Debates of June 17th, 2009

Medical Isotopes

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the announcement I made yesterday with regard to research to find alternatives to Tc99 is the first of its kind in the world. Canada is a world leader in research, and this will help deal with the shortage of Tc99. We need to look at those alternatives, and we are doing so.

I will continue to work with the medical isotope experts to look at other alternatives, and with my colleague, who is dealing with the supply situation in this country.

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Linda Keen, whom the government fired last year, confirms that there was no plan to secure the supply of isotopes. In short, the Conservatives, like the Liberals, dragged their feet and today are making patients and doctors pay the price.

What real measures does the government plan to take so that Canada stops depending on other countries for its isotope supply?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, our plan has been in action and we have been very active on the file.

In December of last year, we released a statement to the public, indicating that we were pursuing the supply of medical isotopes around the globe in terms of the security of supply. Two areas on which my department was concentrating were reviewing the actual ability to produce alternatives to medical isotopes in another way and to explore how to better coordinate the reactors around the world.

We have had great success on both of those, culminating with an expert panel review for the long-term with respect to new ways to produce medical isotopes and the global response of both Petten and France coming on line.

Border Security

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for more than two weeks, trade and tourism have been ground to a halt in and around Cornwall as a result of the closed border. Businesses already hard-hit by a recession are wondering how they are going to keep their doors open, how they are going to keep going.

The fault rests with the government. It has refused to even try to resolve the dispute between the Akwesasne people and the CBSA, a dispute to which all agree no ground exists. The public safety minister has closed his ears. He did not consult the Akwesasne before and he refuses to try to work with them now.

Why is the minister so indifferent to the suffering of this community? Why does he refuse to try to intervene and find a solution? It is his job.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we care a great deal about the safety of the community and communities all across the country. That is why we took a decision three years ago to arm our border service officers at every land crossing across the country.

We also want to see the safety and security of the travelling public of the community and our border services officers maintained, including at the Cornwall border crossing.

The implementation of this policy was undertaken by the Canadian Border Services Agency, with consultations that went on close to a dozen times, I think, in the past year. Those discussions continue, and I encourage those them to continue, so we can have a satisfactory resolution in the interests of the community, which maintains, number one, safety and security.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear the minister does not even understand the concerns. Over the last three years, the Conservatives knew the situation was coming. They knew the concerns of the Akwesasne.

In a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in Cornwall today, it called the situation a crisis for its local economy, and the minister refuses to intervene. The minister has ignored every request to meet with the Akwesasne, instead taking an uncompromising position with no concern for the damage it will cause.

The minister's position has to change. When will he step in, do his job, start to work with the Akwesasne and find a solution to the crisis he created?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, on one question the hon. member raises, I agree. We will not compromise safety and security for anybody in the country.

I know the hon. member has a long record of being on the record as opposed to the arming of our border service officers. We will not put them at risk of being shot by criminals and being forced to do their jobs without the tools they need to be safe. We will not compromise safety and security, not like he is prepared to do.

Pulp and Paper Industry

[John Rafferty, NDP, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today's forestry package has totally missed the mark. While New Democrats welcome aid for pulp and paper producers to make their operations more efficient and environmentally friendly, the government has failed to deal with some fundamental issues.

Where is the commitment to make EI more accessible? Where is the pension protection for AbitibiBowater retirees? Where are the guarantees for small businesses and suppliers that are owed huge sums of money by large bankrupt corporations?

With hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across the country, does the minister really think this plan will save them?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we are very pleased to announce today the government's new program with respect to forestry, and I will give more details of it later on. However, if the member actually bothered to talk to the industry, he would find out that it embraces it, that it will help save jobs and help us maintain our edge as the greenest supplier of pulp in the world.

What it particularly appreciates about the announcement is it demonstrates a commitment to the future of the industry through its support to capital improvements, exactly what industry needs to prepare for the return of markets.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

Mr. Speaker, will the minister guarantee that no jobs will be lost at all as of today? That is the question. The U.S. black liquor subsidy has hammered our pulp and paper industry and it needs help today or 100,000 jobs are on the line. The failure to negotiate an end to the U.S. subsidy has brought our industry to the brink of extinction.

As the manager of Zellstoff Celgar in Castlegar said today, a three or four month delay will be too late. The mill will no longer be viable.

Will the minister commit today to immediate funding that will arrive in time to save the pulp and paper industry?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the government announced today the pulp and paper green transformation program. This program is being put in place specifically to allow the pulp and paper industry to transform itself. It is already doing very well in terms of renewable energy, but even more so it is becoming more clean and more green. That is exactly what we should be doing at this point in time.

As I have already indicated, the industry has embraced this and has been very vocal about the fact that it is the right thing to do.

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government is determined to minimize the damaging effects this global recession has had on our forestry sector. The Kenora riding was delighted to hear today that our Conservative government announced new funding for Canadian pulp mills that produce black liquor to invest in new green technologies which will increase the environmental performance of their facilities.

Could the Minister of Natural Resources tell us more about this exciting new program and how it will help our Canadian forestry sector and its workers?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Kenora for his work on the file and all the other Conservative MPs who have brought this matter to my attention. He continues to serve his constituents in northern Ontario very well.

As indicated, Canadian pulp mills will be eligible to access $1 billion in funding through our government's pulp and paper green transformation program. It will help ensure Canada has a pulp sector, both commercially and environmentally sustainable for years to come. Every dollar made available through this program will benefit forestry communities across Canada and provide them with a brighter future.

By making a smart investment today, we are laying the groundwork for a greener, more secure future for pulp and paper workers and their families.

Broadcasting Industry

[Shawn Murphy, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.

Last year Rogers Telecom applied to build a massive cell tower in a residential neighbourhood right in the middle of the city of Charlottetown. The neighbours did not want it. The people who lived in Charlottetown did not want it. Our democratically elected city council voted against it.

The Minister of Industry, since the tower was not in his neighbourhood, overruled the decision of the city council and ordered the construction of the tower to proceed.

My question is very simple. Why did he disrespect the wishes of the residents of Charlottetown and the decision of their elected council?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the member knows there is legislation in place that ensures we have a well connected network throughout the country. If there are legitimate concerns, those concerns are then addressed.

Health Canada reviews the concerns from a health and safety point of view. Health Canada did its job and reviewed for health and safety concerns. Those concerns were not valid. On that basis, that is why these are left to the national level to ensure we have the network capacity that is necessary for health and safety reasons, for instance 911 calls and things like that, of which I think the people of Charlottetown would in fact approve.

Trade

[Claude Guimond, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Colombian soldiers have assassinated civilians to receive compensation offered by the government. They disguise their victims as guerrilla fighters to inflate the figures in the anti-terrorist fight and collect promised cash rewards. Justice officials have opened more than 1,200 inquiries. The UN has condemned this practice, which human rights organizations are describing as “systematic and widespread”.

How can the government be considering a free trade agreement with a country that puts a bounty on people's heads to get rid of guerrillas?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, we have seen a great deal of progress with Colombia on human rights. The Colombian president was here last week to answer members' questions. In addition, we have a very strong agreement that they signed to determine and continue progress on human rights issues. The agreement also includes sanctions if they do not comply with certain parts of the agreement.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of three provincial fishery ministers: the Hon. Tom Hedderson of Newfoundland and Labrador; the Hon. Rick Doucet of New Brunswick; and the Hon. Neil LeClair of Prince Edward Island.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister Responsible for Status of Women, Persons with Disabilities, Seniors and the Homeless for the Northwest Territories.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

The House resumed from June 10 consideration of the motion.

Artists

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

It being 3:05 p.m., pursuant to order made on Tuesday, June 16 the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No. 297 under private members' business.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #92

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I declare the motion carried.