House of Commons Hansard #100 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fraud.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Order, please. I know it is Wednesday, but we must have some order in the House. There seems to be excessive noise today. The hon. member for Etobicoke--Lakeshore has the floor now to ask his supplementary question.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Ignatieff Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON

Mr. Speaker, one of these days, we will have a clear answer to a clear question.

The Prime Minister organized a fund-raising campaign to fight against the Kyoto protocol. He called the protocol “dangerous and destructive”, and said he would go “all the way” to stop it from being enforced.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Will he admit that he was wrong about the Kyoto protocol or will he continue to mislead the public?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party, will agree with this comment: “I think our party has got into a mess on the environment.”

Do we know who said that? The member for Etobicoke--Lakeshore. I can tell members that I agree with the member for Etobicoke--Lakeshore.

Here is another quote that I wonder if the hon. member opposite will agree with: “If Canada does ratify Kyoto...the cost...would be as much as $40-billion a year.”

Do we know who said that? It was the official spokesman, the Liberal critic for environment, the member for Ottawa South, who said that.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, rather than ensuring that Quebec receives 60% of the spinoffs from the $3.4 billion contract awarded to Boeing, the government is taking no action and citing market forces as the excuse. In reality, there is method to this laissez-faire attitude. According to the Director of the UQAM research group on military industry and security, Yves Bélanger, if the federal government does not set conditions, 70% of the contract spin-offs will go to the western provinces and Ontario.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that, by not intervening, his government has knowingly favoured the western provinces and Ontario to the detriment of Quebec, where the Canadian aerospace industry is concentrated?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, once again, the military decides on the needs of the armed forces. The government's role is to sign contracts at the best price on behalf of taxpayers and to ensure that Canada will reap the benefits. The distribution of these benefits is determined by the contracting company and its ties to the industry. It is not determined by political interference.

That would also apply if we were to build the Bloc leader's high-speed train.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, Boeing has two plants in Canada—one in Winnipeg and the other in Richmond, B.C.—and its main suppliers are based in Ontario. Consequently, last year, according to the calculations of Yves Bélanger, an expert in this field, the western provinces and Ontario reaped 70% of the economic benefits of all transactions between Boeing and the Canadian aerospace industry. There is a definite pattern emerging and the Conservative government cannot ignore it.

Will the Prime Minister admit that by acting as he did, his government chose to abandon Quebec and favour western Canada and Ontario?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Beauce Québec

Conservative

Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, I have said this before and I will repeat it today to the members of the Bloc Québécois—this is important: Canadian and Quebec companies can reap the benefits of these contracts. There are over $13 billion in industrial spinoffs, more than $13 billion for companies across the country.

What is the Bloc doing at present? The Bloc Québécois is talking, the Bloc Québécois is questioning, the Bloc Québécois is getting excited. However, the Bloc Québécois will never be able to deliver these contracts to Canada.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to the UQAM expert, 70% of Boeing's business in Canada last year was concentrated in Ontario and western Canada. The Minister of Industry knew it then and he knows it now.

Can the minister deny that by letting Boeing do whatever it wants and refusing to impose any obligations on the company, he is dealing a serious blow to Quebec's aerospace industry and is fully aware of doing so?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Beauce Québec

Conservative

Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about buying military equipment that our soldiers need at the best possible price.

Furthermore, our government is giving Quebec's aerospace companies the opportunity to cash in on high-level, lucrative economic spinoffs, not to mention technology transfer that will enable the Canadian aerospace industry to be a leader on the world stage.

We are proud of what we are doing. Unlike us, the Bloc Québécois will never be able to do this.

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Mr. Speaker, what the minister is doing is betraying Quebec.

How can a minister from Quebec, who claims to be working in Quebec's best interest, be party to a strategy that is damaging Quebec's aerospace industry and will result in 70% of the spinoffs from the Boeing contract going to Ontario and western Canada? Can the minister explain this to us? Can the traitor to Quebec answer that question?

Aerospace IndustryOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Beauce Québec

Conservative

Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Bloc Québécois is speculating. It is speculating about the figures, about how much will be allocated, about contracts for various Canadian companies.

The reality is that Quebec businesses are competent, and workers in Quebec's aerospace industry are competent and capable of competing internationally to win the necessary contracts.

We will ensure that these contracts bring in good, lasting technology transfer for the industry.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, because of the lack of progress at the Nairobi conference on climate change, chaired by this government, which has no political will, the UN is now convening a summit in September.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Will Canada take part in this summit, yes or no? By then, will we be an example for the whole world to follow? Or will he choose to stay in his world of socialist schemes?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have not received an invitation. But if I were to receive one, Canada would take part.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are firmly committed to the Kyoto protocol and they want to see action. They want cleaner air to breathe and they have not been getting it from the government.

The government has to stop hiding behind the pathetic performance of the previous Liberal government and start explaining its own position.

My question is for the Prime Minister. These boutique measures we have seen so far are nothing but a drop in the bucket. Why does the Prime Minister not start taking some action? Let us start by telling his cabinet ministers to stop the limousines from idling day in and day out around Parliament Hill.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, on the question of the limousines, I completely agree with the position of the leader of the NDP on this.

The difficulty is that we have drivers who must be here and who are not allowed a room to wait in the House of Commons in cold weather. I think the House of Commons should rectify that situation.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Nancy Karetak-Lindell Liberal Nunavut, NU

Mr. Speaker, the world's scientific community is about to release a report that is unanimous about the growing climate change crisis. The Kyoto protocol is the only global effort to deal with this crisis, but the Prime Minister has never believed in Kyoto. In fact, he has said, “as economic policy, the Kyoto accord is a disaster, and as environmental policy, it is a fraud”.

Was the Prime Minister misleading Canadians then, or is he misleading them now?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, let me indicate to the member opposite that those of us on this side of the House recognize that Kyoto was about a global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world and here in Canada.

While we share the disappointment of many Canadians and people from around the world that the former government did not meet its obligations and accept its responsibilities, this government will be taking real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time as making our air more breathable for young children with asthma in our large cities right across the country.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, they keep avoiding answering questions.

Despite warnings from prominent scientists, the Prime Minister believes that he alone knows the truth.

Even though countries around the world are working to achieve the Kyoto targets, the Prime Minister is saying, “I do not think we should sign an agreement that would make us just about the only country in the world that is doing anything”.

Will the Prime Minister admit that he was wrong when he said that, or will he continue to mislead Canadians?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we were the first government in Canadian history to say that we were going to start creating regulations for Canadian industry, and not just on greenhouse gases, but also on air quality in Canada. I know that the members opposite and their party had a lot of problems accomplishing anything in this area. They had a chance to act, a chance to make a huge difference in our environment, but they did not take it.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON

Mr. Speaker, once again, they are not answering the question.

While the scientific community is calling on world leaders to take action against climate change, the Prime Minister said: “Kyoto is designed to address the so-called 'greenhouse gas' phenomenon, the hypothesis that the increase of certain gases contributes to a long-term global warming trend”.

Will the Prime Minister admit he was wrong when he made that statement or will he continue to mislead the public?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I say to my colleague that it is very important for Canada to assume its responsibilities, not just in the world, but also in Canada, with real action to reduce greenhouse gases. For 13 long years we saw the previous government do absolutely nothing on this issue. We are the first government in the history of Canada to introduce a bill to take real action in this very important issue.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the world's scientific community is about to release a report that is unequivocal about the growing climate change crisis. The Kyoto protocol is the only global effort to deal with this issue, but the Prime Minister has never believed in Kyoto. In fact, he claimed:

As the effects trickle through other industries, workers and consumers everywhere in Canada will lose. THERE ARE NO CANADIAN WINNERS UNDER THE KYOTO ACCORD.

Was the Prime Minister misleading Canadians then, or is he misleading them now?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member that the Prime Minister always has agreed that we must take real action. That is why the Prime Minister has tabled real legislation to reduce greenhouse gases, something that the previous government never did.

While we are talking about quotes, what about this quote, “when people see the cost of Kyoto, they are going to scream”. Who said that? It was the environment critic for the Liberal Party, the member for Ottawa South.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, when it came time to vote in the Standing Committee on the Environment on the territorial approach to combating greenhouse gases, the members of the government voted against it.

We would like the Minister of the Environment to explain to us why his government is against the territorial approach. Is this not just another way to protect the oil industry in Alberta and the auto industry in Ontario? If it is, let him stand up and say so.