House of Commons Hansard #92 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was industry.

Topics

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON

Mr. Speaker, if one calls an invitation to a limited meeting working with people and stating that the session will “build upon the standing committee's study”, here is some news. The committee has not finished its work. So, is the minister, more conservatively, disrespecting? Or is the minister again misleading the forestry industry? Intentionally disrespecting or misleading?

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Cypress Hills—Grasslands Saskatchewan

Conservative

David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that we respect the forestry industry. That is why we have created a federal mountain pine beetle program. That is why we launched the forestry industry long term competitiveness initiative. That is why we have ended the softwood lumber dispute with the United States. That is why we put the ecoenergy renewable power initiative in place. That is why we accelerated the capital cost allowance for our forestry industry and that is why we have invested $1 billion in the community development trust fund to help out that very industry.

Post-Secondary EducationOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, the British government has indicated that Canadian students will no longer be eligible for the distinguished Commonwealth scholarships. This is a move that has been called a slap in the face to Canada. Under the government we have seen numerous examples of Canada's declining influence in the world. Now our longest running and closest friend in the world has chosen to shut Canada out.

Canadian scholars want the government to act. What is the minister doing to stand up for Canada's international students? What is the government doing to save the Commonwealth scholarships for Canadian students?

Post-Secondary EducationOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Blackstrap Saskatchewan

Conservative

Lynne Yelich ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, through “Advantage Canada” we are helping to develop the most well-educated, most flexible and most skilled workforce in the world. We have invested more than 40% through social transfers to provincial governments for post-secondary education. We have also increased funding to the provinces by $39 billion. I believe that we have done more for students than the Liberal government did when it was in power.

Post-Secondary EducationOral Questions

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about Canadian government spending. We are talking about the spending of another government that always included Canada and specifically the Commonwealth scholarships.

Many of Canada's most influential leaders in industry, public service and education have benefited from these. The government was asleep while Canada was shut out again. How does this happen?

Can the minister tell us when he was made aware of this situation, which will have a dramatic and negative impact on Canadian students and more importantly, what will he do to stand up for Canada and the Commonwealth scholarships for Canadian students?

Post-Secondary EducationOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Blackstrap Saskatchewan

Conservative

Lynne Yelich ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of the scholarships. The minister I am sure will answer that question when he is here. However, I will tell the member that we have invested $3.2 billion in post-secondary education. I am aware of that. I am also aware that we have had a 40% increase in funding for post-secondary education. I am also aware that the Liberals have voted against all of our initiatives for secondary education.

Bill C-484Oral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC

Mr. Speaker, during the pro-life rally held yesterday here in Ottawa, a number of Conservative members demonstrated to reopen the debate on abortion. Yet the government insists that it does not want to reopen this debate.

If the Minister of Justice agrees with the Prime Minister, will he do everything he can to ensure that his colleagues vote against Bill C-484, which could recriminalize abortion?

Bill C-484Oral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Fundy Royal New Brunswick

Conservative

Rob Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has been perfectly clear and the Prime Minister has been clear. This government is not going to reopen the debate on abortion and that is the answer to that question.

Pay EquityOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC

Mr. Speaker, four years ago, the pay equity task force released its report. That was four years ago and the Conservative government has done absolutely nothing. Women are still earning only 71% of what men make.

Is it possible that the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages thinks the same as her leader, who, in 1998, as president of the president of the National Citizens Coalition, said that pay equity is a rip-off and that this ridiculous law should be scrapped?

Pay EquityOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Jonquière—Alma Québec

Conservative

Jean-Pierre Blackburn ConservativeMinister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

Mr. Speaker, our government has been proactive on the pay equity file. We hired new inspectors. We introduced procedures to better inform employers of their responsibilities. Furthermore, our inspectors have visited at least 250 businesses in recent months to make employers and unions aware of employers' responsibilities with respect to pay equity in their businesses.

Public Works and Government ServicesOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Mr. Speaker, the Centre-ville organization, which includes the Edmundston Central Business Development Corporation, is a non-profit organization that oversees the economic development of downtown Edmundston. Its budget is wholly funded by a voluntary tax on the owners of commercial buildings located in the business improvement area.

The federal government refused to pay this property tax on the buildings it owns in downtown Edmundston and elsewhere in New Brunswick.

As citizens, we pay taxes to the federal government. Why does the government not want to pay its taxes?

Public Works and Government ServicesOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, we fulfill all of our commitments. I am not familiar with the case my colleague has just brought up during question period. I could speak with him afterwards.

HealthOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB

Mr. Speaker, since taking office the government has taken a new approach to the issues surrounding drug abuse. Under the previous Liberal government, Canadians were given mixed messages about the legality of drugs and some of the Liberal campaigns stopped just short of actually encouraging children to experiment with drugs.

Last October the Prime Minister announced Canada's new national anti-drug strategy and since then we have made great strides in clamping down on those who traffic illegal drugs while providing meaningful treatment for those in need of help.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary for Health please update the House on any recent developments in this area?

HealthOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia Manitoba

Conservative

Steven Fletcher ConservativeParliamentary Secretary for Health

Mr. Speaker, under this government Canadians can now have confidence that their elected officials are working to help those who suffer from drug addiction.

Last week, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Justice announced $111 million that will be dedicated in strengthening Canadian treatment systems right across the country.

Then, just yesterday, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development announced more funding to help those first nations people suffering from drug addiction. This government is getting the job done.

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, it was a black Tuesday for working families in Crofton last week when the Catalyst Paper mill announced 80 job cuts. Even though it posted its best production ever last year, Catalyst is battling rising costs and a fibre shortage made worse by recent sawmill closures. At the same time, workers laid off five months ago are coming to the end of their EI eligibility with no further help in sight. Conservative policy of corporate tax cuts is leading to economic decline and an increasing income gap.

Will the government admit that its community development trust is not really helping forestry workers?

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Cypress Hills—Grasslands Saskatchewan

Conservative

David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board

Actually, Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of our community development trust fund. It is going to be delivered to Canadians. We are also proud of the things that we have done in this economy. This morning we found out that last month 19,200 new jobs were created across this country. Since the government has come to power, over 830,000 jobs have been created across the country. We are getting the job done.

Fisheries and OceansOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

NDP

Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, nobody is talking about the quality of those jobs.

Let us talk about fisheries. There will be no commercial or recreational fishing of the Fraser River sockeye this year and the aboriginal food fishery has to be rationed among communities. After years of cuts to research, the government has no idea why this salmon run is so low.

Will the minister show some leadership and commit to putting more resources into salmon research before we have another collapse, like the cod fishery on the east coast?

Fisheries and OceansOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission B.C.

Conservative

Randy Kamp ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, yes, there are some concerns about the sockeye run this year. As we know, it is a four year cycle and there were some difficulties four years ago. Ocean conditions are certainly a big part of the problem. The government, though, is continuing to invest in science, particularly on this issue, and trying to address some of the issues that we need to know more about. This minister is committed to doing that.

Trent-Severn WaterwayOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Martha Hall Findlay Liberal Willowdale, ON

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate and thank our Liberal candidate Steve Clarke and the Orillia Packet & Times for quickly exposing Conservative game playing with numbers. The Conservative government has tried to claim an investment in the Trent-Severn Waterway as being new, whereas almost all of it is old money.

I would like to ask, why does the Conservative government continue to try to mislead Canadians so badly and pretend that it is doing something when it is not?

Trent-Severn WaterwayOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I am shocked by that question from this member.

Because of the hard work of the member for Simcoe North, we are finally getting around to making some major repairs. It will cost $63 million to support the restoration of the Trent-Severn Waterway. It has been backed consistently by that member and members of this caucus.

I think this is nothing more than a blatant attempt to change the subject from the Liberal Party's new gas tax and also a tax on home heating fuel, electricity and natural gas, something that will hurt middle class families and seniors living on fixed income.

Canada-EFTA Free Trade AgreementOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, the countries of the European Free Trade Association are some of the wealthiest and most sophisticated markets in the world. Earlier today the Minister of International Trade opened debate on Canada's first free trade agreement in over six years.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade please inform the House of the exciting progress being made on Canada's trade relations with other countries around the world?

Canada-EFTA Free Trade AgreementOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

South Shore—St. Margaret's Nova Scotia

Conservative

Gerald Keddy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and to the Minister of International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Chatham-Kent—Essex for his support for the EFTA treaty.

Certainly, I would like to thank the Liberals for their support for the free trade agreement as well. They rose in the House today and said they will be supporting this treaty, which is a good deal for Canada and a good deal for the four European nations that we will be signing it with.

It should be noted that Canada's exports to the EFTA countries are worth $5.2 billion and Canadian direct investment in the EFTA countries is in excess of $8.4 billion. This is a good deal for Canada. It is a good deal for the European Union. It gives us a toe hold and a foothold into a greater marketplace than we have ever had and it is important for the economy of this country.

LebanonOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are concerned about the recent escalation and violence in Lebanon. We hear news reports that 10 people are dead, 20 people are wounded, and those are just recent reports.

I have very simple questions for the government. What is the government's plans, diplomatically speaking, to help stem the violence and prevent further violence. Also, what is the preparedness for Canadians if they have to leave Lebanon quickly if the violence gets out of hand and is further to what we have heard today?

LebanonOral Questions

Noon

Calgary East Alberta

Conservative

Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn the actions of Hezbollah to incite violence. These actions only serve to inflame sectarian divisions. Hezbollah and its supporters must not be allowed to pull Lebanon toward war.

We are monitoring the situation closely and are providing information to Canadians who are registered in Lebanon.

Manufacturing IndustryOral Questions

May 9th, 2008 / noon

Bloc

Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to a study by an economist named Stanford, with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the nearly $15 billion in tax reductions that the Conservatives made in 2007 have widened the gap between provinces and benefited the oil companies and banks at the expense of Quebec's manufacturing industry, which is in crisis.

Given these findings, will the government face facts and introduce targeted measures to help the manufacturing industry, such as refundable tax credits for research and development?