Debates of May 31st, 2012

The Speaker Andrew Scheer

Order. I thought things had been going relatively well up until a few seconds ago. The hon. parliamentary secretary has just a few seconds left to finish his response.

Randy Kamp Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the measures we have introduced allow us to introduce a new, focused, practical, sensible approach to protecting fish habitat with the goal of protecting fisheries that Canadians depend on.

We are committed to that. I hope the opposition will join us in that.

Bev Oda Minister of International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, all incremental costs that should not have been expensed, including extraneous car service, et cetera, have been repaid.

Only appropriate expenses and eligible expenses have been paid by the government.

Alexandre Boulerice Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is not complicated. We want to know how many $16 orange juice tales there are, how many $3,000 limousines, and how many deluxe hotel rooms. That is what we want to know.

In fact, it is clear: there is nothing too good for Conservative ministers, as long as the taxpayers are paying. How much was she reimbursed for before she changed her mind, in response to the scandal? We do not know; her lips are sealed. But enough; there really is a limit.

Will the minister finally tell the truth, or is she going to keep quiet and make like she is made of stone, or in her case marble, like her favourite bathrooms?

Peter Van Loan Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, it is not complicated.

The minister has already answered the question. All incremental costs that should not have been expensed, including car service, have been repaid. Only appropriate expenses have been paid by the government.

Charlie Angus Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, if someone in the private sector repeatedly covered up their documents and misrepresented their spending, they would get fired or their employer would call the cops.

However, when it is the Minister of International Cooperation who does it, she becomes just another Teflon Tory. She was caught hiding outrageous limo expenses. She has been caught and had to pay back for her rock star trip to London. Now we find she has been changing the travel claims for her latest round of trips.

Canadians play by the rules, but the government seems to think it is above them. Here is a simple question: what is the minister trying to hide this time?

Peter Van Loan Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the minister has answered this question many times, and I think I have answered it many times.

The fact is that all incremental costs that should not have been expensed have been repaid, including the car service in London. Only appropriate expenses have been paid by the government.

Charlie Angus Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, a $3,000 limo ride in London was perfectly appropriate, and then the government got caught. He did not answer the question, which was why the minister was changing her travel claims again.

This is not just about the minister who has become a serial offender of the public trust; this is about the Prime Minister who promised Canadians that he would clean up Ottawa. Instead, he has allowed the minister to misrepresent spending, he has allowed her to hide the paper trail and he has allowed her to mislead Parliament. It is a question of why the Prime Minister decides there is one set of rules for him and his buddies and another set of rules for everyone else.

Why is there no accountability when it comes to that minister?

Peter Van Loan Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, we have been quite clear.

We want to see tax dollars respected, and that is why ministers on this side of the House spend far less on travel than predecessor Liberal governments spent, and that is why, in this case, only appropriate expenses have been paid for by the government.

Scott Armstrong Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS

Mr. Speaker, last year the Prime Minister and the President of the United States launched the beyond the border action plan, which will strengthen our economy by moving goods to and from the United States in a much more efficient manner.

As part of that action plan, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities announced today that both governments have agreed to mutual co-operation and recognition of air cargo security in both countries.

Can the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities please update the House on this important initiative?

Denis Lebel Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the security of Canada's air cargo system is key to our economic development.

Now air cargo shipped on passenger planes between Canada and the U.S. will be screened only once for transportation security reasons. Canadians and business owners will see a reduction of delays and economic costs caused by both countries screening the same cargo twice.

By working with the United States to find these efficiencies, our Conservative government is getting the job done with the beyond the border plan, because this Prime Minister signed it with the President of the U.S.A.

Hélène Laverdière Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the community located next to the Platosa silver mine in Mexico—operated by Exellon Resources, a Canadian company—and the workers have many concerns about the company's behaviour. They appealed to the corporate social responsibility counsellor, but she was unable to do anything because the company refused to take part in the investigation. They therefore had to turn to the OECD.

When are the Conservatives going to review Canada's strategy in this area and adopt stricter standards?

Gerald Keddy Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that the overwhelming majority of Canadian companies are world leaders in responsible mining practices. They employ hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers who support countless families.

The corporate social responsibility counsellor's review process is a common sense approach that enjoys broad support. The CSR counsellor helps Canadian companies uphold their social and environmental responsibilities when operating abroad. The hon. member already knows that.