Debates of Feb. 11th, 2005
House of Commons Hansard #55 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was foreign.
Topics
- Department of Foreign Affairs Act
- Reverend John C. Holland Awards
- Agriculture
- Women's Artistic Gymnastics
- The Environment
- Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- Manufacturing Industry
- Black History Month
- Horticulture Week 2005
- Smoking
- Bowl for Kids' Sake
- Tlicho First Nation
- International Development
- Northeastern Alberta
- World Aquatics Championships
- Middle East
- Leader of the Opposition
- Agriculture
- Sponsorship Program
- Taxation
- Child Care
- Treasury Board
- Aboriginal Affairs
- International Trade
- The Environment
- Gasoline
- Telecommunications
- Post-Secondary Education
- Equalization Program
- Fisheries
- Canada Labour Code
- The Environment
- Natural Resources
- Canada Labour Code
- Tobacco Farming
- Canadian National Railway
- Tsunami Relief
- Foreign Affairs
- Agriculture
- Sport Canada
- Arts and Culture
- The Environment
- Housing
- National Defence
- Foreign Affairs
- Order in Council Appointments
- Criminal Code
- Corrections and Conditional Release Act
- Criminal Code
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Department of Foreign Affairs Act
- Gasoline Prices
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
The Speaker
The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Agriculture
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
Malpeque
P.E.I.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (Rural Development)
Mr. Speaker, I really cannot understand where that member is coming from.
A delegation, with a member from that party, went to Washington to talk to United States congressmen and senators, as well as the secretary of agriculture, Mr. Johanns. It was a successful mission.
They met with a lot of congressmen and senators to keep the pressure on. In fact, Secretary Johanns is committed to the March 7 opening for live animals under 30 months, and that is progress.
Sport Canada
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Gary Schellenberger Perth—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, recently a decision was made by the Canada Games Council to remove men's softball from the 2009 Canada Summer Games.
I and many of my constituents are very concerned by this. I am told that removing men's softball from the games will result in lower levels of participation and dramatically reduce the funds needed to help build the sport.
As a lifelong player and fan of men's softball, I find this very troubling.
Will the minister commit to take action to reverse this decision?
Sport Canada
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
Outremont
Québec
Liberal
Jean Lapierre Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of State for Sport will be very interested in the topic. I will make sure he gets the information and responds to the request of the hon. member.
Arts and Culture
Oral Question Period
February 11th, 2005 / 11:55 a.m.
Bloc
Maka Kotto Saint-Lambert, QC
Mr. Speaker, on January 28, 2005, a number of well-known arts organizations joined with the Conseil québécois du théâtre in sending a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs, in which they expressed their serious concerns about the possible impact of a 35% cut to the arts promotion program of that department.
Is it the minister's intention to protect our culture abroad, either by increasing the funding to support international tours outside of the public diplomacy program , or by allocating specific funds for this to the Canada Council for the Arts?
Arts and Culture
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
Pickering—Scarborough East
Ontario
Liberal
Dan McTeague Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I am interested in the hon. member's remarks and documents. I know this is something of great interest to this Parliament as a whole. Meanwhile, obviously, there is a budget coming down. Perhaps certain proposals could be made first in order to calm the hon. member's concerns.
The Environment
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
David Smith Pontiac, QC
Mr. Speaker, this week, the Forest Products Association of Canada and Environment Canada launched the inauguralAir Quality Forum.
Could the Minister of the Environment elaborate on that?
The Environment
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville
Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, much improvement has already taken place in the pulp and paper industry in particular. However, the entire forest industry has mobilized, together with the governments, to ensure that, in forestry like in other sectors, the environment and the economy are considered together. Unless our forests are adequately protected, not only will the biodiversity be destroyed, but an industry which creates numerous jobs would suffer.
Environment and economy have to increasingly go hand in hand, and such is the vision of the Prime Minister.
Housing
Oral Question Period
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Pat Martin Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of thousands of homes have been made dangerous and even devalued by virtue of Zonolite contamination.This happened because of a federal government program that promoted and even subsidized the installation of this Zonolite.
Within months of learning that UFFI foam was irritating, a program existed to remove that hazard from people's homes. Canadians are looking to their government for help in removing Zonolite.
What will the government do to help homeowners get this carcinogen out of their walls when the government helped put it in?
Housing
Oral Question Period
Noon
London North Centre
Ontario
Liberal
Joe Fontana Minister of Labour and Housing
Mr. Speaker, I do not buy the premise of the question at all. I am sure the member would want to be more clear with Canadians.
Yes, any time they are undertaking renovations we would encourage them, obviously, to talk to professionals so that they can get the right information.
We have been told, and it is on Health Canada's website as well as CMHC, which advised all the stakeholders and so on, that if left undisturbed it does not pose a health risk.
Yes, we need to inform Canadians on the health and safety of their homes but I am sure the member would not want to alarm Canadians to suggest that they are--
Housing
Oral Question Period
Noon
The Speaker
The hon. member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke.
National Defence
Oral Question Period
Noon
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, privatizing information technology services at DND resulted in over $160 million being defrauded from the people of Canada. Now the government wants to implement the same flawed system government-wide.
Past experience like the gun registry bureaucracy had $2 million become a $2 billion cost to the taxpayers.
Why is the government planning to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on another reorganization like the gun registry?
National Defence
Oral Question Period
Noon
Winnipeg South
Manitoba
Liberal
Reg Alcock President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I should point out to the member that it was a result of action by this government that the bulk of the money that was mentioned in defence was recovered, almost all of it.
The reality is that we are constantly looking at ways to modernize the services that we deliver and, frankly, we will continue to do so. We will continue to look at ways to improve services, to seek lower costs and to provide better services for citizens. It is the mandate of this government.
Foreign Affairs
Oral Question Period
Noon
Bloc
Roger Clavet Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday North Korea announced that it has an atomic bomb and refuses to resume multilateral negotiations. They must resume with China, Russia, the United States, Japan and South Korea, and North Korea must abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs promise to talk to his international partners about resuming negotiations and calling on the international community to work together to bring North Korea back to the table to prevent a dangerous escalation between North Korea and South Korea?
Foreign Affairs
Oral Question Period
Noon
Pickering—Scarborough East
Ontario
Liberal
Dan McTeague Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, if the statements by North Korea are true, they are troubling and worrisome. I agree with the hon. member that we are in a position where we must make every effort to have an independent investigation to ensure that the country is not acting in a manner that could threaten global stability.
This would enable us to see the true situation and ensure that there will be negotiations aimed at maintaining peace in that region.