9531 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 NUMBER 144 2nd SESSION 41st PARLIAMENT Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) COMMONS DEBATES November 19, 2014 DEBATES Edited Hansard * Table of Contents * Number 144 (Official Version) Official Report * Table of Contents * Number 144 (Official Version) Compte rendu officiel * Table des matières * Numéro 144 (Version officielle) 147 144 19 11 2014 2014/11/19 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 Staments by Members' (1405) [ English ] The Speaker : It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem, led by the hon. member for Westmount—Ville-Marie . [ Members sang the national anthem ] STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Statements by Members [ English ] St. Albert Small Business Week Mr. Brent Rathgeber (Edmonton—St. Albert, Ind.) : Mr. Speaker, last month the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce held its annual Small Business Week, highlighting and celebrating the nearly 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses that generate economic growth and create jobs in and around St. Albert.

The highlight of the annual week was the small business awards of distinction. At this formal awards ceremony, nominees were recognized and awards presented in numerous categories, including marketing, outstanding customer service, young entrepreneur, and community leadership. The highlight of the evening was the Chairman's Award, chosen by the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce based on overall excellence in business operations plus exemplary community engagement. The winner of the 2014 Chairman's Award was Team Chiasson, from McDonald's Restaurants of St. Albert.

Rob and Karen Chiasson were recognized for their tireless advocacy on behalf of employers who are experiencing acute labour shortages as a result of Alberta' s hot economy and tight labour market. I would like to personally congratulate all St. Albert and area businesses for the economic activity and jobs they create and the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce for recognizing them through a very successful Small Business Week.

Retirement Congratulations Mr. Richard Harris (Cariboo—Prince George, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, imagine the dedication needed to remain employed with one company for 39 years. Imagine how lucky that company would be to have someone who is both dedicated and success-driven for that length of time. Such is my friend George Roache, who has just retired after 39 years with the Royal Bank. George served in many divisions of the bank and is well recognized for leaving the achievement bar far higher than when he arrived. George Roach was a born banker and a leader.

He was continually recognized by the bank for his successes, greatly admired by everyone who worked for him, and trusted and respected by his clients. May George and Margie enjoy every moment of their well-earned retirement and spend lots of time with their family and friends. May all of their shots end up on the short grass, and may they always keep a really good Scotch well within reach. Enjoy, my friend.

[ Translation ] World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse Ms. Rosane Doré Lefebvre (Alfred-Pellan, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, November 19 is World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse. The objective of this day is to be a rallying point around the issue of child abuse and the urgent need for prevention programs. The day was established in 2000 by the Women's World Summit Foundation in order to persuade governments and civil society organizations to play a more active role in the promotion of and respect for the rights of the child.

Violence affects everyone, not just in homes and families but also in schools, institutions, work environments, and communities. Children and youth are the most likely to be victims of violence, be it physical, psychological, or sexual. Increasing prevention measures, improving protection, and raising public awareness are effective ways of addressing the problem. I invite my colleagues on both sides of the House to mark this important day and ensure that we are doing everything in our power to prevent child abuse.

[ English ] RED FM Radiothon Mr. Devinder Shory (Calgary Northeast, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge and commend the stellar fundraising efforts of RED FM radio station in Calgary Northeast and Surrey this November 6, which raised $1.6 million in one day. During the fundraising radiothon, the Indo-Canadian community of Calgary Northeast and other Calgarians donated over $870,000 to Peter Lougheed Hospital for premature babies and neonatal care. The Surrey radioathon raised around $725,000 for acute stroke care at the Surrey Memorial Hospital.

A big thanks to the donors for their open-hearted generosity. The entire staff and management at RED FM radio did a fantastic job reaching out to donors. Congratulations go specifically to president Kulwinder Sanghera; vice-president and general manager Bijoy Samuel; Calgary news director Rishi Nagar; and the Surrey news director, Harjinder Thind. Well done, RED FM radio. Keep up the good work.

Holodomor Ms. Chrystia Freeland (Toronto Centre, Lib.) : When I awoke Before the dawn, amid their sleep I heard My sons ...weep and ask For bread. Mr. Speaker, that is Dante's description of hell. That hell of starving children is what Stalin and his regime created in Ukraine in 1932 and 1933. This Holodomor was a deliberate genocide, designed to break the Ukrainian nation and to impose collectivization on a farming society renowned for its industriousness and powerful sense of community. One of the horrors of the Holodomor was that Moscow flatly denied its murderous campaign.

Far too many people, for far too long, believed that lie. Walter Duranty, The New York Times journalist who won a Pulitzer prize for his reporting from the Soviet Union, wrote: Conditions are bad, but there is no famine.... But—to put it brutally—you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. Today, we are again hearing Orwellian doublespeak from a Kremlin that has invaded Ukraine. That makes its doubly important for the House to recognize the Holodomor as

an act of genocide and to remember its victims. Vichna im pamiat. Jerusalem Mr. Mark Adler (York Centre, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, yesterday in Jerusalem, during the morning prayer service, five Israelis were killed and eight others were injured, including a Canadian dual citizen, in a brazen terrorist attack at a synagogue in Jerusalem. According to witnesses, the terrorists attacked the synagogue with knives, meat cleavers, and guns, and attacked worshippers. The attackers were subsequently killed in a shootout with police. The terrorists were identified as members of the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine.

This incident is the latest in a series of terrorist attacks perpetrated against Israelis in recent weeks. Cars have been used as weapons, and some people have been stabbed on street corners. In total, six people have been murdered in these cowardly attacks in Israel. Canada has condemned these terrorist acts in the strongest possible terms. As our Minister of Foreign Affairs stated: Attacks on innocent worshippers, in what is supposed to be a place of peace and tranquility, are cowardly and must never be tolerated.

On behalf of all Canadians, our government offers our deepest, heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims. Let me be clear. Canada stands with the people of Israel.

(1410) Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—Tecumseh, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind the House that November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. I want all of us to applaud the important ongoing work done by the National Pancreatic Cancer Canada Foundation in raising public awareness and in supporting vital research efforts to end the scourge of Canada's most lethal of cancers. Pancreatic cancer claims 4,300 Canadian lives every year. Sadly, its mortality rate is three out of four, with a five-year survival rate of only 6%.

In spite of these tragic statistics, pancreatic cancer research receives less than 1% of all cancer research dollars. One of the truly devastating aspects of this disease is that fewer than 15% of patients are diagnosed early enough to save lives. We need to tell all Canadians, especially our families and friends, that early detection saves lives. I urge all members to support the good work of the foundation by raising awareness in their ridings. We can become advocates for more significant and sustained government investment in research to find an early detection test and more effective treatment methodologies.

Municipal Elections 2014 Hon. Ron Cannan (Kelowna—Lake Country, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, local governments across the province of B.C. held elections this past weekend. I would like to thank all individuals who put their names forward to run for public office. In Lake Country, congratulations to Mayor James Baker on his re-election and to his new council. In the city of Kelowna, congratulations to new Mayor Colin Basran and the four incumbent and four new councillors. I look forward to working with all of them to make the communities of Kelowna and Lake Country safer, better, and stronger places for all.

I say a special thanks to Sharon Shepherd, Gerry Zimmerman, Andre Blanleil, and Robert Hobson for their years of service. Last, but not least, I wish to pay special tribute to retiring mayor Walter Gray, a two-term councillor and a four-term mayor of Kelowna. He is a true believer in co-operation and partnership. His infectious energy and enthusiasm and great sense of humour brought people together and brought out the best in all of us. He saw the great potential in our city and the value in investing in its future, and he never failed to give credit to his staff and council for a job well done.

May he now find the time to enjoy his number one priority: his family. I wish him and his wonderful wife, Doreen, and of course his dog, Snowball, nothing but the best. Enjoy the journey ahead, my friend. God bless.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Ms. Eve Adams (Mississauga—Brampton South, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, ALS is a deadly and degenerative disease. The summer of 2014 will be known as the summer of the ALS ice bucket challenge. ALS societies across Canada are pleased to announce that the ice bucket challenge in Canada raised $16.2 million, thanks to the generosity of more than a quarter of a million Canadians. This represents a record amount of ALS donations. ALS societies will invest $10 million in research and $6 million in programs to support those living with ALS.

I was pleased this morning to announce that through Brain Canada, we will be matching dollar for dollar the research partnership dollars, bringing the total amount invested in ALS research to $20 million. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to thank all Canadians who participated in the ice bucket challenge this year.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Mr. Glenn Thibeault (Sudbury, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, this summer, over 260,000 Canadians participated in the ALS Canada ice bucket challenge, raising an astonishing $16 million. The icy plunge was taken by many politicians, including the leader of the NDP, while I had to endure a marathon ice water dumping to help raise funds that was supported by New Hot 93.5 in Sudbury. However, ALS remains incurable. Around 3,000 Canadians live with the disease.

Sadly, thousands will die of it, while thousands more will be diagnosed. (1415) [ Translation ] Initiatives such as this one have a clear impact on funding for research and treatment. Tens of thousands of Canadians participated, and that is the first step towards the ultimate goal of curing this disease. [ English ] On behalf of the NDP, thanks to all Canadian participants, and we applaud those at ALS Canada for raising awareness and money in hope of one day finding a cure.

Taxation Mr. Brad Butt (Mississauga—Streetsville, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our new family tax cut will benefit every parent with children in Canada, including thousands of families in my riding of Mississauga—Streetsville. Our plan gives mom and dad up to $2,000 per child and it benefits 100% of families with children. The NDP's plan would only help 10% of families. The Liberals have even said that they would prioritize money in the hands of Ottawa bureaucrats, not Canadian families with children. Canadian parents will reject the Liberal Party's money grab.

After all, there are only two people who know what is best for their kids, and that is mom and dad. It is not the leader of the Liberal Party.

[ Translation ] Pay Equity Ms. Laurin Liu (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, a new Statistics Canada study confirms that we are still a long way from achieving pay equity. The study followed women who began working in 1991, and 20 years later, those women were earning between 36% and 48% less than men with similar levels of education. For women with undergraduate degrees, that adds up to half a million dollars less in earnings during that period. This disturbing study reminds us that we do not yet live in a fair society.

I would therefore ask my colleagues to support the NDP bill to implement the recommendations of the pay equity task force. I should point out that these recommendations were made in 2004, but the Conservatives have let them gather dust. Enough is enough. It is time for action.

[ English ] Taxation Mr. John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the Liberal leader will raise taxes and make life more difficult for families. Whether through a job-killing carbon tax or clawing back our Conservative government's new tax breaks for families, the Liberal leader promises a high-tax, high-debt agenda. Just yesterday, prospective Liberal candidate Bill Casey confirmed on CTV news that his new party will both raise taxes and cut programs. Voters will see past Casey's stunt to further his own political agenda.

Indeed, the people of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley know that a Liberal government would resurrect the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry, introduce a carbon tax that will raise the price on everything, and add more debt that will destabilize our economy. Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley can count on our Conservative member of Parliament and this Prime Minister to lower taxes, protect law-abiding hunters, and stand up for all Canadian families.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Mr. Rodger Cuzner (Cape Breton—Canso, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, every day, more than three Canadians will die from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gherig's disease. Many of its victims are in the prime of their life, such as Bill Corbett, the former Clerk of the House, and my former chief of staff, Richard Wackid, from the Liberal whip's office. We miss them dearly, as do many Canadians whose loved ones have succumbed to this disease. Today, ALS Canada is in Ottawa to announce the result of the ice bucket challenge fundraiser in support of research.

We have seen television personalities, politicians, athletes, and many other Canadians take up the challenge, including my own leader, the member for Papineau , who was very helpful in dumping a bucket of water over my head and my colleague's head, the member for Charlottetown . I know many MPs in this House have also had water dumped over their heads to raise awareness and funds to fight this disease. On behalf of my Liberal colleagues, and indeed all of us in the House, I congratulate ALS Canada for a job well done, and Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you for hosting this dedicated group of Canadians today.

Taxation Mr. Bob Dechert (Mississauga—Erindale, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, did you know that our Conservative government has cut taxes not once, not twice, but a whopping 180 times? We are now in a position to deliver even further tax relief to Canadian families. Thanks to our family tax cut, every family with children in Canada will stand to benefit. That includes the increase and expansion of the enhanced universal child care benefit to nearly $2,000 per year for every child under six and $720 per year for every child between 6 and 17, as well as the family tax cut.

The vast majority of benefits will flow to low- and middle-income families. While we are giving back relief directly to families, the Liberals want to take that money away. Canadians can trust our Conservative government to lower their taxes. We will not hike taxes like the tax-and-spend Liberals.

(1420) Child Care Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, last night Canada's largest province endorsed the NDP's affordable child care plan. We congratulate Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP for getting the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to endorse our plan to create affordable and accessible child care spaces at a cost of no more than $15 a day. Sadly, in the nine years since the Prime Minister first promised to create 125,000 child care spaces, the Conservatives not only broke that promise, but under their watch parents have also seen child care costs skyrocket.

Meanwhile, the federal Liberals spent 13 years in government making and breaking promises on child care. The leader of the NDP is ready to work with the provinces to make affordable, accessible child care a reality, because only the NDP believes it is time to give parents a break. Affordable child care is just one election away.

Taxation Mr. Blake Richards (Wild Rose, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, our Conservative government recently fulfilled a promise to Canadian families by creating the family tax cut. Under this plan the average Canadian family will save $1,200 per year. However, it seems the Liberal candidate for Banff-Airdrie does not trust Canadian families to spend their own money properly. He believes that reducing taxes and allowing people to keep more of their own hard-earned money is some sort of handout. Apparently, in his world, all money rightly belongs to the government, not to taxpayers.

He goes on to complain that if people are allowed to make their own decisions about how to spend their own hard-earned money, they will waste it. We all remember the previously insulting and condescending comments about “beer and popcorn” from the Liberals. This clearly reflects the typical arrogant Liberal sentiment that Liberals know better than parents on how to raise their own children and that Ottawa bureaucrats know better than hard-working Canadian taxpayers how to spend their own hard-earned money. Canadians have a message for the Liberals.

They are to get their hands off their wallets and let them make their own decisions about how to raise their children.

ORAL QUESTIONS Oral Questions [ English ] Child Care Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Ontario provincial parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the NDP's plan for quality, affordable $15-a-day child care. What concrete action will the Prime Minister take to deliver on his solemn promise, made nine years ago, to parents in Ontario and across Canada to create 125,000 child care spaces? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I think the other night in Ontario, some Ontarians voted pretty overwhelmingly against the NDP.

We have put forward, over the past nine years, plans to make life more affordable for all Canadian families. That has had a very good effect across the board. We are continuing to move forward on that and we are pleased to see Canadians responding so positively. Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Premier of Ontario has said that she would like to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss how the provinces and territories can work with the federal government to deliver child care spaces. Will the Prime Minister meet with the Premier of Ontario to discuss child care? Right Hon.

Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I have regular meetings with provinces and territories across the country, in fact some 300 since I have become Prime Minister. We understand the province of Ontario has pretty significant challenges. In the approach we are taking at our level, we have been able to balance the budget by lowering taxes and providing benefits to families. That is what the people of Ontario need. Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister promised was 125,000 child care spaces.

He has delivered none. (1425) [ Translation ] Quebec has gone ahead, Manitoba has gone ahead, and now Ontario is ready to go ahead with a plan. This means that 65% of Canadians live in a province that is ready to work on creating affordable child care spaces. When will the federal government do its part? When will the Prime Minister actually do something to keep the solemn promise he made to Canadians to deliver 125,000 child care spaces? He has not delivered any so far. When will he get to work? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP is absolutely wrong.

We promised and we have delivered benefits and tax cuts, putting more money in the pockets of taxpayers across Quebec and throughout Canada. The NDP wants to take those benefits away from Quebeckers. Our government will make sure that the money makes its way into the pockets of Quebeckers.

[ English ] Health Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister made another specific formal promise during the 2011 election campaign. He stated: We are planning on a 6% ongoing increase for health transfers. We have been very consistent on this. Contrary to his promise, he is reducing it from 6% to 3%. Why has the Prime Minister broken his promise to Canadians? They want to know. Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, this government is transferring record amounts of money to the provinces for health care.

Those 6% increases are continuing exactly as scheduled. In the future, they will continue to increase by a minimum of 3%. Frankly, most years they will be much more than that. This government's record is unparalleled when it comes to supporting our health care system. [ Translation ] Hon. Thomas Mulcair (Leader of the Opposition, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, he cannot deny what he said. During the last election campaign, he promised to keep the increase at 6%, and he broke that promise too.

In fact, just after the election, true to form, he unilaterally announced, without discussion or debate, up to $36 billion in cuts to health transfers in Canada. Now that the Prime Minister claims to have a budgetary surplus, why not use it first and foremost to avoid making cuts to our free, public health insurance? Does he want to go back to the days when the size of parents' paycheques determined whether a sick child was seen by a doctor? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our government's record is clear.

It is quite different from that of the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, which cut transfers to the provincial health care systems. On the contrary, we have increased these transfers every year, and they will continue to increase in the future. Our record is unparalleled and quite different from that of the party across the way.

[ English ] Access to Information Mr. Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, last night the government said that it would vote against transparency, citing the administrative burden. The transparency act would actually cut red tape and simplify the process. It would ensure that government information would be available faster, in a less costly way, and in digital, not paper, formats. Why does the Prime Minister oppose the modernization of our access to information system? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, it was this government that modernized the system by bringing some 70 agencies and organizations under access to information that were previously not under it, something opposed by the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party not only opposed that Accountability Act, it opposed union transparency and it opposed transparency for people living on first nations reserves. We have nothing to learn on transparency from the Liberals.

Infrastructure Mr. Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, the government promised Canadian municipalities that the Building Canada infrastructure fund projects would begin in time for the 2014 summer construction season. That promise was broken, and the fund had its funding cut by 90%. Why borrow money for income-splitting tax breaks for the rich, but not invest in job-creating infrastructure?

(1430) Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the facts laid out in that question are completely wrong. The government announced in the last two budgets the largest infrastructure program in Canadian history, some $70 billion over the next decade. The unfortunate reality is the Liberal Party voted against those infrastructure plans. That is the difference. On this side we are investing in infrastructure. On the other hand, all the Liberals want is tax hikes to pay bureaucracy.

[ Translation ] Intergovernmental Relations Mr. Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, over 1,300 people participated in the Je vois Montréal forum, where more than 200 projects to revitalize the city were presented. Premier Couillard and Minister Poëti were in attendance, but this Conservative government once again failed to be there for Quebeckers. Can the Prime Minister tell us why his government refuses to keep an open mind about Montrealers' ideas? Right Hon. Stephen Harper (Prime Minister, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I was told that the Government of Canada was represented at that conference.

What is more, we are always interested in hearing people's ideas, not only about Montreal but about all regions of Canada.

Poverty Ms. Nycole Turmel (Hull—Aylmer, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, on the initiative of Ed Broadbent, the Canadian government promised to put an end to child poverty by 2000. Twenty-five years have passed, and both Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to meet that goal. In Canada, one in five children is living in poverty. We need to take immediate action here at home. Rather than implementing tax policies that will benefit only the wealthy, will the government finally take practical measures to eliminate child poverty? Hon.

Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, obviously all Canadians and all parties want to continue to alleviate child poverty, and we hope to one day eliminate it. However, there is good news. The low-income rate for children has declined significantly from a peak of over 18% under the Liberal government to 8.5% currently. That means that there are over 700,000 fewer children living in poverty.

Here is what UNICEF had to say on the subject: If Canada is faring better than other western countries in this regard, it is due to measures that are favourable to families, like tax credits, fiscal measures and benefits that are maintained or put in place to counter the effects of [poverty]. [ English ] Ms. Rathika Sitsabaiesan (Scarborough—Rouge River, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago the House unanimously adopted Ed Broadbent's motion to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000, yet child poverty levels have remained tragically high.

That is an entire generation of children who have needlessly grown up in poverty. One in five Canadian children lives in poverty today. There is no excuse for such a wealthy country like ours not to look after our most vulnerable members, our children. Will the government commit to taking immediate action to eliminate poverty in Canada? Hon. Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, yes, we will. We have already done so.

While we all continue to hope for the elimination of child poverty one day, the NDP refuses to recognize that there has been progress made. In fact, the low-income rate for children has declined significantly from a peak of over 18% under the Liberal government to 8.5% currently, with over 700,000 fewer Canadian children living in low-income families.

This is in part because of the enormous benefits created by the government for low-income families, which led UNICEF recently to say that if Canada was faring better than other western countries in this regard, it was due to measures that were favourable to families, like tax credits, fiscal measures and benefits that were maintained or put in place to counter the effects of the global crisis. Ms. Rathika Sitsabaiesan (Scarborough—Rouge River, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, giving a huge tax break to the wealthiest families, while completely ignoring the poorest families, is not an answer to poverty.

That same UNICEF report is the one that is saying that one in five Canadian children lives in poverty today. Those children deserve better. Poverty impacts their ability to learn, to develop, to be healthy, to be fully integrated in their communities, and they need real action. Will the government support NDP Motion No. 534 to create a national plan to eliminate child poverty?

(1435) Hon. Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, yes, we will. However, unlike the NDP, we will take more than just rhetorical measures. We are taking real, concrete action. This is the government that cut the GST by two points while maintaining the low-income GST rebate at 7%, meaning a $1.1 billion benefit for low-income families. This is the government that has lifted a million low-income families off the tax rolls altogether.

This is the government that introduced the universal child care benefit, which provides now and next year over $1,900 for each family. That means a single mom with two kids under the age of six will be receiving $3,800 in cash benefit that the NDP would take away.

[ Translation ] Employment Insurance Mr. Robert Aubin (Trois-Rivières, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday the chair of the Social Security Tribunal confirmed that there are significant delays in the processing of cases: 14,677 cases are languishing on her desk. At this rate it will take 11 years to clear the backlog just for the income security section. That is shameful. For over a year, Ms. Brazeau has been in regular contact with the minister about the lack of staff at the tribunal, but the minister is asleep at the switch. How can the minister allow such an administrative nightmare? Hon.

Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, thanks to my department's efficiency, we have seen a 90% decrease in employment insurance appeals. That means that almost 90% of cases are handled by public servants, without appeal. The service is quicker. In the case of Quebeckers, the Government of Quebec has its own appeal process for benefits paid by the Quebec pension plan, which does not fall under the Social Security Tribunal. [ English ] Ms. Jinny Jogindera Sims (Newton—North Delta, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, yesterday the chair of the Social Security Tribunal told the human resources committee that she had been in continuous contact with the minister regarding the backlog, yet for 18 months now, that backlog has continued to grow, while the tribunal has been understaffed and working without performance standards. More than 14,600 Canadians are now waiting for a hearing. Why did the minister not take action sooner to address the enormous mess at the Social Security Tribunal? Hon. Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, again, in fact our ministry did take action by introducing a new approach toward reconsideration of EI refusals. That now happens quickly, by a public servant who, remarkably, actually picks up a phone and calls the person who has asked for a reconsideration, and sorts it out, often getting additional documentation. This means that we are now resolving about 90% of those refusals at a reconsideration stage in a matter of weeks, without having to go through a lengthy multi-month quasi-judicial process.

In terms of the CPP cases before the tribunal, we are adding additional decision-makers and taking other administrative measures to speed up the process. Mr. Mike Sullivan (York South—Weston, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, behind every one of those numbers is a person who needs to put food on the table and pay the bills. People cannot wait years for the government to get its act together. Nearly 10,000 Canadians still waiting for an appeal are living with a disability. In many cases the uncertainty and stress of financial insecurity makes their medical conditions worse.

Will the minister commit to eliminate the backlog and finally give these Canadians the justice they need and deserve? Hon. Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Yes, I will, Mr. Speaker. That is, in part, why we have legislation before the House in the budget implementation act, which we hope the NDP will support. This would allow us to hire up to an additional 22 decision-makers at the tribunal.

I am very pleased to highlight that the faster informal reconsideration process for refused EI applications means a 90% reduction in the caseload for EI, meaning we can reallocate those decision-makers over to the income security division. This means we will get at that backlog of cases so we can provide the kind of service that Canadians expect and deserve.

[ Translation ] Housing Ms. Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (Hochelaga, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, this week about 100 municipal officials with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are in Ottawa to remind the government that a strong Canada is built on strong communities. They are calling for significant investment to deal with the housing crisis in Canada. There are more than 1.5 million families living in inadequate housing in Canada. That is unacceptable. Will the Conservatives finally listen to the NDP and our municipal officials and protect federal investments in social housing? (1440) [ English ] Hon.

Candice Bergen (Minister of State (Social Development), CPC) : Mr. Speaker, we have been working together with the provinces and the municipalities. We have made unprecedented investments in housing. In fact, our investments have helped over one million families and individuals with affordable housing. As well, we have our homelessness partnering strategy, with the focus on Housing First, so we can help people who are chronically and episodically homeless, actually solving the problem, working together with our partners in cities, municipalities, and the provinces.

Infrastructure Mr. Murray Rankin (Victoria, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, representatives of municipalities from across Canada are in Ottawa today, calling on the Conservatives to stop ignoring the infrastructure deficit. Decades of downloading and underfunding have left our cities struggling, with crumbling roads and bridges, inadequate water supplies, and an affordable housing crisis. The New Democrats are ready to work as partners with municipalities and provide the support they need to build livable communities for Canadians.

When will Conservatives stop shortchanging our cities and commit to investing, now, in infrastructure and affordable housing? [ Translation ] Hon. Denis Lebel (Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, never in the history of this country has a government supported municipalities as much as we have. I realize that my colleagues do not like this, because they always vote against infrastructure plans. We are providing $70 billion over the next 10 years.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has been involved in this process from the beginning. We will continue to work with the federation. [ English ] Mr. Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, despite their claims, the Conservatives do not support the Ring of Fire. Their actions speak louder than their words. The minister has flatly refused to invest in the infrastructure required to unlock the jobs and economic potential of our region, saying that we must fight for scraps of a fund the Conservatives already slashed by billions of dollars.

Why do the Conservatives continue to nickel-and-dime northern Ontarians and play the blame game with the province? Where is the federal leadership this project so badly needs? Hon. Greg Rickford (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, CPC) : It is right here, Mr. Speaker. We met with Mattawa communities just a couple of days ago. We remain very optimistic that once the province has submitted its list of priorities for infrastructure projects, which should include infrastructure projects to support the Ring of Fire, we will be there. Mr.

Adam Vaughan (Trinity—Spadina, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, a bridge collapses in Montreal, and the government offers a tax break. Public housing built in Toronto by the federal government starts to fall apart, and it cuts the program. In Calgary, the city gets flooded, roads are washed away, and the government says, “Wait until the budget is balanced before we help.” Vancouver needs transit, Halifax needs a water system, Iqaluit needs housing, and the list is getting longer and longer. When will the government finally answer the calls of cities and towns across the country? When will it fund the programs now?

When will it deliver the money now? Why will it not stand up for Canada's cities and towns? Hon. Denis Lebel (Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I remember the years I was mayor. We had no money from the Liberal government. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister , we have tripled the investment in infrastructure. We will continue to do so. Ms. Joyce Murray (Vancouver Quadra, Lib.) : Mr.

Speaker, the western premiers have called on the federal government to be a partner in building the critical infrastructure they need for getting their products to markets. The government is spending billions on extra tax breaks for the rich by way of income splitting, but refuses to invest in the roads, rail, and bridges that will make our export markets stronger and help all Canadians and the economy. Do the Conservatives not realize that their 90% cut to the Building Canada fund will have a devastating effect out west? Hon.

Denis Lebel (Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the

preamble to this question is totally false. On the gas tax fund, all municipalities in the country already have the money available, which was announced all across the country, and municipalities know it. We will continue to support the development of our economy in supporting the development of infrastructure all across the country in core support and to help the economy of this country.

(1445) Regional Economic Development Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, here is what is at stake for Canada in the Ring of Fire: 5,500 jobs; $25 billion in economic activity for our financial services, wholesale, retail, utilities, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors; full participation of first nation communities. Ontario has brought $1 billion to the table. An independent development corporation has been set up. Corporate investors are on standby. Time is of the essence.

Will the Prime Minister meet with Ontario's premier by the end of this year, do his job, and support this project of national significance? Hon. Greg Rickford (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, Ontario has not committed a red cent and has set up a development corporation that is not supported by first nation communities the private sector, and it is not a policy option for this government in its current form.

We have made significant investments in the Ring of Fire and will continue to demonstrate our commitment by working with first nation communities and the provincial government should it identify the Ring of Fire as an actual priority.

National Defence Mr. Robert Chisholm (Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, because of Conservative mismanagement, our navy now faces a seven-year period with no resupply capacity. The minister's original plan has clearly fallen through. His promises that the navy's capabilities would be unaffected are in doubt. The minister will soon have before him a number of options to deal with this service gap. Could he share with us how much the Conservative government's mismanagement will cost Canadians? Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of National Defence, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I will share this with the hon. member.

Every cent that we have committed to the military and to the navy has been opposed by the NDP, which the member would of course know, but our national shipbuilding project represents a $36.6 billion investment that will contribute to our surface fleet for decades. The joint supply ships will replace the navy's current Protecteur -class vessels and, of course, we are considering options that will ensure that our navy can be resupplied in the medium term. [ Translation ] Ms. Élaine Michaud (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, the Conservatives are incapable of following through on their military procurement plan. It is failure after failure. As a result of the Conservatives' mismanagement, the Canadian navy now faces a seven-year period with no re-supply capacity. The new ships will not arrive until 2021. How much will the government's failure to renew its supply capacity on time cost Canadians? [ English ] Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of National Defence, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear again. Every cent that has ever been committed to our military has consistently been opposed by the NDP.

They do not want us to spend anything on our armed forces and our navy. We have undergone the Halifax class modernization program to give our frigates new equipment, sensors, and weapons. These will have world-class, multi-role capabilities. The program is on track, on schedule, and we are considering options that will ensure that our ships are resupplied in the medium term.

[ Translation ] Veterans Affairs Mr. Sylvain Chicoine (Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, for the first time in months, the Minister of Veterans Affairs will be going to Quebec City to meet with groups of former soldiers. However, those who have criticized the new veterans charter will be excluded from the discussions. Furthermore, not a single disabled veteran is expected to attend this meeting. Does the Minister of Veterans Affairs realize that so many veterans are angry and are boycotting his photo ops because of his failure to listen and his belligerent behaviour? [ English ] Mr.

Parm Gill (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, this week we look forward to meeting with representatives from Canada's major veterans' groups. Our government is proud to say that we have had the privilege of meeting with thousands of veterans, including the very people mentioned by the member opposite. Mr. Peter Stoffer (Sackville—Eastern Shore, NDP) : Mr.

Speaker, I want to publicly thank the Department of Veterans Affairs for tweaking the benefit package of the late Corporal Nathan Cirillo so that his family will receive all of the benefits of a regular force person, as he was a reservist. The problem is that many other reservists who become injured or die in the line of duty will not get the same benefits as those of a regular force person who is injured or dies in the line of service.

The major veterans' groups, all veterans' advocacy groups, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, and the ombudsman have asked repeatedly that reservists who are injured or die in the line of duty get the same benefits as regular force members. When will the government honour those recommendations and do the right thing for the reservists of our country?

(1450) Mr. Parm Gill (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our government has directed Veterans Affairs and National Defence officials to provide the complete benefits and programs available to regular force members to the dependent family members of those two remarkable Canadian veterans. Our government is working to fix the discrepancy for the other reservists killed in the line of duty as well.

National Defence Mrs. Stella Ambler (Mississauga South, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, Canada continues to make a significant contribution to the coalition campaign against ISIL. I understand that our planes have flown at least 80 sorties and, along with our coalition allies, have significantly degraded the military capacity of this terrorist group. Can the Minister of National Defence please update the House as to the latest activities of the Canadian Armed Forces as a part of Operation Impact? Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of National Defence, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, in addition to Monday's successful air strike on a warehouse being used to manufacture improvised explosives, late last night two CF-18 Hornets, in a pre-planned mission, dropped four 2,000-pound bombs on an ISIL fighting position in the desert near Kirkuk, Iraq. These significant strikes have denied the enemy the use of this position and has further extended the security buffer between ISIL and Iraqi security forces. As always, I congratulate the members of our armed forces for another successful mission. Needless to say, Canada will continue to do its

part in the fight against terrorism.

Access to Information Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's attack on the Access to Information Act continues. First it denied the Information Commissioner the order-making tools she requires to keep the government honest. Now it is cutting the resources she needs to handle investigations. Her budget has been cut by 9%, while complaints against government obstruction are up a whopping 31% just this year. She has said that without adequate funding, she will not be able to do her job. Maybe that is what the minister wants.

Could he clarify if he is going to continue undermining her work or going to give her the resources she needs so that she can keep the government on the straight and narrow? Mr. Dan Albas (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the independent commissioners of Parliament are responsible for managing the funds in their offices, and we expect this to be done in a way that is fair to the taxpayer. If agents of Parliament believe they need extra funding, they should respect the process and make a formal request through a Treasury Board submission.

The Treasury Board gives fair consideration to all submissions for additional funding in the supplementary estimates. Currently, the President of the Treasury Board has not received a formal request for additional funds from the Information Commissioner. [ Translation ] Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives cut the budget of the Information Commissioner as a way of muzzling her. As of last year she had already spent 99.8% of her budget, and there are more and more requests. They are piling up.

The Conservatives probably like hiding the truth, but the public has a right to obtain information without having to wait an eternity. Will the minister keep his word and respect the wishes of Parliament? Will he stop stifling the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada and will he give the office the tools it needs to serve the public? Mr. Dan Albas (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, commissioners are independent of Parliament and are responsible for managing their own offices' budgets. We expect them to do so in a way that is fair to taxpayers.

If parliamentary agencies feel that they need more money, they should respect the process and make a formal request to the Treasury Board. [ English ] The Treasury Board gives fair consideration to all submissions for additional funding in the supplementary estimates, and currently the President of the Treasury Board has not received a formal request for additional funds for the Information Commissioner. The government will not negotiate a request— The Speaker : The hon. member for Saint-Lambert.

[ Translation ] Citizenship and Immigration Mrs. Sadia Groguhé (Saint-Lambert, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, some 100 social groups are condemning the Conservatives' underhanded attack on refugee protection claimants. Denying refugees social assistance based on their immigration status is like denying a lifeline to the most vulnerable members of our society. That is particularly true for those who do not immediately obtain a work visa. Is the minister not ashamed of using a budget bill to backstab the most vulnerable members of our society?

(1455) Hon. Chris Alexander (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, no, we are not ashamed of exercising our responsibility to taxpayers, of providing quality health care to refugees, and of appealing the court's ruling. That ruling means that people whose refugee protection claims have been found to be fraudulent could receive better health care than Canadians receive. That would be irresponsible, and this government will continue to protect refugees and taxpayers. [ English ] Mr. Andrew Cash (Davenport, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, talk about responsibility.

The UN has called the flood of refugees in Syria “a mega crisis”. Just to put it in perspective, if Canada were Syria, it would mean that the entire population of Toronto right now was internally displaced. The minister was told by his own department that Canada could accept thousands more Syrian refugees. Instead, the minister has accepted just 200. His inaction is inexplicable. It is unacceptable. Canada should and could be saving lives right now. Why is the minister not acting? Hon. Chris Alexander (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, Franz Kafka rides again.

He has clearly taken out a membership card in the NDP. Today, the number of Syrian refugees that have arrived in this country has risen to 1,857. We have surpassed our commitment to government-assisted refugees and we have met our commitment to bring 20,000 Iraqis to this country more than a year in advance. That is all good news for refugees. That is something Canadians can be proud of. In a crisis where there are millions of internally displaced, millions of refugees fleeing terrorist violence, the NDP needs to explain why it is not prepared to do a single thing to face up to ISIL and other terrorist groups.

Fisheries and Oceans Ms. Judy Foote (Random—Burin—St. George's, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, the small craft harbours program has seen drastic cuts in recent budgets, but the latest action by DFO brings into question the very existence of the program. Without consultation, DFO is cutting by half the number of area managers in Newfoundland and Labrador, leaving eight people in total responsible for 335 harbours and 205 harbour authorities. Volunteers run harbour authorities. They apply for funding to fix aging federal infrastructure and should receive a timely response.

Why is the government willing to risk the safety of those who earn a living at sea? Hon. Gail Shea (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the important role that small craft harbours play in many coastal communities. We do recognize the valuable role that small craft harbour volunteers play in their communities and we thank them for that. In recent years we have made unprecedented investments in small craft harbours across this country. In fact, we are investing in Newfoundland and Labrador alone this year over $30 million in small craft harbours.

The region has proposed making some organizational changes to its area office, which will see less being spent on administration and more being spent on actual harbours. [ Translation ] Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Beauséjour, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, Richibucto harbour, on Principale Street, is in serious need of repairs and a long-term plan. At the request of the mayor, Roger Doiron, who is in Ottawa today, I have often asked the minister for funding and a long-term plan. I recently met with Cyril Polchies, a Mi'kmaq fisherman with the harbour authority, who also reiterated how important this harbour is to the community.

When will the minister finally take action to help the people of Richibucto and repair the harbour on Main Street? [ English ] Hon. Gail Shea (Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak specifically to the plans for Richibucto, but I want to be clear that we have made unprecedented investments in the small craft harbours program. We have increased the base budget by $10 million and we have invested an additional $40 million over the last two years alone.

We are committed to working with the harbour authority associations and the volunteers, because I believe that they play a big role in their communities. Those increased investments have allowed us to invest half a million dollars in dredging in the riding of Beauséjour alone.

(1500) [ Translation ] Citizenship and Immigration Mr. Jamie Nicholls (Vaudreuil—Soulanges, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, Canada's and Ontario's official languages commissioners say that francophone minority communities are not reaping the benefits of francophone immigration. Barely 2% of francophone newcomers settle outside of Quebec. Will the minister implement the commissioners' recommendations to ensure that our francophone minority communities reap the benefits of welcoming francophone newcomers? Hon. Chris Alexander (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, that is something we work on every day.

Last week, I met with the Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick. The goal is for 4.4% of immigration outside Quebec to be francophone by 2018. We are making progress. As part of the new immigration system, express entry, we want to mobilize all of our francophone immigration networks and all employers across Canada to get thousands of francophone immigrants in all of our provinces and territories. Mr. Yvon Godin (Acadie—Bathurst, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, we need tools to support francophone immigration to minority communities.

The Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada wants the express entry program to include a francophone component. We need to speed up processing of applications from francophones who want to settle in communities where French is the minority language. Will the minister implement the recommendations of the Commissioner of Official Languages and the FCFA's proposal or not? Hon. Chris Alexander (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, our immigration system does not just have a francophone component. All immigration to Canada is francophone and anglophone.

We are proud to welcome francophones to communities across the country. Actually, 30% of Yukon's population is now francophone. We offer services to new immigrants across Canada. We have made a lot of progress on that, and we have worked closely with the ACFA. We are proud of the francophone immigration networks we have across Canada thanks to the roadmap.

[ English ] National Defence Mr. John Carmichael (Don Valley West, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, the terrorist group ISIL has largely funded its military activities by refining and selling crude oil on the black market. ISIL has profited by millions of dollars every day in this way. Yesterday the U.S. State Department confirmed that air strikes have eliminated much of ISIL's oil refining capacity and have clearly reduced its revenue. This is clear evidence that despite what the NDP and Liberals have said, air strikes are reducing the capacity of ISIL to continue committing mass atrocities.

Can the Minister of National Defence please update the House on the efforts our armed forces are making in the fight against these extremists? Hon. Rob Nicholson (Minister of National Defence, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, illicit oil sales are a substantial source of revenue for ISIL. That is why we are pleased to hear that the United States State Department said that at least 22 of ISIL's refineries have been destroyed. This means that since the air campaign began, ISIL's refining capacity has been reduced by at least 11,000 barrels a day.

Let there be no doubt that air strikes have significantly diminished the capacity of ISIL to fund its military operations. The RCAF has now conducted over 80 sorties during Operation Impact. As always, Canada will continue to do its

part in fighting tyranny and oppression.

[ Translation ] Public Safety Hon. Stéphane Dion (Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, as we have already said, Bill C-10 is an ineffective, ideological grab bag that will simply inflate prison costs and prison populations, especially in provincial prisons, despite falling crime rates. A study conducted by Le Devoir confirms it: in two years, the prison population rose by 10% in Saskatchewan, 11% in Quebec and 18% in Manitoba.

Will the federal government compensate the provinces, which should not have to pay for the Conservatives' bad decisions, and will it remove the ridiculous six-month minimum sentence for possession of marijuana? [ English ] Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, I am sure, there is shared jurisdiction with respect to prisons, but let us be frank: it was our government that took the necessary steps to respond to the outcry from the public that we were hearing over very serious offences, including violent sexual offences.

That resulted in some mandatory minimum penalties. I remind the member opposite that contrary to the public view, his leader and his party have pledged to do away with mandatory minimum sentences when it comes to some serious offences, such as distribution of date rape drugs and child pornography.

(1505) Health Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the mobile ultrasound program has dramatically improved maternal health outcomes for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation in northwestern Ontario. The current sonographer will retire soon. Any replacement will cart hundreds of pounds of equipment to 16 remote communities. This rules out many qualified women. One option is to equip these communities with cart-based scanners at a one-time cost of $15,000 each. Another option spends hundreds of thousands of dollars bringing people to a central location for scans.

Will the Minister of Health decide to save money and buy the scanners? Hon. Rona Ambrose (Minister of Health, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, we invest very heavily in aboriginal health on first nations, but also specifically in the area of maternal health. I am happy to look into her specific issue and get back to her.

Taxation Mr. Chris Warkentin (Peace River, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, it was not long ago that Liberals were attacking the idea of providing support for families, saying that parents would simply spend the money on “beer and popcorn.” The candidate for Banff—Airdrie has shown that Liberals have not changed their ways. He recently said that tax cuts are a bad idea because Canadians will spend the money on the wrong things. Can the Minister of Employment and Social Development update the House on the meaningful tax cuts that this government is providing hard-working Canadian families? Hon.

Jason Kenney (Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed but not surprised to hear the Liberal candidate in Banff say that he was opposed to tax cuts for families because it is “handing people money for what? Arguably nothing.” That is an echo of the Liberals saying that parents would spend money on “beer and popcorn”. We believe that parents of kids will invest in their children, not in “beer and popcorn”, not in nothing.

This is why the Liberals were opposed to the GST cut, it is why they want to take back the choice in child care benefit, it is why they want to eliminate the family tax cut. It is because they think Liberals know how to spend money better than families. We— The Speaker : The hon. member for Terrebonne—Blainville.

[ Translation ] Canada Post Ms. Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne—Blainville, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, pretty soon the people of Blainville will be the ones to lose their home mail delivery service. I have held public consultations on the matter and I know for a fact that the people of my riding will not accept this loss. Furthermore, now private companies are offering to take over home mail delivery from Canada Post for $30 a month. It makes no sense. Did the Conservatives put an end to home mail delivery as part of a scheme to privatize Canada Post? [ English ] Mr.

Jeff Watson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, that is nonsense. Canada Post, in its five-point action plan, in order to turn around its finances, has not proposed privatization. Instead, it proposed a number of other measures, but it is only that party opposite that seems to suggest there is no crisis at Canada Post and therefore no need for action by Canada Post. We disagree. It has its five-point plan and it will carry that out.

[ Translation ] Natural Resources Mr. André Bellavance (Richmond—Arthabaska, Ind.) : Mr. Speaker, after stopping in Victoriaville, the president of the Union des municipalités du Québec will be continuing his tour today in the Centre-du-Québec region. One of the concerns of the UMQ is TransCanada's energy east pipeline project and the impact it will have on safety, environmental protection and land use.

Today the UMQ discovered that the techniques used and the route that TransCanada proposed to the National Energy Board were not up to date and did not reflect the negotiations that took place between the municipalities and the company. Can the Minister of Natural Resources guarantee that TransCanada will have to provide all the proper documentation so the National Energy Board can do its job? [ English ] Hon. Greg Rickford (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, the proponent's communication strategy does not play a role in our decision-making process. The project will undergo a rigorous science- and fact-based review to determine if it is safe for Canadians, safe for communities, and safe for the environment. We have been clear that projects will only proceed if they are safe for Canadians and safe for the environment.

Presence in Gallery The Speaker : I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Jackson Lafferty, Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Culture and Employment of the Northwest Territories. Some hon. members: Hear, hear!

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Routine Proceedings [ English ] 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 “Exchange of Notes Between the Government of Canada and the Multinational Force and Observers Constituting an Agreement Further Amending the Agreement on the Participation of Canada in the Sinai Multinational Force and Observers”, done at Rome on November 12 and November 14, 2014, and “A Second Protocol to the Convention between New Zealand and Canada for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income”, done at Wellington on September 12, 2014.

An explanatory memorandum is included with each treaty.

(1510) Government Response to Petitions Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 54 petitions.

Committees of the House Procedure and House Affairs Mr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding memberships of the committees of this House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence on the 24th report later today.

Public Accounts Mr. David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the 7th report, on

Chapter 7—Oversight of Rail Safety—Transport Canada of the 2013 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada; the 8th report, on

Chapter 8—Disaster Relief for Producers—Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada of the 2013 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada; the 9th report, on

Chapter 1—Public Sector Pension Plans of the 2014 Spring Report of the Auditor General of Canada; and last, the 10th report, on

Chapter 8—Meeting Needs for Key Statistical Data—Statistics Canada of the 2014 Spring Report of the Auditor General of Canada. Pursuant to Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response for all of these reports.

Procedure and House Affairs Mr. Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC) : Motion for concurrence Mr. Speaker, I move: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, the 24th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented earlier today be concurred in; that there be no further proceedings in relation to the 18th Report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs; and accordingly, that notices of motions to concur in the 18th Report be dropped from the Order Paper.

The Speaker : Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. (Motion agreed to)

Freedom of Expression and Association in Hong Kong Mr. Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre, NDP) : Motion Mr. Speaker, if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion.

I move: That this House reiterates Canada's continued support for freedom of expression and association in Hong Kong, including the right to peaceful protest; affirms Canada's support for the democratic aspirations of Hong Kong residents for genuine universal suffrage in the election of political leaders; stands with the people of Hong Kong who aspire for democracy, peace and the protection of human rights; and calls on all sides to exercise restraint during demonstrations, fully respect existing agreements in respect to the “One Country, Two Systems” principle, and open a meaningful and constructive dialogue to seek a mutually acceptable plan for electoral reform.

The Speaker : Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. (Motion agreed to)

(1515) Petitions Sex Selection Mr. Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from my riding and citizens across Canada asking that the House of Commons condemn discrimination against females through gendercide. This is an important petition. We have witnessed this reported in Canada by the CBC, and last year, Environics released a poll that indicated 92% of Canadians felt this practice of discriminating against girls should cease.

The Environment Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to table. The first petition is from Albertans in support of the climate change accountability act. It is

an act that calls on basing government policy on science and holding the government accountable for the actions it takes on reducing greenhouse gases.

Iraq Ms. Linda Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from Albertans who call upon the Government of Canada to take action to support Christians in Iraq and include the provision of humanitarian aid in co-operation with other nations.

Canadian Armed Forces Mr. Frank Valeriote (Guelph, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I rise to present this petition on behalf of some of the many Canadians who point out that not only does Canada have a social covenant with those who have served or are currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces but that this sacred obligation has existed for as long as we have been willing to send Canadians into harm's way and must be honoured now and forever.

Firearms Legislation Mr. Robert Sopuck (Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition signed by hundreds of Canadians supporting our government's common sense firearms licensing act. These Canadians are proud that our government is standing up for hunters and law-abiding gun owners through these reasonable updates that would reduce red tape while keeping our communities safe. The petitioners call upon the government to pass the common sense firearms licensing act.

Seed Industry Mr. Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House to present a petition from dozens of people from my community in Nickel Belt. The petitioners wish to bring to the attention of the House of Commons the fact that multinational seed companies are threatening the ability of small family farmers to produce the food required to feed their families and their communities. On November 12, I had a round table with about 40 farmers in Verner. These farmers are very concerned about the way the Conservative government is operating with these seed companies, and the petitioners want to prevent that.

Semiahmoo Bay Beach Ms. Joyce Murray (Vancouver Quadra, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition signed by literally hundreds of residents from White Rock, British Columbia. The petitioners are concerned that, based on a notice from the federal government's Department of Transportation, the City of White Rock has shut down the public's open access to the beaches of Semiahmoo Bay without prior public consultation and notice. They are concerned that this will increase the likelihood of risky behaviour such that people will try to cross the railway tracks to get to the beach.

It will cause a significant drop in property value and a reduction in business patrons for the marine businesses, as well as other hardships. Therefore, the petitioners call upon the government to direct the City of White Rock to stop further installation of planned fences and immediately consult with the local public, find mutually acceptable solutions, and then collaborate on sharing costs for the controlled crossings of these tracks.

Asbestos Mr. Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present a petition signed by literally tens of thousands of Canadians who call upon Parliament to take note that asbestos is the greatest industrial killer that the world has ever known. The petitioners point out that more Canadians now die from asbestos than all other industrial and occupational causes combined.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to ban asbestos in all of its forms and institute a just transition program for asbestos workers and the communities they live in, end all government subsidies of asbestos both in Canada and abroad, and stop blocking international health and safety conventions designed to protect workers from asbestos, such as the Rotterdam convention.

Falun Gong Hon. Irwin Cotler (Mount Royal, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition today on behalf of Canadians who are concerned about the cruel practice of forced organ harvesting by the Chinese regime on vulnerable prisoners, including Falun Gong practitioners. The petitioners call upon the government to take measures to stop the Chinese regime's crime of systematically engaging in forced harvesting of the organs of Falun Gong practitioners, to amend Canadian legislation to combat forced organ harvesting and to publicly call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Having introduced Bill C-561 to further restrict organ trafficking, I am pleased to stand in solidarity with these petitioners.

(1520) Canada Post Mr. Malcolm Allen (Welland, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first one is to reverse the cuts to Canada Post. Hundreds of petitioners are calling on the government to reverse those cuts and restore home delivery, as well as look at innovative ways to make Canada Post a viable corporation on a go-forward basis.

National Garden Day Mr. Malcolm Allen (Welland, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition actually speaks to my private member's bill, which is to designate the Friday preceding Father's Day as National Garden Day. Representing a part of the city of St. Catharines, which is also known across this great land of ours as the garden city, I ask what more appropriate thing could we do than actually celebrate the horticultural industry, but celebrate part of my riding at the same time, and designate that Friday as national garden day?

Prescription Drugs Ms. Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, each year in Canada 10,000 people die from prescription drugs taken exactly as prescribed, and some 3.5 million Canadians have inadequate drug coverage or no coverage at all. Petitioners call on the Government of Canada to establish a committee with the necessary authority, mandate, expertise, and funding to make recommendations to reduce the number of deaths by prescription drugs and to work with the provinces and territories to ensure all Canadians have a drug plan that covers the costs of prescription drugs and to expand catastrophic drug coverage for all Canadians.

[ Translation ] Canada Post Mrs. Djaouida Sellah (Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition from dozens of citizens from Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert who oppose the reduction of Canada Post services. Canada will be the only G8 country that no longer has home delivery. Thousands of Canadians from across the country have mobilized against this. I support their petition.

Agriculture Mrs. Djaouida Sellah (Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform you that I have a second petition that I am pleased to present in the House. The petition is calling on the government to respect the rights of small family farms to keep, share, and use their seeds. It was sent to me by Denise Brouillette, who has gathered over 100 signatures from the people of my riding, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert .

[ English ] Canada Post Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I rise to table two petitions. The first is yet another petition regarding the devastating cuts to service and huge price increases at Canada Post.

Health Care Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to table the second petition on behalf of many concerned citizens regarding the government's serious cuts to the interim federal health program, which has assisted refugees in Canada since the 1950s. I look forward to the government's response to these petitions.

[ Translation ] The Environment Ms. Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Beauharnois—Salaberry, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I have a petition concerning the ship Kathryn Spirit that has over 1,000 signatures. The Kathryn Spirit is an old wreck that has been languishing for over three years in Lac Saint-Louis, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River. The ship contains toxic substances and poses a threat to the environment and to people's health, since it is in a drinking water reservoir.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to force the owner of the Kathryn Spirit to complete the work and leave before the seaway closes for the season; they have less than 30 days. Furthermore, it must ensure that the ship is safely towed out of Canadians waters, also before the seaway closes for the 2014 season.

[ English ] The Environment Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions. The first is from residents of Ontario and Quebec who are noting what is now an increasingly loud and growing concern over the threat to pollinators posed by neonicotinoid insecticides. They are calling on the government to take action to remove the use of these pesticides. Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) : Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from residents of the greater Vancouver area as well as Victoria. They are calling for a permanent legislated tanker ban to ensure that crude oil tankers do not pass up and down the coast of British Columbia.

Dementia Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House with petitions from people across the country who are pushing for the House of Commons to support Bill C-356 , put forward by my colleague, the member for Nickel Belt , regarding the need for a national dementia strategy. As we deal with an aging population, issues of Alzheimer's and dementia can have very profound and dramatic effects, not just on the person suffering it but the families and loved ones as well. There needs to be a better system in place.

We need to work with the provinces and have a national discussion on the issue of dementia and Alzheimer's. Petitioners are hoping Parliament will take this matter seriously and support this New Democratic Party bill.

(1525) Falun Gong Mr. Brent Rathgeber (Edmonton—St. Albert, Ind.) : Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling a petition signed by over 3,500 residents of Edmonton—St. Albert calling on this House to pass a resolution condemning the Chinese Communist party's crime of systematically murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs and to amend Canadian laws to legislate against forced organ harvesting. It is my pleasure to table this petition, and I look forward to the government's response.

Agriculture Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, last week I had a group of caring constituents come to my office with some petitions. The petitioners are calling on the government to look at the consideration of adopting international aid policies that would support small family farmers, especially women, and recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, if Questions Nos. 738 to 741 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately. The Speaker: Is it agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. [ Text ] Question No. 738-- Mr. Dennis Bevington : With regard to the government's support for the development and use of renewable energy for each year between 2006 and 2014 inclusive, what were the government's expenditures, broken down by (

i) province and territory, (ii) department or agency, (iii) program? (Return tabled) Question No. 739-- Mr. Dennis Bevington : With regard to the Prime Minister's trip to Northern Canada in August 2014: what are the details concerning the costs of this trip, including those costs of federal personnel already on the ground in Northern Canada tasked with support, broken down by (

i) date, (ii) location, (iii) department or agency? (Return tabled) Question No. 740-- Ms. Kirsty Duncan : With respect to Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s initiative entitled “21st Century Consular Plan: Canadian Consular Services — A Modern Approach 2014”: (

a) what are the names, positions, organizations or affiliations of all the stakeholders consulted during the creation of this plan; (

b) what submissions, proposals or recommendations were made by stakeholders during the consultation process; (

c) what are the dates, times and locations of the meetings with those individuals or organizations consulted during the creation of this plan; (

d) what is the total of all government expenditures arising from the consultation process related to the plan, including, but not limited to, (

i) travel expenses, including transportation, accommodation, rental of meeting spaces or equipment, food, and other travel-related expenses, (ii) staff time costs, including any overtime pay incurred, (iii) any services or other support procured from consultants or other contractors, (iv) other relevant expenses incurred, broken down by related details; (

e) what are the titles and file names of all reports, emails and briefing notes prepared in relation to the development and consultation process involved in finalizing the creation of the plan; (

f) how many requests for consular services have been classified as “complex”, noting whether or not they were resolved from fiscal year 2006-2007 to 2013-2014; (

g) what are the details respecting the Vulnerable Children’s Consular Unit, as they relate to (

i) the budget of this unit for fiscal years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, (ii) the number of full-time equivalent employees employed in this unit, for fiscal years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, (iii) the titles and file names of all reports and briefing notes prepared by this unit for the last fiscal year; (

h) what partnerships and technologies are currently being discussed in relation to modernizing the approach for outreach of this plan; (

i) what methods have been employed to increase “the scope of public awareness campaigns” to make Canadians more aware of important travel tips; and (

j) how much funding has been allocated to the deployment of this proposal for fiscal year 2014-2015? (Return tabled) Question No. 741-- Ms. Françoise Boivin : With regard to the distribution of government jobs within departments and agencies in the National Capital Region (NCR): (

a) how many jobs were located in the Quebec part of the NCR in 2014; (

b) how many jobs were located in the Ontario part of the NCR in 2014; (

c) how many jobs in the Quebec part of the NCR will be eliminated as a result of the cuts introduced in the last budget; and (

d) how many jobs in the Ontario part of the NCR will be eliminated as a result of the cuts introduced in the last budget? (Return tabled) [ English ] Mr. Tom Lukiwski : Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand. The Speaker: Is it 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 it agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS Government Orders [ English ] Agricultural Growth Act Bill C-18--Time Allocation Motion Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC) : Motion Mr. Speaker, I move: That in relation to Bill C-18,

An Act to amend certain Acts relating to agriculture and agri-food , 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 the third reading stage of the said bill; and That fifteen minutes before the expiry of the time provided for government business 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 : We will now have a 30-minute question period. The hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster. [ Translation ] Mr. Peter Julian (Burnaby—New Westminster, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today in the House because of this government's sorry record. This is the 82nd time that it has imposed a time allocation motion and closure on a government bill before the House. This sorry record is unprecedented in the history of Canada. We have never seen a government axe debate in the House so quickly before. Only a handful of people get the opportunity to speak to the bills in question.

What is even sadder is that this government has the worst record when it comes to the number of laws rejected by the court. This year alone, half a dozen bills were rejected by the court. This government keeps cutting off debate, while introducing seriously flawed bills. That is why taxpayers are paying such enormous bills, as this government has to redraft its legislation every time it makes these mistakes. (1530) [ English ] On this particular bill, Bill C-18 , this is the 82nd time the government is imposing time allocation and closure. The NDP offered 16 different amendments to fix problems with the bill.

Farmers have raised concerns, including the increased cost of seeds and the increased likelihood of litigation against farmers. The Conservatives have refused to amend the bill to fix these problems. My question is very simple. Is the reason why the Conservatives are putting forward time allocation that they do not want farmers to know about the problems with the bill? Hon. Gerry Ritz (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, that is a ridiculous assertion. This piece of legislation has been running around these halls for some 23 years.

It is called UPOV '91 because its basis came from discussions in 1991. There have been decades of discussion around this bill, so for any farm group to say that it has not had time to frame its opinion or bring forward its issues is completely ridiculous. The bill has had several iterations in the House. The Liberals took a couple of runs at it when they were in government for 13 years, but they did not get it to this point. We intend to see this put into law. It is the right thing to do. The vast majority of farm groups out there, with the exception of one, recognize the benefits they would gain from this.

It would draw more R and D to this country. It would draw more investment in research. It is amazing. Farmers have grasped that they need the best in order to be innovative and efficient on their farms. They welcome the passage of this bill. We will see that it gets done. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity on dozens of occasions to talk about time allocation. What I would like to suggest to the government is that it look at the degree to which it uses time allocation.

Every time they bring a time allocation motion, it is in the neighbourhood of an hour of the House of Commons' time. We are getting to close to 200 hours of talking just about time allocation. Time allocation, in essence, is when the government forces a bill through, disallowing all members who want to contribute to the debate. This is a record. Never in the history of Canada have we witnessed this. This is not even the first time for this particular minister. Do members remember the Canadian Wheat Board? Even though it was denied the plebiscite, which by law was mandated, there was time allocation.

It is disrespectful of our democracy. My question is not for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food but for the government House leader. Quite simply, why is the Government of Canada so dependent on time allocation in getting its legislative agenda passed through the House? Whatever happened to consensus, co-operation, and working with stakeholders? Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, as I said in my response to my colleague from the NDP earlier, this has been ongoing for 20-some years. There have been discussions on this.

The committee had full hearings and more than 50 witnesses, who fully exposed any problems in this bill. We have made a couple of adjustments ourselves and amendments, as the government, to make sure that being able to use the seed is spelled out in a more farmer-friendly way than the legalese that was there. The Liberals are in such a hurry to discuss this bill that I can see everyone lined up over there behind the member for Winnipeg North . Hon. Steven Fletcher (Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, CPC) : Mr.

Speaker, I wonder if the minister could explain the quality of debate from the opposition when closure is not imposed. I also wonder if the minister could explain why the Conservative Party holds every rural seat west of Kenora— The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : Order, please. The hon. member for Timmins—James Bay is rising on a point of order. Mr. Charlie Angus : Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but this is a debate about cutting off the ability of the opposition to ask questions. It is not an opportunity for Conservative backbenchers to lob softballs. The Acting Speaker (Mr.

Barry Devolin) : The hon. member is correct. The question before the House is related to time allocation, but obviously, members often refer to the substance of the bill in their question as well. I would ask the hon. member to quickly put his question so that the minister can respond.

(1535) Hon. Steven Fletcher : Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the member has any problem with backbenchers asking questions. If he does, his party and the opposition should never ask questions. With regard to time allocation, can the minister again explain why we need to use it now and get on with things? Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, I welcome that question and comment from my colleague from Manitoba. Certainly, there have been years of debate. As I said, there have been over two decades of debate and discussion on this particular issue. It is time to put it in place.

Canada is one of the very few, if not the one major agriculture-based country in the world that has not embraced UPOV '91. There are things in UPOV '91 that would give farmers more rights and more privileges than they enjoy now under UPOV '78. What we are striving to do is bring this up to that level. Certainly there were some concerns from one farm group. Over 50 witnesses came to the committee and had full access to talk about the issues in it. To us, as a government, that is far more important than listening to the opposition, which raised the same points.

We would rather hear it directly from the horse's mouth, those farmers and investors who will welcome this in Canada so that we can move forward with some new and exciting varieties for farmers to grow. [ Translation ] Mrs. Anne-Marie Day (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, I am always surprised when the government cuts off the debates. It shocks me because it is shameful. This is the 82nd time this has happened. I have not been able to speak to this debate and I will not get the chance to do so. Agriculture is extremely important.

Protecting our farmers under law to prevent lawsuits is important. We have not managed to add our points of view to the discussion. Indeed, agriculture has been around for a long time and it is the breadbasket of our food supply. It is therefore important to talk about it in the House, as we do with any other topic, and in fact we should discuss it even longer. [ English ] Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more. We need to talk about agriculture more in the House. It is one of the base industries in this great country. It is the third-largest contributor to our GDP.

Our exports are in the $60-billion range. They have gone up exponentially since we formed government, simply because we have gone out there. The Minister of International Trade , the Minister of Foreign Affairs , a number of other ministers, and I have been on the road. The Prime Minister himself, who is the greatest salesman ever when it comes to agricultural goods, just had a successful trip to China. That is another $1.5 billion of new access to that growing market for our commodities. That is the nature of agriculture in this country. It is innovative. It is lean, mean, and efficient.

It needs this type of cutting-edge legislation to allow farmers to continue to move forward. It is important that the opposition listen to farmers who want to move ahead, not to those who want to move back to the fifties, when grain was dug out of a bin and stuck in the ground. It should listen to those farmers who are excited about the new varieties out there that give them efficiency, ingenuity, and that edge when it comes to competing with other farmers from the U.S., Australia, Argentina, and Brazil. We need this legislation. We needed it 20 years ago. We did not get it then, but we will get it today. Mr.

Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the people back home need to understand that whenever the minister makes a statement, there needs to be some kind of explanation as to what he really means. When he says that this legislation has been debated for 24 years, that is not correct. There has been the issue of UPOV '91, but the bill before us is an omnibus bill. The government sticks all manner of issues in it, including the power it will give the minister to make regulations, taking it away from farmers and putting it in the hands of the minister and the cabal that sits with him.

That is an issue that needs to be discussed. When this government continually shuts down debate, it blows it. How many bills has it passed that have not had proper debate and have been struck down as unconstitutional? The government's recall rate is worse than the Ford Pinto. If the Conservatives did their job and showed up for work and allowed us to do our work, they might not look so ridiculous some of the time.

We bring forward reasonable amendments at committee to defend the interests of farmers and maintain that balance, and the Conservatives strike down every single amendment, as they do on every single bill, on every single occasion, including if we point out in a committee hearing that they have spelled something wrong. They will strike that down too. They would rather be wrong on the most basic things than right on anything. What we are here to do in Parliament is debate to allow Canadians to hear the issues. People watch, and I sometimes wonder what they are watching.

They should be able to sit here and know that members from every part of this country are able to talk about an issue, yet time after time the Conservatives shut down the debate, and the result is that they keep coming forward with fundamentally flawed legislation.

(1540) Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, I completely reject that diatribe, as any clear thinking Canadian would. Yes, that party brought forward 56 motions on this particular piece of legislation, each one to take a clause out of the bill. Each one of those clauses is pertinent to UPOV '91. All those members are doing under the smokescreen of democracy is pulling out the parts of UPOV '91 that are in this legislation. We have been 24 years getting it to this point. There has been a lot of discussion. Several bills were tried by the Liberals at different times during their reign here. We are now moving forward.

Farmers, now that they have marketing freedom and are moving forward and having access to other markets in the world, will have access to new varieties of seed, not just hard red spring anymore. There will be a lot of utility varieties that are still millable. They will keep the price down yet have a return per acre that is better. That is what we are seeking to do here. The NDP is seeking to gut the bill. We will not allow that. We will put this legislation forward. We will stand it on its merits out there, and farmers will make use of it or not.

This would not affect in any way, shape, or form any types of seeds that are out there already, including heritage seeds and the predominant seeds that are out there now. This is only on new varieties as of when this legislation is passed. That is another thing the NDP gets wrong all the time. Hon. Mark Eyking (Sydney—Victoria, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I have to commend the government for stepping up to the plate to try to get some modern legislation on agriculture. However, I think the member for Timmins—James Bay is also correct. The government has just thrown a whole bunch of things in the bill.

When we started the committee process, the minister said that the government was very open to amendments. The reality is that none of the amendments from either the Liberals or the NDP were accepted. The minister mentioned witnesses. I have to commend the chair of our committee, too, because he did a great job, and we had a lot of witnesses. I know that everyone is focused on new crops, and having better varieties is something we need to have in this country. However, the canola growers talked about the advance payments. They said that it is not enough for today's modern farming.

They want an increase, so we put an amendment forward. I thought the government, in good faith, would have changed that, because the reality is that it is a loan and it would have worked. The Canadian Cattlemen's Association brought forward the issue of penalties. The Conservatives have penalties in the bill that are pretty high for farmers. The association said that they want the government to be like a coach, not a referee, in dealing with food safety and helping farmers and food production move forward.

On those two parts I think the government could have listened to some of the opposition amendments, and we could have had a “made in Canada” bill that would have been good for all, especially the small farmers. I think there should have been more in there for small, organic, and start-up farmers, which the government did not do. It could have done a lot more with the bill. At the end of the day, the Liberals will go with the bill, but I think the government could have done a better job of listening to the opposition and could have added more to the bill. Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr.

Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his constructive criticism. It did not surprise me at all that the canola growers would want a bigger program to administer, since they are the ones that administer it. At the end of the day, only 2% of farmers, to date, hit the $400,000 cap. They want me to double it to $800,000 to catch whom? It is the big farmers. The member just made the statement that he wants to ensure that there are still small farmers out there. That is what we are doing by maintaining this cap at $400,000. We changed it from $250,000 under the Liberals to $400,000 when I became minister.

We also changed the $50,000 interest free to $100,000 interest free, and we added livestock. We significantly changed this program in the last few years. To increase it to $800,000, as I said, would only affect 2% of farmers, so that really was not a constructive amendment. I recognize the great work the canola growers do, but I would not be shocked that they came forward and said, “We want more money to play with.” However, they do not need it. As I said, only 2% of farmers hit the cap now.

On his other point on penalties, which the CCA brought forward, it was a bit of a misunderstanding by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, unfortunately, and the member for Sydney—Victoria has picked it up, in that the federal government only comes into play post farm gate. Everything done on the farm, and these were the examples they gave, was on the farm. They were concerned about the onerous penalties. That is all at provincial level. That is not us at all. There is a bit of misinformation out there that the punitive side of on-farm animal husbandry could go up.

That would be up to the provinces, not the federal government. CFIA, our regulatory agency, only comes into play from transportation from the farm gate on through the processing sector and so forth, so there is a bit of misinformation there.

(1545) Mr. Malcolm Allen (Welland, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, as we have unfortunately become very accustomed to in the House, we have time allocation and this time it happens to be with respect to agriculture. I guess we have to spread it around every ministry to ensure everybody gets an opportunity to come and defend time allocation in this place, so now it is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food 's opportunity. Even when the minister came before committee, he said that the bill was not quite the way the government wanted it and required some changes.

He is correct about some of the things that go on in this place because of the way the process is when it comes to the amendments. However, we submitted 16 recommendations that we thought would strengthen the bill. In its wisdom, the government side of the committee decided to vote against all of them. That was disappointing to say the least because the minister said that he would send a recommendation and the department would have some changes to it, which actually came about. However, it turned out to be a very small piece.

Clearly, the dilemma with Bill C-18 is that it is an omnibus bill, so there are many moving parts contained within it, some of which we like. The problem is we have to vote for all of it, so we have to vote for the parts we dislike more than the parts we like. That is part of the problem. Ultimately, the minister said that the new seed act would take care of the new seed varieties, which is true. UPOV '91 will not affect them. However, as I said in committee, one of the amendments we tried to make was with respect to the varieties that were established today.

When I asked the department this, it clearly agreed with me and said that if I applied to deregister them, there was a process for the deregistration and if that was not opposed to in any way, I could have them removed. The reality is that if I have a new seed variety under UPOV '91 and two old ones and I want to keep the two old ones, which I do not make as much money from, as a business person, I would probably take the new one. Why could we not have ensured that piece was in legislation?

There were a number of other things that did not get through the committee, which is unfortunate because we are now in this situation. The minister made a promise that he would get it done by August, and the last time I checked it was November. That is no reason for time allocation. Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, I am not sure how the member for Welland knew what I said at committee when he was not even there. At the end of the day, I do have a couple of things I would like to discuss with him. He talked about this bill. We consider it comprehensive.

It is five different parts and pieces that dovetail in with agriculture, so it is a very comprehensive bill. It is not large, rather it is several pages long, so I do not see why anybody would have a problem understanding what is in it. He talked about existing varieties, and he is right to that extent. He said that it was so easy for companies to deregister, which they can do now as it has nothing to do with this bill. If I as a seed grower or a farmer I want to pick up something that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has deregistered, I can do that. It would cost me $200 through the Canadian Grain Commission.

It is not an onerous project or process. It has been done before. There are a couple of issues with some durum wheat. I remember a few years ago there was a variety that was deregistered. When it is no longer registered, it cannot be put into the system under the old Wheat Board. We have made some changes in that regard too. It is much easier to maintain these historic varieties than it ever was before because we do not have the Wheat Board saying that it is prescriptive. The idea that one can deregister and somehow hide that is no longer on.

We can pull that variety back up for that registry fee of $200 and continue to produce those seeds. Mr. Pierre Lemieux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, CPC) : Mr. Speaker, in my time in the House, I have noted that the New Democrats in particular will do anything to delay voting or the passage of legislation. It is in their best interest because they never have to vote on something in that case. That is particularly true with this bill. I bring this up in terms of their Quebec MPs who represent Quebec farmers who want this bill to pass.

The New Democrats have already indicated quite clearly that they will not vote in favour of this bill, so their position is already known. I want to ask the minister about these delay and obstruct-type tactics being used by the NDP. Could he explain to the House and to farmers why it is important for the legislation to move forward in a reasonable time period?

(1550) Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, Canada is not an island when it comes to investments by companies developing new seed varieties. We are competing with a number of other venues around the world, so it is very important that we get this passed. When we started talking about this, and the member for Welland made that point that, we were trying to get this through by August 1. We had some transportation logistics that took the House time, and I thank them for their help on that. However, at the end of the day, we have to get this passed.

We have already seen some significant investments from several groups coming to Saskatchewan apparently and developing some of these research farms. We are seeing investments coming through our universities with other people partnering around the world, which is not a bad thing. The parliamentary secretary also made reference to farmers in Quebec wanting to see this happen. It is not just farmers in Quebec; it is also dairy farmers across Canada who want to see this happen.

They are very supportive of this because they know they need the best new corn and alfalfa varieties to keep the animals under their care well fed. Our dairy animals have the best genetics in the world. That is what they require of this, those new varieties, so they want to see this done very quickly too. I cannot understand why the NDP continues to vote against supply management. Ms. Ève Péclet (La Pointe-de-l'Île, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, it is very bizarre for the minister to talk about supply management. We presented a motion to protect supply management and the government supported it.

I think our efforts are made at the right place. We will wait to vote for about an hour. Almost a dozen MPs could have talked about agriculture and our farmers during that time. The minister has talked for the past 30 minutes on how he is proud of our farmers and our agricultural sector. We are all proud of this, but why is he preventing members to talk about our amazing agricultural sector and why is he preventing members who represent Canadian farmers to talk about this in the House? I would like to know. Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr.

Speaker, as I said, in this legislation, and in some of the other parts that are in it as well, is comprehensive legislation. There have been discussions for over two decades, so it is well known what everyone's opposition and thoughts are in this regard, so I will not say that we need to have more debate. The problem is the motions that the NDP members put forward, which they want to debate for the rest of time, would gut the bill. They would pull UPOV '91 right out of the bill. That is all it does. We will not tolerate that. We are moving forward. [ Translation ] Ms.

Lise St-Denis (Saint-Maurice—Champlain, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, there are many small farmers in my riding. I talked to them about this bill and they all told me it does not really take them into consideration. Can the minister explain to me once more why small farmers are not being taken into consideration in this bill? [ English ] Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, there is no small or large farmer affected any differently throughout the bill. It is all about economies of scale. Even small farmers need good seeds.

It does not matter whether they are planting a garden or planting 10,000 acres, they need good seed and need the best seed that is available out there so they can compete with the farmer down the road, or the farmer in the United States, or the farmer in Australia. That is what this is all about. Even small farmers will benefit from this because they will be have access to that best seed. [ Translation ] Mr. Raymond Côté (Beauport—Limoilou, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have a habit of always arguing that time is of the essence.

The members of the official opposition are certainly not responsible for the government's negligence. After all, the Conservatives have been in power for almost nine years. I remember reading this summer the memoirs of the former Quebec agriculture minister, Jean Garon, who implemented a huge number of measures over nine years. He always held extensive consultations that went well beyond interest groups. I would like to know what the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is afraid of and what is preventing him from thoroughly debating a bill that is basically an omnibus bill.

This bill demands much more attention than can be given under a time allocation motion. It seems that they are just blindly forging ahead. (1555) [ English ] Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, I am always happy to discuss agriculture with anyone. It is well known in the House that I have been the most lobbied minister for a number of years in a row, simply because we discuss this with every farmer and farm group caring to have a discussion with us. Therefore, we are accessible, available and we continue to have those meetings, and we will on any legislation that affects farmers. Mr.

Arnold Chan (Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.) : Mr. Speaker, I rise with reluctance to join this debate on the time allocation motion because it really is sad. As a new member in this place, I have only had a short time to observe the practices of the House and at committee, but I have seen already a pattern of bringing in time allocation motions. It reminds me of another government where I had the privilege of spending some time, and that was at Queen's Park. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was there at that time. It reminds of the time that government brought in the use of time allocation motions hundreds of times.

It reflects ultimately on a fundamental disrespect for this place and for places of parliament with respect to allowing for a full debate. I want to ask the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Foreign Affairs why they feel they do not want to allow full debate to take place. As the Minister of Agriculture has already noted, this matter has been around for 23 years. Why not simply allow sufficient time for all those members who want to speak on the bill to speak to it? Hon. Gerry Ritz : Mr. Speaker, he just made the point at the end. After 23 years, the points have all been made.

No one has changed his or her mind. The NFU came in many different iterations to committee and said exactly the same thing it had been saying for 23 years. Grain growers of Canada, canola growers, dairy farmers, and all the other relevant groups came forward and said exactly what they had said, that they needed to be competitive, they needed the best, they needed to move forward on this and get it done. That is exactly what we are doing. We are starting to run government like business. We make a decision, push forward and get it done. We implement it and move forward.

That is what this is all about, ensuring that farmers have access to the best varieties and the best programming we can possibly deliver as a government. The Acting Speaker (Mr. Barry Devolin) : Before I put the question, I want to remind members that during a 30-minute debate on a time allocation motion, we do not follow the normal rotation.

The majority of the questions are given to the opposition parties, usually only a couple of them to government members, and the rotation between opposition parties is proportional to the members who want to participate in the debate, rather than simply from one caucus to the other. I think there was genuine confusion in terms of how it works. I appreciate the co-operation of all hon. members. It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings at this time and put forthwith the question on the motion now before the House. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed.

Some hon. members: No. The 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. 276) YEAS Members Ablonczy Adams Adler Aglukkaq Albas Albrecht Alexander Allen (Tobique—Mactaquac) Allison Ambler Ambrose Anders Anderson Armstrong Aspin Baird Barlow Bateman Benoit Bergen Bezan Block Boughen Braid Breitkreuz Brown (Leeds—Grenville) Bruinooge Butt Calandra Calkins Cannan Carmichael Carrie Chong Clarke Crockatt Daniel Davidson Dechert Dreeshen Duncan (Vancouver Island North) Dykstra Falk Fast Findlay (Delta—Richmond East) Finley (Haldimand—Norfolk) Fletcher Galipeau 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 Komarnicki Kramp (Prince Edward—Hastings) Lake Lauzon Lebel Leef Leitch Lemieux Leung Lizon Lobb Lukiwski Lunney MacKay (Central Nova) MacKenzie Maguire Mayes McColeman McLeod Menegakis Moore (Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam) Moore (Fundy Royal) Nicholson Norlock Obhrai O'Connor Oliver O'Neill Gordon O'Toole Payne Poilievre Preston Rajotte Reid Rempel Richards Ritz Saxton Schellenberger Seeback Shea Shipley Shory Smith Sopuck Sorenson Stanton Strahl Sweet Toet Trost Trottier Truppe Uppal Van Kesteren Van Loan Wallace Warawa Warkentin Watson Weston (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country) Weston (Saint John) Wilks Williamson Wong Woodworth Young (Oakville) Young (Vancouver South) Yurdiga Zimmer -- 140 NAYS Members Allen (Welland) Angus Aubin Ayala Bélanger Bellavance Benskin Blanchette Boivin Borg Boutin-Sweet Brahmi Brison Caron Casey Cash Chan Chicoine Chisholm Choquette Christopherson Cleary Comartin Côté Cotler Crowder Cullen Cuzner Davies (Vancouver East) Day Dewar Dion Dionne Labelle Doré Lefebvre Dubé Dubourg Duncan (Edmonton—Strathcona) Dusseault Easter Eyking Foote Freeland Fry Garrison Genest Genest-Jourdain Giguère Godin Goodale Gravelle Groguhé Harris (Scarborough Southwest) Hsu Hughes Jones Julian Lamoureux Lapointe Latendresse Laverdière LeBlanc (LaSalle—Émard) Leslie Liu MacAulay Mai Marston Martin Masse May McCallum McGuinty McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood) Michaud Morin (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine) Morin (Laurentides—Labelle) Murray Nantel Nunez-Melo Papillon Péclet Perreault Pilon Rafferty Rankin Rathgeber Ravignat Raynault Regan Rousseau Sandhu Scarpaleggia Scott Sellah Sims (Newton—North Delta) Sitsabaiesan St-Denis Stewart Stoffer Sullivan Thibeault Toone Tremblay Trudeau Turmel Valeriote Vaughan -- 106 PAIRED Nil The Acting Speaker (Mr.

Barry Devolin) : Motion agreed to I declare the motion adopted. I wish to inform the House that because of the proceedings on the time allocation motion, government orders will be extended by 30 minutes. Pursuant to Standing Order 38, it is my duty to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, Aboriginal Affairs; and the member for Ahuntsic, Public Safety.

(1640) Report Stage Bill C-18. Report stage The House resumed from November 17 consideration of Bill C-18,

An Act to amend certain Acts relating to agriculture and agri-food , as reported with amendments from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 1. Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP) : Mr. Speaker, as always, it is a great honour to stand up in the House to speak on this agricultural issue, in this case Bill C-18 and the question of plant breeders' rights. It is a great honour for me as well, because I represent a very large agricultural region in the Timiskaming and Timmins—James Bay region.

What we have seen over the last number of years through the boom-bust economy of forestry and mining is a growing strength in northern agriculture. In the southern part of my riding, known as the little clay belt, extending down through Témiscaming, Quebec, and over into northern Ontario, there is now a $91 million a year direct agriculture business with another $111 million in spinoffs for support organizations, dealers, and milk organizations in our area. There are over 1,000 people now directly involved in agriculture just in the Timiskaming region. Therefore, these issues are important to them.

Moreover, a very interesting transformation in northern agriculture has been happening over the last 25 years in areas that had opened up to development back at the turn of the last century. People who had homesteaded had found out that it was very hard and brutal work, and because of the climate it was simply not possible to maintain farming over any period of time. Therefore, in the so-called upper northern clay belt, we did have an incredible number of farmlands cleared, but people just co