Debates of Dec. 9th, 2010

Wayne Marston Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, over a year ago I tabled a bill designed to help the disabled Nortel workers. A similar bill in the Senate was defeated by Conservative senators last night. Clearly the unaccountable senators have abandoned these workers.

The clock has all but run out for these workers. The minister has repeatedly said in the House that he would do something for them. Will he put aside his speaking points and tell the House right here, right now, what he will do for them?

Tony Clement Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the hon. member that we on this side of the House, as I believe all MPs and senators, sympathize with the plight of these individuals, particularly those with long-term disabilities.

The fact is the solutions proffered by the NDP and proffered by the Liberals in the Senate do not help those people one iota. They do not help. They would be in court for years. That is the expert testimony that was heard at the Senate. They are not helping.

We on this side of the House are looking for solutions to help people, not engage in soulless rhetoric designed for the cameras and not for the people of Canada.

Vic Toews Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is steadfast in our commitment to ensure Canadians are safe from terrorist threats.

Today the Federal Court determined that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Harkat was a threat to national security. Our priority remains taking the action necessary to ensure Canadians are safe.

Lise Zarac LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, the natural catastrophe that hit the lower St. Lawrence is of concern to all Canadians. People have lost everything they worked so hard for all their lives and much infrastructure was damaged and literally carried away by the water. Such a disaster had not happened since 1914.

Will the government agree to put its technical, professional, human and financial resources at Quebec's disposal in the event that the province asks for its help?

Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, we share the concern for what happened in the St. Lawrence area. There is a real human tragedy there and we feel for those people.

As well, we have a relationship with the provincial government to ensure that where there is a natural disaster, or a disaster of any type in the province, a formula kicks in. There are processes where our officials work together to ensure we look after those citizens by working through pre-established terms and conditions that have been put in place with the Quebec government.

Yvon Lévesque Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC

Mr. Speaker, after many years of negotiations following the 1975 James Bay Agreement, a marine region agreement was finally signed by the federal government and the Cree. With unprecedented participation, the Cree Nation voted almost unanimously in favour of the agreement, which cannot come into force unless backed by a law.

What is the government waiting for to keep its promise made to the Cree of Eeyou Istchee and introduce the bill that was supposed to have been presented in September?

John Duncan Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, we are in the final drafting and the member can expect that legislation imminently.

Dennis Bevington Western Arctic, NT

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government is way off track when it comes to actually protecting the environment. Yesterday, when questioned about the Edéhzhie area of the Northwest Territories, also known as the Horn Plateau, the government laughably said, “a national wildlife area designation does not preclude development”. Opening the door to resource exploitation in these protected areas has forced the Dehcho First Nation to take this government to court.

Why is the government wasting everyone's time and money through this court case? Is it another Lancaster Sound? Where is the issue? Either these areas are protected or they are not.

John Duncan Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite correct. Where is the issue? Any plans for exploration or development would have to include measures to mitigate environmental impacts in a way that would protect the conservation values of the proposed national wildlife area. Everything is as it should be.

Dick Harris Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Mr. Speaker, more and more Canadians are coming out against the Liberal Party's disastrous economic policies. They know the tax and spend policies of the Liberal leader will kill both jobs and the economy. The Liberal plan to target job creators with massive hikes is just the latest example. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce calls it a “disastrous idea”.

Could the parliamentary secretary tell us what employers in the forestry industry are saying?

Ted Menzies Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we all know that the Liberal leader's plan to raise taxes will simply kill Canadian jobs. It will kill economic growth. It will harm Canada's economy. The Liberal job-killing taxes are dead wrong.

The Forest Products Association of Canada, which employs hundreds of thousands of Canadians, said yesterday, “the business tax reductions...are an important part of the industry's recovery plan for the period ahead”.

Why, once again, are the Liberals threatening Canada's forestry workers and their employers?

The Speaker Peter Milliken

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Dennis Fentie, Premier of Yukon.