House of Commons Hansard #159 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was transport.

Topics

MulticulturalismOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. The hon. member for Davenport.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

This past summer saw a dramatic increase in firearms-related violence in the city of Toronto. This is of considerable concern for the residents of Canada's largest city.

Could the Minister of Justice tell us what initiatives are being undertaken to address the issue of increased gun violence?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Mount Royal Québec

Liberal

Irwin Cotler LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I introduced 12 legislative amendments to the Criminal Code, part of a three-pronged strategy to combat gun-related and gang-related violence. This is to send as well a strong denunciatory message that such crimes will be treated seriously.

Law is only one part of the response. We are also seeking more effective law enforcement and resources to combat the roots of crime as well as the crime itself.

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have very legitimate concerns about possible insider trading before the income trust announcements last week. Surely, Al Rosen, respected forensic accountant, cannot be dismissed as engineering a smear campaign.

I want to ask the finance minister, since I believe that he sees himself as a very honourable man and a very principled person, if he would not agree to clear the air, call for an immediate investigation and tell us today who will head that investigation.

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, there are appropriate, independent authorities that supervise and investigate all stock exchange activities. They will decide for themselves, without any political advice from this House or anyone else, what is the appropriate course of action to take.

Canada Pension PlanOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, if the minister will not take these concerns seriously, I hope the RCMP will.

Let me ask the minister about another serious matter and that really is the state of the Canadian pension system following 12 years of inaction by the Liberals. Now, out of the void, we have the Prime Minister's old crony David Dodge, at the Bank of Canada, musing publicly about investing our pensions in controversial public-private partnerships and advocating more abuses of worker pension surpluses.

Why is the government not speaking out or does the Liberal government not believe in standing up for Canadian workers and their pension security?

Canada Pension PlanOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, pension security is very, very important. That is why, for example, we now have a consultation process under way with respect to defined benefit plans, which we hope will point to some interesting and important directions for the future.

With respect to the hon. member's allusions to Governor Dodge from the Bank of Canada, I would point out to her that her comments are indeed outrageous, and that it was Governor Dodge, when he was deputy minister of finance, who indeed helped make sure that the Canada pension plan is actuarially sound for the next 75 years.

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps ducking and dodging. His feigned indignation just does not cut it.

I do not want to talk about the Toronto Stock Exchange. I want to talk about the finance minister's office and his fiduciary obligation to ensure that no confidential information was leaked that would allow insiders to benefit. Here is my very simple question, once again: why will the minister not at least question people in his own office to ensure that they respected those confidences?

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I am satisfied that members of my office and members of the staff of the Department of Finance have conducted themselves appropriately within all the rules and regulations.

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, that was a very clever evasion, but he did not answer the question. The finance minister has an obligation. We are talking about ensuring that there is confidence in Canada's capital markets. However, we cannot have that confidence while these allegations hang over his department and his head.

If the minister himself is not prepared to simply question people in his own department about whether or not they were involved in leaking information, when will he bring in the RCMP to conduct a proper investigation?

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I have indicated that I am satisfied with respect to those matters. I have also indicated that there is an appropriate investigative authority, the Ontario Securities Commission, and it will do what it needs to do in the circumstances. That is its job.

Child CareOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Rona Ambrose Conservative Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB

Mr. Speaker, why is the government so afraid to let women make their own child care choices? The government is trying to dictate the choices of women and it is telling women across the country that they are not capable of making their own decisions with their own money.

The Conservative Party believes that women should be treated equally. Our child care program is progressive, flexible and universal and will empower all women equally. We have no doubt that Canadian women can make their own choices in child care.

When will the government start respecting the choices women want to make for themselves?

Child CareOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Ken Dryden LiberalMinister of Social Development

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned in the House a few times before, if we went back 19 months, in terms of child care in the country very little was happening and nothing foreseeable was going to happen until the government made the promise of $5 billion over five years to Canadians. Since the House convened 13 months ago, all we have heard from the other side are words, games and noise. From this side there has been action: 10 provinces, 10 agreements.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Vic Toews Conservative Provencher, MB

Mr. Speaker, the justice minister has repeatedly stated his personal opposition to mandatory prison sentences for violent crimes. Now, on the eve of a federal election, he embraces mandatory prison sentences because his polling shows 82% of Canadians support these measures.

Why does the minister continue to insult victims of crime and those affected by gun violence by producing legislation as a meaningless public relations exercise only when he knows it cannot pass?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Mount Royal Québec

Liberal

Irwin Cotler LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the one thing I will not do is exploit victims of crime. What I did was respond to the unanimous recommendation from the federal-provincial-territorial ministers of justice meeting in November. I said that I would move with all deliberate speed to table legislation, and that is exactly what I did.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Charlevoix—Montmorency, QC

Mr. Speaker, when the Gomery report was tabled on November 1, Jean Chrétien told the media that he had instructed the ministers on the Treasury Board to make sure everything was in order and had been told that there was no problem.

Could the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who was the President of the Treasury Board at the time, confirm that such an instruction was given by Jean Chrétien and that she told him that everything was OK?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Outremont Québec

Liberal

Jean Lapierre LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, Justice Gomery's findings should not be rewritten here. On page 430 of his report, Justice Gomery himself wrote, “Mr. Martin, ... is entitled, like other Ministers in the Quebec caucus, to be exonerated from any blame for carelessness or misconduct”. That sounds pretty clear to me. It is very clear indeed.

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Charlevoix—Montmorency, QC

Mr. Speaker, either the minister can confirm Jean Chrétien's allegation that he was assured by the Treasury Board that all was well, which would indicate that, like the Prime Minister, she closed her eyes and condoned the whole thing, or she is telling us that Mr. Chrétien lied. Which is it? Who is telling the truth?

Sponsorship ProgramOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Outremont Québec

Liberal

Jean Lapierre LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I think that the hon. member is a little hard of hearing. Justice Gomery is telling the truth, and he said that the Prime Minister was entitled, like other ministers in the Quebec caucus, to be exonerated from any blame for carelessness or misconduct.

Bloc members cannot stand it, because they have been engaged in a smear campaign. They have been out to smear reputations, and Justice Gomery contradicts them. They cannot stand it. They should read the report over and over. There is one truth, and that is the truth spoken by Justice Gomery.

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Jason Kenney Conservative Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, I find the finance minister's nonplussed reaction to this evident leak of information from his office very peculiar indeed because we have bankers, investors, market watchers, forensic auditors all saying that there was at least the appearance of a leak. Many of them say that there was clearly a leak that resulted in massive trading that benefited powerful insiders.

Why does the minister have no curiosity about this? Why has he not asked questions himself? Is he afraid of being held accountable for the leak in his department?

Income TrustsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, first, let us be clear. There is no evidence of a leak. There is an allegation on this, particularly from the opposition.

The hon. gentleman asked if I inquired within my staff and within my department. Indeed I did, and I am satisfied that all requirements were met. Beyond that, if there is further study that is required here, that is the prerogative of the Ontario Securities Commission without any political advice from across the way.

HealthOral Question Period

November 28th, 2005 / 2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James, MB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are still waiting to see real action on the health care wait times. The benchmark should have been announced ages ago. The government is going to die in a few hours. The promised fix for a generation has turned out to be the biggest broken promise in a generation.

Will the government finally announce the health care waiting benchmarks or will it be another promise made, promise broken?

HealthOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Vancouver South B.C.

Liberal

Ujjal Dosanjh LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, it is quite ironic that we were going to announce those wait times benchmarks in December. All opposition parties now want to go into an election campaign and then they ask where are the wait time benchmarks. They are coming.

For the hon. member, we shall take no lessons on health care from a party which interest is to maximize private health care. The member himself is on record saying that we should not be hung up on universality. We are going to stand up for universality in public health care in Canada.

Human Resources and Skills DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the very few countries in the world to show leadership and to offer compassionate care benefits for workers. The government recently recognized the opportunity to address the issue of the definition of caregiver and to offer hope to those Canadians in time of need.

Could the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development please tell the House the update as to the expected changes for this very important program?

Human Resources and Skills DevelopmentOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Newmarket—Aurora Ontario

Liberal

Belinda Stronach LiberalMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal

Mr. Speaker, the government has recognized that we can make improvements to compassionate care to reach more Canadians.

I am pleased to inform the House that we have made significant improvements to the compassionate care benefit. The benefit will be expanded beyond immediate family members. Starting next January, Canadians will now be able to designate a person of their choice to care for them. This means not only temporary income support, but also job security. This is great news for Canadians.