Debates of April 1st, 2004
House of Commons Hansard #34 of the 37th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Topics
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Committees of the House
- Railway Safety Act
- Dissolution of Parliament Act
- Petitions
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Question No. 43
- Question No. 54
- Points of Order
- Budget Implementation Act, 2004
- Points of Order
- Budget Implementation Act
- Social Programs
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Cattle Industry
- Mining Industry
- Taxation
- Government of Canada
- Human Rights
- Espace Drar
- Nunavut
- Veterans Affairs
- New Homes Month
- Visually Impaired
- Promenade de la mer
- Justice
- Fred Lays
- Princess Juliana
- The Prime Minister
- National Security
- Health
- Whistleblower Protection
- Post-Secondary Education
- Sponsorship Program
- The Budget
- Sponsorship Program
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Health
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Health
- National Security
- National Defence
- Parental Leave
- National Security
- Pay Equity
- Government Contracts
- Quebec City Airport
- Emergency Preparedness
- Official Languages
- Heritage
- Transport Canada
- Business of the House
- Points of Order
- Privilege
- Budget Implementation Act, 2004
- Business of the House
- Budget Implementation Act, 2004
- Message from the Senate
- Budget Implementation Act, 2004
- Softwood Lumber
National Security
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Stoney Creek
Ontario
Liberal
Tony Valeri Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, we take security very seriously. In the last budget $605 million allocated. Marine security is part of that security envelope, and Canada will meet the international requirements set for July 1. Why? Because it is important to our trade and it is important to the security and safety of Canadians.
National Security
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Loyola Hearn St. John's West, NL
Mr. Speaker, I remind him that the former finance minister eliminated the ports police in 1995. I am surprised he did not tell me they bought submarines to guarantee our security.
The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans has expressed grave concerns that marine security, whether it relates to the protection of our resources or our people, is sadly lacking. Why has the Prime Minister neglected to properly fund the Coast Guard so it can do what its name suggests?
National Security
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Halifax West
Nova Scotia
Liberal
Geoff Regan Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, last year the Canadian Coast Guard received a permanent increase for capital budgets of $47 million. Safety and service to mariners of Canadian waters is the mandate of the Canadian Coast Guard, and it will not be compromised.
Pay Equity
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Liberal
Marlene Jennings Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. At the CBC, employees working in the same position receive different salaries based on their sex.
Is the CBC subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees pay equity?
Pay Equity
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
St. Paul's
Ontario
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Minister of State (Public Health)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine for her question on this important issue.
As a crown corporation, the CBC must comply with the principles of pay equity as set out in the Canadian Human Rights Act. The CBC is responsible for the management of its operations, including human resources.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Leon Benoit Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, over seven months ago, the government cancelled the $1 billion contract with Royal LePage. That relocation contract was one of the biggest contracts ever awarded. Today, despite the fact the government cancelled that contract, its friends over at Royal LePage are still getting paid. Again, it seems to be who one knows in the PMO.
Why is the company still getting paid seven months after the contract was cancelled?
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
St. Catharines
Ontario
Liberal
Walt Lastewka Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, this question has been answered once before. As people know, there has been a review of this, and the public works department will be issuing more information shortly.
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Leon Benoit Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps proving that Canadians simply cannot trust him. He said that he cancelled this contract seven months ago because it was not tendered properly, but here we are seven months later and Royal LePage keeps getting paid.
Does the Prime Minister honestly expect Canadians to believe that he has cancelled the contract when the company he gave the contract to is still getting paid?
Government Contracts
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
St. Catharines
Ontario
Liberal
Walt Lastewka Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, a complaint was filed to the CITT. There has been a re-tendering of the process. The public works department is presently evaluating it, and more information will be out shortly.
Quebec City Airport
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Bloc
Richard Marceau Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, the employees of the Quebec City airport have been without a collective agreement since November 2000 and have been on strike since February 9, 2003. The union is prepared to go to arbitration on five points that have resulted in the impasse, but the employer agrees to submit only one point to arbitration.
On March 17, the Prime Minister met the employees and promised he would intervene to resolve the problem. Can the Prime Minister tell us what he has done to date and what he intends to do to help resolve this conflict at the Quebec City airport?
Quebec City Airport
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe
New Brunswick
Liberal
Claudette Bradshaw Minister of Labour and Minister responsible for Homelessness
Mr. Speaker, we want to resolve this dispute at the Quebec City airport. The mediators are keeping in contact with the parties, and they are prepared to provide them with mediation services.
Emergency Preparedness
Oral Question Period
April 1st, 2004 / 2:55 p.m.
Liberal
Susan Whelan Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Senate report, “National Emergencies: Canada's Fragile Front Lines”, characterized our most important border crossing, Windsor and Essex county, as being left in an unacceptable position, left to fend for itself in the event of a national emergency or terrorism threat.
Could the Deputy Prime Minister explain what measures are in place or anticipated to help emergency coordinators respond to such threats and how they are to obtain a federal response in the case that one is needed?
Emergency Preparedness
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Edmonton West
Alberta
Liberal
Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, my department is implementing programs and initiatives to enhance the preparedness and response capabilities of first responders all across our country.
These capabilities include the development and delivery of a four level CBRN training program; the development and delivery of a national urban search and rescue program; and the provision of ongoing funding to augment the capacity of provinces and first responders under the joint emergency preparedness program.
At the end of the day, what is important is the creation of a seamless emergency preparedness response in this country and--
Emergency Preparedness
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
The Speaker
The hon. member for Saskatoon—Humboldt.
Official Languages
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Jim Pankiw Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK
Mr. Speaker, it is April Fool's Day and the Liberals have played another cruel joke on public servants by imposing a stricter bilingualism hiring and promotion scheme, but the biggest April fool is the language commissioner. She is using her bilingualism storm troopers to harass small business owners and is demanding that federal workers speak less English.
The government should fire Ms. Adam and shut down her overzealous mob of language cops. Why are the Liberals refusing to end her bigoted anti-English crusade?