Debates of Dec. 7th, 2007

The Environment

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

What did you do? You chaired the round table, where were you?

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Order, please. I would ask the frontbench of the official opposition, and some members in particular, and you know who they are, to keep it down while government members are answering their questions.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a great quote, and what they are advocating defies logic. This is a great quote:

—there can be no serious argument for Canada to make mandatory commitments, while exempting the giant emitters of the world such as China and India. This is like plugging a leak while ignoring a flood.

Who said that? It was--

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The hon. member for Kings—Hants.

Wireless Industry

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to answer the simple question, “Has the Prime Minister ever discussed wireless spectrum with Brian Mulroney, yes or no?”

Instead of answering, he quivered and huddled, red-faced, with his Minister of Industry in the House. Miraculously, two hours later, the Prime Minister's Office, not the Prime Minister, but his office, responded.

Who did the Prime Minister's Office speak with in the interim to get its story straight? Did the PMO speak directly or indirectly with Mr. Mulroney or his associates?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate. This has probably been the worst week for tabloid politics, and the member continues to slag current members and past members of the House.

Let us take a look and see what the National Post said about his credibility yesterday. It said:

Who is [the member for Kings—Hants] to be slagging Quebecor and the Peladeaus? The same [member] who sent e-mails after a Liberal Cabinet meeting to his friends on Bay Street assuring them they'd be happy with the [the Liberal] government's policy on income trusts. The same [member] who, as a Progressive Conservative, went to Mulroney's home to seek his advice and accepted two major donations from Mulroney for his 2003--

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The hon. member for Kings--Hants.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, there is an insidious and the incestuous collusion between Brian Mulroney and that government, when that government needs to gets its lines from Brian Mulroney's speech writer, Ian MacDonald. The fact is, on November 9, the Prime Minister called for an end—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Order, please. If the government members want to applaud when I chastise the opposition, then maybe they should chastise themselves and be as quiet as they want others to be.

The hon. member for Kings—Hants.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, on November 9, the Prime Minister called for an end of all dealings between his government, its ministers and Brian Mulroney. We know that Brian Mulroney lobbied the former industry minister.

Was the Prime Minister aware of discussions between his former heritage minister and Brian Mulroney on the wireless spectrum auction?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe these speculations and allegations. I notice the member was blushing and it is for a good cause. Again, I will read a quote for members. “The steps necessary to reduce and eliminate the deficit began 15 years ago under the PC government of Brian Mulroney, who was responsible for introducing the structural changes in the Canadian economy which were largely responsible for putting in place fundamental changes such as the free trade policy which the Liberals fought vociferously, the GST which the Liberals fought vociferously and now claim to have invented, the deregulation of the financial services industry, transport and industry”.

Who said that? It was the member—

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The hon. member for Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord.

Guaranteed Income Supplement

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government knows very well that seniors were cheated out of thousands of dollars because for years they were not paid the guaranteed income supplement to which they were entitled.

Given that the government will have a surplus of $11.6 billion this year, what is it waiting for to reimburse the $3 billion to those who were burned because of poor management of the guaranteed income supplement program, and to stop this growing problem which causes our seniors to live in poverty.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, when we formed government, we took steps to modernize and strengthen the guaranteed income supplement, the old age security and the CPP. This is exactly what we have done by bringing Bill C-36 into law.

Seniors can rest assured that this government listens and delivers for them.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the government realize that seniors who receive the guaranteed income supplement are among the most disadvantaged in our society?

How can the government ignore them? When in opposition, the Conservatives promised to support and help them.

Why is this government treating our seniors like second class citizens when they are the ones who tightened their belts and worked their entire lives to help our economy grow?

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, we have created a secretary of state for seniors in recognition of the important issues they face. We have established a national seniors council to advise the government on issues of importance. We have added $10 million per year to the new horizons for seniors program. In combatting serious issues that seniors face with elder abuse, we have invested $10 million.

We take these issues very seriously because we consider seniors to be a very important part of our society.

The Environment

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this government's doublespeak has reached new heights when it comes to the environment. While it claims to want to fight climate change, we learn that it wants to call into question the very foundation of the Kyoto protocol.

Will the government confirm that its real intentions are not just to sabotage the Bali conference, but also to call into question the very foundation of the Kyoto protocol?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, that is utter nonsense. Canada is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is a realistic plan, it is an ambitious plan. In fact, it is one of the most ambitious plans in the world: 20% by 2020. That is huge. That is 150 megatonnes, but globally it cannot be achieved. We cannot reduce greenhouse gas emissions unless all major emitters participate.

Canada is doing its part. We need all the major emitters to do their part, too.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, instead of going back on past commitments and rethinking the very principles, structure and objectives of the Kyoto protocol, should the government not be recognizing that it is only normal for industrialized countries to make a greater effort because it is easier for an American to replace his Hummer with a smaller vehicle than it is for an Indian to stop cooking his food in his traditional way?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is global emissions do not recognize where the emissions come from. It is a global problem and we all need to do our part. Canada is doing its part.

There is a great quote from Mr. Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. He said, “The approach Canada has taken, looking at the twin benefits of reducing emission of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, is exactly what we need to do on a wider scale”.

This government is getting it done.

Airbus

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned that the $300,000 that Brian Mulroney received from Mr. Schreiber in 1993 came from a bank account containing $4 million in commissions paid by Thyssen.

This money existed only because Brian Mulroney's government signed an agreement with Thyssen for the Bear Head project in 1988. If Mr. Mulroney had not signed that agreement, he would not have had a comfortable retirement.

Can the Prime Minister promise Canadians that the public inquiry will examine all aspects of the Bear Head project, including those who benefited from it?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been very clear on this issue and has done the right thing by announcing a full public inquiry into the allegations contained in a sworn affidavit.

I wish the hon. member, and he knows this full well, would allow Professor Johnston to do that work.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, it gets even worse, much worse.

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics also heard that commissions from the Airbus purchase, the Bear Head project and the purchase of Coast Guard helicopters ended up in the same Swiss bank account.

Mr. Mulroney's $300,000 came from this big, questionable pile of dirty money. Will the Prime Minister ensure that the public inquiry examines every aspect of the Bear Head project, the Coast Guard helicopter agreement and the Airbus purchase, including those who benefited?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, Professor Johnston will make recommendations as to the appropriate mandate for a public inquiry into any allegations that were made, including specific issues that warrant examination.