Debates of the Senate

Debates of the Senate 1st SESSION . 41st PARLIAMENT . VOLUME 148 . NUMBER 56 OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, March 1, 2012 The Honourable NOËL A. KINSELLA Speaker This issue contains the latest listing of Senators, Officers of the Senate and the Ministry. CONTENTS (Daily index of proceedings appears at back of this issue). Debates Services: D'Arcy McPherson, National Press Building, Room 906, Tel. 613-995-5756 Publications Centre: David Reeves, National Press Building, Room 926, Tel. 613-947-0609 Published by the Senate Available from PWGSC ± Publishing and Depository Services, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S5. Also available on the Internet: http://www.parl.gc.ca 1236 THE SENATE Thursday, March 1, 2012 The Senate met at 1:30 p.m., the Speaker in the chair. of benefits for disabled veterans by this government has been an ongoing controversy in Canada, which has led to a class action Prayers. suit against Ottawa by former soldiers. [Translation] This is partially a result of Veterans Affairs' failing to properly advise the most severely injured soldiers about the financial support available to them. The ombudsman's office has stated ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS that even their staff cannot understand government letters denying soldiers benefits. This is just not right. EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA Will the minister encourage the Minister of Veterans Affairs to move quickly in dealing with the recommendations in the CANADA ACCOUNT OPERATIONS— ombudsman's report, starting with the recommendation that 2010-11 ANNUAL REPORT TABLED reasons for all disability coverage decisions should be written in plain language with a clear explanation of how the individual Hon. Claude Carignan (Deputy Leader of the Government): assessment was made? Each letter should also include a notice of Honourable senators, I have the honour to table, in both official the right to appeal. languages, the report by Export Development Canada on Canada Account operations for the fiscal year 2010-11. Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government): I thank the honourable senator for the question. I wholeheartedly agree with [English] what the honourable senator said. The government accepts the report and the recommendations of the veterans' ombudsman, which covers the period over the past decade. CANADA-CHINA LEGISLATIVE ASSOCIATION CANADA-JAPAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY GROUP Most people can attest to the fact that often letters from the GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ASSOCIATION government can be rather confusing and hard to understand, so OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS I can totally sympathize with these veterans. It is important to INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY, point out, honourable senators, that the Minister of Veterans SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2011—REPORT TABLED Affairs, Mr. Blaney, has stated publicly that he accepts the ombudsman's report. He agrees with the recommendations and Hon. Joseph A. Day: Honourable senators, I have the honour to has instructed the Department of Veterans Affairs not only to table, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian write their responses in clearer, more concise language and give parliamentary delegation of the Canada-China Legislative reasons that are understandable but also to point out to veterans Association and the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group their right to appeal the decision. respecting its participation at the Thirty-Second General Assembly of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, held in Phnom Penh, AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD Cambodia, from September 18 to 24, 2011. CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY Hon. Terry M. Mercer: Honourable senators, Mr. Bob Kingston, National President of the Agriculture Union, has called for increased food inspection of food imports. He told a QUESTION PERIOD February 28 news conference in Vancouver that 2 per cent of all foods imported to Canada are currently inspected — 2 per cent, honourable senators. Meanwhile, 30 per cent of the food we eat is VETERANS AFFAIRS imported — 30 per cent. I quote Mr. Kingston: DISABILITY PENSION PROGRAM The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is not presently inspecting these products to determine what insecticides, Hon. Robert W. Peterson: Honourable senators, my question is pesticides or cosmetic treatments have been applied in the to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Once again, the source countries. The Agency is well aware of this growing issue of handling veterans' disability claims has surfaced with the problem. However, its request for greater resources for nation's ombudsman for veterans harshly criticizing the federal import inspection will likely fall on deaf ears, as the department for failing to properly explain why some soldiers have Conservative government seems intent on cutting overall been denied disability coverage and for making it almost food safety funding by 10 per cent in the upcoming federal impossible to appeal the decisions. Unfortunately, the handling budget. March 1, 2012 SENATE DEBATES 1237 . (1340) VISITORS IN THE GALLERY Honourable senators, we therefore need more inspection of The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw imports, but the government is cutting the budget of CFIA so one your attention to the presence in the gallery of Mr. Fred Wah, would assume there will be fewer inspectors. Parliamentary Poet Laureate of Canada. On behalf of all senators, I welcome you to the Senate of How does the Leader of the Government expect Canadians to Canada. feel safe about their food when the government's own agency does not have the resources to do so? Hon. Senators: Hear, hear! Hon. Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government): The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw Honourable senators, Mr. Bob Kingston is not the most your attention to the presence in the gallery of Dr. Agustin Lage, objective person to rely on. He has been very critical and often Member of the National Assembly of the Popular Power of the has a significant amount of misinformation. Republic of Cuba and Chair of the Cuba-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group. Budget 2011 included an additional $100 million over five years to enhance food safety. We are moving forward with all Again, on behalf of honourable senators, welcome to the Senate 57 recommendations of the independent investigator in the of Canada. Weatherill report and have provided the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with a net increase of 733 inspection staff. A Hon. Senators: Hear, hear. report on OECD countries recognized Canada's superior food safety system and it ranks us as the best in the world on food [Translation] recalls. DELAYED ANSWER TO ORAL QUESTION I am well aware of Mr. Kingston's ongoing criticism of the government. I do not think it is fair or valid, and the facts speak Hon. Claude Carignan (Deputy Leader of the Government): for themselves. Honourable senators, I have the honour to table the answer to the oral question asked by the Honourable Senator Sibbeston on February 1, 2012, concerning natural resources: regulatory Senator Mercer: Mr. Kingston has a role to play as the reform. National President of the Agriculture Union. That is his role to play and I respect that. ENVIRONMENT Honourable senators, the answer that the leader gives does not make me feel any safer because we know the axe is about to fall REGULATORY PROCESS and, when the axe falls, there will be fewer inspectors. No matter what they promised, at the end of the day there will be fewer (Response to question raised by Hon. Nick G. Sibbeston on people inspecting our food. February 1, 2012) Resource-based projects are an important driver of job One of the things about this and many other issues is that many creation and long-term economic growth for Canada. Over of the problems with food inspection are preventable. Responding the next 10 years, more than $500 billion is expected to be to a crisis rather than preventing one seems to be how this invested in Canada's mining and energy sectors. government operates. To fully capture the benefits of Canada's natural resource What happens when Canadians fall ill because of the sector for all Canadians requires a renewed and modern government's neglect? So often the government forgets the human regulatory system that enables growth and investment, impact of the cuts it is making. Does the Leader of the Government protects the environment, and ensures socially-responsible agree that it is only safer and cheaper in the long run to prevent development. tragedies rather than to deal with the fallout from one? Improving the performance of our regulatory system has been a priority for this government from the beginning. In Senator LeBreton: Honourable senators, I do not answer recent years, important changes have been introduced, hypothetical questions. There is no reason to believe the including the creation of the Major Projects Management honourable senator's characterization of what may be coming Office in 2008 and targeted amendments to the Canadian down the road. Environmental Assessment Act introduced in Budget 2010. However, more fundamental changes are required to meet The government has and will continue to make food safety and Canadians' objectives of jobs growth and protection of the the safety and security of Canadians a top priority. Clearly, the environment. adding of members to the inspection staff is a demonstration of our commitment. Clearly, we would not be reported by the We will bring forward comprehensive legislative and OECD as having the best food recall system in the world if we regulatory changes to address these concerns and modernize followed the path that we are accused of by Senator Mercer. the federal regulatory system for project reviews. These 1238 SENATE DEBATES March 1, 2012 changes will position Canada for job creation and long-term [Translation] growth, ensuring that our resource sector continues to be an attractive place to invest. ORDERS OF THE DAY The Government has been listening to issues and proposals raised by stakeholders through venues such as BUSINESS OF THE SENATE the Energy and Mines Ministers' Conference and the recent Parliamentary Review of the Canadian Environmental Hon.

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