On Monday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in Churchill, Manitoba, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, to kick off his fifth annual summer tour of Canada’s North. Just after his arrival at Churchill Airport, the Prime Minister announced that our Conservative Government is investing to upgrade and improve this vital hub and gateway to Canada’s Arctic.
Canadian culture and character has been shaped by the North. We are a northern people and our history is intertwined with the experiences of those who have taken on the great challenges of this land. Our future depends on our ability and willingness to appreciate and defend it.
Prime Minister Harper is touring the North to express our commitment to improving the quality of life for families and communities in the Arctic and ensuring the North reaches its full potential through Canada’s Northern Strategy.
To bring our vision to life, Conservatives have focused on helping northern communities become more self-sufficient, healthy and safe. Our support for essential upgrades to Churchill Airport will help ensure that Canadians who rely on this remote airport will have access to necessary goods, services and opportunities.
The Canadian Arctic is a vital part of our national identity, sovereignty and economic security. The Prime Minister has made the North a priority for our Conservative Government because it is a priority for Canadians.
On Thursday, Gail Shea, Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, met with sealers and processors to reinforce Canada’s opposition to the European Union’s trade ban on seal products which comes into effect on Friday, August 20, 2010.
In Canada, sealing is a time-honoured tradition. For generations, coastal and Inuit communities have relied on the seal hunt as a source of income. That’s why our Conservative Government is steadfast in its commitment to defend the commercial seal hunt and to protect Canada’s access to foreign markets, including the European Union (E.U.).
Our Government has made representation at all levels of the E.U. to inform them that the Canadian seal hunt is a sustainable activity based on sound conservation principles. It is humane and closely monitored – unlike many European slaughterhouses.
Unfortunately, the E.U. has chosen to proceed with the ban on seal products based on an ill-informed political decision that has no basis in fact or science.
Conservatives will continue our efforts to counter the misinformation campaign by the anti-seal hunt lobby groups. We will not shy away from or apologize for defending a lawful Canadian industry and the economies of our coastal communities.
On Monday, Rob Nicholson, Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, highlighted our Conservative Government’s commitment to fighting organized crime and helping ensure our justice system serves victims and all Canadians fairly and efficiently.
Canadians believe in the rule of law and respect for the law. That’s why our Government is taking action to maintain confidence in our justice system. That means delivering justice swiftly and efficiently and cutting down on long, drawn-out trials.
‘Mega-trials’ deal with serious offences such as organized crime, gang-related activity and terrorism. Proceedings can be exceptionally long because they often involve many defendants, multiple charges, complex evidence, and lengthy investigations.
These trials sometimes force victims to wait too long for justice. That isn’t right.
Our Conservative Government has made significant progress, developing proposals that would make mega-trials more efficient. Conservatives believe that the rights of victims should always be put ahead of the so-called rights of criminals. We want organized crime groups, gangs and terrorists to face justice swiftly and efficiently while ensuring fairness for victims and all Canadians.
Criminal gangs depend on the revenue they receive from large-scale illegal gambling, prostitutions rings, and certain drug-related offences to fund their vast and violent operations. That’s why we are continuing to take action against organized crime. Our Government recently announced tough new regulations to make crimes typically associated with these gangs ‘serious-offences’ under the Criminal Code.
The victims of crime must never be left behind. Conservatives continue to stand up for victims and we were pleased to appoint former Ottawa Deputy Police Chief, Sue O’Sullivan as the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime. Today, she begins her important work on behalf of victims in this new position.
On Thursday, Peter MacKay, Canada’s Minister of National Defence, announced a major investment in defence infrastructure at Canadian Forces Base Borden.
Our Conservative Government is taking action to rebuild the Canadian Forces. We are helping ensure our soldiers, sailors, airmen and women have the tools and equipment needed to do the job Canadians ask them to do.
Today’s announcement is helping to modernize the facilities and training grounds of CFB Borden. This base plays a pivotal role in training our brave men and women in uniform to carry out operations both in Canada and around the world.
Our Government’s total action to update base infrastructure amounts to almost $210 million, and it is already creating jobs and providing economic stimulus to the local community.
Through the Canada First Defence Strategy, our Conservative Government is ensuring that Canada has a first-class modern military that is ready to protect Canadian sovereignty here at home, and contribute to the preservation of global security abroad.
Today, the Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Pacific Gateway, and Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu announced that our Conservative Government is looking to expand the scope of the Lobbying Act to include all MPs, Senators and exempt staff in the Offices of the Leaders of the Opposition in the House and Senate.
Our Government believes the activities of those who represent Canadians should be as open and transparent as possible. In keeping with a vote in the House of Commons earlier this spring, we are moving forward to increase the transparency of Parliament by proposing to expand the definition of designated public office holders that are covered under the Lobbying Act.
Under the new changes, the definition would be expanded to include Members of Parliament, Senators and the exempt staff from the Offices of the Leader of the Opposition in the House and the Senate.
The proposed changes demonstrate our Conservative Government is committed to making Parliament as open and accountable to Canadians as possible, not to special interest groups.
