House of Commons Hansard #101 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was banks.

Topics

PensionsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe NDP Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Mr. Speaker, all of the experts say that the old age security program is viable. That is pretty straightforward. The parliamentary secretary is also well aware that not everyone is in a position to plan for retirement. If the government scales back the old age security program, many people will suffer.

Yet the Conservatives say that, for the sake of future generations, they have to scale back this program, which is essential to Canadians. Well, I can tell you that my generation wants the program to remain as it is.

Future generations want the Conservatives to tackle climate change, not attack the old age security program. Why make cuts to a program that works well as it is?

PensionsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Simcoe—Grey Ontario

Conservative

Kellie Leitch ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, let us do some simple math. Today, four people support every one senior. In the future, 20 years from now, two people will support every senior. This system is simply unsustainable. That is why this government is moving forward to ensure we have a sustainable system in the future so OAS will be available to people my age, her age and everyone else's age.

BudgetOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government is about to cut public services and penalize thousands of workers. Now it has decided, for the first time in history, to exclude people representing workers who want access to information that affects them directly and affects services that Canadian families need.

The government should have nothing to hide. Why is it suddenly changing the rules of the game, and why is it preventing those representatives from being part of the closed-door session?

BudgetOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Macleod Alberta

Conservative

Ted Menzies ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)

Mr. Speaker, we will be proudly introducing in the House of Commons tomorrow budget 2012, an economic action plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. We welcome all Canadians to tune in and listen to all of the very interesting and positive news that the Minister of Finance will deliver tomorrow.

BudgetOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is a closed shop in this case. It is wrong to cherry-pick stakeholders and those guys know that. Why are the Conservatives cutting out access to six unions that will be locked out of the budget lock-up? That was the question. They are shutting the door on accountability and on participation.

Public servants are worried about their future. They are worried about the services they deliver to everyday Canadians. Why are the Conservatives keeping them in the dark?

BudgetOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Macleod Alberta

Conservative

Ted Menzies ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)

Mr. Speaker, this is the House of Commons and we welcome any interested member of Parliament and the media to get involved in the lock-up so they get a prelude of what is in the budget. However, it will be delivered in the House to every Canadian.

41st General ElectionOral Questions

March 28th, 2012 / 2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Foote Liberal Random—Burin—St. George's, NL

Mr. Speaker, recently revealed court records filed by Elections Canada show that RackNine had a contractual agreement to work only with Conservatives. It does not even publicly advertise its services. The court records also reveal that when Pierre Poutine set up his account with RackNine, he said that he was referred by a well-connected Conservative in order to access the company.

What steps has the government taken to make the Conservatives reveal the name of this well-connected party official? If the answer is “nothing”, when will we get a royal commission?

41st General ElectionOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Conservative

Dean Del Mastro ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see the Liberal party endorsing the term “royal”. Of course, we reintroduced that term into the military with much fanfare this past summer.

On Saturday, April 30, 2011, at 1 o'clock the Liberal party ran a tutorial on, and I quote, “robocalls”. On 5 o'clock that same day there was an illegal call placed in the riding of Guelph by the member of Parliament for Guelph. We have in fact written to the CRTC and Elections Canada about this illegal call, which used a bogus number, a bogus individual, and a bogus message.

Liberals have a lot to answer for. We hope they will co-operate with Elections Canada in this regard.

Air CanadaOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, by now, Aveos employees should have received their final paycheques. They have not received those cheques. Aveos was supposed to appear before the Standing Committee on Transport, but refused to show up.

In 2011, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities said that jobs would be protected until June 2013. Now the current minister is refusing to get involved. If the Minister of Transport cannot do his job, I call upon the Prime Minister to go to court to enforce the law instead of continuing to play Air Canada's game. Aveos is obviously in bed with Air Canada.

What will the government do to protect the workers?

Air CanadaOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean Québec

Conservative

Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, as we said yesterday, witnesses will appear before the Standing Committee on Transport tomorrow, as part of this process. The member will be able to ask all his questions then. This is a matter that concerns two private-sector companies, Aveos and Air Canada, that have a business relationship. Our government respects that relationship.

PensionsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is budget day, and Canadians are rightly afraid, because the Prime Minister plans to balance the books on the backs of low-income seniors and baby boomers. He says tax dollars are better spent on jets, jails, and multi-million dollar fake lakes. He says seniors need to work harder and longer to pay their share.

This is not the Canada that we built and that we have been so very proud of. This is a mean-spirited attack on those most vulnerable. Will someone, absolutely anyone over there, just stand up, show some backbone and fight for some Canadian seniors?

PensionsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Simcoe—Grey Ontario

Conservative

Kellie Leitch ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, OAS in its current direction is unsustainable.

However, let us be very clear about seniors and the support the government has provided for seniors. Whether it be the largest increase in GIS in the last 25 years or the increases in GIS in 2006, 2007 and 2008, these are all things we have done for low-income seniors. I wonder why the opposition has never supported those things?

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry is living in a parallel universe. He goes to a hunting camp that looks like a castle, and he tells us that he brought his own lunch and sleeping bag.

We do not want to know if he used the Minister of National Defence's personal helicopter to get there. Instead, we want to know if he is finally learning something at the school of ethics.

He has already violated the Conflict of Interest Act. A second investigation is under way and there may be yet another. When will he finally realize that he has lost the trust of Canadians and resign?

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, I did not hesitate to confirm that I went to Marcel Aubut's hunting camp, which does not look like a castle. I am saying this because the member's statement is completely false. I used my own car to get there, and I used my own equipment. Mr. Aubut did not lobby me at any time before, during or after the trip. It is that simple.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, the fact that the minister drove his own car to a party does not make it acceptable to be in a position of conflict of interest.

When the Conservatives were in opposition, they did not believe that breaking the law was acceptable if a person brought no-crust sandwiches to a party. Far from it.

In 2002, they called for the resignation of a Liberal minister for actions similar to those of the Minister of Industry. At the time, the Prime Minister even said that it was the only honourable thing to do.

Will the Minister of Industry honour the words of the now Prime Minister and show that he is an honourable man by tendering his resignation?

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, this incident does not mean anything. The NDP is once again trying to invent conspiracy theories and throw mud everywhere.

I have been clear: yes, I went to Mr. Aubut's hunting cabin. I went there with my own vehicle and my own equipment. I was never lobbied in any way.

After that, we all know the rest of the story about the coliseum. The Government of Canada did not get involved. It said that it would be fair to all cities and that it would not get involved in professional sport. That is the end of the story.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, when did the Conservatives turn into everything that they used to hate?

We are really trying to help this Minister of Industry crawl out from his sleeping bag and face the brand new day. He was caught red-handed accepting a trip to an exclusive lodge while being lobbied for millions of dollars.

His excuse that “Hey, I brought my own bag of marshmallows with me” just does not cut it. Is this the new ethical standard for Conservatives, that they can be lobbied by millionaires as long as they bring their own sleeping bag?

It is not okay. He has been busted once. Why is he still in cabinet?

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, this is a typical question with a conspiracy theory and mud being thrown everywhere.

I was clear: I went there on my own to Mr. Aubut's cabin. I went there on my own with my own equipment, and I was never lobbied before, during or after the trip.

After that, we all know the federal government did not get involved in coliseum. In that regard, we have no involvement in professional sport. That is the end of the story.

EthicsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, that is not the end of the story, because the minister has already been busted once and the Conservatives are looking after him for two other investigations. Conservatives just do not seem to understand that there is actually an ethical guide that ministers must meet.

To help him, I would like to read a simple quote:

Does the minister not understand why the right thing to do is to resign?

Who said that? It was the Prime Minister when was he was in opposition, when he had very strong views on the old Liberal gang breaking the rules.

When did they decide it is okay for Conservative ministers to act like the old sponsorship gang and blow ethical accountability out the window?

EthicsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, I went to Mr. Aubut's hunting cabin. I assumed my own costs. I went there on my own with my own equipment. There was no lobbying.

After the fact, there was no involvement by the Government of Canada in the coliseum in terms of funding, but which the NDP favoured.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brian Storseth Conservative Westlock—St. Paul, AB

Mr. Speaker, each and every day members of the Canadian Forces do the jobs we ask of them, whether it is protecting Canadians at home from the effects of natural disasters or promoting Canadian ideals abroad.

Can the Minister of National Defence tell us what the government is doing to ensure that Canadian Forces members are receiving the fair compensation they deserve?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Conservative

Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, we are responsibly managing the economy and making prudent choices in the upcoming budget.

Our government also recognizes and appreciates the remarkable contributions made by the Canadian Forces and their families every day. We are committed to ensuring that all Canadian Forces members receive some of the best compensation in the world for their hard work defending Canadian interests.

I am pleased to tell the House today that effective April 1, 2012, the Canadian Forces will receive a pay increase, similar that awarded to the federal public service recently.

As a government, we are committed to ensuring that our Canadian Forces members are provided with a rewarding career, outstanding training, new equipment, compensation, pay and benefits, and—

National DefenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Christine Moore NDP Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC

Mr. Speaker, clearly, this government misled Canadians about the F-35s.

The Associate Minister of National Defence keeps telling us that he will stay within the $9 billion budget to replace the CF-18s. We now know that $9 billion is not enough to purchase 65 F-35s. We also know that the F-35s do not even come close to meeting the minimum criteria set by this government. The government has not just misled Canadians, it has also misled our troops.

We have had enough of meaningless talking points. When will we get real answers? When will there be an actual tendering process, one that is credible and transparent?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Vaughan Ontario

Conservative

Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times and I am pleased to repeat, we will ensure that the replacement for the CF-18s will meet our standards and the needs of our air force.

To this end, Canada has not signed any agreement as yet to buy or purchase. We remain committed to the joint strike fighter program along with our partners. We will continue to act responsibly on all of these matters.