House of Commons Hansard #113 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was report.

Topics

Political Party FinancingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, Senator Housakos has sent this matter to the Senate ethics officer, an independent officer of the Senate.

The Senate ethics officer will have the opportunity to review the matter and to make the report public.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Mr. Speaker, no plan, no regulations, no price on carbon, and no credit trading system. The provinces and Canadian businesses have been left to fend for themselves. “Do not expect anything from us until everyone else has made a decision.” That is what they are telling us.

A G8 statement was first endorsed, then repudiated. The minister roundly criticizes China, while the Prime Minister avoids the United Nations.

Is it any wonder that an expert is describing Canada's participation in Copenhagen as “insignificant”?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I will tell the House who not to expect anything from, and that is the Liberal Party.

That is the party that signed Kyoto and then declined to implement it. It is the party that took an NDP bill and voted for it. The Liberals stood in this House and voted for an NDP bill and then called it a publicity stunt. It is the party that signed an agreement with its coalition partners for a North American approach and then tried to graft on European standards. It is a party that campaigned on a carbon tax, disavowed it, and then its members voted for it at their convention.

Where do the Liberals stand?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Mr. Speaker, I swore I heard George Bush there for a second.

The EDC tells us the environmental and clean energy technology market exceeds $1 trillion a year. One hundred per cent of South Korea's stimulus package is green. China's is 50%. The United States' is 35%. Ernst & Young tells us we are way behind in our ability to attract investment for clean technology and renewable power.

When will the Prime Minister understand that his lack of leadership and his irresponsible approach to climate change is one of the largest roadblocks to Canadian economic growth?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I just returned from Copenhagen as one of twenty ministers who was invited by the chair of the Copenhagen process to try to lend form and substance to what is going on at Copenhagen. We are a constructive player. We will try to get to an international agreement.

I am not going to stand in this chamber and take lectures from the Liberals on Kyoto and on Copenhagen and climate change, because they did nothing. They signed the Kyoto protocol which was ill suited to this country, to our geography and our climate. It would undermine our industrial bases. They are in favour of a carbon tax. No one knows where they stand on Bill C-311. They vote for it; they disavow it. They call it a tiddlywinks bill, and they still vote for it.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, our Liberal government invested in CO2 sequestration technology in places like Weyburn, Saskatchewan. We did this to make Canada the global leader in clean conventional energy.

Recently, China signed a deal on CO2 sequestration, not with Canada but with the U.S. Why did China ignore Canada and go to the U.S. when we have the best sequestration technology here in Canada? Is it because the Conservatives have refused to promote Canada's clean technology, or is it because of the Prime Minister's contempt for China over the last four years?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Calgary Centre-North Alberta

Conservative

Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member needs to get his facts straight.

We signed a clean energy dialogue with the United States shortly after President Obama came to office. We have made considerable progress under that dialogue. One of the three areas that we specifically targeted is carbon capture and storage. There are some investments of a historic size that are being made in Canada at this point in time. We have also had discussions at the Copenhagen table with the Chinese relative to carbon capture and storage.

Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of braying on the other side but this is something those members need to know about. There is no country in the world on a per capita basis that is investing more money in carbon capture and storage than Canada.

International TradeOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, China could use and should be using Canadian CO2 sequestration technology, and it would be, had the Conservatives not treated China with contempt for the last four years. A mea culpa tour will not make up for that.

Canadian jobs depend on exports. This week China shut its borders to Canadian canola and trade worth $1.3 billion. The Conservatives' incompetence with China is hurting Canadian farmers.

Do the Conservatives not realize that their failure to effectively engage China is hurting Canadian industries, like agriculture, and that their failure to promote Canada's clean energy is killing Canada's capacity to grow in the future?

International TradeOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Conservative

Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas)

Mr. Speaker, the record needs to be corrected. Between 2006 and 2008 Canada's exports to China grew by over 33%.

We have announced the Asia-Pacific Gateway and the corridor initiative infrastructure projects worth almost $2.5 billion, including federal contributions of over $900 million to ensure that new doors to China are opened. This government is getting the job done.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB

Mr. Speaker, it has been a difficult year for many Canadians. While the global recession began outside Canada's borders, we have not been immune. Our Conservative government has been working hard to ensure that Canada exits the recession even stronger than when we entered it. It is working and the world is noticing.

Could the finance minister please inform the members of the House what the OECD said about Canada's economy today?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Whitby—Oshawa Ontario

Conservative

Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Wild Rose for the question. I have not had many questions on the economy; it has been so lonely over here.

The OECD today confirmed what we have been saying all along, that Canada will lead the G7 growth over the next two years, much higher than the OECD average.

The global recovery does remain fragile and of course we have to stay the course. We have to implement the economic action plan going into 2011, which is entirely what we intend to do.

AfghanistanOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, torture is a violation of international law, period, but when reports of prisoner torture were sent to the government, instead of investigating, it launched a massive cover-up.

The Conservatives have threatened diplomats, interfered with hearings, smeared the reputation of their own sources and even misled the House when they said yesterday, ”There has never been a single, solitary proven allegation”.

Will the government finally stop the cover-up, do the responsible thing and hold a public inquiry?

AfghanistanOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Conservative

Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, let me state the truth again. First, there has never been a single, solitary proven allegation of abuse involving a transferred prisoner from Canadian Forces.

Second and most important, Canadian Forces always respect international law, always perform to the highest standards, always comply with things such as the Geneva Convention, as does this government, and will continue to do so.

We will continue to work with Afghans to improve their capacity to build on these things. That is what we are there to do. That is why we are so respected internationally. That is why the member is off on the wrong track.

AfghanistanOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Mr. Speaker, we round up more than 20 times the number of prisoners the Dutch do. Yet while they track their detainees and report all actions to their Parliament, our government continues to keep this Parliament in the dark.

Worse, we now hear that most of the prisoners we handed over are not high-level targets like the Taliban, and many are innocent farmers who could end up being tortured.

A public inquiry would give an objective evaluation of the facts, the evidence and the systems now in place, not a charade, like yesterday's shameless attack by Conservative MPs and now the minister. Why not hold a public inquiry?

AfghanistanOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Conservative

Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

What is a charade, Mr. Speaker, is someone who purports to be a lawyer standing and saying that we should just accept evidence without any test, any process whatsoever that questions what is happening.

Of course we pick up more prisoners than other countries. That is a tribute to the good work being done by the Canadian armed forces in Afghanistan today.

The member is a lawyer. I would ask him to refer to the comments of a former member of the House who said that a proof is a proof when it is proven. He should follow that advice.

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Robert Bouchard Bloc Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, the sawmill in Saint-Fulgence in my riding is closing for three months, and 250 jobs will be lost, in addition to the thousands of other temporary and permanent jobs that have been lost. Meanwhile, the Conservatives keep watching but doing nothing as the crisis claims new victims and threatens communities.

Why is the government refusing to assist the forestry industry as generously as it helped the automotive industry?

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean Québec

Conservative

Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Mr. Speaker, first of all, of course we are thinking about the workers and their families who are affected by this closure. I would like to quote some people who know what they are talking about.

André Tremblay, the president of Produits forestiers Saguenay, said this:

Produits forestiers Saguenay will monitor developments in the market in the coming months and may resume operations if there is a significant improvement in demand and prices.

The mayor of the municipality of Saint-Fulgence, Gilbert Simard:

—indicated that he understood the reality facing the sawmill.

He believes that the mill could reopen when the American market recovers, that it will show signs—

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord.

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Robert Bouchard Bloc Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, to help the forestry industry, Hydro-Québec wanted to purchase electricity generated using biomass from the industry. The problem is that forestry companies were unable to bid, because they do not have enough cash to invest in cogeneration.

Are the Conservatives aware that their refusal to provide loan guarantees is depriving these companies of an opportunity to cut their energy bills and of badly needed revenue?

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean Québec

Conservative

Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Mr. Speaker, this is more disinformation, as usual.

I would like to quote another source, Mr. Harvey, the executive vice-president and chief financial officer of AbitibiBowater:

We have considered EDC a trusted partner for over 40 years, and we really appreciate its support for our risk management and financing programs.

Forestry comes under provincial jurisdiction, and procurement and such projects are the responsibility of the Government of Quebec, which our task team will support.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party promised but did not deliver a public appointments commission to end political patronage. Instead, the Conservatives did exactly the opposite, unleashing unparalleled patronage for Conservative friends, in the last year rewarding 233 former Conservative MPs, ministers, campaign workers, candidates and donors who have contributed over $272,000 to Conservative coffers.

Will the Prime Minister explain why he broke his word and why taxpayers are paying to reward Conservative cronies?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, all of our appointments are based entirely on merit.

In fact this week, Transparency International released its report on clean government. It found that Canada, under this government, since we took office, has moved up from 14th to 8th place in the world. We are now first place in the G7 and first place in the western hemisphere.

Let me quote from the report:

Canada remains at the top of the list. It continues to be among the ten countries with the lowest perceived levels of corruption worldwide, serving as a benchmark and inspiration for the Americas.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, not only are the Conservatives making industrial quantities of partisan appointments, but these appointments are revealing a cross-funding scheme between the Conservatives and the ADQ, a shady arrangement by Senator Housakos.

Yesterday, the Conservatives had no answers about the appointments of Nick Katalifos and Jean-Martin Masse, generous ADQ and Conservative Party donors.

Was it this same type of coincidence that earned Jean Depelteau and Luc Moreau their appointments?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, we make appointments based on qualifications, based on merit.

With respect to campaign finance reform, this government has a very proud record. It was the Prime Minister who promised to eliminate the influence of big money in politics. He delivered that in the first piece of legislation he brought forward to this House.

The Prime Minister promised in opposition that he would get rid of all corporate donations. He delivered. He promised to get rid of all union donations. He delivered. He promised to cut back the $5,000 cocktail parties that came to identify and symbolize the Liberal years in power. We eliminated those huge influences.

We have cleaned up government. We have a lot to be very proud of.

Tax HarmonizationOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, the HST hike is going to hit working families hard. The Ontario Liberal government is clear about what we already know. Their new tax hike was first launched by the federal Conservatives.

As the Ontario finance minister said:

The feds certainly pushed us--they've given us 4.3 billion reasons to do it.

Will the government finally admit their obvious role in pushing for this tax increase or is it going to keep dodging responsibility, hoping that no one notices?