OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 NUMBER 120 2nd SESSION 41st PARLIAMENT Wednesday, October 1, 2014 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) COMMONS DEBATES October 1, 2014 DEBATES Edited Hansard * Table of Contents * Number 120 (Official Version) Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 120 (Official Version) Compte rendu officiel * Table des matières * Numéro 120 (Version officielle) 147 120 01 10 2014 2014/10/01 14:05:00 House of Commons Débats de la Chambre des communes House of Commons Debates 41 2

The House met at 2 p.m. Prayers

Statements by Members (1405) [ English ] The Speaker : It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem, today led by the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent. [Members sang the national anthem] STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Statements by Members [ English ] African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Mr. Joe Daniel (Don Valley East, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents of Don Valley East, today I pay tribute to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences next Einstein initiative, funded by our government through the International Development Research Centre.

The goals of AIMS are to promote mathematics and science in Africa, to recruit and train talented students and teachers, and to build capacity for African initiatives in education, research, and technology. Congratulations to AIMS for opening its fifth centre of training, research, and outreach in mathematical sciences in Tanzania this October. This centre joins others in South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, and Cameroon. To date, they have graduated 731 alumni from 41 countries, and 30% were women. AIMS expects to graduate its one-thousandth scholar in 2015.

I invite all my colleagues to enjoy a reception and to hear the incredible story of AIMS in Africa, today at 5 p.m. in the Speaker's salon. I ask colleagues to join me in helping AIMS find the next Einstein in Africa.

National Seniors Day Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, today is National Seniors Day, and New Democrats wish to recognize and appreciate the hard work Canadian seniors have put into building thriving communities, organizations, and workplaces across this country. Sadly, more than 260,000 seniors across the country are living below the poverty line. As more and more Canadians retire, that number will rise. The government must respond, but sadly, the Conservatives have failed to take action.

New Democrats know that something needs to be done, and that is the reason we have released a national seniors strategy on aging. It provides an urgently needed framework to eradicate seniors poverty; strengthen vital public services for seniors, including health care and affordable housing; and allow all Canadians to age with dignity. We urge the government to show support for seniors and adopt my Motion No. 529.

Brighton AppleFest Mr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland—Quinte West, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, the municipality of Brighton celebrated the milestone 40th anniversary of its annual AppleFest. This unique festival, which recognizes Brighton's apple farming heritage, marks the beginning of the fall apple harvest season. This year's AppleFest was the largest and busiest in recent memory, with a record 30,000 attendees over the weekend. Festival goers were able to shop local vendors at the street fair or browse the classics at the car show.

An evening concert showcased Canadian greats Kim Mitchell and April Wine, and kids and parents alike were entertained by renowned wildlife filmmakers Chris and Martin Kratt, of Wild Kratts . Brighton's 40th AppleFest surpassed everyone's expectations and provided an outdoor venue replete with something for everyone. I would like to take a moment to thank those numerous volunteers who were able to make this year's event possible. I also encourage a visit to this apple-growing region any time of the year.

People's Republic of China Mr. Arnold Chan (Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to acknowledge the People's Republic of China's 65th anniversary today. Much progress has been made in moving toward a modern China over this period. Despite this, challenges remain. The Sino-Canadian relationship has long been strong. Whether it was the humanitarian actions of Dr. Norman Bethune, the opening of diplomatic relations in the early 1970s under Prime Minister Trudeau, or the Team Canada missions under Prime Minister Chrétien, Canada has been at the forefront with China.

Today, the world is watching Hong Kong exercise the guarantees that were established under the Basic Law agreement that was signed between the PRC and the United Kingdom in 1984. As noted yesterday by my hon. colleague from Thornhill , we would urge the Chinese government to respect the framework of the Basic Law, which speaks to the concept of one country, two systems. We recognize the PRC's sovereignty over Hong Kong. At the same time, we in the Liberal Party would urge the government of China to act prudently and to allow peaceful democratic protests to occur.

Government of New Brunswick Mr. John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, New Brunswick Liberals were elected to govern my province for the next four years. I am ready to work with them to advance the interests of my district. However, I am deeply concerned about premier-elect Brian Gallant's promise to establish a moratorium on developing our shale gas resources. Instead, Mr. Gallant believes an additional $1 billion worth of projects will create a strong economy. Yet our $12 billion in debt already totals $16,000 for every man, woman, and child.

He has also proposed, we think, the highest tax rate on top income earners in North America. We cannot tax ourselves into prosperity. Decisions have repercussions. If Mr. Gallant does not allow shale gas jobs to be created in New Brunswick, more of our young workers will move to Saskatchewan for opportunity. They will, astoundingly, work in the very same industry the Liberals will not open back home. Yes, my province will continue to receive transfers from Ottawa, but at a very high cost. Our towns will continue to empty out, and New Brunswick will be poorer for it.

(1410) [ Translation ] Brome-Missisquoi Equality Forum Mr. Pierre Jacob (Brome—Missisquoi, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, many women have a hard time balancing work, study and family, and that affects their economic security. I believe that the inequalities many women face hinder their independence. That is why I encourage people to go to the forum Brome-Missisquoi en égalité debates tomorrow, Thursday, at the Georges-Perron community centre in Bedford. There will be a number of presentations on inequality and the importance of community action.

I congratulate the forum organizers and participants because the NDP shares their values. I also invite all members to sign the forum's statement of principles, which is on my Facebook page.

[ English ] Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada Ms. Joyce Bateman (Winnipeg South Centre, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, today marks an historic event for the accounting profession in our country: the integration of the profession into the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. Across our nation, provincial accounting bodies are unified, and when complete, there will be more than 190,000 CPAs in Canada. The unification of the accounting profession will best serve the public by establishing common codes of professional conduct, disciplinary systems, and licence regimes.

It will also enhance the influence, relevance, and contributions of the Canadian accounting profession, both at home and abroad. It will provide a consistent national regulatory framework, which will facilitate labour mobility, the integration of foreign-trained professionals, and effective business across provincial borders. As a proud chartered accountant, I look forward to becoming a chartered professional accountant. Congratulations to the leadership of CPA Canada on this very important milestone.

Hepworth-Shallow Lake Rotary Club Mr. Larry Miller (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC) : I rise in the House today to congratulate the Hepworth-Shallow Lake Rotary Club on their 65th anniversary and to thank them for all the work they have done over the past 65 years. Furthermore, I would like to sincerely congratulate Mr. Ed Ruth on the 50th anniversary of his membership with this club. This is truly an outstanding achievement. In his late 20s, Ed was the victim of an unfortunate accident that resulted in the loss of one arm. He was a hard-working man with a wife and three children to support.

During this difficult time, it was this local rotary club that sought out Ed and offered him any assistance they could give. It was for this reason that Ed joined the rotary club, and he has been an active member ever since. I believe that I speak for all Canadians in congratulating Ed on his outstanding commitment and unwavering support for his community over the past 50 years. Congratulations to both Ed Ruth and the Hepworth-Shallow Lake Rotary Club on these tremendous achievements, and all the best in their future successes.

Seaforth Highlanders Army Cadets Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims (Newton—North Delta, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to rise today to recognize some outstanding young men and women from my riding. The 1867 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Seaforth Highlanders are here in Ottawa this week and on Parliament Hill all day today. There are 28 cadets and four chaperones from Newton-North Delta here in the gallery, and I want to take this opportunity to tell them that they are the reason I love my job. I appreciate their ideas, civic engagement, and energy.

I am in absolute awe of this particular group and its commitment to loyalty, professionalism, mutual respect, and integrity as guiding principles. These teenagers already stand out as community leaders. It is a privilege for me to represent them here in Parliament. I wish I could name them all, but due to time constraints, it is not possible. Therefore, I will profusely thank their group leader, Michael Marek, for his tireless efforts and advocacy on their behalf in arranging this visit. I am completely inspired by all of them.

Women Entrepreneurs Mrs. Susan Truppe (London North Centre, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, October is Women's History Month in Canada. This year's theme, “Canadian Business Women—A Growing Economic Force”, encourages us to look at Canadian entrepreneurs. Women have made vital contributions to business and entrepreneurship throughout our history, and this continues today. RBC Economics reports that in 2011, majority-owned women's businesses contributed an estimated $148 billion to the Canadian economy.

Throughout Women's History Month 2014, I invite all Canadians to discover and honour the accomplishments of women in business. Knowing this proud history can inspire enterprising women and girls across Canada to pursue opportunities in business and help build a stronger economy for all. I am very proud of the women entrepreneurs in London, Ontario.

(1415) Violence against Women Mr. Murray Rankin (Victoria, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have previously spoken in the House about the need to address the pressing issue of violence against women. Today, I am raising the particular issue of violence against immigrant women. Systemic issues of gender inequality mean that immigrant women are frequently forced to relinquish their status in Canada, in order to escape domestically abusive relationships or abusive employers.

These particular victims of violence are often slipping through the cracks of our immigration system because they are ineligible for refugee status or for consideration on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Women in this situation rarely see their abusers brought to justice because they are removed from Canada before their cases can be resolved.

As we prepare to debate the motion brought my colleague from Churchill to establish a coordinated national action plan to address violence against women, I call upon the government to examine the precarious situation of immigrant women who are victims of violence and who often have no recourse due to the loss of their immigration status.

National Security Ms. Roxanne James (Scarborough Centre, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, we are living in a dark and dangerous world. The Islamic State has named Canada as a potential target for its violent terrorist actions. Our Conservative government has taken strong action to keep Canadians safe from radical Islamists who wish to harm us. We have created new measures to strip citizenship from terrorists and to stop radicals from travelling overseas to engage in terrorism.

However, I noted media reports that the Liberal member for Malpeque said that there were no charges under the Combating Terrorism Act and that taking passports away from terrorists was “not enough”. The member is wrong. I only need to point to a recent case in B.C. where an individual was charged for travelling to Syria to join Islamist fighters. What is more, it appears that Liberals speak from both sides of their mouths because that member voted against stripping citizenship from terrorists, a move that four out of five Canadians agree with.

This just shows, once again, that Liberals are in way over their heads with regard to national security.

Bedford Volunteer Firefighters Association Hon. Geoff Regan (Halifax West, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, the Bedford Volunteer Firefighters Association just celebrated 75 years of service. I was very happy to be on hand to mark this milestone. The fire service started out with 25 buckets, two ladders, and an axe hanging on the side of a shed. Although the equipment is much more advanced today, the service still relies upon the brave men and women who are there in an emergency. Volunteer firefighters sacrifice their time and their safety to protect their communities.

They often miss family gatherings, holidays, and certainly sleep, in the process. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the members of the Bedford Volunteer Firefighters Association.

Iran Mr. James Bezan (Selkirk—Interlake, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am again advocating for Iranian prisoner Ms. Reyhaneh Jabbari. Ms. Jabbari continues to be at risk of imminent execution for defending herself and killing her attacker, who was attempting to rape her. She is only 26 years old and was recently transferred from Tehran's Evin prison to be executed and was told to say her good-byes to her family. In April, a court postponed Jabbari's execution in the face of heavy international criticism, including an international petition with nearly 200,000 signatures.

This grim news that the execution will soon be carried out came as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was speaking in New York at the United Nations, trying to put a moderate face on the regime. Instead of increasing its number of executions, Rouhani's government should reform its judicial system to meet international law and respect jurisprudence. I urge the Iranian regime to respect Ms. Jabbari's rights. Her imprisonment and treatment are inhumane and unacceptable. I once again call upon President Rouhani to exercise clemency, stay her execution, and suspend her sentence.

National Defence Mr. Jack Harris (St. John's East, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, despite having few answers about the mission, it is pretty clear Conservatives have made up their minds when it comes to deploying forces to Iraq. New Democrats have a consistent approach. We believe in fighting extremism in ways consistent with Canadian values and focused on saving lives. Meanwhile, Liberals have embraced all sides of every argument on this, on any given day. A couple of weeks ago, the leader of the Liberal Party told The Globe that he did not completely rule out sending jet fighters in the future.

Later, he told the media that any mission must be non-combat. Meanwhile, his foreign affairs critic was saying no to air strikes on Sunday morning, but backing away by sundown. However, as the Liberal leader admitted, on September 17, “I think [the Leader of the Opposition]...from what I hear, has a lot more questions about Canada's involvement.” Canadians can count on New Democrats and the NDP leader to ask the tough questions and demand answers of the government.

(1420) National Seniors Day Mrs. Tilly O'Neill Gordon (Miramichi, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege for me to rise in the House to pay tribute to National Seniors Day. Just today, Canada has been ranked the fourth best country in the world to live in as a senior. Our government accomplished this through the implementation of smart policies that promote greater care for seniors, such as the seniors horizon program and by putting more money back into seniors' pockets through the introduction of pension income splitting, which the leader of the Liberal Party , shamefully, opposes.

These actions are responsible for removing almost 400,000 seniors from the tax rolls completely. I encourage all Canadians to find their own special way to celebrate the seniors in their lives, whether it is a visit, a hug, or even simply a “thank you” for all they have contributed to our lives. Canadians everywhere should take the time to recognize what seniors have done for us. I wish Canada a happy National Seniors Day.

ORAL QUESTIONS Oral Questions [ Translation ] Health Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the United States has diagnosed its first case of Ebola. Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians what precautions are being put in place to prevent the spread of Ebola here in Canada? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, Canada has not had any confirmed cases of Ebola. [ English ] On the contrary, the Public Health Agency has obviously been seized with this for some time. There are no concerned cases.

The Public Health Agency believes that the risk to Canadians remains low. It is more than ready to respond if a case of Ebola does reach Canada. I would point out that both the Public Health Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs have recommended that Canadians avoid all non-essential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

National Defence Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, how many Canadian soldiers are on the ground in Iraq? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition already knows the answer to that question. There are 26 soldiers today. The government has authorized 69 soldiers, as is well known, and that is obviously a maximum. Those numbers will fluctuate depending on decisions of operational commitments. Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, we do in fact know that there are 26 soldiers, but the problem is that we asked the Prime Minister four times, on September 15, September 16, September 23 and September 24, and he gave us a different number. The question that Canadians are asking themselves is this. How is it possible that the Prime Minister got something so simple so wrong? Why is he not able to tell Canadians straight up when we ask the question of how many Canadian soldiers are on the ground in Iraq? He did not give us the right answer then. How do we know it is the right answer today? Right Hon.

Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, once again, the government has authorized up to 69 personnel. People will come and go from the theatre. The decisions on the operational needs within that number will be made by commanders on the ground. [ Translation ] Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, are there any Canadian Forces in Syria right now?

[ English ] Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : No, Mr. Speaker. Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that he has no clue how long this war in Iraq will last. His foreign affairs minister, however, said that the fight against ISIS and groups like it could last a generation. The United States has already been fighting ISIS under one name or another for over a decade. Is the Prime Minister really telling Canadians that he is ready for that kind of open-ended war in Iraq?

(1425) Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, of course, the

preamble to the question is false. In fact, the American military had entirely left the country of Iraq for the past couple of years. The reality is that what has arisen, as we know, in Iraq and Syria is the establishment of a large terrorist caliphate dedicated to the spread of global jihad, and terrorist training and financing around the world. President Obama has rightly judged this as not merely a threat to the region but a threat to all countries, including the United States and Canada. That is why, obviously, we are assisting to deal with it. Mr. Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Lib.) : Mr.

Speaker, the Prime Minister is intent on going to war in Iraq. It is up to him to make that case to Canadians, but he has not even begun, nor has he been open about the 30-day combat role. To start, exactly how many soldiers were deployed in the first week and how many soldiers will there be on Saturday, the last day of this mission for Canada? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the question was there. As we all know, the government, and I think most Canadians, have judged that the situation in that part of the world is very serious.

If it is allowed to continue to fester, it represents a very serious danger to the national security of this country and to Canadians. This government, and Canadians, will work with our partners around the world to make sure that we minimize those threats to Canadians. [ Translation ] Mr. Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister wants Canada to join a war in Iraq, he first needs to make that case to Canadians. He can start by being open and transparent about the 30-day mission that is about to come to an end. Saturday is the last day of the mission.

We may have a debate on the issue next week. What will Canadian soldiers be doing in the meantime? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I think that we have been clear about our government's position, as have other governments around the world. A terrorist caliphate has been established in that region, and it is a threat to the security of our country and the international community. That is why President Obama and the international community have responded. We have been clear on that. It is the Liberal Party's position that is unclear. [ English ] Mr.

Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Lib.) : This is unbelievable, Mr. Speaker. We still do not have clear answers. How does the Prime Minister expect Canadians to support a new mission if he continues his secrecy and evasiveness about the mission in which we are currently engaged? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, Canadians know exactly what steps this government has taken. Canadians are also aware the government is contemplating further steps on which it will soon make a decisions. Canadians do not know the position of the Liberal Party.

However, what Canadians can be sure of is that we do not make decisions based on what happened 10 or 20 years ago. We make decisions based on what we have to do to protect the security of Canadians today and into the future, and that is what we will do. [ Translation ] Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister considering air strikes in Syria? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the government has not made a decision.

Once the government makes such a decision regarding air combat, we will have a debate and a vote in the House of Commons. [ English ] Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told the Wall Street Journal that he had not “ruled anything out”. Will the Prime Minister confirm that this means that he has not ruled out large-scale Canadian ground deployment in Iraq? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : What I said, Mr. Speaker, was that we had not ruled out any requests made of us by our allies.

All of our allies have ruled out large-scale ground deployment in Iraq and Syria, so obviously that is not something we are considering. (1430) [ Translation ] Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, what is the total budget the Prime Minister has planned for Canada's involvement in Iraq? How much is this going to cost? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, any decisions made to date fall within the current National Defence budget. Our top priority when it comes to public safety is keeping Canadians safe.

The government will spend what is needed to keep Canadians safe. [ English ] Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister really telling Canadians that he has no idea at all how much it will cost? Ballpark? Nothing? What kind of budget are we talking about? How much will Canadians pay for the Prime Minister 's war in Iraq? How much will it cost for this war in Iraq? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue to throw around terms like the member just threw around.

This is a counterterrorism military operation undertaken by the United States in close consultation with our NATO allies, with Arab allies and with the international community. This is being done because ISIL represents an extremely serious threat to the globe. It represents a serious threat to this country. That is why we take appropriate actions.

[ Translation ] Foreign Affairs Ms. Hélène Laverdière (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, war is not the only way to combat terrorism. There are many ways Canada could play an important role in Iraq and help save lives now. Just think—if my colleagues care to listen—of the 1.8 million Iraqis who have been displaced and are waiting for aid. Clearly, the members across the aisle have very little respect for them. A month ago, the minister admitted that Canadian humanitarian aid in Iraq was insufficient. What has the minister done since then to increase that aid? [ English ] Hon.

John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, with the human tragedies going on, first and foremost we have to look at what can do to stop this humanitarian crisis from growing. We see journalists being beheaded. We see women being sold into slavery. We see mass atrocities. We see genocide and attempts at ethnic cleansing. Our first and foremost responsibility must be to work with President Obama, to work with President Hollande and to work with the civilized world to stop these barbaric activities from spreading.

[ Translation ] Finance Mr. Guy Caron (Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed that the federal government downloaded all of the financial pressure related to the aging population onto the provinces by unilaterally modifying the health transfer indexing formula, even though the federal government has the means to shoulder its share of the burden in terms of health care for Canadians. Under the circumstances, why are the Conservatives determined to deprive the provinces of $36 billion in health care funding? [ English ] Hon.

Kevin Sorenson (Minister of State (Finance), CPC) : Mr. Speaker, no government in Canadian history has provided more funding to the provinces for health care, and it continues to grow. Unlike the old Liberal government that cut funding, we have increased health care transfers to the provinces and territories by nearly 60% to all-time record levels. Under our government, health care transfers have risen from over $20 billion when we formed government to $32 billion this year. It continues to grow. Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, the federal government should not be balancing the books on the backs of provinces. The Parliamentary Budget Officer's report clearly shows the government's fiscal sustainability has come at cost. Cuts to services and downloading the fiscal burden to provinces are going on. If the federal government had not cut health care transfers by $36 billion, the fiscal gap faced by the provinces and municipalities would be essentially eliminated. How does cutting federal funding improve health care for Canadians?

(1435) Hon. Kevin Sorenson (Minister of State (Finance), CPC) : Mr. Speaker, again, Canadians know they are better off with this Conservative government. No government in Canadian history has provided more funding to the provinces for health care, and it continues to grow. We are committed to a publicly funded, universally accessible health care system. We all use the health care system. We want to see a strong, sustainable health care system that is there for Canadians when they need it.

Health Ms. Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, maybe the minister should read the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report and find out that they are downloading to the provinces. I am glad to see that the government has finally listened to the NDP on drug safety and taken action to ban imports from two Apotex factories. The ban comes after Health Canada received information from the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. However, the Auditor General warned three years ago that Health Canada was slow to react.

Why does Health Canada have to rely on information from the U.S. before it takes action to protect the health and safety of Canadians? Ms. Eve Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our government will not tolerate drug safety risks. As soon as Health Canada was made aware of this information, it acted immediately to quarantine the medication. Additional safety testing took place, and all medication from all three plants will not be entering Canada. It has been fully quarantined. Additionally, Vanessa's law is just making its way through the Senate right now.

This is legislation that the opposition completely dragged its feet on all of last summer, forcing us into late night sittings. That legislation would allow Health Canada to enact hefty fines against pharmaceutical companies. [ Translation ] Mr. Dany Morin (Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the U.S. FDA targeted Apotex in 2009 for unsafe drugs. Here, the government did nothing. It neglected Canadians' health. For months now, the NDP has been asking the minister to take action based on scientific data obtained by the Americans.

The minister finally realized that she had to take action and stop the import of drugs from three Apotex factories. Well done. Stopping imports is good, but a mandatory recall would be better. When will the minister impose a mandatory recall of the Apotex products she singled out yesterday? [ English ] Ms. Eve Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, as I have just indicated to the House, all of the medication from these three plants will be quarantined.

We will work with Apotex to identify if any of these medications are medically necessary and produce additional testing on those medications to ensure that Canadians and their health are protected. Vanessa's law is critical, and we would urge the Senate to pass it with all due haste. Vanessa's law would give Health Canada the powers to levy hefty fines against pharmaceutical companies that put the health of Canadians at risk.

National Defence Ms. Joyce Murray (Vancouver Quadra, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, could the Prime Minister inform the House as to the projected total budget for the current 30-day deployment in Iraq? Since I have just heard that this money is coming out of the current National Defence budget, could the Prime Minister tell us whether he plans to request supplementary funds from Parliament for this mission or future missions, given the substantial budget cuts to the defence ministry? Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of National Defence, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, on the last point, the hon. member is wrong.

The budget for National Defence has gone up this year under this government. With respect to this deployment, it is not over yet, but I know we are doing the right thing helping to protect the people of that area and taking a stand against this terrible terrorist organization. [ Translation ] Mr. Marc Garneau (Westmount—Ville-Marie, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, sometimes the government tells us that our special forces are advising and training the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and sometimes it tells us that they are advising and training the Iraqi security services, including the army and the police forces.

Are we training and advising the Peshmerga forces or the Iraqi security services or both? [ English ] Hon. John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, what we have said is that we are providing support to the people of Iraq and Iraqi forces, particularly those near and around Erbil in the Kurdistan regional government area. The member opposite had the opportunity to join me to meet KRG officials and see first hand the types of challenges they face.

We want to be able to help the people who are trying to combat this terrible terrorist caliphate, so they can defeat it before it comes and wreaks havoc in Canada.

(1440) [ Translation ] Foreign Affairs Mr. Marc Garneau (Westmount—Ville-Marie, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told us in the House that 69 soldiers were going to Iraq. Later, his Minister of Foreign Affairs told us there might be as many as 69. Today we learn there are only 26 soldiers. Did the Prime Minister pull that number out of a hat or was it later decided that there was no need to have 69 soldiers? If so, why did the Prime Minister not inform Parliament? [ English ] Hon. John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, the Prime Minister authorized up to 69 members of the Canadian Forces to provide training and assistance to stop the terrorist activities in Iraq. We said, in fact, a few dozen, and we find a few dozen are there.

[ Translation ] International Trade Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier—Maskinongé, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, we still have no idea what the government's strategy is for compensating the sectors affected by the trade agreement with Europe. Entire sectors of our economy are still waiting for an answer. How will the provinces affected by the higher cost of drugs be compensated? How will cheese producers, and particularly artisanal cheese producers, be compensated? We still do not know. When will we have clear answers for Canadians? [ English ] Hon. Ed Fast (Minister of International Trade, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, as we said many times before, we will work very closely with the provinces and territories to address the issues that the member raises. We are very pleased that this last week we were able to celebrate the conclusion of negotiations and the release of the final text of the treaty. This trade agreement is expected to increase economic activity in Canada by $12 billion. That is the equivalent of 80,000 new Canadian jobs and $1,000 for each Canadian family in additional income every year. This is a very good deal for Canada.

[ Translation ] International Trade Ms. Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier—Maskinongé, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, last June, the House unanimously adopted an NDP motion. The motion seeks to mitigate the negative impact of the trade deal with Europe on the dairy and cheese industries and reaffirm our support for the supply management system. We have not heard anything about this since the vote. This uncertainty is hurting investments, and it has to stop now. When will the government announce the compensation it promised for dairy and cheese producers? [ English ] Hon.

Gerry Ritz (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, like the Minister of International Trade and like agricultural groups across our great country, we are excited about the potential to serve some 500 million new consumers in the European Union. In fact, I will be attending the SIAL food show in Paris coming up toward the end of the break week, and I know there are a number of cheese industry players from Canada there who are excited about being able to export into the European Union. The member is a bit premature on her ask if there is going to be any hurt.

I have had discussions ongoing with the dairy industry across Canada as to how best to address these new opportunities. Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, we now hear that the Europeans may not include investor state provisions in their trade agreement with the United States. The question, then, is why are Conservatives so adamant that it be in the deal for Canada, especially when it means that the U.S. would get a better deal and Germany may never ratify CETA? Hon. Ed Fast (Minister of International Trade, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, obviously the member has not been following events.

At the meeting of the EU trade committee just a couple of days ago, the new incoming trade commissioner for the EU said that she did not intend to reopen negotiations on this agreement. In fact, she said this trade agreement was good for the EU and that it addresses the EU's concerns over transparency and the right of member states to regulate in the public interest. I would also remind the member that President Barroso of the EU also said this was an excellent deal for the EU. They have no intention of reopening these negotiations. Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, that does not say anything about whether Germany will ratify the deal. What Canadians want is an explanation of why taxpayers' dollars were blown to treat European bureaucrats like royalty. We know that the last-minute decision to fly the EU delegation back to Europe cost over $300,000, but what about the security costs incurred by the RCMP when they were told to deliver them to a cocktail party in Toronto? How much in total did this poorly planned photo op cost Canadian taxpayers? Hon. Ed Fast (Minister of International Trade, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, this is the most comprehensive trade agreement Canada has ever signed. Now that the legal text is completed and has been released to the public, we want Canadian businesses to take advantage of this agreement now. This is an important agreement that opens up brand new opportunities for Canadian exporters and investors, and we were very pleased to have Presidents Barroso and Van Rompuy join hundreds of stakeholders from every sector of our economy to promote the benefits of this agreement.

(1445) Canadian Heritage Mr. Ryan Leef (Yukon, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, last month, the Prime Minister announced one of the greatest discoveries in Canadian history: the discovery of one of the ships belonging to the ill-fated Franklin expedition. This was truly a historic moment for Canada. Franklin's ships are an important part of Canadian history, given that his expeditions, which took place nearly 200 years ago, laid the foundations for Canada's Arctic sovereignty. Could the Prime Minister please update the House on this remarkable find? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, I want to thank the member for his question and also recognize his keen interest as a northerner in this particular issue, which is of interest to Canadians across the country and people around the world. I am delighted to confirm that we have identified which ship from the Franklin expedition has been found. It is in fact the HMS Erebus . [ Translation ] I would like to say it again: we have identified which ship from the Franklin Expedition was found last month. It is in fact the HMS Erebus .

The Environment Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Natural Resources quietly tabled a report on the impact climate change is having on our forests. The report shows that climate change is completely disrupting boreal forest ecosystems and that the forestry economy has already been adversely affected by climate change. What is the government doing to protect our boreal forests and mitigate the effects of climate change for forestry workers? [ English ] Mrs. Kelly Block (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, our government has invested significantly more into clean energy than the previous Liberal government, and the results are showing. We are proud of the fact that Canada relies on non-emitting sources for more than three-quarters of our electricity mix. In fact, the International Energy Agency rated Canada second in energy efficiency improvements between 1990 and 2010. Our government will continue to invest in Canadian companies that are developing innovative and sustainable technology, and the opposition should be ashamed for not supporting these initiatives. Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, there must be something wrong with the translation there, because the question was on the forestry sector and a report that the minister himself tabled, which showed that the government is not only failing on climate change but that it is also failing the forestry sector. The minister's report says that climate change threatens the industry, which is responsible for over 500,000 Canadian jobs, yet Canada's single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the oil and gas sector, is still unregulated by the federal government despite years of consultation and promises.

Why is the government putting its oil industry friends ahead of over half a million forestry workers? Mrs. Kelly Block (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question on such an important economic driver of rural communities all across Canada. Our government understands how important forestry is for job creation and economic growth. I am proud that economic action plan 2014 builds on our government's success on this file by focusing on innovation and on protecting it from threats such as forest pests.

We are focusing on diversifying our markets.

Privacy Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, first CSIS spies on law-abiding Canadians, then it shares that intelligence with the oil industry. When CSIS actions were challenged, SIRC appointed its former pipeline company board member to investigate whether CSIS crossed the legal line in spying on anti-pipeline groups. Now lawyers from CSIS are attempting to limit the scope of the investigation by SIRC. Could the minister tell us why CSIS is doing this? Does he endorse the idea of scaling back an already compromised investigation? Hon.

Steven Blaney (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, it is important for our agency to protect all Canadians, and I have full trust that it will do its job in a diligent way, while respecting Canadian laws. [ Translation ] Ms. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (Alfred-Pellan, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, has no reason to spy on environmental groups. Just because a group is fighting to protect the environment does not mean that it is a threat to national security.

The government promised to investigate CSIS's wrongdoing, but we have learned that the organization's lawyer is trying to limit the scope of the investigation. He apparently wants to rewrite the complaint filed by the victims. Why is the government trying to hide the reasons why it is spying on its own citizens?

(1450) Hon. Steven Blaney (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, agencies in our country keep Canadians safe while respecting Canadian laws. They have my full confidence. These groups, which even include former members of the NDP, will continue to do their job and protect Canadians.

[ English ] The Economy Hon. Scott Brison (Kings—Hants, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, today's media reports that the finance minister's comment that economic growth alone will reduce the debt as a percentage of the GDP is considered a statement of fact by economists and is similar to one made earlier this year by the Liberal leader. Do the Conservatives believe now that the Minister of Finance was wrong when he said that a growing economy will cut debt, or do they now, as most economists do, accept it as a statement of fact? Hon. Kevin Sorenson (Minister of State (Finance), CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, spending billions of dollars that one does not have does not balance budgets. Canadians, and this side of the House, know that it only creates large, unsustainable deficits. On the other hand, with balanced budgets, the debt-to-GDP ratio will fall as GDP rises. That is just a mathematical fact. Therefore, allow me to confirm for the Liberal leader what every Canadian knows: budgets do not balance themselves.

Taxation Hon. Scott Brison (Kings—Hants, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, even the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is now attacking the Conservatives' new income splitting scheme. It said it was: ...written on the back of an envelope...[and] denounced by every credible economic think tank, representing every shade of the political spectrum. The federation is right. Everyone from the C.D. Howe Institute to the late Jim Flaherty to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said it is bad policy. Will the Conservatives listen to the experts and drop their regressive new income splitting scheme? Hon.

Kevin Sorenson (Minister of State (Finance), CPC) : Mr. Speaker, as our Prime Minister has said, income splitting was a good policy for Canadian seniors and it will be good policy for Canadian families. The Liberal leader should explain why he has pledged to reverse income splitting. Seniors across the country are saving thousands of dollars each year thanks to pension income splitting. This type of Liberal Party arrogance toward middle-class families and seniors is becoming all too familiar.

[ Translation ] Health Mr. Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that the provinces cannot shoulder the burden of the many challenges posed by our ageing population all by themselves. Dementia-related diseases cost the Canadian economy $33 billion. The federal government must do its part. Will the minister respond to the concerns of Canadians and the provinces who are meeting in Banff, and also support my national dementia strategy that Canadians are calling for? [ English ] Ms. Eve Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, as of late last year, there is a national plan to tackle the growing dementia onset and related illnesses. We are working with our international partners on this very important and emerging issue. Since 2006, research investments in dementia have increased by over 67%, and we are working with these G7 counterparts to support additional research and to find a cure by 2025.

Seniors Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, today is National Seniors' Day, yet despite the fact that the number of seniors in Canada will double by 2036, there is no seniors strategy from the government. A growing consensus of groups, including the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, CARP, the National Pensioners Federation, the Congress of Union Retirees, and the Wait Time Alliance, are calling for a national aging strategy. Seniors are waiting. When will the Conservatives finally listen and put in place an aging strategy? Hon.

Alice Wong (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our strategy is to continue to work hard for seniors across Canada. We will continue with our record support of seniors through initiatives such as increasing funding to community-based projects for seniors, which both the NDP and the Liberals voted against. Our low-tax plan has helped to remove nearly 400,000 seniors from the tax rolls completely, which again both the Liberals and the NDP opposed. A policy the Liberal leader has promised to repeal, pension splitting for seniors, is keeping hard-earned money in their pockets where it belongs.

(1455) Manufacturing Industry Mr. Terence Young (Oakville, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, manufacturing is a high-tech, high-skilled economic engine in Canada and a significant employer for many Canadians, including those in my riding of Oakville. Our government is supporting the manufacturing sector by keeping taxes low, reducing red tape, and promoting trade abroad and skills training at home. Just over a year ago, our government made a strategic investment in the Oakville assembly plant that has helped transform it into one of Ford's most innovative facilities.

Can the minister explain how our government is focused on encouraging investment, strengthening Canada's economy, and creating high-quality jobs for Canadians? Hon. James Moore (Minister of Industry, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, today there is very good news out of Oakville: about 1,000 net new jobs have been created, above the commitment. It is certainly very good news for Oakville, but it is better news beyond that. It affirms what KPMG said when it said that Canada has the most tax-competitive economy in the world.

It affirms what our government has been doing with our auto innovation fund in investing in the auto sector with repayable loans that are coming back to taxpayers, and it affirms what our government is doing by signing free trade agreements around the world, which means that these vehicles that are being made in Oakville, Essex, and everywhere else can be freely traded around the world, creating jobs at home through world sales.

Health Hon. Judy Sgro (York West, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, as we have heard, is the International Day of Older Persons, a day set aside when we should be celebrating for our seniors. However, as we celebrate our parents and our grandparents, we must take time to give back to them. Dementia, as my colleagues have indicated, robs people of their memories and their independence, and it hurts those we love the most. Worse yet, it is a problem of aging that is attacking many people.

I would like to hear from the minister, since there is a provincial meeting happening right now, what the plans are for caregivers and families. Is there any way that the government will come back and surprise us with a dementia strategy made in Canada, not in the G8? Ms. Eve Adams (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, in fact, we recently hosted experts from around the world to focus on improving the lives of patients.

We have $31.5 million to create and support the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, and our investment since 2006 amounts to over $850 million for neuroscience research. We also provide the caregiver tax credit. All Canadians are very much concerned about our aging parents.

[ Translation ] Rail Transportation Mr. Yvon Godin (Acadie—Bathurst, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, all of New Brunswick is up in arms because of VIA Rail's latest plan to transfer the responsibility for stations on the Montreal-Halifax line to municipalities—as if small municipalities were in a better financial position to look after train stations than VIA Rail and the federal government. Come on. That is just insulting.

Will the minister make VIA Rail listen to reason and tell it that there is no way that the company can off-load its problems to New Brunswick municipalities and that it must accept its responsibilities? [ English ] Mr. Jeff Watson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, obviously VIA Rail's primary objective is to provide a safe and efficient passenger rail service. In keeping with this objective, VIA is responsible for providing service in as cost-effective a manner as possible.

For our part, our government supports a passenger rail network that meets the needs of today's travellers while supporting the efficient use of taxpayer dollars. The minister has met in the past with l'Association francophone des municipalités du Nouveau-Brunswick and the Union of Quebec Municipalities to discuss VIA Rail in this region, and the minister is happy to meet and discuss the Ocean line further with this organization as well.

Seniors Ms. Joyce Bateman (Winnipeg South Centre, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, today is National Seniors Day, and I would like to thank all of the seniors across this great country of Canada who have helped build, and continue to contribute to, this great country. Just today, Canada has been ranked fourth-best country in the world to live in as a senior. That is up from fifth place last year. Could the Minister of State for Seniors please explain to the House how our government accomplished this? Hon. Alice Wong (Minister of State (Seniors), CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, our government accomplished this by making record commitments to seniors across Canada through cutting taxes, introducing policies like pension income splitting, increasing the GIS, and more, all of which are found in my new “Government of Canada: Action for Seniors” report, available on my website. Even though the Liberals and NDP continue to oppose these initiatives, our government knows what matters most to seniors, and we will continue to stand up for them in the House.

(1500) Fisheries and Oceans Mr. Ryan Cleary (St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, a moratorium is looming on northern shrimp on the Grand Banks. The big worry is how the quota cuts will be handed down. If DFO follows its outdated last-in, first-out policy that favours big business offshore licence holders, many of which have foreign ownership, rural Newfoundland and Labrador, our plants, and our fishermen will be pounded again this year. Will the minister agree to a fair process and stand by the principle of adjacency, whereby those closest to the resource benefit from the resource? Hon.

Gail Shea (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the decision to prohibit directed fishing of shrimp in 3L was not surprising. Several other groundfish stocks will be seeing an increase in total allowable catch, such as redfish, Greenland halibut, and witch flounder. We know that effective fisheries management must rely on scientific advice. I hope that the member is not suggesting that we ignore science, and fish stocks collapse.

Aboriginal Affairs Mr. Dean Del Mastro (Peterborough, Cons. Ind.) : Mr. Speaker, the government has placed a priority on providing safe drinking water on first nations reservations and has made significant progress in this regard over the last several years dealing with the most urgent cases. Curve Lake First Nation in my riding is, however, facing challenges, as its water treatment system is stretched well beyond its capacity and useful life. Maintenance of the system is actually causing financial hardship.

The due diligence for a replacement system has been completed, and the application for funding is with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Can the minister comment on the status of the application, or if not, would he review the file and respond in writing to my office and Curve Lake First Nation by providing an update on the status of the application? Hon. Bernard Valcourt (Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, CPC) : Indeed, Mr. Speaker, we have made significant progress in recent years because of the investments of this government.

As to that particular application, the member will understand that without prior notice, I cannot comment on the status, but I will surely look into the matter and advise him as I can.

Presence in Gallery The Speaker : I would like to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of Her Excellency Mireya Aguero de Corrales, Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Honduras. Some hon. members: Hear, hear! The Speaker: I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of a delegation of partners and team members from Parks Canada who are from the Franklin search expedition team. Some hon. members: Hear, hear!

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Routine Proceedings [ English ] Veterans Affairs Hon. Julian Fantino (Minister of Veterans Affairs, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, two copies of the government's official response to the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs report titled “The New Veterans Charter Moving Forward”. We will indeed move forward immediately with several initiatives as we continue to improve veterans benefits and services while consultations are undertaken with the Veterans Ombudsman and veterans stakeholders on the more complex proposals.

Foreign Affairs Hon. Deepak Obhrai (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled “Agreement Between Canada and the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the Promotion and Protection of Investments”, done at Abuja, on May 6, 2014; and “Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Serbia for the Promotion and Protection of Investments”, done at Belgrade on September 1, 2014. An explanatory memorandum is included with each treaty.

(1505) Interparliamentary Delegations Ms. Irene Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, today I have three reports from the interparliamentary delegation.

Pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the “Report of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation respecting its participation at Meetings of the Bureau of the IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs”, held in New York City on May 19, 2014; “Report of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation respecting its participation at the Meeting of the Sub-Committee on Finance and the 269th (extraordinary) Session of the IPU Executive Committee”, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 29 to July 1, 2014; and “Report of the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation respecting its participation at the Parliamentary Meeting of the 20th International AIDS Conference”, held in Melbourne, Australia, from July 19 to 24, 2014.

Mr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC) : 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 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association respecting two different visits. The first was a bilateral visit to Jamaica, the Republic of Trinidad, and Barbados in April, 2013; and the second was a bilateral visit to Washington, D.C., September 13 to 15, 2013.

Fisheries Act Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP) Bill C-629. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-629,

An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (invasive carp) . He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduced

an act today to amend the Fisheries Act to deal with invasive carp. Currently, more than 20 federal and provincial policies and regulations are used to keep Asian carp out of the country, but they vary from province to province, and fines are often subjective and issued by judges. Why would we need to do this? It is because we need to provide protection for our ecosystem, protection for our fishing industry, and protection for our sport fishing industry. Asian carp are intrusive and eat the types of materials that other fish do, which ends up starving our fish population.

They are very dangerous, as we have seen in the Mississippi River. The bill would change the system and would be a pan-Canadian strategy. First, it would make it illegal to import live, invasive carp of all types and would require that any dead carp be eviscerated or technically gutted. Second, it would allow the Canadian Border Service Agency to seize and send carp back to their country of origin immediately. This is important for our men and women on the front lines in Canada so that they are able to defend us with this actual protection. Last, it would increase fines.

They would be $15,000 for individuals and $75,000 for companies guilty of smuggling in Asian carp on the first offence. The fines could rise to as much as $1 million and $4 million respectively for repeat offences. It is vital that we start protecting our Great Lakes and other Canadian waterways from these invasive species. This bill is a step in that direction. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[ Translation ] Support for Volunteer Firefighters Act Ms. Christine Moore (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, NDP) Bill C-630. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-630,

An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Employment Insurance Act (volunteer firefighters) . She said: Mr. Speaker, after my bill for volunteer firefighters, Bill C-534, was rejected, a number of volunteer fire departments wrote to tell me how disappointed they were that Conservative and Liberal members had chosen to defeat the bill. That is why I decided to introduce the bill once again. It contains the same legislative provisions as the previous version and will enable volunteer firefighters to be absent from their work to respond to emergency calls.

This will help small municipalities recruit and have access to volunteer firefighters. The bill also includes provisions regarding the Employment Insurance Act, to ensure that volunteer firefighters who are receiving EI benefits do not get caught in an administrative holdup if they participate in training or respond to an emergency call in that capacity. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.) (1510) [ English ] Mr. Joe Preston : Mr. Speaker, I will give it another try.

If the House gives its consent, I move that the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to this House yesterday be concurred in. The Speaker : Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: No.

Petitions Impaired Driving Mr. Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present petitions on behalf of constituents from my riding of Red Deer and from across western Canada. First, there are numerous petitioners who have requested that Parliament make changes to the current drinking and driving laws.

Falun Gong Mr. Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I also have a petition requesting Parliament to end the persecution of Falun Gong.

Agriculture Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to table petitions signed by over 500 Canadians from Edmonton, Stony Plain, Busby, Red Deer, Two Hills, Sherwood Park, Smoky Lake, Mayerthorpe, Barrhead, Tofield, and Redwater in Alberta; and Saint John, New Brunswick. The petitioners call upon the government not to pass Bill C-18 , which restricts farmers' rights to save, reuse, and sell seeds, and to instead enshrine those rights.

Canada Post Ms. Judy Foote (Random—Burin—St. George's, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today on behalf of the residents of the community of McCallum, which is an isolated community in the riding of Random—Burin—St. George's. The petitioners call on the government to change its mind with respect to the closure of Canada Post offices. They are also saying that the reduction in hours makes it very difficult for them to receive mail. In a lot of cases in rural communities, the post office is the only federal presence that exists, and it is very much part of the social fabric and economy of the community.

The petitioners are asking the government to go after Canada Post and to try to work with it to impress on the corporation not to follow through with its plans to close and reduce the number of hours of operation.

Agriculture Hon. Laurie Hawn (Edmonton Centre, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition that the people of Canada recognize the inherent rights of farmers. The petitioners call upon Parliament to refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act or the Plant Breeders' Rights Act in Bill C-18 . They call upon Parliament to enshrine the inalienable rights of farmers to save, reuse, selectively exchange, and sell seeds.

Dementia Mr. Malcolm Allen (Welland, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today on behalf of members of my riding and surrounding areas. The petitioners call on the government to support the bill from my good friend and colleague from Nickel Belt on a national dementia strategy. All members of this House are well aware of family members or friends who have been affected by dementia. Indeed, this country needs a national strategy on dementia, because this problem is only going to be exacerbated and get worse as the aging population gets larger.

Canada Post Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by numerous residents from cities like Dieppe and all over southeastern New Brunswick. They are very concerned about the government's cuts to Canada Post, which have affected service to people in smaller, rural communities. Thousands of employees have been laid off, as members know. Millions of households will go without door-to-door mail service. This is a concern for seniors and persons with disabilities. All over New Brunswick, people are worried about these cuts.

The petitioners call on the government to reverse the cuts and work with Canada Post to restore the service and save these jobs.

Firearms Mr. LaVar Payne (Medicine Hat, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today. The first petition is from citizens across southern Alberta who ask that they be free to use firearms for recreational use. The petitioners ask that the Government of Canada fix the legislation so that unelected bureaucrats can no longer control weapons classification.

Species at Risk Mr. LaVar Payne (Medicine Hat, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is again from citizens from across southern Alberta. The petitioners ask that the House of Commons rescind the Species at Risk Act.

Emergency Protection Order Mr. LaVar Payne (Medicine Hat, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the third petition is also from southern Alberta. The petitioners ask that the strategy on the greater sage grouse in Canada be rescinded.

Nuclear Waste Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. The first petition is signed by over 100 people who are supporting Motion No. 515 regarding the Ontario Power Generation's proposed deep geographical repository storage of nuclear waste in Kincardine. The petitioners are asking that the motion be respected and that this process be halted at this point in time to ensure that nuclear waste is stored safely.

(1515) Abortion Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on the protection of human life from the time of conception and fertilization. The 25 petitioners are calling for a review, because it has been 40 years since the right has been debated in Parliament. They are calling for the protection of the lives of unborn children.

Health Care Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, today, I table a petition signed by many residents of Winnipeg North. The petitioners call on the government to commit to developing a new health care accord, which would replace the 2004 accord. It is interesting how much the government tries to take credit for the record amount of financing going toward health care today. That is because of former prime minister Paul Martin and the long-term investment he made to health care. The residents of Winnipeg North ask, once again, that the Government of Canada make a long-term commitment to the ongoing financing of health care in Canada.

Sakinaw Salmon Mr. John Weston (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to present a petition on behalf of grade 7 students from Pender Harbour Elementary/Secondary School in the riding I represent. They are concerned about salmon, particularly the Sakinaw salmon, and the efforts that Canadians can make to ensure this salmon survives into future generations. The Speaker : There are still several members rising and we are quickly running out of time for petitions, so I will ask members to be very brief so we can accommodate everybody.

Immigration Ms. Peggy Nash (Parkdale—High Park, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition on behalf of several Canadians. Some are from my riding, but some are from other provinces, such as Quebec and even Newfoundland. These people are petitioning the House of Commons to issue a temporary residency permit for the Pusuma family, which is in sanctuary with their 5-year-old daughter. The family has been called to testify before the Law Society of Upper Canada, which has found that its lawyer may be guilty of professional misconduct.

There is evidence that never was introduced in his case which could allow the family to stay in Canada. They are pleading for a temporary resident permit.

[ Translation ] Canada Post Mr. Mathieu Ravignat (Pontiac, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to rise in the House to present a petition signed by about 100 Canadians who oppose the Canada Post cuts and who recognize, as my constituents do, that eliminating home mail delivery is detrimental to seniors and people with disabilities. I am therefore pleased to present this petition.

[ English ] Bison Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions that I will present quickly. The first is on a national bison day. The petitioners note that the bison is the largest mammal in North America. It has religious significance to first nations and it has agricultural significance. The petitioners therefore call on Parliament to name August 9, 2015, as the first national bison day.

Justice Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on prostitution. The petitioners request that the House of Commons makes it a criminal offence to purchase sex from a man, woman or child, and a criminal offence for pimps, madams or others to profit from the proceeds of sex.

Navigable Waters Protection Act Mr. Matthew Kellway (Beaches—East York, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition to protect the Don River. The signatories note that the changes to the Navigable Waters Protection Act leave only 62 rivers and 97 lakes under protection. Therefore, they call upon the Government of Canada to restore protection to the Don River and restore the environmental assessment process for previously protected bodies of water.

[ Translation ] Dementia Ms. Nycole Turmel (Hull—Aylmer, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have the honour as well of presenting a petition from a number of people from Pembroke, Petawawa, Gatineau and Hull—Aylmer concerning the implementation of a national strategy on dementia and health care for persons afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. This petition calls on the House to pass Bill C-356 . Many of us have acquaintances, family members or friends who have Alzheimer's or dementia, and it is very important to have a national strategy to protect people suffering from these diseases.

[ English ] Cosmetics Industry Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions. The first petition is from residents of London, Ontario, and Banff, Alberta. The petitioners call for a ban on the use of animal testing for cosmetics.

(1520) The Environment Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from residents from throughout British Columbia. The petitioners call on the government to reject the so-called northern gateway project proposal for supertankers and pipelines across northern B.C.

Agriculture Mr. Patrick Brown (Barrie, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from close to 1,000 constituents about Bill C-18 . The petitioners encourage the House to refrain from making changes to the bill.

Aboriginal Affairs Mr. Patrick Brown (Barrie, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition from 100 constituents about missing aboriginal women and girls across Canada.

[ Translation ] Canada Post Ms. Hélène LeBlanc (LaSalle—Émard, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition signed by several residents of LaSalle—Émard about the cuts at Canada Post, specifically with regard to the alleged end of home mail delivery. People are very concerned, and this will have a negative effect on many residents of Montreal's densely populated core neighbourhoods. People are also concerned about job losses and privatization. The people who signed the petition are asking the government to consider alternatives.

[ English ] Agriculture Mr. Andrew Cash (Davenport, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the people of Davenport from streets like Via Italia, Dufferin and Lansdowne. The petitioners call on Parliament to enshrine in legislation the inalienable rights of farmers and other Canadians to save, reuse, select, exchange and sell seeds. They also call on Parliament not to make changes to the Seeds Act or to the Plant-Breeders' Rights Act through Bill C-18 .

[ Translation ] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Mr. Pierre Jacob (Brome—Missisquoi, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, like my colleague from Pontiac , I hear from people in my riding all the time about the Conservative government's cuts to the CBC. Every day, I get petitions signed by people opposed to the cuts. Today I am presenting one such petition signed by 60 residents of Brome—Missisquoi. They are asking the government to ensure stable, adequate funding for our public broadcaster and to stop the cuts.

People across the country are asking for this, and I encourage the government to grant their request. [ English ] The Speaker : If we are going to get everybody in, we are going to have to redouble our efforts to be brief. The hon. member for York South—Weston.

Dementia Mr. Mike Sullivan (York South—Weston, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first petition calls on the government to implement a national strategy for dementia and the health care of persons afflicted with Alzheimer's or other dementia-related diseases.

Canada Post Mr. Mike Sullivan (York South—Weston, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the other petition calls on the government to order Canada Post to restore home delivery.

Dementia Mr. Robert Chisholm (Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from several Nova Scotians who support the MP for Nickel Belt 's national strategy for dementia, contained in Bill C-356 . It is a national scourge that needs a comprehensive strategy to address it. I am proud to present the petition in support of this action.

[ Translation ] Canada Post Ms. Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Beauharnois—Salaberry, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by over 2,600 people who oppose the elimination of services at Canada Post, given the number of jobs that will be lost and because this is an essential public service that seems to be heading towards privatization. Many people, including CUPW members, postal workers and ordinary Canadians, have joined forces to act on this. I am very pleased to be able to present this petition in the House today, because many jobs are at stake and many community organizations, small business owners and citizens will lose services.

[ English ] Dementia Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House with respect to petitions from St. Charles, Chelmsford, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury. The petitions are with respect to Bill C-356,

An Act respecting a National Strategy for Dementia , which was introduced by my colleague from Nickel Belt . The recommendations in here are quite impressive. Having a sister who was diagnosed just 10 years ago, at the age of 50, with Alzheimer's, the bill is quite important.

Gasoline Prices Mr. Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition from various communities in my riding, from Blezard Valley, Hanmer, Val Caron, Val Therese and Capreol. The petitioners ask the minister to present legislation on behalf of the Government of Canada to protect consumers from price gouging by gasoline retailers. In my riding of Nickel Belt, prices vary by as much as 10¢ per litre, and that is price gouging.

Agriculture Mr. Craig Scott (Toronto—Danforth, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition from over 500 members of my riding of Toronto—Danforth, calling on Parliament to refrain from making any changes to the Seeds Act through Bill C-18 . I will leave it at that, even though I have many other petitions. (1525) [ Translation ] Ms. Christine Moore : Mr. Speaker, I wish to apologize because when I introduced my bill on volunteer firefighters, I referred to the previous version of my bill and inadvertently said “Bill C-534”, when I should have said Bill C-504 . I ask that the Journals be corrected.

[ English ] Questions on the Order Paper Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. The Speaker: Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

Motions for Papers Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand. The Speaker: Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

Government Orders Government Orders [ English ] Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act Bill C-13—Time Allocation Motion Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) moved: Motion That in relation to Bill C-13,

An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act , not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the consideration of the report stage and one sitting day shall be allotted to consideration of the third reading stage of the said bill; and That, fifteen minutes before the expiry of the time provided for government orders on the day allotted to the consideration of the report stage and on the day allotted to the third reading stage of the said bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the stage of the bill then under consideration shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment.

The Speaker : There will now be a 30-minute question period. I will ask members to keep their questions or comments to around about a minute and responses to a similar length. The hon. member for Gatineau. Ms. Françoise Boivin (Gatineau, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, shame on the government and on the Minister of Justice , who seems to forget he is also the Attorney General of Canada, for the 78th motion for time allocation. [ Translation ] It is absolutely incredible. Bill C-13 , which is before us right now, is not just any bill. The same thing happened with the prostitution bill last week.

We had roughly half a day of debate on Bill C-36 . Third reading of that bill is planned for Friday. The same thing will happen with Bill C-13, but that comes as no surprise. [ English ] My request to split the bill was rejected. My request at committee to wait for the decision from the Supreme Court of Canada, which was rendered a day after we finished the clause-by-clause, to suspend so we could read it was denied.

We have time allocation at second reading, time allocation at report stage and at third reading. [ Translation ] Manon Cornellier wrote an extraordinary piece on this a year ago, saying that time allocation was becoming the norm in the House of Commons: “There was a time when limiting debate was the exception and invariably caused outrage [including that of the Conservatives]”. Last week, Michael Spratt, of iPolitics , wrote: [ English ] The Conservatives proposed a controversial law that would expand the state’s Internet surveillance powers.

The bill was attacked by experts...as unconstitutional....The Conservatives have the gall to claim that the decision confirms what they’d been saying all along — that the new law is justified. Black is white, love is hate, peace is war— The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : Order, please. Could the hon. member could put the question. She has had almost two minutes now. Ms. Françoise Boivin : I am right there, Mr. Speaker, but considering the time we are having on Bill C-13 , could you give me a tiny leeway? Mr.

Spratt goes on to say: In short, the government is doing its best to obscure the fact that our highest court has articulated the constitutional limits of invasive police investigative techniques... If the minister cannot change reality, is rushing it and blurring it the next best thing?

(1530) Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, contrary to what was stated by my friend, there has been significant debate. There has been opportunity both inside and outside the House to look at this significant issue. However, let us not lose sight of what the bill is about. The bill is about protecting people. It is in response to a very real need. Cyber-intimidation, cyberbullying, cybercrime is a very serious issue in this country today and we have seen instances where it literally cost young people their lives.

Therefore, when we are talking about the provisions to improve the Criminal Code, to improve the ability to investigate online crime, we are talking about in some cases modernizing sections of the Criminal Code that were in place pre-Internet. Issues of intimidation and harassment are by necessity being updated in the legislation. It is of the essence that we do this in a timely fashion and that we do this in a way that is respectful of the courts, which it is.

With technology continuing to move at breakneck speed, I would suggest that languishing and repeating the same lines over and over about splitting the bill and that we should always go to the courts first, that is not the role of the democratically elected body of the House. It is certainly not the view shared by the government that we do everything only at the behest and at the request of the Supreme Court. Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, Lib.) : Mr.

Speaker, we share the minister's view and the government's view and I think the view of all Canadians that cyberbullying and cyber-intimidation is a horrible crime. We have seen in the minister's own province the tragic results that it can inflict on families. There are other examples, unfortunately, in other parts of the country.

All of us recognize the need to modernize the Criminal Code to give law enforcement authorities the appropriate balanced tools to ensure that people who participate in this kind of heinous crime are prosecuted to the full extent of the law and that the law is modernized, as he said, to recognize that this kind of offence is something that we all abhor.

We also share the concern of many Canadians around privacy rights, around the importance of protecting private information, about not allowing police authorities or other governmental agencies to have access to private information, to Internet information, of Canadians who are law-abiding persons. I know in a previous version of the bill there was some concern around warrantless searches where authorities may perhaps have been allowed to go beyond what had been a traditional standard required of police authorities.

I am wondering if the minister could reassure us that warrantless searches and the appropriate balance between the privacy rights of Canadians is respected while at the same time allowing the full prosecution of these horrible offences to take place. Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr. Speaker, that is in fact the very crux of the issue, striking that balance between protection of online activity while at the same time giving police modern powers with judicial oversight. There were certainly criticisms and legitimate concerns raised in the past and with respect to the bill about unlawful access online to information.

The bill requires judicial oversight. The bill does not create new powers for police that go beyond the Criminal Code. It does not allow for any new online investigation without judicial oversight. It is important that people understand that if the police want to use the powers contained in Bill C-13 , they by necessity have to get a warrant from a judge, so the judicial oversight provisions are here. They are alive and present in the bill.

They are also respectful and responding to recommendations that came from a very intense consultation with provinces and territories, not to mention what we heard at committee and not to mention what we have heard from experts such as the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime who said: This legislation, if passed, will help to provide tools necessary to assist in reducing cyberbullying and in providing victims with much-needed supports. It will empower the police to protect people online.

(1535) Mr. Bob Dechert (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the minister had an opportunity to hear the words of Mr. Glen Canning, the father of Rehtaeh Parsons, when he testified before the House of Commons justice committee in May this year. He said: I do believe, if properly enforced... Bill C-13 would have made a difference to Rehtaeh. I will never know if the police had the power and ability to stop that photo from spreading. If they had, it's quite possible l'd be looking at my daughter's picture in a yearbook instead of a newspaper article.

He went on to say: I respect privacy as much as any Canadian does; however, I believe Bill C-13 is not about an invasion of privacy. It's about allowing police officers to effectively address the many challenges of instant mass communication and abuse. Technology has changed our lives dramatically, and we need to provide new tools so police officers can hold accountable those who use this technology to hurt and torment others. I wonder if the minister could tell us how he interprets Mr. Canning's comments in respect to the need to pass the bill quickly. Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr.

Speaker, I recall well the words of Mr. Canning, Rehtaeh Parsons' father, as well as her mother and other witnesses, family members, who have suffered the pain, the indignity, humiliation and ultimately the untimely loss of life as a result of persistent and pernicious online bullying. The non-consensual distribution of intimate images can literally take lives. I cannot emphasize enough, as my friend has said and Mr.

Canning and others have said, the urgency with regard to moving the legislation forward, putting in place those necessary protections found in the Criminal Code and giving the police the power to intervene and pre-empt and prevent the type of activity that led to the death of Rehtaeh Parsons, Amanda Todd and others. That early intervention is what allows a parent to have the natural joy they should expect in seeing their children grow up, graduate and go on to lead healthy and productive lives. That is what is at stake.

An alarmist attitude has been expressed by some, including some of the so-called experts, that this is going to allow police to snoop online. The police are more interested in catching child pornographers, terrorists and those who are preying on the elderly with online fraud schemes. These are the types of activities we are out to enable police to intervene on, investigate and ultimately prevent. [ Translation ] Ms. Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne—Blainville, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that we are talking about the urgency of adopting provisions on cyberbullying.

The NDP has always said that we need to adopt this

part very quickly. Nonetheless, we want to properly assess the parts that may cause serious problems when it comes to protecting Canadians' privacy. What is more, the Minister of Justice responded to my colleague from Gatineau by saying: [ English ] “It is not our duty to slow things down here”. [ Translation ] I am sorry, but it is our responsibility. As parliamentarians, we must be sure to uphold the Canadian Constitution and Supreme Court rulings.

Can the Minister of Justice tell me why he does not even want to sit down and address the Supreme Court ruling to see whether the provisions of Bill C-13 are indeed constitutional? [ English ] Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr. Speaker, it is because I rely, not on the advice of the member opposite, but on the advice of departmental officials, lawyers and those who argue the case, those who are involved intimately in tracking the Spencer decision and drafting this legislation. This is not some sort of a fly-by-night written on the back of an envelope piece of legislation. This has been in the works for some time.

It has been studied extensively. We have heard from numerous experts and we have heard from the people most affected, the victims. They have told us of the urgency. The member said, just a moment ago, that they are not trying to hold up the bill. There have been some 20 speakers from the NDP on the bill. We have ample time to look at the bill in further detail, not this type of banter back and forth in the House of Commons but in committee. Therefore, when it comes to the constitutionality of Bill C-13 , we believe strongly that this not only passes constitutional muster, but it does what it is intended to do.

That is to allow police, with judicial oversight, to do proper investigations that protect the public at large.

(1540) Mr. Sean Casey (Charlottetown, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, in his last answer, the minister indicated there has been wide consultation and that the bill has been informed by officials within his department. My question is with respect to the role of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and whether his opinions and his views on the bill should be taken into account.

He testified at committee that he had numerous concerns with regard to the bill, whether it is the immunity that is afforded to telephone companies, or the lack of any reporting required by telephone companies as to the volume and types of inquiries they receive for voluntary disclosure.

Given these concerns expressed by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, concerns that were subsequently, basically, confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Spencer decision, could the minister inform the House of the importance, if any, and relevance of the opinion of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada with respect to the bill? Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr. Speaker, of course, independent watchdogs, offices, ombudsmen, people like the Privacy Commissioner and the privacy office have indeed voiced their opinions, as have many others, as have experts. Here is a stunning revelation for everyone.

Sometimes experts disagree. Sometimes lawyers even disagree, or parliamentarians. We believe, fundamentally, the legislation not only respects the Spencer decision, it answers the questions that have been asked with respect to judicial oversight and it answers with respect to the constitutionality of the bill itself. It is an attempt to modernize the tools that are in the hands of the police to allow them, with that judicial oversight, to investigate very sophisticated criminal activity online. I remind my friend that the Spencer decision does not require amendments to Bill C-13 .

In fact, this decision addresses very plainly the ability for the police to obtain private information with a valid warrant. Nothing in Bill C-13 is intended to create any new powers to obtain information without a warrant, as has been suggested by some members of the NDP. Simply put, the bill puts forward privacy safeguards, which are built into the legislation and built into the investigative powers of the bill. It is tailored to meet those expectations around privacy, but at the same time allow the police to do this critically important work of protecting the public from online criminality.

Quite frankly, we know this online criminality is prolific, growing and in some cases is causing young people, because of intimidation and harassment, to take their own lives. That is what is at stake. Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, as we are now debating time allocation in response to what the Minister of Justice and the government House leader have moved, I want to again address the disservice to this place, the disrespect, indeed the contempt toward this place and the role of individual members of Parliament that is constituted in 78 time allocations in this Parliament.

I know that you, Mr. Speaker, are considering carefully the motion I brought forward, the question of privilege I brought forward on September 15, and the numerous legal opinions that lean in the direction of concluding that our ability to do our job, which is a matter of privilege, to hold the government to account, is significantly compromised, in fact savaged, by the constant application of time allocation. I referred to the decision of Mr. Justice Binnie and the Vaid decision in 2005, that the heart and essence of what we do as MPs is to hold the government to account.

The ability to do that job requires adequate time for debate. I understand the Minister of Justice believes we have had more than enough time for debate. However, the reality is that the privacy commissioners of this country, many of them, believe the bill would violate rights of privacy. Lawyers and experts with the Canadian Bar Association believe it will not stand the test of a Supreme Court challenge, yet we are asked to rush it through. This is a violation of our rights. I ask the Minister of Justice to reconsider. We shared the same law school.

I would like to think we share something else, which is respect for Parliament. Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr. Speaker, I have been around this place a little while, since 1997, and I sat, literally, where the member is sitting. We hear the hyperbole of “savaging democracy” and “stifling debate”. As I have told the member, we have had significant debate on the bill. We have had examinations at committee. We have had input from attorneys general and justice ministers at the provincial and territorial level.

We have had input from lawyers and experts of well-renowned reputation when it comes to cyber and the use of Internet, and the use of the modern information age. Now is the time to move forward. Now is the time to make actual progress on the legislation and the insertion of Criminal Code amendments that will help protect people from the scourge of online criminality. That is what this is about.

We can argue procedural points in the House of Commons, but there is no getting away from the fact that, and I believe my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands would agree, as a lawyer, as a person with a legal background, there is a necessity and a pressing need to modernize our Criminal Code and bring forward amendments that empower our investigators and our courts and our entire system of justice to improve upon a system that has been outdated, and is proven to be lacking when it comes to the necessary protections for online criminality.

These sections of the Criminal Code were put in place prior to the Internet. We have talked about and I reiterate that this does not create new police powers. It does not give them new investigative powers without judicial oversight. That was very much considered, both in the drafting and presentation of the bill. It was also very much considered in the wake of the Spencer decision, which I remind members, just for emphasis, was a case involving possession and distribution of child pornography. Let us come back to reality.

Let us come back to the importance of having legislation and Criminal Code amendments that will protect Canadian citizens, protect our ability to do the important work of online investigations that will prevent the likes of what we saw in the terrible tragedy of Rehtaeh Parsons. (1545) [ Translation ] Ms. Ève Péclet (La Pointe-de-l'Île, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, one of the elements that the Privacy Commissioner of Canada indicated may be unconstitutional is the fact that there are no oversight mechanisms for information sharing. We know that the Supreme Court already struck down a

section of the Criminal Code—I believe it was

section 184—saying that it was unconstitutional not because it granted access to data without a warrant but because this type of access without a warrant did not include any sort of review mechanism for government decisions. Is the minister prepared to tell us today that his bill is constitutional even though it grants access to data without a warrant and without oversight from the judiciary or an officer of Parliament? It is my understanding that the Supreme Court already ruled on the constitutionality of those kinds of measures. [ English ] Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr.

Speaker, that is a false dichotomy in the question because, in fact, this bill would not create warrantless access. That is a mythology. It is an incorrect, factually wrong statement that is being repeated time and time again by members opposite. This bill would require and necessitate judicial oversight. It does not attempt to go around that power. It does not propose to bestow new powers on the police to perform warrantless search. They would have to get access with a judicially authorized warrant. That was the very crux, the ratio decidendi , of the Spencer decision.

It talked about the fact that people have a reasonable expectation of privacy when they go online. I do not know whether all Canadians actually believe that when they go online; we know there is lots of hacking that is not being done by the government that puts some of that data at risk. The reality is that this legislation is about modernizing the Criminal Code sections, about putting in the hands of the police tools with judicial authorization that would allow them to go after fraud artists, child pornographers, and those who are using the Internet to intimidate and harass people.

They could go after those who are taking

part in activities that in the real world, not the virtual world, clearly would be criminalized. That is what we are attempting to do through this bill. It is modernizing it. It is moving us into the 21st century, into the modern age of technology. That is what we are doing. To suggest that we should split the bill and put the Criminal Code sections in one part and put the police powers in another is like saying we should give somebody a paddle but not a boat.

(1550) Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, as can be seen by the different lines of questioning, there is a great deal of interest in this bill, and one can understand why. It is because it is of great importance to Canadians. My colleague from New Brunswick and the Liberal Party critic have expressed both concern and a rationale as to why it is important that the legislation ultimately continue to go through. However, the motion before us right now is again that of time allocation.

Despite our great interest in debating this legislation, the government is using time allocation to force through its legislative agenda. It is important for us to recognize that no other government in the history of Canada has used time allocation in the manner the current government has chosen to do so. There are no exceptions whatsoever. The only way the government has been able to get its legislative agenda through is to implement time allocation for virtually every aspect of the legislation it has brought before the House. My question to the minister is this.

Does he not recognize that there is much valuable information and many ideas that members of Parliament from all sides, I suspect, would have contributed by participating in this debate, if the government had not once again used time allocation to force through legislation? On the other hand, if the government had separated out aspects of the legislation, I suspect we could have passed components of it months ago if the political will had been there from the government side. Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr.

Speaker, one thing is certain: that member who just spoke will always have his time on the floor of the House of Commons. To his credit, I do not think there is a member who has participated more in debates of all kinds and on all subject matter. He may be able to hoodwink some people who are here, or perhaps those who do not follow Parliament closely, but I have been around a while, as has my friend from Calgary, and I can say that there were prior governments that used time allocation. Time allocation was not invented by the current government. It is a way to manage House time.

It is a way to move important legislation that has clearly become stalled. We have heard 20 members from the NDP alone on this subject. We have heard members from the Liberal Party pronounce themselves. We will have an opportunity to examine it further. The other place, as the procedure moves along, will pronounce itself. The bill is of importance. It is timely. It is urgent. It puts in place a regime that ensures judicial oversight. It gives the police the powers that they need, but they must act with discretion. They must, of course, as we do, respect the Supreme Court and its

interpretation of the law. We believe now is the time to move forward for the protection and the betterment of the administration of justice in Canada. [ Translation ] Ms. Françoise Boivin : Mr. Speaker, I still remember what the minister said in response to the question asked by my colleague from Chicoutimi—Le Fjord after a time allocation motion was moved. The member had worked on putting a stop to bullying and had moved a motion on this topic, but the motion was defeated by the Conservatives.

He asked the minister whether the minister wanted to hear what he had to say, and the minister replied that he did not feel inclined to listen. He at least gets points for honesty. We are getting that same message today with this time allocation motion. The minister absolutely does not want to hear what people have to say, and he is even denigrating what we say, as if we were just repeating ourselves. However, each one of us is interested in different parts of the bill.

For example, my colleague from Terrebonne—Blainville is very much interested in online privacy, while I am particularly interested in cyberbullying. We are interested in as many topics as our constituents give us. However, it seems that the government is not interested in listening to us and it could not care less about what we have to say.

Does the minister not realize that just six clauses in this bill address the topics he talks about all the time, namely cyberbullying and the distribution of images, and that the rest of the bill addresses other topics such as telecommunications theft and other— The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : Order. The hon. Minister of Justice . [ English ] Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr. Speaker, of course I am interested in what she and members here have to say. That is why I follow this debate very closely. That is why I am here. That is why I go to committee.

I go to committee, I suspect, as much as or more than any minister in our government. I go to take

part in the debates that matter. I go to put forward the government's position, to back up with facts and figures the legislation that we bring forward and to bring rigour to the debate and examination that naturally follow in this place. It gives me the opportunity to talk about more than just the debate and the legislation. Our government has also put in place a strategy with $10 million in funding to help with the creation of new crime prevention products. We now have in place the Get Cyber Safe campaign, which I know the members opposite would heartily support.

It enables Canadians to get more information about how to protect themselves and their families from online threats, including cyberbullying. I know the hon. member is very interested in and very supportive of all of these efforts. There is a National Bullying Awareness Week, which I know all members here embrace. The government created a special

section on children and cyberbullying that has tips and help for teens on the use of social media. All of this, including the private sector work being done through the needhelpnow.ca website, when coupled with this legislation, will make our youth safer. That is something I know members opposite and government members can agree on.

(1555) Mr. Leon Benoit (Vegreville—Wainwright, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, in this debate on time allocation, it is interesting to listen to the Liberal members opposite complain about our government's use of time allocation. I was here from 1993 for 13 miserable years of Liberal governments, and the Liberals used time allocation all the time. They did not complain when it was them. Then when we listen to the NDP, we see that the reason we have to use time allocation is that members opposite repeat the same message again and again.

A certain amount of repetition is reasonable, but they say the same thing over and over again. They are being mischievous. The reality is that they understand the need for us to use time allocation, because, quite frankly, they are not being responsible with all the time that is made available, which is hours in the House and hours at committee. They must start to be more responsible. Hon. Peter MacKay : Mr. Speaker, I know that the member is a long-standing member of this place, and I do share his observations with respect to the necessity of managing House time.

We are now entering, as we all know, a very busy time. There are many bills and legislative initiatives, including private members' bills from the opposition, as well as the budget. All of this requires management of House time. We have had sufficient debate on this legislation. It is time to move it forward for all of the reasons that we have discussed over the last half-hour.

These reasons include the necessity to give the police the powers and the judicial oversight they need in order to prevent and pre-empt the type of online harassment and criminality that have caused harm and heartbreak in so many households in Canada. [ Translation ] The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put the question necessary to dispose of the motion now before the House. 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: The Acting Speaker (Mr.

Barry Devolin): Call in the members. (1635) (The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:) (Division No. 239) YEAS Members Ablonczy Adams Adler Aglukkaq Albas Albrecht Alexander Allen (Tobique—Mactaquac) Ambler Anders Anderson Armstrong Aspin Baird Barlow Bateman Benoit Bergen Bernier Bezan Blaney Block Braid Brown (Leeds—Grenville) Brown (Newmarket—Aurora) Brown (Barrie) Bruinooge Butt Calandra Calkins Cannan Carmichael Carrie Chisu Chong Crockatt Daniel Davidson Dechert Del Mastro Dreeshen Duncan (Vancouver Island North) Dykstra Falk Fantino Fast Findlay (Delta—Richmond East) Finley (Haldimand—Norfolk) Fletcher Galipeau Gallant Gill Glover Goguen Goldring Goodyear Gosal Gourde Grewal Harper Harris (Cariboo—Prince George) Hawn Hayes Hiebert Hillyer Hoback Holder James Kamp (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission) Keddy (South Shore—St.

Margaret'

s) Kenney (Calgary Southeast) Kent Kerr Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings) Lake Lauzon Lebel Leef Leitch Lemieux Leung Lizon Lobb Lukiwski Lunney MacKay (Central Nova) MacKenzie Maguire Mayes McColeman McLeod Menegakis Miller Moore (Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam) Nicholson Norlock Obhrai O'Connor O'Neill Gordon Opitz O'Toole Paradis Payne Poilievre Preston Rajotte Reid Rempel Richards Ritz Saxton Schellenberger Seeback Shea Shipley Shory Smith Sopuck Sorenson Stanton Storseth Strahl Sweet Tilson Toet Trost Trottier Truppe Uppal Valcourt Van Kesteren Van Loan Wallace Warawa Warkentin Watson Weston (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country) Weston (Saint John) Wilks Williamson Wong Yelich Young (Oakville) Young (Vancouver South) Yurdiga Zimmer -- 146 NAYS Members Allen (Welland) Andrews Angus Aubin Bélanger Bennett Benskin Bevington Blanchette Boivin Borg Boutin-Sweet Brahmi Brison Brosseau Byrne Caron Casey Cash Chan Charlton Chicoine Chisholm Choquette Christopherson Cleary Comartin Côté Cotler Cullen Cuzner Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) Davies (Vancouver East) Day Dewar Donnelly Doré Lefebvre Dubé Dubourg Duncan (Etobicoke North) Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona) Dusseault Easter Eyking Foote Freeland Freeman Garneau Garrison Genest Giguère Godin Goodale Gravelle Groguhé Harris (Scarborough Southwest) Harris (St.

John's East) Hsu Hughes Hyer Jacob Jones Julian Kellway Lamoureux Lapointe Larose Latendresse Laverdière LeBlanc (LaSalle—Émard) Leslie Liu MacAulay Mai Martin Masse Mathyssen May McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood) Michaud Moore (Abitibi—Témiscamingue) Morin (Chicoutimi—Le Fjord) Morin (Laurentides—Labelle) Morin (Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot) Mulcair Murray Nantel Nash Nicholls Nunez-Melo Pacetti Papillon Patry Péclet Perreault Plamondon Quach Rafferty Rankin Ravignat Raynault Regan Rousseau Saganash Sandhu Scarpaleggia Scott Sellah Sgro Simms (Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor) Sims (Newton—North Delta) Sitsabaiesan St-Denis Stewart Sullivan Thibeault Toone Tremblay Trudeau Turmel Valeriote Vaughan -- 122 PAIRED Nil The Acting Speaker (Mr.

Barry Devolin) : Motion agreed to I declare the motion carried. [ English ] I also wish to inform the House that because of the proceedings on the time allocation motion, government orders will be extended by 30 minutes today. [ 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 , Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; the hon. member for Vancouver Quadra , National Defence. [ English ] Report Stage Bill C-13.

Report Stage The House resumed from September 22 consideration of Bill C-13,

An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act , as reported (with amendment) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 1. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : When this matter was last before the House, the hon. member for St. John's East had completed his remarks, but had not yet taken questions and comments. Questions and comments, the hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster . Mr. Peter Julian (Burnaby—New Westminster, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, we have just seen for the 78th sad time the use of time allocation and closure by the government. It is a sad record that stands even worse than the former Liberal government's record. There is an appalling lack of respect for the Canadian public, discussion and debate.

The problems with this bill, though we agree with it in principle, are the questions around constitutionality and the government trying to ram through the bill without due regard for putting in place the kinds of amendments that make it constitutional and avoid the problems that the government has seen half a dozen times so far this year, with courts rejecting government legislation. With this idea of ramming the bills through, unfortunately, there are things like a court system and constitution that have to be respected. Does my colleague from St.

John's East feel the government has done its due diligence in this bill, given that it is so controversial, that there are concerns about its constitutionality and that there are real concerns about the impacts that go far beyond cyberbullying?

(1640) Mr. Jack Harris (St. John's East, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is important because it has to do with the differential role between what the House of Commons does and what the Supreme Court of Canada does. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that legislation coming before the House meets the constitutional standard. We have a case now before the federal court with an affidavit and suggestion.

From the government's point of view, if there is some possibility, maybe a 5% possibility, of an arguable case that a law is constitutional, it is good enough for the government. I do not think is right. It is the constitutional responsibility of the government to ensure that legislation coming before the House meets the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Serious questions have been raised and they ought to be answered first. As well, the government should have a broader view of constitutionality than the narrow one it seems to follow. Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to rise again to take

part in this debate on this important legislation. As members opposite would know, the legislation is intended very much to protect people, young people in particular, our most vulnerable; to protect seniors from online criminality and fraud that could defraud them of their life savings; to protect individuals from the security breaches and attacks that we know are happening regularly online. The bill is about modernizing sections of the Criminal Code, respecting precedent, including recent Supreme Court decisions, and respecting the Constitution.

However, it is about modernizing in a way that takes Criminal Code sections from the age of the rotary dial phone into the 21st century, the Internet age. We have more information available at our fingertips now and youth are more able to access information than at any other time in world history. Therefore, it stands to reason that we would want to bring legislation forward that would similarly modernize the Criminal Code and the rules that govern online criminal activity. The bill is about amending the Criminal Code in a way that would create a new offence of the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.

It would also update a number of offences and the investigative tools that allow police to use modern technology to police the Internet, so to speak, by amending other statutes such as the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act. Bill C-13 would also allow Canada to co-operate with like-minded countries in the investigation of cybercrime. I know my friend from Lévis—Bellechasse, the Minister of Public Safety , fully appreciates, from his daily interactions with police and investigators, that they need this capacity to protect people from online criminality.

The portions of the bill that we are bringing forward are consistent, related, and support the common objective to give the police the ability to prevent online criminal acts. Bill C-13 would also achieve these goals in a balanced way, something that was recognized by many of the witnesses who have already given testimony and appeared before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, where the bill was thoroughly examined.

Following this review at the committee and to reflect concerns about the difficulty of forecasting the impact that these important changes to the law and the amendments that were adopted by the committee, this was done as part of the parliamentary process and in recognition of the contributions of members and witnesses. It was done in a way that proposes changes to Bill C-13 . An important change was that after seven years of coming into force, there will be a thorough review.

This is not an uncommon provision, but when breaking new ground, as the bill would do, it provides sufficient time to lapse before we assess the implementation and the impacts of the reforms. I mentioned that the thorough review of the bill by the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights took place. This review involved 10 committee meetings, hours of examination, with appearances by over 40 witnesses. Many of the witnesses came to urge the committee to pass the legislation, to move forward and address the serious problems particularly around cyberbullying.

We heard from people like Glen Canning, who tragically lost his daughter to a very pernicious and persistent act of cyberbullying. Therefore, there is urgency in bringing this legislative movement forward. Those most passionate that we heard at the committee were victims, those who had felt the sting of the loss resulting from ongoing harassment and humiliation online. In several of the cases, the people who had lost loved ones because of this modern plague of cybercrime urged the government and committee members to move post-haste in getting these provisions to the Criminal Code in place.

The insidiousness of some of this behaviour is troubling in the extreme and what happens in the virtual world can have deadly consequences in the real world. While some witnesses expressed concern about the proposals, most witnesses saw the wisdom of the bill. They congratulated the government on taking action to address cybercrime, which, I am quick to add goes far beyond just the legislative initiatives.

(1645) We have put in place programs and assistance to help with getting information into schools and spreading the word, particularly to young people, about how they can get help and how they can help remove some of these offensive images that cause them such stress and anxiety. That type of information is very important, as well as the improvement and modernization of the investigative tools, which require judicial oversight and the authorization of a judge before that type of information is sought. This is a comprehensive and balanced bill.

It is about protecting the public through this new offence that is designed to address the aspects of cyberbullying. In particular, it is about modernizing existing offences and the investigative tool kit. It is very mu