Debates of May 11th, 2010

Tony Clement Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, we are in the midst of drafting a bill that will be put forward in the House in this session. I encourage the hon. member to wait until the bill is presented before he critiques it.

The hon. member has been out on these issues already. He is the guy who proposed the tax for iPods, for MP3s, for BlackBerry devices. That is his solution. That is not our solution.

James Bezan Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, last week the member for Ajax—Pickering mused that a future Liberal government might dramatically reduce criminal sentences.

It is no surprise the Liberals are not being straight with Canadians. When they thought that nobody was watching, the Liberals tried to gut our truth in sentencing legislation in the Senate. Liberals apparently want dangerous criminals to get out of jail more quickly. The Liberals are not in it for Canadians. They are obviously just in it for themselves.

Could the Minister of Public Safety inform the House how the government will continue to stand with victims and all Canadians?

Vic Toews Minister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his support and hard work on behalf of victims.

We acknowledge that we have a fundamental difference of opinion compared to the Liberal Party and the member for Ajax—Pickering when it comes to criminal justice and public safety.

We do not think that criminals should be paroled after serving one-sixth of their sentence. We think it is wrong that arsonists are allowed to serve their sentence in the comfort of their own homes after they have burned other homes down. We think it is wrong that pardons are granted almost automatically.

Canadians can be assured that the Conservative Party and this government will stand up for victims.

Mario Silva Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, residents in my riding of Davenport and other nearby Toronto ridings are facing the prospect of hundreds of additional diesel trains passing close to their homes and through their neighbourhoods to facilitate a rail link to the airport from downtown Toronto.

With electric trains being used all over the world, will the minister indicate what the government is prepared to do to assist public transit agencies to convert those rail lines to accommodate electric trains?

John Baird Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the interest of the member opposite on this important file.

I did recently sit down with a group of community activists led by Peggy Nash about this important issue. We listened to the health concerns and environmental concerns the people in that community have. This issue will ultimately be decided by the Government of Ontario. Obviously we will work together with them to establish priorities on how we might best serve the needs of public transit and getting people around the city and region of Toronto.

Carole Lavallée Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, Industry Canada changed the festival funding rules without notice, thereby threatening the financial stability of FrancoFolies de Montréal just a month before the event. The shortfall is expected to be $1.5 million. Alain Simard, chair of the FrancoFolies, is urging the Minister of Canadian Heritage to intervene and provide immediate financial assistance so that the festival does not have to cancel a number of contracts.

Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage intervene and provide an immediate solution to the problem created by his Industry Canada colleague, or could he not care less?

James Moore Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that our government is investing more money in festivals and artists than any other government in Canada's history. FrancoFolies in particular will be receiving $175,000 both this year and next, for a total of $350,000. We said yes to Mr. Simard. We will be investing in this major festival.

Megan Leslie Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, parents across the country are checking their medicine cabinets this week and dealing with the latest product recall. This time it is a children's pain reliever.

The recall by Johnson & Johnson is another example of how lax regulation can lead to dangerous consequences. Canada has abysmal product safety laws. It is time that the government stepped up. Voluntary recalls are not enough.

When will the government get serious about protecting Canadians from dangerous tainted products?

Leona Aglukkaq Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, our government has shown an unprecedented commitment to the health and safety of Canadians, including providing nearly half a billion dollars over five years for the consumer safety action plan. Improved consumer product safety legislation will be an important part of this action.

We are continuing to work hard to ensure unsafe products do not harm Canadians.

John Cummins Delta—Richmond East, BC

Mr. Speaker, Canada has long been a world leader in the space industry and this government has maintained its commitment to the program.

Last year we saw Dr. Thirsk and Dr. Payette providing expertise and leadership aboard the international space station, essential components of which were manufactured in Canada by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.

This year's budget committed $397 million to develop the RADARSAT Constellation mission.

Would the Minister of Industry inform the House of the crucial work that is being done by our Canadian Space Agency?

Tony Clement Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is indeed right. The budget did commit $397 million to develop the RADARSAT Constellation mission to continue the legacy in space that Canada has.

One of the astronauts who has done most particularly well is Dr. Robert Thirsk, the first Canadian to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule and play an integral role on a six-month expedition at the international space station. With this mission he has surpassed the total number of days in space of all the other Canadian astronauts combined.

It is my pleasure to recognize the great accomplishments of Dr. Thirsk, a true Canadian hero.

Mario Silva Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, electric trains are the logical solution. People in the GTA are worried about how more diesel trains might affect their lives. This is not new technology, either. Electric trains are already used across Europe with great success.

I ask again, what is the minister and the government prepared to do to help Torontonians and the environment? Why are they not prepared to assist public transit agencies like Metrolinx electrify trains along this corridor?

John Baird Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the long-standing interest of my colleague from Davenport on this issue.

We worked constructively with the Province of Ontario and asked what its priorities were for federal investment. The province said it wanted us to invest in the Spadina subway extension. Done. It said it wanted us to invest in the Scarborough LRT. Done. It said it wanted us to make major investments in GO Transit. Done. It wanted us to get the job done in helping refurbish and expand Union Station in Toronto. Done.

We have had record investments in public transit and we have done it all in co-operation with Toronto and the Province of Ontario.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

Order. I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Mr. Lu Yongxiang, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.