favour of the motion, so that the Bloc members can go back to their ridings in Quebec and say that Parliament condemned the government for the Bloc's conduct. The Bloc members can use this for politically partisan reasons. However, all they will be doing is using this motion to try and enhance their own political well-being, and that is okay. Other parties do that. I am not begrudging them the fact that they want to do this.However, I have a few suggestions for my colleagues from the Bloc. If in fact next week they will be out campaigning and getting ready for what they believe might be an election to be called perhaps as early as the following week, I have a few suggestions of some of the things they may want to discuss with their constituents. Their constituents may want to hear what plans the Bloc has to form a coalition government if the opportunity were to arise. We know that at its recent convention in Quebec there was a resolution passed where Bloc members said that they would entertain and actually involve themselves in a coalition government if the opportunity were to arise. It would be incumbent upon themselves to spell out the details of what that exactly means.We do have a bit of history on this. As we all know, shortly after the results were known of the 2008 election, the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois entered into a formal coalition agreement. We all saw the pictures on television where the three party leaders at that time got together, signed a little document, shook hands, stood before Canadians and said, “We are prepared to form a coalition government”. The former leader of the Liberal Party said, “I am prepared to lead this new coalition government”. We all know what happened shortly thereafter. Canadians were so outraged at the very thought that a coalition government could try and rush the power away from a duly elected government that the coalition quickly fell apart. However, since the Bloc Québécois is now talking about entering into a new coalition government should the opportunity arise, I would like those members to explain to the House, as well as their own constituents, what the relationships would be.Let us go back to 2008. We know what the Bloc said at the time. It said it did not want to have any members in cabinet, but it would have the right to veto.Let us talk about this for a minute. What exactly does that mean? What does a right to veto mean? Does that mean if the Bloc Québécois did not see anything in the new coalition government legislation that benefited it personally, the Bloc could veto that and the legislation would be no more? How can a government be run like that?Here is what I find confusing. The raison d'être of the Bloc Québécois apparently is to separate from Canada. On one hand it came into this Parliament over 20 years ago saying that its raison d'être was to separate, to promote the cause of separation in Quebec. On the other hand, it is now saying that it is willing to enter into a coalition government to govern Canada.(1630) Perhaps someone from the Bloc Québécois side can explain to me how it could be promoting separation, yet, at the same time, promoting coalition governments to govern the country it wishes to separate from. It makes absolutely no sense to me. I would very much like to hear—AccountabilityCoalition governmentFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerProvince of QuebecSovereigntyStandards in public lifeVeto rightsAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1635)[English]The Chair has reminded members in the past and earlier today that, while their remarks may stray somewhat from to time, the bulk of their remarks should address the motion that is before the House.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1635)[English]Mr. Speaker, again, as I pointed out earlier, the reason I am speaking about this is this is exactly the motivation behind the motion. This is not anything more than a very superficial attempt to try to embarrass the government for its own political purposes. That is why the motion was brought forward.If that is not germane to the motion, I do not know what is. How can we not argue that the motivation is critical when debating the motion before us?An hon. member: Because it is fictional.AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1635)[English]It certainly is, Mr. Speaker, and I will continue my remarks in that vein. I know the member from the NDP does not want me to remind Canadians about the ill-thought out, ill-conceived coalition agreement that took place after the 2008 election. I know the member does not want me to remind Canadians that the NDP will probably be a willing partner in a new coalition agreement should the opportunity arise. However, the reality is that is what the Bloc has stated it would be prepared to do.We have not quite heard the views from the other opposition parties on the matter, but I have not heard anyone say that they are against it either.However, on the point where the Bloc Québécois is coming from, while, on one hand, it condemns the government, on the other hand, it says that it wants to enter into an agreement with other coalition partners to perhaps govern the country in which it loses an election.AccountabilityCoalition governmentFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1635)[English]The hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine is making a good point. The member has been speaking for almost nine minutes. It is time for his remarks to come more to the substance of the motion and not to stray into hypothetical situations. I find it is irrelevant to the motion before the House. If he could address the remainder of his remarks to the substance of the motion, I think the House would appreciate it.AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPoints of orderPolitical behaviourPolitical powerRelevancyRules of debateStandards in public lifeMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1635)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will use the remaining time, short as it may be, to address one of the elements of the motion before us, and that is, the so-called in and out scheme.As we all know, anyone who has studied this process of transferring money between national and local campaigns recognizes very quickly that the first party in Parliament to use the technique was the Bloc Québécois. Its members are the fathers and the mothers of the in and out. I find it passing strange to say the least that the Bloc would now complain that our government should be condemned or should be somehow censored for doing the very techniques it used in the 2004 and 2006 elections. Everyone knows we have a dispute with Elections Canada. However, we have heard time and time again, over the past few days in question period, examples of how all political parties, including the Bloc Québécois, have used the same in and out money transfer between national and local campaigns.It is more than passing strange. It almost hypocritical that the Bloc would condemn the government for using a technique which it invented.AccountabilityBloc QuébécoisConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical partiesPolitical powerStandards in public lifeAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1640)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am glad we had comments and a question from my colleagues over in the Liberal area. When we are talking about scandals, I do not think we can talk very long without going back to the mother of all scandals, which is of course the sponsorship scandal. It was proven, not alleged, that members of the Liberal Party pocketed taxpayer dollars, put them into Liberal bank accounts, stealing money from the Canadian taxpayer through the sponsorship program. That is not an allegation. That is rock solid proof.If the member truly wants to enhance and elevate the level of debate on today's motion, he should merely stand, or at least one of his colleagues who has more knowledge of the sponsorship scandal, and tell Canadians where the forty million bucks are.AccountabilityConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerSponsorship ProgramStandards in public lifeScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—WindsorDonDaviesVancouver Kingsway//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1640)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is a question we keep asking Elections Canada. We would like to know that as well. In 2004 every party engaged in identical transactions between national and local campaigns, every party and everyone was in compliance with the electoral law in 2004.In 2006 similar practices occurred, but it was not until following the conclusion of the 2006 election that Elections Canada said that it had examined the law regarding the transfers between national and local campaigns, that it had reinterpreted the law and that it had determined that perhaps the Conservative Party might be in violation.Had Elections Canada informed all parties of its new interpretation of the law, prior to the 2006 election, perhaps we would not be in the situation today. We have said fully that we readjusted our practice before the 2008 election to comply with the new interpretation of Elections Canada because we finally got some guidance as to its expectations. Unfortunately, it did not do that before the 2006 election.AccountabilityConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeDonDaviesVancouver KingswayAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1640)[Translation] It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, Taxation; the member for Gatineau, Democratic Reform.TomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1655)[English]Order, please. I do not know how the member for Laval heard the question with all that chatter going back and forth but I will give her a chance to respond. The hon. member for Laval.AccountabilityDecisions of the SpeakerFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsOrder and decorumPolitical behaviourPolitical powerStandards in public lifeCharlieAngusTimmins—James BayNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1705)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to my hon. colleague's speech and I did not hear him refer to the comments made by Mr. Robin Sears. His remarks were mentioned several times here today, in fact I mentioned them myself earlier today.I would like to inform the member, because he may not have been here when I was speaking earlier, that I actually had a personal conversation with Mr. Robin Sears. Mr. Robin Sears is a former national campaign director of the New Democratic Party. He told me that the New Democratic Party did exactly this. It was not just transferring funds from the local level to the national level and back and forth. It was actually transferring funds from the national level to the local level for the purposes of advertising during election campaigns.I am prepared to swear an affidavit about the comments and the discussions I had with Mr. Sears. I will say clearly what he told me, which is that the New Democratic Party has for many years done exactly what was done in the case we are talking about today.I wonder if that member would like to comment on those comments.AccountabilityConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingNew Democratic PartyOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical partiesPolitical powerStandards in public lifeThomasMulcairHon.OutremontThomasMulcairHon.Outremont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition motion—Conduct of the Government]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1710)[English]Order, please. It being 5:15 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply. The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: No. The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea. Some hon. members: Yea. The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay. Some hon. members: Nay. The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the yeas have it. And five or more members having risen:The Deputy Speaker: Call in the members. AccountabilityFederal governmentGovernment accountabilityOpposition motionsPolitical behaviourPolitical powerPutting the questionStandards in public lifeCharlieAngusTimmins—James BayPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCompetition ActInterventionMr. Mike Wallace (Burlington, CPC): (1815)[English]Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to rise this evening to participate in the third reading debate of Bill C-452.This private member's bill seeks to amend the Competition Act to provide Canada's Commissioner of the Competition Bureau with the power to launch a broad-based inquiry into an industry sector in Canada.I will give a brief history of this bill in Parliament. Bill C-452 was added to the order of precedence last spring and referred to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, of which I am a member, just prior to the summer recess of Parliament. The industry committee took up its consideration of Bill C-452 in two sessions this past December prior to the Christmas break. With the support of all three opposition parties, the committee members agreed to report the bill back to the House of Commons without amendment. This is where we stand today.The government has raised several concerns with Bill C-452 over the last number of months and I will highlight a number of them. First, it is not evident that the new powers proposed in the bill are required or helpful given the authority that the competition commissioner already has under the existing legislation. The 2009 amendments to the Competition Act provided the commissioner with significantly stronger tools to take action against cartel activities, which are a source of concern underlying this bill.Second, there is a risk that authorizing this use of formal investigation powers to conduct open-ended inquiries into industry sectors could pose significant compliance and reputation costs on the businesses that they affect. This would also impose significant financial and human resource costs on the Competition Bureau. This would require the commissioner to reallocate resources away from her current enforcement priorities, including cartel investigations and other anti-competitive conduct that negatively impacts the day-to-day lives of Canadians.Third, during the committee hearings it became evident that a misconception regarding the commissioner's ability to initiate an investigation into wrongdoing or, specifically, an incorrect concern that she does not have this power, may be a driving force behind the bill. While appearing at the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology in December, the representative from the Competition Bureau clarified that the competition commissioner does not require the powers in this bill to discharge any of her enforcement responsibilities. The commissioner already has clear authority under the act to initiate her own investigation into the actions of businesses and individuals whenever there is evidence that the enforcement provisions have been, or are about to be violated.More important to our debate today, she does not have to wait for the filing of a complaint by the public or for instructions from the minister. In fact, the committee was told that at the time of the hearings, approximately 30% of the ongoing formal investigations under the act were initiated by the commissioner without having received a complaint regarding that matter. Clearly the commissioner is able to exercise her discretion to act whenever the circumstances warrant.In our debate on the merits of the bill today, we believe it is important that we also reflect on the advice that the Canadian Bar Association provided to the committee in December. During their testimony, representatives of the Canadian Bar Association examined the types of outcomes resulting from such broad-based industry inquiries. Their overall conclusion was that they could not foresee any circumstance where there would be any overreaching benefit to society resulting from this bill. The Canadian Bar Association explored three possible outcomes.First, at the end of such an inquiry the commissioner concludes that the sector in question is sufficiently competitive. In that situation, the bureau would likely be widely criticized, both for significant financial costs and for disruptions it imposed on the daily business operations of Canadian businesses, only to confirm that the market in question was indeed competitive.(1820)Second, the sector is not sufficiently competitive. However, this could be owing to such aspects as the structure of the market and is in no way related to the conduct that offends the specific enforcement provisions of the Competition Act.As we are aware, the commissioner does not gain any new authority through the bill that would allow her to impose structural changes on the market. As a result, in these circumstances there would be a finding that the market is not competitive, but there would not be any avenues available to the commissioner to address the problem. Such an outcome would only result in widespread frustration to the entire process.A third outcome that the Bar Association highlighted is that the commissioner could determine that the industry is not sufficiently competitive and that it is indeed the result of activities that violate specific provisions of the Competition Act.The bar cautioned committee members that the bureau's ability to pursue a subsequent case using its enforcement powers may be potentially undermined on account of the legal due process concerns arising from the manner in which the evidence was collected.In particular, the bar was of the view that serious legal challenges could arise regarding the rights against self-incrimination, where information is compelled from a person for the purpose of a market-wide inquiry and then later used in enforcement proceedings against that person.Even in this case, where anti-competitive behaviour has been identified, the commissioner's ability to challenge the behaviour may be hindered because of the legal constraints that could arise from this bill.The bar also took the opportunity to remind committee members of the fundamental objective that the Competition Act is designed to address, which is to protect the competitive process and not the day-to-day operations of specific markets. This is done through targeted enforcement action against specific anti-competitive conduct. The act is not intended to regulate the operations of a market. In conclusion, I want to remind the House that it has only been 24 months since Parliament passed the most significant amendments to the Competition Act in 20 years.During the industry committee's review of Bill C-452, both the Canadian Bar Association and representatives from the bureau emphasized the value and clarity provided by these new laws, which make it clear and unequivocal that it is illegal to agree with one's competitor on price, market allocation or output levels.In effect, this government provided the competition commissioner with access through the amended legislation to new and powerful provisions that clearly strike at the heart of the concerns that underlie this legislative initiative.It is important that we allow more time before we move to consider further changes to such an important piece of the framework of legislation. Only in that way will we be able to judge the full effect of the new provisions that this government has introduced to the Competition Act.C-452, An Act to amend the Competition Act (inquiry into industry sector)CompetitionCompetition ActCompetition Bureau CanadaConsumer priceInquiries and public inquiriesLegal proceduresOil and gasPrice determinationPrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionRobertVincentSheffordKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCompetition ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[English]Order, please. I understand the hon. member for Churchill is rising on a question of privilege.KevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthNikiAshtonChurchill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessPrivilege [Sit-in at Hill Office of Indian Affairs Minister]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1840)[English]I thank the hon. member for that statement. I am sure the Speaker will come back to the House with a decision on this matter in due course.Aboriginal peoplesAshton, NikiCommunity relocationDecisions of the SpeakerParliamentary privilegeProtestsReferences to membersSayisi Dene First NationSecurityNikiAshtonChurchillGlennThibeaultSudbury//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCompetition ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1855)[Translation]The time provided for the consideration of private members' business has now expired, and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper. C-452, An Act to amend the Competition Act (inquiry into industry sector)CompetitionCompetition Bureau CanadaConsumer priceDropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order PaperInquiries and public inquiriesPrice determinationPrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionFranceBonsantCompton—StansteadCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsTaxationInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1905)[English]Order, please. The hon. member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing.Adjournment ProceedingsCanada Revenue AgencyTax evasionTax havensCathyMcLeodKamloops—Thompson—CaribooCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsTaxationInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1905)[English]Order. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue.Adjournment ProceedingsCanada Revenue AgencyTax evasionTax havensCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—KapuskasingCathyMcLeodKamloops—Thompson—Cariboo//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsDemocratic ReformInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1910)[English]Mr. Speaker, I always find it somewhat strange whenever I hear a member of the Bloc Québécois stand and criticize a parliamentary institution like the Senate because as we know, the Bloc does not believe in the Senate. In fact, the Bloc does not believe in Parliament. In fact, the Bloc does not believe in Canada, at least the Canada as I know it, a Canada that includes Quebec, because the Bloc, as we all know, wants Quebec to separate from Canada.So, on one hand, to complain about a parliamentary institution while in the same breath arguing against Parliament seems to be, at best, a slight bit hypocritical.However, I would suggest that if he does truly have a concern about the Senate and perhaps, as he thinks, the Senate's abuse of power, he should join with us and our government in our attempts to reform the Senate. We believe that the Senate, as we know it now, the status quo, is not an option. We believe there needs to be some democratic reform initiatives brought into the Senate. Specifically, we have a couple of initiatives before us, one emanating out of the Senate, called the senatorial selection act, which is an attempt to allow Canadians to voice their opinion on who they would like to see represent them in the Senate. The second, of course, is Senate term limits, an act that we have here in Parliament which would restrict the length of time that senators could spend in the Senate. Our term limit is suggested as eight years, as opposed to the current 45 year maximum.Those two reform initiatives alone would go a long way toward ensuring that the Senate of Canada is a better place, a more functioning place, and represents Canadians better.I encourage the member opposite to join us with those initiatives.Adjournment ProceedingsDemocratic reformPolitical powerSenate and senatorsRichardNadeauGatineauRichardNadeauGatineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsDemocratic ReformInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1915)[English]Mr. Speaker, once again, I merely suggest to my hon. colleague across the floor, a member of the Bloc Québécois, if he truly wants to reform the Senate, if he truly wants to see improvements in the Senate, he should join with our government in our efforts to make meaningful reforms.I know this is not something that the Bloc Québécois usually concerns itself with, but it is something I am suggesting it should be involved with because all members of Parliament, whether they believe in a united Canada or a divided Canada, as the Bloc does, should join with all parliamentarians to try to make this institution better.Adjournment ProceedingsDemocratic reformPolitical powerSenate and senatorsRichardNadeauGatineauAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsDemocratic ReformInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1915)[English]The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 7:18 p.m.)Adjournment ProceedingsTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25522LarryMillerLarry-MillerBruce—Grey—Owen SoundConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/MillerLarry_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersOwen SoundInterventionMr. Larry Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight an important infrastructure project in my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound.Stimulus money is helping to erect a regional recreation centre that will serve the city of Owen Sound and surrounding communities. This state of the art facility will house two NHL-sized ice pads, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a running-walking track, a gymnasium, fitness centre and seniors facilities.The Owen Sound and Area Family YMCA will now have a new facility to call home. I applaud the work that it does to promote healthy lifestyles in our community.This fall I, along with the YMCA and the OHL west division leading Owen Sound Attack, will host the Conservative hockey team in a benefit hockey challenge to raise funds to help complete this terrific facility.The new Owen Sound Regional Recreation Centre is a great example of how the stimulus package in our economic action plan is working to help communities like Owen Sound build important infrastructure that will be enjoyed and used for generations to come.Bruce—Grey—Owen SoundInfrastructure Stimulus FundSport and recreation facilitiesStatements by MembersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsIrwinCotlerHon.Mount Royal//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersWarkworth Maple Syrup FestivalInterventionMr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland—Quinte West, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I inform the House that this weekend, my home community of Warkworth, Ontario will be celebrating the 25th annual Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival.We would not have this festival without George and Alice Potter, the owners of Sandy Flat Sugar Bush and producers of some of the world's finest maple sugar products this side of heaven.There is so much to do and see. There is free parking and free transportation to the sugar bush. There is even an indoor mini-putt, antique show, plank races, nature walks, a petting zoo, log sawing contest, free taffy tasting and much more. The village also offers speciality shopping, an experience people will be hard pressed to find anywhere else, and some of the finest art, artisans and crafts in this country will be on display this weekend.The pièce de résistance is, of course, a mouth-watering pancake meal of locally produced pork sausage, topped off with fresh creamy butter and the Potter's award-winning maple syrup.Members are all invited to attend the 25th anniversary of the Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival this weekend.Statements by MembersWarkworth Maple Syrup FestivalGlennThibeaultSudburyGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersNutrition North CanadaInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Kenora, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, this morning in Iqaluit the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Minister of Health announced important adjustments to the nutrition north Canada program.This government has listened to northerners, and we have taken action to ensure the successful transition to the nutrition north Canada program.In order to ensure that northerners continue to have access to fresh, healthy and affordable foods, all food, as well as certain non-food items, will be temporarily returned to the list of products eligible for retail subsidy effective April 1. These adjustments to the nutrition north Canada program will be in place until the fall of 2012. During this transition period, our government will continue to work with the Nutrition North Canada External Advisory Board to address the concerns of northerners.Our government is also continuing to explore ways to work with retailers and suppliers in transitioning to the new program. We look forward to the support and continued input of northerners.Food and drinkGovernment assistanceNutrition North Canada programStatements by MembersKenDrydenHon.York CentreMeganLeslieHalifax//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersLiberal Party of CanadaInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, a February 2011 edition of Charlottetown's The Guardian featured an advertisement for the Liberal Party nomination meeting. The Liberals should listen as this pertains to them.The ad happily notes that Liberal Party memberships are available for sale at the taxpayer-funded constituency office of the member of Parliament for Charlottetown. That is not all. It was quite a surprise, given that the member told this weekend's The Guardian:Parliamentary materials are never allowed to be used for political gain, especially to drum up donations for political parties.It sounds a bit like hypocrisy to me.We know the Liberal Party has been infested with a culture of deceit for years. We know how Liberal Party operatives used taxpayer money in the sponsorship scandal.We, on this side of the House, think that is not right. That is why I have asked the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Mary Dawson, and you, Mr. Speaker, to investigate this serious breach of parliamentary rules and get back to us about what is going to happen with this breach by the Liberal Party.CharlottetownConflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerConstituency officesFundraising and fundraisersLiberal Party of CanadaPartisanshipStatements by MembersRodgerCuznerCape Breton—CansoMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member will have occasion to stand and explain why on March 31, 2006, months after the election was over, the national NDP transferred $2,612 to her riding association. On March 31, 2006, the exact same day, her riding association transferred back $2,600 for the national NDP. That was $2,600 in and $2,600 out. I invite her now to explain that transaction.Canada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesElection of 2006In and out financingNew Democratic PartyOral questionsLibbyDaviesVancouver EastLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member will not explain her in and out transaction, maybe this email will. It comes from Lucy Ladouceur, who is the bookkeeper for the New Democratic Party of Canada. She said: “—we are told by the communication folks in B.C. that these radio ads, with the candidate's personal tag at the end, therefore a local expense to be reported under the candidate's expense ceiling...For rebate purposes, we were asked to bill each campaign—in the case of Vancouver East, $2,612.”“The good news is that the federal [MP]...will transfer $2,600 to the federal riding association, as we agreed to pay for the ads.”That is exactly what happened: $2,600 in and $2,600 out.Canada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesElection of 2006In and out financingNew Democratic PartyOral questionsStandards in public lifeLibbyDaviesVancouver EastOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right to point out that Elections Canada did give rebates to Conservatives in transactions that we believed, and have argued successfully, were completely in line with the rules of ethics and the laws. We would only ask that Elections Canada be consistent.Indeed, I think the hon. member will rise and explain why on July 9, 2004, the national Liberal Party transferred $5,000 in to the Don Valley West Liberal Association and then on July 15, one week later, that association transferred exactly $5,000 back. She should explain.Allegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsReimbursementJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George'sJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, on July 21, 2004, the Liberal Party of Canada transferred exactly $5,000 to the Liberal riding association of Oak Ridges—Markham. On August 16, 2004, not even a month later, that same riding association transferred back $5,000 to the national Liberal Party.In all of these instances, where Liberal, New Democrat and Bloc Québécois members engaged in the in and out transfers, Elections Canada provided rebates and legitimized them. We are asking only that it do the exact same thing for Conservative members.Allegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsPolitical partiesReimbursementJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George'sDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right that Elections Canada correctly honoured the rebates of the candidates in question and, in so doing, only legitimized the approach that we and all parties had undertaken in the past. I give yet another example. Speaking of Simcoe—Grey, on July 19, 2004, the national Liberal Party transferred $5,000 in. One week later that riding association transferred $4,500 back to the Liberal Party. That was another in and out transfer that Elections Canada accepted as a local expense. We ask only that it apply the same rules to all parties.Allegations of fraud and fraudCabinet ministersConservative Party of CanadaCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsPolitical partiesResignation of MinisterDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader was very brave and made all kinds of accusations against someone who has never been charged with anything. However, when he stepped outside this place and was asked to repeat exactly what he said in here, he lacked the courage of his convictions. He did not have the guts. He scurried out of the press scrum faster than he could. Let him show the courage of his convictions, let him stand outside this place and repeat that outrageous accusation.Allegations of fraud and fraudChief of staffConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesElection of 2006In and out financingOffice of the Prime MinisterOral questionsPolitical partiesWright, NigelDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourPauleBrunelleTrois-Rivières//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1440)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his question. I can only tell him to be patient and wait until the budget is brought down on March 22.Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric SciencesClimate change and global warmingGovernment assistanceOral questionsPolar Environment Atmospheric Research LaboratoryScientific research and scientistsBernardBigrasRosemont—La Petite-PatrieBernardBigrasRosemont—La Petite-Patrie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1440)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the program funded by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat to send weather radio receivers to schools and guide and scout camps, was created following the devastating tornadoes that hit southern Ontario in 2008.[English]The weather radio receiver allows school authorities to be instantly alerted when severe weather threatens. Weather radio is the only system like this in Canada. Why does the Bloc take issue with school children having—Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric SciencesClimate and weatherClimate change and global warmingGovernment assistanceOral questionsPolar Environment Atmospheric Research LaboratorySchoolsScientific research and scientistsWeather warningsWeatheradio receiversBernardBigrasRosemont—La Petite-PatriePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodJusticeInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that in the last two weeks we have passed three bills. We will get rid of the faint hope clause ensuring that those who decide to commit murder will serve at least 25 years in prison. In addition, we are ending the sentencing discount for multiple murders. Finally, we have passed our important bill to better protect children from online sexual exploitation.There are a lot more bills before Parliament. I call on the coalition to get its act together and start supporting victims and law-abiding Canadians.Attorney General of CanadaCriminal justice systemLegislationOral questionsSafetyScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit ValleyGlennThibeaultSudbury//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodSecuritiesInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I had discussions with the Quebec and Ontario finance ministers. I told them it was important to have information and input from Ontario and Quebec before any decision is made at the federal level. They said that that was possible.Autorité des marchés financiersForeign investments in CanadaLondon Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange Group plcMergers and acquisitionsOntarioOral questionsProvince of QuebecTMX Group LimitedToronto Stock ExchangeDanielPailléHochelagaDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPovertyInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, we believe that the best way to fight poverty is to create jobs, to create a strong economy, and to give people the skills to compete and succeed in our economy.Throughout the recession, we have been doing just that. We put 1.2 million people into skills training. We enhanced the supports while they lost their jobs, while focusing on creating new jobs through investments in infrastructure and expanding access to jobs.We are there. We have been supporting them, fighting poverty every step of the way. Unfortunately, the NDP has voted against every single thing we have done to help the vulnerable.Adult education and trainingJob creationNational anti-poverty strategyOral questionsPovertySkills Development ProgramTonyMartinSault Ste. MarieTonyMartinSault Ste. Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPovertyInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, we really do believe that the best way to fight poverty is to help people get a job and get the skills they need for their job, and to create those jobs. Through our economic action plan, we have created over 460,000 jobs across this country. Not only that, but many of these are really good-paying jobs. We have helped 1.2 million Canadians get the training and the skills they need for the jobs of today and the jobs of tomorrow.We are investing in Canadians because we believe in them. We are working to prevent poverty. Unfortunately, the NDP is trying to mire people in it.Adult education and trainingJob creationNational anti-poverty strategyOral questionsPovertySkills Development ProgramTonyMartinSault Ste. MarieDaveVan KesterenChatham-Kent—Essex//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31765DaveVan KesterenDave-VanKesterenChatham-Kent—EssexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/VanKesterenDave_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEconomic DevelopmentInterventionMr. Dave Van Kesteren (Chatham-Kent—Essex, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, as our economy continues to recover from the economic downturn, many emerging companies in southern Ontario, including start-up businesses in my riding, are faced with funding challenges. Our government knows the importance and the impact of angel and venture capital investments on the development of Canadian businesses.Would the Minister of State for FedDev please inform the House about the steps that our government has taken to increase private sector investment in start-up businesses.Canadian companiesEconomic developmentFederal Economic Development Agency for Southern OntarioOral questionsSouthern OntarioVenture capitalDianeFinleyHon.Haldimand—NorfolkGaryGoodyearHon.Cambridge//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25504GaryGoodyearHon.Gary-GoodyearCambridgeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GoodyearGary_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEconomic DevelopmentInterventionHon. Gary Goodyear (Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Chatham-Kent—Essex for his hard work. The government set up FedDev to ensure that job creators in southern Ontario have the tools they need to create jobs and succeed. Under our government, I am proud to say that venture capital in Ontario has increased by 43% from 2009 to 2010. It is through new programs like investing in business innovation that we look forward to more success for Ontario entrepreneurs and even more jobs for Canadians.Canadian companiesEconomic developmentFederal Economic Development Agency for Southern OntarioOral questionsSouthern OntarioVenture capitalDaveVan KesterenChatham-Kent—EssexDanMcTeagueHon.Pickering—Scarborough East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/55139RobClarkeRob-ClarkeDesnethé—Missinippi—Churchill RiverConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/ClarkeRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAboriginal AffairsInterventionMr. Rob Clarke (Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, first nations chiefs and councils still do not have to publicly disclose to their band members how much money they make. On-reserve residents, regular Canadians, and our Conservative government say that is wrong. There needs to be more transparency and accountability. Surprisingly, the national chief is still dismissing private member's Bill C-575.Could the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tell us why the first nations financial transparency act is so vital?AccountabilityBand councilsC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesFirst NationsIncome and wagesOral questionsJean-PierreBlackburnHon.Jonquière—AlmaGregRickfordKenora//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAboriginal AffairsInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question and the hard work of the member in the standing committee.Bill C-575 is another important tool for hard-working chiefs and councillors to bring more accountability and transparency to their members. This legislation would give all MPs the opportunity to support accountability in first nations communities. I want to thank Liberal members, including the former leader of the opposition, who did just that last week. We call on the Liberals who took a principled stand against their leader's orders to continue to support Bill C-575 to enhance accountability for first nations communities, their members and all Canadians.AccountabilityBand councilsC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesFirst NationsIncome and wagesOral questionsRobClarkeDesnethé—Missinippi—Churchill RiverPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to the $5,000 transfer from the Liberal Party of Canada on July 9, 2004, from the national party to the local riding association of Don Valley West. The same $5,000 was transferred back on July 15, 2004, just one week later. The hon. member commented on the unimpeachable integrity of Mr. John Godfrey, who was then a member of Parliament. I am not rising to contest that integrity. In fact, I think that transaction was perfectly allowable under the elections laws, as were all of the transactions that were made by the Conservative Party, which were of an identical nature. I would also note that Elections Canada, and this is the key, allowed that transaction to be considered a local expense, not to count against the national spending limit of the Liberal Party.Likewise, transactions of an identical nature from the Conservative Party and its local riding associations should be considered local expenses and not considered against--Election expensesElection of 2004Godfrey, JohnIn and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsPoints of orderReferences to membersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of SupplyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have three motions and I believe you would find unanimous consent for all three. First, I move:MotionThat for the supply period ending March 26, Standing Order 81(5) be amended by replacing the words “three sitting days” with “one sitting day”, provided that supplementary estimates be reported, or shall be deemed to have been reported, not later than 1 p.m. on the said sitting day; that 24 hours' written notice shall be given of a notice to restore or reinstate any item in the supplementary estimates.Committee reportsLeave to propose a motionMotionsSupplementary estimates (C) 2010-2011PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodFreezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes ActInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I move:MotionThat, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members, be deemed concurred in at report stage and allowed to be called for the third reading stage later today; that, during the debate at the said stage, not more than one member from each recognized party may speak for not more than 10 minutes, after which the bill shall be deemed read a third time and passed.Adoption at all stagesC-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersGovernment billsHead of State (external)MotionsSeizure of assetsSpeechesTime limits on speechesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I move:MotionThat, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, in relation to Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension Act, the report stage motions in the name of the Minister of Veterans Affairs be deemed adopted and the bill deemed concurred in at report stage; that the bill be allowed to be called for the third reading stage later today; and that, during the debate at the said stage, not more than one member from each recognized party may speak for not more than 10 minutes, after which the bill shall be deemed read a third time and passed.Adoption at all stagesC-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActDisabled veteransGovernment billsMotionsNew Veterans CharterSpeechesTime limits on speechesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I would be honoured to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 16 petitions.Government response to petitionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsBlaineCalkinsWetaskiwin//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59148RandyHobackRandy-HobackPrince AlbertConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/HobackRandy_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterparliamentary DelegationsInterventionMr. Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, three reports of the Canadian section of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas, FIPA, respecting participation at: the regional trade and knowledge workshop for parliamentarians of the Americas in Mexico City, Mexico, May 20-22, 2010; the 22nd FIPA executive committee meetings in Asuncion, Paraguay, June 5, 2010; and the meeting of the Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas in Quito, Ecuador, August 11-12, 2010.8565-403-74-04 Report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) concerning its participation at the Regional Trade Knowledge Workshop for Parliamentarians of the Americas Congress of the United Mexican States, held in Mexico City, Mexico, from May 20 to 22, 20108565-403-74-05 Report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) concerning its participation at the 22nd Executive Committee Meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas, held in Asuncion, Paraguay, on June 5, 20108565-403-74-06 Report of the Canadian delegation of the Interparliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) concerning its participation at the Meeting of the Group of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas, National Assembly of Ecuador, held in Quito, Ecuador, on August 11 and 12, 2010Canadian Section of ParlAmericasBlaineCalkinsWetaskiwinJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterparliamentary DelegationsInterventionHon. John Baird: (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, my friend from Ottawa South was unsure what I said in the second motion I presented.It was Bill C-61, an act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures. I just wanted to clarify that for him.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersGovernment billsMembers' remarksPoints of orderSeizure of assetsRandyHobackPrince AlbertJamesBezanSelkirk—Interlake//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1535)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.The Speaker: Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsMotions for PapersInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1535)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.TomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1605)[English]Mr. Speaker, I simply want to suggest that the government believed that the information we provided would satisfy the members opposite in their desire to find information as to the cost of our crime bills, our law and order bills.However, one thing needs to be discussed here and I hope it is something that would be acceptable to all members. We need to respect, in all cases, cabinet confidence. I know the member for Kings—Hants has argued that a previous government, the previous Liberal government, had released cabinet confidence when requested by the House.However, Mr. Speaker, I think you would find, historically, that is not the case. There needs to be respect for cabinet and respect for the information discussed in cabinet. That is fundamental to our democracy. While I can appreciate the member wanting information that would satisfy he and his committee members in trying to determine absolute costs, the member also needs to respect cabinet confidence.We respect the decision by the Chair, obviously, and we are not challenging that. However, does my hon. colleague believe that cabinet confidence is fundamental to the democracy of Canadian government?8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemFinancial forecastMotionsPrima facie breach of privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1605)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear my colleague from Kings—Hants agree with me that there is such a concept as cabinet confidence.However, I think it is important to realize, again, as I pointed out in my earlier intervention to his original point of privilege, that cabinet confidence has to be respected in Parliament. What the member is talking about now, though, is information that he needs and his colleagues need in committee to determine whether legislation brought forward by this government is actually not only affordable to the Canadian public but necessary.I would point out that prior to the decision today, the government provided that information to the opposition. In other words, as I pointed out in my intervention, we provided the information contained within the documents but not the documents themselves.My question for the member opposition was not whether or not information was or was not provided. It has been clear that information has been provided. My question was whether documents that are considered to be cabinet confidence should have the ability to be protected by confidence, not turned over at the sheer desire of an opposition that may be doing it for strictly partisan purposes.The question I asked dealt with information versus documents and I did not hear a distinct answer to that question.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemFinancial forecastMotionsPrima facie breach of privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1268GarryBreitkreuzGarry-BreitkreuzYorkton—MelvilleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BreitkreuzGarryW_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC): (1610)[English]Mr. Speaker, I find the position of the member opposite quite disingenuous. I have been in this House for quite some time and I have had a lot of experience with the Liberal government and what it did. The member is very familiar with Bill C-68. I put in over 500 access to information requests and many of those were on the cost of that legislation. I have file cabinets full of documents where cabinet confidence was cited as the reason the Liberals would not let me know what the costs were. I started piecing these all together and I realized that the cost was over $1 billion. The government constantly denied that but used cabinet confidence as the excuse not to reveal the costs to me. Later on, the Auditor General confirmed that I was correct when I cited the fact that the cost was over $1 billion.That member is being very disingenuous when he says that his government did not use cabinet confidence in hiding costs.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemFinancial forecastMotionsPrima facie breach of privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1615)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. We want to thank the Chair and the Speaker for his ruling today. Rather than taking up valuable time in the House on this matter, I look forward to the committee considering this motion and reporting back to the House at its earliest opportunity.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemFinancial forecastMotionsPrima facie breach of privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1625)[English] Is the House ready for the question? Some hon. members: Question. The Speaker: The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. (Motion agreed to)8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesContempt of ParliamentCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemDecisions of the HouseFinancial forecastMotionsPrima facie breach of privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsTough on crime strategiesThomasMulcairHon.OutremontJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1635)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me join my hon. colleague from Scarborough—Guildwood in thanking the Speaker for his ruling today.I will take up some of this place's time to comment on the situation that we have before us, certainly with no intent to challenge the ruling of the Speaker but merely to add to the commentary of the Speaker when referring to the wish that committees clear the air on this issue.I think that is a very telling point, because it appeared to me when I was listening very carefully to the Speaker's ruling that there was no admonishment directed toward the minister in question. It was merely an attempt to try to clear up the confusion that may be in the minds of some of the members opposite.Therefore, I think it is very important to go back over the circumstances that brought us to this point today. I do think there is some confusion in the minds not only of the members of this place but perhaps also in the minds of many of the Canadian public as to what exactly happened. If I may, I want to take just a few moments to try to set the record straight.All of this seemed to be precipitated by the appearance of the Minister of International Cooperation in December of last year at committee, at which time the members opposite had the opportunity to ask the minister one simple question about the insertion of the word “not” in an internal document that was communicated between CIDA officials and the minister. The question was whether the “not” was inserted by members of CIDA or by the minister. As I pointed out in my intervention in response to the member's point of privilege a few weeks ago, the minister answered very truthfully, very accurately and very precisely when asked the question: did she know who had inserted the word “not” into that internal document. The Minister of International Cooperation said “no.”I know that may confuse members opposite, but to me it seems to be a fairly simple, precise and accurate answer to a very simple question. That was an honest response to the question. I know that the member for Toronto Centre seems to find this funny in seeming to laugh at this. I would remind the member that this is a place where we are supposed to have a meaningful debate. Apparently his time in the provincial legislature of Ontario has clouded his memory as to what meaningful debate truly is.Mr. Speaker, perhaps you could even inform the member for Toronto Centre that he might have an opportunity to speak in this place. Perhaps he might even say something on which we could actually engage in meaningful debate. Until that time, perhaps he should sit in his place and listen to my words.Now, we have both the member for Kings—Hants and the member for Toronto Centre.Hon. Scott Brison (Kings—Hants, Lib.): I am one of the B-team guys.Mr. Tom Lukiwski: Okay, and that is showing the member's character more than mine, I would point out. Let me go back to what I was attempting to say before I was interrupted, which was simply that the minister responsible answered accurately and honestly when she said she did not know who had inserted the word “not”, because at the time, she did not. She explained that it was an internal document. She explained that she had instructed her staff to tell CIDA officials that she was not in favour of funding KAIROS.One of her staff members, of her own volition, inserted the word “not” and sent it back with the electronic signature of the minister to convey to the officials at CIDA that the minister was not in favour of funding KAIROS.At committee, officials from CIDA, including the president of CIDA, testified to the committee that they found that to have been appropriate. There were no surprises. In fact, it communicated accurately the minister's wishes not to fund KAIROS.Quite frankly, who put the word “not” in the internal document is irrelevant, because what the minister was attempting to do, and did do, was to convey to her own officials that she, as minister, did not wish to fund KAIROS. That message was conveyed and accepted by the officials of CIDA, as they testified in committee. They were totally aware, by the insertion of the word “not”, that it was the minister's decision. (1640)The CIDA officials also testified that they did not feel there was anything untoward by her putting in the word “not”. They testified that they did not think the minister was trying to deceive anyone as to the intent of that document, because it was an internal document; it was not a parliamentary document. It was meant to convey the minister's wishes back to her own officials. In fact, the President of CIDA later testified that they are now taking steps to modify those internal documents to allow the minister to register her displeasure or dissatisfaction or opposition to a recommendation by having a separate box the minister could sign off on, a box saying, “I do not accept this recommendation”. Unfortunately, the way the documents were presented at the time did not include that separate opportunity for the minister to say, “I do not accept this recommendation”.Therefore, when the minister instructed her own ministerial staff to convey back to CIDA officials that she did not wish to fund KAIROS, one of her staff members put in the word “not” and the document was signed with an electronic arm, since the minister was off on travel. The officials at CIDA responded by saying, “We totally understand what the minister's wishes are: she does not want to fund KAIROS. Message received. Message accepted”.From that, we find ourselves in a situation where the opposition is contending that the minister was trying to deceive both Parliament and Canadian public. It contends that by the insertion of the word “not”, the minister was trying to deceive Parliament by inferring that the CIDA officials who originally recommended funding KAIROS were the ones who did not want to fund KAIROS.Mr. Speaker, if you go back and check the records of the committee meeting in December 2010, the minister responsible for CIDA, on 11 separate occasions, stated before committee that it was her decision and her decision alone not to fund KAIROS. Thus how can there be any intent whatsoever at deception if the minister, in testifying before committee, stated that it was not CIDA officials who recommended not to fund KAIROS but her own decision? I do not know where the confusion rests, other than to suggest that the opposition is using this as an opportunity, once again, to try to create a scandal where none exists. If it had been a parliamentary document, we might be having a different discussion and different debate here today. However, we are talking simply about an internal document between officials and the minister, a document aimed at determining whether or not the minister would accept the recommendation to fund the KAIROS group with $7 million. It was an internal document. The minister told her officials that she did not wish to fund KAIROS. Accordingly, there should be no confusion whatsoever.However, the opposition seems to be making a major issue of this by suggesting that the minister was intending to deceive. Nowhere in testimony before committee or before this House has the minister suggested that she was trying to deceive anyone. As I pointed out in my original intervention, in responding to the question of privilege by the member for Scarborough—Guildwood, the statements made in committee and the statements made in this House are not contradictory. In fact, they complement each another because when she was asked the precise question, the minister gave a precise answer.Unfortunately for the member for Scarborough—Guildwood, he did not follow up his line of questioning. Had he simply asked, “If you don't know who inserted the word 'not', were you aware that the word 'not' was inserted, or were you instructing your department not to fund KAIROS?”. Had he asked that simple question or series of questions to that end, he would have had an affirmative response from the minister. (1645)She would have been able to tell the committee at the time that certainly she instructed her officials to convey to the CIDA officials who made the recommendation initially that she was against the recommendation. Because the member for Scarborough—Guildwood did not follow up with further questions does not mean that the minister responsible for CIDA was trying to deceive anyone. It simply means that the member for Scarborough—Guildwood, nor the rest of the opposition members, did not ask the probative questions they should have asked.Should the minister be condemned, castigated, ridiculed or have her reputation sullied because she answered a precise question with a precise answer? I would suggest she should not be subjected to the type of abuse she has been subjected to for the last several weeks. When is it a fault of anyone in this place to answer a direct question with a direct answer? How can anyone say, when giving a precise answer to a precise question, that one is trying to deceive Parliament? If anyone in this place can cite one example where that has been proven or ruled upon as being deceptive, I would appreciate that member standing today to cite the example. No one can because there has not been, and never will be, an example of giving an honest and precise answer to a precise question that is considered deceptive. The minister responded accurately, yet members of the opposition seem to consider that to be a deception.I also will comment on the motion that the member for Scarborough—Guildwood made to refer this matter to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. I have great concerns about that committee being able to honestly and in a non-partisan way try to arbitrate this question and the motion. The Speaker has said quite clearly that the attempt is to clear the air. The reason he invited a motion was to have a committee examine the situation and clear the air to remove any confusion that members may have.I am not sure if the procedure and House affairs committee will be able to do that. I say that quite sincerely because we have seen, over the course of the past few months, a number of issues come before the procedure and House affairs committee and, in my view, the opposition coalition members who hold a majority on that committee, do not want to ask questions in a non-partisan manner to try to find answers to real questions. They are merely using their ability as the majority, the tyranny of the majority I would suggest, to attempt once again to embarrass the government.I would point out an example that came before the procedure and House affairs committee very recently to illustrate my concerns. Not long ago, as I am sure all members of the House are aware, there was a very serious incident in which there was a breach of confidentiality concerning the finance committee in which a staff member leaked a draft report from the Standing Committee on Finance to a number of registered lobbyists. The staff member worked for the member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar and as the chair has noted, the member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar went to extraordinary lengths to inform this place about the leak and how it happened.As I pointed out in committee, had the member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar not done so, probably this whole issue would not have been discussed. At committee we found that rather than having opposition members applaud the actions by the member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar they went out of their way to try to condemn her, to try to suggest that she was at fault. (1650)Nothing could be further from the truth. Those who know the hon. member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar know, as I do, that there is probably not a more upstanding, honest and forthright individual in Parliament today. By her own volition, she took the unprecedented action to inform members of the finance committee, the Speaker of the House, the clerk of the committee and the chief information officer of the House as to the leak of confidential information. For that, even the chair admitted she should be congratulated for her actions. Yet opposition members who sit on the procedure and House affairs committee thought otherwise.A report has been under discussion. While that report has not been tabled in the House, and I certainly cannot comment on the contents of the report since all of these discussions were in camera, I can say that the attitude of the members from the opposition coalition has certainly not been helpful and they have not, in my view at least, reflected accurately the testimony that was heard at committee. I would suggest that if the same attitude prevails with this new question of privilege, we will not end up clearing the air, as the Speaker has requested the committee to do.I would suggest that it would be far better for a separate committee to examine this issue, hopefully a committee that would take this matter seriously and consider all of the elements that brought us here today, including the fact that the minister responsible for CIDA did not at any time deceive the committee that she first appeared before in December of last year. Hopefully the committee would take into account the fact that the minister responsible for CIDA was completely honest in all of her comments to committee and Parliament. Hopefully the committee would recognize the fact that if there has been confusion in the minds of members of this place and of some Canadians, it was not because of the actions of the minister but of those in the opposition coalition who want to use this as a partisan method to try to bring forward an issue which has no real relevance before Parliament.On another day at another time this issue would not be before this place. This issue would have been dealt with expeditiously and succinctly, in a spirit of honesty, in the spirit of Parliament's traditions, which is to ensure that testimony in this place and before committees is the one thing that should be preserved above all else. That is exactly what the minister responsible for CIDA has done. She has not tried to deceive or mislead. She has merely answered every single question honestly, and on top of that, informed committee members on many occasions that it was her decision and her decision solely not to fund KAIROS.Since I do not believe that we will be able to get a fair hearing before the procedure and House affairs committee, I would move an amendment to the motion brought forward by the member for Scarborough—Guildwood that the motion be referred to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner for further study and ask her to report her findings to the House.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesLeave to propose a motionMinister of International CooperationMotionsOda, BevOffice of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1655)[English]The Chair has heard the points made by the hon. members and will take those under consideration and report back to the House on the admissibility of the amendment in due course.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesLeave to propose a motionMinister of International CooperationMotionsOda, BevOffice of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPaulDewarOttawa CentreJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1700)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have to find this amusing.On his first point, does the member believe that bringing the question before this House would have a fair and judicial response? Of course not. This would be nothing more than a kangaroo court. If we brought the question before this House, of course it would be, with the attitude of the opposition on this question.Specifically, Mr. Speaker, let me answer his contention as to what questions should he have asked at committee. In my initial intervention a few moments ago, I gave him several suggestions of questions he could have asked, specifically: “Madam Minister, if you did not insert the word 'not' and you do not know who did, how did it happen? How did it occur?” The minister very clearly could have said, “Because I instructed my officials to communicate to CIDA that I was not in favour of funding KAIROS”. That would have answered everything right there, a pretty simple follow-up question.Instead, we had no question as a follow-up from the member opposite. He asked, “You didn't insert the word 'not'?” The minister responded, “No, I didn't”. Rather than ask, “Then how did it happen?”, he just said, “Well, that's a remarkable occurrence”.There are many questions the member for Scarborough—Guildwood could have asked as a follow-up to get the correct information he so desperately desires. To suggest that it is the minister's fault that he could not ask a simple follow-up question is not the fault of the minister. It is the fault of the member opposite.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesLeave to propose a motionMinister of International CooperationMotionsOda, BevOffice of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—Lawrence//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1705)[English]Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the fact that some unparliamentary language has been used here, I would suggest to my hon. friend opposite that, in my view, he must be watching far too many Oliver Stone movies, because he seems to be seeing an armed gunman behind every grassy knoll.There is no conspiracy here. The minister has quite clearly stated on 11 occasions in committee that it was her decision. No one authorized it other than the minister. It was the minister's decision not to fund KAIROS. She stated that 11 times before committee.I am not sure if the member opposite cannot understand that, so let me say it slowly and distinctly, because I know he is a Liberal. The minister made the decision herself.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesLeave to propose a motionMinister of International CooperationMotionsOda, BevOffice of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—LawrenceJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—Lawrence//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1705)[English]The Chair is prepared to rule on both points of order. I am not sure if the one raised by the hon. member for Eglinton—Lawrence falls under the rubric of points of order or whether it is debate. Nevertheless, at this time the Chair is prepared to rule on the admissibility of the amendment. The Chair finds that the amendment is not admissible. In the Speaker's Ruling earlier today, the terms to proceed were laid out quite clearly. The hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood made a couple of attempts at reshaping that advice from the Speaker and was rebuffed. Consistent with that, this is an issue of parliamentary privilege and will remain before the House of Commons rather than being taken to an official outside of this chamber.Admissibility of an amendmentCanadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDecisions of the SpeakerDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesLeave to propose a motionMembers' remarksMinister of International CooperationMotionsOda, BevOffice of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerParliamentary privilegePoints of orderPrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—LawrencePaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1725)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise in regard to the ruling just made on the question of privilege raised on February 17 by members of the opposition.I respect the ruling from the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is the arbiter of the rules of the chamber and I have the utmost respect for the Speaker and his office. I also have the greatest respect for the House of Commons and for each of my colleagues who are elected to serve Canadians from coast to coast to coast.As is known and referred to, on Monday, February 14, I rose in the House to clear up any misunderstandings that might have existed about funding requests made by certain organizations. At that time I stated:If some were led to conclude that my language implied that the department and I were of one mind on this application, then I apologize. Let me be clear that I stand by that statement.From the ruling made, it has been indicated that there appears to be confusion regarding the facts. While I believe I have been clear, I accept the ruling and look forward to providing all the clarity needed truthfully and respectfully in committee. I am fully prepared to offer that clarity and will fully co-operate with the committee and its members.The trust placed in me by Canadians, by my constituents and by the Prime Minister to serve as a member for Parliament and the Minister of International Cooperation is a serious responsibility. It is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I am proud of our government's record on providing aid and assistance around the world that is meaningful and makes a sustainable real difference in the lives of those living in poverty.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMotionsParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPaulDewarOttawa CentreBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsReference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1725)[English]Is the House ready for the question? Some hon. members: Question. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. (Motion agreed to)Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDecisions of the HouseDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationMotionsOda, BevParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsBevOdaHon.DurhamBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Insignia of Military Orders, Decorations and Medals ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1730)[English]It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-473 under private members' business.Call in the members.C-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generationsPrivate Members' BillsRecorded divisionsThird reading and adoptionBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]Motion agreed toI declare the motion carried.(Bill read the third time and passed)C-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generationsDecisions of the HousePrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessPatent ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[Translation]The House will now proceed to the deferred recorded division on the amendment to Motion No. 3 at report stage of Bill C-393 under private members' business. [English]The question is on the amendment to Motion No. 3.AIDS and HIVAmendments and subamendmentsC-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActCanada's Access to Medicines RegimeHumanitarian assistance and workersMalariaPharmaceuticalsPrivate Members' BillsReport stage motionsTuberculosis in humansAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1820)[Translation]Amendment to Motion No. 3 agreed to I declare the amendment carried. [English] The question is on Motion No. 3 as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: On division. (Motion No. 3, as amended, agreed to)AIDS and HIVAmendments and subamendmentsC-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActCanada's Access to Medicines RegimeDecisions of the HouseHumanitarian assistance and workersMalariaPharmaceuticalsPrivate Members' BillsReport stage motionsTuberculosis in humansAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppellePaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.An hon. members: On division.The Deputy Speaker: I declare the motion carried.(Motion agreed to)The Deputy Speaker: When shall the bill be read the third time? By leave, now?Some hon. members: Agreed. AIDS and HIVC-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActCanada's Access to Medicines RegimeDecisions of the HouseHumanitarian assistance and workersMalariaMotion for concurrencePharmaceuticalsPrivate Members' BillsReport stageTuberculosis in humansPaulDewarOttawa CentrePaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.An hon. member: On division.The Deputy Speaker: I declare the motion carried.(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed)AIDS and HIVC-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActCanada's Access to Medicines RegimeDecisions of the HouseHumanitarian assistance and workersMalariaPharmaceuticalsPrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionTuberculosis in humansPaulDewarOttawa CentreAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessBankruptcy and Insolvency ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[Translation]The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion for concurrence at report stage of Bill C-501, under private members' business.C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Motion for concurrencePrivate Members' BillsRecorded divisionsReport stageAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleBevShipleyLambton—Kent—Middlesex//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31664BevShipleyBev-ShipleyLambton—Kent—MiddlesexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ShipleyBev_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionMr. Bev Shipley: (1835)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to vote yes.C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Motion for concurrencePoints of orderPrivate Members' BillsReport stageVoting after vote resultsAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[English]Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to have his vote recorded as a yea?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Decisions of the HouseMotion for concurrencePrivate Members' BillsReport stageVoting after vote resultsBevShipleyLambton—Kent—MiddlesexAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[English]Motion agreed toI declare the motion carried.C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Decisions of the HouseMotion for concurrencePrivate Members' BillsReport stageAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCanada Post Corporation ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1835)[Translation]The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-509 under private members' business.C-509, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials)Private Members' BillsRecorded divisionsThird reading and adoptionAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1845)[English]Motion agreed toI declare the motion carried.(Bill read the third time and passed) C-509, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials)Decisions of the HousePrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1845)[English]It being 6:45 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.AndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessImmigration and Refugee Protection ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1945)[English]Order, please. I will take this opportunity to stop the member there as the time provided has expired. The member will have eight and a half minutes left to conclude his remarks the next time the bill is before the House.The time provided for the consideration of private members' business has expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.It being 7:45 p.m., the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 7:45 p.m.)C-566, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (sponsorship of relative)Dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order PaperImmigrant sponsorshipImmigration and immigrantsPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingDevinderShoryCalgary Northeast//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25446DeanAllisonDean-AllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/AllisonDean_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Foreign Affairs and International Development]InterventionMr. Dean Allison (Niagara West—Glanbrook, CPC): (1000)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to Bill C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members.8510-403-210 Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (Bill C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members, with amendments)C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersCommittee reportsFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Political leadership and leadersSeizure of assetsStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentGarySchellenbergerPerth—Wellington//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/913GarySchellenbergerGary-SchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/SchellenbergerGary_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsVeterans AffairsInterventionMr. Gary Schellenberger (Perth—Wellington, CPC): (1000)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs in relation to Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension Act.The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.8510-403-211 Third Report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension Act, with an amendment)C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActCanadian ForcesCommittee reportsDisability benefitsDisabled veteransGovernment billsNew Veterans CharterPensions and pensionersStanding Committee on Veterans AffairsVeteransDeanAllisonNiagara West—GlanbrookJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPoints of Order [Opposition Motion]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order with respect to the motion presented by the Liberal Party and the Liberal member for Beauséjour. Specifically, I would ask that you consider whether this motion is acceptable in light of the sub judice convention.Today's motion passes judgment on a political entity and on four private individuals. It asks the House to serve as a judge and jury over a private civil matter that is before the courts. Specifically, it makes a finding of fraud. It asks the Prime Minister to direct the financial affairs of a political party, it asks the Government of Canada to remove individuals from employment and, similarly, it asks the Conservative Party of Canada to do the same.I find these proposals contrary to the principles and values of a mature democracy. In Canada, we respect the rule of law, which includes due process. For those reasons, the motion is at odds with long-standing parliamentary conventions and practices. Let me explain further.As you know, Mr. Speaker, the House has significant powers derived from its privileges and immunities. Perhaps the most important privilege is freedom of speech in parliamentary proceedings. While this privilege is normally associated with the right of individual members, it also applies to motions adopted by the House.As O'Brien and Bosc state at page 91: Generally considered to be an individual privilege, the courts have confirmed that freedom of speech is also a collective privilege of the House. Motions carried by the House are expressed collectively by its Members and therefore cannot be challenged in a court of law.However, motions, such as the one being debated today, can have a direct, real and personal effect on an individual and his or her reputation. Given the broad powers accorded to the House in this regard, the House has established practices and conventions to ensure that its powers are exercised judiciously and that due process is respected. As O'Brien and Bosc note at page 97:The privilege of freedom of speech is an extremely powerful immunity and on occasion Speakers have had to caution Members about its misuse. O'Brien and Bosc go on to cite Speaker Fraser's 1987 ruling where he stated:Such a privilege confers grave responsibilities on those who are protected by it. By that I mean specifically the Hon. Members of this place. The consequences of its abuse can be terrible. Innocent people could be slandered with no redress available to them. Reputations could be destroyed on the basis of false rumour. All Hon. Members are conscious of the care they must exercise in availing themselves of their absolute privilege of freedom of speech. That is why there are long-standing practices and traditions observed in this House to counter the potential for abuse.One practice observed by the House to protect the interests of individuals is the sub judice convention. As O'Brien and Bosc state at page 99:It is accepted practice that, in the interests of justice and fair play, certain restrictions should be placed on the freedom of Members of Parliament to make reference in the course of debate to matters awaiting judicial decisions, and that such matters should not be the subject of motions or questions in the House.O'Brien and Bosc go on to state:The acceptance of a restriction is a voluntary restraint on the part of the House to protect an accused person or other party to a court action or judicial inquiry from suffering any prejudicial effect from public discussion of the issue.As O'Brien and Bosc note at page 100:The sub judice convention is important in the conduct of business in the House. It protects the rights of interested parties before the courts, and preserves and maintains the separation and mutual respect between the legislature and the judiciary. The convention ensures that a balance is created between the need for a separate, impartial judiciary and free speech.The sub judice convention is well recognized by other procedural authorities as well. For example, citation 505 in the sixth edition of Beauchesne's states:Members are expected to refrain from discussing matters that are before the courts or tribunals, which are courts of record. The purpose of this sub judice convention is to protect the parties in a case awaiting or undergoing trial and persons who stand to be affected by the outcome of a judicial inquiry. It is a voluntary restraint imposed by the House upon itself in the interest of justice and fair play.(1010)The sub judice convention is not unique to this House. It is a recognized principle in Westminster.As the 23rd edition of Erskine May states at page 436:Subject to the discretion of the Chair and to the right of the House to legislate on any matter or to discuss any matters of delegated legislation, matters awaiting the adjudication of a court of law should not be brought forward in debate.The British Parliament has gone further than Canada by articulating the sub judice convention through resolution. The latest resolution was adopted in 2001. Similarly, the sub judice convention has been codified in other jurisdictions, including Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, India and New Zealand.In Canada, at the federal level, we have not had a need to articulate how the sub judice convention should be applied. Up until now, we have been able to rely on the common sense of members to ensure that we do not abuse our privileges. My fear, however, is that this will no longer be the case if today's motion should be adopted. It is quite evident that the motion by the Liberal member for Beauséjour is contrary to the principle and practices of the House. It assumes there is a presumption of guilt and the House can pass judgment on individuals without any respect for due process.As O'Brien and Bosc note at page 100:--it is the Speaker who decides what jurisdiction the Chair has over matters sub judice. In a ruling of March 14, 2008, Mr. Speaker, you quoted Bourinot and how he described the first principles of our parliamentary tradition as:To protect the minority and restrain the improvidence and tyranny of the majority, to secure the transaction of public business in a decent and orderly manner--At that time, committees were ignoring the usual practices and procedures of this House and you described the situation as verging on anarchy. The opposition was being reckless with their majority status back then and it has continued that irresponsible behaviour in its original demands for documents relating to Afghan detainees that could have jeopardized national security.The tyranny of the opposition majority has been reckless and irresponsible in its demands for the production of documents that would breach cabinet confidence, and now the tyranny of the majority is being reckless and irresponsible with the long-standing practice and principle of parliamentary democracy, the sub judice convention, by passing judgment on individuals without any respect for due process.I submit that the motion, as it is drafted, infringes on the sub judice convention and should be ruled out of order on that basis.I realize that since the motion is before the House today and we may in fact have a vote tonight or, at the latest, tomorrow, it is imperative for you, sir, in all your wisdom, to rule on this matter as quickly as possible.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesIn and out financingLegal casesOpposition motionsPoints of orderSub judice conventionPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsShawnMurphyHon.Charlottetown//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPoints of Order [Opposition Motion]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1025)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. I do not want to re-argue the case and the submission I already have made. I think it speaks for itself. I will just speak specifically to a couple of points brought forward by my hon. colleague in the official opposition.He mentioned that there is no example of other jurisdictions that have adopted a sub judice convention. That is completely wrong. There are three jurisdictions in Canada. Provincially, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec have all adopted the sub judice convention which would prevent this type of motion from coming forward.Similarly, as I pointed out in my intervention, there are other jurisdictions throughout the world that have adopted this provision and even stronger provisions against motions similar to this being brought forward.Last, my hon. colleague from the Liberal Party asked why we did not bring forward this point of order earlier. He is quite correct that the motion being debated today was put on the notice paper last Friday. However, as an experienced parliamentarian, he should know that it is not until 5 p.m. the day before an opposition day that a motion is confirmed for debate. There was an opportunity for the Liberal Party to bring forward a different motion for debate today. We did not know that until late yesterday afternoon. Therefore, this morning was the first opportunity for our government to present this argument.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection expensesIn and out financingLegal casesOpposition motionsPoints of orderSub judice conventionPierrePaquetteJoliettePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1035)[English]Madam Speaker, I want to expand further on the point of order I raised that the motion is completely out of order and should be ruled accordingly. I find it curious that the Liberal Party of Canada, which has among its several members one from the riding of Papineau, whose father was, frankly, the architect of what we know as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, would actually have the temerity to stand in the House and bring forward this motion. Section 11 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms speaks of the rights of individuals to have their day in court and the presumption of innocence before the courts. Yet the motion before us today basically encourages the House, through a vote in this place, to find guilty those who have not yet been through due process in the court of law. In other words, the Liberal Party is purporting that this place has more authority than the court of law in this country.There are many lawyers in the House. I wonder how they feel about the motion. Does my colleague, who is a lawyer, agree that Parliament should have the authority over a court of law when determining guilt or innocence?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOpposition motionsSub judice conventionDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25486ColinCarrieColin-CarrieOshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/CarrieColin_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Colin Carrie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC): (1055)[English]Madam Speaker, I do want to thank my colleague for her speech. I know she was speaking quite passionately. I have worked with her in the past and I know she does hold herself in the highest ethical regard, as well as this entire House.The member wanted to go back in time, and I was wondering if I could remind her of an historical fact. There was something called adscam or scandale des commandites and something called the Gomery inquiry. It was an ongoing inquiry into the misappropriation of funds. There were some results that came about after that inquiry. I believe the Liberal Party had to return $1 million to the Canadian taxpayers.My question to the member is, can she outline in detail what the Liberal Party has done to recover the other $40 million? Has she done anything personally to encourage her leader to recover this money that was lost to Canadian taxpayers because of a scandal that occurred under a previous government's watch?I think we would just like to have an update to see how that is coming along.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCommission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising ActivitiesConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLiberal Party of CanadaOpposition motionsSponsorshipSponsorship ProgramDeniseSavoieVictoriaCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1055)[Translation]Madam Speaker, I appreciate the welcome extended to me by my honourable Liberal colleague. [English]I rise today and am going to begin my remarks by addressing the issues that matter to Canadians. It is unfortunate that the Liberal motion fails to do that.The motion says nothing about jobs. Why is that? It is because the government, through its economic action plan, has created 460,000 new jobs since the valley of the recession.It says nothing about unemployment, and that is because our unemployment rate is two—AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul'sDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1100)[English]Madam Speaker, the hon. member has just made a very honest admission, that his party's motion has absolutely nothing to do with jobs and the economy. That is precisely my point. The measure of a motion is not just what it says, but what it fails to say. The motion fails to address the issue of jobs. Why? Because we have created 460,000 of them through our economic action plan. It fails to address unemployment. Why? Because under this government and the Prime Minister, unemployment is two percentage points lower in our country than in the United States, for the first time in a generation. It fails to address savings for middle-class families that want to prepare for the future. Why? Because this government has created a tax-free savings account that five million Canadians have taken advantage of in the very first year of its existence and three million Canadians have already maximized their contributions to that savings account.It fails to address the issue of deficits. Why? Because we have the smallest deficit in the G7 and it will be gone by 2015, before any of our competitors. It fails to address the issue of prices in our country and that is because we reduced the GST.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsPoints of orderRelevancyDeniseSavoieVictoriaPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1100)[Translation]Madam Speaker, I think the hon. members of the coalition have just explained the argument that I have been trying to make. They said it better than I ever could have. They showed their lack of interest in the economy and jobs for Canadians. They accidentally admitted that they have nothing to say about the issue that is of interest to Canadians—the economy. Finally, they indirectly admitted that our government is currently running an admirable and supportable economic program. The opposition has admitted that such is the case by disregarding this issue and leaving it to the Conservative government to deal with, because we keep our promises in this regard.Let us talk about the false allegations that the opposition is making regarding the issue—AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsPoints of orderRelevancyDeniseSavoieVictoriaPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1105)[English]Madam Speaker, the reality is Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. It is true that the national party transferred funds to those local candidates and that those local candidates purchased services from the national party. This is not only legal and ethical, it is common practice.In the 2006 election, the Liberal Party of Canada transferred $1.7 million to its local candidates and in that same election those local candidates transferred $1.3 million back to the Liberal Party. This means Liberal riding associations moved $6.6 million in monetary and non-monetary transfers to Liberal candidates and invoiced $1.4 million in goods and services for those candidates to pay back. Not only does these transfer in happen from national parties, but it is in fact the case that the Liberal Party engaged in transfers out.I do not say that to throw mud or besmirch reputations. The Liberal Party officials who made these transfers to local riding associations and the local riding associations that transferred the money right back, oftentimes the exact same amount on the exact same day, engaged in a legal and ethical practice for which I would not condemn them. They were fully within the law and clearly within the balance of ethics to which we all ought to adhere. That was the 2006 election. In 2004 the Liberal Party made monetary transfers of $1.6 million to local candidates and its local candidates transferred $1.3 million back to the national party. In that election, the national party gave money to riding associations that probably did not have means of their own and those riding associations then purchased services from the central party, which is entirely a legal practice. As we can see from the enormity of the transfer, $1.6 million in and then $1.3 million out was not an exception, but it would be more accurately called the rule. It was widely practised over at least two elections by the Liberal Party. Those elections I refer to are 2004 and 2006.The Liberal Party was not unique in engaging in the in and out transfers. The NDP transferred $884,000 to local candidates and those local candidates transferred back $545,000 to the central party. Roughly three-quarters of a million dollars went in and $500,000 went out with respect to the NDP in the 2006 election campaign. In the 2004 campaign, just to show this was not a one-time practice for the NDP, the party transferred roughly half a million dollars to local candidates and those local candidates transferred back $385,000, about half a million dollars in and about $400,000 out. Again, this was not an isolated case, not an unusual practise, not an anomaly, but a systematic in and out effort exercised by the New Democratic Party. May I emphasize for my colleagues in the NDP, for many of whom I have a great deal of respect, that when they made these in and out transfers on such a large scale, they did absolutely nothing wrong. There was nothing illegal, nothing unethical, just like the Conservative Party did absolutely nothing wrong when it made similar transactions.The NDP and the Liberal Party did not engage in criminal activity when they made those in and out transfers. Their only crime is hypocrisy, and they are committing it today, not then.That leaves the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc Québécois national party transferred $732,000 to its local candidates and local candidates transferred back $820,000 in that election. This is not only a practice that the party engaged in but one that it engaged in systematically, as we can tell by the enormity of the size of the transfers. It is impossible that this would have been just a on-off practice for the Bloc Québécois because those kinds of numbers would not be exercised through a single riding association. It would need to have involved at least dozens.(1110)I have example after example of where members of literally every central party represented in this House of Commons transferred exact amounts to riding associations and those riding associations transferred those same exact amounts back to the central party, often on the very same day. This was widely practised, systematically undertaken by every political party in the House of Commons. I have a whole binder full of examples that I can share of where those in and out transfers occurred in other political parties.Let us break down this debate into its component parts. Is it legal and ethical for a party to transfer funds to local candidates? Yes. That has never been a matter of dispute. Are local candidates allowed to purchase services from a central campaign? Yes. It happens literally every day. I imagine it probably has happened during the time that has transpired since I began my speech only moments ago, although I suspect it seems like a longer time to my friends on the other side.Is it legal for local candidates to include national messages, national leaders, national party logos and names in their advertisements? Yes. That is not only common practice, it would be considered extremely unusual if a local candidate did not mention the party leader name and national message in his or her advertisements. Therefore, if we take those three component parts of this controversy, and we all agree that they are completely legal, ethical and common practice, then we must conclude by those three steps that the ensemble of those three steps is also legal, ethical and commonplace. That is why we have taken Elections Canada to court. In one case, one court sided with the Conservative Party. In another case it was otherwise. However, we will continue to defend our position because it is legal, ethical and common practice among all political parties.Given that the party followed all of the rules and conducted itself with the highest standard of ethics, I think what we are witnessing here, unfortunately, is the politics of personal destruction undertaken by the Liberal Party in this case. I think the Liberal Party can do better than that. All of us should be focused on the issues that matter to Canadians.When I travel through the constituency of Nepean—Carleton and I ask my constituents what issues are on their mind, they tell me that it is jobs, saving for the future, a plan to get rid of the deficit and efforts to keep prices reasonable for Canadian consumers. I say to my friends on the opposition benches that never did one of their slurs create a job, reduce unemployment, give a middle-class family the chance to save for its future, help reduce the deficit or keep prices reasonable for Canadian families. What will do those things is our economic action plan, which has created 460,000 jobs. What will help families save is our tax free savings account, which has allowed five million Canadians to put aside money for their futures. What will help us lead the world out of deficit is the plan that we have that will balance our budget by 2015 and has so far kept our deficit to roughly a quarter or a third of the size of our American neighbours on a per capita basis. What will help with the global concern of rising prices is this government's and Prime Minister's decision to lower the GST from 7% to 6% to 5%.On those issues, we are getting the job done for everyday Canadians, which is why the Canadian people support this government. (1115)I would encourage my distinguished colleagues on all sides of this House to work with us in order to advance the cause of our economic action plan. We need to put aside small differences and focus on the big picture, the big picture being the jobs that Canadians need so that the 460,000 people who got the jobs can be met by hundreds of thousands more, which is our goal. These people will be able to come home at the end of the day, open the door proudly and tell their spouse or their children that they got the job and that they will be able to pay the bills. Their hopes and dreams will be possible. They will be able to afford to send their daughter or son to post-secondary education because they are working again. They will be able to have the retirement they dreamed about and worked for their entire lives because they will be able to put aside money and take advantage of the new tax free savings accounts. The mother of three children will be able to shop and provide food for the family because the prices are reasonable. Those should be the goals of this House. We should be working with all parties, as we have through five successful budgets that we have managed to pass in a minority Parliament, to advance the kind of economic agenda that brings prosperity to the families that form the backbone of this country. That is the centre of this government's undertaking. We are committed to provide the stable and prosperous future that the Canadian people sent us here to deliver. We are leading in the world. We have unemployment lower than our competitors, hundreds of thousands of jobs being created and money being saved by families for their future. That is what we are elected to do and hat is what we will continue to do.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudBloc QuébécoisConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesLiberal Party of CanadaNew Democratic PartyOpposition motionsDeniseSavoieVictoriaPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1120)[English]Madam Speaker, we have been. In fact, I would remind the hon. member that this party wanted to have an investigation at a committee level into the very questions he just raised. There was just one small amendment that we raised when his committee wanted to investigate the question of transfers in and transfers out. We just asked that all parties be brought before the same committee to be asked the same questions. When we introduced that motion, the Liberal Party, the Bloc Québécois and the NDP fought tooth and nail against proceeding with hearings in that committee. We were the only party actually putting forward a motion to investigate and study the question because we had nothing to hide. We turned everything over to Elections Canada almost five years ago. The only reason that Elections Canada is aware of any of our practices is precisely because we voluntarily told it.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCommittee studies and activitiesConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOpposition motionsStanding Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and EthicsStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPaulSzaboMississauga SouthCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-Constant//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1120)[Translation]Madam Speaker, I was going to say that the Bloc Québécois made in and out transfers, but that would not be right because it was that party that invented these practices.I can provide examples. On July 15, 2004, the Bloc Québécois transferred $17,071.20 to the Québec riding. Then, on July 16, 2004, the following day, the Québec riding transferred $17,071.20 to the Bloc Québécois. The amounts transferred by the Bloc to the riding and from the riding to the Bloc were exactly the same. The two transactions carried out in that two-day period were for the exact same amount. That is one example, but I have more. This all shows that the Bloc Québécois is directly involved with in and out transfers.We know all about it and we know that the leader of the Bloc is the real inventor of in and out transfers.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-ConstantDavidChristophersonHamilton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1125)[English]Madam Speaker, the hon. member will have to ask Elections Canada that.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOpposition motionsDavidChristophersonHamilton CentreDarylKrampPrince Edward—Hastings//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/695DarylKrampDaryl-KrampPrince Edward—HastingsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KrampDaryl_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Daryl Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings, CPC): (1125)[English]Madam Speaker, as the parliamentary secretary said, the discussion today is really about how the Conservatives spend Conservative funds and whether those certain expenses should be Canada's, either local or national. I can state that it is certainly not like the previous Liberal government. Some people might take offence when I mention the $40 million missing scandal, but the fact is that it is still missing.I have three quick questions for the hon. member. Where would the opposition get that kind of cash? Why would Elections Canada not investigate the use of the $40 million in the Liberals' previous election campaign? Why are Canadians still paying off that debt? We have written off close to $16 million which was directly paid by the taxpayers of Canada, not the Liberal Party. AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsSponsorshipSponsorship ProgramPierrePoilievreNepean—CarletonPierrePoilievreNepean—Carleton//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1125)[English]Madam Speaker, I will not relive before the House the horror that was the sponsorship scandal. I think Canadians know very well what happened. However, what they do not know and what they have never understood is why, with a criminal conspiracy of that nature and the amount of cash that was flowing around during that era in the Liberal Party from taxpayers, all of it unreported during the election campaign, why did Elections Canada never open an investigation? It seemed like an obvious thing for an electoral agency to consider given that it was an electoral, in addition to financial, fraud. I think there is still time for Elections Canada to open an investigation and find out what happened to all that money and to find out if it was used in excess of the spending limits of the elections during which that cash was circulating.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsSponsorshipSponsorship ProgramDarylKrampPrince Edward—HastingsClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre: (1125)[Translation]Madam Speaker, I believe that the Conservative candidates spent Conservative money on Conservative ads. All of the practices of the Conservative Party in every election have followed the rules. The Conservatives got results ethically, legally and in the same way as all of the other parties.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1220)[English]Order. The member is out of time. We will move on to questions and comments. The hon. member for Calgary East.DavidChristophersonHamilton CentreDeepakObhraiCalgary East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1235)[English]Calling into question the integrity of hon. members is out of order. I would urge the member from Vancouver Quadra to keep that in mind as she concludes her remarks.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaDecisions of the SpeakerElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingMembers' remarksOpposition motionsPoints of orderJamesMooreHon.Port Moody—Westwood—Port CoquitlamJoyceMurrayVancouver Quadra//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25486ColinCarrieColin-CarrieOshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/CarrieColin_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Colin Carrie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC): (1240)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech and, unfortunately, the partisan smears and attacks, and they were beneath the member who I have worked with in the past. I am surprised at this partisan motion that has been brought forward when Canadians are faced with some of the toughest economic challenges they have had this century. We could be spending our time talking about how we could be improving the economy and yet the Liberals bring forward this motion.Since she has decided to raise this issue, I have a question for her. Historically, not too long ago we had something called the Gomery inquiry. Out of that inquiry, we found that there was something called the “ad scam” and the Liberal Party was forced to pay $1 million back to the Canadian people. However, we are still waiting to find out what happened to the other $40 million.I was hopeful today that the member could update the House on what the Liberal Party is actually doing to find that $40 million that is still missing and what she has done personally to encourage her leader to bring it forward so Canadians can know where their tax dollars have gone.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCommission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising ActivitiesConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsJoyceMurrayVancouver QuadraJoyceMurrayVancouver Quadra//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1250)[English]The hon. member for Yorkton—Melville is rising on a point of order.MarkHollandAjax—PickeringGarryBreitkreuzYorkton—Melville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1268GarryBreitkreuzGarry-BreitkreuzYorkton—MelvilleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BreitkreuzGarryW_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Garry Breitkreuz: (1250)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to this debate since it began and note that the member for Mississauga South has risen three times on a point of order complaining about the relevance of speeches. I could say the same thing about the Liberal speeches at the present time. This is a soap box that the Liberals have set up for themselves to talk about every issue and, I appeal to you to ensure that they stick to the issue at hand, which they are not doing.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsPoints of orderRelevancyAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1250)[English]I thank the hon. member for his intervention.I would urge the member for Ajax—Pickering that while he may stray into other areas, the bulk of his remarks should address the substance of the motion before the House.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaDecisions of the SpeakerElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsPoints of orderRelevancyGarryBreitkreuzYorkton—MelvilleMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/695DarylKrampDaryl-KrampPrince Edward—HastingsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KrampDaryl_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Daryl Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings, CPC): (1255)[English]Mr. Speaker, earlier today in this discussion the parliamentary secretary stood up and gave a lengthy list of activities that have taken place on the part of all parties in this House, similar and/or identical activities to those alleged by the opposition right now.I am not sure if the public is aware that committees are controlled by the opposition. It has the numbers in committee, so it can basically dictate what it wishes to do. A suggestion was put forward by the government to have the committee evaluate each party identically so that members could judge the way to go to deal with the issue. The opposition parties said no. They just wanted the Conservative approach to be investigated, but as far as their activities were concerned, no, they did not want an investigation. I just say that what is right is right, what is wrong is wrong, and what is fair is fair. We are all in this together. We are all parliamentarians and we should be subject to the same rules and obligations. I do agree with that. However, why would we be afraid to have an open book policy for each and every party in this place? It is a bit hypocritical to condemn one particular party for doing the same thing that another does itself, and for that other party not to admit this or to open its books. AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCommittee studies and activitiesConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsMarkHollandAjax—PickeringMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1310)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in today's debate. First and foremost, when discussing and debating this motion, we have to address the overarching issue which is that the motion is in direct contravention of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.Earlier today I asked to have a ruling made before the vote on the motion takes place because it is serious. The Liberal opposition day motion calls upon Parliament to rule on a finding of innocence or guilt on an issue that is currently before the courts. That is not only inappropriate and unprecedented but it is extremely troubling. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms details in its doctrines the presumption of innocence for all Canadian citizens and that presumption of innocence is being violated today by the very motion that we are debating.The opposition motion, if approved, would in effect be casting judgment on four individuals and a political party currently before the courts of this land in a dispute with Elections Canada. What right does this chamber have to act as judge and jury in a case that is before the courts of our land? What has become of democracy? What has become of the respect for the rule of law if Parliament can now usurp the rights of individuals who wish to argue their case, to prove their innocence in a court of law? Why does the House now, apparently, have the right to discuss whether or not these individuals should be found innocent or guilty?If the House votes in favour of the motion, and if the Speaker rules that the motion is in order, I have grave concerns that the decision today will have major ramifications on Canadians for generations to come. I am not overstating when I say that because how can we allow parliamentarians, who are law-makers, to act as judge and jury in any dispute? It is absolutely critical that the motion be defeated based on that reason.If the opposition had chosen to rephrase its motion and either chastise the government, or condemn the government, or even bring forward a motion of non-confidence in the government for actions which it felt were inappropriate or perhaps even against the law, that would be acceptable. I would certainly argue against the motion, but I would not take issue with the fact that the opposition had a perfect right to bring forward that material and the motion before this place. But, that is not what the opposition has chosen to do. It is implicit in the motion that four individuals will be found guilty of an offence and that the Conservative Party of Canada will be found guilty of the offence based on the opposition's interpretation.(1315)Regardless of what the courts of this land have to say in the matter, the Liberal opposition suggests that it and Parliament have the right to determine guilt or innocence instead of the courts. We simply cannot allow that to happen under any circumstances. I mentioned earlier today that we have many lawyers in this place and if they were being honest with themselves and honest to all parliamentarians, they would be the first ones to admit that today's motion may be the start of a very slippery slope when it comes to the interference of parliamentarians with the courts. That is why we have courts of law. That is why we have judges whose job it is to examine evidence, rule on evidence and to ultimately be the arbiters of guilt or innocence in any dispute. It is not the role nor the right of Parliament to make those decisions. We create laws. That is what we are charged with doing. We are not there to interpret or administer the law. That is the role of the courts.For years the Liberals consistently purported themselves to be the champions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. One of the current members of this place, the hon. member for Papineau, has a long family history with the charter because it was his father who introduced the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Parliament many years ago. Since that time, I can recall in debate after debate the members of the Liberal Party standing in their places and saying they are the defenders of the charter, that it is the only party in Canada that defends the charter vigorously.Earlier today we heard comments from the member for Beauséjour referring to Conservative members as former Reform and Alliance members who have a complete disregard for the charter. Who has disregard for the charter now? Who has disregard for it when we see a motion from the Liberal opposition that, in effect, suggests we should ignore the charter and the presumption of innocence and simply make a decision based on partisan interests to determine the innocence or guilt of individuals and entities? It is completely unacceptable.In debate today we have heard members opposite suggest that the Conservative Party was acting independently of Elections Canada and was the only party that has been in contravention of election laws. That is absolutely not true. In fact, there is documented evidence that every party in this place, every member whose party represents constituents and taxpayers, engaged in similar actions for two consecutive elections until Elections Canada came up with a new interpretation of the law. To suggest that the Conservative Party was the only party engaged in this activity is absolutely wrong and misleading.However, that is not the primary issue. The primary issue is that the motion today is an affront to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms of this land. It should be dismissed and should be defeated. Anything less would be a total affront to democracy.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical powerPresumption of innocenceLaVarPayneMedicine HatShawnMurphyHon.Charlottetown//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1320)[English]Mr. Speaker, I simply point out that the words spoken in the chamber have parliamentary privilege. They also can quite dramatically influence opinions of others, including courts of this land. If Parliament, the elected body that makes laws, approves a motion which, in effect, says that individuals before the courts of the land are guilty in the eyes of Parliament and we the lawmakers find these individuals guilty, that is highly inappropriate. The member should know and respect that.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsPolitical powerPresumption of innocenceShawnMurphyHon.CharlottetownJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1320)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am a glad I was asked a question by the NDP. I want to quote something. This is a direct quote from an email from a political party. It says:Hi Phyllis, We are told by communications folks in BC that these were radio ads with the Candidate's personal tag on the end--therefore a local expense to be reported under the Candidate's expense ceiling, regardless of who pays. For rebate purposes, we were asked to bill each campaign--in the case of VanEast, $2,612.00. The good news is that the Federal Party will transfer $2,600 to the Federal Riding Association as we agreed to pay for the ads. We hope that you are able to squeeze this in under the ceiling. Some expenses are not considered election expenses subject to spending limits, such as fundraising costs. Please have a look at the totals and get back to us if you think we have a problem.This was signed by the federal party bookkeeper. This was an NDP email. The NDP was engaging in the same practices. Now it has the temerity to stand in the House and criticize and condemn the Conservative Party. As I mentioned earlier, every registered party in Canada in the 2004 and 2006 elections engaged in similar practices because that was allowed under the law of the day. There is no doubt that the only reason there is some question about the legality of this is because Elections Canada changed its interpretation. It did not change the law or the rules; it changed the interpretation without informing political parties of the change during the election in question.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaBonnieCrombieMississauga—Streetsville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1335)[English]I remind the hon. member that we cannot use proper names when referring to members. We can use their riding or title.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsBonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleBonnieCrombieMississauga—Streetsville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1340)[English]Order. The member's time has expired.The hon. member for LaSalle—Émard.BonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1350)[English]Mr. Speaker, my question for the member is quite simple.It is quite scandalous that we are spending a full day talking about why the Liberals lost the 2006 election. The reality is the Liberals lost the 2006 election because they were a corrupt government that the people turned their backs on.The only in and out we have here is that we were brought in to clean up the mess of the Liberals who were actually thrown out of government after stealing $40 million of taxpayers money and using it to help them win elections. That is the only scandal here.When will the Liberals focus on what Canadians want us to focus on? Canadians want us to focus on jobs, the economy, getting people back to work, the investments we have made across the country with respect to infrastructure, all of the great things the government has done to make sure the economy is moving in the right direction. Canada is recognized internationally as one of the best places in which to live, work, invest and raise a family because of the decisions made by the government and this party.When will the Liberals stop focusing on why they lost the 2006 election and start focusing on the needs of Canadians, and in looking forward help us to build a bigger, better and stronger Canada?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1355)[Translation] The hon. member will have seven minutes to finish his speech after question period. It is now time for statements by members. MarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelColinMayesOkanagan—Shuswap//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35539PhilMcColemanPhil-McColemanBrantConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/McColemanPhil_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe EconomyInterventionMr. Phil McColeman (Brant, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, when I was first elected in 2008, the global economic recession had taken hold in my riding of Brant. It was a time of uncertainty for workers and their families. Today, I am proud to report that the economic climate is changing, thanks to the hard work and determination of the good people of Brant. Our downtown core is being revitalized. We are attracting investments in green energy and technology. Our post-secondary institutions are flourishing and driving the renewal of the economy. Nipissing University, Mohawk College and Laurier Brantford are expanding their curricula, drawing in students and creating new opportunities.Our government has been there every step of the way. We have supported efforts to build a new academic centre and install state of the art equipment at Laurier Brantford, and have supported the development of plans for a new athletic complex. There are signs everywhere that Brant is moving toward a new era of growth, innovation and prosperity, and we are excited.BrantEconomic recoveryStatements by MembersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58922PeterBraidPeter-BraidKitchener—WaterlooConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BraidPeter_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersFraud Prevention MonthInterventionMr. Peter Braid (Kitchener—Waterloo, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, March is Fraud Prevention Month and I would like to remind Canadians to take precautions in order to safeguard themselves and their personal information against financial abuse and fraud.The most common forms of fraud are telemarketing scams, the cloning or skimming of debit or credit cards and identity theft. While anyone can be a victim of fraud, this type of abuse is the number one crime against older Canadians. Our government has demonstrated it strong commitment to seniors and we believe that all forms of elder abuse, including fraud and financial abuse, are unacceptable and should not be tolerated.Next week, in my riding of Kitchener—Waterloo, I will be hosting an information session for seniors and will be raising awareness of this issue among my constituents. The more people know about financial abuse and fraud, the more protected they will be.Allegations of fraud and fraudFraud Prevention MonthStatements by MembersCaroleLavalléeSaint-Bruno—Saint-HubertMariaMinnaHon.Beaches—East York//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59148RandyHobackRandy-HobackPrince AlbertConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/HobackRandy_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersLiberal Party of CanadaInterventionMr. Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, while our Conservative government is focused on keeping taxes low for families and businesses, the Liberal leader and Liberal MPs want to raise taxes to pay for bigger governments and bigger government bureaucracies.In recent years, Liberal MPs have constantly complained that Canadians are not paying enough taxes and are looking at new ways to increase our tax bill. The Liberals have talked about increasing the GST, imposing a new carbon tax on energy and even a tax on iPods. Now the Liberals are targeting job-creating businesses. As businesses try to rebuild and recover from the recession, Liberal MPs want to slap a huge $6 billion tax hike on them and are threatening to drag Canada into a costly election if we do not immediately hike taxes.Our Conservative government will not stand for higher taxes. We do not think families and businesses should be forced to send more of their hard-earned money to Ottawa, especially as they try to recover from the global recession. We know that higher taxes mean less money in our pockets, less economic growth for business and even fewer jobs for Canadians.Income taxStatements by MembersTax reliefRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to hear a question just seconds ago from the hon. member for Vancouver East. Now that I rise, I have a question for her.On January 31, 2006, the national New Democratic Party transferred $7,003.64 to the local NDP riding association in Vancouver East. Then on March 1, 2006, just a short time later, the local NDP sent $7,003.64.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—KapuskasingPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have a document in my hand which shows the scheme that the NDP member for Edmonton—Strathcona is using out of her riding office. She is running the NDP re-election campaign right out of her NDP office with Erica Bullwinkle. She is using her parliamentary email and running the campaign out of the NDP constituency office. When will Erica Bullwinkle do the right thing and follow the high ethical standards of the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsLibbyDaviesVancouver EastJoyceMurrayVancouver Quadra//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, elections filing show that in the 2006 election, the Liberal Party transferred $1.7 million to local riding associations, who then transferred $1.3 million back. Some hon. members: Oh, oh.Mr. Pierre Poilievre: In one such example, in Oak Ridges—Markham the Liberal Party of Canada transferred $5,000 on July 21, 2004 and then on August 16, 2004, that same riding association transferred the same $5,000 right back. Five thousand dollars in; five thousand dollars out. In and out. Let the hon. member explain.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsJoyceMurrayVancouver QuadraBonnieCrombieMississauga—Streetsville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]On July 9, 2004, the Liberal Party transferred $5,000 to the Liberal riding association of Don Valley West. On July 15, 2004, one week later, the local Liberal riding association of Don Valley West transferred back $5,000. Five thousand dollars in; five thousand dollars out. In and out. Where is Elections Canada?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsBonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleJustinTrudeauRight Hon.Papineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, earlier today the Liberal member for Papineau put out a press release written in his parliamentary office. When I went to the website, right above his press release about Elections Canada was an invitation to donate to the Liberal Party.When will he do the right thing and stop fundraising out of his own office?Some hon. members: Oh, oh.AccountabilityAdvertisingEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, on July 15, 2004, the Bloc Québécois transferred $17,071.20 to the candidate in Québec. On July 16, the following day, the candidate transferred $17,071.20 to the Bloc Québécois. The money went in and the money went out.[English]Where is Elections Canada?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryMeiliFailleVaudreuil-Soulanges//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1440)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, once again, on July 15, the Bloc Québécois transferred $17,071.20 to the candidate in Québec. On July 16, the following day, the candidate transferred $17,071.20. That is the exact same amount, the same candidate and it happened the same week. The money went in and the money went out. Where is Elections Canada?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsMeiliFailleVaudreuil-SoulangesMoniqueGuayRivière-du-Nord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, obviously, the hon. member has missed the testimony at the committee.We have introduced legislation to freeze the assets of corrupt regimes in our efforts to continue to help countries in turmoil. We are sending out the right message in this area: If one steals money or assets from one's homeland and tries to move them to Canada, Canada will be the wrong place to put those assets. This should have the Bloc's support.Attorney General of CanadaBen Ali, Zine El AbidineOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaUnited Nations Security CouncilMoniqueGuayRivière-du-NordÈve-Mary ThaïThi LacSaint-Hyacinthe—Bagot//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, what all of us would want this House to believe is that the Bloc does not know what it is talking about.There are rules and laws on the books now. What we are doing is we are supplementing those to make sure that any individual who moves money from their homeland to Canada will face the consequences.Why does the member not just read the legislation? It will just take a couple of minutes, and she will be able to figure it out.Attorney General of CanadaBen Ali, Zine El AbidineOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaUnited Nations Security CouncilÈve-Mary ThaïThi LacSaint-Hyacinthe—BagotSiobhanCoadySt. John's South—Mount Pearl//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day. What an opportunity to talk about the accomplishments of the Minister of International Cooperation.Whether it is young girls in Afghanistan who are finally being able to realize the dream of going to school or the millions of women and children in Africa who will benefit from the maternal and newborn initiative brought forward by this government, the Minister of International Cooperation has always stood up for women around the world. She has done an outstanding job and we should celebrate her success today on International Women's Day.International development and aidInternational Women's DayOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentreMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, that gives me the opportunity when people are worried about our economic recovery to tell Canadians how their development dollars are delivering results, particularly for women.In fact, in Sudan where we have seen a referendum and a new country, we have delivered water for 744,000 people and ensured the enrolment of 4,000 girls in schools. We have established 30 women's community-based organizations so that woman can speak up for themselves and be part of a new nation in south Sudan.International development and aidInternational Women's DayOral questionsReferences to membersSchoolsSudanWomenPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsNinaGrewalFleetwood—Port Kells//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPensionsInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government has gone to great lengths to help seniors and women, particularly senior women who face financial challenges. We have brought in pension income splitting. We have lowered the tax rates. We have increased the age credit, not once but twice.There are so many things we have done just to help those people she is talking about. It is a darned shame the hon. member and her party have not supported a single one of those efforts.Income splittingOral questionsPensions and pensionersSenior citizensTaxationWomenIreneMathyssenLondon—FanshaweLindaDuncanEdmonton—Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPensionsInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that seniors do receive the benefits to which they are entitled on time. That is why we have done things like the automatic renewal of the guaranteed income supplement as long as the senior files a tax return. In fact, over 95% are now having their GIS automatically renewed.As to the rest, many times people apply for GIS and old age security long before they are eligible, many months before. That is why they get delayed. We wait until they are eligible to pay them. Well over 90% of seniors do receive a cheque within the first month of eligibility.Guaranteed Income SupplementOral questionsPensions and pensionersSenior citizensWomenLindaDuncanEdmonton—StrathconaNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPovertyInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government has taken several steps to reduce poverty levels in Canada, including introducing and then increasing the working income tax benefit, reducing taxes and creating jobs. We believe that lower taxes create jobs. However, let us see what the Liberal colleague says:We cannot increase corporate taxes without losing corporate investment. If we lose corporate investment, we have a less productive economy...That means fewer jobs. That means more poverty.That is the member for Kings—Hants.8510-403-126 Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, "Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada"Job creationOral questionsPovertyTaxationMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPovertyInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is our government that voted for pension income splitting, that increased the age credit to help seniors and that raised the age for RSP. We brought in the new horizons for seniors program and a financial abuse awareness program to help defend seniors. We voted for those things because we brought them in to help seniors and to help keep them out of poverty. Unfortunately, that member and the Liberals voted against every one of those things.8510-403-126 Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, "Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada"Oral questionsPovertySenior citizensMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourNikiAshtonChurchill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58922PeterBraidPeter-BraidKitchener—WaterlooConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BraidPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionMr. Peter Braid (Kitchener—Waterloo, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canada was one of the first countries to take action with respect to the tragic situation in Libya. Our swift response to secure the safety of Canadians has been well-documented and we continue to work closely with our international partners.Last week the Prime Minister announced that Canada would assist the people of Libya on the humanitarian front.Could the Minister of International Cooperation please update the House on our progress?Humanitarian assistance and workersInternational development and aidLibyaOral questionsVicToewsHon.ProvencherBevOdaHon.Durham//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canada is providing humanitarian aid to those fleeing the conflict in Libya.Today I am pleased to tell Canadians about our most recent efforts that will provide nutritious food for over one million displaced persons. We will help supply tents, blankets and bedding for 90,000 people and provide the much needed water, food and sanitation services they lack as they await repatriation to their homelands.Our government not only makes empty promises, we are telling Canadians what their humanitarian aid is delivering.Humanitarian assistance and workersInternational development and aidLibyaOral questionsPeterBraidKitchener—WaterlooLarryBagnellHon.Yukon//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Electoral Financing]InterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1600)[English]Madam Speaker, I listened intently to the speech. I learned earlier today that in my riding the former member of Parliament was part of the Liberal in and out program. I think it was $5,000 that went in and $5,000 that went out. I referenced earlier today the fact that we are actually here talking about the Liberals' inability to get over the fact that the people of Canada threw them out of power in 2006. They do not understand why it is that we were brought in to clean up the mess. That is one of the reasons that they were thrown out.The NDP members also have some responsibility because they knew in 2004 that the Liberals were a corrupt lot. They had stolen millions of dollars from the taxpayers of Canada to finance campaigns in 2004. The ad scam was something that was reprehensible to everybody but the NDP still cut a deal with the then Liberal government to keep them in power longer. Will the member and his party get over the fact that they lost the 2006 election and that now is the time to look forward and start focusing on what really matters to Canadians, mainly the economy?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsToddRussellLabradorToddRussellLabrador//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1700)[English]Order, please. I will have to stop the member there because it is time for questions and comments.The hon. member for Oak Ridges—Markham.HedyFryHon.Vancouver CentrePaulCalandraOak Ridges—Markham//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1700)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is not often that I enjoy the Liberal members' speeches because they usually do not really talk about a lot. But today in particular the Liberals are so upset. They cannot accept the fact that in 2006 their government was thrown out of office as one of the most corrupt governments in the history of this country. It is driving them crazy that they were thrown out, that the people of Canada turned their backs on them. It is driving them crazy that Canadians from coast to coast to coast are donating to the Conservative Party because they know we are a good government.I have been searching high and low across my riding for just a portion of the $40 million that was stolen by the previous Liberal government. I would ask the member a couple of questions.First, does she know where we can look to find some of the $40 million that the Liberals stole in buying the 2000 election? Is the reality not that they are talking about this motion today because we are a couple of weeks away from a budget and they have nothing to offer Canadian families? They have nothing to offer the people of Canada. They have nothing to offer the armed forces. They have nothing to offer for the environment. They have nothing to offer for natural resources. The Liberals have nothing to offer the people of Canada, so they are going to do everything in their power to try to avoid talking about the things that matter to Canadians; the economy and jobs. Is that not the bottom line?AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsReimbursementSponsorshipSponsorship ProgramAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionMr. Paul Calandra: (1700)[English]You stole $40 million from us.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOpposition motionsHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentreHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1700)[English]Order, please. The hon. member asked a question. I am sure all hon. members would like to listen to the response. I will give the member for Vancouver Centre a few more seconds to wrap up.Noise/conversations/heckling, interrupting Member speakingHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentreHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]Does the member have the unanimous consent of the House?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.Decisions of the HouseTime limits on debateTime limits on speechesPaulSzaboMississauga SouthPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1715)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened to the previous speaker. He used the phrase, “We believe the Conservatives are above the rule of law”.I would like to remind him that I have with me an 84-page ruling of the Federal Court dated January 18, 2010. I do not have time to read the entire report. I will not ask for unanimous consent for extra time to read it. However, I want to remind our colleagues, “The decisions made by the respondent”, which is Elections Canada, “on or around April 23, 2007 to exclude from the amount of reimbursement calculated under section 465 of the Canada Elections Act”. It goes on, “are set aside and the matter is referred back to the respondent”, which is Elections Canada.It goes on to say:With regard to the candidates’ electoral campaign returns submitted under section 451...the cost incurred, or non-monetary contributions received, by said candidates during the 2006 election with respect to their participation in the regional media buy...program, are candidate election expenses within the meaning of sections 406 and 407 of the Act.At the end it says, “Elections Canada shall recalculate the amount of reimbursement to give the candidates that they had actually” There is clear evidence that the Federal Court has ruled in favour of the Conservative Party—AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOpposition motionsPaulSzaboMississauga SouthAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]The hon. member for Mississauga South.HaroldAlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]Order, please. I will ask the House, as there are a few minutes left before the vote is taken, to tone it down a little so we can listen to the rest of the response.Noise/conversations/heckling, interrupting Member speakingPaulSzaboMississauga SouthPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1720)[English]There is less than a minute left for the member for Mississauga South.DonDaviesVancouver KingswayPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1725)[English]Order, please. There seems to be a lot of members who are anxious to ask questions or comments. Maybe they could hold off until there is time for questions and comments. Right now the Chair is having difficulty hearing the member for Winnipeg Centre.Noise/conversations/heckling, interrupting Member speakingPatMartinWinnipeg CentrePatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Electoral FinancingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1725)[English]Order, please. It being 5:28 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply. The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.Some hon. members: Yea.The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay.Some hon. members: Nay.The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the nays have it.And five or more members having risen:The Deputy Speaker: Call in the members.PatMartinWinnipeg CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersOpposition Motion—Representation in ParliamentInterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1810)[English]Mr. Speaker, if you seek it I believe you would find agreement to apply the vote from the previous motion to the current motion, with the Conservatives voting no.Abolition of SenateAmendments and subamendmentsElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaReferendum ActPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsCensusInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1845)[English]The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 6:47 p.m.)MikeLakeHon.Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25462BradTrostBrad-TrostSaskatoon—HumboldtConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/TrostBrad_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCanada Post Corporation ActInterventionMr. Brad Trost (Saskatoon—Humboldt, CPC): (1100)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today about the importance of literacy for Canada and Canadians. In particular, in speaking to Bill C-509, introduced by my colleague, the member for Brandon—Souris, I am particularly pleased, as the son of a librarian, to be supporting this bill.I am pleased today to highlight some of the government's ongoing investments in and support of this vital skill and to speak about the important role that the library book rate plays in supporting literacy.Improving the literacy and essential skills of Canadians is a key part of the government's commitment to building a highly skilled, adaptable and competitive work force. The ability to read is just one aspect of the essential skills today's workers need in a competitive marketplace. Others include document use, numeracy, writing, oral communication, working with others, continuous learning, thinking and computer skills. These are skills that many of us in our daily lives take for granted.Recognizing how important and fundamental these skills are, the Government of Canada invested $38 million in 2010-11 in the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills. This office serves as a national centre of expertise in literacy and essential skills that complements the work of the provinces and territories in adult learning. It works to ensure that Canadians have the skills they require to participate fully in the labour market and their communities. It does this by developing and sustaining networks of pan-Canadian coalitions and bringing together the key organizations and partners that play a role in literacy and essential skills across Canada.The office plans, develops, tests and disseminates new ideas, tools, and strategies for effective interventions in literacy and essential skills, and supports organizations and institutions in bettering literacy and other essential skills in their activities and policies. Through the work of the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, the government provides core funding to literacy coalitions across Canada. It also supports a number of innovative projects that work with businesses to design and test new approaches for addressing the essential skills challenges of workers.In our global economy, a highly skilled population is a key asset for any nation and is fundamental to economic growth. Globalization and new technologies have propelled us in this knowledge-based economy. Reflecting this, the occupational composition of Canada has shifted toward occupations that require higher levels of education and skill. A knowledge-based economy requires workers who can adapt quickly to changing skills and requirements. Literacy is fundamental to this adaptability. Without literacy, it is difficult to keep up with the rapid evolution of working environments, let alone the increased computerization often required. In order to preserve Canada's competitiveness in today's global economy, it is essential to invest in workers who will be ready and able to keep up with these changes.There is little doubt that essential skills like literacy contribute not only to the national economy but also to people's personal, economic, and social wellbeing. These essential skills are key to someone's ability to realize their economic and social potential and are the foundation upon which they acquire additional knowledge and skills throughout their lives. Positively associated with good health, employment stability and remuneration, literacy enables people to participate in their communities, to make wise community decisions and to construct social networks.However, these skills also have to be understood and appreciated for their large social implications in the 21st century. Essential skills, especially literacy, are linked to civic participation, community building and the development of social institutions. Without these skills, there is an increased risk that certain groups could be excluded from these kinds of social and civic activities.A lot of work remains to be done to improve literacy in Canada. About 9 million individuals or 42% of working-aged Canadians currently score below the minimum literacy level required to function well in a knowledge-based economy. There is evidence of a significant gap in literacy rates between rural and urban Canadians. The gap is found in our schools, with remote students not performing as well on average as their urban counterparts, a trend that persists into adulthood. Similarly, the literacy performance of aboriginal populations is lower than that of the total Canadian population, especially in remote areas.(1105)Canadians without access to information and communications technologies, who do not use computers to access information via CD-ROMs, CDs, DVDs and the Internet, also tend to have lower literacy levels than the rest of the population. Not only are they faced with a digital divide but also a literacy gap.The key to adults' literacy proficiency and the development of literacy in their children seems to be reading at home. It increases a person's proficiency through engagement in literacy activities, such as reading books, magazines, manuals or newspapers. Libraries play a fundamental role in providing Canadians with access to a wide range of reading materials and literacy activities. With the help of Canada Post's library book rate, libraries are able to dramatically increase rural and remote library users' access to a consolidated Canadian collection of around 465 million items.In recognition of the important role of libraries in literacy, Library and Archives Canada recently partnered with TD to support Canada's literature and literacy as part of its commitment to foster reading and literacy programs in communities throughout the country. Through this partnership, Library and Archives Canada is involved in a number of programs, like the TD summer reading club, the TD Canadian children's literature awards and, to support higher learning, the TD Canada Trust scholarships for community leadership, as well as other scholarships, bursaries and in-school programs.These programs help children and students improve their reading skills and develop a greater interest in reading. In particular, the summer reading club increases the number of books that participating children read and teaches them to use the library to open up cultural, community and social horizons. Last summer, half a million Canadian children participated in this club, with over 27,000 events held at 1,995 libraries nationwide. Through the initiative of the summer reading club, participating children read almost 2.4 million books last summer.Efforts to create future readers and learners and to engage current readers and help all Canadians build and maintain their skills are vital to our economic development and growth. Libraries and literacy programs are fundamental to our future for this very reason.The library book rate, which my colleague's legislation supports, has played an important role in the sharing of these books across the country, especially with rural and remote locations. The support it has provided to libraries and their communities cannot be overstated.It is for these reasons that I support this legislation. The library book rate will help with literacy. It is not the only or sole solution but a very small piece. However, it is a piece that helps librarians serve their communities and teachers to access new resources and helps remote students to access the entire world, not just the world on the Internet but also the world still on the printed page, and the world on CDs and DVDs. It is something that is good for our economy. It provides equality of citizenship all across the country and, more importantly, it provides access to the world in remote places all across the country.I urge all hon. members to support this legislation for the literacy support it provides, as well as its support for remote regions and our current and next generations that are striving to build a better Canada.Adult literacyAudio-visual productsC-509, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials)Canada Post CorporationLibraries and archivesLibrary materialsPostal ratesPrivate Members' BillsPublic-private partnershipsTD Bank Financial GroupThird reading and adoptionMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCanada Post Corporation ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English] The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: No. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those in favour of the motion will please say yea. Some hon. members: Yea. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those opposed will please say nay. Some hon. members: Nay. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): In my opinion the yeas have it. And five or more members having risen:Division on motion deferredThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): Pursuant to Standing Order 98, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 9, 2011, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.Audio-visual productsC-509, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials)Canada Post CorporationDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsLibraries and archivesLibrary materialsMotionsPostal ratesPrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionMervTweedBrandon—SourisBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessSuspension of SittingInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]The House will now suspend sitting until noon.(The sitting of the House was suspended at 11:33 a.m.)BarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1200)[English]When this matter was last before the House, the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley had seven minutes remaining in the comments and questions period. The hon. member for Vancouver Kingsway on questions and comments.BarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockDonDaviesVancouver Kingsway//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1225)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his declaration of support for what is very good and necessary legislation. I listened intently to his speech and that of the member of the NDP who spoke about the timing of the bill.I met with members of the shop corners community immediately following the incident Mr. Chen was involved in before the hon. member was a member of the House. They told me that not only were they concerned about the timing of arrest, but what they were allowed to do in order to protect their property and themselves if they were threatened with personal physical harm.Typically, the two opposition bills mentioned this morning said nothing about what people could do to defend their property or their person, because those bills were politically motivated. They were brought in simply to score a quick, cheap, political hit, but did not address the whole issue of citizen's arrest, property defence and defence of a person.Perhaps the member could comment on that.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsSecond readingKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1099JeffWatsonJeff-WatsonEssexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WatsonJeff_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Jeff Watson (Essex, CPC): (1230)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have listened intently to the comments of the member opposite, particularly his assertion about the timing of this bill and his reference to the member for Eglinton—Lawrence on how this could have been handled sooner.The reality is the member for Eglinton—Lawrence had a choice as well. The order of precedence allows him to move his bill forward quickly. He chose another bill and allowed his particular version of the bill with respect to self-defence to languish, where it would never be debated in Parliament. If the Liberals were truly tough on crime, that bill would have been on the order of precedence.I remind the member opposite that the member for Eglinton—Lawrence's other bill, the one that he actually thought was a priority, has already been through committee. Would he like to comment on whether he spoke with the member for Eglinton—Lawrence about making this a priority instead of pretending it was a priority?C-547, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arrest by owner)C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingSelf-defenceKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1235)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on Bill C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, which addresses the issues of citizen's arrest, defence of property and defence of persons.I would like to begin by addressing the reforms to the law of self-defence and defence of property. Defences arise when a person is alleged to have committed a criminal offence. The availability of a defence means that, although a person did commit an act that would otherwise be a crime, he or she should not be convicted for it because of some other circumstance amounting to a defence at law. If a person is defending themself from an attack or defending their property from being stolen, they might need to behave in a way that would normally attract criminal responsibility, such as an assault against the person threatening them. The defences are the law's way of balancing the generally applicable offences with exceptional circumstances that can validate the commission of crimes.In the McIntosh case in 1995, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a very stark assessment of the law of self-defence. Here is what former Chief Justice Antonio Lamer had to say:I would observe that ss. 34 and 35 of the Criminal Code are highly technical, excessively detailed provisions deserving of much criticism. These provisions overlap, and are internally inconsistent in certain respects.... It is to be expected that trial judges may encounter difficulties in explaining the provisions to a jury, and that jurors may find them confusing. Chief Justice Lamer went on to say:I am of the view that any interpretation which attempts to make sense of the provisions will have some undesirable or illogical results. It is clear that legislative action is required to clarify the Criminal Code’s self-defence regime.Confusing law is not just a matter of passing concern; when laws are difficult to understand, there are real consequences. People will not be able to read the law and understand the rules that govern their conduct; and police will have a difficult time assessing whether a person has a valid defence for the conduct and may end up laying charges just to be on the safe side, in the hope that the court will sort out the confusion.I have spoken with dozens of police officers who have told me that this is exactly what they do. I believe that this is probably what happened in the case of Mr. Chen. The police were faced with a series of confusing provisions in the Criminal Code. Their duty is to uphold the law, and so their duty is to lay a charge and seek the court's determination. That is what they did in this case.That is why these types of cases and these provisions in the Criminal Code really require very close scrutiny, and that is what Bill C-60 is intended to do.Prosecutors and defence counsel will spend considerable time making arguments about the meaning and the scope of the law; courts will have tremendous difficulty explaining the law to juries; juries will be asked to apply laws that even lawyers and judges do not fully understand; and even if the jury comes to the right conclusion, there are likely to be grounds for the losing party to appeal, causing delay in the final resolution of the outcome for the person charged, and the cost to the justice system will be significant and unnecessary.We are right to be concerned about confusing laws. It is Parliament's duty to ensure that the law is accessible and clear to all Canadians. The time has come to do so in regard to these provisions.When we looked at these provisions, we realized that there were nine provisions in the Criminal Code that were very confusing and, in some ways, contradictory. And when we looked further into it, we realized that these provisions of the Criminal Code had not actually been substantially revised since 1960. Thus it was the right time to do so. The case of Mr. Chen was certainly a catalyst for change and gave rise to an opportunity for us to examine these provisions. However, when we actually sat down and spoke to shop owners, and here I hope that the member for Winnipeg North who spoke previously had an opportunity to do so in his city, we came to the conclusion that there was a lot more that needed to be fixed than just the timing of the citizen's arrest provision.Prior to and after the Supreme Court of Canada's pronouncements in the McIntosh case, there were numerous attempts to reform the law.First, the former Law Reform Commission of Canada proposed in 1987 a re-codified general part of the Criminal Code, the part that contains many general rules, such as the defences and rules surrounding participation in crime. This report included a reformed law of self-defence and defence of property.The Canadian Bar Association also produced a report in 1992 for a reformed general part of the code and proposed a slightly different, but vastly simpler, defence of the person and defence of property.(1240)Around the same time, the Department of Justice issued a white paper that was a draft of a new general part of the Criminal Code. It included yet another version of a simplified defence for self-defence and defence of person.Again in 1998, the Department of Justice consulted with Canadians on various ways in which the defences could be simplified and clarified. However, law reform never came until now.Bill C-60 presents the first legislative response in many decades to the confusing law on self-defence and defence of property. In a nutshell, the legislation seeks to simplify both defences in order to provide clear guidance to Canadians about what they can do in an emergency situation where they are forced by a threat to themselves or their property.Simpler laws will provide better guidance to police officers who are called to the scene of a crime, who will, as a result, be better able to make appropriate decisions about whether charges are warranted or not. Simpler laws will also allow courts to instruct juries in a sensible manner. This will reduce successful appeals and retrials, saving the justice system unnecessary time and expense.The proposed new law of self-defence will boil down to a few simple considerations: did the person reasonably perceive that they or another person was being threatened with force, or were they actually being assaulted; did they respond for the purpose of protecting themselves or the other person from that force; did they act reasonably in the circumstances?These are the key components that permit a person to do what would otherwise be criminal, whether it be using force against force, or doing something else such as breaking into a property to escape an attacker. These components are very similar to those that are currently part of the law of self-defence, but the defence in Bill C-60 provides a single, simple, general rule. The law on the books today, by contrast, is based on the same basic principles but is written in a very complicated and overly detailed way.Why does the law need to be more complicated than these three principles? The answer is that it does not. One new feature of the defence of persons is the addition of a non-exhaustive list of factors to help guide the judge or jury in determining whether the conduct was reasonable in the circumstances.Our government believes this additional feature will be welcomed by the courts, which will be called upon to interpret the law and instruct juries on a more simple defence. The factors on the list are well known in the case law dealing with self-defence, because they often arise in all kinds of different cases.The list will include the nature of the force that was threatened and the proportionality of the response to it, whether there were weapons present and whether the parties had a pre-existing relationship, including in particular whether there were previous incidents of violence.This last factor will be particularly important in cases where a battered spouse uses force. As the Supreme Court has noted in the landmark case of Lavallee, it is sometimes difficult for a jury to understand how a battered spouse might stay in a relationship or how they might come to understand the patterns of violence of their partner.The list of factors to consider will help ground the jury's consideration of the facts by clearly identifying this factor, among others, as relevant to its assessment of reasonableness.The current defence of property scheme has the same flaws as those of self-defence. There are too many overlapping provisions that set out specific situations and they are far too complicated to know which to apply and in what circumstances.The reform proposed in Bill C-60 would dramatically simplify the law by setting out one single general rule for the defence. The same level of protection that is currently provided by five separate defences would be captured in one simplified defence. In the simplest of terms, a person will be able to do what is reasonable in the circumstances to protect property in their possession from being taken, destroyed or trespassed upon. Bill C-60 expands the time in which a property owner can arrest a person who is committing an offence in relation to their property. This change will bring flexibility to the power of citizen's arrest, which will complement the other reforms in the bill by helping Canadians to protect their interests when the situation calls for urgent action.I think all members can agree that clear and simple defences and a citizen's arrest law that provides flexibility for variations in the circumstances will allow all Canadians to take necessary and reasonable steps when the circumstances leave them with no other reasonable options.(1245)I urge all members to support this important legislation.If time allows, I would like to distinguish for all of the members present today the difference between Bill C-60 and the two private members' bills.As I mentioned in my remarks, the government's bill is broader in scope. It clarifies and simplifies the law of self-defence and defence of property, and would expand the provisions governing citizen's arrest. The two private members' bills deal only with citizen's arrest.With respect to the reforms to the citizen's arrest provisions, the government's bill would expand the time period for a citizen to make an arrest, but in a carefully and articulated way so as not to invite citizens to make such arrests where it is instead feasible and advisable for the police to do so.Bill C-565, the NDP bill, proposes to allow a person to make a citizen's arrest of another person whom, on reasonable grounds, he or she believes has committed an offence and where the arrest occurs within a reasonable time following commission of the offence.Bill C-547, the Liberal private member's bill proposed by the member for Eglinton—Lawrence, proposes amendments similar to Bill C-565 but without the reasonable time requirement.Perhaps the member for Winnipeg Centre may want to read his colleague's bill. He mentioned something about reasonable time for a citizen's arrest, but that is not even included in that bill.These two private members' bills would allow for a citizen's arrest based on reasonable grounds that an offence has been committed. However, there is no time limit within which this belief must be formed and the time could extend to weeks or months later.The government's proposal, requiring that the arrester find someone committing an offence and make the arrest within a reasonable time only when it is not feasible in the circumstances for a peace officer to make the arrest, is more limited and more responsible. It does not equate the citizen's arrest power with that of the police.C-547, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arrest by owner)C-565, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arrest without warrant by owner)C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsProperty crimeReasonable timeSecond readingSelf-defenceKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthCathyMcLeodKamloops—Thompson—Cariboo//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert: (1245)[English]Mr. Speaker, as we heard today, the opposition has proposed two bills that are very limited in scope, without taking the time to look into what is really behind all of the circumstances in these types of cases.When shopowners are confronted by a shoplifter, as Mr. Chen was, they look at what they need to do both to defend their property and, potentially, defend themself or staff or customers. All of these provisions are wrapped up together. We cannot simply make a change to the time of a citizen's arrest without examining what people have the right to do to defend themselves or their property. However, that is typical of the opposition when it finally gets engaged in a criminal justice matter. Most of the time the opposition is against criminal justice legislation, and most of the time those members side with the offender not the victim.In this case the government took the time to look at all of the related provisions and to make the necessary amendments that will clarify the law for all Canadians for decades to come.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsProperty crimeSecond readingSelf-defenceCathyMcLeodKamloops—Thompson—CaribooAlexAtamanenkoBritish Columbia Southern Interior//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert: (1250)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his support for at least part of this legislation, and hopefully all of it. My comment about the voting record of his party on justice bills is based on experience. He does not sit on the justice committee as I do, but I am there day after day listening to his colleagues on the justice committee present witness after witness against bills that are designed to rebalance the criminal law as between offenders and victims. I can say from experience day after day that they slow down and delay legislation by putting forward witnesses that only want to talk about the needs of offenders.Let me talk about the timing of this bill. I and other members of the government met with shop owners, including Mr. Chen, immediately following the event that took place in his store. We heard what they think is necessary on a range of issues. It was not just the timing of the citizen's arrest in that particular case. That was one very narrow aspect.What they are concerned about and face every single day working in their stores 16 to 18 hours serving their communities is that there are people who repeatedly and violently steal from them. They need to know what they can do to defend their property and to defend themselves, their staff and their customers when these people enter their stores. It would be unreasonable to simply add the word “reasonable” to the Criminal Code, which is essentially what the NDP wanted to do. They wanted to insert one word so they could say they have done something in responding to people's needs without actually taking the time, which is typical of the opposition, to get to the root of the problem and make important reforms that would solve the problem and simplify the Criminal Code for police, judges and all Canadian citizens.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsOwnersProperty crimeReasonable timeSecond readingSelf-defenceAlexAtamanenkoBritish Columbia Southern InteriorKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert: (1250)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is a good question. What is reasonable really has to depend on the circumstances. It is very difficult to say generally what would be reasonable. In the specific case that was a catalyst for this bill, the court actually found that the period of time was not really in question because the perpetrator was actually in the process of perpetrating a secondary crime at the time the citizen's arrest was made.However, we have made it clear that in addition to a reasonable period of time, it must also be not feasible in the circumstances for the police to be called in to make the arrest, which is of course what we want to happen in the vast majority of cases. However, when that is not feasible and police are not available, it would be reasonable for a citizen to make an arrest.If the member is a lawyer, he may know that Lord Denning, a famous member of the House of Lords, said that what is reasonable is what is in the mind of the man on the Clapham omnibus. If I could put that in Canadian terms, it is what citizens on the Burnhamthorpe Road West bus in my riding or on the GO train going to work every morning would think is a reasonable period of time in which they could make an arrest in order to protect their property.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsReasonable timeSecond readingKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert: (1255)[English]Mr. Speaker, if the member actually took the time to speak to shopkeepers, she would understand that in the vast majority of cases they are actually defending themselves in addition to defending their property. They need to know what they can do in order to protect their personal health. Also, they need to know what steps they can take to protect their property. These things are all intertwined. If members actually take the time to think about what is going on and what shopkeepers need to do when they see somebody come into a store and take something off the shelf, they will realize that we are taking nine very confusing provisions of the Criminal Code, section 34 to section 42, and section 494, and we are simplifying them into three provisions that everyone will be able to understand.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsSecond readingSelf-defenceOliviaChowTrinity—SpadinaOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1315)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know the member met with her constituent, Mr. Chen, and other shop owners in her constituency. She is sincerely trying to amend the law to fix what everyone recognizes are anomalies in the law.In her comments, the member asked why we need to amend the right to self-defence and the right to defence of property. With respect, I think she answered her own question in her remarks.The member then went on to describe some of the facts in the Mr. Chen, Lucky Moose Market case. She rightly mentioned that he was charged with assault and forcible confinement. What happened in that case was that he chased the perpetrator down the laneway, arrested him, tied him up and put him in the back of a van. Therefore, he was charged with assault and with confinement. He needs to know that the provisions of the law that he was charged with are: What right did he have to defend his property; what actions could he take to defend his property; and what actions, in a more broader case, could he take to defend himself.I wonder if the member could comment on that.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Chen, DavidCitizen's arrestGovernment billsSecond readingSelf-defenceOliviaChowTrinity—SpadinaOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1400)[English]I must interrupt the member at this time for statements by members. The hon. member for Mississauga South will have 15 minutes remaining when the House returns to this matter.PaulSzaboMississauga SouthJoePrestonElgin—Middlesex—London//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersSt. Thomas Industrial Revolution ChallengeInterventionMr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, who wants to be an industrial revolutionary? St. Thomas, Ontario has a vision to be the best manufacturing community in North America and a group of local private sector business leaders has taken huge steps to make this happen.We want to welcome industrialists, innovators and business leaders from around the world to imagine building something great in St. Thomas, Ontario. If people have an idea but no place to set up, then they should take the challenge now. They should enter to win a factory to call their own and to make their home. People must enter today and a winner will be chosen and be in his or her new home by September.We are serious about manufacturing in St. Thomas, and we are proud of it, too. If what people have just heard describes them, they should enter the St. Thomas industrial revolution challenge at stirchallenge.ca. Win a factory, be an industrial revolutionary and make St. Thomas home. Manufacturing industryOntarioSt. ThomasStatements by MembersWeb sitesBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockAlanTonksYork South—Weston//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35539PhilMcColemanPhil-McColemanBrantConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/McColemanPhil_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCanadian ForcesInterventionMr. Phil McColeman (Brant, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, it was a hero's welcome for reserve soldiers of the 56th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery in Brantford. On February 24, families and friends gathered to celebrate the safe return of all 25 soldiers who just completed a recent tour in Afghanistan.Fit, healthy and safe, these brave soldiers participated in a welcome home parade that honoured their exceptional service to their regiment, community and country.As Canadians, we take enormous pride in our men and women who have served and continue to serve in Afghanistan. We are grateful for the sacrifices they continue to make and their unwavering commitment to our country.AfghanistanBrantfordCanadian ForcesCanadian Forces mission in AfghanistanMilitary serviceOntarioStatements by MembersFrankValerioteGuelphClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, it would be difficult to respond to and correct all of the factual errors in the hon. member's question in 35 seconds.I will inform the member that Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party did transfer funds to the local campaigns and those local campaigns followed all the rules in making proper filings to Elections Canada. That is why we continue to press our case in the court of law. We took Elections Canada to court because we have followed all the rules and we will continue to pursue our case.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, last week I told the Liberals that they would not qualify for an Oscar victory, but that member might be an exception. He would win best fiction.What happened here, of course, was Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party transferred funds to the local campaigns. The reason Elections Canada knows this is that we told it, and why would we not? After all, it is legal, ethical and common practice among all parties. It singled us out and so we took it to court and we will continue to pursue our case.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me tell the deputy leader of the Liberal Party that at least no one in this party has had to write a cheque for $1 million back to the taxpayers that they stole when they were in office.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaFinley, DougGerstein, Irving RussellIn and out financingOral questionsSenate and senatorsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, clearly the premise of the question is wrong. In actual fact, Conservative Party candidates spent Conservative money on Conservative ads. The national party transferred funds to local candidates. The reason why Elections Canada knows about it is that we told them. Why not? It is legal, it is ethical and all the parties do it on a regular basis. We have defended our case before the courts and will continue to do so.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsThomasMulcairHon.OutremontThomasMulcairHon.Outremont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, these ridings and, indeed, the entire Conservative Party followed all of the rules. Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. What is interesting is that we still do not have any questions from the Liberal Party on jobs. Why? It is because our economic action plan has created 460,000 of them. There are no questions on unemployment. Why? Unemployment in Canada is two percentage points lower than in the United States for the first time in a generation. There are none on the economy, because we have had six consecutive quarters of economic growth in Canada. There are none on savings, because five million Canadians have opened up Conservative-created tax-free savings accounts.We are getting the job done.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsWayneEasterHon.MalpequeWayneEasterHon.Malpeque//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, if the members continue to ask the same question, they will continue to get the same answers.Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party transferred funds to local candidates. The reason Elections Canada knows it is because we told them, and why would we not? It is legal, ethical and common practice amongst all political parties.We have taken Elections Canada to court because we have followed the rules, and we will continue to pursue our case in front of the courts.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsWayneEasterHon.MalpequeLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party did transfer funds to the local campaigns.The reason Elections Canada knows that is because we told them and why would we not? It is legal, ethical and common practice amongst all political parties.Elections Canada singled us out, so we took them to court. We will continue to pursue our case in front of the courts.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member just mentioned members who followed the rules.[English]The Conservative candidates in question spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The reason Elections Canada knows that is because we told them and why would we not? It is legal, ethical and common practice. That is why, when they singled us out, we took them to court. We will continue to pursue our case against Elections Canada.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardCaroleFreemanChâteauguay—Saint-Constant//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/54325LisaRaittHon.Lisa-RaittHaltonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/RaittLisa_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodLabourInterventionHon. Lisa Raitt (Minister of Labour, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, obviously we are strongly opposed to this. Offering criminals the same legitimacy that is afforded to prison guards and other legitimate labour unions is offensive. I have instructed my officials to examine all options to deal with the effects of such a move.AgassizCorrectional facilitiesDetaineesImprisonment and prisonersLabour unionsMountain InstitutionOral questionsRonCannanHon.Kelowna—Lake CountryMeganLeslieHalifax//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25486ColinCarrieColin-CarrieOshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/CarrieColin_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionMr. Colin Carrie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC): (1445)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for the question. It is obvious that the NDP and its members do not understand our country's health care system. At every opportunity, the member has voted against giving money to the provinces.[English]With regard to the Senate, as we know, having recently completed a detailed and objective review of H1N1, the Senate committee has displayed the expertise, the resources and the access to witnesses required to do a thorough and independent report of the progress in the 2004 accord. The minister sent a letter to the Senate, requesting it to--Health care systemOral questionsMeganLeslieHalifaxPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25486ColinCarrieColin-CarrieOshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/CarrieColin_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHealthInterventionMr. Colin Carrie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, what is shameful is that the NDP members had every opportunity. When we offer transfers to the provinces, those members vote against everything in health care.As the member knows, the delivery of heath services is the prerogative of the provinces and we work closely with the provinces and territories to ensure they have the resources to deliver those services. She and her entire party should be ashamed that they vote against every opportunity to give more money to the provinces to provide more doctors, more services and more medication to the people of Canada who need it. That is their record.Family doctorsHealth care systemLabour shortageOral questionsMeganLeslieHalifaxMichelGuimondMontmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAccess to InformationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the member for Papineau that the information that was requested by the finance committee has already been tabled in the House.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTough on crime strategiesJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauJackHarrisSt. John's East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35539PhilMcColemanPhil-McColemanBrantConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/McColemanPhil_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionMr. Phil McColeman (Brant, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, recently the Liberals sent the member for Willowdale to Brantford looking to attack my riding. The Liberals found a local business, Brant Screen Craft, that happened to be removing a sign from its building that day. The Liberals said that was a sad sign of depressing Brant. However, the only depressing thing is cheap Liberal politics because the hard-working people of Brant Screen Craft were actually expanding their operations, putting up a brand new sign and hiring 50 people.Could the Minister of Finance explain why this company is expanding?Brant Screen Craft Inc.BrantfordCorporate income taxOral questionsPeterMacKayHon.Central NovaJimFlahertyHon.Whitby—Oshawa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member for Brant is doing a fine job for the people and businesses of Brant, the employers of Brant. The only thing that is sad and depressing about this is that the Liberals keep getting it wrong. They are wrong with their high-tax plan and wrong with their planned tax hike. They should listen to the people who are running the business and hiring 50 new people in Brant. They say:“[The Liberals’] attempt at disparaging the Conservatives...was a disaster…. Ironically, we had looked into locating our finishing...facility in Michigan. The corporate tax cuts and programs provided by the Conservative government were the deciding factor—Brant Screen Craft Inc.BrantfordCorporate income taxOral questionsPhilMcColemanBrantPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank the Bloc member for that legal advice. Of course, he got it completely wrong.We work with Tunisia. We work with other countries. I am very pleased and very proud that the legislation to correct the laws of our country and fill in the gaps will go to committee today.This hon. member should get behind that. Let us get it passed by the end of the week.Attorney General of CanadaBen Ali, Zine El AbidineFamilies and childrenFinancial assetsForeign countriesHead of State (external)Oral questionsPolitical leadership and leadersSeizure of assetsTunisiaJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-BoucherAlexAtamanenkoBritish Columbia Southern Interior//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1795DavidAndersonDavid-AndersonCypress Hills—GrasslandsConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AndersonDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodMining IndustryInterventionMr. David Anderson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition, our government has a long-standing commitment to the Canadian mining industry.With the support of a strong rural caucus, including the member for Cariboo—Prince George, we have taken steps to create mining jobs by lowering taxes, the flow-through tax credit for exploration, and by reducing red tape.I am proud to say that today the Minister of Natural Resources announced the extension of the targeted geoscience initiative for three more years. This investment will strengthen the Canadian economy. It will support the more than 300,000 Canadians who work in mining.We are proud of this investment and we are proud of our support for rural Canada.Mining industryOral questionsTaxationRichardHarrisCariboo—Prince GeorgeGeoffReganHon.Halifax West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodChild CareInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, few governments have ever done as much as we have to support families. We believe in them.We believe that parents are in the best position to decide how to raise their children. It is they who should decide what form of child care they get, whether it is institutional care, or it is mom or dad staying home or granny around the corner.It is their choice, not the government's. We support the choice of parents all the way.Childcare centres and workersNational child care programOral questionsIreneMathyssenLondon—FanshaweMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to get into tabling legal opinions, we could go back and perhaps table the legal opinions provided to the previous Liberal government from the sponsorship scandal.Legal servicesMinister citing a documentOral questionsOuimet, ChristianePoints of orderPublic Sector Integrity CommissionerRequesting tabling of documentsSeverance payPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English] Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions.Government response to petitionsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanDavidTilsonDufferin—Caledon//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25461DavidTilsonDavid-TilsonDufferin—CaledonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/TilsonDavid_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Citizenship and Immigration.]InterventionMr. David Tilson (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in relation to a motion adopted at the committee, on Tuesday, March 1, on the negotiations between L'Association québecoise des pharmaciens propriétaires and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada pertaining to the interim federal health program. 8510-403-206 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (negotiations between the "Association québécoise des pharmaciens propriétaires" and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration pertaining to the Interim Federal Health Program)Agreements and contractsAssociation québécoise des pharmaciens propriétairesDepartment of Citizenship and ImmigrationInterim Federal Health ProgramMedavie Blue CrossPharmaceuticalsReimbursementStanding Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreShawnMurphyHon.Charlottetown//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order Paper InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1615)[Translation]It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for London—Fanshawe, Status of Women; the hon. member for Lac-Saint-Louis, Public Safety; the hon. member for Richmond Hill, National Defence.MarcLemayAbitibi—TémiscamingueDerekLeeScarborough—Rouge River//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1705)[English]I would urge the member to be mindful of the subject matter of Bill C-60. He has about a minute left, so perhaps he could bring his remarks back to the subject matter of the bill.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Government billsMembers' remarksPoints of orderRelevancySecond readingStevenFletcherHon.Charleswood—St. James—AssiniboiaBruceHyerThunder Bay—Superior North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]I will just take this opportunity to inform members that we have concluded the first five hours of debate, so now speeches will be 10 minutes and the questions and comments periods will be five minutes. Resuming debate. The hon. member for Eglinton—Lawrence.C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Government billsSecond readingTime limits on speechesJoeComartinWindsor—TecumsehJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—Lawrence//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1820)[English]The hon. member for Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale is rising on a point of order.JosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—LawrenceDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of the HouseInterventionMr. David Sweet (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, CPC): (1820)[English]Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, the minister responsible for the Status of Women Canada will be delivering a ministerial statement tomorrow on the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Therefore, I believe you will find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion:That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, on Tuesday, March 8, 2011, statements by ministers, pursuant to Standing Order 33, shall be taken up at 3 p.m.MotionAnniversaryDaily ProgramInternational Women's DayLeave to propose a motionMinister for Status of WomenPoints of orderStatements by MinistersAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of the HouseInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1820)[English]Does the hon. member have unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.The Deputy Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.(Motion agreed to)AnniversaryDaily ProgramDecisions of the HouseInternational Women's DayLeave to propose a motionMinister for Status of WomenMotionsStatements by MinistersDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleDonDaviesVancouver Kingsway//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English] Resuming debate. The hon. member for Nanaimo—Cowichan will have about three or four minutes before I will move on to adjournment proceedings.JosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—LawrenceJeanCrowderNanaimo—Cowichan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]Order, please. The hon. member will have seven minutes to conclude her speech the next time this bill is before the House.JeanCrowderNanaimo—CowichanIreneMathyssenLondon—Fanshawe//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPublic SafetyInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1840)[English]Mr. Speaker, I hope that the member for Lac-Saint-Louis listens to what I have to tell him here tonight.I can assure the hon. member that this government is committed to protecting Canada's critical infrastructure, including our drinking water systems.In keeping with this commitment, on May 28, 2010, together with the Ontario and Alberta governments, the Minister of Public Safety announced a national strategy and action plan for critical infrastructure. This strategy helps us to manage risks and respond swiftly when terrorist attacks and other disruptions occur.I would like to point out that we have already achieved meaningful progress in this area. For example, in November 2010 Public Safety Canada published its “Risk Management Guide for Critical Infrastructure Sectors”. This guide is based on an international standard and provides practical guidance to our critical infrastructure sectors on conducting risk management activities.I would also like to assure the hon. member that Public Safety Canada and Environment Canada are actively working with our partners in the water sector, including the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, to protect our drinking water systems from terrorist attacks.For example, on November 30, 2010 our water sector partners hosted a national water utilities security workshop. During this workshop representatives from industry and all levels of government discussed how we could build on our existing efforts to secure our drinking water systems. This workshop included a briefing from the RCMP on intentional threats to water utilities.I would like to take a moment to talk briefly about the role of the public safety portfolio and our commitment to delivering a more coordinated and strategic approach to strengthening the resilience of Canada's critical infrastructure.Public Safety Canada is responsible for exercising national leadership to protect critical infrastructure. The department undertakes its leadership activities as part of a team with our portfolio partners, which includes the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Canada Border Services Agency.Public safety portfolio officials work together to develop and share critical infrastructure information, such as security briefings and intelligence products relating to our vital assets and systems.The RCMP, for example, has a specific section dedicated to collecting and disseminating information and intelligence on threats to Canada's critical infrastructure.This section of the RCMP has developed the suspicious incident reporting system, which is an online mechanism to receive information on suspicious incidents from critical infrastructure sectors.This information contributes to the RCMP's national security criminal investigations and the development of analytical products. These products are shared with the private sector for its risk management activities.The public safety portfolio approach reflects a team effort that forms the core of the Government of Canada's actions to strengthen the resilience of Canada's critical infrastructure.Critical infrastructure protectionDrinking waterNational securitySafetyFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-Louis//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPublic SafetyInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1840)[English]I am going to stop the member there. The hon. parliamentary secretary.FrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisDaveMacKenzieOxford//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPublic SafetyInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie: (1840)[English]Mr. Speaker, this government is actively working with our water sector partners to share information and to address the threat of terrorist attacks.A 2009 water sector survey conducted by Environment Canada and the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association shows that approximately half of the responding municipalities have conducted risk assessments. I would also like to point out that the survey shows that 92% of these municipalities have a plan in place to deal with emergencies, including terrorist attacks. We will work with our partners in all levels of government and in the private sector to build on this progress, and continue implementing our national strategy and action plan for critical infrastructure.This strategy recognizes secure critical infrastructure helps foster an environment that stimulates economic growth, attracts and retains business, and helps deliver on our commitment to build a safer and more resilient Canada.Critical infrastructure protectionDrinking waterNational securitySafetyAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleBryonWilfertHon.Richmond Hill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsNational DefenceInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1850)[English]Order, please. The hon. member for Richmond Hill.LaurieHawnHon.Edmonton CentreBryonWilfertHon.Richmond Hill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsNational DefenceInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1855)[English]The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 6:55 p.m.)LaurieHawnHon.Edmonton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC)(1005)[English]Bill C-60. Second reading moved that Bill C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons), be read the second time and referred to a committee. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am excited to get going on Bill C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons). Bill C-60 represents a responsible expansion of a citizen's power of arrest as well as the simplification of the self-defence and defence of property provisions in the Criminal Code. I want to thank the initiatives of a number of people and one of them is certainly the member for Mississauga—Erindale who is also my parliamentary secretary. He has been a champion of the reform in this law. I am pleased to join with my colleague, the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. I thank him and my colleagues who are in the House with me. They have been very supportive of our justice legislation.Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that all Canadians are grateful for all the support that you have given us on these bills.The bill before us today is balanced and necessary. In describing the particular amendments contained in this bill, the bill will focus on three main areas: first, what the law currently provides for; second, the policy rationale for reform; and third, most important for statutory interpretation purposes, the legislative intent behind the elements of the reforms.On this last point, it is crucial for colleagues to be reminded that the debate in this place and the other provides guidance to our courts in finding the legislative intent of the laws we pass and is often cited by our courts in coming to a decision.I will first deal with citizen's arrest reforms, followed by the defence of property and then self-defence.With regard to citizen's arrest, it is important to recall that an arrest consists of the actual seizure or touching of a person's body with a view to detention. The pronouncing of words alone can constitute an arrest if the person submits to the request. A power of arrest is found in a range of federal and provincial law but for our purposes we are focused on the power that exists in the Criminal Code.As members can imagine, there are substantial differences between the power of police and that of a citizen to make an arrest under the Criminal Code. Currently, under section 495, a peace officer may arrest without a warrant any person whom he or she finds committing a criminal offence, as well as any person whom he or she believes, on reasonable grounds, has committed or is about to commit an indictable offence.What the courts have told us is that for an arrest to be valid on the basis of reasonable grounds, the arresting officer must personally believe that he or she possesses the required grounds to arrest, and those grounds must be objectively established in the sense that a reasonable person standing in the shoes of the officer would believe that they are reasonable and probable grounds to make that arrest. In comparison, currently under section 494 of the Criminal Code, the private citizen may arrest those found committing indictable offences, those being pursued by others who have authority to arrest and those committing criminal offences in relation to property.It is important to note that there is a legal duty under section 494 to deliver an arrested person to the police forthwith, which has been interpreted by the courts to mean as soon as reasonably practical under all the circumstances.As members can see, there is a clear distinction between the power of arrest for the police and the power given to citizens. There are good reasons for these differences. The focus of Bill C-60 relates to the power of arrest of persons found committing a criminal offence on or in relation to property.In this regard, the bill would expand 494(2) of the Criminal Code to permit a property owner or a person authorized by the property owner to arrest a person if he or she finds the person committing a criminal offence on or in relation to his or her property, not just at the time when the offence is being committed, which is the current law, but also within a reasonable time after the offence is committed. It is essential to ensure that the proper balance is maintained between citizen involvement in law enforcement and the role of the police as our primary law enforcers.To this end, the new measures will include the requirement that before an arrest can be made at some time after the offence is committed, which is the expansion the bill provides for, the arresting person must believe on reasonable grounds that it is not feasible in the circumstances for a peace officer to make the arrest instead.(1010) The intention behind this last requirement is to ensure that citizens use this expanded power of arrest in cases of urgency. Citizens must turn their mind to whether the police are able to make the arrest, which is a far preferable circumstance. However, if people reasonably believe that the police will not be able to respond in time and make the arrest, property owners would be authorized to do it themselves.The courts are familiar and comfortable with assessing the reasonableness of beliefs and would consider each case on its merits. In practical terms, the court may choose to look at such factors as the urgency of the situation, the safety of the people involved and the location of the incident, whether adequate information to identify the suspect was available and perhaps even the past conduct of the suspect.In a nutshell, what is the change in the law? I would summarize the essence of the reform in the following way. Under the current law, if people find someone committing a criminal offence, they are only allowed to arrest him or her at that time. Under the proposed change, the arrest can take place later, within a reasonable time of finding the person committing the offence, as long as there are reasonable grounds to believe a police officer cannot make the arrest.Members may ask what a reasonable period of time is. The phrase is not defined in the bill. The intention behind the phrase is to allow the courts, on a case by case basis, as they have done in so many instances, to examine the facts and circumstances and to make a determination on whether the time was reasonable in that particular case. The courts would likely turn to such factors as the length of delay, the conduct of the suspect and the conduct of the arrester, among other things. Imposing a rigid time limit on an arrest, for example an authority arrest within 12 hours would not be sound policy. The law must provide flexibility, but at the same time, build in safeguards, as Bill C-60 does.Some may argue that this reform encourages vigilantism. I would completely disagree with that. The bill requires that a person witnesses an offence being committed and provides a degree of flexibility in terms of when an arrest can be effected for that offence. The bill does not change the amount of force that can be used in making an arrest. In short, people must continue to act responsibly.This reform is being advanced because we have been hearing clearly from Canadians that limitations on citizen's arrests require change. There have been well publicized cases of individuals being charged and prosecuted for citizen's arrests that occurred shortly after an offence was witnessed. The government's goal is, therefore, to provide a balanced extension of the period of time to make an arrest.Finally, for greater certainty, the reforms specify that the existing requirements in relation to the use of force in effecting arrests, which are provided for under section 25 of the Criminal Code, apply to citizen's arrests. I think that is only reasonable. There is no change to the rules regarding how much force can be used to make a citizen's arrest. An individual who makes a citizen's arrest is, if he or she acts on reasonable grounds, justified in using as much force as necessary for that purpose.It is important to highlight that a person making an arrest is never justified in using force intended or likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm unless he or she believes on reasonable grounds that it is necessary for self-preservation or for anyone under his or her protection from death or grievous bodily harm.These legal standards have been in place for a long time and continue to reflect appropriate policy today. This reform and our discussions of it in this place give us an opportunity to speak directly to Canadians. In this regard, I would like to say that citizen's arrests made without careful consideration of the risk factors may have serious unintended physical consequences, as well as legal consequences for those involved.When deciding if a citizen's arrest is appropriate, people should consider whether a peace officer is available to intervene, whether their personal safety or that of others would be compromised by attempting the arrest, whether they have reasonable belief regarding the suspect's criminal conduct and identity, and whether they can turn over the suspect to the police without delay once an arrest is made.(1015)In developing these citizen's arrest reforms, we consider a number of options. We examine private members' bills currently before this place as well as the laws of other jurisdictions and certainly the representations that are made to me and to the government on this issue. I submit that we have taken the elements of all these efforts and have developed a proposal which makes sense to Canadians.I would now like to turn the defence of property contained in the bill. The government decided to couple reform with the defence of property with citizen's arrest reforms because there is a logical and factual connection between the two. Consider the example of a property owner who sees a theft taking place on his or her property. In this situation, he or she could attempt a citizen's arrest if the desire was to capture the thief so he or she could be charged and prosecuted. However, the person could also desire to get the suspected intruder off the property, without intending to make the arrest. In the latter case, the use of force by the property owner could be justified by a claim of defence of property. The defence of property, like any defence, is a claim made by a person who is alleged to have committed a criminal offence and who asserts that he or she should not be held responsible for that alleged offence because of some countervailing policy. Defending one's property from a threat is just the kind of circumstance that might justify otherwise criminal conduct, such as the use of force against a would-be thief. Our Criminal Code, since its inception in 1892, provided a defence for the use of force to protect one's possession of property. However, one of the unfortunate realities about the defence is the way it is worded in the code. There are five separate provisions, sections 38 to 42, of the code that could potentially apply to a defence of property circumstance. The provisions create a distinct defence depending on the precise circumstances, differentiating between types of property and the hierarchy of claims to the property as between the possessor and the person seeking to interfere with the property. They are extremely detailed and, in many cases, overlap with each other. This approach to the Criminal Code is well over a century old and does not meet the needs of Canadians today. The idea behind the defence of property is simple. A person should not be held criminally responsible for the reasonable use of force to protect property in his or her possession from being taken, destroyed, or trespassed upon.We cannot find many of these words in the law itself. However, we can find many other words which, rather than help to set out this idea, describe narrow subsets of it. This means that Canadians, including police, prosecutors, judges and ultimately juries, must consider too many words and words which overlap with each other to arrive at what, in essence, is a rather simple idea. Bill C-60 will demystify and clarify these waters. The defence of property reforms contained in the bill would replace five separate provisions with one simplified provision that captures the essence of the defence, while providing the same level of protection as the existing law and with some modest enhancements.There are some essential property-related concepts that must be retained, such as the idea of peaceable possession of property. Because different people can have independent claims to property and because the defence must, to some degree, incorporate notions borrowed from property law, the defence must have some technical components. One enhancement is that a defence could be raised as a defence to any type of act that otherwise would be criminal. The law justifies the use of force in defence of property, which is basically assaultive behaviour against the property trespasser. In recognition of the fact that people might engage in other forms of otherwise criminal activity to defend their property, such as discharging a weapon into the air to scare away the trespassers, Bill C-60 would allow the defence to apply so long as the actions are reasonable in the circumstances.Finally, the reform on defence would clearly deny its application in the cases of lawful police action, such as the execution of a search warrant. The new law of property, like the current law, does not put any express limits on what can be done to defend property. However, it is absolutely essential to note that courts have unequivocally rejected the use of intentional deadly force in defence of property alone and have stated many times that deadly force cannot ever be justified where human life is in jeopardy.(1020)Some property-related conflicts do pose a risk to human life, such as home invasions, and deadly force may be justified in these circumstances. This brings me to the law of self-defence.Like the defence of property, the self-defence provisions were enacted in Canada's first Criminal Code in 1892 and have remained largely unchanged since that time. Like the defence of property, the law governing self-defence is set out over several separate provisions that describe situation-specific defences which overlap or conflict with each other, depending on the facts of a particular case.I would submit that this complexity in the law cannot remain, especially when we are delineating the legal tests to be used for people using force in self-defence. The complexity of the law makes it extremely difficult for the police to assess whether charges should be laid, causes trial counsel to have to devote time and energy to making arguments about which version of the defence should apply and poses challenges for judges on instructing juries how to apply the law. We can only imagine what juries think when the law is read to them.Described in a general way, the proposed reforms would replace all of the existing defences with a single, general test for the defence of the person. In essence, people would be protected from criminal responsibility if they reasonably believe that they or another person are being threatened with force and they act reasonably for the purpose of defending themselves or another person from that force.The reforms would also include a list of factors the court could consider in determining whether the person's actions were reasonable, such as a pre-existing relationship between the parties, including any history of violence, and the proportionality between the harm threatened and the response.The list of factors codifies well-recognized features of many self-defence situations and will help guide judges and juries in applying the new law. Consistent with the present law and for sound policy reasons, the defence would not be available where the person would be responding to a peace officer or other person who would be acting lawfully for a law enforcement purpose, such as when a person is arrested.I am pleased to report that the proposed reforms on self-defence are consistent with those agreed to in 2009 by federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for justice based on the collective work of their officials. These reforms also respond to calls for simplification by many criminal justice stakeholders.The citizen's arrest reforms extend the time in which an arrest can be made for an offence committed on or in relation to property. There is a real need in doing so to keep a clear distinction between the powers of the police and those of citizens. Police officers are rightly cloaked in the duty to preserve and maintain the public peace. They are our first and foremost criminal law enforcement body and with this reform, they continue to be so.With regard to the defence reforms, at a practical level, very few Canadians would be able to read the many existing provisions and understand what the law allows. The law should be accessible to Canadians, and these reforms will help accomplish that goal.Bill C-60 represents a responsible expansion of the citizen's power of arrest as well as a simplification of the law relating to the defence of persons and property. I urge all members to support this law and, in doing so, support the calls for reform made by law-abiding Canadians.Arrest warrantsBurglary and theftC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestCriminal liabilityGovernment billsJury and jurorsOwnersPolice officersProperty crimeReasonable timeSecond readingSelf-defenceVigilantism and vigilantesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson: (1025)[English]First, Mr. Speaker, in these cases we are talking about victims. It would better protect victims and explain what they could or could not do. The legislation is all about that.I am not alone on this. The member's colleague who sits diagonally to him in the House of Commons was among those who said that we had to clarify and expand the provisions with respect to citizen's arrest. My colleague, the member for Mississauga—Erindale, and the NDP have indicated that as well. There is widespread support for clarifying the rules and the laws as they relate to victims of crime. That is who we are talking about. This has been a consistent theme and priority for this government.Again, the bill has set out as it does and as the laws have interpreted over the years that people must act responsibly. For instance, individuals are not entitled to use deadly force in a citizen's arrest unless their own safety comes into question. It seems to me that when we draw up these laws, we have to look at them in the light of protecting individuals and their right to protect their property or, as in the other provisions of the bill, to protect themselves.No, it does not encourage vigilantism. The bill is very clear that in the existing provisions of the Criminal Code one makes these arrests when it is not practical or reasonable to have a peace officer do it. That is the first line of protection and that is what we encourage people to do. However, we know of situations where it is not reasonable or where police officers are not available and people should still have the right to protect their property. That is exactly what this bill would do.Arrest warrantsC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsOwnersProperty crimeSecond readingSelf-defenceVictims of crimeVigilantism and vigilantesKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de FucaMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson: (1025)[English]Mr. Speaker, I made it very clear that if people are protecting their property, they are not authorized to start using deadly force. That is very clear under the present law. With respect to protecting property, all the law does is clarify the provisions.As I indicated, there are nine provisions in the existing Criminal Code which cover the protection of property and self-defence. They are very confusing. They were included in the Criminal Code in 1892, and I am told these provisions go back to colonial times before 1867. It has been a long time since they have been updated.I have been told by law enforcement agencies that when people assert their right to protect themselves or their property, it is confusing what particular provision applies when they look at the Criminal Code. It is appropriate at this time for us to update the laws. As I indicated, in my discussions almost two years ago now with federal, provincial and territorial justice ministers, they too recognize that in this area it was time to start consolidating, simplifying and clarifying the law.The Bloc members should think about the victims in these situations. I appreciate we need to have a very balanced approach. Think about individuals who are trying to protect their property and themselves. In no way does the existing law do what the hon. member seems to be suggesting. By clarifying the laws with respect to citizen's arrest, the defence of property and self-defence, we have not changed that.Arrest warrantsC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsHomicideOwnersProperty crimeSecond readingSelf-defenceMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson: (1030)[English]Mr. Speaker, we all have a responsibility with respect to educating the public. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was honoured to be in Toronto with the Prime Minister at the grocery store where the famous incident mentioned by the hon. member occurred. We were right there. This is part of our ongoing efforts to make sure that Canadians know what changes we are bringing about in the Criminal Code and how these changes might affect them. I very much appreciated the Prime Minister being there because when he gets involved with these issues, as he does, Canadians become more aware of them.Again, we all do our best and, certainly, I see my colleagues in the House being very helpful to me and the government in getting the message out on these issues. I agree with the hon. member and support anything that we can do to bring publicity to all of these criminal law reforms that we are very much in favour of. The meeting with the Prime Minister in Toronto just a couple of weeks ago was an excellent example of getting that message out to the public, and so I thank the hon. member for his suggestion and recommendation.The hon. member says that we should start splitting up the bill and hiving off sections. This bill is very straightforward. It consolidates the nine sections existing in the Criminal Code with respect to the defence of property and self-defence. It clarifies them. As I say, with respect to a number of those defences, all provincial and territorial justice ministers had recommended a number of these changes in 2009, in my meetings with them. On the issue of extending the period of time for an individual to arrest someone, I would hope that the hon. member would get up and support all of this bill.Arrest warrantsC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Chen, DavidCitizen's arrestDividing a billGovernment billsLegislative processLucky Moose Food MartOwnersProperty crimeSecond readingSelf-defenceSupermarketsTorontoNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley ValleyMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25522LarryMillerLarry-MillerBruce—Grey—Owen SoundConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/MillerLarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionMr. Larry Miller: (1040)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think it is common practice, as you usually address, to inform anyone speaking here that he or she should stick to the topic. It is quite clear that the member is not doing that, and I would ask you to please enforce that policy.Arrest warrantsC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsOwnersPoints of orderProperty crimeRelevancyRules of debateSecond readingSelf-defencePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25516GuyLauzonGuy-LauzonStormont—Dundas—South GlengarryConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/LauzonGuy_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCornwall Chapter of Victoria's QuiltsInterventionMr. Guy Lauzon (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, CPC): (1055)[English]Mr. Speaker, last week, I had the pleasure of visiting a truly remarkable group of women, the Cornwall chapter of Victoria's Quilts.I walked into St. Matthew's Lutheran Church and was greeted by a roomful of compassion. There were 40 women of all ages and descriptions working together in a labour of love to make homemade quilts for cancer patients undergoing treatments. Since its beginning in 2002, the Cornwall chapter of Victoria's Quilts has produced 1,967 quilts to provide comfort for cancer patients.I am tremendously proud of all the dedicated volunteers of the Cornwall chapter of Victoria's Quilts and, on behalf of the 1,967 cancer patients who received this generosity, I thank each and every one of them. Each quilt carries the Bible passage, “Be not afraid, I am with you always.”I can assure the House that this wonderful experience of last week will be with me always.CancerCornwallHandicraftsStatements by MembersVictoria's Quilts Canada - Cornwall ChapterPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsFrankValerioteGuelph//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCanadian International AutoShowInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (St. Catharines, CPC): (1100)[English]Mr. Speaker, this year marked the 38th edition of the Canadian International AutoShow, Canada's largest consumer trade show.The auto show is an independent component of the Toronto Automobile Dealers Association which, since 1908, has been at the forefront of consumer protection and the voice of greater Toronto's 340 new car dealers.Scotiabank recently reported that, “Canada is scheduled to post the largest increase in vehicle output across North America in early 2011...”. It also reported that, “We estimate that rising vehicle output will add roughly 1.5 percentage points to economic growth in Canada...”.Coming from St. Catharines, I take a special pride in the auto industry and in General Motors. This year was special since the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada gave its 2011 Canada Car of the Year Award to the Chevrolet Cruz, a car built by General Motors.I am pleased to stand in the House today to say that I am proud of our government's record of supporting the auto industry that, in turn, supports the working families who rely so heavily on it.Automotive industryCanadian International AutoShowStatements by MembersJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaIrwinCotlerHon.Mount Royal//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35580PierreLemieuxPierre-LemieuxGlengarry—Prescott—RussellConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/LemieuxPierre_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersArt from Memory ChallengeInterventionMr. Pierre Lemieux (Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, CPC): (1105)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to proudly congratulate a young university student from my riding, Rachel MacGillivray, for honouring our Canadian war veterans with a winning art piece titled “Security Blanket”. The blanket honours the sacrifice and courage of our Canadian war veterans while sharing an important piece of our collective history.Rachel won first place in the Historica–Dominion Institute's Art from Memory Challenge by drawing inspiration from the memories of relatives who fought in World War II. She further honoured veterans by donating 20% of her prize winnings to the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa.I would also like to acknowledge her parents, Campbell and Elizabeth MacGillivray, who are very proud of Rachel and who have joined me here on Parliament Hill today to celebrate this wonderful achievement.Awards presentationsHistorica-Dominion InstituteMacGillivray, RachelMemory ProjectStatements by MembersVeteransIrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalFranceBonsantCompton—Stanstead//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59143RayBoughenRay-BoughenPalliserConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BoughenRay_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersA Night with the Riders FundraiserInterventionMr. Ray Boughen (Palliser, CPC): (1105)[English]Mr. Speaker, many of us in this chamber take being able to see and hear for granted but what would we do if this was taken away from us?This past weekend in February, the Moose Jaw Lions Club hosted its annual A Night with the Riders fundraiser, which helped raise $20,000 for assistance dogs for the disabled in Saskatchewan. Nine members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team took part in this event. People, like Norman Fedrau of Central Butte, who was injured in an accident and lost his sight, are grateful for the assistance they have received through this program. Through the Lions, Norman received his assistance dog, Austin, who is named after the former head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Kent Austin.I salute our Rider nation, both for the support that it gives our team during the season and for the support it is giving now to those who need it. I hope all members will join me in supporting the Roughriders and the Lions for the wonderful work they do.Blind peopleFundraising and fundraisersGuide dogsMoose JawMoose Jaw Lions ClubSaskatchewan RoughridersStatements by MembersFranceBonsantCompton—StansteadMarthaHall FindlayWillowdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe EconomyInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, CPC): (1110)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government's top priority remains the economy. With the economic recovery still fragile, our government is focused on creating jobs and economic growth by keeping taxes low. We all know that reckless new spending will lead to higher taxes and kill jobs and, most important, hurt Canadian families.So it is with great concern that we note the Liberal leader's plans to hike taxes and increase spending. The Liberal leader wants a higher GST and more taxes on job creators. He even wants to tax iPods, Blackberries and personal computers. It is unbelievable. We cannot tax our way out of a recession. These plans clearly put our fragile economic recovery at risk.On our side of the House, we urge the Liberal leader to drop his plans for higher taxes on Canadians and support our prudent approach for the good of the Canadian economy, for the good of Canadian families, including the fine people of Peterborough.Statements by MembersTaxationAlexAtamanenkoBritish Columbia Southern InteriorMoniqueGuayRivière-du-Nord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersLiberal Party of CanadaInterventionMr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland—Quinte West, CPC): (1110)[English]Mr. Speaker, we all know the Liberal leader spends a lot of his time thinking about his country, the United States. Most recently, we learned the Liberal leader's soft on crime spokesman from Ajax—Pickering shares those feelings. Yesterday, the Liberal public safety critic invited a former U.S. congressman to appear at committee, in a political attempt to advance Liberal beliefs that serious criminals and thugs should not serve their sentences behind bars. It is more of the same from the member who is more concerned with American justice than he is about protecting victims at home. During his speech opposing our bill to end early parole, he quoted a former U.S. speaker four times, referenced California six times and, shockingly, advocated keeping white collar criminals out of prison ten times. In the same speech, he stood up for victims zero times.I call on the Liberal Party to finally start put law-abiding Canadians first.Holland, MarkImprisonment and prisonersLiberal Party of CanadaReferences to membersSafetyStatements by MembersKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de FucaHelenaGuergisHon.Simcoe—Grey//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1115)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, our party has always followed all the rules, and we will defend our case in the courts.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, I regret that we still do not have any questions from the Liberal Party on jobs, on helping Canadian families save for the future. It says a lot about its priorities, that all it wants to do is smear personalities rather than focusing on building up the country.The good news is our tax-free savings accounts have allowed five million Canadians to invest for their futures. Three million Canadians have maximized their contributions to these savings accounts in the very first year. That is money that will be set aside, that will grow out of the reach of government taxation, so families can have a prosperous, secure future.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1115)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The central party transferred funds to local candidates. The reason Elections Canada is aware of all these transactions we are discussing is because we told them. And why not? It is perfectly legal and ethical. All parties do it. We will defend our case in the courts.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieFrankValerioteGuelph//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, our Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. It is true that the national party transferred funds to local candidates so they could run their campaigns. The reality is the reason that Elections Canada knows about these transactions is that we told it. Why would we not? We followed all the rules. These transfers are common practice among all parties and they are completely legal. We will continue to defend our case in front of the courts.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsFrankValerioteGuelphFrankValerioteGuelph//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, despite the dramatic performance the hon. member has rendered in this chamber, I regret to inform him that the Oscars have already been awarded and it is too late for him to be nominated. Nor do I think he would have secured a nomination if that chronological fact were not in the way. Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The party transferred funds to local campaigns. The reason Elections Canada knows that is because we told it, and why not? It is legal, ethical and common practice. We will defend our position in court.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsFrankValerioteGuelphPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, this is truly a very serious matter. This practice is absolutely unacceptable. The minister's assistant tendered his resignation to the minister and the minister did the right thing by accepting it.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismNewspapersOral questionsReferences to membersPierrePaquetteJoliettePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the case cited in example by the House leader of the Bloc Québécois is totally unacceptable. The minister took responsibility for the actions of his assistant and immediately accepted his resignation. He apologized for the actions of his employees. He did the right thing.Let me be clear: this Minister of Immigration is one of the best ministers of immigration. He is one of the best ministers in cabinet. He is doing a good job for new Canadians and for all Canadians in every province.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismNewspapersOral questionsReferences to membersPierrePaquetteJolietteMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, the use of parliamentary resources for partisan political purposes is completely wrong and completely unacceptable. The employee in question has offered the minister his resignation. The minister has done the right thing and accepted it. The minister has assumed responsibility for these actions. He has apologized for his former employee's actions and believes they were unacceptable.Ethnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismNewspapersOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstPatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, I believe the minister has done the right thing. He accepted the resignation of his staff member. Let us see if New Democrats will live up to that same standard.I have in my hand an email from the NDP member for Edmonton—Strathcona's office where she is seeking to have a federal election. It states:--a federal election called in the next month or two. Help your Edmonton NDP candidates get ready! Re-elect the NDP member for Edmonton—Strathcona and for details on how to work on the campaign, you can contact Erica Bullwinkle at duncanl1@parl.gc.ca.The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism has done the right thing. Will the NDP member for Edmonton—Strathcona follow—Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Duncan, LindaElection expensesElectronic mailEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismNewspapersOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterPatMartinWinnipeg CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the facts. The facts are that the NDP member for Edmonton—Strathcona knows she cannot beat Ryan Hastman and she is trying to cheat to keep her seat. She should apologize and then she should demand this staffer resign.Duncan, LindaElection expensesElectronic mailEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismNewspapersOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsNavdeepBainsHon.Mississauga—Brampton South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1135)[Translation] Mr. Speaker, I believe I mentioned that Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party transferred funds to local candidates. Elections Canada knows this because we told them. I would also like to congratulate the Bloc for having created the in and out system. Everyone knows that the Bloc leader is the founding father of the in and out system.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsDianeBourgeoisTerrebonne—Blainville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1135)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party transferred funds to local candidates. Elections Canada knows this because we told them, and why not? It is legal, it is ethical and it is common practice among all parties. We will continue to defend our position in court.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsDianeBourgeoisTerrebonne—BlainvilleRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1135)[English]Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. We announced new legislative efforts that will assist in tracking down misappropriated, stolen money. We want to get the message out that Canada is no place to put that kind of money, and yesterday's legislation delivers that message.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineC-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenFinancial assetsForeign countriesHead of State (external)Oral questionsPolitical leadership and leadersSeizure of assetsTunisiaRobertCarrierAlfred-PellanRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1135)[English] Mr. Speaker, as was indicated yesterday, there are gaps in Canadian law. That is why I am so pleased to be part of a government that acts so quickly on these matters.We introduced legislation yesterday in the House of Commons that would address this and Canadians will be better protected. We are sending out the right message to the individuals who try to misappropriate money that it will not be acceptable and that there will be Canadians laws on the books to deal with this.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineC-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenFinancial assetsForeign countriesHead of State (external)Oral questionsPolitical leadership and leadersSeizure of assetsTunisiaRobertCarrierAlfred-PellanPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]As was said before, Mr. Speaker, this is a serious matter and obviously unacceptable.The minister gave the instruction to have the riding association contacted, but as is always the case in these matters, he fully expected that this would be done, but not with parliamentary resources.Conservative Party of CanadaFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsReferences to membersPaulSzaboMississauga SouthPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister has apologized. He has accepted the resignation of his staffer. I wonder whether we will see the same from the Liberal Party. The Liberal member for Charlottetown appears to be using his constituency office in Charlottetown to run the Liberals' re-election campaign in that vulnerable riding.I have information about the meeting to nominate his successor as the Liberal candidate. Where does one call to get information about the Liberal nomination meeting, to get a membership or to hear the member for Kings—Hants as the guest speaker? One contacts the office of the Liberal member for Charlottetown and his taxpayer-supported office is the address cited. When--CharlottetownConservative Party of CanadaFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadLiberal Party of CanadaMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismMurphy, ShawnOral questionsReferences to membersPaulSzaboMississauga SouthPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, no one has done more for the cause of Canadian immigration. No one has done more for the cause of immigration settlement to make new Canadians feel welcome in Canada than the current minister of immigration. He has done perhaps more for new Canadians than any minister in the federal cabinet in a generation and he can be very, very proud of that.The Conservative Party, since its inception, has always reached out and welcomed the involvement of new Canadians in our party and they are responding to the great record of this government.Conservative Party of CanadaEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsReferences to membersMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister of immigration has worked so hard to make every single Canadian, young and old, new and those who have been here for generations, those from the west and the east, and those who have come to make Canada their home, welcome in this country. He has done a significant amount to reach out to these citizens. He has cut the landing fee for them, something that was imposed by the Liberal government. He has cut that in half. He has brought in a record number of new Canadians to call Canada home, to help build Canada and make it a place for optimism, for hope and for opportunity. We make no apologies for that.Conservative Party of CanadaEthnic and cultural communitiesFundraising and fundraisersKenney, JasonLetterheadMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsReferences to membersMarleneJenningsHon.Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—LachineMauriceVellacottSaskatoon—Wanuskewin//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1262MauriceVellacottMaurice-VellacottSaskatoon—WanuskewinConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/VellacottMaurice_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAgriculture and Agri-FoodInterventionMr. Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to strengthening Canada's economy. Last week Statistics Canada released the 2009 “Bioproducts Production and Development Survey”. The survey confirms that the investments our government has made have sparked the industry, with 43% of those firms reporting having become involved in bioproducts production or development since our government took office. That is an outstanding growth rate.Could the Minister of Agriculture tell the House how biofuels are benefiting Canadian farmers while boosting the Canadian economy?Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation ProgramBiofuelsFarming and farmersOral questionsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanPierreLemieuxGlengarry—Prescott—Russell//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35580PierreLemieuxPierre-LemieuxGlengarry—Prescott—RussellConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/LemieuxPierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAgriculture and Agri-FoodInterventionMr. Pierre Lemieux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is a tough but fair question.The member for Saskatoon—Wanuskewin is absolutely right. Advancing Canada's bio-based economy while providing opportunities for our farmers is indeed a priority for this government. We have taken action by passing the renewable fuels bill in 2008. We have also developed a comprehensive renewable fuel strategy and invested over $2 billion in support of the renewable fuel industry. It is a strategy that is winning praise from leaders such as Don Kenny, chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, who said last month:Thank you to the Canadian government for the implementation of a renewable fuels strategy that will truly benefit our farmers—Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation ProgramBiofuelsFarming and farmersOral questionsRenewable Fuels StrategyMauriceVellacottSaskatoon—WanuskewinJackHarrisSt. John's East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PrioritiesInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1145)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am sure when that member goes to those communities they ask why he broke the faith and voted against Bill C-391. That is the real question in his riding.C-391, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Firearms Act (repeal of long-gun registry)FacilitiesLong-term careOral questionsSenior citizensCharlieAngusTimmins—James BayRichardNadeauGatineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, on December 9, the minister appeared before a committee, and I believe she answered about 11 times the question of why she made the decision not to renew funding for KAIROS. It was on December 9, before the foreign affairs and international development committee.False or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersAnthonyRotaNipissing—TimiskamingAnthonyRotaNipissing—Timiskaming//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister did. I said that many times in this place.What I want to know is why I cannot get an answer about why the Charlottetown Federal Liberal Association says:Memberships may be purchased or renewed at the...Office of [the Liberal member for Charlottetown]— I want to know who authorized Liberal Party memberships to be sold out of this office and what will the Liberal Party do to make good for the taxpayers?False or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesLiberal Party of CanadaMinister of International CooperationMurphy, ShawnOda, BevOral questionsPolitical partiesReferences to membersAnthonyRotaNipissing—TimiskamingJeanCrowderNanaimo—Cowichan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35668RoyalGalipeauRoyal-GalipeauOttawa—OrléansConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GalipeauRoyal_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodLibyaInterventionMr. Royal Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans, CPC): (1150)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has taken a firm stand on the crisis in Libya. [English]His government quickly condemned the actions of Gadhafi, imposed economic sanctions, moved quickly to freeze the assets of corrupt officials, and announced humanitarian assistance for the innocent citizens of Libya.[Translation]Over the past 10 days, Canadians have been watching the crisis in Libya and have been concerned for the safety of loved ones in the country. They wonder how these people will be able to flee to a safe place.[English]Could the parliamentary secretary tell the House what the Canadian Forces are doing to help Canadians return to safety?Canadian ForcesCanadians in foreign countriesEvacuationLibyaOral questionsPolitical crisisRobMerrifieldHon.YellowheadLaurieHawnHon.Edmonton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that many of the programs in the past couple of years were designated as temporary. There have been highly successful programs across the environment ministry and, for example, the economic action plan spent more than $100 million in Park's Canada to protect jobs and to ensure the viability and vitality of our economy.I would suggest that my colleague wait for March 22 for the budget to see the way ahead and how Canada will guarantee both a healthy environment as well as a healthy economy.ecoENERGY Retrofit - HomesOral questionsGerardKennedyParkdale—High ParkNicolasDufourRepentigny//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, this is an extremely important project. I want to assure the House that Canada is fully committed to building a training centre for the Haitian police.More importantly, CIDA is continuing to get the job done in Haiti. We announced 13 new projects this week that will help put that country back on track.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceHaitiOral questionsNicolasDufourRepentignyJohnRaffertyThunder Bay—Rainy River//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGasoline PricesInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, if there are any issues involving competition or collusion, those go to the Competition Bureau as the hon. member well knows.I am pleased to report to the chamber that yesterday the Senate passed the Fairness at the Pumps Act so that we can get tough on the chisellers and the cheaters who are trying, through measurement operations, to cheat Canadian consumers at the pumps.We are on the side of Canadian consumers. That member's party should be as well.C-14, An Act to amend the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and the Weights and Measures ActCostsGasolineHarmonized Sales TaxNorthern OntarioOral questionsJohnRaffertyThunder Bay—Rainy RiverTillyO'Neill GordonMiramichi//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is the third good question from this side of the House.The Liberal Party is not being honest with Newfoundlanders. Led by their soft on crime spokesman from Ajax—Pickering, it has made it clear that the Liberal Party opposes our Conservative government plans to construct necessary prison cells. It is also clear that the Liberals oppose tougher prison sentences for criminals. They even went so far as voting to release fraudsters and drug traffickers into our communities after a mere one-sixth of their sentences.When it comes to standing up for the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians, the Liberal Party simply cannot be trusted.Correctional facilitiesLiberal Party of CanadaOral questionsTough on crime strategiesTillyO'Neill GordonMiramichiGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have done that. The home retrofit program was immensely successful for the purpose that it was designed, as an interim measure to help keep our economy turning over, to protect jobs and to help Canadians make some environmentally smart decisions. We also had the very successful Retire Your Ride program, which took more than 126,000 polluting vehicles off the road and removed 4,000 tonnes of pollutants from the atmosphere. However, as the economy recovers, temporary programs must come to an end.ecoENERGY Retrofit - HomesOral questionsGerardKennedyParkdale—High ParkNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35580PierreLemieuxPierre-LemieuxGlengarry—Prescott—RussellConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/LemieuxPierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodAgriculture and Agri-FoodInterventionMr. Pierre Lemieux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, farmers are a first priority of this government. We stand on their side.Our business risk management programs are delivering for farmers. Under agri-invest, $1.8 billion was paid out to farmers. Agristability, the program that the member just mentioned, paid out $2.1 billion. Agri-insurance paid out $3.2 billion. Agri-recovery paid out $460 million.We have worked very hard to support farmers and we continue to do so.AgriStability ProgramApplesHorticultureImportsOral questionsAlexAtamanenkoBritish Columbia Southern InteriorMarcelProulxHull—Aylmer//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think you would find that would be a matter of debate, with respect to my friend from Hull—Aylmer.Conservative Party of CanadaElection expensesFalse or misleading statementsIn and out financingOral questionsPoilievre, PierrePoints of orderReferences to membersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodTabling of DocumentsInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to table in the House an advertisement from the Guardian, Charlottetown, issue of February 19. It is an advertisement by the Liberal Party, the Charlottetown Federal Liberal Association. It has a rather smart looking picture of the Minister of State for Democratic Reform at the top of it. What I am tabling is an advertisement where people are invited to get memberships in the Liberal Party and they can be either purchased or renewed. It is not just at the P.E.I. Liberal Association. The first place people are supposed to go is to the office of the Liberal MP. The address is 75 Fitzroy Street, Suite 201. I referenced this during question period, and I would like to table it.8530-403-17 Advertisement concerning Mr. Scott Brison (English text only)AdvertisingBrison, ScottFundraising and fundraisersLiberal Party of CanadaPoints of orderReferences to membersJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanNicoleDemersLaval//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.Government response to petitionsLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacPaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersCitizen's Arrest and self-defence ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1330)[Translation]It being 1:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper. NathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley ValleyBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessBankruptcy and InsolvencyInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1330)[Translation]There being no motions at report stage, the House will now proceed without debate to the putting of the question on the motion to concur in the bill at report stage.C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Private Members' BillsReport stageBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockJohnRaffertyThunder Bay—Rainy River//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessBankruptcy and InsolvencyInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1330)[English]The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: AgreedSome hon. members: NoThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.Some hon. members: YeaThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those opposed will please say naySome hon. members: NayThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): In my opinion the yeas have it And five or more members having risen:The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): Pursuant to Standing Order 98 the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 9 immediately before the time provided for private members' business.Division on Motion Deferred Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until Monday, March 7 at 11 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 1:32 p.m.) C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Deferred divisionsPrivate Members' BillsReport stageJohnRaffertyThunder Bay—Rainy River//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsFreezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes ActInterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (for the Minister of Foreign Affairs) (1000)[English]Bill C-61. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersCannon, LawrenceFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Introduction and First readingMinister of Foreign AffairsMinister of StatePolitical leadership and leadersSeizure of assetsEdFastHon.Abbotsford//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1010)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.The Speaker: Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.MarcelProulxHull—AylmerDavidChristophersonHamilton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1100)[English]Order, please. I would like to remind all hon. members that I appreciate people have passionate feelings about this subject, but I would encourage members to pay attention to the Chair and to keep to the time limits so more members might be able to participate in the debate.Abolition of SenateElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsOrder and decorumProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformTime limits on speechesDavidChristophersonHamilton CentreStevenFletcherHon.Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1105)[English]I want to remind all hon. members that they ought not use the names of members of Parliament. They cannot do indirectly what they cannot do directly.Abolition of SenateDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsOrder and decorumProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul'sCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1130)[English]Before I go to the member for St. Paul's I want to clarify one matter and this has been raised before and that is the issue of identifying specific members of the Senate. There is no hard and fast rule that in this chamber we cannot refer to members of the Senate, but when we move toward the point where we are criticizing individual members or accusing specific members of the Senate of something, there is a tradition in this place that we do not do that in the context that the member of the other place does not have an opportunity to defend themselves.On this basis I will allow the question and I will go the answer, but I would urge all members to be mindful of this because I anticipate that this issue may arise more times today. Specific reference to the good work in the Senate or people in the Senate is not disallowed, but there is a line somewhere and I would ask all members to be mindful of that when they are asking their questions.The hon. member for St. Paul's. Abolition of SenateElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsOrder and decorumProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformClaudeGravelleNickel BeltCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1135)[English]Order, please. Resuming debate, the hon. member for Quebec.CarolynBennettHon.St. Paul'sChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1150)[Translation] It is my duty to inform hon. members that an amendment to an opposition motion may be moved only with the consent of the sponsor of the motion. Therefore, I ask the hon. member for Hamilton Centre if he consents to the amendment being moved.Abolition of SenateAmendments and subamendmentsConsent of moverElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformChristianeGagnonQuébecDavidChristophersonHamilton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1150)[English]The amendment is in order.(1155)Questions and comments. The hon. member for Hamilton Centre.Abolition of SenateAmendments and subamendmentsDecisions of the SpeakerElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformDavidChristophersonHamilton CentreDavidChristophersonHamilton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1200)[English]The microphone seemed to go off for about the last 30 seconds of the minister's question.StevenFletcherHon.Charleswood—St. James—AssiniboiaStevenFletcherHon.Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1205)[English]Before I resume debate, I want to check the microphone of the minister of state. Would that be turned on? Yes, I think it is working now. Resuming debate. The hon. member for Nanaimo—Cowichan.ChristianeGagnonQuébecJeanCrowderNanaimo—Cowichan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Representation in Parliament]InterventionMr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland—Quinte West, CPC): (1235)[English]Madam Speaker, it was interesting to listen to some of the facts that were just mentioned.I have a very simple question for the hon. member. He cited an Ipsos Reid poll and said that poll showed that 33% of Canadians wanted to abolish the Senate. Then I believe he said that somewhere in the vicinity of 49% wanted to reform the Senate. Is that not exactly what the Conservative Party wants to do?We want to reform the Senate to elect senators. I doubt it, but people might even elect an NDP senator, and then the NDP members would not have to bark so loud about it.Abolition of SenateElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformClaudeGravelleNickel BeltClaudeGravelleNickel Belt//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersWind Storage ProjectInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC): (1400)[English]Madam Speaker, as part of the government's economic action plan, $795 million under the clean energy fund was allocated over five years to research, development and demonstration projects to advance Canadian leadership in clean energy technologies. On February 26, I had the opportunity to announce an investment of $2.79 million from the clean energy fund in the Cowessess First Nation's wind storage demonstration project. A wind turbine and a battery storage system will be installed on Cowessess First Nation land to demonstrate how intermittent wind power can be harnessed and stored to provide constant and continuous energy. This single turbine system is capable of heating and lighting approximately 30 homes and can be replicated a good number of times.I would like to congratulate Chief Grady Lerat, the Cowessess First Nation, and members of their council and economic development team for pursuing this project and seeing it through to fruition. I wish them good success into the future. It may be a small beginning, but it is a big step in the right direction.Clean Energy Fund ProgramCowessess First NationEcotechnologyEnergy storageStatements by MembersWind energyDeniseSavoieVictoriaJustinTrudeauRight Hon.Papineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/695DarylKrampDaryl-KrampPrince Edward—HastingsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KrampDaryl_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersVolunteer FirefightersInterventionMr. Daryl Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings, CPC): (1400)[English]Madam Speaker, author Kurt Vonnegut once said:I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine.Today, I wish to thank the brave emergency service volunteers, especially the firefighters from Prince Edward County, Deseronto, Belleville, Thurlow, Madoc, Marmora, Tweed, Stirling, Bancroft, Maynooth and all points in between, all of whom play a vital role in our communities.Their tireless dedication is an inspiration to all mankind.Over two-thirds of rural Canadian fire departments are staffed by volunteer firefighters who put their lives in danger while saving lives and property every day in our communities.In return, it is essential that we support their training programs and offer adequate tax relief that encourages recruitment and retention of volunteers.It is for these reasons that I believe, and have believed, that we must continue to be a strong advocate for our first responders.Statements by MembersVolunteer firefightersAlexAtamanenkoBritish Columbia Southern InteriorUjjalDosanjhHon.Vancouver South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1809CherylGallantCheryl-GallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/GallantCheryl_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersForest Sector Champion AwardInterventionMrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Upper Ottawa Valley continues to have a proud history in forestry, with local foresters like Grant Gulick, Leo Hall, Chris Heideman, Ray Pastway, Raymond Bell, Dana Shaw, Earl Bochert, Bob McRae, Dean Felhaber and the Dombroskie brothers carrying on a tradition started by pioneers like Peter White, Thomas McKay, J.R. Booth, John Egan, and the Buchanan and the McLaughlin brothers, to name a few.It gives me great pleasure to congratulate the county of Renfrew for its selection as 2011 forest sector champion by the Ontario Forest Industries Association, the OFIA. The award was made to the county at a special ceremony during the 68th annual meeting of the OFIA.As good stewards of the earth, it is important for us to acknowledge that our forests are growing.Canada's record of forest management and regeneration is unsurpassed with a rate of deforestation that is virtually zero, a record we should all be proud of in this United Nations International Year of Forests.Forest products industryOntario Forest Industries AssociationOntario Forest Sector Champion AwardsRenfrew CountyStatements by MembersUjjalDosanjhHon.Vancouver SouthRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is referring to the typical back and forth that we could expect from a five-year-long administrative dispute of this kind. Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party did, indeed, transfer funds to local campaigns, which is legal, ethical and commonplace among all political parties. The reason that Elections Canada is aware that we made such transactions is that we told it, and we will continue to make our case in a court of law.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, it appears the member is referring to a five-year-long administrative dispute and the ongoing back and forth that has flowed out of that dispute. Of course, Conservative candidates did spend Conservative funds on Conservative advertising, and the national party transferred funds to the local campaigns. The reason Elections Canada knows that is because we told it. We had no reason not to tell it because it is legal, ethical, and common practice among all political parties. We will continue to make that case in a court of law.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the kinds of personal slurs that the member is engaging in will not create a single job for Canadians. It will not allow Canadians to save for their future.What will do those things is Canada's economic action plan. We have created 460,000 net new jobs, we have the smallest deficit in the G7, five million Canadians invested in tax-free savings accounts, and unemployment is two points lower than in the United States for the first time. It is time that the opposition stopped trying to tear people down and join with us in building Canada.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada's Economic Action PlanConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingJob creationOral questionsRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the kinds of personal slurs that the Liberal Party has been engaging in for some time now will not create a single job and will not help families save for their future. What will do those things is Canada's economic action plan. It has already created more than 500,000 jobs, helped five million Canadians open a tax-free savings account and helped create steady economic growth for a year and a half. We are building Canada, not tearing people down.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada's Economic Action PlanConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingJob creationOral questionsDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's overheated rhetoric notwithstanding, what we are really talking about here is that Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising.It is true that Conservative headquarters did transfer funds to local campaigns. The reason that Elections Canada knows that is precisely because we told it in open disclosures.This dispute is ongoing. We will continue to press our case in court.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCinarInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am not sure exactly what the hon. member's problem is.This matter is before the court. I do not know why the hon. member is worried about this matter. It is before the court. The hon. member should let it be there. That is the way the process works in this country and I hope that he is not hearing this for the first time.Attorney General of CanadaCinar FilmsCriminal prosecutionsFinancial crimeOral questionsPolitical influenceSub judice conventionTax avoidanceVoluntary Disclosures ProgramGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-MarieGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCinarInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the government realizes that this matter is before the court as we speak.The hon. member would be the first one, if we started pronouncing on these matters, to say we are interfering with the judicial process in this country. There is a decision within this matter and the matter should take its course.Attorney General of CanadaCinar FilmsCriminal prosecutionsFinancial crimeOral questionsPolitical influenceSub judice conventionTax avoidanceVoluntary Disclosures ProgramGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-MariePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the reason we will continue to press our case in court is that Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party, indeed, did transfer funds to local campaigns, which, of course, is a legal practice. Elections Canada became aware precisely because we told it. We will continue in this spirit of transparency. We will vigorously defend our actions, which have been in accordance with the rules, the laws, and the highest standards of ethics from the very beginning.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the reason that we continue to pursue our case in a court of law is that the Conservative Party followed all the rules. It is true that Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. It is also true that the national party transferred funds to local campaigns. The reason Elections Canada knows all of that, the reason it is aware of all of these transactions, is precisely because we made it aware by volunteering the information in a transparent manner many years ago. We will continue to press our case.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the immigration minister in this government has done a superb job of reaching out to and building a strengthened system for Canada's newcomers. We cut the immigration landing fee. We have allowed a record number of new Canadians to come into this country. We have stood strongly in favour of protecting those who were in need of refugee assistance. We have delivered record aid to those people who are coming to this country from abroad. We are very proud of our immigration minister and we stand beside him 100%.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaFundraising and fundraisersGovernment expendituresKenney, JasonLetterheadLettersMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOral questionsParliament of CanadaPolitical partiesReferences to membersSettlement of immigrantsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, I notice that the Liberal Party, in fact all of the coalition parties, has asked absolutely nothing about the number one issue in the country, which is jobs for Canadians. That is because, under our economic action plan, we have created 460,000 brand new jobs. We have the smallest deficit in the G7. Five million Canadians have invested in the tax free savings account, helping them to prepare for their future. Unemployment is two points lower than in the United States for the first time in a generation. We have had six consecutive quarters of growth. That is something to celebrate. AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCanada's Economic Action PlanCannon, LawrenceConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingJob creationMinister of Foreign AffairsOral questionsPontiacReferences to membersMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the issue at stake is that the Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national party did indeed transfer funds to local campaigns. The reason Elections Canada knows it is because we told it about it. Why would we not? It is legal, it is ethical and it is common practice among all parties. That is precisely why we will continue to press our case.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul'sGerryByrneHon.Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's overheated rhetoric and mistaken facts notwithstanding, I would simply remind him that we are talking about a five-year-old administrative dispute. We continue to take our case forward, because Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. They did so in total accordance with the rules.We stood for the right things. We followed all the proper procedures, and we will continue to defend our case in court.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOral questionsGerryByrneHon.Humber—St. Barbe—Baie VerteBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, still not a single question from the Liberals on jobs for Canadians. Here we are in the middle of a fragile economic recovery, with troubles around the world. Our government focused on the economic action plan: 460,000 jobs; unemployment two points lower than in the United States; six consecutive quarters of economic growth; tax free savings accounts helping five millions Canadians prepare for the future. Why will the Liberals not join with us in building up the country rather than trying to tear—AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudCabinet ministersCanada's Economic Action PlanConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingJob creationOral questionsBobRaeHon.Toronto CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I believe I mentioned that Conservative candidates spent Conservative money on Conservative advertising. It is true that the party transferred funds to local candidates. Elections Canada knows this because we told them. Why not? It is legal, it is ethical and it is a practice used by all parties. Therefore, we will continue to defend our case in the courts.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingOral questionsPrime MinisterClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1440)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, first of all, in a non-partisan spirit, I would like to start by giving credit to the Bloc Québécois, which invented the in and out scheme. I believe that the Bloc is too modest, and probably should be. The leader of the Bloc, who invented this practice years ago, is truly the father of the in and out scheme.AdvertisingAllegations of fraud and fraudConservative Party of CanadaDemocracyDuceppe, GillesElection campaignsElection expensesElection of 2006Elections CanadaGovernment accountabilityIn and out financingLeader of the Bloc QuebecoisOral questionsPrime MinisterReferences to membersClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational CooperationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government wants Canada's aid and development efforts to have an impact and make a difference.With Canada's support and our government's policies, more children will get at least one meal a day; more children will be in school, with trained, qualified teachers; more mothers will be healthier and able to survive giving birth to healthy babies; and more young people will have the needed skills to get a job and earn an income.Canadian International Development AgencyDecision-making processGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesNon-governmental organizationsOral questionsRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational CooperationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, we want to ensure that Canadians know how their aid dollars are being spent. That is what we want to answer for Canadians. We want to ensure that our aid is getting into the hands of those who need it most, reducing hunger and preventing disease and death, and for quality education for children and youth. We are delivering results and providing value from Canadian assistance abroad. Canadians deserve to know what difference their aid dollars are making for these people. Those are the questions we will answer. Canadian International Development AgencyDecision-making processGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesNon-governmental organizationsOral questionsJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—Restigouche//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPensionsInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have taken a number of initiatives to ensure seniors have the help they need when they need it. We will continue to look at ways to improve the situation for seniors.We have raised the GIS on two separate occasions. We have provided for income-splitting. We have increased the age credit a number of times.We would ask the NDP members to support us when we put initiatives forward that are of benefit to the senior citizens of this country.Guaranteed Income SupplementOral questionsPensions and pensionersSenior citizensWayneMarstonHamilton East—Stoney CreekRobertBouchardChicoutimi—Le Fjord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHousingInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, we did not cut funding to housing. In fact, under the economic action plan, we had $2 billion for housing to ensure that houses are built both for seniors and those who are disabled. The New Democratic Party did not support those initiatives. In fact, it should be supporting initiatives like that.Budget cutsCanada's Economic Action PlanGovernment policyHome ownershipNational Housing StrategyOral questionsSocial housingLibbyDaviesVancouver EastLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodHousingInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, there are over 12,000 housing projects across the country that the NDP did not support this particular government in undertaking. Now it is asking, what are we doing for housing?In fact, we had a number of tax initiatives and tax reductions. We put over $3,000 in the pockets of every Canadian family of four, which that particular party did not support and did not even care to read the budget to see what was in it. Budget cutsGovernment policyHome ownershipNational Housing StrategyOral questionsPersonal income taxSocial housingTax reliefLibbyDaviesVancouver EastTillyO'Neill GordonMiramichi//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, before I respond to the member's question, I would like to, on behalf of the government, add my voice to the voices of the member for Toronto Centre and the member for Winnipeg Centre who spoke about the passing of a distinguished member of the parliamentary press gallery, Jim Travers of The Toronto Star. He was a long-time member of the parliamentary press gallery and a former editor of the Ottawa Citizen. Jim would have been just 63 years old next month. His passing in the hospital was completely shocking and unexpected.Jim was a top national journalist and a columnist who never was afraid to make his views known on the printed page and on the airwaves as a frequent guest on panel shows and talk radio. He was a passionate Canadian. He loved this country and he was incredibly committed to his craft. Canada has certainly lost a legend.On behalf of all of us in this place, I offer our sincere condolences to Jim's wife Joan, his sons Patrick and Ben, and to the rest of his family and friends, and his colleagues especially from The Toronto Star who, I know, are deeply saddened by this loss, and, indeed, all of his colleagues in the parliamentary press gallery at this very difficult time. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with Jim's family and many friends.In terms of parliamentary business for the coming week, today we will continue debate on the NDP opposition motion. I thank my NDP counterpart, the member for Vancouver East, after our difference of opinion. We have worked to make Parliament work and we have come to an agreement that has been satisfactory to both sides. I also thank my opposition colleagues from Ottawa South and Joliette for their assistance and agreement in this matter.Tomorrow, we will resume and hope to complete debate on Bill C-55, the enhanced new veterans charter that our colleague, the Minister of Veterans Affairs, has introduced. Following Bill C-55, we will move to call Bill C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons).Next week, we will continue with the business on Friday and, in addition, we will call Bill C-20, the action plan for the National Capital Commission; Bill C-54, the child sexual offences; Bill C-8, the Canada–Jordan free trade agreement; Bill C-12, the democratic representation; Bill C-46, the Canada–Panama free trade agreement; Bill C-57, improving trade within Canada, brought forward by the Minister for Small Business; and Bill C-50, improving access to investigative tools for serious crimes, which is an important bill sponsored by our colleague, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. My friend from Ottawa South and the member for Vancouver East mentioned a solicitation for financial funds on parliamentary letterhead. Mr. Speaker, as the chair of the Board of Internal Economy, I think it would be wise for you to place this issue before the Board of Internal Economy. There have been several complaints about opposition members soliciting campaign funds on government websites and perhaps the board could discuss that at the same time.With respect to Bill S-10 and Bill C-49, we continue to make our case to Canadians and are working hard to convince the Liberal Party of the wrong decision it has made on these important piece of legislation. We will call for further debate in due course.AdvertisingC-20, An Act to amend the National Capital Act and other ActsC-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActConservative Party of CanadaDeaths and funeralsFundraising and fundraisersGovernment expendituresJournalistKenney, JasonLetterheadMedia and the pressMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismPolitical partiesReferences to membersS-10, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsTravers, JimWeekly Business StatementDavidMcGuintyOttawa SouthPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Bill C-61--Freezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes Act]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe if you seek it you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, Bill C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members, be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Leave to propose a motionPoints of orderPolitical leadership and leadersReferred to Committee after second readingSeizure of assetsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Bill C-61--Freezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes Act]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that the Bloc has certainly been co-operative in wanting to see this bill passed expeditiously but, regrettably, we could not find the unanimous consent of the House. However, I do thank all members of the House for allowing it to go to committee expeditiously so that it can be looked into.Obviously, with respect to freezing private property, it is a very serious issue. We look forward to its consideration in committee in short order.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Points of orderPolitical leadership and leadersReferred to Committee after second readingSeizure of assetsPierrePaquetteJoliettePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Bill C-61--Freezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes Act]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, there were consultations with the parties on this important legislation and I believe both the Liberals and the New Democrats requested that the bill be amended with respect to having a built-in legislative review. On behalf of the government, I would indicate my support for that initiative.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Points of orderPolitical leadership and leadersReferred to Committee after second readingSeizure of assetsPaulDewarOttawa CentreMaurilBélangerHon.Ottawa—Vanier//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Bill C-61--Freezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes Act]InterventionHon. John Baird: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the interventions and discussions with my colleagues. At this time I would like to withdraw the question. There will be further discussions with the parties.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Leave to propose a motionPoints of orderPolitical leadership and leadersReferred to Committee after second readingSeizure of assetsMaurilBélangerHon.Ottawa—VanierRodgerCuznerCape Breton—Canso//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPrivilege [Statements by Minister for International Cooperation regarding KAIROS]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, once again, I will point out to my hon. colleague and, of course, yourself, who needs no refresher on this point of privilege, that the normal course of action in Parliament is that when a point of privilege is raised by a member of the opposition, interventions are then made by all parties who wish to contribute to the discussion and a considered response is made by the government. That usually is the end of it, until such time, of course, as the Speaker makes a ruling.In this particular case, we have had initial interventions from the member for Scarborough—Guildwood and others on the opposition ranks. I, on behalf of our government, made a response. Then there was a further intervention by the member for Guelph on behalf of the member for Scarborough—Guildwood, which precipitated my making a further response to his response and now there is yet another intervention. We have all said quite honestly and sincerely that we would like an early ruling from you, Mr. Speaker, but if members opposite continue to make interventions and force us to respond, your ruling will be delayed exponentially. I wish that we could get some clarification as to the normal course of proceedings when these points of privilege are raised so that we do not have continuous, subsequent and consequential interventions from the opposition. I would suggest that if members are not prepared to make an accurate and fulsome intervention initially, they should not be asked to take up government House time by making subsequent interventions. It only stands to reason that their initial question of privilege should contain all of the information required.8510-403-192 Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (question of privilege relating to committee business)Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1530)[English]Order, please. I would encourage all members to direct their comments to the Chair.Resuming debate. The hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster.Abolition of SenateDecisions of the SpeakerElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsOrder and decorumProportional representationReferendaRemarks addressed to the ChairSenate and senatorsSenate reformMaurilBélangerHon.Ottawa—VanierPeterJulianBurnaby—New Westminster//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1600)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to stand here today and join in this very important debate coming from my colleague and friend from Hamilton Centre, talking about two elements of democratic reform. The first obviously is the one we have been discussing for many months and, actually, for many years, and that is democratic reform of the Senate. The NDP's position is to abolish the Senate. I will be concentrating all of my remarks on the first part of the opposition day motion that deals with Senate reform, as opposed to the latter part of the opposition day motion on proportional representation. Due to the limited time that I have before me, I will try to concentrate my remarks only on the Senate. I should also say at the outset that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Calgary East.Let me first assure my colleagues, particularly on the NDP side, that I share with them a lot of the frustrations that they seem to be expressing today about Canada's Senate. In fact, I can assure my colleagues that several years ago, before I was elected to Parliament, I completely shared their view that the Senate should be abolished. At that point in time in my view, the Senate was irrelevant, useless and served no useful purpose for Canadians. However, since I have been elected and have been in this House since 2004, I have changed my mind 100%. I have seen the good work that the Senate can perform. I would also point out that throughout the western world and the democratic nations of the world, bicameralism, which is to say federal institutions having two legislative bodies, is quite common. The U.S., Germany, Australia, and many others have a similar situation to ours. It is there for a reason. It is there to observe and give sober second thought to the legislative process. In other words, it is a legislative review body. It is also a review body that gives careful consideration to policy.Even though I had great and grave doubts about the Senate in years past, since I have been in Parliament I have seen on many occasions the work that the Senate has done, both in terms of legislative review and on proactive policy considerations, presenting papers for not only this House and our consideration but also for Canadians as a whole. Without getting into an ideological debate about whether the Senate should be a part of our constitution and our legislative process, I would suggest that we will always agree to disagree on that very point.However, there are two elements to democratic reform within the Senate that I believe should be discussed. I welcome the debate we have before us today. The first is term limits. One of the most unsavoury aspects of the Senate is the fact that senators can be appointed and then serve for up to 45 years. These would be unelected and, some would suggest, unaccountable senators remaining in their positions for 45 years. I do not think by anyone's definition that is palpable. Canadians would not agree with the notion that someone can be appointed to a body and remain in that position for up to 45 years with literally no oversight.Yes, there are times when senators can be removed with cause, whether they are charged and convicted of a criminal offence, whether their attendance is such that they have not proven their worth in the Senate, but generally speaking, senators can stay in their unelected positions for up to 45 years.That is why we brought forward Bill C-10 on Senate term limits. Our position is that there should be a finite number of years that senators serve in the upper chamber. Forty-five years is clearly too long a period of time. We believe that eight years is the proper period of time.(1605)Why eight years? Obviously it would take new senators a bit of time to become acclimatized to their new position, their new job, to learn the ropes so to speak. However, after a year or two, senators can properly function in the upper chamber. The most important part of a Senate term limit of eight years is that after eight years, senators have probably served their purpose to the maximum of their abilities. If not, at the very least we can look at renewal within the Senate.What angers and offends Canadians more than anything else is to see senators who have served in the same position for 10, 20, 30, 40 years and beyond, paying little recognition to Canadians' true feelings. I believe that if senators were confined to a term limit of eight years, they would know that they had a job to do and that they had to get it done in a relatively short period of time.I do not think there would be any argument that there should be a term limit put on senators. Whether it is eight years, twelve years or more, is open for debate. That debate would be extremely worthwhile.I note that the former Liberal leader at one time said that he was in favour of term limits for senators. He was not sure whether eight years was the proper term. He suggested at one time 15 years and then 12 years. Nonetheless, he was a strong supporter of term limits. I am pleased to see that at least some in the Liberal Party agree with us that there should be term limits. I would ask my friends in the NDP and the Bloc Québécois to also engage in this debate and hopefully come to the realization that if the Senate is here to stay, and I suggest it will be, then we should take a look at meaningful reform from within.The NDP's suggestion that the Senate be abolished will probably be something that we will never see. It would never happen because to do that we would have to open up constitutional talks and there is no appetite in Canada, from the Canadians I have spoken with from coast to coast, to reopen the Constitution. We have seen the problems of the Meech Lake accord and the problems of other constitutional talks. There is simply no appetite for constitutional reform at that level.I suggest that Bill C-10 would allow change and reform to the Senate without having to open up the constitutional talks again. The way we have drafted the legislation would allow reforms to be enacted with the approval of this House. If the NDP members are truly sincere in their belief that there needs to be reform in Parliament, knowing that the constitutional talks would probably never occur, at least not in my lifetime, on Senate reform they should welcome the opportunity to try and enact positive change. In other words, rather than strictly abolishing the Senate, let us grasp the opportunity to make change for an institution that will be with us for the foreseeable future. I would suggest the same thing happen with senatorial appointments. Right now we have a system where all Senate appointments are strictly that; appointments rather than elections. If we want to have a truly elected Senate, that would require opening up the Constitution. That will not happen. We do not want that to happen at this point in time. Canadians do not want that to happen. What we have done, through the Senate, is introduce Bill S-8, Senatorial Selection Act. That, in a nutshell, would allow provinces to have elections for Senate nominees. Those nominees would then be presented to the prime minister of the day and that prime minister would be required to give consideration to those Senate nominees. I would also suggest that no prime minister, regardless of political affiliation, would take those suggestions from the provinces lightly. If a sitting prime minister decided not to appoint a senator who had been recommended and elected from a province, he would do so at his political peril.(1610)These are two real changes that can be made to the Senate, as we speak. They can be made internally in Parliament, without having to reopen constitutional discussions and talks. They would enact real reform within the Senate. It is a set of concerns that all members should take very seriously. I would encourage all of my colleagues to join with us as we move forward with our democratic reform package in the Senate and ask them to support both Bill C-10 and Bill S-8.Abolition of SenateC-10, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate term limits)C-10, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, including amendments in relation to foreign investment entities and non-resident trusts, and to provide for the bijural expression of the provisions of that ActElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformTenure of SenatorsPaulDewarOttawa CentreYvonGodinAcadie—Bathurst//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1610)[English]Mr. Speaker, I must say at the outset I am absolutely shocked and dismayed that my friend from Acadie—Bathurst asked that question because, normally, he listens intently to every word I speak in this House. In fact, I would suggest that from time to time, he actually leans forward to listen more closely to what I have to say, and I appreciate that. I appreciate that he takes my words of advice so seriously that he would be confused, and so totally confused as he is today.He asks why do we not allow Canadians to participate in this. That is exactly what these bills are about. Bill C-10 would put in term limits. We have heard from Canadians. They do not want to see anyone have a 45 year term. And Bill S-8 would allow for elections for Senate nominees at the provincial level. What more of a form of democracy can we have than allowing full participation from members in individual provinces?I think the member for Acadie—Bathurst is far off the mark. Once again, I would ask that he sit back and listen to me intently. He might learn something.Abolition of SenateC-10, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Senate term limits)Electoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformYvonGodinAcadie—BathurstDonDaviesVancouver Kingsway//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1615)[English]Mr. Speaker, I mentioned earlier that one of the biggest problems with the NDP motion of abolishing the Senate is that it would require reopening of the Constitution. That is simply not going to happen. Canadians do not want that. History is a great teacher. We have seen the problems in the last two attempts to open up the Constitution and there is no appetite for that right now.With respect to the question of what is wrong with asking Canadians, nothing is. We have done that continuously. That is why we are in government and they are continually in opposition. If they would listen to Canadians more, they might be more than a fringe, irrelevant party in this place. If they would listen to the opinions of Canadians, they might actually have a chance to elect more members that they do.I would point out that they did not listen to Canadians, many of them at least, when it came time to talking about abolishment of the long gun registry.Abolition of SenateElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformDonDaviesVancouver KingswayDeepakObhraiCalgary East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1625)[English]I would like to remind all hon. members to direct their comments to the Chair rather than to their colleagues. I appreciate that this is a passionate debate.Questions and comments. The hon. member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot.Abolition of SenateDecisions of the SpeakerElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsOrder and decorumProportional representationReferendaRemarks addressed to the ChairSenate and senatorsSenate reformDeepakObhraiCalgary EastÈve-Mary ThaïThi LacSaint-Hyacinthe—Bagot//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1630)[English]It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Laval—Les Îles, Government Priorities; the hon. member for Bramalea—Gore—Malton, Citizenship and Immigration; the hon. member for Don Valley East, Small Business.Resuming debate. The hon. member for Edmonton—Strathcona.DeepakObhraiCalgary EastLindaDuncanEdmonton—Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1710)[English]It being 5:15 p.m., pursuant to an order made earlier today, all questions necessary to dispose of the opposition motion are deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, March 8 at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.Division deemed demanded and deferredAbolition of SenateDeferred divisionsElectoral reformElectoral systemHouse of CommonsOpposition motionsProportional representationReferendaSenate and senatorsSenate reformPierrePaquetteJoliettePaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Representation in Parliament]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1715)[English]Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.Decisions of the HouseProceeding to next item earlyPaulSzaboMississauga SouthFrankValerioteGuelph//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessPatent ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1730)[English]The amendment is in order.Admissibility of an amendmentC-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActDecisions of the SpeakerHumanitarian assistance and workersPharmaceuticalsPrivate Members' BillsReport stageReport stage motionsMoniqueGuayRivière-du-NordPaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessBusiness of SupplyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1745)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to designate Tuesday, March 8 and Thursday, March 10 as allotted days.Weekly Business StatementPaulDewarOttawa CentreJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—Nepean//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersFreezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes ActInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1745)[English]Mr. Speaker, I believe you would find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion. I move:MotionThat, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, Bill C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family members be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenForeign countriesGovernment billsHead of State (external)Political leadership and leadersSecond readingSeizure of assetsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersFreezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1745)[English]Does the government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersFamilies and childrenForeign countriesHead of State (external)Leave to propose a motionMotionsPolitical leadership and leadersSeizure of assetsJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersFreezing Assets of Corrupt Regimes ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1745)[English]The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): According the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. (Motion agreed to, bill read the second time and referred to a committee) C-61, An Act to provide for the taking of restrictive measures in respect of the property of officials and former officials of foreign states and of their family membersDecisions of the HouseFamilies and childrenForeign countriesHead of State (external)MotionsPolitical leadership and leadersReferred to Committee after second readingSeizure of assetsStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockMikeLakeHon.Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessPatent ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1810)[English] Is the House ready for the question? Some hon. members: Question. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The question is on the amendment to Motion No. 1. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment? Some hon. members: Agreed. Amendment to Motion No. 1 agreed toThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): I declare the amendment to Motion No. 1 carried.(Amendment to Motion No. 1 agreed to)The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The next question is on Motion No. 1, as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Motion No. 1 agreed toThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): I declare the motion carried.(Motion No. 1, as amended, agreed to)The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The next question is on the amendment to Motion No. 2. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?Some hon. members: Agreed.Amendment to Motion No. 2 agreed toThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): I declare the amendment to Motion No. 2 carried.(Amendment to Motion No. 2 agreed to)The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The next question is on Motion No. 2, as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Motion No. 2 agreed toThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): I declare Motion No. 2, as amended, carried.(Motion No. 2, as amended, agreed to)The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The next question is on the amendment to Motion No. 3. The question is on the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those in favour of the amendment will please say yea.Some hon. members: Yea.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those opposed will please say nay.Some hon. members: Nay.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): In my opinion the nays have it. And five or more members having risen:Division on amendment and motion deferredThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): The division stands deferred. Normally at this time the House would proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded divisions at the report stage of the bill. However, pursuant to Standing Order 98, the division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 9, 2011, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.C-393, An Act to amend the Patent Act (drugs for international humanitarian purposes) and to make a consequential amendment to another ActDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsHumanitarian assistance and workersPharmaceuticalsPrivate Members' BillsReport stageReport stage motionsJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsGovernment PrioritiesInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1820)[English]Order, please. The four minutes has expired for the hon. member.The hon. parliamentary secretary.RaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesEdKomarnickiSouris—Moose Mountain//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsGovernment PrioritiesInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, CPC): (1820)[English]Mr. Speaker, as late as today I met with members from the food bank and listened to their concerns. I certainly have respect for taxpayers. If one wants to talk about the lack of respect for taxpayers, the member should look at the previous Liberal record and the 13 long and dark years of Liberal government. I am here today speaking on the subject again as I have previously this week, and our government's position has not changed since the last time I spoke. Our government is focused on creating jobs, increasing the safety and prosperity of Canadian families and working to ensure that the economy continues to grow and recover. We are accomplishing things for Canadians in these areas, whether it be through our low tax plan, our measures to fight crime, or our actions to help Canadians through Canada's economic action plan. With respect to lower income Canadians and those who were hard hit by the recession, our government believes that the best way to help is to get Canadians working again. Thanks to the action we have taken, that is exactly what is happening. In fact, since July 2009, there were 460,000 jobs created. We have made unprecedented investments in skills training and helped over 1.2 million Canadians last year alone to transition into new jobs. We introduced the working income tax benefit, which is very popular, to make work pay for Canadians who are trying to get over the welfare wall. There were one million low income Canadians who benefited in the first year alone. The member opposite for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour has praised the government for introducing that particular program. We have also introduced the historic registered disability savings plan to help Canadians save for the long-term financial security of a child with a disability. We will continue to pursue our low tax plan so that Canadians have more money in their pockets to spend on what is important to them and their family. We have improved social transfers to provinces so that they now have access to predictable and growing funding. These are a few examples, but there are many more initiatives we have taken and introduced to help low income Canadians and their families. Our record is one of action to help Canadians, whereas the Liberal record is one of empty talk and failure. When the Liberal government was in power it decided to slash social transfers to provinces by a whopping $25 billion. Liberals spent drastically less on funding for health care, post-secondary education and programs that help low income Canadians. They raided over $50 billion from the EI account and balanced their books on the backs of ordinary Canadians. Those cuts hurt Canadians plain and simple. That is what the Liberal record is. That is what the Liberals accomplished. The Liberal member from Markham—Unionville, a colleague of the member, admitted that those cuts had a devastating impact. He said:I think, in hindsight, the Chrétien government--even though I'm a Liberal--cut perhaps too deeply, too much offloading, with the benefit of hindsight. And there were some negative effects.Of course there were. The Liberal finance critic, the member for Kings—Hants, thought much the same thing when he said that the Liberal government made the wrong choices and slashed transfers to the provinces. The provinces are still scrambling to catch up on the lost Martin years of inadequate funding. Now the self-proclaimed tax and spend Liberal leader is pursuing a campaign to raise taxes on Canadians and job creators. Independent experts have stated that the Liberal plan to raise taxes would kill an estimated 400,000 jobs. The member from Kings—Hants said:--we cannot increase corporate taxes without losing corporate investment. If we lose corporate investment, we have a less productive economy. That means lower paying jobs. That means fewer jobs. That means more poverty.I would ask the member to listen to her finance critic and abandon her plan to raise taxes.Adjournment ProceedingsEconomic recoveryFood banksGovernment policyPovertyRegistered Disability Savings PlanTransfers to provinces and territoriesBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsGovernment PrioritiesInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki: (1825)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would ask the hon. member to listen to her leader who proposes a $6 billion tax hike. We will not do that. Thanks to our Conservative government, more Canadians are working, families are paying less in taxes, they have more money in their pockets and vulnerable Canadians are benefiting from significant investments. We are investing in areas like skills training, housing and persons with disabilities, among others. The member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour admitted that the Liberals failed to help low income Canadians. He said: “We didn't get to where we wanted to get”.His Liberal colleague from York Centre agreed that the Liberals failed. In speaking about the government's record on poverty he said: “We didn't do as well as we would have wanted to do”. That is a fact. In fact, the steps the Liberals took while in government hurt the most vulnerable at the most difficult time by the actions they have taken.Adjournment ProceedingsFood banksGovernment policyPovertyRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesGurbaxMalhiHon.Bramalea—Gore—Malton//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC): (1830)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, Citizenship and Immigration Canada is responsible for facilitating the entry of visitors into Canada while at the same time protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.All visitors to Canada require a temporary resident visa, except citizens of countries where an exemption has already been granted.All applications from around the world are assessed equally against exactly the same criteria, regardless of the country of origin.Visa officers outside Canada review temporary resident visa applications and make their decisions based on the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness.Those requirements include satisfying the immigration officer that they are in good health, that they do not pose a health risk, that they do not have a criminal record, that they do not pose a threat to Canada's security, that they have not previously violated immigration legislation, that they have enough money to support themselves while they visit Canada, and that they have sufficient ties to their home country to indicate that they will leave Canada when their visa expires.Visa officers consider several other factors before deciding if the person is a genuine visitor who will leave Canada voluntarily at the end of his or her stay.Among the things considered are the person's ties to the home country, the purpose of the visit, the person's family and economic situation, the overall economic and political stability of the home country, as well as invitations from the Canadian host.As well, the Immigration Refugee Protection Act provides sufficient discretion to immigration officers to respond in a flexible and humane manner to emergency situations.In cases where an applicant does not meet the requirements for the issuing of a visa, but where there are compelling reasons to allow him or her to travel to Canada, visa officers can issue a temporary resident permit.We understand that people are disappointed when their visa applications are refused. However, it is our responsibility to make sure that all visitors meet the requirements to come to Canada, as set out in Canada's immigration law. The safety and security of Canadians and the integrity of our immigration system absolutely depend on it.Our current system balances the need for safety and security with the realization that there are times when there may be compelling and compassionate reasons to allow a foreign national to enter Canada temporarily.Adjournment ProceedingsPassports and visasTemporary resident statusGurbaxMalhiHon.Bramalea—Gore—MaltonGurbaxMalhiHon.Bramalea—Gore—Malton//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra: (1835)[English]Mr. Speaker, we certainly do listen to what individuals say when they want to come to this country and who have put their applications forward. However, we also take our responsibility for protecting Canadians very seriously.Our visa officers review temporary resident visa applications and make their decisions based on the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness. The act also provides these officers with sufficient discretion to respond in a flexible and humane way where the situation warrants, as may be the case with a family funeral or another emergency situation.We understand that people are disappointed when their visa applications are refused. Applicants are advised in writing when their applications are refused, and the letter sets out the reason for that refusal.Refused applicants can submit a new application with a new processing fee, along with more supporting documents, or they may seek judicial review by the Federal Court of Canada. Our visitor application process facilitates the entry of visitors into Canada while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians.Adjournment ProceedingsPassports and visasTemporary resident statusGurbaxMalhiHon.Bramalea—Gore—MaltonYasminRatansiDon Valley East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsSmall BusinessInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC): (1840)[English]Mr. Speaker, there we have it, the first election speech of the Liberal Party right here in the House of Commons.In any event, our government's top priority is in fact the economy. I appreciate the question from the member for Don Valley East. That is why we will continue to put in place the right conditions for businesses to succeed in this country.We have made it easier for entrepreneurs to access the funding they need to start and grow their businesses. Under the Canada small business financing program, the government has increased the maximum eligible loan from $250,000 to $350,000, and up to $500,000 for loans toward acquiring real estate.In my city of St. Catharines, Niagara College and Brock University have received federal support that will allow both of these institutions to help local business innovate and bring new products and processes to the market. Other businesses in my community that have benefited from government actions are companies like Silicon Knights. The funding received by Silicon Knights will help ensure the city of St. Catherine's continued transition from traditional manufacturing to the tech industry. Their growth and success are important to my community. Not only in terms of job creation but also in terms of attracting and retaining the types of highly skilled workers Niagara needs to prosper.Our government is taking action to help improve access to business financing. The business credit availability program, Export Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada are providing significant dollars in direct lending and support like mentorship, accounting and consulting advice all play a role in assisting those companies.Our government is also working to relieve tax burdens on small businesses. Canada's economic action plan raised the amount of business income eligible for the small business tax rate of 11% to $500,000 from $400,000 as of January 1, 2009.Moreover, the economic action plan provided significant funding over two years for the National Research Council's industrial research assistance program. This new funding will increase the research, development and commercialization skills of small and medium-sized businesses across Canada, and contribute to the improvement of their productivity and competitiveness.We have created the advisory committee on small business and entrepreneurship to provide us with insight on the issues and importance of small and medium-sized businesses.We have heard already from these companies that one of those issues is to simplify regulations and cut red tape. As a result, the government has also created the red tape reduction commission, which has already visited over 10 cities across Canada and is chaired by the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism.In March 2009, we announced that we achieved our goal of reducing the paperwork burden by 20%. This government believes entrepreneurs should spend their time and energy on building their success and not filing and filling out paperwork.We have also provided the Canadian Youth Business Foundation with significant dollars over the last two years to support its work with young entrepreneurs and Canada's next generation of business leaders.We have bolstered our support for the Canada Business Network, where small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs have access in person, on line, and toll-free phone service information about how to start a business, how to manage employees and get specific advice concerning importing and exporting.The goal of these federal government initiatives is very simple and it speaks directly to the point that the member for Don Valley East has tried to make. We want to make it easier for small business to invest, to create jobs and be successful in this economy.Adjournment ProceedingsCorporate income taxTax reliefYasminRatansiDon Valley EastYasminRatansiDon Valley East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsSmall BusinessInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra: (1845)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government continues to deliver for Canada's small and medium-sized businesses and enterprises, the backbone of our economy and a major source of job creation across this country.The last thing we should do right now is what the Liberal leader and the Liberal member have spoken about this evening which is to raise taxes on the job creators in this country. Many small businesses sell their products exclusively to larger companies.The Liberal $6 billion tax hike would put small business right out of business. In fact, what it would do is bring this recovery that we finally have, that we have worked so hard to create, back down. The member mentioned the G7 and the G20. We are ahead on all counts in terms of where other countries are.A $6 billion tax increase to do what? Bring this economy back down onto its knees. I do not think so. This government will not be doing that.Adjournment ProceedingsCorporate income taxTax reliefYasminRatansiDon Valley EastBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsSmall BusinessInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1845)[English]The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 6:46 p.m.)RickDykstraSt. Catharines//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58939EdHolderEd-HolderLondon WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/HolderEd_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersTerry FoxInterventionMr. Ed Holder (London West, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, last fall, I helped launch the Parks Canada, Terry Fox Foundation and Fox family competition, “What Terry Fox means to me”.[Translation]Young people from across Canada submitted their ideas for a quote in English and one in French, as well as a design concept for the Mile 0 tribute to commemorate Terry Fox in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.[English]Terry Fox inspired his generation and those who followed with his courageous Marathon of Hope. Now, these three youth will, in their own way, inspire their generation and those who follow. As proof of Terry's ability to unite a nation, the finalists come from coast to coast. I congratulate Andrew Schulz of Fraser Lake, British Columbia; Alyssa Villeneuve from Rockland, Ontario; and Ashley Murray from Saint John, New Brunswick.I also applaud the Minister of the Environment and his predecessor, the hon. Jim Prentice, for their steadfast commitment to preserving and enhancing the legacy of one of Canada's greatest heroes. Terry Fox's legacy lives on.Awards presentationsCancerContestsFox, TerryMedical researchParks Canada AgencyStatements by MembersTerry Fox FoundationPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJudy A.SgroHon.York West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersFirst Nations Financial Transparency ActInterventionMrs. Kelly Block (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of the House Bill C-575, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, which will be voted on this evening in the House of Commons at second reading.This is a serious and important issue. The men and women of first nations reserves across Canada have the right to know what their elected officials are receiving from their bands' bank accounts, just like we all know what other elected officials at the federal, provincial and municipal levels are earning.Bill C-575 will create legislation to disclose the remuneration paid to councillors and chiefs subject to the Indian Act. By establishing a clear, consistent standard for the financial disclosure of salaries and reimbursement of expenses of elected officials, we will enable citizens to make informed decisions.First nations citizens deserve to know what their leaders receive in salaries and benefits. I call on all members of the House to vote in favour of this bill and support first nations communities.AccountabilityBand councilsC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesFirst NationsGovernment assistanceIncome and wagesStatements by MembersRobertOliphantDon Valley WestJeanCrowderNanaimo—Cowichan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58919StephenWoodworthStephen-WoodworthKitchener CentreConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WoodworthStephen_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersDigital Media HubInterventionMr. Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener Centre, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of this House a wonderful project, which is currently under way in Kitchener and is known as the Hub. It is a communitech operation based in Waterloo, operating in Kitchener, which is in fact designed to encourage digital communication across the country and around the world.This is just an example of the many high-tech operations going on in my riding of Kitchener Centre.Communitech Digital Media HubDigital mediaInformation technologyKitchenerStatements by MembersJeanCrowderNanaimo—CowichanRogerGaudetMontcalm//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersTaxationInterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, our party stands alone in its commitment to keep taxes down.In 2007, this government made the decision to lower taxes on job creators. Thanks to our government, Canada's corporate tax rate today stands at 16.5%.At the Canadian Federation of Agriculture's general meeting, one of my constituents asked the Liberal leader about the party's current position on job-killing tax hikes. The Liberal leader said, “We've got corporate tax in Canada at 18%”.My constituent gave the Liberals the benefit of the doubt. The Liberals do not understand agriculture. They do not understand business. The opposition has made job-killing tax hikes the centrepiece of their vision for Canada.Farmers deserve to know if the Liberals are deceiving them on purpose, or whether the Liberal Party, as has been speculated, just does not get agriculture or business.Agriculture is a business that does not need to be taxed to death.Corporate income taxFarming and farmersStatements by MembersTax reliefIrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows this is a five-year-old administrative dispute. One court has ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and another court has not. Otherwise, it is the typical back and forth that one would expect in an administrative dispute of this kind.That said, the Conservative Party has always followed all of the election rules. We have a strong case and we will continue to defend it.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourDominicLeBlancHon.Beauséjour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member can become excited and animated all he wants. The reality is this continues to be a five-year-old administrative dispute. One court has ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and another has done otherwise. That being said, we will follow the rules. We have a strong case and we will continue to defend and advance that case in the courts.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsDominicLeBlancHon.BeauséjourGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her question.The Conservative candidates spent Conservative money on Conservative ads. The national party also transferred funds to its candidates. Elections Canada knows this because we told them. Why not? It is legal, it is ethical and all the parties do it, including the Bloc. We have a very solid case and we will defend it before the courts.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party has been very clear in court. We have already said that we will launch an appeal. We will wait for the final decision.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, this dispute goes back five years. The Conservative Party has won in one court and another court has ruled otherwise. Regardless, we have a very strong case. We will continue to advocate and defend it in a court of law.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourJustinTrudeauRight Hon.Papineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, this is a dispute we have been having with Elections Canada for five years now. We obeyed all of the rules during each election, and therefore, we will continue to advocate and defend our case before the courts.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauStéphaneDionHon.Saint-Laurent—Cartierville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with the hon. member a quote from a distinguished colleague, who I think will be familiar to the Liberal Party, who said, “What's a national ad, what's a local ad? It's nonsense. It's time we got back to things Canadians care about”. That was from an insider and close adviser to the hon. Liberal member for Toronto Centre.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsStéphaneDionHon.Saint-Laurent—CartiervilleMariaMinnaHon.Beaches—East York//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party continues to be engaged in this five-year long administrative dispute. One court has ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and another has done otherwise. This is the normal back and forth that one can expect in a five-year long dispute of this nature.The Conservative Party continues to have a strong case that we will defend and advance in front of the courts.AdvertisingAppeals and appeals officersCanada Elections ActConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingLegal casesOral questionsMariaMinnaHon.Beaches—East YorkChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me tell the member about the work of the Minister of International Cooperation. She has played not just an important but an instrumental role in helping women and young girls in Afghanistan as we seek to redevelop that country. She has played an outstanding role in dealing with the aftermath of the consequences in Haiti. She has also played an instrumental role in the child and newborn maternal health initiative led by the Prime Minister for this will save the lives of literally millions of women and children in Africa. She has done an outstanding job for Canadians.AfghanistanHaitiMuskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child HealthOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleBonnieCrombieMississauga—Streetsville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact the Minister of International Cooperation has neither a quarter million dollar salary nor a limousine.Oda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that under this government the international assistance is the highest ever in the history of Canada.This morning I announced help for Haiti in its reconstruction. This means that there will be six hospitals reconstructed, 54,000 Haitians will receive free health care, 500 new health professionals will be trained, 3,000 families will receive housing and 15,000 Haitians will receive water. This is our foreign aid policy. It—Government assistanceHaitiInternational development and aidOral questionsAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, here are some interesting facts. Under the Liberals, the world's hungry were shortchanged by tens of thousands of tonnes of promised food. We have made up that shortfall and we fulfilled our promise to the world's hungry.In 2008, we untied our aid, putting even more food on their plates. Now, as chair of the Food Aid Convention, we are doing what the previous government could not do. We have all members now talking about how to update our aid assistance. In fact, our government will make sure that the world's hungry get the food they need to thrive and—International development and aidOral questionsAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I reject outright the outrageous premise of the question, but I thank my colleague because it gives me the opportunity to say that Environment Canada remains committed to initiatives and investments to ensure the health and safety of Canadians and their environment.Departmental expenditures change from year to year, especially in a regulatory department like Environment Canada where a significant portion of funding is temporary in nature. My colleague will recognize our successful temporary programs like the economic action plan and the home retrofit.Canada's Economic Action PlanecoENERGY Retrofit - HomesEnvironmental protectionGovernment assistanceGovernment programsOral questionsGerardKennedyParkdale—High ParkGerardKennedyParkdale—High Park//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I cannot accept the outrageous premise of my colleague's question.Coming back to our highly successful temporary programs like the economic action plan, like the home retrofit program, or the Retire Your Ride program in my department, which took more than 120,000 older highly polluting vehicles and 4,000 tonnes of emissions off the road before our new greenhouse gas emission regulations came into effect, I would suggest my hon. colleague that he cool his jets and wait for the budget on March 22.Canada's Economic Action PlanEnvironmental protectionGovernment assistanceGovernment programsOral questionsRetire Your Ride ProgramGerardKennedyParkdale—High ParkLindaDuncanEdmonton—Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, again I cannot accept the premise of the question, but I can thank the member and remind her that we have a plan, unlike the Liberals who for 13 years achieved nothing on remedial action for climate change. Our plan is working. With regard to the main estimates and our continuing commitment to Canadians and the safety of their environment, I say to the member, too, that she should cool her jets and wait for the budget on March 22.Environmental protectionGovernment assistanceGovernment programsOral questionsLindaDuncanEdmonton—StrathconaNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, I do not understand the entire context of the member's question.However, I can tell him that we are well on target to reducing greenhouse gases and meeting our 2020 target of a 17% reduction from our 2005 base year. I would remind the member that Canada contributes barely 2% of total greenhouse gas emissions every year. We are engaged in encouraging the large emitters to join us in reducing those emissions.Environmental protectionGovernment assistanceGovernment programsGreenhouse gasesOral questionsNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley ValleyJamesRajotteEdmonton—Leduc//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe BudgetInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic growth shows that the economic action plan is working.Our economy has grown for six consecutive quarters with over 460,000 new jobs created since July 2009. While these are positive signs, the global recovery remains uncertain and there is more to do.I am pleased to request the designation of an order of the day to present budget 2011, the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 4 p.m.Budget 2011 (March 22, 2011)Canada's Economic Action PlanOral questionsWays and Means No. 11JamesRajotteEdmonton—LeducKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodRegional Economic DevelopmentInterventionHon. Lynne Yelich (Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification), CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, we were given the responsibility in my department of delivering the key economic action plan initiatives for the west. Through the RInC and CAF programs, we delivered programs in communities in all four provinces. These were temporary projects designed to create jobs through the economic downturn. Since July 2009, we have created 460,000 jobs across the country.What hurts the west is that party, which voted against our economic action plan. Canada's Economic Action PlanGovernment assistanceGovernment programsOral questionsRegional development agenciesDonDaviesVancouver KingswayScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Question Period]InterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, it turns out that, in addition to today's robust debate during question period, the Liberal member for Brossard—La Prairie used her Blackberry to take a flash photograph in the direction of a member of cabinet while answering questions in the House, the gallery above us and, in fact, Mr. Speaker, a flash photograph of you while you were busy presiding over the affairs of the House.As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, the taking of photos by members in the House is not in order at any time and I would ask that you would remind the member for Brossard—La Prairie of the rules of this place.Electronic handheld devicesHouse of Commons chamberMendès, AlexandraPhotographsPoints of orderReferences to membersJasonKenneyHon.Calgary SoutheastAlexandraMendèsBrossard—La Prairie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25465PeterVan LoanHon.Peter-VanLoanYork—SimcoeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/VanLoanPeter_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsOffice of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility CounsellorInterventionHon. Peter Van Loan (Minister of International Trade, CPC): (1510)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the first annual report on the activities of the Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor for the period from October 2009 to October 2010, which was prepared by the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor.8525-403-35 Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Counsellor — Annual Report to Parliament (October 2009 - October 2010)Extractive industryOffice of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility CounsellorSocial responsibilityLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacPeterVan LoanHon.York—Simcoe//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25465PeterVan LoanHon.Peter-VanLoanYork—SimcoeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/VanLoanPeter_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsExport Development CanadaInterventionHon. Peter Van Loan (Minister of International Trade, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2011-2015 Corporate plan summary for Export Development Canada. 8562-403-851-02 Summary of the Corporate Plan for 2011-2015 of Export Development CanadaExport Development CanadaExportsStanding Committee on International TradePeterVan LoanHon.York—SimcoeTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to nine petitions.Government response to petitionsPeterVan LoanHon.York—SimcoeRussHiebertSouth Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsProcedure and House AffairsInterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1515)[English]Motion for concurrenceMr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 26th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.Pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2), this report contains a list of items added to the order of precedence that took place on Friday, February 11 under private members' business that should not be designated non-votable.8510-403-202 26th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (items to remain votable)Consideration by the Subcommittee on Private Members' BusinessOrder of precedencePrivate Members' BusinessStanding Committee on Procedure and House AffairsVotable and non-votable itemsHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentrePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsStrengthening the Aeronautics ActInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, I believe you would find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion. I move:MotionThat, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, the previous question to the motion for third reading of C-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics Act, be deemed withdrawn and that the question on the motion for third reading of the said bill be deemed put and a recorded division be deemed requested and deferred to the end of government orders today. C-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActDeferred divisionsGovernment billsMotionsPrevious questionPutting the questionThird reading and adoptionWithdrawal of a motionPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, I move:MotionThat, after no more than three further speakers from each recognized party have spoken on the second reading motion of Bill C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension Act, Bill C-55 shall be deemed read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs provided that any member rising to speak may indicate to the Speaker that he or she will be dividing his or her time with another member.C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActCanadian ForcesDisability benefitsDisabled veteransMotionsNew Veterans CharterPensions and pensionersReferred to Committee after second readingSecond readingVeteransPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsBusiness of SupplyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, earlier this week we had a bit of a disagreement with our friends in the New Democratic Party. I am happy to say that we have worked very constructively with the New Democratic Party, the House leader, the Liberal House leader and the Bloc Québécois House leader and I am pleased to say that I would like to advise that the allotted day designated for today be instead designated for tomorrow. I would like to advise that it is the intention of the government to call Bill C-55 and Bill C-60 today.Allotted daysGovernment ordersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsScottReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsBusiness of SupplyInterventionMr. Scott Reid: (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations between the parties and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move, seconded by the member for Mount Royal, the member for Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher and the member for Toronto—Danforth:That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent assassination of Pakistan's Minister of Minorities, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti; that the House expresses its sincere condolences to the people of Pakistan and to the family of Mr. Bhatti; that the House [expects] the Government of Pakistan to take immediate action against those who would harm and threaten defenders of religious freedom and human rights; and that this House calls upon the Government of Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws.Bhatti, ShahbazCivil and human rightsFreedom of conscience and religionHomicideMotionsPakistanProfane languageJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsBusiness of SupplyInterventionHon. John Baird: (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, if I could just speak for a few moments, perhaps you might be willing to ask the question again.Bhatti, ShahbazCivil and human rightsFreedom of conscience and religionHomicideMotionsPakistanProfane languagePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsBusiness of SupplyInterventionMr. Scott Reid: (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, the word ”encourages” is in my text as well. I may have misspoken earlier.Bhatti, ShahbazCivil and human rightsFreedom of conscience and religionHomicideMotionsPakistanProfane languageLibbyDaviesVancouver EastPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment of PakistanInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the English version of the motion here and I encourage everybody to read along with me. I move: MotionThat this House condemns in the strongest terms possible the recent assassination of Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti; that the House expresses its sincere condolences to the people of Pakistan and to the family of Mr. Bhatti; that this House encourages the Government of Pakistan to take immediate action against those who would harm and threaten defenders of religious freedom and human rights; and, that this House calls upon the Government of Pakistan to repeal its blasphemy laws.Bhatti, ShahbazCivil and human rightsFreedom of conscience and religionHomicideMotionsPakistanProfane languagePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35724BruceStantonBruce-StantonSimcoe NorthConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/StantonBruce_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsChild PornographyInterventionMr. Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, CPC): (1525)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by just over 200 constituents from my riding. They bring particular attention to the House of Commons about their concerns with regard to the use of the Internet for the exploitation of children and the continuing dissemination of child pornography.They are requesting that Parliament speedily enact legislation that would strengthen sentences and do everything it can to protect children and deter pedophilia.Child Internet luringChild pornographyChild sexual abuse and exploitationCriminal CodePetition 403-1442PornographyNathanCullenSkeena—Bulkley ValleyFrankValerioteGuelph//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1530)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsMotions for Papers InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1530)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersEnhanced New Veterans Charter ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1625)[Translation]It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the question to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment is as follows: the member for Sault Ste. Marie, Poverty.C-55, An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and the Pension ActCanadian ForcesDisability benefitsDisabled veteransGovernment billsNew Veterans CharterPensions and pensionersSecond readingVeteransChristianeGagnonQuébecHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/913GarySchellenbergerGary-SchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/SchellenbergerGary_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Insignia of Military Orders, Decorations and Medals ActInterventionMr. Gary Schellenberger (Perth—Wellington, CPC)(1855)[English]Bill C-473. Third reading moved that Bill C-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders and military decorations and medals that are of cultural significance for future generations, be read the third time and passed. Awards presentationsC-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generationsCultural heritageForeign countriesInsigniaMilitary servicePrivate Members' BillsSellingThird reading and adoptionVeteransPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsGarryBreitkreuzYorkton—Melville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1268GarryBreitkreuzGarry-BreitkreuzYorkton—MelvilleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BreitkreuzGarryW_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Insignia of Military Orders, Decorations and Medals ActInterventionMr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC): (1855)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to speak in support of Bill C-473.I first want to thank the hon. member for Perth—Wellington for bringing this matter forward. I also want to thank the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs for its efforts. The committee has improved and strengthened the bill to make it as effective as possible on filling the gap in existing measures to protect military medals.It would be useful to draw the attention of the hon. members to some of the improvements that have been made to the bill through amendments adopted in committee.First, I want to note that the objective of the hon. member for Perth—Wellington in introducing Bill C-473 was to try to ensure that important modern medals, that is those not already protected under the existing cultural property legislation, stay in Canada. Keeping these medals in Canada, whenever possible, is good for Canadians and for Canada's heritage.Thanks to the committee's amendments, this central objective is now clearer. The bill, as tabled, referred to the transfer of insignia to non-residents. However, this could have been a little confusing, after all, someone's residency status and his or her physical location could be two different things. As a result of this, the bill now clearly refers to export. Before people can export one of these insignia to someone other than a close relative, they must first offer it for sale to one of the public institutions named in the bill. A very clear requirement and one that would bring Bill C-473 closer to mirroring existing protection for medals under the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.The committee also recognized the possibility of future overlap and confusion with existing export controls for medals. Bill C-473 refers to insignia awarded by Her Majesty in Right of Canada, which means modern models awarded after 1967. However, the existing act covers objects that are at least 50 years old. So, the committee concluded that once the medals covered by Bill C-473 became more than 50 years old, the same medals would be covered by two sets of rules, and that was a conflict that needed to be eliminated. The bill was amended to cover insignia awarded by Her Majesty in Right of Canada while they are less than 50 years old. After that point, they would fall under the existing export controls of the Cultural Property Export and Import Act.A further concern that arose during the committee's study was that only the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum and the Department of Canadian Heritage would be given the right of first refusal to purchase insignia so that they would remain in Canada.There is a network of more than 60 accredited Canadian Forces museums across the country and it would be entirely appropriate for those museums to be able to acquire medals under the terms of this act. As amended, Bill C-473 also includes the Canadian Forces in the list of federal entities to which an offer to sell can be made when one of these medals is destined for export. This would clear the way for medals related to a regiment to find their way into a Canadian Forces museum dedicated to that regiment.I spoke earlier about the fact that exports to close family members are exempt from the requirements of Bill C-473. However, in second reading and during the committee's review of the bill, it was pointed out that spouses had not been included in what would be understood as a close family member. Members will now be pleased to note that this issue has been addressed by the committee's amendments. Bill C-473 now also include spouses and common-law partners and children of spouses or common-law partners among the list of people to whom insignia may be freely exported.Additional improvements were made to the bill by the committee to clarify certain details and to ensure there would be no overlap or conflict with existing laws and regulations.(1900)Bill C-473 addresses an important gap in the laws that protect Canada's heritage. With the amendments made to it in committee, it is even stronger.The amended bill was clear. It would be effective in keeping important aspects of Canada's military heritage in the country, in public collections where it will be preserved for all Canadians. It is consistent and complementary to existing cultural property legislation and continues to strike a balance between protecting Canada's heritage and recognizing the rights of veterans and their families to determine what happens to these medals that signify the extraordinary contributions made by individuals on our behalf.I know these objects are private property, but they are private property that has a significance and importance to all of us and future generations of Canadians. These are emotional issues and the committee has done, in my view, an even-handed job at steering its way through. I support Bill C-473, as amended, and I encourage all members to do the same.Awards presentationsC-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generationsCanadian ForcesCanadian Museum of HistoryCanadian War MuseumCollections and collectiblesCultural heritageDepartment of Canadian HeritageForeign countriesInsigniaMilitary serviceMuseums and galleriesPrivate Members' BillsSellingThird reading and adoptionVeteransGarySchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Insignia of Military Orders, Decorations and Medals ActInterventionMr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): (1925)[English]Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak in support of Bill C-473 and the important steps it proposes to increase the protection of Canada's military heritage. I would like to thank the hon. member for Perth—Wellington for his hard work here in this House, the work he does on his committee, certainly the work he does in his great southern Ontario riding, and for bringing this matter forward to remind ourselves of the importance of honouring the courage and sacrifice of Canadians.“Service before self”, “extreme devotion to duty”, “distinguished and valiant service in the presence of the enemy”, “conspicuous merit”, and “exceptional service”, these are all words inscribed or used to describe the military conduct that is recognized by the Modern Honours of Canada. The declarations, medals and orders that we have established are to recognize heroism and acts that to many of us seem almost unimaginable. These declarations, medals and orders are touchstones for the recipient, their families, and for all of us. They form the basis for telling the story of ordinary Canadians undertaking extraordinary challenges. They remind us that Canada's armed forces have faced and continue to face those challenges far from home. Korea, Kuwait, Somalia, Southwest Asia, and Afghanistan are names of places in Canada's military heritage that echo other names: Vimy, Passchendaele, Dieppe, Normandy, Ortona, and Hong Kong. Canadians know these names. They are names that are synonymous with courage, sacrifice and, yes, with loss and sorrow.The government has taken many steps to preserve and honour these stories, and memories of the courage and sacrifice of Canadians in the name of a greater good. There are hundreds of memorials all over the world where Canada remembers her war dead and their sacrifice. More than 116,000 have given their lives in the wars of the past century and their final resting places are located in more than 75 countries. Monuments have been created to honour Canadians in locations such as Beaumont-Hamel, France, where, on July 1, 1916, the Newfoundland Regiment fought its first engagement of World War I; its costliest of the war. In locations such as Sai Wan Bay, where just recently the Prime Minister paid his respects to those 228 Canadians who died so far from home in defence of Hong Kong during the second world war.Canada's military heritage is also preserved in museums and archives across Canada. Library Archives Canada preserves military service files, war diaries, and other documents from the 1800s through both world wars. Canada's national museums preserve military material of all kinds, from aircraft to uniforms to medals. The Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum alone have more than 1,000 medals, including at least 28 Victoria Crosses, Canada's highest military honour.A network of Canadian Forces museums across the country tell the story of individual regiments like the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, founded at the outbreak of World War I, and which continues to distinguish itself to the present day in Afghanistan. The Royal 22nd Regiment's museum collection, housed at the Citadel of Quebec, spans more than 300 years of history.The courage and sacrifice of Canada's armed forces lives not just in the history books, not just in museums, it lives nightly on the television news. Medals continue to be awarded to Canadians for military service and for sacrifice. Last year we saw the first presentation of the sacrifice medal, created to recognize members of the Canadian armed forces and those who work with them who have been wounded or killed by hostile action, and to Canadian Forces members who died as a result of their service.The sacrifice of these 46 Canadians, who received this new medal, include members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the Royal 22nd Regiments. This is no less important than the sacrifice of those Canadians who lie in the Sai Wan Bay cemetery in Hong Kong. The medals, orders and decorations now being bestowed on deserving Canadians should enjoy the same respect and protection as those awarded for courage at the Somme and Ypres.(1930)The estimated 450,000 Modern Honours of Canada that have been awarded since 1967 and that Bill C-473 seeks to protect deserve that protection. Bill C-473 affirms that the modern Victoria Cross will deserve the same protection as those awarded over the past two centuries.Existing federal legislation protects military medals, orders and decorations, and it does so by intervening at the point of export to create opportunities for Canadian museums to acquire these objects, so that they may remain in Canada when they would otherwise be lost to foreign owners.Bill C-473 will complement this existing mechanism by affording similar protection to modern models. It will ensure that if a significant modern medal, order or decoration is in danger of permanently leaving Canada, an opportunity will be created for acquisition by a museum collection where it will be preserved and shared with the public.In order to make the bill dovetail with existing legislation and avoid overlap with it, the standing committee noted that the Cultural Property Export and Import Act protects medals from the point where they are 50 years old, and amended the bill to clarify that it protects medals that are less than 50 years old.Another amendment to the bill that was adopted in committee was an expansion of the list of federal entities to whom an offer to sell must be made when an important medal will be exported.In addition to the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum, and the Department of Canadian Heritage, the list now includes the Canadian Forces. This amendment was done specifically so that the family of more than 60 accredited Canadian Forces museums across Canada will have a chance to acquire these important medals.It recognizes the close relationship between members of the armed forces, their regiments, and the communities that play host to those regiments. It is only right that some of these medals find their way into the collections of local regimental museums.In this way, Bill C-473 will allow museums to continue to educate the public about the long legacy of Canada's military heritage, and the contribution is has made and continues to make to our country.To honour the brave Canadians who receive these honours, it is our responsibility to preserve that legacy. I support the amendments that have been made to Bill C-473 because they make the bill stronger and more consistent with the existing protection of historic medals. I support Bill C-473 and encourage all members of this House to do the same.Awards presentationsC-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generationsCitadelle of QuébecCollections and collectiblesCultural heritageForeign countriesInsigniaMilitary servicePrivate Members' BillsSellingThird reading and adoptionVeteransPeterStofferSackville—Eastern ShoreJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/913GarySchellenbergerGary-SchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/SchellenbergerGary_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessProtection of Insignia of Military Orders, Decorations and Medals ActInterventionMr. Gary Schellenberger (Perth—Wellington, CPC): (1945)[English] Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today to my private member's bill, Bill C-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders and military decorations and medals that are of cultural significance for future generations.I also want to thank the members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs for the steps they have taken to strengthen the bill.As I have said at each reading of Bill C-473, and will now say again, it is time for our modern medals to receive the same protection accorded to our historic medals. This bill is about continuity and ensuring protection for modern military insignia.Thanks to amendments adopted at committee, the bill will clearly protect those military orders, decorations and medals that are less than 50 years old. This and other amendments made to the bill would ensure that together it and the existing act work in concert to provide comprehensive protection for our military heritage.I also respect the right of recipients to decide for themselves what to do with the medals, decorations and other honours that have been awarded to them. This is one of the difficult issues that the committee grappled with during its consideration of the bill. These insignia are given to recipients and they belong to them. If recipients give away or sell any of their possessions, from a house to a car, that is perfectly legal. There are thousands of medal collectors in Canada and around the world. There is a legal domestic and international market for military insignia. Countless medals and other military items are bought and sold daily. Much of our military history would have been lost without medal collectors and dealers. As the committee heard from witnesses, many collectors, in fact, are veterans who are driven by the honourable desire to protect heritage rather than collecting for financial gain. They have saved thousands of medals from being discarded. They have traced their history and they have carefully safeguarded them.The committee took the approach of addressing the need to keep these important medals in Canada while still respecting the rights of recipients and their families. The bill now refers to export instead of transfers to non-residents. It continues to exempt transactions among close family members from its provisions while amending it to include spouses, common-law partners, and the children's spouses and common-law partners, which had not been included in the bill as originally drafted. It continues to have no effect on the transfer of medals that takes place inside Canada.We should ensure that we are protecting the history we are making today as a proud nation sharing the struggle for international freedom and democracy with others on the world stage.My inspiration for this bill comes from the veterans and future veterans from my riding who serve or have served our country. This bill will ensure that the accolades for their acts of bravery will remain on Canadian soil and will continue to honour them as part of our Canadian heritage.Awards presentationsC-473, An Act to protect insignia of military orders, decorations and medals of cultural significance for future generationsCollections and collectiblesCultural heritageForeign countriesInsigniaMilitary servicePrivate Members' BillsSellingThird reading and adoptionVeteransDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1795DavidAndersonDavid-AndersonCypress Hills—GrasslandsConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AndersonDavid_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPovertyInterventionMr. David Anderson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC): (1955)[English]Madam Speaker, I am happy to speak to this important issue this evening.Our government is very interested in helping working Canadians and their families. We are very much interested in providing them with a government that facilitates a healthy and growing economy, which, in turn, provides jobs and prosperity to all Canadians. We have a record of action that we will be glad to stand on.The member opposite and his party have different ideas, obviously, but our Conservative government believes the best way to fight poverty is to get Canadians working. Thanks to the actions we have taken, that is exactly what is happening. Since July 2009, over 460,000 jobs have been created.We have said these things before but I will gladly say them again. We made unprecedented investments in skills training, which has helped over 1.2 million Canadians just in the last year. It has helped them to transition into new jobs. We have introduced the working income tax benefit to make work pay for Canadians who are trying to get over the welfare wall. One million low-income Canadians benefited in the first year of that initiative alone and Canadians who need it will continue to benefit from it.We have introduced the historic registered disability savings plan in order to help Canadians save for the long-term financial security of a child with a disability.We continue to pursue our low tax plan so that Canadians have more money in their own pockets to spend on what is important to them and to their families and so that businesses can be more productive, create more jobs and hire more Canadians. Provinces now have access to predictable and growing funding from our government as well.Our actions have helped Canadians. The actions of the member opposite and his party, on the other hand, have not been helpful. They need to become part of the solution.Where we introduced help for Canadians who are working or looking for work, the NDP and the member opposite voted against that help. Where we helped students through grants, summer jobs, better tax treatment and improved infrastructure, the NDP once again voted against that help.Where we improved the tax treatment, increased support multiple times and funded stimulus building projects for our seniors, the NDP voted against that as well. The NDP voted against the working income tax benefit, against our universal child care plan, against increasing help to single-earner families and against the RDSP.The NDP voted against help during the recession for older workers, for long-tenured workers and against expanded work-sharing measures protecting the jobs of over 270,000 Canadian workers. The member opposite and the NDP in this place have proposed reckless and destructive taxes, spending that will stifle job growth, kill existing jobs, repel investment, lower productivity and increase the very problems that the member opposite says that he wants to fix.Our Conservative government has and will continue to propose actions that will help Canadians, that will lower taxes, that will attract investment, increase productivity, boost job growth and lower poverty. However, all the NDP seems to want to do is vote against that help time and time again. The NDP needs to begin to treat this seriously and not politically.I would ask the member and his party to, instead, support our Conservative government's plans which are getting Canadians working and helping them become more prosperous. The NDP really should stop voting against these measures. This is how we will successfully address these issues.Adjournment ProceedingsEconomic policyNational anti-poverty strategyPovertyTonyMartinSault Ste. MarieTonyMartinSault Ste. Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1795DavidAndersonDavid-AndersonCypress Hills—GrasslandsConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AndersonDavid_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPovertyInterventionMr. David Anderson: (2000)[English]Madam Speaker, I hope the member misspoke when he said that he thinks it is too simple that we just create jobs and that is how we help Canadians, because that is exactly how we intend to help Canadians.Thanks to our Conservative government, more Canadians are working. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian families are paying less in taxes and have more money in their pockets. Vulnerable Canadians are benefiting from the significant investments that we have made in areas like skills training and housing persons with disabilities, among others.The member opposite and his party have consistently proposed what are clearly fiscally reckless and economically destructive spending and policies that would damage our economy and harm Canadian families in many ways and yet they turn around and consistently vote against measure after measure that our government proposes and ultimately passes to help Canadians and our economy.Our Conservative government will continue to make investments that make a positive difference in the lives of Canadians and their families. I would urge the member opposite and his party to begin to support those efforts instead of continually opposing them.Adjournment ProceedingsEconomic policyNational anti-poverty strategyPovertyDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/54325LisaRaittHon.Lisa-RaittHaltonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/RaittLisa_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInternational Labour OrganizationInterventionHon. Lisa Raitt (Minister of Labour, CPC): (1000)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to article 19 of the International Labour Organization Constitution, member states are required to introduce new ILO conventions and recommendations to the competent authorities. I am pleased to submit to the House, in both official languages, two copies of the report on the Canadian position with respect to conventions and recommendations adopted at the 91st, 92nd, 95th and 96th sessions of the International Labour Conference, Geneva, Switzerland.With respect to ILO Convention 187, on a promotional framework for occupational safety and health, which is referenced in this report, in January I met my provincial and territorial counterparts and I am working closely with them towards Canada's ratification of this convention.8525-403-34 Canadian Position with Respect to Conventions and Recommendations adopted at the 91st (June 2003), 92nd (June 2004), 95th (June 2006) and 96th (June 2007) sessions of the International Labour Conference held in Geneva, SwitzerlandAgreements and contractsFederal-provincial-territorial relationsInternational Labour ConferenceInternational Labour OrganizationInternational relationsLabour lawLabour, employment and educationWorkplace health and safetyMaximeBernierHon.Beauce//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31715DavidSweetDavid-SweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/SweetDavid_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsIndustry, Science and TechnologyInterventionMr. David Sweet (Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.In accordance with its order of reference of Wednesday, May 26, 2010, your committee has considered Bill C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection), and agreed on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 to report it with amendments.8510-403-198 14th Report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (Bill C-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection), with amendmentsBankruptcyC-501, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and other Acts (pension protection)Pension guaranteesStanding Committee on Industry, Science and TechnologyEdFastHon.AbbotsfordRobClarkeDesnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/55139RobClarkeRob-ClarkeDesnethé—Missinippi—Churchill RiverConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/ClarkeRob_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsAboriginal Affairs and Northern DevelopmentInterventionMr. Rob Clarke (Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, CPC): (1005)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development entitled, “From Food Mail to Nutrition North Canada”.8510-403-199 Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, "From Food Mail to Nutrition North Canada"Food Mail ProgramFood supplyNorthern CanadaNutrition North Canada programStanding Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern DevelopmentDavidSweetAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—WestdaleOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1030)[English]Madam Speaker, I want to say a few words this morning to let those Canadians who may be watching know exactly what is occurring here today. As members in this place know, today we were supposed to be debating Bill C-42, the strengthening aviation security act. However, only one party in this place is opposed to that piece of legislation, the party of my colleagues across the floor, the NDP.What they are attempting to do by the use of a concurrence motion, which we see before us today, is to cut three hours out of parliamentary debate. They used the same tactic yesterday to delay debate on Bill C-42 by a further three hours. It is very ironic because, on the one hand, the members of the NDP are fond of saying publicly that they are here to make Parliament work, but in reality, what we see happening is that they do not want to make Parliament work. Bill C-42 is supported by all parties except the NDP--8510-403-188 Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (funding to immigrant settlement and adaptation services)Budget cutsC-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActFilibusterLegislative processMotion for concurrence in committee reportsNew Democratic PartySettlement of immigrantsStanding Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1030)[English]Madam Speaker--DeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCitizenship and ImmigrationInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1035)[English]Madam Speaker, as I was saying before I was interrupted, we were supposed to be debating Bill C-42 both yesterday and today. The NDP has blocked that discussion. Members of the NDP are filibustering this bill, which is supported by every other party in this House, except for them. They are not trying to make Parliament work; they are trying to obstruct Parliament. They are filibustering Parliament.Any time we or the general public hear the NDP prattle on about how it is trying to make Parliament work, I want them to remember that this is a common technique and practice of members of the NDP. When they see a bill they do not want to support, rather than engage in meaningful debate and have parliamentarians come to a vote on a bill, they will use parliamentary tricks, tactics, and procedures to delay debate on any bill. That is unconscionable. That is what the NDP stands for. It is not here for a legitimate debate.Therefore, I move: MotionThat the House proceed to the orders of the day.8510-403-188 Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (funding to immigrant settlement and adaptation services)Budget cutsC-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActDilatory motionsFilibusterLeave to propose a motionMotion for concurrence in committee reportsMotion to proceed to the Orders of the DayNew Democratic PartySettlement of immigrantsStanding Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationDeniseSavoieVictoriaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1235)[English]A few members have made mentioned of the fact that it is inappropriate to point out the absence or presence of a member.8510-403-188 Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (funding to immigrant settlement and adaptation services)Absence or presence of membersBudget cutsDecisions of the SpeakerMotion for concurrence in committee reportsSettlement of immigrantsStanding Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationJasonKenneyHon.Calgary SoutheastJasonKenneyHon.Calgary Southeast//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1250)[English]Order, I will have to stop the minister as his time has expired.Resuming debate, the hon. member for Papineau.JasonKenneyHon.Calgary SoutheastJustinTrudeauRight Hon.Papineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1305)[English]It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings at this time and put forthwith the question on the motion now before the House. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: No. The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea. Some hon. members: Yea. The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay. Some hon. members: Nay. The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the nays have it. And five or more members having risen:The Deputy Speaker: Call in the members. And the bells having rung: Division on motion deferredThe Deputy Speaker: Accordingly, the vote stands deferred until tomorrow at the end of the time provided for government orders.8510-403-188 Eighth Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (funding to immigrant settlement and adaptation services)Budget cutsDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsMotion for concurrence in committee reportsPutting the questionSettlement of immigrantsStanding Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1305)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1305)[English]Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.TomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1315)[English]Questions and comments, the hon. member for Burnaby—Douglas.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaBillSiksayBurnaby—Douglas//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1355)[English]I will stop the member there. He will have five minutes left to conclude his remarks after question period. Right now we will move on to statements by members.PeterStofferSackville—Eastern ShoreDavidAndersonCypress Hills—Grasslands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1795DavidAndersonDavid-AndersonCypress Hills—GrasslandsConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AndersonDavid_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCanadian Wheat BoardInterventionMr. David Anderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, CPC): (1355)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Wheat Board is staggering through another wretched season of grain marketing. It set the initial prices of durum so low that farmers laughed, although they wanted to cry. It played in the barley market until malt barley was being sold for feed. Spring wheat sits in farmers' bins while bills go unpaid. Its latest prediction is that western Canadian farmers will once again reduce their wheat acres next year.What is the Canadian Wheat Board's response? Let us go boating. It now wants to take $70 million of farmers' money to purchase two Chinese freighters and launch a new shipping empire. If it cannot market grain, how can it handle boats? While it may fancy itself as a new Canada grain ship lines, it is more likely we will see a version of the Titanic running aground on Gilligan's Island. The “Pirate of the Prairies” has already done enough damage. Farmers are tired of being pillaged. The answer is not more CWB, but more freedom for western Canadian producers.Canadian Wheat BoardFarming and farmersPrice determinationStatements by MembersAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—Restigouche//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersConservative Party of CanadaInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1400)[English]The hon. member for Delta--Richmond East.PeterStofferSackville—Eastern ShoreJohnCumminsDelta—Richmond East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35539PhilMcColemanPhil-McColemanBrantConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/McColemanPhil_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe EconomyInterventionMr. Phil McColeman (Brant, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, last week the Liberal international trade critic was dispatched to Brantford in a failed attempt to score cheap political points by exploiting industries hardest hit by the global recession. She claimed that the removal of a company's name from one plant's exterior was “sad” and “depressing”.Allow me to correct the record. What she actually witnessed was another example of how our government is making Canada the most attractive place for job creators to invest. The sign removal was in preparation for the new logo of Brant Screen Craft, an expanding local company that purchased the plant last year.Outraged by her misleading comments, the company's vice-president responded by stating:Ironically, we had looked into locating our finishing and distribution facility in Michigan. The corporate tax cuts and programs provided by the Conservative government were the deciding factor to expand in Canada. The 50-plus jobs in this facility have stayed in Brantford because of the Conservatives.This is more evidence that Canada's economic action plan is delivering results for Brant.BrantfordCanada's Economic Action PlanJob creationOntarioStatements by MembersThierrySt-CyrJeanne-Le BerSukhDhaliwalNewton—North Delta//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, this is an administrative issue. The Conservative candidates spent Conservative money on Conservative ads. The national party also transferred funds to its candidates, of course.How did Elections Canada know about this? We told them. Why not? It is legal. It is ethical and all the parties do it. We will continue to defend our case before the courts.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to tell the truth. This is an administrative dispute that we are having with Elections Canada. The Conservative candidates spent Conservative money on Conservative ads. The national party also transferred funds to its candidates. How did Elections Canada know about this? We told them. Why not? It is legal. It is ethical and all the parties do it. We have a very solid case and we will defend it before the courts.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister has spoken to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, where, 11 times, she was very clear that she was the one who made the decision with respect to not giving the $7 million grant. She also made it very clear just last month that it was her decision.I would encourage the member opposite from Vancouver Centre to look at that.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentreHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member wants to talk about integrity. That specific member, who was a minister, wants to talk about misleading the House. That is the member who said, “As we speak, crosses are burning in Prince George”. She has a lot of chutzpah.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentreRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister said no such thing. What she did say last year before a standing committee of Parliament was that she was the one who made the decision not to provide a $7 million grant to a particular non-governmental organization. This is something she repeated just last month in this place.The minister has always made the right decisions. The member has always stood up for international causes around the world, whether it is in Haiti, or in Afghanistan or in Africa. She is doing a heck of a good job.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me tell the member what the Minister of International Cooperation works so hard at. She has worked tremendously hard at rebuilding earthquake-damaged Haiti. She has worked tremendously hard on dealing with the challenges that women in Afghanistan face. The minister has—Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird: (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister has not just played an important role, but this minister has played an instrumental role in the maternal and child initiative brought forward at the last G8. This initiative will save literally millions of lives, and it is because of the great leadership of the Minister of International Cooperation.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment accountabilityInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPauleBrunelleTrois-Rivières//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodElectricityInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, there are two matters relating to the Lower Churchill. One is an application for a loan guarantee, and that is being discussed by officials in the federal government with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The other is a P3 application to PPP Canada Inc. with respect to a proposed transmission connection, and that is being dealt with in the normal way by PPP Canada Inc.Electricity supplyGovernment loan guaranteesHydroelectric powerNewfoundland and LabradorNova ScotiaOral questionsPPP Canada Inc.Province of QuebecPublic-private partnershipsPauleBrunelleTrois-RivièresPauleBrunelleTrois-Rivières//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodElectricityInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, PPP Canada Inc. deals with applications from all across the country. I am sure the member noticed the announcement the other day in Lachine, Quebec, with respect to the maintenance yard and for the commuter trains in the greater Montreal region: a P3 Canada application, approved by PPP Canada Inc. I did not hear any complaints elsewhere in Canada about that approval.Electricity supplyGovernment loan guaranteesHydroelectric powerNewfoundland and LabradorNova ScotiaOral questionsPPP Canada Inc.Province of QuebecPublic-private partnershipsPauleBrunelleTrois-RivièresBernardBigrasRosemont—La Petite-Patrie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to inform my friend from Kings—Hants that we tabled in the House last week the information the committee requested.Access to informationCostsCriminal justice systemOral questionsRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodFinanceInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have a low tax plan. We want to reduce taxes. This low tax plan was passed by Parliament with the support of the official opposition two or three years ago. If the hon. member were here, she would remember that her party voted in favour of this low tax plan. Now the Liberals say they want a high tax plan. They say they want a law brought into the House of Commons, which I guess they would support, to increase taxes. We are going to stay with our low tax plan.Correctional facilitiesCostsOral questionsTough on crime strategiesAlexandraMendèsBrossard—La PrairieStephenWoodworthKitchener Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58919StephenWoodworthStephen-WoodworthKitchener CentreConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WoodworthStephen_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodLibyaInterventionMr. Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener Centre, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been following the dire situation in Libya with great concern.Could the Prime Minister please update the House on the government's response to this crisis?Canadians in foreign countriesEvacuationLibyaOral questionsPolitical crisisJimFlahertyHon.Whitby—OshawaStephenHarperRight Hon.Calgary Southwest//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. This is an administrative matter. The Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertisements. Obviously, there were transfers from the national party to local candidates. Elections Canada knew because we told them. Why not? All the parties do it. It is legal and ethical. We have a very strong case and we will be defending ourselves in court.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMarcelProulxHull—AylmerMarcelProulxHull—Aylmer//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, as you know, this is an administrative matter. The Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertisements. The national party obviously transferred money to local candidates, as all parties do all the time. Elections Canada found out because we told them. Why not? It is legal and ethical and all the parties do it. We have a solid case and we will be defending ourselves.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElection of 2006Elections CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMarcelProulxHull—AylmerCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPrivilege [Main Estimates]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1515)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Windsor—Tecumseh for his intervention. I apologize to my friend because I was absent for the first few moments of his intervention, but I think I caught the gist of what he was saying.I would like to point out a couple of inconsistencies, and that is simply this. The analogy that the member was trying to draw between what happened with the estimates today and a government bill is really not relevant. As the member should know, the difference between a bill on notice and the main estimates is that the main estimates are a message from the government, delivered by the Governor General. There is quite a distinction between the two.The other thing I would point out, quite frankly, is the media article that he is referring to does not give any details of the main estimates. That is what I think is the distinction that the Speaker needs to take into account, as does my hon. colleague from Windsor—Tecumseh. There were no details whatsoever given about the main estimates in the article mentioned. Since the intervention was made just a few moments ago, even though I believe the two points that I have just given you, Mr. Speaker, are salient and relevant, I would ask you, in your consideration, to allow the government to make a more detailed response at our earliest opportunity.Akin, DavidInformation leaksMain estimates 2011-2012Media and the pressParliamentary privilegeQMI AgencyRights of Members breachedJoeComartinWindsor—TecumsehPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]The hon. member for Windsor—Tecumseh has less than 30 seconds.DonDaviesVancouver KingswayJoeComartinWindsor—Tecumseh//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1725)[English]It being 5:30 p.m. the House will now proceed to the consideration of private member's business as listed on today's order paper. PaulDewarOttawa CentreAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessNational Tree DayInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1730)[English]The hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona has five minutes left to conclude his remarks.AndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessNational Tree DayInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1735)[English]Order please. There being no further members rising, I will go to the hon. member for Ottawa—Orléans for his five minute right of reply. JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaRoyalGalipeauOttawa—Orléans//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35668RoyalGalipeauRoyal-GalipeauOttawa—OrléansConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GalipeauRoyal_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessNational Tree DayInterventionMr. Royal Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans, CPC): (1735)[Translation]Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to conclude the debate on my motion to establish a National Tree Day.[English]For the people of Ottawa—Orléans, I thank them for the opportunity to serve them and to represent them in the Parliament of Canada. It is with their support that I am able to stand in this place, in their place, today to speak to this important motion.The residents of Ottawa—Orléans are the beneficiaries of a rich natural history. Orléans was, and to a great degree remains, a deep farmland with old trees and a great natural presence. Though continued growth has made new development a recurring pattern, one can always witness vibrant urban forests, parks lands and, of course, trees.It is such a pleasure to take the journey that brought us here today with Michael Rosen and the professional staff and dedicated volunteers of Tree Canada.[Translation]In the first hour of debate, I alluded to the support of Mr. Rosen's organization for Motion M-575. Tree Canada has continued to be most helpful, and I understand they have even sent letters—on recycled paper, of course—to each member of this House seeking their support also. I once again thank them for their work.[English]Every member of the House knows, and it is henceforth recorded in the history of this place, that Tree Canada provides a vital service to our country and to its people. They have had a role in planting and maintaining over 76 million trees.[Translation]This motion comes as a product of a vision. As I previously told the House, I plant a tree each year during National Forest Week. I have done that since my days as a Boy Scout. I have also planted some 52,000 trees outside this celebratory week, and my children have planted 23,000 trees so far.[English]We do not just talk about the environment. We actually look after our own carbon footprint, and we have done it for generations.[Translation]It is my hope that this motion will create a day where others will be inspired to acknowledge the importance of the tree and take the time to plant one, or many, of their own.[English]Tree day will be the only exclusive day to recognize one of Canada's greatest assets: its trees. As I mentioned before, the tree is a symbol of Canada's historic, economic and environmental success. Our friends to the south celebrate their Arbor Day and soon we will celebrate Canada's own national tree day.[Translation]By passing this motion, the House will ask Canadians to spend just one day reflecting on the link between their lives and that of the tree. Canadians will dedicate trees, plant trees, learn about trees and appreciate the historical impact the tree has had on Canada’s economic success as a nation.[English]I understand that all parties in the House are fully aware of the importance of this motion and have extended their support. I thank them. It is then fruitless to continue encouraging them to support this motion when it seems that I have already laid a convincing case.[Translation]So, I will take just a few moments to thank some people who have helped this motion become a reality.[English]I thank the hon. members who have participated in this debate, my friend, the jovial member for Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, and the learned member for Elmwood—Transcona. [Translation]I also want to thank the fiery member for Honoré-Mercier and the member for Trois-Rivières.[English]As well, I thank the member for Windsor West and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board. I thank Craig Huff, the late manager of the city of Ottawa Forestry Services, his successor, David Barkley, the students of Good Shepherd Catholic School, the 1st Blackburn Scouts, 3rd Orléans, 4th Orléans, 8th Orléans and the 14th Gloucester.(1740)[Translation]And the Scouts of 25th St. Gabriel, 31st St. Joseph, and 55th Ste. Marie. Finally, I thank my own staff, Lynne Bernard, Amanda Iarusso, Rebecca Lee, Andrej Sakic, Gina Vilsaint, Amanda Weir and Colette Yelle. [English]I also thank my senior assistant, Kyle Simunovic, who keeps the trains running on time.M-575 National Tree DayNational Tree DayPrivate Members' MotionsTree CanadaTreesAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessNational Tree DayInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1740)[English] The question is on the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment? Some hon. members: Agreed.(Amendment agreed to)Amendments and subamendmentsDecisions of the HouseM-575 National Tree DayNational Tree DayPrivate Members' MotionsTreesRoyalGalipeauOttawa—OrléansAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessNational Tree DayInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1740)[English]The next question is on the main motion, as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion, as amended?Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: No. The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea. Some hon. members: Yea.The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay. Some hon. members: Nay.The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the yeas have it. And five or more members having risen:Division on motion deferredThe Deputy Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 93, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 2 at the beginning of private member's member.Decisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsM-575 National Tree DayNational Tree DayPrivate Members' MotionsTreesAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleEdFastHon.Abbotsford//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessNational Tree DayInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1740)[English]Is that agreed?Some hon. members: Agreed.Proceeding to next item earlyEdFastHon.AbbotsfordBorysWrzesnewskyjEtobicoke Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsCanadian HeritageInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, CPC): (1745)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government believes that museums have an important role to play in communities across the country, and that is why we have taken a number of steps that will strengthen our museums.As was noted in the House last week, we created not one but two national museums during our mandate: the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. These are the first new national museums to be created in Canada in 40 years.Our support for museums does not end with the creation of these two new crown corporations. It has taken many forms and has been demonstrated through our actions. For instance, we have taken steps to stimulate more individual and corporate investment in our cultural institutions. In budgets 2006 and 2007, the government eliminated the capital gains tax for listed securities donated to charities, including museums. Museums report that these measures have stimulated new donations.In budget 2007, we announced $5 million in new funding for summer internships specifically targeted at small and medium museums. Budget 2009 committed an additional $60 million in a two year fund through the Canada cultural spaces fund to support infrastructure related costs for local and community cultural and heritage institutions.In April 2010, the government announced $15 million in additional funding for this fiscal year to assist four national museums in meeting their operational costs during a difficult financial period.Taken together, these measures represent a significant investment in museums across the country, and our support continues.I would like to turn the House's attention specifically to the Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum, the organization on which our hon. colleague's question is based. The federal government is a partner in this museum project. Recently, the Minister of State for Transport announced joint federal-provincial funding of $6.25 million toward the relocation of the Ukrainian Canadian Archives and Museum.The Government of Canada is proud to support this important cultural infrastructure initiative that showcases the unique contributions of Ukrainian culture in our country's history. With this support, the museum will relocate to a new home that will allow for the improved display of its artifacts, permanent interpretive exhibit space and a library and archives as well.Through sound investments in our museums, we are ensuring that Canadians will have access to our rich heritage today and in the future.Adjournment ProceedingsCanadian Museum for Human RightsCanadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21Government assistanceUkrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of AlbertaBorysWrzesnewskyjEtobicoke CentreBorysWrzesnewskyjEtobicoke Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsCanadian HeritageInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki: (1750)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, national museums, including the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Pier 21, are federal crown corporations established under the Museums Act.Our government has created two new national museums in the term of our mandate, representing a significant capital and operational investment.Major investments in non-federal museum building projects are made through the building Canada infrastructure program. There is no designation of status associated with such support, which is an important distinction to keep in mind.Adjournment ProceedingsCanadian Museum for Human RightsCanadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21Government assistanceUkrainian Canadian Archives and Museum of AlbertaBorysWrzesnewskyjEtobicoke CentreMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPovertyInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, CPC): (1755)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to this important issue. I hear some of the things the member has been saying with respect to poverty and that is why we have taken a significant number of steps to address this issue. There are a number of projects across the country, over 22,000, creating jobs. Our Conservative government believes that the best way to fight poverty is to get Canadians working and, thanks to the actions we have taken, that is exactly what is happening. In fact, since July 2009 we have created over 460,000 new jobs. In fact, 260,000 initial jobs were saved through job sharing. If the member and his party had their way, there would be a loss of 400,000 jobs.We have made unprecedented investments in skills training which last year alone helped over 1.2 million Canadians transition to new jobs. We have introduced the working income tax benefit to make work pay for Canadians. We are trying to get over the welfare wall. In the first year alone, one million low-income Canadians benefited. In fact, the member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour himself praised the government for introducing the working income tax benefit. We have introduced historic registered disability savings plans to help Canadians save for the long term financial security of a child with a disability. We continue to pursue our low tax plans so that Canadians have more money in their pockets to spend on what is important to them and their families. We have improved social transfers to the provinces so they now have access to predictable and growing funding. Those are just a few examples. Time does not permit going through the long list of initiatives we have taken and introduced to help low-income Canadians and their families.Our record is one of action, whereas the Liberals' record is one of empty talk and failure. They had 13 years to do it and failed to do anything or address any of the issues that the member raises. They are best known for their decision to slash social transfers to the provinces by a whopping $25 billion. That meant drastically less funding for health care, post-secondary education and programs to help low-income Canadians. What does the member have to say to that? The Liberal member for Markham—Unionville admitted that these cuts had a devastating impact. He said: I think, in hindsight, the Chretien government--even though I'm a Liberal--cut perhaps too deeply, too much offloading, with the benefit of hindsight. And there were some negative effects Of course there were. The Liberal finance critic, the member for Kings—Hants, echoed the sentiment when he said that the Liberal government made the wrong choices and slashed transfers to provinces. He went on to say, “The provinces are still scrambling to catch up on the lost Martin years of inadequate funding”. Now the self-proclaimed tax-and-spend Liberal leader is pursuing a campaign to raise taxes on Canadians and job creators. Independent experts have stated that the LIberal plan will kill an estimated 400,000 jobs. This is not the way to proceed.I will quote the Liberal member for Kings—Hants, who very nicely summed up the devastating impact the Liberal tax hike plan would have on low-income Canadians. He stated:--we cannot increase corporate taxes without losing corporate investment. If we lose corporate investment, we have a less productive economy. That means lower paying jobs. That means fewer jobs. That means more poverty.The member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour should listen to his finance critic and abandon the Liberal plan to raise taxes. He should speak to his leader. He should instead support our government's plans that are getting Canadians working and putting more money into the pockets of Canadians so they can address the issue of poverty. He should get behind these plans and convince his leader to drop his plan to hike taxes that would cost an estimated 400,000 jobs.Adjournment ProceedingsGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresJob creationPovertyMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole Harbour//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25513EdKomarnickiEd-KomarnickiSouris—Moose MountainConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KomarnickiEd_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsPovertyInterventionMr. Ed Komarnicki: (1800)[English]Mr. Speaker, I cannot imagine the hon. member saying that when he knows the record is that in the 1990s the Liberals slashed $25 billion in provincial transfers that affected health care, education and programs for low income Canadians. They took $50 billion from the EI fund and used it for their own pet political projects.He says that we should be doing something for those who find themselves with low incomes. In fact, we have invested funds in that. We have made sure that transfers are not cut to the provinces. It is interesting that the Liberals had 13 years to do something about that and they did not. The member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour himself admitted the Liberals failed to help low income Canadians. He stated, “We didn't get to where we need to get”. His Liberal colleague from York Centre agreed, and when speaking about the Liberal record on poverty stated, “We didn't do as well as we would have wanted to do”. In fact, they did not get it done in 13 years. It was always if they might have done it, had they had another term. The fact is they did not do it. The provinces are just now starting to recover from the infrastructure losses they experienced because of the cut in transfer payments.Adjournment ProceedingsGovernment assistanceGovernment expendituresPovertyMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourLindaDuncanEdmonton—Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsHarmonized Sales TaxInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]I will have to stop the hon. member. The time allotted has expired. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.LindaDuncanEdmonton—StrathconaShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsHarmonized Sales TaxInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 6:12 p.m.)ShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsLibyaInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1100)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 7 of the Special Economic Measures Act and section 4 of the United Nations Act I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of an order in council and regulations implementing the United Nations resolution on Libya and taking special economic measures which are in regard to the sanctions against Libya and Moammar Gadhafi formerly announced on February 27, 2011 by the Prime Minister.8560-403-495-02 Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolution on Libya and Taking Special Economic Measures (P.C. 2011-253 and JUS-81000-2-860) and the Special Economic Measures Permit Authorization Order (P.C. 2011-254)Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and DevelopmentEconomic sanctionsLibyaQadhafi, Muammar Mohammed Abu MinyarBruceStantonSimcoe North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35724BruceStantonBruce-StantonSimcoe NorthConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/StantonBruce_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFirst Nations Financial Transparency ActInterventionMr. Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, CPC): (1100)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is a great delight to have this opportunity to express my wholehearted support for Bill C-575, the first nations financial transparency act.The reason for my support of this bill is quite simple. It is time that the Parliament of Canada embed in the law of the land the right that all Canadians now enjoy, and all members of first nations should enjoy, and that is the right to know how much their elected representatives cost in terms of carrying out their public business.Bill C-575 would secure this fundamental right of men and women of first nations communities in a perfectly straightforward way. The bill would require first nations governments to include a schedule of remuneration in its annual audited financial statement. Each schedule would provide detailed information on the salaries and reimbursement of expenses paid by a first nation to its chiefs and councils.(1105)[Translation]The bill further requires every first nation to make its schedule of remuneration publicly available within 120 days after March 31 in each calendar year. If any first nation fails to make public its schedule, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development will have full legal authority to make it public.[English]All Canadians believe strongly in the right to know how much their elected representatives earn. I am convinced that the same can be said of first nations people. Our shared conviction alone should be more than enough reason for all of us to support Bill C-575. Yet, that reason alone does not tell the whole story of this bill. Let us consider the practical benefits that would be generated when this principle is embedded in law. Three practical things come to mind: transparency, accountability and effectiveness.Bill C-575 would help first nations governments become more transparent by having mandatory reporting requirements. All first nations governments, each and every year, would be required to make public detailed information on the salaries and reimbursement of expenses paid to chiefs and councillors without exception. Bill C-575 would mandate that this information be easily accessed by first nations communities. Transparency does not come much more straightforward than that.[Translation]And yet some of our colleagues and some leaders of first nation governments have said that Bill C-575 is unnecessary because many of these governments already make this information available to people who ask for it. Their stance leads me to wonder if these critics truly understand the meaning of political transparency.[English]Political transparency is not about governments merely being willing to share information. Genuine political transparency involves governments actually giving men and women the tools they need to see that information for themselves. That is transparency in its fullest. That is exactly what this bill would deliver.The bill would also make first nations governments more accountable. We know accountability is another fundamental principle of Canadian political life. Canadians recognize that knowing how much their representatives make in salary and reimbursement of expenses lies at the very heart of political accountability. After all, how is it that Canadians can hold their elected representatives accountable for their actions if they do not have pertinent financial information at their fingertips? By requiring first nations governments to disclose detailed information on remuneration of expenses and salaries of their elected officials, this bill would make those elected officials more accountable to the people they serve.I am pleased to see that the Assembly of First Nations agrees with the very principles of this bill. The AFN recently passed an important resolution at its special chiefs assembly in December. The resolution pledges that first nations governments should maintain what the AFN calls transparent and accountable decision-making structures.I do need to point out that the first nations have always had the ability to make that information available in public. Regrettably, a considerable number choose not to. The AFN resolution merely asserts that, essentially, it is a good idea that first nations chiefs and councils might want to do this, but it is certainly not binding. We do not believe that an issue as important as this should rely only on a non-binding resolution. The path that the bill sets out is an effective, binding, and transparent way to ensure this information is available to the public.[Translation]Bill C-575 provides first nation governments with an ideal way to follow through on the AFN's intent—greater transparency and accountability. The bill provides these governments with a clear and consistent standard they can abide by, and that all men and women of first nation communities can expect their governments to honour. That kind of standard is a perfect example of political accountability.(1110)[English]I would like to take this opportunity to thank the hon. member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar for spurring the House to take constructive action to bring greater transparency, accountability and effectiveness to first nations governments. In that same spirit of constructive action, I want not only to express my wholehearted support for but also for the principle of this bill. I have one brief suggestion that she and the House might consider to improve it.[Translation]This suggestion is not completely my own. In response to a question posed by the honourable member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar on November 22, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development stated that we should expand the coverage of Bill C-575 to include all sources of income earned by first nation chiefs and councillors—not just income that comes from funds transferred to first nation communities by the federal government.[English]I fully agree with the minister's idea and let me explain why. A small part of the funds that are collected for each first nation every year is an unconditional grant designated as band support funding. This money is designated to help communities pay the salaries of elected officials and non-elected administrators, and to offset the normal operating costs associated with running a band office. Yet, many first nations communities also derive revenue from other sources, such as band-owned businesses and through arrangements with other governments. Revenues from these sources may also be used to cover the salaries and expenses of first nations officials.Accordingly, we should make sure that Bill C-575 compels each first nations government to detail in its schedule of remuneration all salaries, honoraria, and reimbursement of expenses paid to its chiefs and councillors directly or indirectly through the band office.I urge all of my colleagues who serve on the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development to consider this amendment, and even more fervently, of course, I urge members of the House who have joined us here this morning to adopt Bill C-575 at second reading. It is time to pass the bill. It is time for all first nations governments to become even more transparent, accountable and effective.[Translation]It is time to embed in the law of the land a right that all members of first nation communities should enjoy.AccountabilityBand councilsC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesIncome and wagesPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingJohnBairdHon.Ottawa West—NepeanAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFirst Nations Financial Transparency ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1155)[English]Resuming debate with her right of reply, the hon. member for Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar.AccountabilityBand councilsC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesIncome and wagesPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingLarryBagnellHon.YukonKellyBlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59156KellyBlockKelly-BlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/BlockKelly_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFirst Nations Financial Transparency ActInterventionMrs. Kelly Block (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased as a member of Parliament for the opportunity to introduce a private member's bill and to speak again to Bill C-575. I would also like to thank those of my colleagues who have expressed support for my bill.This is a straightforward bill. By supporting it, members of Parliament will be confirming their commitment to transparency and accountability for all Canadians.There are aboriginal Canadians who do not know what their band chiefs receive from the reserve through their salaries and expenses. These concerned individuals are either afraid to ask, have asked and been met with resistance, or have been refused outright. First nations band members should not have to ask for this information. It should be publicly available, just like it is for all other elected officials across our country.Some members have argued that the bill would increase the burden of reporting for first nations. This is false. What the bill will do is make figures that are already audited publicly available. To those members of Parliament who have opposed this bill, I ask: Who are they representing?Chief Darcy Bear of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation has led his band from a 70% unemployment rate to a 4% unemployment rate. In his words: “Full disclosure has long been our practice at Whitecap, which is why I fully support Mrs. Block's private member's bill. Our prudent, ethical, business-like approach has been vital to achieving that dramatic turnaround. How can you attract banks and business partners into your community without being accountable and transparent to your own members? You can’t.” I ask again of members opposite who are they helping by opposing the bill? It certainly is not the first nations band members who want their communities to prosper. It certainly is not the band chiefs and councils who want to be accountable to their people. One of the many letters I received from members of first nations across the country put it very well: “I am in total support of the passing of the bill...The only support to kill the bill is from the leadership who do not favour the figures to be made available to band members as well as to the 'mainstream' public at large...I am very happy you are doing this for the average band member of the first nations lands.”Some chiefs have expressed dismay at the speculation about their salaries and that there are unfair generalizations being made about their income. They claim that figures released in an access to information request to INAC are inaccurate and inflated. Passing Bill C-575 would put an end to the secrecy and the speculation.In summary, this has been a longstanding issue for first nations community members seeking this information. I strongly believe in the principles of transparency and accountability. I also believe that first nations, like all Canadians, deserve transparency and accountability from their elected officials.Again, there are numerous examples of disclosure for elected officials across our country. This bill will allow first nations to ensure that public funds flowing to their elected officials for salaries and expenses are publicly disclosed.There is strong support among first nation community members for Bill C-575. To those members of Parliament who have up until now opposed the bill, I encourage them to re-examine their priorities and reflect on why they are here. I ask all members to support this legislation. Let us get this bill into committee, hear from witnesses, amend it if necessary and show our support for first nations, their leaders, their band members and all Canadian taxpayers. AccountabilityBand councilsC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesIncome and wagesPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingWhitecap Dakota First NationBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessFirst Nations Financial Transparency ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1200)[Translation] The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those in favour of the motion will please say yea. Some hon. members: Yea.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): All those opposed will please say nay. Some hon. members: Nay.The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): In my opinion the yeas have it.And five or more members having risen:[English]The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): Pursuant to Standing Order 93 the division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 2, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.Division on Motion DeferredC-575, An Act respecting the accountability and enhanced financial transparency of elected officials of First Nations communitiesDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsPrivate Members' BillsSecond readingKellyBlockSaskatoon—Rosetown—BiggarTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessPrivilege [Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to the point of privilege raised on Monday, February 7 by the hon. member for Kings—Hants in what he contended is a matter of privilege. The member based his complaint on the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Finance which was tabled in the House a few minutes before the member rose with his grievance.The 10th report indicates that the standing committee has attempted to secure certain documents or electronic files and that the response has been that, in the format requested, these documents are cabinet confidences relating to the secret deliberations of the cabinet and not normally made public.The hon. member for Kings—Hants notes one instance where a previous government has released what he contends are identical documents. However, this is in dispute by this government based on information provided by those in the Department of Finance who have confidential access to both the previous and current documents. So there would appear to be a dispute as to the facts in this instance.The Standing Committee on Finance has never asked the House to order the production of these documents and it does not do so in the 10th report. The committee has reported that there is a dispute over documents. One side contends the documents fall into the category of cabinet secrets, which by convention are not produced. The member, by citing the one instance of prior disclosure, admits that these have been considered cabinet confidences, but that is an argument for another place and another time.At the moment there is no House order for the production of specific documents and therefore it is my submission that there is no prima facie case to be considered. However, the government is not insensitive to inquiries for information and in that regard on Thursday, February 17 at page 8324 of House of Commons Debates the leader of the government in the House of Commons rose and tabled the information contained in the documents which the member for Kings—Hants sought in his motion and through the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Finance. This preserves the confidentiality required around documents which are classified as cabinet confidences yet meets the request by the member for Kings--Hants for specific data contained within the documents which by its nature is not a cabinet confidence.Based on the argument laid out above and based on the fact that the government has willingly provided the information requested in the motion, I believe that there is not a prima facie case of privilege before you, Mr. Speaker.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemElectronic documentsParliamentary privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTough on crime strategiesBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessPrivilege [Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1205)[English]The Chair thanks the hon. parliamentary secretary for his comments. The Speaker will return to the House at the appropriate time with his ruling on this matter.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemDecisions of the SpeakerElectronic documentsParliamentary privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTough on crime strategiesTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreIreneMathyssenLondon—Fanshawe//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1315)[English]Order, please. I would just remind all hon. members to direct their comments and questions to the Chair rather than to another member of the chamber.The hon. member for Mississauga South.Decisions of the SpeakerRemarks addressed to the ChairCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—KapuskasingPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1345)[English]Questions and comments, the hon. member for Algoma--Manitoulin--Kapuskasing.PatMartinWinnipeg CentreCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1400)[English]Order, please. The hon. member for Thunder Bay—Superior North will have 15 minutes remaining when the House returns to this matter.BruceHyerThunder Bay—Superior NorthHaroldAlbrechtKitchener—Conestoga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersConestoga CollegeInterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, from investing in knowledge infrastructure to credits for tools for tradespeople, we are helping Canadians achieve their potential. I often praise the University of Waterloo, and why not? UW hosts Canada's pre-eminent school of engineering and is the MIT of the north. However, in the senior design competition at the 2011 Ontario engineering competition, it was not UW that took home top honours. It was Conestoga College. That is right. My constituent Ian Hillier of Petersburg, with Jamie Hobson, David Timmerman and Brian Montgomery-Wilson, won out over teams from universities and colleges across Ontario, including the University of Waterloo.Our government invested to expand and improve Conestoga's engineering facilities. How long then will it be until UW stops calling itself the “MIT of the North” and instead uses the more prestigious phrase, “Conestoga College of Universities”?I ask members of the House, especially the member for Kitchener—Waterloo, to join me in congratulating Conestoga College and its students for this honour.Awards presentationsConestoga CollegeEngineering and engineersGovernment assistanceInfrastructureStatements by MembersBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockWayneEasterHon.Malpeque//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59148RandyHobackRandy-HobackPrince AlbertConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/HobackRandy_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersLeader of the New Democratic Party of CanadaInterventionMr. Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, finding a family doctor continues to be a concern in my riding. I was therefore very pleased last week when the hon. Minister of Health announced federal funding to support the placement of more than 100 family medical residents in rural Canada.Yet who was the first to complain of this much-needed investment? The members guessed it: the leader of the federal NDP.Why was I not surprised when I heard of this criticism? This is the same NDP leader who voted against Canada's economic action plan. This is the same NDP leader who opposes our government's opening of agricultural markets through negotiated free trade deals. This is the same NDP leader who ordered his rural MPs to follow his lead and defeat a private member's bill to repeal the long gun registry.It is obvious the leader of the NDP does not care about rural Saskatchewan. His criticism of rural Canada's need for doctors further proves that his party is out of touch. The NDP party can no longer claim to be the party of health care in Canada, but has become a party of extreme, out of touch special interest groups.Family doctorsGeneral practice in medicineGovernment assistanceLabour shortageRural communitiesStatements by MembersCarolHughesAlgoma—Manitoulin—KapuskasingKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCurlingInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, in my province of Saskatchewan, curling is much more than a sport and curling rinks much more than ice surfaces. Curling brings everyone of every age and every occupation together in the spirit of friendly competition. Simply put, curling is part of the fabric of Saskatchewan. That is why I am extremely proud to stand in the House today to congratulate a national champion from my great province. Yesterday, in dramatic fashion, the pride of Kronau, skip Amber Holland; third Kim Schneider; second Tammy Schneider; lead Heather Kalenchuck; fifth Jolene Campbell; and coach Merv Fonger won Saskatchewan's first Scotties Tournament of Hearts since the legendary Sandra Schmirler won it all back in 1997.After being down early, Holland's rink scored three in the sixth end to tie it up, and then, with all of Saskatchewan watching in anticipation, stole one in the tenth end to defeat the defending four-time champion, Team Canada and skip Jennifer Jones.On behalf of everyone in the House, I offer my sincere congratulations to all of the teams who participated and to the new national champion, Team Saskatchewan.CurlingSaskatchewanScotties Tournament of HeartsStatements by MembersKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke NorthChristianeGagnonQuébec//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, this is a five-year-old accounting dispute. Fortunately, the Federal Court has ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Hon. Leader of the Opposition for his question. This is a five year old dispute between us and Elections Canada. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada in this matter.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, allow me to correct my hon. friend. In fact, this is an administrative dispute that dates back five years. Fortunately, I would inform the Leader of the Opposition that the Federal Court has ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada in this dispute.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, allow me to begin my correcting the hon. member. This is an administrative matter. This is a dispute between the Conservative Party and Elections Canada that has lasted for five years. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada in this matter.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1420)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite knows very well that this is an administrative dispute that has been going on for five years.In addition, I can tell the hon. member that the Federal Court has fortunately ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada in this matter.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-MarieGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the honourable member for his question. This issue, an administrative dispute, has been going on for five years. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada on this issue.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1430)[English]Allow me to start, Mr. Speaker, by thanking my hon. colleague for his question.This is a five-year-old accounting dispute. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada on this very question.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, it will not come as a surprise to the House or the member opposite that I do not share the characterizations that he made in his preamble.The minister had a decision to make on whether she wanted to award a $7 million grant to a particular non-governmental organization. She made a decision not to provide that funding, as she is entitled to properly do. The minister has done an outstanding job in Africa. She has done an outstanding job in promoting the rights of women and children in Afghanistan. When the people of Haiti needed a friend, they certainly had one in the minister.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, I believe it was a former leader of the Liberal Party who said that MPs were a bunch of nobodies only 100 metres from this place.The minister made a decision not to provide funding to a particular non-governmental organization, as is her right. She made a difficult decision. It was the right decision. She has made a great contribution to international development right around the world and she has a record all Canadians can be proud of. Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George'sJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, last December the minister appeared before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. At that committee she said, I think some 11 times, that she was the one who made the decision not to provide the funding to this non-governmental organization.I know it is a bit interesting for Liberals. Only Liberals would charge that someone got into a scandal by not giving a grant.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George'sBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Let us look at the facts, Mr. Speaker.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird: (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. The officials made a recommendation. The minister has been very clear that in this government, elected officials, ministers, make decisions. The minister, after considering the advice of her department, made a decision not to provide support to this organization, as is her right.I personally believe and those of us on this side of the House honestly believe that it was the right decision. It was a courageous decision. It was the best decision for Canadian taxpayers.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister has made a great contribution in providing assistance and doubling our aid to vulnerable people in Africa. Under the Prime Minister's leadership, she has provided a great amount of work with respect to the maternal and newborn health initiative and with respect to the cause of women in Afghanistan.Let us look at what her own deputy minister said before committee: The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was, and she has been clear. So that's quite normal.That was said by her own deputy minister.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreJohanneDeschampsLaurentides—Labelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the minister has been very clear. Last year, she spoke before a committee of this House. She said 11 times that, as the minister, she was the one who made the decision not to provide funding to this non-governmental organization. We think it was the right decision. She has made a big difference in the lives of poor people around the world. She made a good decision for Canadian taxpayers. Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJohanneDeschampsLaurentides—LabelleJohanneDeschampsLaurentides—Labelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, not at all. The minister decided not to follow the advice of her department. From time to time, ministers have to ignore advice and make decisions themselves. The minister made a decision and she was very clear. Last year—11 times before a committee of the House—she said the same thing that she said this year in the House. The minister made the right decision.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJohanneDeschampsLaurentides—LabelleClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her question.This dispute between the Conservative Party and Elections Canada has been going on for five years. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada on this issue.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—Salaberry//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1435)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, allegations are made in the House from time to time but comparing our party to the Liberals is going too far.I would like to remind the honourable member that this dispute with Elections Canada has been going on for five years. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesClaudeDeBellefeuilleBeauharnois—SalaberryScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58939EdHolderEd-HolderLondon WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/HolderEd_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionMr. Ed Holder (London West, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is focused on building a stronger economy for Londoners and all Canadian families with low taxes. That is called Canada's economic action plan and it is getting results.Since July 2009, over 460,000 jobs have been created. This is by far the strongest job creation growth in the G7 and it matters. It matters for Canadians' sake. The world is taking notice. In fact, The Economist magazine has labelled Canada an economic star.Would the Minister of State for Finance update Parliament on the latest economic news?Economic recoveryOral questionsStockwellDayHon.Okanagan—CoquihallaTedMenziesHon.Macleod//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodOil IndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is aware, there is a whole process that is independent of government where the Competition Bureau does research and investigates charges of collusion, for instance. It was tough on the collusion that occurred among Quebec gas stations a couple of years ago. We have actually given the Competition Bureau more powers to do so and I have a fairness at the pumps act before Parliament to make sure there is no chiselling at the gas pumps as well.Competition Bureau CanadaGasolinePrice determinationRobertVincentSheffordRobertVincentShefford//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodOil IndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Competition Bureau has very extensive investigative powers. I tend to find, as a member of Parliament, that when there are price fluctuations, people do bring that to the attention of their MPs and to the Competition Bureau. I will not stand in this place directing the Competition Bureau to do something. It has the power to do so and we have given it more powers to do so. We have given it the power to add penalties that were not in place before we took office.Competition Bureau CanadaGasolinePrice determinationRobertVincentSheffordFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-Louis//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, I regret that my hon. colleague has misrepresented the nature of this dispute. In fact it is an administrative dispute and not as he has characterized it.This is in fact a five year old accounting dispute. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada in this very matter.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-Louis//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPolitical FinancingInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1450)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question contains several errors. I do not have time to correct them all, but I will say that this is an administrative dispute that has been going on for five years. Fortunately, the Federal Court has already ruled in favour of the Conservative Party and against Elections Canada.AdvertisingConservative Party of CanadaElection campaignsElections CanadaFederal Court of CanadaIn and out financingOffice of the Commissioner of Canada ElectionsOral questionsPolitical partiesFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1450)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the member is aware, specific bodies do exist to handle complaints regarding the conduct of the police. As has been said many times before, we encourage anyone who has a complaint to direct their concerns to the appropriate body.Civil and human rightsG-20 SummitInquiries and public inquiriesOral questionsPolice officersOliviaChowTrinity—SpadinaOliviaChowTrinity—Spadina//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the member knows there are processes in place to deal with police conduct and it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on disciplinary or criminal matters.Civil and human rightsG-20 SummitInquiries and public inquiriesOral questionsPolice officersOliviaChowTrinity—SpadinaMikeWallaceBurlington//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31791MikeWallaceMike-WallaceBurlingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WallaceMike_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodResearch and DevelopmentInterventionMr. Mike Wallace (Burlington, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is investing record amounts in science and technology.We have seen tremendous results over the past five years. However we also know that Canadian businesses need to invest more in research and development as our economy continues to recover from the global recession for hard-working Canadian families to enjoy a higher standard of living.Can the Minister of Industry update the House on what the government is doing to support innovation and helping business bring new ideas to the marketplace?Government assistanceOral questionsResearch and researchersScience and technologyDaveMacKenzieOxfordTonyClementHon.Parry Sound—Muskoka//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodResearch and DevelopmentInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to. Indeed, this year alone, the government has been spending $11.7 billion in partnership with academia, with our research institutions and with the private sector to make sure we are second to none when it comes to research and development, when it comes to innovation throughout the world.Today I was at EMS Technologies in Kanata. It provides advanced satellite communications. It is the best in the world. A lot of what it does is make sure our airplanes are safer and our communications can occur.That is the kind of leading technology that Canadians are involved in and we are proud to support them.Government assistanceOral questionsResearch and researchersScience and technologyMikeWallaceBurlingtonCarolynBennettHon.St. Paul's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsGovernment Response to PetitionsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to nine petitions.Government response to petitionsJoséeVernerHon.Louis-Saint-LaurentDavidTilsonDufferin—Caledon//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25461DavidTilsonDavid-TilsonDufferin—CaledonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/TilsonDavid_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Citizenship and Immigration]InterventionMr. David Tilson (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC): (1505)[English] Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in relation to the supplementary estimates (C), 2010-11, votes 5(c), 7(c) and 10(c) under Citizenship and Immigration.8510-403-195 Ninth Report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (Supplementary Estimates (C), 2010-11 — Votes 5c, 7c and 10c under CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION)Department of Citizenship and ImmigrationStanding Committee on Citizenship and ImmigrationSupplementary estimates (C) 2010-2011TomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentrePatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions Passed as Orders for ReturnsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, if a supplementary response to Question No. 591 originally tabled on January 31, 2011, could be made an order for return, this return would be tabled immediately.Orders for return to written questionsSupplementary responses to written questionsAnthonyRotaNipissing—TimiskamingPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions Passed as Orders for ReturnsInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPrivilege [Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would certainly point out that the hon. member for Kings—Hants made his original question of privilege argument several days ago. It is unusual, to say the very least, that he sees this as an opportunity to continue a series of mini debates on this very subject. I would point out one irrefutable fact and that is nothing that the member for Kings—Hants said today is contained in the 10th report. That report is before you, Mr. Speaker. It is based on your findings on that report which I am sure you will make your ruling.I agree with one point of my colleague from Kings—Hants, and that is we do encourage and urge you, Mr. Speaker, to make your ruling on this matter as quickly as possible.Let me again state that there is absolutely nothing the member said here today in his accusations toward the government that is contained in the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Finance. That report is before you, Mr. Speaker. You have both the initial submission and my response today. We trust that at the earliest opportunity you will give the House your considered response and decision.8510-403-184 Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Finance (question of privilege relating to the production of documents)Access to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemElectronic documentsParliamentary privilegeRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsStatements by Minister Regarding KAIROS FundingInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1530)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will try to be as brief as possible. Let me again point out to you the unusual aspect of an opposition member, the member for Scarborough—Guildwood, first raising a question of privilege in the House and then having a subsequent argument following the government's official response.I could go on again point by point to refute the accusations and allegations made by my hon. colleague opposite. However, there is nothing new in what the member stated before the House today. You heard both the original argument and the government's response, Mr. Speaker, and rather than drag this out, which we could over the next few days or perhaps even weeks, I would urge you and encourage you to bless us with your earliest possible response on the question of privilege.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersFrankValerioteGuelphPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security Act InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1625)[Translation]It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the question to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment is as follows: the hon. member for Sudbury, Credit Card Industry.[English]Resuming debate. The hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona.OliviaChowTrinity—SpadinaJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1720)[English]I will remind members that we are now into the part of debate where speeches are 10 minutes and questions and comments are five minutes. Resuming debate, the hon. member for Eglinton—Lawrence.Air safetyC-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActData sharingForeign countriesGovernment billsInternational data transferInternational relationsNo fly listsPassenger listsPrivacy of personal recordsRules of debateThird reading and adoptionLibbyDaviesVancouver EastJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—Lawrence//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersStrengthening Aviation Security Act InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1755)[English]That is fine. The motion is that the question be now put. That is a debatable motion, so we can continue on with debate. However, right now we are in questions and comments. There is a five minute question and comment period for the minister of state.The hon. member for Timmins—James Bay.Admissibility of a motionAir safetyC-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActData sharingDecisions of the SpeakerDilatory motionsForeign countriesGovernment billsInternational data transferInternational relationsLeave to propose a motionNo fly listsPassenger listsPrevious questionPrivacy of personal recordsThird reading and adoptionJoeComartinWindsor—TecumsehCharlieAngusTimmins—James Bay//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPrivilege [Statements by Minister Regarding KAIROS Funding]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1800)[English]Mr. Speaker, further to the interventions made on Friday, February 18, by members from all sides of the House and further to the intervention made by the member for Guelph earlier today, I would like to provide information that might be of further use to you in considering the alleged matter of privilege raised by the member for Scarborough—Guildwood.With regard to the departmental document in question, as I pointed out to you the last time the House met, the CIDA document was sent to the Minister of International Cooperation by public servants who were seeking a decision from her. The member for Ottawa Centre and the member for Scarborough—Rouge River, in their interventions last Friday, argued that this was a formal contract. As you well know, Mr. Speaker, an internal departmental document is not a contract requiring the parties, in this case the minister and her department, to agree. This document included a departmental analysis and a departmental recommendation. Public servants sent this departmental document to the minister so that she could review their analysis and make a decision. The departmental document then quite properly served a role to convey the minister's decision back to her officials so that they could implement the decision.Across government, hundreds of these internal departmental documents cross ministers' desks every day. As members from all sides of the House would know, especially members from the Liberal Party who have served in government, this is how many elected officials transmit their decisions to the public service in our system of government. Indeed, the president of CIDA, a non-partisan public servant, who is the equivalent of a deputy minister, made this clear when she testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on December 9: Yes, I think as the minister said, the agency did recommend the project to the minister. She has indicated that. But it was her decision, after due consideration, to not accept the department's advice. This is quite normal, and I certainly was aware of her decision. The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was, and she has been clear. So that's quite normal. I think we have changed the format for these memos so the minister has a much clearer place to put where she doesn't want to accept the advice, which is her prerogative.Let me reiterate: “—it was her decision”, referring to the minister, “to not accept the department's advice. This is quite normal.... The inclusion of the word 'not' is just a simple reflection of what her decision was”.That is direct testimony by the president of CIDA before the standing committee.It is clear that the deputy minister understood the direction by the minister and how it was being transmitted to her. She even acknowledged in her response that the format in which the departmental document was drafted was confusing and that the department's internal practices have been revised to provide the minister with a clear and direct way in which to approve or not approve advice given, which, in the words of the deputy minister, “is her prerogative”.The Minister of International Cooperation was the only person with the authority to make a decision regarding this application for funding. In this case, the minister's decision was to reject the recommendation provided to her and to direct that CIDA not provide funding to KAIROS. The minister had reviewed the departmental document and made her decision not to approve the funding application. She also told the committee that she did not know who did it, but told the House that the word was inserted on her instructions. Again, as I pointed out last Friday, these are not contradictory statements. On all the evidence before the House, it must be concluded that both statements are true. Once again, the member asking the question failed to pursue the inquiry. Mr. Speaker, as I again pointed out last Friday, in their interventions in this place, no information has been presented by the members across the aisle that would establish how the minister could have intended, intentionally or unintentionally, to mislead these officials. As such, I believe there is no prima facie case of privilege before you.For this funding request, there was only one possible decision-maker: the Minister of International Cooperation. Once she made a decision, it became CIDA's decision. Decisions of cabinet and decisions of ministers are decisions of the government. Decisions of ministers are the decisions of the departments they lead. As I pointed out in my submission last Friday, CIDA encompasses both officials and the minister responsible for CIDA.(1805)Ultimately, while decisions are communicated on behalf of a department, it is the minister who is accountable for the decision, as she pointed out 11 times in her testimony to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on December 9, 2010.In conclusion, the minister has been clear that the department recommended providing funding to KAIROS. That is unquestionable; but she has also been clear that it was her decision alone not to provide funding to KAIROS. She has been clear that she provided the direction to her office to communicate her decision to the department.As I also pointed out last Friday, the members opposite have raised several points but have not provided proof of a prima facie case that the House's privileges have been breached. The Minister of International Cooperation has indicated that the way in which she handled this matter was unfortunate, and that she had provided a lack of clarity about how paperwork was handled. She has apologized for this lack of clarity.While a lack of clarity is, in the minister's own words, “unfortunate”, it is not a prima facie case of privilege. The facts do not support the allegations made against the Minister of International Cooperation by members of the opposition, and I do not believe there is a prima facie case of privilege before you, Mr. Speaker.Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to provide some additional information and, again, we look forward to your early ruling.8510-403-192 Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (question of privilege relating to committee business)Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersRobMerrifieldHon.YellowheadJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—Lawrence//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPrivilege [Statements by Minister Regarding KAIROS Funding]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1805)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know that my hon. friend wants to engage in debate on this, but it is quite clear that arguments have been presented by all sides of the House on several occasions now.The case is before you, Mr. Speaker, for your consideration. I think the facts are clear, as I stated twice now in interventions on behalf of the government, that the minister's statements have not been contradictory. There is no proof of a prima facie case of privilege in this particular situation.I ask all members, along with me, to encourage the chair to bring a ruling on this matter to the House as quickly as possible.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersJosephVolpeHon.Eglinton—LawrenceGordonO'ConnorHon.Carleton—Mississippi Mills//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPrivilege [Statements by Minister Regarding KAIROS Funding]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): (1805)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to advise the House that tomorrow will no longer be the allotted day and that the House will continue consideration of Bill C-42. Wednesday, March 2, will be the allotted day.Allotted daysC-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActGovernment billsGovernment ordersPoints of orderTomLukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreMariaMinnaHon.Beaches—East York//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPrivilege [Statements by Minister Regarding KAIROS Funding]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]This is not a point of debate. The Chair is willing to hear arguments based on the specific question of privilege that was originally raised but not to engage in another round of debate on what may or may not have happened.I would urge the hon. member to stick to the actual substance of the question of privilege that was raised.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentDecisions of the SpeakerDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersMariaMinnaHon.Beaches—East YorkLarryBagnellHon.Yukon//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPrivilege [Statements by Minister Regarding KAIROS Funding]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]I have heard enough on this issue for now. This is not a debate. Question period was at 2:15 p.m. and there will be another one tomorrow. If members have these types of specific questions, they can raise them then. We are going to move on. I have heard from several members and not everything being raised is actually substantive to the question of privilege, so I am hesitant to give the floor to the member, but if he assures me he has something pertinent to this substantive question of privilege, I will hear him.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentDecisions of the SpeakerDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersLarryBagnellHon.YukonKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersPrivilege [Statements by Minister Regarding KAIROS Funding]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1810)[English]Order. I am going to stop the member there. I have not heard anything that would add to the subject before the Chair. It is not unusual to have members at various times of the day come in and argue points on questions of privilege. We will move on. Resuming debate. The hon. member for Churchill.Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentDecisions of the SpeakerDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthNikiAshtonChurchill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion—Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]It being 6:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion relating to the business of supply.Call in the members.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTax reliefTough on crime strategiesNikiAshtonChurchillPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgAdjournment ProceedingsCredit Card IndustryInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1905)[English]A motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 7:09 p.m.) ShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersDonald KwasnyInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Nepean—Carleton, CPC): (1105)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to Sergeant Donald Kwasny.Don was born in a coal-mining town in Alberta in 1919. The oldest of eight children, he left school during the Depression to support his family. As part of the First Armoured Brigade, Sergeant Kwasny served in England, Sicily and across Italy. In 1943 his unit fought its way up the Italian peninsula, sometimes in hand-to-hand combat.He fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino, helped liberate Rome, advanced to Florence, and survived under a record 441 consecutive days of bombardment. He earned five medals for service and bravery.Sergeant Kwasny went on to serve the Calgary police force for 31 years, becoming the sergeant of detectives.Sadly, Sergeant Kwasny passed away in Calgary on January 11, at the age of 91, and was laid to rest with military and police honours.He was a great and true Canadian hero.Deaths and funeralsKwasny, DonaldStatements by MembersMassimoPacettiSaint-Léonard—Saint-MichelDianeBourgeoisTerrebonne—Blainville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, I say to my friend from Cape Breton, we know no such thing. Here is what we do know. We know that the minister made a difficult decision. She made a courageous decision to not provide a $7 million grant to this particular non-governmental organization because she felt that money could be better spent to help some of the world's most poor and vulnerable people.The minister did the right thing.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRodgerCuznerCape Breton—CansoRodgerCuznerCape Breton—Canso//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, here is what the Minister of International Cooperation said in this House:--but ultimately the decision to not provide funding was mine, as Minister of International Cooperation.The minister communicated her decision to the department. What the minister did is work tremendously hard to help the most vulnerable people in the world rather than to provide funding to this non-governmental organization.She has been a real leader in Haiti. She has been a real leader in Afghanistan. She has been a real leader in helping Canada's commitment to double our aid to Africa.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRodgerCuznerCape Breton—CansoRodgerCuznerCape Breton—Canso//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1115)[English]Mr. Speaker, I just read a quote from the minister. She said 11 times last year at a committee of this place that it was she, as Minister of International Cooperation, who made the decision.She said in the House of Commons and again, I will repeat it for the member for Cape Breton—Canso:--ultimately the decision to not provide funding was mine, as Minister of International Cooperation.Let me say this. The minister made a difficult decision. She made a courageous decision. The minister made the right decision, to support the most vulnerable people in the world.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRodgerCuznerCape Breton—CansoMarcelProulxHull—Aylmer//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the minister was clear. She has not stopped repeating it. She said it 10 times before a House committee and she also said it before the House: she made the decision to not approve funding for this organization. The minister made a difficult decision, but the right one, in order to help the most vulnerable people in Africa. Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersMarcelProulxHull—AylmerMarcelProulxHull—Aylmer//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, that is not at all the case.The minister made the decision to not fund this non-governmental organization. She decided to spend this money in Africa, Haiti and Afghanistan to help the most vulnerable, and she has done a fantastic job as minister over the past five years. It is very important to point out that my colleague's assertions are false.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersMarcelProulxHull—AylmerPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, here are the facts: the minister made the difficult decision to refuse funding to this non-governmental organization. She told the House and the committee that she was the one who had made that decision, which I believe was the right one.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPierrePaquetteJoliettePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1120)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the minister very clearly said that she was the one who made that decision. It cannot be more clear than that. She said it 11 times in committee and repeated it in the House.I can repeat it again, for my dear Bloc colleague, that the minister made that decision herself. She was responsible for grants awarded by CIDA. She was responsible for decisions and she was the one who made them.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPierrePaquetteJolietteMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1120)[English]Mr. Speaker, members of the Ben Ali regime are not welcome in Canada. Canada is ready and willing to use all tools at our disposal, including working with the international community to support democracy in Tunisia.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineFinancial assetsOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is working with the Tunisian government on this issue. We have communicated to the Tunisian government clearly and on several occasions the specific information necessary for Canada to freeze any assets in Canada. The government of Tunisia has not yet responded to our request. We remain committed to working co-operatively to bring justice for the people of Tunisia.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineFinancial assetsOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaMarioLaframboiseArgenteuil—Papineau—MirabelLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, it will not come as any surprise to my friend from Vancouver East that I reject the premise of her question.The minister has been clear that she took the decision on behalf of her department. The minister is not one to go along just to get along. She is not afraid to take difficult decisions and I think she made a good decision in this regard.Just because a non-governmental organization gets a grant from the government does not mean it has an entitlement to receive it in perpetuity.The minister has done a lot to reform CIDA. She has done a lot to ensure that every single dollar allocated to support the most vulnerable in difficult and poor places on this earth can get the best result for the Canadian taxpayer.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersLibbyDaviesVancouver EastLibbyDaviesVancouver East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is this government that brought in the Federal Accountability Act, the toughest anti-corruption legislation in Canadian history. It clamped down and made major reforms to the lobbyists registry, made major reforms to eliminate the influence of big money, and made major reforms to ensure that we had an independent Ethics Commissioner who did not simply work as a staffer in the PMO, something that was absent in the 13 long years of the previous Liberal government.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersLibbyDaviesVancouver EastPaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1125)[English]Mr. Speaker, I think the minister has been very clear that she was the one who took the decision with respect to not providing the $7 million grant to an organization.Let me read a quote from her deputy, the president of CIDA, a well-respected public servant, who said:This is quite normal, and I certainly was aware of her decision. The inclusion of the word “not“ is just a simple reflection of what her decision was—I do not know what kind of stand the New Democrat Party would like to take, but in this party and this government, elected officials make decisions, and that is the way it should be.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPaulDewarOttawa CentreLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is working to make sure that aid is efficient, effective and focused.We want to ensure that our assistance is getting into the hands of those who need it the most. Our aid effectiveness agenda is focusing assistance on food security, children and youth, and sustainable economic development.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardLiseZaracLaSalle—Émard//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I said before, our government is working to make sure that aid is getting to the people who need it the most.I would like to tell the House about some of the amazing projects that we are working on. Last week I announced the international aboriginal youth internships initiative. Each year, 140 Canadian aboriginal youth will have the opportunity to work in developing countries on Canadian-supported development projects with recognized organizations. That is getting the job done.Barrick Gold CorporationCanadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational Aboriginal Youth Internships InitiativeInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersLiseZaracLaSalle—ÉmardJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the opportunity to clean up something that he misled the House about last week. Barrick Gold has received absolutely no money from the Canadian government or CIDA. The pilot project to which the member refers started in 2009. It is putting local Peruvians to work as part of a reforestation program. Barrick Gold has contributed over $150,000 to this project, and we would like to see more companies get involved in corporate social responsibility. We welcome support from Canadian companies that want to help the world's poor. Barrick Gold CorporationCanadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1130)[English]Mr. Speaker, I reiterate that our government is working to make sure that aid is efficient, effective and focused. We want to ensure that every assistance dollar that we put out there is getting into the hands of those who need it the most. Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersSudanJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodPauleBrunelleTrois-Rivières//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, I wish, for once, the Liberal Party would talk about the costs of crime to the victims who suffer from crime. We tabled in the House a response to the questions that the Liberal members requested. What about the cost to insurance? What about the cost to victims when their cars are stolen, particularly in the city of Winnipeg where the number of automobiles that are stolen is incredibly high? I would like to ask the Liberals, would they for once consider the cost to victims of crime?Burglary and theftCarsCostsCrime and criminalityGovernment billsLegislationOral questionsS-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (auto theft and trafficking in property obtained by crime)Senate billsMassimoPacettiSaint-Léonard—Saint-MichelMassimoPacettiSaint-Léonard—Saint-Michel//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1140)[English]Mr. Speaker, the information that we tabled before Parliament yesterday is in response to the questions the Liberals asked.One of the bills that will cost a significant amount of money is the truth in sentencing bill. This is the terrible situation where criminals get a two-for-one benefit to their sentencing.Interestingly enough, when the bill passed Parliament on June 8, the Liberals made no request for how much this would cost. They are now asking how much it will cost after they voted for it. Why did they not do their job and ask these questions before they supported this important legislation?CostsCrime and criminalityGovernment billsLegislationOral questionsSenate billsMassimoPacettiSaint-Léonard—Saint-MichelRussHiebertSouth Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1145)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, during the global recession, we have introduced a number of initiatives to help those most affected by the global recession. That is why we had programs for long-tenured workers, in order to increase the benefit period by five weeks. We have a number of other programs, including programs to train workers for another job, another career, after the recession. However, the Bloc voted against all our initiatives. Employment insurance reformOral questionsJoséeBeaudinSaint-LambertJoséeBeaudinSaint-Lambert//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1145)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the government is using pilot projects to determine whether one idea or another will achieve the government's goals. Since this government is accountable to Canada's taxpayers and this pilot project did not achieve our goals, we abolished it.Employment insurance reformOral questionsPart-time workersPilot projectsJoséeBeaudinSaint-LambertFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-Louis//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodTaxationInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, this is ironic. This issue came up in the House this week with Bill C-59. The victims of Earl Jones have been very clear on their expectations of the party opposite. They have been sadly let down. They were the first to tell us that.I wish the member would have stood in his place and supported Bill C-59, but he remained silent.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarl Jones Consultant and Administration CorporationFinancial crimeIncome taxOral questionsTax refundsVictims of crimeFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-Louis//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodTaxationInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member that the victims of Earl Jones and other large frauds wonder what that party did for 13 years. They wonder what that party is doing right now on Bill C-59 and why those members did not support the bill.It is high time that members listened to their constituents. I know that Senator Larry Smith is listening to constituents. I wish the Liberals would.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarl Jones Consultant and Administration CorporationFinancial crimeIncome taxOral questionsTax refundsVictims of crimeFrancisScarpaleggiaLac-Saint-LouisLindaDuncanEdmonton—Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35699PeterKentHon.Peter-KentThornhillConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/KentPeter_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EnvironmentInterventionHon. Peter Kent (Minister of the Environment, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is a very simple answer: no.C-469, An Act to establish a Canadian Environmental Bill of RightsOral questionsRenewable energy and fuelUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeLindaDuncanEdmonton—StrathconaPatriciaDavidsonSarnia—Lambton//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35701PatriciaDavidsonPatricia-DavidsonSarnia—LambtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DavidsonPatricia_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCounter-Drug OperationsInterventionMrs. Patricia Davidson (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC): (1150)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not want illegal drugs in our communities. We do not want the problems that illegal drugs bring to the communities. Our government has brought in strong measures to fight the illegal drug trade with new, tough crime laws, but illegal drugs are a scourge against which many countries around the world are fighting.Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence update us on the things that Canadian Forces are doing in this international fight against illegal drugs?Canadian ForcesDrug trafficking and drug seizureHMCS TorontoOperation CARIBBEOral questionsPeterKentHon.ThornhillLaurieHawnHon.Edmonton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodEmployment InsuranceInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out to the House and to Canadians, the people who do pay for EI, that over 80% have access to it. In fact, well over 90% have access to EI benefits.During the recent global recession we made sure that we were delivering their payments to them on time. In fact, we increased the standards of payment, made sure that Canadians received them. We also enhanced EI during the recession offering an additional five weeks of benefits and making sure there was training available to help Canadians get the skills they need for tomorrow.Unfortunately, that member voted against each of these--Employment insurance reformEmployment insurance variable entrance requirementsOral questionsIreneMathyssenLondon—FanshawePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/59143RayBoughenRay-BoughenPalliserConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BoughenRay_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodCanadian ForcesInterventionMr. Ray Boughen (Palliser, CPC): (1155)[English]Mr. Speaker, our Canadian Forces members work tirelessly to protect Canadians and our values at home and abroad. These men and women, who have sacrificed so much, deserve to be taken care of before and after their missions.Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence tell us what the government is doing to help our serving Canadian Forces members and our veterans?Canadian ForcesGovernment expendituresJoint Personnel Support UnitOral questionsVeteransPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsLaurieHawnHon.Edmonton Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/891DaveMacKenzieDave-MacKenzieOxfordConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/MacKenzieDavid_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPublic SafetyInterventionMr. Dave MacKenzie (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, CPC): (1200)[English]Mr. Speaker, in fact, this government has put a great deal of money into this whole program. We are working with law-abiding Canadians who selflessly give their time to coach and volunteer with vulnerable groups such as children. That is why we are pleased to announce the live scan technology will reduce waiting time for the vulnerable sector checks. It is good news for volunteers and vulnerable Canadians who deserve the best protection possible.BacklogsOral questionsSecurity checksStaffingVolunteering and volunteersChrisCharltonHamilton MountainRobertCarrierAlfred-Pellan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsNisga'a Final Agreement 2008-09 Annual ReportInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): (1200)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Nisga'a Final Agreement 2008-09 Annual Report.8525-403-33 Report of the Nisga'a Final Agreement: Implementation Report for 2008-2009Aboriginal land claimsNisga’a Final AgreementNisga'a NationBrianJeanFort McMurray—AthabascaKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [International Trade]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): (1205)[English]Mr. Speaker, I believe if you seek it you will find unanimous agreement for the following motion. I move:MotionThat, in relation to its study on Canada-United States trade relations, twelve members of the Standing Committee on International Trade be authorized to travel to Washington, District of Columbia, in February/March 2011, and that the necessary staff accompany the committee.Committee travelMotionsStanding Committee on International TradeKirstyDuncanHon.Etobicoke NorthPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order Paper InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1215)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.IreneMathyssenLondon—FanshawePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPrivilege [Statements by Minister of International Cooperation Regarding KAIROS]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1220)[English]Mr. Speaker, I want to reply to the alleged privilege matters raised yesterday by the members for Scarborough—Guildwood, Ottawa Centre, and Joliette and to today's intervention by the member for Vancouver East. These relate to the content of the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that was also tabled yesterday. The sixth report contains a series of quotations taken from evidence gathered earlier by the committee while it was examining a decision of the government relating to a funding application by KAIROS. Those quotations are clear and easily understood. There are no accusations or other suggestions in the sixth report that the rights or dignity of the House has been compromised. Questions are put and answers are given. There are no indications that the minister or officials refused to answer the questions put to them. There is no suggestion or evidence in the record that the committee has been misled, either unintentionally or deliberately.The committee concluded:In light of other information before the House, your Committee wishes to draw attention to what appears to be a possible breach of privilege and recommends that the House consider all relevant documents and ministerial and other statements and take such measures as deemed necessary.No direct accusation of any sort is contained in the body of the report, no contravention of any aspect of the law of privilege is enunciated, and no person is accused of anything. There are no contradictions of fact, there are no incongruities in testimony and no indication of what the “other information before the House” might be. There is nothing.What is the matter of privilege that should be examined? What is the prima facie case? Who is accused of what? I do not know. The members of the House do not know. You do not know, Mr. Speaker. The media do not know and Canadians do not know. Why do we not know? It is because the committee has said nothing by way of accusation. What charge is there to be answered? None of us know. There is no accusation.The member for Scarborough—Guildwood used this report as the basis of a complaint asking that the Speaker find a prima facie case of privilege. However, since the committee transmitted no grievance, the member's accusations are apparently based on something for which there is no reference or evidence in the committee report. I respectfully suggest that it is not open for a committee to report that an undescribed and undefined breach of privilege may have occurred, as that would then open the door for any member of the House to make a new accusation without the support of the committee. What does the member say is the breach of privilege? Yesterday, the member accused the Minister of International Cooperation of contempt for the House, in that she had “deliberately attempted to mislead the House by way of a statement” and “that she knew or ought to have known that the statements to the House were either false or an attempt to mislead”. That is the accusation by the member, not the committee. Let me repeat: it is by the member, not the committee.What is the evidence put forward by the member? He cites testimony from the December 9 meeting, and a reasonable reading of that exchange cannot substantiate his charge. The minister is precise in her answers and they are clear in meaning. There is no double meaning or other deception.In particular, there was an exchange in answer to a simple question about whether the minister knew who had written in the word “not” to signify the minister's decision. There was nothing before the committee, and nothing now in its report before the House, to suggest that the answer was inaccurate. Once again, there was nothing before the committee and nothing now in the report before the House to suggest that the answer was inaccurate.In light of other direct and clear answers given by the minister at the same meeting to the effect that the decision at issue was taken by her, there was no omission in the answers with the intent to mislead. Perhaps the member should have asked different questions or more questions or have been more diligent in his inquiry, but his unhappiness with the answer is not a breach of privilege.(1225)The member for Scarborough—Guildwood then went to the answer to a written question, which I assume is Question No. 106, put by the member for London North Centre. This was answered on April 23 last year. The date is last April. At that time there was no discussion of the minister's decision. It is therefore not surprising that the response to the question followed the structure of the question. The question referenced CIDA priorities, CIDA criteria and CIDA examination. The minister's response referenced an activity within CIDA that was the subject of the inquiry. She was not asked about the decision process insofar as the minister and officials were concerned. Again, it was a straightforward and, on all the evidence, an accurate answer to the question put.Were the member to read the answer given to his own written question, Question No. 31, he will find these words:The Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, stipulates that official development assistance may be provided only if the competent minister is of the opinion that it (a) contributes to poverty reduction; (b) takes into account the perspectives of the poor; and (c) is consistent with international human rights standards. The answer further states that “CIDA receives more proposals than it has the budget to fund”, so even if some of the proposals that meet the broad framework of the act must be turned down because of budget restrictions. This answer was given in March. The April answer is of a similar construct in that, “CIDA encompasses both officials and the minister responsible for CIDA”. Turning now to the focal point of much of the discussion and debate in the House over the last few days, that is, the minister's answers as to the identity of the person who inserted the word “not” in the document, the minister told the committee she did not know who did it. She told the House the word was inserted on her instructions. These are not contradictory statements. On all the evidence before the House, it must be concluded that both statements are true. Once again, the member asking the question failed to pursue the inquiry. Precise answers to questions do not constitute contempt. The member's fourth accusation does not relate to anything said or done by the minister. The member for Ottawa Centre and the member for Joliette echoed the points offered by the member for Scarborough—Guildwood. There is no evidence that members have been obstructed.Some may say that the departmental document carrying the inserted word “not” is an issue. I respectfully disagree. Few of us in this place ever see these internal documents. They are not parliamentary documents and they are intended to convey information within the executive government. What is clear is that the senior departmental officials knew the wishes of the minister, knew that she had full authority to differ with officials and to refuse the application. No member of the House has suggested that this was improper, and no one ever suggested that a bureaucratic and ministerial paper flow had to be a work of art.The means chosen to communicate the minister's decision back to officials may not have been what others would or should do, but it was intended solely to communicate to officials the minister's decision, nothing more, nothing less, not in the knowledge that it might one day be made public and with no intention whatsoever to deceive or mislead anyone about the officials' recommendation.The committee makes no specific charge or accusation. The member for Scarborough—Guildwood, who is a member of the foreign affairs committee and therefore an author of this report, cannot use an empty committee report to concoct his own accusations and grievances and then suggest that they carry the authority of the committee. And a committee report whispering the word privilege and other unspecified information is not a sufficient authority on which to find a prima facie case of privilege.In conclusion, while the committee report does not make a charge or offer evidence of anyone making deliberately misleading statements, these charges are being made against the minister in the media and by the opposition in this place. The facts do not support these charges.8510-403-192 Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (question of privilege relating to committee business)Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegePrima facie breach of privilegeQ-31References to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentWritten questionsLibbyDaviesVancouver EastJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPrivilege [Statements by Minister of International Cooperation Regarding KAIROS]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski: (1235)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me respond very briefly to the further interventions by my hon. colleagues from Scarborough—Guildwood and Ottawa Centre. I have a couple of points on each.The member for Scarborough—Guildwood seems to suggest there were answers given at committee that were misleading. I suggest they were not. As I mentioned in my earlier intervention, precise answers, clear answers and accurate answers were given to precise questions. Just because the member may not like the answers does not make that a matter of privilege. In particular, I would point out the one question about the word “not”. The question to the minister was whether she knew who inserted the word “not”, to which she quite accurately and honestly answered, “no”.Had the member asked yet another question, such as, did the minister instruct someone to insert the word “not”, I am sure the answer would have been in the affirmative, but he did not ask that question. The minister should not be held in contempt because the member opposite did not ask the correct questions.With respect to my hon. colleague, the member for Ottawa Centre, when he states that he feels, in his opinion, that he was perhaps deceived, that is a totally subjective interpretation.The questions were objective in nature. The answers were clear, precise, accurate and honest in their response.Just because the member feels that he deserved more information, but did not provide questions to elicit that information, does not make this a matter of contempt or a breach of privilege.I think the facts speak for themselves. I made the government's presentation. Obviously you, Mr. Speaker, will be taking this and other interventions into account. I think all of us in this House look forward to your speedy response to resolve this matter.8510-403-192 Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (question of privilege relating to committee business)Documents and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersPaulDewarOttawa CentreDerekLeeScarborough—Rouge River//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersSTRENGTHENING AVIATION SECURITY ACTInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, CPC): (1315)[English]Mr. Speaker, what is dangerous is not adequately screening people getting on airplanes.What I find really remarkable is that when it comes to travelling safety, when I buy an airplane ticket, I want people to know I do not pose a threat to that aircraft and I do not pose a threat to the United States. I want them to know that. I am as open as a book.I do not see the bill as an invasion of my privacy in any way. We work with the United States on continental security. Approximately 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001: parents, brothers, sisters, children, sons and daughters. We have to be awake to that reality.When the people of Halifax look at what is in this bill and at the protection it seeks to provide to the Americans, it is their airspace. We work with them on continental security. We are partners in the fight against terrorism. We are partners in protecting our citizens and making sure that no more sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers or sisters are lost to terrorism. That is responsible.Air safetyC-42, An Act to amend the Aeronautics ActForeign countriesGovernment billsInternational relationsNo fly listsPassenger listsPrivacy of personal recordsThird reading and adoptionMeganLeslieHalifaxMeganLeslieHalifax//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersSTRENGTHENING AVIATION SECURITY ACTInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1325)[English]Order. The hon. member will have 10 minutes to conclude his remarks the next time this bill is before the House, but it being 1:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.PeterJulianBurnaby—New WestminsterAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessRoyal Recommendation--Speaker's RulingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1330)[English]I am now prepared to rule on the point of order raised by the hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader on November 17, 2010, concerning the requirement for a royal recommendation for Bill C-449, An Act regarding free public transit for seniors, standing in the name of the hon. member for Hull—Aylmer.[Translation]I would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for having raised this issue as well as the member for Hull—Aylmer for his remarks concerning the bill.[English]In presenting his concerns with respect to the bill, the parliamentary secretary noted that the operative clause of the bill contained an authorization to spend for a specific purpose, which, in his view, infringed upon the financial prerogative of the Crown. His main contention was that the bill, because it empowers the Minister of Finance to make direct payments to a trust established to help provinces, territories and municipalities to offer seniors free local public transport, is equivalent to the creation of a new fund outside the consolidated revenue fund.[Translation]The Chair notes that the member for Hull—Aylmer, at the conclusion of his opening remarks during the debate at second reading, acknowledged that the bill might require a royal recommendation but that he expressed optimism that a specific modification could be made during the committee stage to address the issue.[English]It is clear to the Chair that Bill C-449 in clause 3 would authorize the minister to make direct payments to be paid out of the consolidated revenue fund to a trust, which in turn would be used to make payments to a province, a territory or a municipality to fund free local transit for seniors anywhere in Canada during off-peak hours. Such a transfer would clearly create a new appropriation and, for this reason, a Royal recommendation is required in respect of clause 3 of the bill. [Translation]Consequently, I will decline to put the question on third reading of the bill in its present form unless a royal recommendation is received.Today's debate, however, is on the motion for second reading and this motion shall be put to a vote at the close of the current debate.I thank hon. members for their attention.[English]On debate, the hon. member for Saskatoon—Humboldt.C-449, An Act regarding free public transit for seniorsDecisions of the SpeakerPoints of orderPrivate Members' BillsPublic transitRoyal recommendationSenior citizensAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleBradTrostSaskatoon—Humboldt//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25462BradTrostBrad-TrostSaskatoon—HumboldtConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/TrostBrad_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessSecond readingInterventionMr. Brad Trost (Saskatoon—Humboldt, CPC): (1330)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to give a response on behalf of the government to this legislation. In particular, I am happy to oppose this irresponsible, excessively costly and reckless Liberal spending proposal.Mr. Marcel Proulx: You don't need to be happy.Mr. Scott Andrews: What do you have against seniors?Mr. Brad Trost: Mr. Speaker, I hear the heckling from the other side. The hon. member asks what do I have against seniors. Let me note on this point that I have a 94-year-old grandmother who I very well know would oppose this because, like many other people in rural Saskatchewan, she lived through the Great Depression and understands that there is no such thing as government money. All money is taxpayers' money and all money needs to be spent wisely and prudently. It is one of those things that we need to be aware of whenever we describe something from the government as “free”. Indeed, the wording of today's proposal, without a doubt, shows how the Liberals respect Canadian taxpayers. Listen to how they describe it as “free” local public transport. Of all people in Canada, our seniors know there is no such thing as a free lunch, particularly when a politician is making the promise.The hard-earned money that Canadian taxpayers send to Ottawa is not free money. It is their tax dollars resulting from their personal work and sacrifice. Canadians work hard for their money and watch their money; it is their money after all. Our Conservative government understands that. We do not call it “government money” but taxpayers' money. Every single penny spent in the House is taxpayers' money. We do not raise taxes; we cut taxes. Indeed, since forming government in 2006, our Conservative government has helped families by putting $3,000 back into their pockets where it belongs. It is their money after all. It is not the government's money and it is definitely not free money. It is money they entrust to their government to spend wisely and not recklessly.What are the Liberals suggested that we do with taxpayers' money? They are suggesting that we spend more of it. They want to create more and new government programs. They want more and massive new government bureaucracies. Let us be clear that today's example is one of those suggestions of reckless spending the Liberal Party and its leader have engaged in during the last few months.Moreover, the sponsor of the bill has not presented or prepared a valid cost estimate for today's proposal, as he has requested on other issues. Conservative MPs had the proposal costed through a request to the Parliamentary Budget Office. This bill reminds me of the Liberal promise of everything under the sun, the 45-day work year, and a national daycare plan, a promise that has been repeated in many election campaigns.Without a doubt, the Liberals' runaway spending commitments are a recipe for massive and permanent deficits in Canada. Permanent deficits would mean that Canadian families and businesses would have to pay higher taxes permanently, as the Liberal leader digs deeper into their wallets with new tax hikes that kill jobs, and perhaps even reverse our GST cut with a GST increase.It is little wonder that when the Liberal leader was asked about Canada returning to balanced budgets earlier this year, he replied, “It's not my problem”. Luckily for Canadians, it is not their problem to have the Liberals in government. If the Liberals continue to promise spending the taxpayer's money without any forethought, they will not have an opportunity to be in government any time soon.What Canadians need and are getting from our Conservative government is leadership in finding real and fiscally responsible solutions to benefit all Canadians, especially seniors. Our Conservative government has taken steps since 2006 to recognize the outstanding contributions of seniors in building our country.We are providing Canadians with almost $70 billion annually through the public pension system. We are providing $400 million over two years to the affordable housing initiative for the construction of housing units for low income seniors. We are increasing funding for the new horizons for seniors program to $40 million annually to help seniors bring their leadership, energy and skills to benefit communities across Canada. We have also appointed a minister of state for seniors to bring the concerns of older Canadians to the cabinet table and to stand up on their behalf. We are creating a national seniors day for all Canadians to honour and celebrate our seniors. (1335)We have done so much more. We also understand the importance of a secure and dignified retirement for seniors who have spent their lives building a better Canada through their hard work. In fact, we have dramatically lowered the federal tax bill for seniors and pensioners since forming government in 2006, with more than $2 billion in tax cuts, including increasing the age credit amount by $2,000; increasing the age limit for maturing pensions and registered retirement savings plans to 71 from 69; doubling the amount of income eligible for pension income credit; and, probably, most importantly, pension income splitting, something that the noted financial commentator Jamie Golombek declared was probably one of the biggest tax changes in decades in the amount of tax savings it generated for pensioners.We also introduced the tax free savings accounts, which is particularly beneficial to seniors. As Jonathan Chevreau, the noted financial commentator, declared:—the TFSA is also a welcome tax shelter for Canadian seniors—Our Conservative government is also bringing forward fiscally responsible solutions to improve public transportation in Canada in measured ways.Before continuing, I would like to clarify that public transit is primarily a provincial and municipal jurisdictional responsibility. It would be questionable for the federal government to unilaterally use the federal spending power to dictate decisions in an area under provincial jurisdiction. It is my understanding that it is one of the reasons that one of the opposition parties will be opposing this legislation.Nevertheless, our Conservative government has worked constructively and co-operatively through the provincial and municipal governments. We have done this through the gas tax fund, valued at $2 billion annually, which many municipalities across this country use to fund their public transit capital needs.We have also funded many public transit projects using broad-based programs, such as the building Canada fund, as well as through one-time initiatives in the 2006 and 2008 budgets. In total, about $2.6 billion has been allocated for public transit under the building Canada fund and Canada's economic action plan.Additionally, because our Conservative government believes that cutting taxes is the right thing to do, we have also introduced the public transit tax credit. Not only is this popular non-refundable tax credit helping cover the costs of public transit, but it has also increased public transit use, including buses, subways, commuter trains and ferries, which have in turn helped to ease traffic congestion.Indeed, my own mayor, Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison, has applauded it as:—a tremendous idea.... I think that's a great way to encourage the public to use mass transit—The Liberal Party opposed helping seniors and other riders of public transit by voting against the public transit tax credit. Unmistakably, our Conservative government is helping seniors and public transit users in smart and fiscally responsible ways. This is in stark contrast to the Liberals, who are promising free money from the taxpayers' wallet. Canadians and Canadian seniors know that Canadian taxpayers and businesses will be forced to pick up the tab for this free lunch. It is a tab that we cannot afford.All taxpayers' money belongs to taxpayers. We as government should be very careful and prudent in how we use it.Balanced budgetBuilding Canada FundCanada's Economic Action PlanCostsGas Tax FundGovernment expendituresIncome splittingMinister of State (Seniors)New Horizons for Seniors ProgramPensions and pensionersPrivate Members' BillsProvincial jurisdictionPublic transitPublic transit tax creditSecond readingSenior citizensSeniors DaySocial housingTax Free Savings AccountTax reliefAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleMeganLeslieHalifax//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessSecond readingInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1400)[Translation] The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea. Some hon. members: Yea.The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay.Some hon. members: Nay.The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the nays have it. And five or more members having risen:The Deputy Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 93, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 2, 2011, immediately before the time provided for private members' business. Division on motion deferred[English]Accordingly the House stands adjourned until Monday, February 28, at 11 a.m. pursuant to Standing Orders 28(2) and 24(1).(The House adjourned at 2:03 p.m.)C-449, An Act regarding free public transit for seniorsDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsPrivate Members' BillsPublic transitPutting the questionSecond readingSenior citizensMarcelProulxHull—Aylmer//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCitizen's Arrest and Self-defence ActInterventionHon. John Baird (for the Minister of Justice) (1000)[English]Bill C-60. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons). (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) Arrest warrantsAttorney General of CanadaC-60, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (citizen's arrest and the defences of property and persons)Citizen's arrestGovernment billsIntroduction and First readingMinister of JusticeNicholson, RobOwnersProperty crimeSelf-defenceJamesBezanSelkirk—Interlake//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCanadian HeritageInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1005)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Emerging and Digital Media: Opportunities and Challenges.8510-403-193 Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, "Emerging and Digital Media: Opportunities and Challenges"Cultural industryDigital mediaStanding Committee on Canadian HeritageBernardPatryPierrefonds—DollardHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1010)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. The Speaker: Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25504GaryGoodyearHon.Gary-GoodyearCambridgeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GoodyearGary_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionHon. Gary Goodyear (Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), CPC): (1025)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the member's speech. It became quite clear to me that the matter is not really the motion today. The member for Wascana is extremely good at this and I compliment him on his ability to change the channel on the real issue. The real issue is that the Liberals, the Bloc and the NDP coalition want to hide their high tax agenda from Canadians. That is exactly what they are trying to do today, to take up time in the House to hide the true issue, which is that they want to raise taxes.We believe high taxes are a threat to jobs; we believe in lowering taxes. We have done this and the truth is right here in our economic recovery. This Conservative government has taken every opportunity to lower taxes and, in fact, has seen 460,000 jobs created in Canada.I want to be very clear before I get to my question. This really is not about partisanship but about a differences in our philosophies.When the member was finance minister for a brief time, he said the following in a press release while totally rejecting the New Democratic Party leader's call to roll back corporate taxes:—the government's tax reduction plan has produced significant economic and social benefits for all Canadians. He went on to say:Canadians deserve the facts——and that the leader of the NDP's——numbers are simply wrong, and [that the NDP was]...trying to obscure the true benefits of tax cuts—namely jobs and economic growth.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsOpposition partiesRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTaxationTough on crime strategiesRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1030)[English]Order. The hon. member for Wascana.GaryGoodyearHon.CambridgeRalphGoodaleHon.Wascana//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1035)[English]Before I resume with questions, I would like to remind all hon. members to direct their comments to the Chair rather than to their colleagues. Second, I anticipate some intense discussion here today and I would remind all members to use parliamentary language. Questions and comments, the hon. member for Winnipeg North.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRemarks addressed to the ChairRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesUnparliamentary languageRalphGoodaleHon.WascanaKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg North//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35600BenLobbBen-LobbHuron—BruceConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/LobbBen_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionMr. Ben Lobb (Huron—Bruce, CPC): (1100)[English]Mr. Speaker, I represent a rural riding and it may be a surprise to the opposition coalition that many of the businesses in rural Ontario today are incorporated, such as feed mills, grain elevators, large farms, dairy farms, chicken farms, pork farms and many more. They are the job creators in our communities and the opposition wants to raise taxes on the job creators that are vital to rural communities, such as rural Huron—Bruce. Would the member for Saint Boniface explain to the House and Canadians watching how our government is helping job creators in rural Canada?Corporate income taxCostsJob creationOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsRural communitiesTax reliefTough on crime strategiesShellyGloverSaint BonifaceShellyGloverSaint Boniface//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25504GaryGoodyearHon.Gary-GoodyearCambridgeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GoodyearGary_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionHon. Gary Goodyear (Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), CPC): (1220)[English]Madam Speaker, the last time this nation faced a recession in the late nineties, the Liberal government at the time cut health care transfers to the provinces, which created a massive surplus for the government. However, that affected folks in my riding of Cambridge because they could not get medical doctors. It took almost a decade to solve that problem.The Liberals made cuts to the military, which led to the decade of darkness. They made cuts to science and technology, which led to the brain drain. We have taken a different approach. We have cut taxes and increased funding for transfers and science and technology, and it is working.Does the member not believe that cutting taxes will lead to a better quality of life for Canadians, that it will lead to more job opportunities for Canadians, and that cutting taxes, not raising them, will secure our economy now and for the future?Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesStéphaneDionHon.Saint-Laurent—CartiervilleStéphaneDionHon.Saint-Laurent—Cartierville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25504GaryGoodyearHon.Gary-GoodyearCambridgeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GoodyearGary_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance]InterventionHon. Gary Goodyear (Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), CPC): (1315)[English]Madam Speaker, the last time the country faced a recession, it was nothing of this magnitude but the Liberals were trying to grapple with it and the debt left by Prime Minister Trudeau. They cut health care services to Canadians, which did in fact create surpluses in the government coffers, but hurt Canadians' ability to access doctors and health care services. They cut science and technology, causing the brain drain in this country. They even took $50 billion out of the employment insurance coffers, money that then vanished. The Conservative government does not believe that is the way to help Canadians get jobs and deal with an economic downturn. The member's own House leader stated at one point that the true benefits of tax cuts were jobs and economic growth. Does the member disagree with his own House leader, the member for Wascana, or does he agree that lowering taxes, as we have done during this recession, creates jobs for Canadians, economic stability now and into the future, and improves the lives of Canadians? Does he or does he not believe that tax cuts are good for Canadians?Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsScottBrisonHon.Kings—Hants//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsPublic SafetyInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1350)[English]Madam Speaker, I apologize for interrupting the current speaker.I am tabling, in both official languages, information on our government's low-cost and tough-on-crime agenda as requested by certain members of Parliament, and as I told the Speaker three days ago that I would do.8530-403-16 Documents relating to corporate taxes and cost estimates for certain justice billsAccess to informationCabinet confidencesCorporate income taxCriminal justice systemFinancial forecastRequesting tabling of documentsStanding Committee on FinanceTough on crime strategiesScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—WindsorPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1809CherylGallantCheryl-GallantRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/GallantCheryl_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersRenfrew CountyInterventionMrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, you are invited. Everyone is invited. Renfrew County is having a celebration to honour the 150th anniversary of its founding.This is going to be an incredible festival with special events happening all year long. The main attraction will be from June 9 to 12, 2011 on the Pembroke Regional Airport grounds. There is something for everyone to enjoy. People can be a part of a journey through time at our pioneer village. They can listen to fiddlers, clap for the step dancers and admire the antique cars and trucks. They can see the live theatre and displays, aboriginal drumming, with lots more music and Ottawa Valley storytelling. There will be rafting and kayaking, pioneer exhibits, and a kids zone, a whole acre of activities for kids.We hope to see everyone in the valley, the Upper Ottawa Valley. Everyone should join us for the 150th anniversary celebration.AnniversaryOntarioRenfrewStatements by MembersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsShawnMurphyHon.Charlottetown//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersWellington—Halton HillsInterventionHon. Michael Chong (Wellington—Halton Hills, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw to the attention of the House a couple of important events in my riding of Wellington—Halton Hills.As past chair of the board, I am proud that the Elora Festival Singers and their conductor, Noel Edison, were recently nominated for a Grammy award in the best small ensemble performance category for the choir's 2010 recording of the music of Eric Whitacre. While the Grammy went to another nominee, the nomination has put this local southwestern Ontario choral choir on the map. While we locals always knew that the village of Elora had a world-class choral choir, now the rest of the world knows as well.I would also like to congratulate the Acton Scouts and Guides on 100 years of scouting in Acton.Scouts is one of Canada's leading youth organizations offering programs for boys and girls in towns and cities across this great land. Over 74,000 young people are in Scouts which is provided by 23,000 volunteers. Acton has been part of this proud tradition for 100 years.I congratulate the Elora Festival Singers. I congratulate the Acton Scouts and Guides.ActonAnniversaryAwards presentationsChoirsCommunity organizationsElora Festival SingersGirl Guides of CanadaGrammy AwardsOntarioScouts CanadaStatements by MembersWellington—Halton HillsJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaRobertOliphantDon Valley West//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25462BradTrostBrad-TrostSaskatoon—HumboldtConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/TrostBrad_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCanadian Wheat BoardInterventionMr. Brad Trost (Saskatoon—Humboldt, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, my colleague, the member for Simcoe North, put forward a bill that would permit farmers to opt out of the Canadian Wheat Board. While I firmly believe it is in the economic interests of farmers to put the single desk Wheat Board to pasture, it is not the economic damage that the Wheat Board causes that I find most obnoxious.Members should know that the original Wheat Board was installed in the World War I era to keep grain prices down. Then, when the Wheat Board was put into its current form during World War II, it was also aimed at lowering the prices that farmers received. The Wheat Board did and does this by robbing farmers of the freedom to control their own wheat, their own private property. It is this annual expropriation of property that I find most egregious. No one forces farmers to buy their fertilizer or their fuel from one source and yet if a farmer chooses to sell wheat in his own fashion, he can go to prison.If freedom means anything at all, it should mean the right to control one's own property, the fruits of one's labours. The Canadian Wheat Board is an assault on the liberties of not just farmers but an assault on the liberties of all Canadians.Canadian Wheat BoardFarming and farmersGrain and grain growingOpting out provisionStatements by MembersRobertOliphantDon Valley WestPauleBrunelleTrois-Rivières//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25486ColinCarrieColin-CarrieOshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/CarrieColin_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCanadian AthletesInterventionMr. Colin Carrie (Oshawa, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, our Canadian athletes had outstanding performances on the world stage. Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant won gold in men's downhill skiing at the FIS World Championship in Germany. This is the second time in a row that a Canadian has won this title.Calgary's Alex Gough became the first Canadian and the first non-German in 13 seasons to win a World Cup luge race. Gough is one of the many young Calgarians who had the opportunity to get involved in winter sports because of the outstanding legacies of the 1988 Olympics.On Sunday, Milos Raonic of Thornhill became the first Canadian to win an Association of Tennis Professionals championship in 16 years. Mr. Raonic's victory against defending champion, Fernando Verdasco, featured serves that clocked at 240 kilometres per hour.Our government is proud to support our athletes, and in fact the current levels of support are at the highest ever in Canada. We congratulate our athletes on these tremendous accomplishments.AthletesAwards presentationsGough, AlexGuay, ÉrikLugeRaonic, MilosSkiingStatements by MembersTennisMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourPaulDewarOttawa Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Cooperation has been very clear that she is the one who made the decision not to provide a $7 million grant to this Canadian non-governmental organization.This is the kind of responsibility that ministers are expected to take each and every day. When we spend money on foreign aid, we expect it to make the very best for success in the developing world. The minister made the right decision. She made the correct decision. I believe she made a courageous decision and did the right thing.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, last year in committee and this year in the House of Commons, the minister was very clear that she, and she alone, made the decision not to provide the $7 million grant. She has always been very clear. The minister made the right decision.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshoreMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the fact is the minister is the one who made the decision. She appeared last year before committee and said so 11 times. She repeated that again this year. She made a courageous decision. The minister did the right thing. Only in our country would a minister get in trouble for not making a $7 million grant. When we think about grants and contributions, we still wonder what happened to the $40 million that went missing in the sponsorship scandal.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—LakeshorePabloRodriguezHonoré-Mercier//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[Translation]That is not at all the case. The minister was very clear. Last year before a House committee and this year in the House, she said 11 times that she made the decision to not fund this organization.The minister made the right decision, that is, to focus our international aid on supporting the most vulnerable people in the world. She made the right decision.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPabloRodriguezHonoré-MercierPabloRodriguezHonoré-Mercier//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, I did note the CBC had a very interesting story about our friend from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin that turned out not to be true this morning.The minister made the decision not to provide a $7 million grant to the organization in question because she strongly believed that money would be better spent to help some of the most vulnerable people in the world on the ground, and to get better value for taxpayers. The minister made a difficult decision. The minister made the right decision. The government supports that decision.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPabloRodriguezHonoré-MercierGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, this will not come as a surprise to the leader of the Bloc Québécois that I reject the premise of his question. Here is what I know: The minister has said very clearly that she was the one who made the decision.With respect to the note on the form, her own deputy minister, a well-respected public servant of many years, said, “The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was”. She said that it was clear and quite normal. That is what the deputy minister said on December 9 before committee.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-MarieGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the coalition is in fine form today.What is true, and the minister was clear, she repeated it—10 times—before a parliamentary committee and said it on Monday in this House, is that she made the decision to deny funding to this organization. She made the right decision and the government supports it.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-MarieJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-Boucher//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is working with the Tunisian government on this issue. We have communicated to the Tunisian government clearly and on several occasions the specific information necessary for Canada to freeze any assets in Canada. The government of Tunisia has not yet responded to our request. We remain committed to working co-operatively to bring justice for the people of Tunisia.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineFinancial assetsOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-BoucherJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-Boucher//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, as I said, we stand ready to assist the people of Tunisia in their fight for justice. We have communicated this to the Tunisian government on several occasions. We have asked for specific information on any assets in Canada so those assets can be frozen. The government of Tunisia has not yet formally responded to our request.We remain committed to working co-operatively to bring justice to the people of Tunisia.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineFinancial assetsOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-BoucherJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, maybe to the leader of the New Democratic Party, once any individual or organization gets a grant, they have an entitlement to it in perpetuity. That is not the case.The minister made a decision on what she thought was best for the expenditure of public funds and the minister turned down this Canadian non-governmental organization's application for a $7 million grant. She felt that the money could be better spent elsewhere. The minister has done outstanding work helping the vulnerable people of Haiti, working for women and children in our maternal health initiative in Africa, and she has done a heck of a lot to support women and children in Afghanistan.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, just because the leader of the New Democratic Party wants to say the same falsehood many times does not make it true, and it will not make it true.He has his right to come to his own conclusion, make his own opinion on what organizations should get grants, but he does not have the right to decide what the facts are. The fact is, as stated by the deputy minister before committee last year, “The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was”. Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, let me tell the member opposite and Canadians this.Canadians can trust the Prime Minister to do the right thing on taxes. They can count on the Prime Minister to do the right thing on equipping our men and women in uniform with the tools they need to do the job. They can trust the Prime Minister on sovereignty. They can trust the Prime Minister on providing health care funding for the provinces. They can trust the Prime Minister to never make a deal with the Bloc Québécois to form a coalition government.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, it will not come as a surprise to any member of the House that I do not accept any of the statements made by the member opposite.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South CentreAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, the reality is Canadians will never look to the Liberal Party as a bastion of integrity and good government. That is why this government was elected to raise the ethical standards. That is why we brought in the Federal Accountability Act. We stopped the right of every organization in the country to assume that once they got a government grant, they somehow had an entitlement to it in perpetuity.The minister made the decision not to fund this organization. She felt that foreign aid money could be better spent. She made the right decision.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterAnitaNevilleHon.Winnipeg South CentreWayneEasterHon.Malpeque//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]It is quite something, Mr. Speaker, for the member to get up and talk about ethics in government and I think he knows exactly what I am saying. He should be ashamed of himself.Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterWayneEasterHon.MalpequeWayneEasterHon.Malpeque//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know the actions of the minister and I know the actions of that member. The minister has more integrity in the tip of her finger than the member for Malpeque does.The minister has taken responsibility for the decision that she made. She took responsibility more than 10 times when she was at committee last year. She took responsibility this week. She made the decision--Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Canadian International Development AgencyDocuments and types of documentsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersResignation of MinisterWayneEasterHon.MalpequePeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us look at the reality. The member opposite asked about five or six questions. The reality is when it comes to the fine work done by the Minister of International Cooperation she has always undertaken her responsibilities with grace and diligence. She has made a remarkable difference in Africa. She has made a remarkable difference in Haiti. She has made a remarkable difference in Afghanistan, where she has helped the cause of women and children. She is going to continue to do great work for Canadians and great work around the world.Canadian Broadcasting CorporationJournalistKenney, JasonMembers' remarksMinister of Citizenship, Immigration and MulticulturalismOfficial apologyOral questionsPierrePaquetteJoliettePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/19994BevOdaHon.Bev-OdaDurhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OdaBev_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. Bev Oda (Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am proud to report to Canadians on our work in Haiti. As we know, Canada has responded overwhelmingly, and of Canada's commitment, two-thirds of that commitment has been disbursed and we continue to work with the commission and the Haitian government on behalf of the Haitian people to improve their quality of life.EarthquakesGovernment assistanceHaitiInternational development and aidOral questionsYasminRatansiDon Valley EastYasminRatansiDon Valley East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister has always been incredibly clear. The Minister of International Cooperation said last year at committee some 11 times that she was the one who made the decision not to give the $7 million grant to the non-governmental organization. She has been very clear that she thought that money could be spent better for those who need assistance in the developing world.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersYasminRatansiDon Valley EastBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, the former parliamentary secretary, on learning that he had misspoken, did the honourable thing and immediately got up and corrected the record voluntarily. That speaks to his integrity, to his honesty, and the great contribution that he has made not just to his constituency but to this entire House.The reality is the minister has been very clear that she was the one who made the decision not to fund this organization, and her own deputy minister has said that her comment on the memo was just reflecting that decision.Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member for Toronto Centre is just making it up as he goes along.The Minister of International Cooperation has been very clear in the House of Commons. She said just this week, “ultimately the decision not to provide funding was mine...as minister of international co-operation”, and I accept that. Canadian International Development AgencyGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreRussHiebertSouth Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodJusticeInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to putting real criminals behind bars. Canadians who have been the victims of a crime should not be re-victimized by the criminal justice system. The legislation introduced today would clarify Canadians' rights when it comes to citizen's arrest. Our government is also taking the opportunity to clarify the rights of citizens to protect themselves and their property while continuing to recognize that peace officers are the first line of defence against any crime.I call on all parties to put their support behind this bill.Chen, DavidCitizen's arrestLegislationOral questionsSelf-defenceRussHiebertSouth Surrey—White Rock—CloverdalePatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment AccountabilityInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member is still in cabinet because she is an outstanding minister with high levels of integrity and we are proud of her.The Ethics Commissioner said in her report that the minister “did not contravene the Conflict of Interest Act or the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons...”. She went on to say that the minister “was not involved in the recruitment of these volunteers or the organization of the fundraiser and therefore did not accept these services or contributions". She has followed all the rules. We are proud of the good work that she is doing.Lobbying and lobbyistsMinister of LabourOffice of the Commissioner of LobbyingOffice of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerOral questionsRaitt, LisaPatMartinWinnipeg CentrePatMartinWinnipeg Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is working with the Tunisian government on this issue. We have communicated to the Tunisian government clearly and on several occasions the specific information necessary for Canada to freeze any assets in Canada. The government of Tunisia has not yet responded to our request. We remain committed to working co-operatively to bring justice for the people of Tunisia.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineFinancial assetsOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauJohanneDeschampsLaurentides—Labelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/31086BobDechertBob-DechertMississauga—ErindaleConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DechertBob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionMr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, perhaps if the member opposite has some information on where those assets can be found, he can provide them to the Government of Canada.The Government of Canada has communicated to the Tunisian government clearly and on several occasions the specific information that is necessary for Canada to freeze any assets found in Canada. The government of Tunisia has not yet formally responded to our request.We remain committed to working with the government and the people of Tunisia to provide justice for the people of Tunisia.Ben Ali, Zine El AbidineFinancial assetsOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaJustinTrudeauRight Hon.PapineauDavidMcGuintyOttawa South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodBusiness of the HouseInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, with respect to Bill S-10 and Bill C-49, we will call them when the time is right and when we can get these important pieces of legislation passed by the House of Commons.With respect to accelerated parole, we found the time was right this week to get that bill done. I want to thank all members of the House for their consideration, particularly those members who supported that important legislation to stop fraudsters, who steal $100 million from seniors' retirement savings, from only having to go to jail for one-sixth of their sentence. I want to thank all the members who supported that important legislation, particularly on third reading.Today, we will continue with the Liberal opposition motion. We heard a great speech by the member for Wascana at the outset of this Parliament.Tomorrow, we will call Bill C-42, the strengthening civil aviation security; Bill C-46, the Canada-Panama free trade bill; and Bill C-55, the enhanced new veterans charter, on which the Minister of Veterans Affairs has done a phenomenal job. I think there have been consultations with the parties, which is good news. We also will call Bill C-20, an action plan for the National Capital Commission. I know there has been a considerable amount of very non-partisan discussion among all the parties. We will have that bill at report stage and then third reading. There will be a few amendments and we have already had some discussion with some members on this.Next week, as all members will know, is a week the House is not sitting. When the House returns on February 28, we will simply continue where we left off with the list of bills that I gave. I am pleased to announce to our good friends in the new Democratic Party that Tuesday, March 1 shall be an allotted day.Weekly Business StatementDavidMcGuintyOttawa SouthMarcelProulxHull—Aylmer//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Oral Questions]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, the member for Hull—Aylmer has clearly indicated where his residence is not.Members' remarksOral questionsPetit, DanielPoints of orderReferences to membersMarcelProulxHull—AylmerJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPrivilege [Statements by minister of international Co-operation regarding Kairos]InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1525)[English]Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleagues, the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood and the hon. member for Ottawa Centre, for their interventions.As you well know, Mr. Speaker, this is the first opportunity the government has had to listen to interventions on a matter of privilege. I would ask you, as is the custom of the House, to grant approval to the government to delay our response until we bring back to the House a more comprehensive response to answer many of the issues raised here today. I also commit to you that our response will be developed and brought back to the House as quickly as possible.Since I am on my feet, Mr. Speaker, and we are talking about a matter of privilege, I want to bring to your attention what I believe to be a troubling and continuing pattern from the opposition coalition when it comes to privilege.Particularly in this case, the member for Ottawa Centre, who is a member of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, said yesterday, as a result of an in camera meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, that in all probability a report, which was conducted and agreed upon by the committee for foreign affairs, would be tabled in the House today. In effect and in actuality that is what happened.As you well know, Mr. Speaker, in camera discussions are meant to be kept confidential. Unfortunately, we have seen time and time again over the past number of months in camera discussions and their confidences broken by opposition members speaking to the media about confidential conversations held in camera. I would ask, Mr. Speaker, that when you make your ultimate ruling on the question of privilege raised today, you would perhaps consider to include in your ruling the fact that in camera conversations held at committee should remain in confidence. As I said, it was troubling. It is a continuing pattern. We have seen it all too often in the past number of months. I think that alone is a matter of concern for all parliamentarians.8510-403-192 Sixth Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (question of privilege relating to committee business)Canadian International Development AgencyContempt of ParliamentCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevParliamentary privilegeReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentPaulDewarOttawa CentrePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1555)[English]Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest and a bit of amusement, I must admit, especially when the previous speaker commented on the prudent fiscal management and the $13 billion surplus that her government amassed. However, she forgot to tell Canadians how the Liberals did that. They did it by cutting $25 billion out of health care and education. I still have municipal people to this day in my area who are still feeling the effects of those cuts that they had to absorb.Neither did the member say anything about the $52 billion in the EI fund that somehow got lost in the general revenue fund. How can she call that prudent fiscal management? While she is at it, could she just tell the House where that $40 million is, because it would really help a lot with me believing her about fiscal management?Corporate income taxCostsFinancial managementLiberal Party of CanadaOpposition motionsPublic financeRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesHedyFryHon.Vancouver CentreHedyFryHon.Vancouver Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (1625)[English]Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that my colleague has an incredible background in the legal profession. He has an amazing amount of empathy which was so obvious throughout his speech. He was talking about the victims of crime and the emotional costs, the non-material costs that come along with crime.I have had the privilege of meeting with a number of families of victims of crime in my riding. It is incredible to try to understand the pain and the emotional suffering they go through, not just themselves but their extended families.My colleague indicated that the families are not looking for vengeance. They are simply looking for an increased amount of safety for themselves and their families.Are there costs? Yes, but the people whom I spoke to in my riding are more than willing to pay the costs for increased safety in our community when they consider the emotional costs to the families and to the victims of crime.Has my hon. colleague found that same kind of response in his community from people who have been victims of crime? He does not have to give any specifics, just general comments. Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesVictims of crimeDanielPetitCharlesbourg—Haute-Saint-CharlesDanielPetitCharlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1630)[English]It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Madawaska—Restigouche, Public Service of Canada; the hon. member for Labrador, Status of Women; the hon. member for Davenport, Haiti.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesDanielPetitCharlesbourg—Haute-Saint-CharlesScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1640)[English]Questions and comments, the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—WindsorJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1710)[English]Order, please. The hon. member seems to be inferring that I was doing something but I think he was referring to perhaps the government. I would just remind him that when he uses the first person, members of the House might assume that he is referring to the Speaker. I would ask him to refer to his colleagues either as members or by their riding names.It being 5:15 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply.The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.Some hon. members: Yea.The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay.Some hon. members: Nay.The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the nays have it.And five or more members having risen:The Deputy Speaker: Call in the members.And the bells having rung:Division on Motion DeferredThe Deputy Speaker: Accordingly, the vote stands deferred until Monday, February 28 at the end of government orders.Corporate income taxCostsDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsDesignation of Members by the name of their constituency or titleOpposition motionsRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaGordonO'ConnorHon.Carleton—Mississippi Mills//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1715)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that you see the clock at 5:30 p.m.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsProceeding to next item earlyRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersBusiness of Supply [Opposition Motion--Documents Requested by the Standing Committee on Finance ]InterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]Shall I see the clock as 5:30 p.m.?Some hon. members: Agreed.The Deputy Speaker: It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.Corporate income taxCostsOpposition motionsProceeding to next item earlyRequesting tabling of documentsTax reliefTough on crime strategiesGordonO'ConnorHon.Carleton—Mississippi MillsAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1715)[English]When this motion was last before the House, the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona had six minutes left to conclude his remarks.AndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25448JoePrestonJoe-PrestonElgin—Middlesex—LondonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/PrestonJoe_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionMr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC): (1720)[English]Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to lend my strong support for today's motion, introduced by the member for Kitchener—Waterloo, to look at ways we can better support Canada's charities. I had the honour to second the motion.Let me applaud the member for Kitchener—Waterloo for the great job he has been doing here in Ottawa for his constituents. Since his election in 2008, he has proven to be a strong advocate for members of his riding, ensuring that their interests are at the table, as well as contributing to the debate on national issues with great insight and innovative solutions.He is building on that record with today's forward-looking motion that would have the Standing Committee on Finance conduct an in-depth study on how we could better support the great work of charities in Canada through our tax system.The member for Kitchener—Waterloo has put forward a strong method for studying an issue, getting members together from all political parties, bringing together the best minds on the issues, bringing in all the charity groups, both small and large, holding public hearings and then coming up, after all of those consultations, with the best recommendations.I understand that the members of the finance committee welcomed this idea and are more than willing to set aside time to look at this important issue. Indeed, all parliamentarians understand the importance of charities and their tireless work in communities across Canada. Every day, charities both large and small play an invaluable role in the daily lives of Canadians in need and much more. As Ray Pennings of the noted social policy think tank Cardus observed in the Telegraph Journal recently:Of Canada's 161,000 charities and non-profits, two-thirds report annual revenues of less than $100,000. Yet, they all combine to provide services, many of them essential, which enrich the social, physical, and spiritual lives of Canadians. A strong charitable sector including universities, hospitals and hospices, arts and sports groups, poverty and publishing programs, synagogues and churches, provides ways for Canadians to be their best and show compassion to the least. Charities are not vehicles for greed, excess or profit. They are the products of our generosity, kindness and creativity--vital components of a healthy society without which financial economies cannot thrive.The recent global economic downturn also highlighted the vital role charities play in our communities and towns, especially in those communities that were harder hit. In recognition of that vital work, the study the member for Kitchener—Waterloo is proposing is the right thing to do. I know all parliamentarians agree that we need a healthy and strong charitable sector. That is something that benefits all Canadians.I would also hope they believe we need to ensure charities, and the people who tirelessly give of themselves with those charities, have the right tools to keep doing the great work they perform in helping those in need. Canadians value the work of our charities through their generosity, both in time and in financial support.Indeed, Statistics Canada shows that Canadians given approximately $8 billion to registered charities each year. What is more, over 80% of the population aged 15 or older will make a financial donation in any given year. Even better, nearly 12.5 million Canadians, roughly half of our population, will volunteer about two billion hours of their time to help charities in their communities. That is great to hear and we applaud all those Canadians who give of their time and some of their hard-earned money to support charities. Our Conservative government has understood the importance of encouraging and supporting those who give to charities. The tax system provides many incentives for Canadians to give generously. The charitable donations tax credit is the most prominent and long-standing incentive in the tax system. The tax credit encourages charitable giving by providing higher tax assistance as donations increase. Specifically it forgoes 15¢ in tax revenue for every dollar donated up to $200, and 29¢ for every dollar donated above that $200 mark. Our Conservative government has built on that tax credit with further incentives to encourage increased giving to support Canada's charities. (1725)Indeed, since taking office in 2006 we steadily have been increasing the generosity of the charitable donation tax incentives. For instance, in 2006 we completely exempted capital gains on the donation of publicly listed securities to public charities. We also extended the exemption of donations on ecologically sensitive lands to public conservation charities. In 2007 and 2008 we further extended the exemption of donations of publicly listed securities to private foundations and to certain donations of exchangeable shares. When those positive tax incentives were announced they were really very well received by Canadians at the time. Community Foundations of Canada applauded it and exclaimed, “We all win when the government encourages people to give. This tax relief will be welcome news”. Philanthropic Foundations Canada also applauded it as well, remarking, “This tax change will spur donations and enable private foundations to do even more for Canadian communities”. I am happy to report that in the years following the introductions of those numerous tax incentives the results have been extremely positive and the action effective. Indeed, listen to what was reported in the Toronto Star, which is no fan of our government, in January which I will quote at length: “In 2006, the federal government changed the tax laws to make donations of securities to registered charities exempt from capital gains taxes”.“It has become much more accessible for the average donor”, said CanadaHelps' chief executive officer, Owen Charters. “We've been quite surprised by the popularity. It was small steps at the beginning, but it has really grown”. Last year about $1.2 million in donations of securities went through CanadaHelps. That is up 65% from the year before, and it is an approach that is becoming more and more popular as more Canadians learn about the tax advantages.Canadian hospitals, universities and charities have gained millions of dollars from donations of securities. “We're definitely seeing an increase in this type of giving”, said Julie Gorman, vice-president of resource development for United Way. However, we realize there is much more to do. During the worst of the global recession we have seen the number of Canadians making tax supported donations fall. We have also heard concerns about the rising average age of Canadians making donations along with the fears that some Canadians may be falling out of the habit of donating. Indeed, as noted through the recent survey findings from Imagine Canada, a national organization representing Canada's charitable and non-profit sector, half of the charities surveyed felt some degree of financial pressure. Clearly, we should take this opportunity, as parliamentarians, to determine what more we can do in a fiscally responsible manner through Canada's tax system.The motion of the member for Kitchener—Waterloo provides an excellent opportunity for parliamentarians to do just that. Once more, it will allow us to do that by hearing directly from those involved in the good work of Canada's charities. I strongly support this motion. I urge all members to support it as well, and I applaud the member for Kitchen—Waterloo.Capital gains taxCharitable donations and donorsCharitable organizationsPrivate Members' MotionsPrivate sectorSecuritiesStatisticsTax creditsVolunteering and volunteersJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25488MichaelChongHon.Michael-ChongWellington—Halton HillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ChongMichaelD_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionHon. Michael Chong: (1735)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I apologize for interrupting the member's remarks, but the debate at hand is on a private member's motion concerning charities and a study that might be done by the finance committee. I would ask that the you consider the relevance of the member's remarks as I do not think they are relevant to the issue at hand.Capital gains taxCharitable donations and donorsPoints of orderPrivate Members' MotionsPrivate sectorRelevancyTax creditsScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—WindsorAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1735)[English]I will ask the member, in his last three minutes, to ensure that his remarks are kept to the subject matter of the motion before the House.MichaelChongHon.Wellington—Halton HillsScottSimmsBonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1750)[English]Resuming debate. There being no other members rising, I will return to the hon. member for Kitchener--Waterloo for his five-minute right of reply.PeterJulianBurnaby—New WestminsterPeterBraidKitchener—Waterloo//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58922PeterBraidPeter-BraidKitchener—WaterlooConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BraidPeter_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionMr. Peter Braid (Kitchener—Waterloo, CPC): (1750)[English]Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to summarize and highlight the points that have been made by all parties involved in this important debate. I want to begin by thanking all of my hon. colleagues from all parties in the House of Commons for participating in this important discussion. In particular, I want to thank my colleague from Elgin—Middlesex—London for his excellent speech this afternoon.My Motion No. 559 asks the finance committee to study the many facets of charitable giving in Canada. As all of us know, Canada is known throughout the world as one of the best countries in which to live. Canadians have a strong sense of social responsibility, and we support through our taxes important programs, such as, universal health care, employment insurance and old age security.This strong sense of social responsibility also motivates Canadians to give generously to the vital social service organizations and charities that meet the needs of the vulnerable in our society. These organizations help to make Canada the caring and compassionate society that defines us and that gives us a significant sense of pride.I would like to take this opportunity to thank the charitable organizations in my riding of Kitchener--Waterloo for their remarkable work to improve the quality of life in our community. I am committed to strengthening my partnership with these organizations and ensuring that they, and in fact the entire charitable sector across our great country, have a voice here in Ottawa in this place.This debate has helped to increase our awareness and understanding of the complex challenges faced by those in the charitable sector all across Canada and will inspire us to find ways to further support them.During the debate I was pleased to hear the widespread agreement on the value that charitable organizations bring to all aspects of our communities. We all agree that the charitable sector is to be commended for its dedication and commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. We agree that the sector needs the support of government and individual donors.I think we can also agree that the tax system has a role to play in providing an incentive for Canadians to give as much as they are able to the charities of their choice.Through a comprehensive study by the finance committee, we may be able to bring forward recommendations that will encourage increased charitable giving, benefiting both the charitable organizations themselves and of course the donors who support them.My motion suggests that the committee look at specific areas of reform, changes to the charitable tax credit for example, and the removal of capital gains tax on donations of privately held securities and donations of real estate. Both of these measures would make a difference in the level of charitable giving. However, it would be up to the finance committee to assess their feasibility and determine whether these changes, or perhaps any other changes, should be made.In conclusion, I ask all members to support my Motion No. 559. It is incumbent upon all of us as members of Parliament to study this issue that could have a profound impact on the charitable organizations that make such a significant contribution to all communities across Canada.I would also like to encourage all of my colleagues in the House to become fully engaged in this important dialogue. Let us show the people of Canada that we are united in our goal to champion charities across our country and to work with them to build a better society.Capital gains taxCharitable donations and donorsPrivate Members' MotionsPrivate sectorTax creditsAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessCharitable DonationsInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1755)[English]The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?Some hon. members: Agreed.Some hon. members: No.The Deputy Speaker: All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.Some hon. members: Yea.The Deputy Speaker: All those opposed will please say nay.Some hon. members: Nay.The Deputy Speaker: In my opinion the yeas have it.And five or more members having risen:The Deputy Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 93 the division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 2 immediately before the time provided for private members' business.Division on Motion DeferredCapital gains taxCharitable donations and donorsDecisions of the HouseDeferred divisionsDivisionsPrivate Members' MotionsPrivate sectorTax creditsPeterBraidKitchener—WaterlooJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—Restigouche//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessStatus of WomenInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1815)[Translation]The hon. member for Labrador. SylvieBoucherBeauport—LimoilouToddRussellLabrador//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessStatus of WomenInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1815)[Translation]Order.The hon. member for Davenport.SylvieBoucherBeauport—LimoilouMarioSilvaDavenport//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessHaitiInterventionMs. Lois Brown (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, CPC): (1820)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know that it has been said in this House before, but I want to reiterate our government's unwavering support for the people of Haiti.Like all Canadians, our government is very concerned about the people affected by the outbreak of cholera, particularly those living in the makeshift emergency shelters dotting the landscape outside the urban centres.Our most recent information indicates that over 4,500 people have succumbed to this deadly disease and over 120,000 people have been hospitalized.We know the epidemic started in Saint-Marc in the Artibonite region north of Port-au-Prince but that it has since spread to most of the country, including the city of Port-au-Prince and the camps. I know we live in a media age where every tragic event is broadcast around the world almost instantaneously, and I know that some can become very desensitized. However, when I see the haunting images coming out of Haiti, a country where close to 1.3 million are still homeless, I cannot help but to imagine what it must be like.The devastating progress of the disease was hastened by inadequate sanitary conditions in many parts of the country, and grew worse because of the heavy rains brought on by hurricane Tomas. Members will also recall the civil unrest in the north, which slowed the response times and hindered some activities in response to the initial outbreak.This is a very serious situation, indeed, and Canada's response to the cholera epidemic now totals $7 million. Last year on October 23, Canada's Prime Minister was among the first world leaders to announce support for Haiti. In fact after the initial announcement of $1 million, Canada quickly responded with an additional $6 million.Working with the Pan American Health Organization and the Haitian government, we moved quickly and efficiently to ensure that humanitarian assistance was getting to the most vulnerable. Through our support to PAHO, we were able to provide supplies to treat approximately 80,000 cases of cholera in the early stages of the outbreak.Our support to UNICEF and its 74 partner organizations provided over 13 million water purification tablets, 2 million oral rehydration salts, and over 600,000 bars of soap.When a devastating disease such as this occurs, education and prevention become key. I am pleased to tell the hon. member who raised this issue tonight that through UNICEF and its partners, we have reached over 5,000 vulnerable schools, representing 1.2 million children in our effort to educate and stop the spread of cholera.We are also working with World Vision Canada and Médecins du Monde Canada. World Vision Canada has provided up to 120,000 cholera patients with life-saving treatment in specialized health facilities, and will provide additional families with access to clean water and the necessary supplies to slow the spread of the disease.Médecins du Monde Canada has established rehydration centres and cholera treatment centres, providing life-saving medical treatment in Cité Soleil. The organization is also providing further training in cholera treatment and prevention measures to community-based and hospital health workers.Canadians can be proud of the government's partnership with the Canadian Red Cross. Through a contribution announced by the Minister of International Cooperation last November, the Red Cross has set up its new emergency field hospital. This state-of-the-art mobile hospital includes the medical materials and supplies, as well as professionals, needed to treat thousands of Haitians.I assure the members that the Government of Canada continues to monitor the situation very closely to help ensure the needs—Adjournment ProceedingsCholeraEarthquakesHaitiInternational development and aidNumbers of deathsMarioSilvaDavenportAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessHaitiInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]The hon. member for Davenport.LoisBrownNewmarket—AuroraMarioSilvaDavenport//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35648LoisBrownLois-BrownNewmarket—AuroraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownLois_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessHaitiInterventionMs. Lois Brown: (1825)[English]Mr. Speaker, Canadians can be proud of the response this government and Canadians have shown in providing support for our friends in Haiti.The hon. member talked about showing leadership. Canada was on the ground almost immediately when Haiti called for help after the earthquake, and we have continued to show that leadership in all of the efforts we have undertaken and demonstrated over the last year.In conclusion, I would like to quote from the Prime Minister's January 25 speech when he was talking about our efforts to rebuild Haiti. When characterizing Canadians' response, he said:This generosity–both public and private–is a testament to the kindness and compassion that unites humanity in the face of catastrophe. I could not agree with the Prime Minister more.Adjournment ProceedingsCholeraEarthquakesHaitiInternational development and aidNumbers of deathsMarioSilvaDavenportAndrewScheerRegina—Qu'Appelle//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25454AndrewScheerAndrew-ScheerRegina—Qu'AppelleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ScheerAndrew_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessHaitiInterventionThe Deputy Speaker: (1825)[English]The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 6:28 p.m.)LoisBrownNewmarket—Aurora//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35697RickDykstraRick-DykstraSt. CatharinesConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DykstraRichard_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersBlack History MonthInterventionMr. Rick Dykstra (St. Catharines, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, February marks Black History Month in my riding of St. Catharines. At the Parkway hotel, I had the opportunity to recognize the achievements of Fergie Jenkins and celebrate the launch of the official Fergie Jenkins stamp. As we mark Black History Month and the launch of the Fergie Jenkins and Carrie Best commemorative stamps, I was not three kilometres from the Salem Chapel on Geneva Street, a stop on the Underground Railroad, where the legendary and courageous Harriet Tubman led American slaves to freedom here in Canada.In honouring Fergie Jenkins and journalist Carrie Best, Canada Post is recognizing the valuable contributions they have made to our country. Whether we celebrate a black Canadian athlete in the Hall of Fame or a journalist who stood up on behalf of the black community and said what was right and what we needed to do, those are two people who made a difference in the lives of others and in our country.Best, CarrieBlack History MonthJenkins, FergiePostage stampsStatements by MembersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsLawrenceMacAulayHon.Cardigan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35668RoyalGalipeauRoyal-GalipeauOttawa—OrléansConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/GalipeauRoyal_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersTaxationInterventionMr. Royal Galipeau (Ottawa—Orléans, CPC): (1410)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise today on behalf of the people of Ottawa—Orléans, people who are paying $3,000 less tax in 2011 thanks to the work of this government over the past five years.[English]We cut the GST twice from 7% to 6% to 5%. We introduced pension income splitting. We established the tax free savings account and the first-time homebuyer's tax credit. The average tax burden is now lighter by $3,000.[Translation]This government has consistently stood on the side of the people of Ottawa–Orléans and all Canadians. We remain committed to helping them keep more of their hard-earned money.[English]Recently I hosted seven tax seminars led by specialists from the Canada Revenue Agency. Hundreds of people came to find out how they could get all that they have earned when filling out their tax return. I thank the CRA staff for its dedication and professionalism.Government policyStatements by MembersTax reliefTaxationRubyDhallaBrampton—SpringdalePierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1099JeffWatsonJeff-WatsonEssexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WatsonJeff_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersThe EconomyInterventionMr. Jeff Watson (Essex, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, while our Conservative government delivered jobs and economic recovery for Windsor, the NDP MPs for Windsor West and Windsor—Tecumseh vote against jobs and prosperity.When our government helped save 500,000 auto jobs and Windsor's largest employer, Chrysler, the NDP MPs voted against it.When our government invested the highest per capita infrastructure stimulus to create jobs and reposition Windsor's economy during the recession, the two NDP MPs voted against it.When our government invested millions to start a new aerospace MRO industry and up to 700 jobs, the two NDP MPs voted against it.When we budgeted for the new DRIC bridge and the Windsor-Essex Parkway in 2006 and 2007, and the 30,000 jobs that go with it, those NDP MPs voted no.The NDP MPs for Windsor West and Windsor—Tecumseh have voted against thousands of jobs and economic recovery for Windsor.It is time Windsorites vote Conservative not NDP.Government programsJob creationNew Democratic PartyOntarioStatements by MembersPierrePaquetteJolietteIrwinCotlerHon.Mount Royal//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/913GarySchellenbergerGary-SchellenbergerPerth—WellingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/SchellenbergerGary_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersArthur MeighenInterventionMr. Gary Schellenberger (Perth—Wellington, CPC): (1410)[English]Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to pay tribute to Canada's ninth prime minister, the Right Hon. Arthur Meighen.Born after Confederation in the village of Anderson, near St. Marys, Ontario, Arthur Meighen would go on to serve our country on two separate occasions as prime minister. During his political career, Meighen served as solicitor general, minister of the interior and secretary of state of Canada. While he spent 10 years in the Senate, it was in this very chamber that Mr. Meighen, representing a riding in Manitoba, distinguished himself as the greatest orator of his generation. Today, 51 years after his death, Prime Minister Meighen's portrait will be officially unveiled.Perth—Wellington is proud to have Arthur Meighen as its son. I know all hon. members will join me in paying tribute to this great Canadian.Meighen, ArthurPaintingsParliamentariansStatements by MembersIrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalLindaDuncanEdmonton—Strathcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, let us talk about facts. The minister in question has always been very clear that she alone had made the decision not to fund the grant to this organization. She said that all along. She said it 10 times in committee and she said it in the House of Commons.The minister made a courageous decision, she made the correct decision and should be applauded.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersDenisCoderreHon.BourassaDenisCoderreHon.Bourassa//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, that was certainly a very colourful question from my colleague opposite.The minister has been very clear that she made the decision not to provide a grant to this particular organization. The minister has been very clear that she is the one who is trying to put foreign aid to help the vulnerable in the developing world. She has done an amazing job of doing that. Perhaps in some of the Liberal days Canadian NGOs felt that they were entitled to grants every year.The minister has done an outstanding job as the Minister of International Cooperation.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersDenisCoderreHon.BourassaGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government is prepared to assist the government of Tunisia in any way we can in accordance with our law. We are going to continue to work with Tunisian officials on this issue. Obviously, we all have an interest in making sure that justice is done for the people of Tunisia.Attorney General of CanadaOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-BoucherJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-Boucher//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/820RobNicholsonHon.Rob-NicholsonNiagara FallsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/NicholsonRob_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodForeign AffairsInterventionHon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, we are certainly not on the side of the Bloc.That being said, we will continue to work with Tunisian officials. We all have an interest in making sure that justice is done for the people of Tunisia, and that is what we will continue to do.Attorney General of CanadaOral questionsSeizure of assetsTunisiaJeanDorionLongueuil—Pierre-BoucherJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, that is quite rich. Let me tell the House about the minister. The minister has done good work in helping millions of people around the world get the help and the assistance they require in very vulnerable situations. She is the minister who helped double Canadian aid to Africa, helping some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. She is a minister who made a difficult and courageous decision when it came to not awarding a grant in this regard. It was the correct decision. It was the right decision, and the government stands behind that decision.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George'sJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George's//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Cooperation attended at committee on Thursday, December 9. On more than 10 times she was incredibly clear that it was her decision not to give this particular non-governmental organization a grant. She was very clear about that. She was once again clear about it earlier this week in this place.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersJudyFooteHon.Random—Burin—St. George'sJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member opposite to look at the committee transcript from December 9, where the deputy minister responsible said the inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was. That is exactly what she said.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1435)[English]Mr. Speaker, what is certainly very clear is the member opposite did not agree with the decision the minister made. Those of us on the government side of the House agree that the minister made the right decision. She made the correct decision. We support that decision.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodDanielPailléHochelaga//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister made no such admission because there was not one. The minister made a decision, as she is entitled to do. She was very clear that she was the one who made that decision. She believed that funding would better go to support vulnerable people in the developing world rather than to a Canadian NGO.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleBonnieCrombieMississauga—Streetsville//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1440)[English]Mr. Speaker, I will tell the member what the minister has done. She has done an outstanding job supporting the people of Haiti during a very difficult circumstance. She has led the way by providing millions of the world's most vulnerable mothers, children and infants with the medicine and care they so desperately need. She has also committed to ensuring that millions of girls and women in Afghanistan are getting an education today, an education that was denied to them for many years by the Taliban terrorists. Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBonnieCrombieMississauga—StreetsvilleBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Mr. Speaker, I certainly have not read the speech in question by the minister of immigration. I am pleased that the foreign affairs critic for the official opposition is reading the speeches by the minister. He could certainly learn a terrific amount. The minister of immigration has done an outstanding job.I believe what we have seen is that, at the committee in December, the Minister of International Cooperation said more than 10 times that she was the one who made the decision.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsBobRaeHon.Toronto Centre//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1445)[English]Probably because, Mr. Speaker, she had said it 10 times on December 9 when she appeared before the parliamentary committee, when the member opposite was right there.Canadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingDocuments and types of documentsFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreBlakeRichardsWild Rose//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PoliciesInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, the question is why is the hon. member attempting to hide the true position of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business?That is a member who stood in the House and claimed that the organization representing small businesses all across Canada supported his $6 billion tax increase on job creators.We found out only moments later from Catherine Swift that it was not the position of the CFIB. I suggest the hon. member rise and apologize because Catherine Swift has corrected the record.Some hon. members: Oh, oh!Canadian Federation of Independent BusinessCorporate income taxGovernment policyJob creationOral questionsSmall and medium-sized enterprisesSwift, CatherineTax reliefScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodGovernment PoliciesInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1455)[English]Mr. Speaker, last week Catherine Swift of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business was absolutely clear: she does not support, as the Liberal member suggested, the Liberal plan to raise taxes on job creators by $6 billion in the middle of an economic recovery. We need a low tax plan to create jobs, not a high tax Liberal plan that will kill jobs. We need a stable government led by a solid prime minister, not a risky coalition that will risk the recovery and put Canadians out of work.Canadian Federation of Independent BusinessCorporate income taxGovernment policyOral questionsSwift, CatherineTax reliefScottBrisonHon.Kings—HantsJeanCrowderNanaimo—Cowichan//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25524PierrePoilievrePierre-PoilievreNepean—CarletonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/PoilievrePierre_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodThe EconomyInterventionMr. Pierre Poilievre (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, allow me to quote Le Devoir from Monday. It says, “On Saturday at their general council meeting, the Bloc Québécois added a phrase to their election platform stipulating that: 'The Bloc Québécois reserves the possibility to enter a coalition of parties' in the event of another minority government.”That risky coalition would drive up job-killing taxes and threaten our recovery. We need a low tax plan to create jobs. We need, and we have, a prime minister who is solid, steady and strong.Coalition governmentMinority governmentOral questionsScottArmstrongCumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit ValleyJean-ClaudeD'AmoursMadawaska—Restigouche//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25501DianeFinleyHon.Diane-FinleyHaldimand—NorfolkConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/FinleyDiane_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodJusticeInterventionHon. Diane Finley (Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CPC): (1500)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, we will never support a bill such as this one that rewards criminals. If a criminal gets injured while committing a crime, this bill would allow thousands of dollars to be paid out for his care. This is unfair and insulting to the victims, their families and Canadian taxpayers.C-343, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Employment Insurance Act (family leave)Employment insuranceOral questionsVictims of crimeFranceBonsantCompton—StansteadWayneMarstonHamilton East—Stoney Creek//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35751JimFlahertyHon.Jim-FlahertyWhitby—OshawaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/FlahertyJim_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPensionsInterventionHon. Jim Flaherty (Minister of Finance, CPC): (1500)[English]Mr. Speaker, we have cut taxes for seniors and pensioners by over $2 billion annually since becoming the government, including the very important reform and saving for retired persons of pension splitting, which we brought in. We are working on the new pooled registered pension plan proposal with the provinces. This is an area in which the provinces and the federal government are obliged to and do work together. We look forward to implementing that. There is no present consensus with the provinces with respect to proposed reforms to the Canada pension plan. Canada Pension PlanOral questionsRegistered pension plansWayneMarstonHamilton East—Stoney CreekBernardGénéreuxMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Take Note Debate on Iran]InterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In our ongoing efforts to make Parliament work, I believe you will find the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion:MotionThat a take-note debate take place today, pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, on the subject of the alarming deterioration of the Human Rights situation in Iran.Civil and human rightsIranMotionsPoints of orderTake-note debatesDanielPetitCharlesbourg—Haute-Saint-CharlesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodPoints of Order [Take Note Debate on Iran]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor (Minister of State and Chief Government Whip, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:MotionThat, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, during the debate tonight pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair.Civil and human rightsIranMotionsPoints of orderRules of debateTake-note debatesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/54325LisaRaittHon.Lisa-RaittHaltonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/RaittLisa_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsStatus of the ArtistInterventionHon. Lisa Raitt (Minister of Labour, CPC): (1505)[English]Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 61 of the Status of the Artist Act, I have the honour to table the annual report of the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal for the period of April 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010, in both official languages. 8560-403-399-01 Report of the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010ArtistsCanadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations TribunalCollective bargainingStanding Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with DisabilitiesPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsLawrenceCannonHon.Pontiac//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1268GarryBreitkreuzGarry-BreitkreuzYorkton—MelvilleConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BreitkreuzGarryW_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan]InterventionMr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, CPC): (1510)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the second report of the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan in relation to the stoning of women and men in Afghanistan.8510-403-190 Second Report of the Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan (stonings in Afghanistan)AfghanistanMenSpecial Committee on the Canadian Mission in AfghanistanStoningWomenLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order PaperInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsMotions for PapersInterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1520)[English]Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.PeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35600BenLobbBen-LobbHuron—BruceConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/LobbBen_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Ben Lobb (Huron—Bruce, CPC): (1600)[English]Mr. Speaker, I made note that at the beginning of the member's speech he talked about the desire to take the debate to a higher level and to have an honest question and an honest answer. I am going to ask a fair question and I hope he will provide a fair answer.With regard to the accelerated parole review, I know he supports the area around fraudsters but that he has a problem with regard to first-time non-violent offenders. Last night in committee, one of the witnesses, Ms. Lanctôt , described two of the non-violent offenders. One was a drug mule and one was an individual who had a drug operation in his house. Those are the ones with the accelerated parole that the member for Ajax—Pickering thinks works well.I wonder if he could just provide an answer to the House as to whether he thinks those types of crimes warrant accelerated parole review.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsDrug-related crimeEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeThird reading and adoptionMarkHollandAjax—PickeringMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35600BenLobbBen-LobbHuron—BruceConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/LobbBen_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Ben Lobb (Huron—Bruce, CPC): (1635)[English]Mr. Speaker, I have two questions for the member. The member for Ajax—Pickering stood in the House and said he believes that drug mules and people who are involved in grow ops should be allowed accelerated parole. What is the member's position on whether those people should be eligible for accelerated parole?The other question is this. Madam Naltchayan, one of her constituents, testified at committee last night. I know that the member has had a lot of dealings and interactions with her. I wonder if the member could shed some light for the House on the costs that Madam Naltchayan has had to endure as a victim, as well as Mr. Gravel, who also testified at committee last night.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsDrug-related crimeEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeThird reading and adoptionVictims of crimeMariaMouraniAhuntsicMariaMouraniAhuntsic//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1635)[Translation]The hon. member for Westmount—Ville-Marie for questions and comments.MariaMouraniAhuntsicMarcGarneauHon.Westmount—Ville-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1645)[English]Does the hon. member for Vancouver Kingsway have unanimous consent to split his time?Some hon. members: Agreed.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsDecisions of the HouseEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSplitting speaking timeThird reading and adoptionDonDaviesVancouver KingswayDonDaviesVancouver Kingsway//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25523GordonO'ConnorHon.Gordon-O-ConnorCarleton—Mississippi MillsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/OConnorGordon_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsCommittees of the House [Transport, Infrastructure and Communities]InterventionHon. Gordon O'Connor: (1755)[English]Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find agreement to apply the vote from the previous motion to the current motion, with the Conservatives voting yes.C-511, An Act respecting the reporting of motor vehicle information and to amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (improving public safety)Motion for concurrence in committee reportsRecorded divisionsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the IslandsPeterMillikenHon.Kingston and the Islands//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/58914GregRickfordGreg-RickfordKenoraConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/RickfordGreg_CPC.jpgPrivate Members' BusinessEconomic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario ActInterventionMr. Greg Rickford (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): (1835)[English]Madam Speaker, it sounds as though we are all getting along up in northern Ontario.I have been reading the book, Unrevised and Unrepented II, and I was thinking, have I just heard one of the great speeches out of northwestern Ontario? If I had, I think I would probably call it, “If Only”: if only the Liberals had stayed in power longer, we would have had a national daycare; if only they had been in power, they would have had a national home care program; if only they had been elected, they would have made FedNor an agency. I see the policy trajectory here and frankly, I am not impressed.What I am impressed about is getting back from Thunder Bay this morning after hearing people across northern Ontario and northwestern Ontario talk about the great work being done by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, HRSDC and our highly coveted program, FedNor. They are responsive, effective and efficient in every way.In fact, I have heard it across northern Ontario. I have been busy making announcements in co-operation with and on behalf of our Minister of Industry who is responsible for FedNor, who has done an outstanding job. It has been a great honour to travel to small towns and cities across northern Ontario on his and our government's behalf to make great announcements to that effect.Obviously, coming from the great Kenora riding, I am happy to have this opportunity to discuss the implications of private member's Bill C-309, a bill to create a new federal agency aiming to administer economic development programs exclusively to northern Ontario.There is no question that communities in northern Ontario continue to face challenges that affect the stability and development of their economy, both in the short and the long term.This great part of our country certainly deserves the support of the Canadian government. I am pleased to report to this House that it has had that certainly within the last two and a half years in an unprecedented way.I am proud to say that FedNor has been leading the way for years. I am pleased to hear the support from the member for Malpeque because, on a daily basis, FedNor staff are working with a diversity of people in communities in an effort to build a stronger and more prosperous northern Ontario. They include business leaders and professional groups in the areas of tourism, transportation, telecommunications, resource industries, small business, and research.It appears the intention of my hon. colleague, the member for Nipissing—Timiskaming, in tabling this bill, is to ensure that the government would provide the support that northern Ontario needs to continue to emerge stronger than ever and be a vital part of Canada's economic engine. What he chooses to ignore is that FedNor is already providing this support through its main programs, which are the northern Ontario development program and the community futures program. Imagine that. People from northern Ontario are making decisions about their local economy and the northern economy.I think I have heard this before in years and decades gone by. The Liberal government then and the Liberal Party now in a paternalistic way just decides what is in the best interests of people across Canada. The folks in northern Ontario reject that. They simply do not accept that.(1840)[Translation]I would like to point out the remarkable work accomplished by FedNor through the northern Ontario development program (NODP). I hope that by learning more about the role of FedNor, my colleagues will better understand what this organization represents to the inhabitants of this region. FedNor does much more than just fund individual projects in the many communities it serves.[English]When community partners, leaders and stakeholders identify opportunities for development, they come to FedNor with their ideas and their proposals. FedNor staff are closely connected to the communities they serve and know the challenges and needs of those communities. We should let those folks continue to do their job.When approached with project ideas, our great FedNor staff across northern Ontario work with the proponents to ensure how best to meet their needs, not having an Ottawa-centric Liberal Party telling us what is in the best interest of northern Ontario.The FedNor folks consider the benefits of specific projects on local, regional and pan-northern Ontario scales, working with partners to maximize the impact of FedNor projects.In short, FedNor takes a truly holistic approach to economic development, funding projects that will collectively strengthen northern Ontario. At the same time, FedNor keeps an eye on the bigger picture, the Government of Canada's national agenda.In 2009-10, the northern Ontario development program's annual grants and contributions budgets totalled more than $36 million. I will explain how FedNor is using this budget successfully to grow the northern Ontario economy.[Translation]First, I will provide some general information. NODP serves a very vast area. Northern Ontario represents about 90% of the province, extends from Muskoka to James Bay, and borders on the provinces of Manitoba and Quebec. More than 850,000 people live in this magnificent part of Canada.[English]The vastness of northern Ontario cannot be understated. Its relatively low population helps explain some of the challenges it faces, such as geographic isolation from large urban areas and markets to the south, and limited telecommunications and transportation infrastructures which, under Canada's economic action plan, are under a major overhaul.I was in Thunder Bay not too long ago making an announcement for more than 25 isolated remote first nations communities that will be getting state-of-the-art broadband service to connect literally with the rest of northern Ontario and Canada. This is something that was never done under the vision of the previous administration of the Liberal government.We have a high youth out-migration rate and lower than average employment growth. FedNor's Ontario development program is working to address these issues and more.To help communities deal with the challenges of sudden or severe downturns affecting the local economy, FedNor supports diversification strategies. Never have these types of strategies been more important than they are today during these difficult economic times. One concrete example is FedNor's successful youth internship program. For more than a decade, FedNor's flagship youth internship program has provided nearly 1,300 young graduates with valuable job experience. Designed to help post-secondary graduates make the transition from the campus to the workplace, the program provides interns with hands-on experience and opportunities to find full-time employment at home in northern Ontario. The internship program also assists small businesses and not-for-profit organizations that are looking to grow.Recently, FedNor has been charged with administering the northern Ontario components of the Government of Canada's community adjustment fund. This program was strong enough and good enough to administer the community adjustment fund, as well as the economic development initiatives for official language minority communities. With such capacity being so sensitive and responsive to the communities of northern Ontario, there is no bureaucracy or further expense required. FedNor's flexibility and its ability to deliver programs, such as the economic development initiative and community adjustment fund, are what make FedNor so important.In short, Bill C-309 aims to create a new entity to do what FedNor already does through the northern Ontario development program. The bill is redundant. It is bureaucratic and it is paternalistic.I appreciate having been allowed the time to speak on the impact of FedNor's northern Ontario development program and the great FedNor program that is working wonderfully in northern Ontario. We have heard that from mayors and councils, stakeholders and proponents. We are rebuilding downtowns across northern Ontario. We are investing in economic stimulus and job creation programs.While the opposition member claims to have the interests of northern Ontario at heart, why on earth is he ignoring the north's plea to do away with things like the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry, increasing taxes and EI premiums? Now the opposition wants an unnecessary election. Having travelled across northern Ontario extensively over the last five or six weeks, I can certainly assure members that no one I have spoken to across northern Ontario is interested in that. Northern Ontarians deserve better. That is what they are getting from this Conservative government. That is what they are getting from Canada's economic action plan. That is what they are getting from FedNor.C-309, An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern OntarioEconomic developmentFederal Economic Development Agency for Northern OntarioNorthern OntarioPrivate Members' BillsThird reading and adoptionAnthonyRotaNipissing—TimiskamingRobertBouchardChicoutimi—Le Fjord//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)(1915)[Translation]Motion moved:That this Committee take note of the alarming deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeIranMotionsTake-note debatesDeniseSavoieVictoriaLawrenceCannonHon.Pontiac//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (1935)[English]Madam Chair, it is extraordinary for us to walk out on the president of a country at a United Nations meeting, and that indicates an extraordinary depth of feeling. Could the minister remind those who are watching this debate what exactly caused the Canadian delegation to make the decision to walk out of the United Nations meeting? Ahmadinejad, MahmoudCivil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeDiplomacy and diplomatsInternational relationsIranTake-note debatesUnited NationsLawrenceCannonHon.PontiacLawrenceCannonHon.Pontiac//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (1950)[English]Madam Chair, I would ask my hon. colleague to expand upon the incitement to genocide. The offence of incitement to genocide is one that is not necessarily easily grasped. It is a very important and serious offence. It is a human rights violation under the relevant charter. Could he explain exactly technically what it is and exactly technically how the Ahmadinejad regime is currently violating this vis-à-vis Israel?Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeGenocideIranIsraelTake-note debatesIrwinCotlerHon.Mount RoyalIrwinCotlerHon.Mount Royal//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35607HaroldAlbrechtHarold-AlbrechtKitchener—ConestogaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/AlbrechtHarold_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC): (2040)[English] Mr. Chair, I, too, would like to add my words of congratulations to the minister on her recent appointment as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, with specific responsibilities for the Americas and also for Consular Services.There is no question that all of us in the House are disturbed by the suppressing opposition of the protests that are happening in Iran, the activists who are being arrested, the government's increased crackdown on minorities and opposition groups, Iran's use of intimidation and violence to suppress dissent, and its unjust detention of human rights defenders. Our responsibility here in this House is certainly to address these situations, and we need to be concerned about all of those in Iran who are suffering, but I think our primary concern as Canadian parliamentarians needs to be the well-being of our Canadian citizens. I would just like the minister to expand perhaps on her comments earlier regarding Canadians of dual citizenship who are being detained in spite of the lack of due process that was followed in their arrest and detention. Certainly it is important that our government speaks up on their behalf, and I know our minister is working hard in terms of the consular services she is offering them, but I would just like her to expand a bit on her comments about the services that the government it providing to Canadians of dual citizenship who are being unjustly detained in Iran.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeDual citizenshipEmbassies and consulatesIranTake-note debatesDianeAblonczyHon.Calgary—Nose HillDianeAblonczyHon.Calgary—Nose Hill//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (2100)[English]Mr. Chair, I may be rising on the same matter that the member for Mount Royal is about to rise on.I want to emphasize that the nature of this debate is about the worsening domestic human rights situation in Iran, but it seems to me that there has been no progress whatsoever domestically in Iran on the regime's willingness to continue to argue and to incite in favour of a massive genocide in which it seeks and advocates the destruction of an entire other country, the state of Israel.I would invite the member's comments on that ongoing worry.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeGenocideIranIsraelTake-note debatesMarioSilvaDavenportMarioSilvaDavenport//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (2105)[English]Mr. Chair, I am here in my capacity today as the chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. I want to take members through the history of the hearings we have had and some of the very extensive evidence we heard at committee in the course of hearings that started under a different chairman in 2007 and continued on under my chairmanship in 2008-09. We thought we could wrap the committee up and then realized that we had to continue on in the wake of the repression following the rigged Iranian elections and the subsequent crackdown. We produced a report and just recently have had hearings again into further abuses in Iran. Just yesterday we heard some testimony.When we are dealing with human rights violations on a vast scale we become numb to them. As I was preparing my remarks, I was put in mind of a saying that is attributed, perhaps apocryphally, to Joseph Stalin that “one death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”.To make the point about just how awful the human rights situation is in Iran, I thought I might draw upon a piece of testimony. I should mention as I begin that when I was in university I studied Russian literature. Russian literature is rich in prison diaries of people who describe what happened to them, the horrible situation in the gulag, Dostoevsky describing the situation to the czars. Nothing can surpass the testimony which we heard at committee from Ahmad Batebi:I was kept for 17 months in a small room by myself, and that room was no more than a washroom. This situation caused health problems. They took me twice for execution. In one case, I was taken for execution with a group of others. Of course, I was not executed. I was in the middle, with one man on the left and another on the right. They blindfolded us and forced us to stand on top of a chair, as if to hang us. They pulled my blindfold aside a bit so I could see what was happening to the other two. These were people who were imprisoned next to me in small cells. I saw their execution.He goes on to describe some specific tortures to which he was also subjected, but that gives us an idea. That story has been repeated in other versions many thousands of times in Iran over the course of the past three decades.There have been periods in the past three decades under the current regime that have been worse. There have been periods that have been better. There have been times when one group has been singled out and times when another group has been singled out. At the moment dissidents, those who are calling out for democracy, are a particular target as the government seeks to crush dissent. The government has a long record of going after groups of all description. For example, there is religious repression in Iran, which includes, as others have noted, the murderous oppression of the Baha'í minority, the largest religious minority in Iran. But it also includes the repression of Iran's Christian and Jewish populations. It also includes, perhaps to a lesser degree but nonetheless significant, repression of Iran's Sufi and Sunni populations, and it includes the repression of dissident Shia clerics, including the imprisonment for over 20 years of a prominent Shia cleric who issued a fatwa against the murderous behaviour of the regime toward the Baha'í. It was religious repression on a massive scale.Iran is a country of many nationalities. Under the current Iranian regime it has become a prison house of nationalities. The oppression of, for example, the sizeable Azeri population. The population of Azeri in Iran is perhaps as large or even larger than the population of Azeri in Azerbaijan. They are significantly oppressed. (2110)There is a very large population of Baluchis. They are very significantly oppressed. Arabs face similar oppression. Kurds face oppression.To give a sense of what that is like, I thought I would quote from some testimony relating to the Baluchi minority. Fakteh Zamani, when testifying before our committee on March 24, 2009, said the following:What I have heard from Baluchis is that there is a special judge appointed by the government to try these cases. Confessions have been obtained under severe torture, and these people are tried in 10 to 15 minutes in their cells, without a prosecutor or a defence lawyer present. Just because of the special Baluchi situation, a judge shows up and asks a few questions of this tortured individual and sentences them to death. There are hundreds of Baluchis on death row.That is ethnic oppression.Iran has a large and quite well-educated population. It has a cosmopolitan past. Tehran is a very cosmopolitan city.Women acquired, prior to the current regime, a relatively significant role in society. The repression and the stripping away of those women's rights is a prominent feature of the human rights oppression of the current regime.Trade unionists are repressed. We have heard testimony to that effect.Sexual minorities are oppressed in a particularly grotesque way. Male homosexuals, gay men, are executed. Being a gay man is a terminal offence in Iran.However, for peculiar reasons, it is acceptable to get a sex change operation. Sometimes Iranian gays have effectively been forced to undergo unwanted sex change operations to escape the death penalty. Many Iranian gays who do escape are currently in a situation of being effectively unrecognized refugees trapped in Turkey.Young people are similarly subject to peculiar and extraordinary persecution, unrivalled anywhere else in the world. The majority of the executions of minors in the world takes place in Iran.If one treats all forms of the death penalty as being a kind of persecution, then Iran is a world leader. In terms of per capita executions it leads every other country in the world. There is some evidence to suggest that with the current increase in executions, it may now be the leader in an absolute number context. Remember that this is a country with 70 million people, which is large but not as large as China with 1.2 billion people. At this point there may actually be more executions in Iran than there are even in China, making it tragically a world leader in a very sad way.The question arises, could the situation in Iran get worse? We are talking about the worsening human rights situation in Iran. The answer is yes, it could, and it has been worse at certain points in the past. Such a rise of oppression into an outright reign of terror is entirely possible.To make that point, I will conclude by turning once again to our testimony. Dr. Abbas Milani, who testified before us in October 2009, said that in the past 30 years in Iran, “there have been moments of respite and moments of true revolutionary terror”. He pointed out to us that in 1988 there was the “execution of an estimated 4,000 prisoners, who were serving time for other crimes, in order to cleanse the prisons of potential opponents”. This could happen again on just as massive a scale.(2115)The prisons were cleared in 1988, according to a witness from Amnesty International, largely to make space for more prisoners. It was effectively a form of housecleaning. A regime that can do that kind of thing is obviously one that we must speak openly about. I am glad that all members were willing to do so today and it has been a privilege to speak to this matter.Capital punishmentChinaCivil and human rightsCommittee witnessesConsideration in a Committee of the WholeDissidentsEthnic minoritiesFreedom of conscience and religionGay and lesbian personsGender minoritiesIranLabour unionsOppressionReligious minoritiesSubcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentTake-note debatesYoung peopleMarioSilvaDavenportWayneMarstonHamilton East—Stoney Creek//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid: (2115)[English]Mr. Chair, to answer the second question first, I have not heard a reaction. On that recommendation, I have to confess that when the committee was hearing testimony, I remember thinking to myself that a chair is not supposed to express any opinion on matters that do not strictly relate to the rules. I remember thinking at the time that shortwave transmissions are an out-of-date technology and we hear broadcasts on the Internet, and given the fact that Iran has a well-connected, well-wired population and quite a bit of Internet and technical savvy, there was really no need for the old-fashioned broadcasting over the airwaves.Having watched events in Tunisia and Egypt and the shutting down of the Internet as an attempt to control the population, I have realized that the thoughts I had privately were incorrect. I am only now expressing them to say that I realize that I had been incorrect about them and I did not express them at the time when I might have had some impact on the committee.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeEgyptInternetIranPersianProtestsRadio programsSocial networking sitesTake-note debatesTunisiaWayneMarstonHamilton East—Stoney CreekJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid: (2120)[English]Mr. Chair, normally after a report is issued, at some point the government issues a response, but if it is a report of the House, there is a requirement that the government respond to it. It is important to get concurrence in the report from the House. At this point, that has not happened. That is not to say the government should not be looking at it and responding to it, but that would ensure that point by point, all 24 recommendations would be dealt with, perhaps not in the manner the committee or the House would most want but, nonetheless, there is a requirement that it be done.That being said, I cannot point to my knowing anything specific as an insider. Although I am on the government side, I am not actually a member of the government in the sense of knowing government secrets. I suppose if I were, I would not be able to share them extemporaneously, so I am going to be of less help than I wish I could be.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeForeign policyGovernment response to committee reportsIranSubcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentTake-note debatesJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaMarioSilvaDavenport//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid: (2125)[English]Mr. Chair, the Baha'is face particularly severe persecution. There are probably three reasons for that. The first is that they are relatively numerous and therefore a bigger target in a sense. The second is that they are a post-Koranic religion; that is to say, they recognize the authority of a prophet after the prophet Muhammad which is seen as being particularly unacceptable by the regime. The third is that the holiest site of the Baha'is is in Israel. I think it is in Haifa, but I stand to be corrected.It should be mentioned though, and this is an important point regarding the third point, that it is purely an accident of history that Haifa is in the state of Israel. The events that led to its becoming a sacred site had to do with the imprisonment by the Ottoman Turks of the founder of the Baha'i faith in, I think it was the 1840s or the 1850s, obviously in years pre-dating the creation of the state of Israel, which resulted in its being there.That does not imply in any way that Baha'is are incapable of being loyal citizens of Iran. It does not imply any particular point of view on behalf of the Baha'is, whether they are in Iran or anywhere else in the world, any opinion regarding the state of Israel. The use of that fact by those who would persecute the Baha'is is a terrible wrong against the peaceful people of the Baha'i faith who historically have been very good and loyal citizens of Iran.Baha'i CommunityCivil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeFreedom of conscience and religionIranOppressionTake-note debatesMarioSilvaDavenportJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (2150)[English]Mr. Chair, the hon. member is from a riding that has a very significant Iranian-Canadian population. The member was talking about how the government cares and how he cares. I believe him to be very sincere.I have to think the member has many constituents who care very deeply and, I suppose, also very knowingly about the state of their ancestral country. I just wonder if the member could share with us a little bit of what he has heard from the Iranian-Canadian community that he serves.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeIranIranian CanadiansTake-note debatesJohnWestonWest Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky CountryJohnWestonWest Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (2210)[English]Mr. Chair, the discussion of comparisons between the revolution of 1979 in Iran and what could be categorized as a revolution, which is probably a good way of describing what is underway in Egypt and Tunisia, are not simply a change of heads of state but actually of the regime and its underlying philosophy. That I think qualifies as a revolution.That thought made me go back and think about another comparison that had been made that I read about many years ago between the Iranian revolution of 1979 and certain earlier revolutions, the one in France in 1789 and the one in Russia in 1917.I remember reading a book published by a man named Crane Brinton which I would recommend to the hon. member, in which he looks at the patterns of revolutions. It is called The Anatomy of Revolution. It talks about revolutions which unfortunately more often than not do not result in additional liberties, at least not in the long run. He does not say it exactly this way but it appears to be because if we lack a framework of laws and a constitutional framework on which to base that revolutionary change, the danger is that naked force will have to be applied and someone in the end applies that naked force. That is a pretty good analysis of what happened in 1979 in Iran. I think he is right in assuming that the population there is relatively sophisticated but they were in 1979 as well. I would ask the member if he shares this concern. Should any change occur there it would probably be best to try and do so within some form of recognition of a legitimate set of laws that could guide the transition. The member, like all of us, would like to see what happened in eastern Europe in 1989 serve as the model where the transformation from dictatorship to democracy took place because law was respected as revolutionary change took place. That is kind of half comment and half question. I will see if the member has any thoughts on that.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeDemocracyIranOppressionProtestsTake-note debatesJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1827ScottReidScott-ReidLanark—Frontenac—Lennox and AddingtonConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/44/ReidScott_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionMr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, CPC): (2230)[English]Mr. Chair, I want to congratulate my hon. colleague on the very high level tone of his comments.He has made it very clear, as all members have this evening, that there is a fundamental distinction between the Iranian regime and the Iranian people. So often we talk about condemning Iran or any other country where the regime has been acting in a manner unfitting a national government. The important point is that the Iranians themselves are the victims, including the Persian people, the ethnic majority within the country. Although the minorities are oppressed, the oppression that occurs of individuals who are opponents to the regime, who are challenging the regime or who are seeking more freedom is occurring as much to Persians as to any other group. I appreciate both that colleague and all colleagues for having stressed that it is a regime here that is acting in such a terrible manner, not a people.Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeIranTake-note debatesDeepakObhraiCalgary EastDeepakObhraiCalgary East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionThe Assistant Deputy Chair: (2255)[English]Resuming debate. There being no further members rising, pursuant to Standing Order 53.1, the committee will rise and I will leave the chair.(Government Business No. 11 reported)Civil and human rightsConsideration in a Committee of the WholeIranTake-note debatesLarryBagnellHon.YukonBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (2255)[English]It being 10:54 p.m., the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).(The House adjourned at 10:55 p.m.)BarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25520TomLukiwskiTom-LukiwskiRegina—Lumsden—Lake CentreConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/43/LukiwskiTom_CPC.jpgRoutine ProceedingsQuestions on the Order Paper InterventionMr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1010)[English]Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.JimMalowayElmwood—TransconaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Paul Calandra (Oak Ridges—Markham, CPC): (1010)[English]Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to this motion, just another in a series of extraordinary justice legislation that has been brought forward by this government to restore balance to our justice system. I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the good people of Oak Ridges—Markham.I want to take a moment to commend the hon. members who have already demonstrated their support for Bill C-59 and are ensuring that these important changes receive quick passage into law. Those hon. members are showing their commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities. All offenders must be held accountable for the crimes they commit. Bill C-59 is all about accountability, about offenders serving appropriate sentences for the crimes committed. That is what we call justice.Bill C-59 would ensure that all offenders will be treated equally, regardless of the nature of the crime they commit, when it comes to eligibility for parole. Currently, there is a distinction made between crimes committed with or without violence. Parole, in cases of non-violent crime, is presumptive, meaning that the Parole Board of Canada must automatically release the offender into the community under supervision unless it has reasonable grounds to believe that the offender will commit a violent offence if released.That does not seem fair to me. Fraud and white-collar crimes must not have been committed with violence but the victims are harmed nonetheless. Lives are ruined, entire life savings are lost and the physical, psychological and emotional harm resulting from these crimes can be equally as devastating. Can we honestly say that justice has been served when an offender who has received a sentence befitting the crime walks out of jail well before the sentence has been served? In essence, many victims are essentially re-victimized by the relatively short amount of time that offenders spend behind bars for their crimes. Canadians have spoken loud and clear. They are outraged that the rights of offenders seem to be put ahead of the rights of law-abiding citizens. Our government is listening and we are taking the necessary action to crack down on crime and stand up for those who have been victimized. We are ensuring that victims' voices are heard and that their concerns are being addressed. Bill C-59 is just one step in that direction.Our government has already introduced several initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to victims' rights. The federal victims strategy was introduced in 2006 to improve the experience of victims of crime in the criminal justice system. Since its creation, the government has committed over $50 million to this strategy. We created the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime in 2007 to ensure that the federal government meets its responsibility to victims of crime.Under our leadership, the truth in sentencing law was passed, which eliminates the two-for-one credit that offenders receive for time served in custody prior to sentencing. We have gotten tough on organized crime, including drug crime, with stiffer sentences and we have passed the Tackling Violent Crime Act, which better protects Canadians from those who commit serious and violent crimes.In addition, we are facilitating access to EI benefits for family members of victims of crime and the right to unpaid leave for workers in federally regulated industries. The victim surcharge is also being made mandatory to provide better financial support to victim services.There are several more examples I could give that demonstrate that this government is making victims' rights a priority, but now I want to turn to the accelerated parole review challenges, the very rights that we are working so hard to uphold. By allowing accelerated parole review to continue operating in the justice process, we are, in essence, undermining the rights of victims and trivializing the suffering that they may have suffered at the hands of their offenders.The current system of accelerated parole review grants parole to offenders convicted of non-violent offences after serving only one-sixth of the sentence and full parole after serving just one-third. This means that a white-collar criminal who has received a sentence of 12 years would actually spend very little time in jail. With accelerated parole review, these offenders can be back in our communities on day parole in just two years and be on full parole in just four years.(1015)The current system requires that the Correctional Service of Canada refers the case of offenders eligible for APR to the parole board. This is done before the offender's day parole eligibility date so that they can be released into the community as early as possible. Parole hearings are not held in these cases, as there is no requirement for the parole board to hold a hearing to determine whether offenders eligible for APR may be released on day parole and full parole.I, like most Canadians, would expect that the decisions around parole for white collar criminals would entail more than a simple paper exercise. It does not work that way for violent offenders, so it should not work that way for fraudsters either. They should not simply be let out on day parole after serving one-sixth of their sentence, as they essentially now often are. Other offenders must convince the parole board that they will comply with the law and the conditions of their release. These offenders must make their case at an actual hearing. Unfortunately, as it now stands, white collar offenders do not actually have to explain to anyone why they should be granted parole. They only have to go through a paper review with the parole board. Compounding the problem, the parole board has no choice but to grant parole to an offender who is entitled to APR, except in those instances where the parole board believes the offender may commit a violent offence before the sentence is up.This situation is unlike the one facing other offenders and, thankfully, Bill C-59 will put a stop to it.Let us think about the current scenario again because it offends both me and many of my hon. colleagues in the House. Under the present law, only the prospect of an offender committing a violent offence will prevent that criminal from receiving automatic parole.Those fraudsters, the ones who may have duped many and literally destroyed lives, will not be denied parole and will only serve a fraction of their time behind bars. Without grounds to believe a violent offence will be committed, the Parole Board of Canada simply has no other choice but to grant parole.The special treatment afforded to these offenders has to end. All other offenders are subject to a very different standard, one that instills, rather than undermines, confidence in our justice system. Right now, for all other offences, the parole board has set criteria to guide its approach in deciding whether they grant or deny parole.In these cases the parole board will assess whether an offender poses an insurmountable level of risk to commit any type of an offence if released. If that risk exists for any type of offence, parole is denied.Let us not miss the importance of that principle; it is one that warrants repeating. With the troubling exception of white collar offenders, all other offenders are not granted parole if the parole board is convinced that any type of offence will be committed once a person is released, whether violent or not.There are no justifiable grounds for the existing exception for white collar criminals. These are the offenders who have bilked many, washing out entire savings and crippling lives in the most extreme cases. These offenders must no longer enjoy the different standard they face under the current law. The scales of justice seem unfairly tilted in their favour.This government has made it quite clear that it will not put the rights of any offender ahead of the rights of others. We will stay committed and remind ourselves of a few clear cases where these white collar criminals have benefited from the current APR system. These are cases that make us all question whether justice is being served.The parole board simply does not have the discretion is so sorely needs in these cases. Bill C-59 would bring about that change, which is why I stand here in the House and turn to my hon. colleagues and ask them to ensure timely passage of this bill.I for one feel compelled to see the changes proposed in Bill C-59 put into place so that we put victims first. In my riding of Oak Ridges—Markham, we have certainly not been immune from the scourge of white collar crime. Indeed, not long ago a fraudster was at work within my community. After being convicted of her crime, she spent very little in jail and was released back into the community and was quickly found to be in violation of her parole. The police had to track her down and put her back in jail.(1020)I know this person's victims. They are from my small home town of Stouffville. I see the stress they have faced. As this continued to be in the local papers, I watched the person who committed these acts flaunting our current system. It is absolutely positively unacceptable that we have a current justice system that would allow people who commit this type of crime to walk our streets after serving only one-sixth of their sentence. However, this speaks to the many different things that this government has done.Of course, when we came into office in 2006, we found a criminal justice system that was tilted not toward the victims but more toward the perpetrators of these crimes. Since then we have been rebalancing our justice system. The Minister of Justice, the Minister of Public Safety and this government have focused on restoring balance to the justice system so that the victims of these crimes can feel that the government is truly working on their behalf to give them a system of justice they can be proud of and so that Canadians can understand that the government will always stand for them and the rights of victims before those of criminals.There are so many different programs and justice bills that we have brought forward. We have Bill S-10, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Bill C-4, An Act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act and Bill C-39. As I said, it is part of this government's focus to restore people's confidence in their justice system. However, when we talk about Bill C-59, it is sometimes forgotten that it deals with incredibly serious crimes. There are fraudsters out in the communities who are seeking vulnerable people in a lot of instances and taking advantage of them and their life savings, the things they have worked so hard for their entire lives. Yet there are fraudsters out there who are doing this and who have no shame. Then the victims are victimized again when a court pronounces a sentence and then the person is released back into the community after serving only one-sixth of their sentence. That is clearly unacceptable to the people I represent in Oak Ridges—Markham. That should be unacceptable to every single member of this House.It is unconscionable that we have had delays in getting this bill passed and have been spending so much time at committee on what should be a common sense bill. The people from my riding have been calling me and asking why it is taking us so long to deal with this. They do not want to hear about delays. They do not want to hear about the stalling tactics the opposition have been using to try to thwart the bill being passed. They want us to get it done and get it passed so that people will pay the price for the crimes they have committed. They do not want us to make a distinction that would have us treating the criminals better than the victims. They do not want to be re-victimized. They want to know that this government and the Parliament of Canada will stand up for victims' rights ahead of criminals. That is what this bill does; that is what all of the legislation we have brought forward does. It is interesting that before the government operations committee, we had the head of the Correctional Service of Canada. He was asked if he had the resources required to keep convicted criminals in jail longer so that they could serve the sentences they had been given by the people of Canada. He of course said that he could continue to provide one of the best criminal justice systems in the world, a system that has been looked at by other nations as an example. He talked about the savings that he has been able to find within the correctional service by computerizing scheduling and finding other efficiencies so that he could put that money into keeping offenders in jail longer.Therefore, I am pleased to support this. I hope that all of my opposition colleagues will join with the government in passing this bill so that the Canadian people can feel confident that the government, and Parliament and the people they elect are putting them first.(1025)When I was asked to speak on this bill, the first thing that came to mind was the individuals in Stouffville who were victimized by this unscrupulous person who took them for thousands of dollars and was later found back on the streets with the exact same group she had used to abuse these people and take their money.People call me and talk to me and send emails asking how this can be allowed to happen in Canada. How can we allow these victims to go through this time and time again? Why should their names be in the paper again? Why should they be re-victimized? Why can members not get their act together and pass this bill? Canadians, the people in my riding of Oak Ridges—Markham, find it completely unacceptable that this bill has been stalled and delayed. They have sent me a very clear message to get the bill passed, get it through Parliament and start focusing on all the other crime legislation that has been brought forward in this House to restore balance to our criminal justice system. I am proud that I can do that, and I will be working with colleagues, at least on this side of the House, to make sure that all of those criminal justice issues are brought forward. The delays to this particular piece of legislation and all of the legislation that we have been trying to get through this House speak to the sad reality of some individuals on the opposition benches who think more of their entitlements than they do of the people of Canada. If we were truly putting the Canadian people first, we would have passed this bill. We would not have spent a full day debating and talking about how we could delay this bill. It would have gone through committee.In the government operations and estimates committee last week, we had an opposition witness who was talking about some of the crime legislation we had brought forward. It is something that stuck in my head as the father of two beautiful girls. The opposition was very happy with the group of witnesses before the committee. These witnesses did not support this government's agenda to keep violent criminals in jail. They did not support this government's agenda to keep white collar criminals in jail. They did not support our agenda to rebalance the Young Offenders Act. The opposition thought they had a great witness who would counter all of the arguments for keeping violent criminals in jail, but when the member for Peace River asked the witness whom the opposition had been so happy to bring forward, “Do you believe that people who rape children should be put into prison?“, that witness said, “Not necessarily.”I know that members, at least on this side of the House, had to take a step back and make sure that the person truly understood the question. The member for Peace River asked again to make sure the witness has understood the question. The answer came back the same: “Not necessarily”. Imagine having to go back to a riding and trying to explain that there are people in this House who support groups and organizations that do not feel that somebody who rapes or victimizes a child should necessarily go to jail. I can say that as a father of two, I found that completely unbelievable. I still find it unbelievable. It was testimony from a witness brought forward by the Liberal Party of Canada. It was jammed through committee in such a quick rush; they had to have this witness in front of the committee and now I know why. When it comes to standing up for victims of crime, we can never rely on the Liberals to stand up for the victims. They will always find a way to stand up for the criminals, whether it be the member for Ajax—Pickering or others who tour our prisons and talk about how upset they are that the criminals are so demoralized in prison because they have a government that is getting tough on crime. I can assure the residents of Oak Ridges—Markham that they have a member of Parliament who will always stand up for them. They have a member of Parliament who will always stand up for the victims of crime. I implore the opposition to once and for all vote the way their constituents are asking them to vote. Get tough on crime and do the right thing for victims.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsChild abuseEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeRapeS-10, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other ActsSecond readingVictims of crimeStevenFletcherHon.Charleswood—St. James—AssiniboiaMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Paul Calandra: (1030)[English]Madam Speaker, the question actually speaks to the arrogance of the member and the Liberal Party.The member is trying to separate victims. Is a victim of a violent crime any worse off than somebody who has been defrauded in some way, who has had millions of dollars or thousands of dollars taken from him or her? The Liberals are trying to make different classes of victims. That is what happens with members opposite. They do not care about victims. What they care about is trying to score some cheap political points. They have been trying to out flip-flop the NDP, so they have found themselves in a bit of a dilemma on crime legislation. The Liberals know that Canadians do not trust them when it comes to anything to do with crime. They know that Canadians look to this government and to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Public Safety to finally restore balance in the criminal justice system. They find themselves in a bit of a quandary.What do Liberals do when they find themselves in a quandary? They steal from the NDP. They think they should go back to their coalition partners and support the NDP because nobody believes the Liberals will ever get tough on crime.The member talked about more criminals. I love the Liberal position on this issue. The Liberals are comparing Canada to the United States. It is absolutely unbelievable they would make that type of comparison. I would suggest that our societies are completely different. We have public health care in this country. We have a system that supports victims. We have all kinds of systems that help people avoid turning to crime. The problem is that the system was so tilted toward the people who commit crime during the years the Liberals were in power that we have to try to restore some semblance of balance.While the member for Ajax—Pickering completely ignores what his constituents want, this side of the House will make sure that the people of Ajax--Pickering have representation from this side of the House. We will make sure that the criminals who commit crime, whether that member thinks it is a serious crime or not, will be put in jail because we feel it is serious even if the Liberals and the member for Ajax--Pickering do not.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingMarkHollandAjax—PickeringJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Paul Calandra: (1035)[English]Madam Speaker, it strikes me that the NDP members are learning to flip-flop from their Liberal coalition partners. I am a bit confused. They are now supporting it. Regarding the cost, I bring it back to the member, it is the cost to the victims that we have to worry about here. Crime costs this country $70 billion a year. That is a fact. That is what Statistics Canada says crime costs the Canadian economy, $70 billion a year. Under the Liberals things had gone so far in trying to support the criminals against the victims that we now have to try to restore some balance, and we will do that. The head of Corrections Canada was at the government operations committee. He was asked continuously by the Liberals whether he could manage the tough on crime agenda of the Conservatives. He said, “I am confident, with the exceptional staff I have across the country, we will manage in a way that we can deliver good, effective corrections”. He said he could have it done.When we talk about strengthening financial securities and having a financial securities regulator, every single thing we bring forward to strengthen financial management in this country, every single bill that we have brought forward, the member's party has voted against it.The NDP should join with us, try to convince their coalition flip-flopping Liberal partners to actually see the light and stand up for victims ahead of criminals. Perhaps we could have a bill that all Canadians are proud of in a Parliament that Canadians can say--C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Paul Calandra: (1040)[English]Madam Speaker, I certainly hope there are no members in the House who would support that, but the evidence tells me that. When I was sitting at the government operations and estimates committee, the chair rammed in a witness from the Church Council of Justice and Corrections. When that witness was asked, point blank, whether people who rape children should go to jail and she answered the question, “Not necessarily”, that gave me pause. Why would a witness like that be brought forward in committee? Why would it be rammed down our throats?If the Liberals are now saying they do not actually support what the Church Council of Justice and Corrections said with respect to children, then great, and I applaud them for that. They should stand up for victims, vote for the bill and vote for all of the crime legislation we have passed, because that is really standing up for victims of crime. They are so upset right now because they have been caught on camera supporting groups that do not support victims. That is what is bothering them, because when--C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsChild abuseEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeRapeSecond readingMichaelSavageDartmouth—Cole HarbourKeithMartinHon.Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30418PaulCalandraPaul-CalandraOak Ridges—MarkhamConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/CalandraPaul_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Paul Calandra: (1040)[English]Madam Speaker, what it really comes down to is that if the Liberals truly respect the victims of crime, they should look at the people they bring before committees who speak on their behalf, question what they are doing and what they are talking about. That is the reality. If they want to stand up for victims, they should not just do it when the cameras are on here in the House of Commons. They should do it at committee. That is when people are watching.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsChild abuseEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeRapeSecond readingVictims of crimeDeniseSavoieVictoriaMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30979PatrickBrownPatrick-BrownBarrieConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BrownPatrickW_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Patrick Brown (Barrie, CPC): (1105)[English]Madam Speaker, the member for Ajax—Pickering is very eloquent at putting his point out but he is skirting around the bottom line, which is that it is certainly not fair in any sense that someone who has committed a serious white-collar crime would be eligible for parole after one-sixth of the sentence. I do not think any resident of his riding would find that fair. That is what it comes down to. Someone who has been sentenced to 12 years would be eligible for parole at two years. That is not appropriate and I do not think any Canadian would find that to be an appropriate sentence.Members can flaunt all the U.S. statistics that they like. They can mention California or New York but this is the House of Commons. We are in Canada. An obsession with U.S. statistics may serve well in the U.S. Congress, but we should look at what works here in Canada. Certainly Canadians and residents in Ajax—Pickering would not believe it is appropriate to simply slap someone on the wrist for a serious crime. We need to take serious crime seriously, and that is what this bill is about.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingMarkHollandAjax—PickeringMarkHollandAjax—Pickering//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionHon. Lynne Yelich (Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification), CPC): (1130)[English]Madam Speaker, I listened to the remarks of the member. I would like her to expand on her thoughts because it is a huge issue in Quebec. Why would the Liberal and NDP members from Quebec be so against the bill? What would their reasons be, because obviously they feel they represent their constituents?Given her thoughts and different examples, could she perhaps enlighten the House as to why she thinks the members, particularly from Quebec, would oppose the bill?C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeProvince of QuebecSecond readingDeniseSavoieVictoriaMariaMouraniAhuntsic//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionHon. Lynne Yelich: (1145)[English]On a point of order, Madam Speaker, I think you know that the member going on about the Senate, et cetera, is hardly relevant to the bill. I would like the debate to continue as it should on Bill C-59.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingDonDaviesVancouver KingswayDeniseSavoieVictoria//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1838LynneYelichHon.Lynne-YelichBlackstrapConservative CaucusSaskatchewan//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/YelichLynne_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionHon. Lynne Yelich (Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification), CPC): (1230)[English]Mr. Speaker, our government continues to demonstrate our commitment to safety and security for families. I want to know how important the member thinks it is to ensure the changes in the legislation are applied retroactively. C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsLegislation retroactivityNon violent crimeSecond readingBernardGénéreuxMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-LoupBernardGénéreuxMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland—Quinte West, CPC): (1305)[English]Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this chance to speak to Bill C-59, the Abolition of Early Parole Act. The amendments our government is proposing are important for a number of reasons. They build on our government's already impressive record of cracking down on crime. That includes any kind of crime, from those involving handguns, to those involving stolen property, identity theft and fraud.Our government is committed to building safer streets and communities for everyone. We have delivered on that commitment in countless numbers of ways. The changes our government is proposing in Bill C-59 will also help to ensure that the corrections system works the way it should so that all offenders are held accountable for their actions. That is something our government has been committed to achieving since we were first elected in 2006.Perhaps most importantly, the changes our government is proposing with Bill C-59 will mean that offenders convicted of fraud will not be eligible for accelerated early parole after serving just a small fraction of their sentences. Therefore, I want to urge all hon. members to support the legislation before us today, which again demonstrates a commitment I believe all of us share, which is to stand up for victims and to crack down on crime and make our communities safer and better places for everyone.Bill C-59 will essentially do away with what appears to be a two-tier system of parole in this country, which at times appears to treat offenders convicted of fraud as if swindling people of their life savings is somewhat less of a crime than other offences.Our government believes, and indeed I feel most Canadians would agree, that offenders who commit such crimes should not just receive a slap on the wrist once they are convicted. They should not be out on parole earlier than other offenders simply because their crime was not violent. Their actions can wreak havoc and have wreaked havoc in the lives of countless numbers of Canadians. The devastation that their actions can and have caused can often be irreparable. In many cases, victims have been left wondering where the justice is in this world. Where is justice when such perpetrators can apparently be handed lengthy prison sentences but only serve one or two years in prison? They are left to wonder why the justice system does not seem to be standing up for them. Most of all, they have been left wondering when their interests will be put ahead of the offenders. That day is here. Again, our government is taking action to stand up for victims of crime. Under the current system of accelerated parole review, so-called white-collar offenders convicted of a first-time non-violent offence are eligible for day parole after serving just one-sixth of their prison sentence. Indeed, not only can they qualify, they are almost certain to receive it. Unlike other offenders, white-collar offenders are in fact almost automatically put into the queue, so to speak, to receive early parole. That is because under the existing rules Correctional Service Canada must refer the cases of offenders entitled to APR to the parole board before their day parole eligibility date so that they may be released under supervision into the community as soon as possible.Let us think about that. Offenders do not have to apply for parole. Under the current system, that is already taken care of. In fact, Correctional Service Canada in effect does it for them. However, for other offenders the parole board will only receive applications for parole if the offender has informed them that they wish to be granted day parole. That is generally six months before their full parole eligibility date.Why the double standard? Why are non-violent offenders treated differently? Our government, and I believe the majority of Canadians, would agree that should not occur.(1310)Today, a white-collar offender might receive a sentence of 12 years, perhaps more in some cases. The reality is that many are released on parole before other offenders who might receive a similar sentence. Unlike other offenders who are generally eligible for day parole six months before full parole, white-collar or non-violent criminals can be free after just a few months in some cases. The general rule of thumb is that they can access a process called accelerated parole review after serving one-sixth of their sentence and full day parole after serving one-third of their sentence.If we look back on some of the cases where we have seen convictions for very serious multi-million dollar fraud, sometimes in the hundreds of millions of dollars, a 12-year sentence is significant. However, when we find that the person has only spent two years in jail, we wonder if the system is being fair. The human cost is much more severe. We have heard of people who have committed suicide. We have heard of people who have lost all of their life savings. They serve what I refer to as a life sentence.What makes the current parole system even more expedited for white-collar criminals is the accelerated parole reviews are done through a paper review by the Parole Board of Canada, whereas a regular parolee receives one by way of a hearing rather than just a shuffling of papers, as it were, in a paper process. There is no need to meet with the parole board to explain their actions, no need to face their victims. Why should a person be released on day parole if he or she is a white-collar criminal when there are still many people suffering under the weight of poverty because of his or her actions?The test for accelerated parole review is also lower for white-collar offenders than it is for other offenders. The parole board only has to have reasonable grounds to believe that the offender will not commit a violent crime, whereas with other offenders, the test is whether that person poses an undue risk to commit any type of crime if released.The bottom line is that the parole board, when dealing with these cases, has limited discretion. The test is whether someone is going to commit a violent offence. Even if the parole board believes someone will commit another fraud, the board is still compelled to release him or her under supervision after serving just one-sixth of his or her sentence. That means, in many cases, that people who are convicted of crimes that have devastating effects on the lives and livelihoods of Canadians may spend very little time in prison.The end result is that offenders convicted of white-collar crimes can be released under supervision after just a few months. Offenders convicted of fraud are given lengthy sentences which do not result in much time spent in prison at all. This can be difficult to reconcile with Canadians' faith in their justice system and in the corrections system.Bill C-59 would abolish accelerated parole review and repeal sections of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act that govern the accelerated parole review regime. It would mean that offenders who commit non-violent or white-collar crimes would be put on the same footing as other offenders. They would be eligible for regular day parole review six months prior to full parole eligibility, and full parole review after serving one-third of their sentence. Rather than being subject to a paper review, they would be subject to an in-person hearing. The test as to whether they should be released would be whether they present an unmanageable risk of committing another crime.All of us here have heard of the devastating consequences of white-collar crimes such as fraud. Victims, and I believe the majority of Canadians, are outraged that offenders who have destroyed so many lives should receive preferential treatment. They are outraged that the justice system does not appear to work for them. That needs to change, which is why Bill C-59 is so important. (1315)Our government is committed to standing up for victims, regardless of whether they are victims of gun crime or white-collar crime. Our government is committed to cracking down on crime regardless of who commits it or how it is committed. That is why we have done it in the past and it is why we are going to continue to do it in the future.I therefore urge all hon. members to work with us, with the government, with most, and I believe all, Canadians. We need to stand up for victims and ensure that Bill C-59 is passed quickly.May I reiterate that we have seen on the news how white-collar crime not only devastates the lives of people who are the victims of it, but also does something insidious or more so in that it colours people's view of the very system in which we live. People are fearful to invest money in the economy. That means there is a reluctance to invest in job creators. What does that do? In my view, that creates a continuing lack of faith in the system that was designed to keep growing our economy, to invest in jobs and futures for Canadians. We need to assure Canadians that people who misuse the system and commit the criminal offence of fraud will not receive just a slap on the wrist.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingKevinLamoureuxWinnipeg NorthPaulSzaboMississauga South//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Rick Norlock: (1320)[English]Mr. Speaker, I know from whence the member comes, as the saying goes. We are dealing with people who have been convicted of serious white-collar crimes. We are dealing with people who would be in the federal corrections system, which means people who receive a conviction that carries with it time in federal custody. That means in excess of two years or more. I would suggest to the hon. member that judges have discretion in their sentencing regime in cases such as the member is suggesting. For something like mistakenly giving someone a Tylenol 3, which has codeine or whatever in it, that was thought to be a Tylenol 2, the judge has discretion, if the case even got to court. There is discretion on the part of the police on whether to lay a charge. Once that discretion is exercised and a charge is laid, it goes to a crown attorney, who decides whether or not to prosecute. If the decision is made to prosecute, the case goes before a judge, who listens to all the circumstances surrounding the case. If it is indeed a very minor offence, that person would never serve time in a federal institution, let alone receive any kind of jail time whatsoever. C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingPaulSzaboMississauga SouthSergeMénardMarc-Aurèle-Fortin//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Rick Norlock: (1325)[English]Mr. Speaker, I, too, have great respect for my hon. colleague who just spoke. I think every single member of this House has the same objective, and that is to make Canada a better place in which to live. I also believe that every member of this House believes in justice. I think every member of this House has honour and respect for our judges. However, even when we respect each other, it does not mean we cannot have a respectful disagreement on policies and principles, and with that in mind, with a great deal of respect, disagree with each other.I do not think mandatory minimum sentences are a slight on judges whatsoever. It is simply that this august institution called Parliament is sending a signal that we believe in certain circumstances there needs to be a minimum time that one convicted of an offence should spend in jail. There is no disrespect.I think most of my constituents believe that is appropriate. We all have respect for judges and respect for each other.When it comes to who brought in which act and who wanted what to happen or not happen, it is a question of timing, a question of what else is going on at the time. It is a question of whether the bill exactly fits in with the agenda of the government. If this is the right time and the right place and if we agree on it, we will vote on it together. If we disagree on it, we will not vote on it together. We will see what happens.I do not think it is disrespect at all.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingSergeMénardMarc-Aurèle-FortinJimMalowayElmwood—Transcona//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/30338RickNorlockRick-NorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/NorlockRick_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionMr. Rick Norlock: (1325)[English]Mr. Speaker, I guess the short answer is that the only people delaying this legislation in this chamber are the hon. member and his party and the official opposition. I think it is worthwhile to remind ourselves why we are having this discussion. I will quote from a victim of the Earl Jones fraud who is from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, Quebec. He said, “Obviously you and your loved ones have not been the victims of white-collar crime. As a victim of Earl Jones, I can tell you that the way the law stands now, Jones will be free long before any of us regain any semblance of normalcy and closure. It makes no sense that a man sentenced to 11 years in jail for ruining the lives of 158-plus people will serve only 22 months in jail.“I can tell you that my father died and the whole estate was stolen all within three months, leaving us completely devastated. Two years later we are still scrambling to pay dad's 2008 taxes. “This is a very serious crime with serious long-term repercussions. The penalty should be proportionate to the crime.”I say to the hon. member that these victims deserve our support. This bill gives it. You are not providing that support by holding up this legislation. I think if you really cared, you would not be obfuscating and not pushing it-- C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeSecond readingJimMalowayElmwood—TransconaBarryDevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/25497BarryDevolinBarry-DevolinHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DevolinBarry_CPC.jpgGovernment OrdersAbolition of Early Parole ActInterventionThe Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin): (1330)[English]Order, please. I would remind all hon. members to direct their comments to the chair and not to their colleagues. Resuming debate, the hon. member for Joliette.C-59, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (accelerated parole review) and to make consequential amendments to other ActsEarly paroleFinancial crimeGovernment billsNon violent crimeOrder and decorumRemarks addressed to the ChairSecond readingRickNorlockNorthumberland—Quinte WestPierrePaquetteJoliette//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/695DarylKrampDaryl-KrampPrince Edward—HastingsConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/KrampDaryl_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersMaple SyrupInterventionMr. Daryl Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings, CPC): (1400)[English]Mr. Speaker, throughout my riding of Prince Edward—Hastings, we are proud of the many dedicated and talented producers of maple syrup. This liquid gold is produced in a narrow time frame, when winter is growing weak and spring has not yet blossomed.While production methods have been improved, the time-honoured process of collecting the sap and distilling it without any chemical agents or preservatives is truly a labour of love. This art form is governed by time, weather, years of experience and, of course, a talented set of taste buds.One such producer, my friend and neighbour, Harry Dennis, and his family of Three Maples Farm overcame the adversity of having their sugar shack destroyed by fire. With support from many, perseverance and dedication, they rebuilt the sugar shack.Their hard work and passion was rewarded when they won first place in the light category of the North American Maple Syrup Council. I offer my sincere congratulations.With the sap now running, I would tell Harry and Joel to empty the lines, stoke that fire and taste that sweet nectar of the gods. Awards presentationsDennis, HarryMaple syrupStatements by MembersThree Maples FarmJoeComartinWindsor—TecumsehJustinTrudeauRight Hon.Papineau//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35684DeanDel MastroDean-DelMastroPeterboroughConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/DelMastroDean_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersCopyrightInterventionMr. Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, CPC): (1405)[English]Mr. Speaker, today in the special legislative committee dedicated to Bill C-32, we heard from groups representing students from colleges and universities. We also heard from the Canadian Museums Association.The message we heard very clearly was that Bill C-32 was indeed balanced. We also heard that the Bill C-32 opened up opportunities for the future for Canada's economy, for our students, for our places of higher learning and for industry.My question for opposition members is very simple. Why are they obstructing and delaying Bill C-32 at committee? Why are we not getting the additional meetings we need for the consideration of the bill so we can return it to the House and open up opportunities for Canada? Why are they holding up protections for creators? Why are they holding back Canada's digital economy?C-32, An Act to amend the Copyright ActCommittee meetingsCopyright and copyright lawDigital mediaStatements by MembersMoniqueGuayRivière-du-NordYasminRatansiDon Valley East//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/1099JeffWatsonJeff-WatsonEssexConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/WatsonJeff_CPC.jpgStatements by MembersNational Flag DayInterventionMr. Jeff Watson (Essex, CPC): (1415)[English]Mr. Speaker, it was not the flag in days of yore; not Wolfe's flag, nor Sir John A.'s. It was not the flag of Vimy or Passchendaele. It was not even the flag of Mr. Diefenbaker. Yet it is “our emblem dear”. When we welcomed the world at Expo in 1967, when we won the 1972 series against the Soviet Union, when we set a Winter Olympic record for gold medals last year in Vancouver, it was our flag. We are proud to be here representing Canadians under our single red maple leaf raised 46 years ago. Well, most of us are proud. One MP, however, has said, and I quote: In the case of the Canadian flag, I cannot entirely forget that it is both my flag and a passing imitation of a beer label.The Liberal leader should be ashamed of himself. We should all be proud to celebrate Flag Day. As one company has said, “I am Canadian”.Flag of CanadaNational Flag of Canada DayStatements by MembersPabloRodriguezHonoré-MercierMichaelIgnatieffHon.Etobicoke—Lakeshore//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, here is what the president of CIDA said before a committee of the House. She said, referring to her minister:This is quite normal, and I certainly was aware of her decision. The inclusion of the word “not” is just a simple reflection of what her decision was, and she has been clear. So that's quite normal.Business plansCanadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMembers' remarksMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—Guildwood//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1420)[English]Mr. Speaker, the minister could not have been clearer. Ten times in committee and again yesterday in this place, she was very clear that the decision to grant a contribution to this organization was hers as the minister. That is the way it is supposed to be and she has taken full responsibility for that decision.It was the right decision, it was the correct decision, it was a decision based on focusing priorities and focusing limited funds to help the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable in the developing world. It was the right decision she made.Government accountabilityGovernment assistanceInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMembers' remarksMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentJohnMcKayHon.Scarborough—GuildwoodGillesDuceppeLaurier—Sainte-Marie//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodMining IndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1425)[English]Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, there are certain laws in place that companies can avail themselves of. I do not know the particular details that the hon. member is dealing with. All I can tell him is that since Xstrata has invested in this country, it has created jobs. It has invested in our country, has invested in mines and has invested in other businesses, which means jobs for Canadians.Why is the hon. member opposed to that?BrazilCorporate income taxFinancial lossForeign investments in CanadaOral questionsTax avoidance by double dippingXstrata NickelJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodMining IndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1425)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister and I have both said, it is important to make changes to the Investment Canada Act. It is important to have greater transparency and more information for Canadians. We agree with the NDP.BrazilCorporate income taxFinancial lossForeign investments in CanadaInvestment Canada ActOral questionsTax avoidance by double dippingXstrata NickelJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthJackLaytonHon.Toronto—Danforth//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/15975TonyClementHon.Tony-ClementParry Sound—MuskokaConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/42/ClementTony_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodMining IndustryInterventionHon. Tony Clement (Minister of Industry, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, we will take the hon. leader's accusations seriously and see whether there is any merit in them.I would mention to the House that the hon. member seems so concerned about Canadian jobs and yet whenever there was an opportunity in the House to vote for things that would help Canadian jobs, that would help employment, that would help investment and that would help the infrastructure of this country, that party voted against them. BrazilCanada Revenue AgencyCorporate income taxFinancial lossForeign investments in CanadaInquiries and public inquiriesOral questionsTax avoidance by double dippingXstrata NickelJackLaytonHon.Toronto—DanforthRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[English]Mr. Speaker, it will come as no surprise to the member or to anyone in the House that I completely reject the premise of the hon. member's question.Business plansCanadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingFalse or misleading statementsGovernment assistanceInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMembers' remarksMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsReferences to membersRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les Îles//www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/35676JohnBairdHon.John-BairdOttawa West—NepeanConservative CaucusOntario//www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Parliamentarians/Images/OfficialMPPhotos/41/BairdJohn_CPC.jpgOral Question PeriodInternational Co-operationInterventionHon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): (1430)[Translation]Mr. Speaker, the minister was clear. She said 10 times in committee and in the House yesterday that it was her decision not to give funding to this organization. It could not be any clearer.Business plansCanadian International Development AgencyCounterfeitingFalse or misleading statementsGovernment accountabilityGovernment assistanceInternational development and aidKAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice InitiativesMembers' remarksMinister of International CooperationOda, BevOral questionsPolitical allegiancePolitical doctrinesPrime MinisterReferences to membersStanding Committee on Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentRaymondeFolcoLaval—Les ÎlesBobRaeHon.Toronto CentreINTERVENTIONParliament and SessionOrder of BusinessDiscussed TopicProcedural TermPerson SpeakingProvince / TerritoryCaucusSearchResults per pageOrder byTarget search languageSide by SideMaximum returned rowsPagePUBLICATION TYPE