Debates of June 7th, 2010

Tony Clement Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, speaking of summit funding, when the hon. member's predecessors were in government, they gave money to the Bluenose for the Halifax summit.

That is okay, but according to the false logic of members opposite, it is not okay to do something for this summit. That is the tired ridiculous logic of the Liberal Party of Canada, which proves once again why the Liberals are on that side, rather than on this side.

Dominic LeBlanc Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, there was a time when the Conservatives claimed to be good managers. They have now proven that they are spendthrifts and completely incompetent. The worst thing is that they are spending billions on billions of dollars not for Canadians' benefit, but to further their partisan interests.

Why is the Prime Minister using the G8 and G20 meetings just to promote the Conservative Party?

Tony Clement Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, we are working to support our regions, to support Canadian tourism, to support many things Canada is known for. That is our goal. We are proud of our country.

On the other side, the Liberals complain, but when they were in power, they did exactly the same thing.

Dominic LeBlanc Beauséjour, NB

Mr. Speaker, the government is spending $275,000 on washrooms 20 km from the summit, $400,000 on a 1910 steamship and $2 million on an artificial lake in the middle of the city; it makes you think of Gilligan's Island. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have run up the biggest deficit in Canadian history.

Why is the Minister of Industry spending so much of Canadian taxpayers' money just to get re-elected?

Tony Clement Minister of Industry

As I said already, Mr. Speaker, we are proud of our regions. We are proud of our country. We are showcasing that to the world with the G8 and the G20 summits.

When the Liberals were in power, not only did they fund the Bluenose and some other infrastructure projects for Halifax, but they also put in $3 million extra for Halifax after the summit was over. That is how proud they were of Halifax.

They should not be coming to us when we are spending money for tourism, for business development and for the future of Canadian business. We are proud of that, because that is what good governments do.

Paule Brunelle Trois-Rivières, QC

Mr. Speaker, Shell Canada clearly has no intention of negotiating the sale of its Montreal East facilities. Under the leadership of the union, two offers were presented to save this refinery. The Government of Quebec has announced its intention to continue putting pressure on Shell.

What does the Minister of Natural Resources intend to do to get Shell to negotiate with serious buyers?

Christian Paradis Minister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, we have always supported the union's efforts in this matter. This is sad news, but we understand that work is ongoing. We will monitor the situation closely. We are very sympathetic to the situation the workers are currently experiencing. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely.

Paule Brunelle Trois-Rivières, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister seems more determined to defend the interests of the oil sands in the west than to help the workers in Montreal East.

Can the Prime Minister tell us what instructions he has given the Minister of Natural Resources to ensure that Shell acts like a good corporate citizen?

Christian Paradis Minister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, this government has been involved in the issue from the beginning; no one can deny it. The union said so itself this weekend. I repeat to my colleague that what is happening is serious. We are sympathetic to the workers' cause given this sad situation they are going through. Again, we will continue to monitor this situation very closely.

Lawrence Cannon Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, Canada supports an impartial, credible and transparent inquiry into the incident that occurred last week. However, we will not support a biased process that seeks to have Israel alone bear the blame.

Governments and international organizations, including ourselves, should not make premature judgments before knowing all the facts. Furthermore, the Israel government today announced that it will conduct an investigation.

Francine Lalonde La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that Turkey, which had nine citizens killed in the attack, is insisting on an impartial international inquiry.

The UN Security Council has asked that resolutions 1850 and 1860, requiring humanitarian aid and food to be sent to Gaza on a regular basis, be respected.

Will the Conservative government demand that the two UN Security Council resolutions be respected by Israel?

Lawrence Cannon Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, we remain very concerned about the Gaza situation, especially the provision of humanitarian aid to meet basic needs. The Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas, a terrorist organization. The Government of Canada provides humanitarian assistance to Gaza only through the UN and other international organizations in order to comply with Canadian anti-terrorist legislation.

Geoff Regan Halifax West, NS

Mr. Speaker, the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has already cost BP nearly $2 billion. On seven different occasions so far the minister has refused to confirm that Canada has a response plan in place should such a disaster happen in Canadian waters.

Can the minister at least tell us if a security deposit is required before drilling is authorized, and if the answer is yes, how much is required?