The Deputy Speaker: The member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke is using a very common strategy of debate in the House. We see it all the time. What she is saying is this is not the way to do it. Do it this way. That is what she is doing. It happens in the House all the time by members on all sides of the House. One may question the tactic, but it is still relevant to the debate that is before us this evening.

The hon. member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke can continue.

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The Deputy Speaker: That is not a point of order. Certainly the relevancy issue, it seems to me, is quite clear on the point that the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke is making.

Continue, please.

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However, since she did, I would like to point out that while it is commendable that we have extended the boundaries of national parks and have added new ones, it is lamentable that the fundamental purpose of national parks, the highest possible category of protection for ecological integrity, is being systematically undermined by decisions of the government, such as privatizing the hot springs in Banff, creating a privatized ice walk in Jasper, privatizing golf courses in Nova Scotia, and worst of all offences, creating a national park on Sable Island where the primary regulator will be the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, to allow seismic testing and drilling in that park. The national park system is being undermined as they expand its boundaries.

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This bill does not have anything about keeping communities safer. However it does, I think, have issues of interest to his constituents and anyone with any tangential connection to the United States.

I know that some members today have referred to people who are dual citizens. I can assure members there are many Canadians who are not dual citizens, but the ambit of the FATCA would require Canadian banks to turn over private information about people who have no idea that they could be considered to have any connection whatsoever to the United States, for tax purposes.

This bill, according to many constitutional law experts, would violate the charter. It is unprecedented, in terms of assuming that a foreign power could have access to information about Canadian citizens.

I would ask my hon. friend if he does not think it would be preferable to pull the FATCA sections out of this omnibus bill and subject them to a court review to ensure they are charter compliant?

Wladyslaw Lizon: Mr. Speaker, I am familiar with the issue she is raising. As members know, our government reached an agreement with our neighbour, the United States of America, on that very issue.

Under the terms of the agreement, there would be no breach of privacy. There would be no information exchanged between the governments to which she is referring.

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“The theme of World Refugee Day for 2012 is ‘Refugees have no choice. You do.’  The Harper Conservatives had a choice and they chose to pass a bill which will see men, women and children over 16 who arrive in an ‘irregular’ way in detention for up to a year,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands.

The spectre of millions of environmental refugees is a real and near-term reality.  Already, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Global Trends Report 2011 show that we are at the highest number of new refugees, 800 000, since the beginning of the century.

Refugees overcome incredible hardship to create better lives for their families.  Canada has historically been high on the list as a welcoming country for resettlement.  This is unfortunately changing.

“Canada should be continuing our history of welcoming those in need.

Instead, the Harper Conservatives are creating a discriminatory, two-tiered system, including giving the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration sole discretion to designate “fast track” countries of origin, making the system vulnerable to political interests,” said May.

On June 18, rallies were held the country to protest the Harper Conservative’s severe cuts to health care for refugees.

“On Canada Day, many refugees, hoping for a new life in Canada, will instead be faced with an unfeeling lack of healthcare, including vaccinations, needed medications, pre-natal care and in some cases, life-saving procedures.  This is not what anyone would expect from Canada,” said May.

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