House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 Ï NUMBER 102 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday, June 12, 2014 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 6709 HOUSE OF COMMONS Thursday, June 12, 2014 The House met at 10 a.m. of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Review of the Canadian Music Industry”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the Prayers government table a comprehensive response to this report. [Translation] FINANCE ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Mr. James Rajotte (Edmonton—Leduc, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I Ï (1005) have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth [English] report of the Standing Committee on Finance INFORMATION COMMISSIONER OF CANADA [English] The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the annual The report is entitled “Youth Employment in Canada: Challenges reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act from and Potential Solutions”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the the Information Commissioner of Canada for the year 2013-14. committee requests that the government table a comprehensive [Translation] response to this report. These documents are deemed to have been permanently referred As it is the end of the session, I would like to thank very much all to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. of our hard-working staff, our clerk, our analyst, and all the legislative staff for their excellent work on what will probably be our *** last report of this session. COMMISSIONER OF LOBBYING NATIONAL DEFENCE The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table the annual Mr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland—Quinte West, CPC): Mr. reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act from Speaker, after two years' hearing from many witnesses, and hard the Commissioner of Lobbying for the year 2013-14. work on behalf of all the clerks, staff, and members of the defence [English] committee, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on National Defence, This document is deemed to have been permanently referred to the entitled “Caring for Canada's Ill and Injured Military Personnel”. Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the Pursant to section 11 of the Lobbying Act, I have the honour to lay government table a comprehensive response to the report. upon the table the report of the Commissioner of Lobbying for the Mr. Jack Harris (St. John's East, NDP): Mr. Speaker, as vice- fiscal year ended March 31, 2014. chair, I would like to state the dissenting opinion of the official *** opposition to this report. We heard witnesses for two full years on this critical issue of ill and injured military personnel, injuries both GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS physical and psychological. Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC): Mr. Speaker, We do know, of course, that with regard to the physical injuries, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both Canada is doing a great job. We heard that evidence, and the report official languages, the government's response to 447 petitions. deals with that very well. *** However, in terms of psychological injuries, it is a different story. Over time, even in the Afghanistan mission, despite early warnings, COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE the military seemed to be constantly playing catch-up in terms of the CANADIAN HERITAGE treatment of soldiers suffering from psychological injuries. Mr. Gordon Brown (Leeds—Grenville, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I The projections that were made by Statistics Canada in 2002, have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report adopted by the military in 2005, still have not been met. 6710 COMMONS DEBATES June 12, 2014 Routine Proceedings Many soldiers came back from Afghanistan and other missions, Burnaby—Douglas, who have been mobilizing concerned citizens including Bosnia, Rwanda, et cetera, with their bodies intact but with to protect animals for more than seven years. Without a doubt, never underlying psychological trauma, with long-term consequences not before has my office received so many petitions and letters on a always recognized, not well understood, and they received single specific issue. However, really what swung me to action is a inadequate treatment and support. local elementary school. Students from this school joined the chorus of voices seeking a ban on the use of these harmful shock collars. We are moving forward, but complacency is not an option. Our report outlines some very important measures that need to be taken I believe this is how our democracy should function. MPs should immediately. come here to Ottawa and put forward ideas on behalf of their *** community that elects them. When this happens, we are doing our duty to serve Canadians. [Translation] (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) VIA RAIL CANADA ACT Mr. Philip Toone (Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, NDP) *** moved for leave to introduce Bill C-614, An Act respecting VIA Rail Canada and making consequential amendments to another Act. CRIMINAL CODE Mr. Brian Storseth (Westlock—St. Paul, CPC) moved for He said: Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour of introducing a bill leave to introduce Bill C-616, An Act to amend the Criminal Code about VIA Rail. We know that VIA Rail is in crisis. Service is and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (failure to comply threatened in many regions of Canada. Vancouver Island has lost its with a condition). service. There is no more service on the Gaspé coast. Service in the Maritimes has been cut by 50%, and there is a real concern that all He said: Mr. Speaker, it pleases me today to rise to introduce my service in eastern Quebec could be completely eliminated. private member's bill, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the We know that even with the significant investments that have been Corrections and Conditional Release Act. made in the past 10 years, VIA Rail is still in a downward spiral. The reality of our justice system is that a disproportionately small There are fewer passengers and fewer resources, and the equipment number of offenders is responsible for a disproportionately large is in terrible shape. We need a legislative framework that will number of offences. This act would create two important parole promote VIA Rail service in Canada. We want a legislative reforms that target these repeat and high-risk offenders. Its enactment framework that is modelled after the American one, which saved would create a new offence for the breach of conditional release and another service that was threatened, namely Amtrak. require the reporting of those breaches to the appropriate authorities. A similar framework here would put us on the right track. We It is critically important that an accurate record be maintained with could save VIA Rail. I am relying heavily on the bill that was respect to an offender's breach of conditions while on early release, introduced a few months ago by my former colleague, Olivia Chow, so that future justice decisions may take this conduct into account. before she left the House. These amendments are proposed in the belief that early release I hope that members of the House will support this bill so that we from a court sentence is a privilege to be earned and not a right to be can have appropriate VIA Rail service. demanded. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) *** *** Ï (1010) [English] INTERPROVINCIAL WASTE MOVEMENT ACT CRIMINAL CODE Ms. Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-617, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Mr. Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby—Douglas, NDP) moved for Act, 1999 (interprovincial movement of waste). leave to introduce Bill C-615, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cruelty to animals—electric shock collars). She said: Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, my colleague from Skeena He said: Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to introduce a —Bulkley Valley started a project called “Create your Canada”, private member's bill promoting animal welfare in Canada. This bill whereby students could learn about the legislative process—learn would ban the use of harmful electric shock collars on companion about the role of media, for example — talk about some of the animals, better known as household pets. Using shock collars is problems in their communities, and come up with legislative widely recognized as causing needless pain and being cruel and solutions. inhumane, and use has been restricted in numerous other jurisdic- tions. I took on that project in Halifax, and the grade 12 French immersion class taught by Rob Williams at Citadel High School took I am particularly honoured to be putting this bill forward, because on the challenge. The students came up with all kinds of great ideas, it is a truly constituent-driven initiative. It is inspired by Gwendy and from the promotion of local foods to lowering the voting age to some Alfie Williams, two committed advocates from my riding of really complicated changes to the tax code. June 12, 2014 COMMONS DEBATES 6711 Routine Proceedings The class actually decided to pick a bill whose concept was Brosseau Brown (Leeds—Grenville) Brown (Newmarket—Aurora) Brown (Barrie) developed by Ben Smithers and Finlay Miller, and it was about Butt Calandra changes to the Environmental Protection Act to ban the inter- Calkins Cannan Carrie Casey provincial transportation of waste.