House of Commons Hansard #71 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was refugees.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, this same document says, and I quote “Transfer payments to the provinces reduce the scope of the federal involvement in the provinces”.
Is this not the reason why the first federal cuts to reduce the deficit were made to transfers to the provinces, because these transfers do not contribute to the federal government's propaganda?
Federal-Provincial RelationsOral Question Period
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's information is inaccurate. The government cut a lot more in direct spending than in transfers to the provinces.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, the federal government's strategy is increasingly clear. It consists in making taxpayers pay for its mad obsession with propaganda.
Is this not also why, in spite of huge surpluses, the federal government does not want to increase transfers for health and education and is much more interested in investing in propaganda?
Federal-Provincial RelationsOral Question Period
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that as soon as it had restored fiscal balance, the Government of Canada's priority was to strengthen transfers to the provinces, the Canada social transfer and equalization payments.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister says that economic indicators sometimes cause him to lose sleep. I would like to ask the minister about environmental indicators that should be causing him nightmares.
First, Canada has the second worst environmental record among OECD nations. Second, Canada's greenhouse gases are on track to rise 44% above Kyoto targets. Third, Environment Canada under the finance minister is the worst funded of all departments.
With those environmental indicators how could the finance minister ever sleep at night?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member gives no indication of where these assertions come from. There is no truth whatsoever to the reference to the figures with respect to greenhouse gases.
I do not know where she gets her statements. She has consistently asked questions of this nature before, which really have no answer unless we have some factual information rather than her wild surmises.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, it is incredible. The facts are out there. The government keeps ignoring the facts. Now they are trying to dangle $145 million as if it were some kind of serious response to Canada's environmental deficit.
The finance minister knows that $145 million is 1% of what is needed to deal with our water quality crisis. Instead of preening as Mr. Green, why does the finance minister not muster the courage, the resolve and the resources for the robust environmental strategy that he used to champion when he was on the opposition side a decade ago?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister made available in the last period since the budget $1.1 billion for climate change alone, plus other substantial amounts.
I do not know where the hon. member gets the figure of $145 million. She has plucked that out of a hat somewhere. All I can say is once again it is the NDP saying that a figure of $145 million is insignificant. It may be very significant and deal with the problem to which it will be applied.
Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, my question for the Deputy Prime Minister is about the helicopter scandal. The Prime Minister stated last week that the government wanted, and I quote—
National DefenceOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. The Chair wants to hear about this as well. The right hon. member for Calgary Centre has the floor.
Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
The Prime Minister said last week that the government wanted:
—to have a helicopter at the best possible price that can do the job.
Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
They applaud the scandal. When did the Prime Minister learn that splitting the contract would add $400 million to the price tag? Why did the government go ahead with a split contract that adds an unnecessary $400 million?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend is absolutely wrong. He talks about a possible contingency which is not an absolute decision that this would cost $400 million more.
When he got to his feet and asked about the helicopter scandal, I thought he was talking about the EH-101 deal he was associated with along with Mr. Mulroney.
Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, there will be time to debate that. My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. Would he tell the House whether there was written advice to the Prime Minister and to the government to split the helicopter procurement project? If there was that written advice, will the government table in the House the written advice on which that decision was taken?
Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, the decision to have two contracts in schedule 1 is a government decision. With one contract we had three bidders. With two contracts we have a possible thirteen bidders. That means more competition, more transparency, more Canadian companies getting involved, more Canadian technology and more Canadian jobs.
John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, for months now the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has been refusing to provide or to make public his department's legal opinion on the Marshall decision in the Supreme Court of Canada.
We now know why he has refused. Department of Justice lawyers in the federal court have taken a position on the Marshall decision contrary to the stated public position of the minister.
Would the minister confirm that justice department lawyers acting on his behalf in the federal court in Nova Scotia have denied that natives have a treaty right to harvest lobster?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, as usual, the hon. member does not have his facts correct. I did provide an answer to his question to me. Legal advice is provided by the Ministry of Justice. I have to consult with all the members to make sure we can provide that advice.
In the Marshall decision the supreme court ruling clearly said there was a right to a commercial fishery. We are following the Marshall decision in the supreme court.
Unfortunately the hon. member and his party speak about helping aboriginal people but whenever we want to do something for the aboriginal communities, they are against it every time in the House.
John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister has spent hundreds of millions of dollars buying lobster boats, licences and gear because he said that the Marshall decision recognized a treaty right to harvest lobster.
The Department of Justice lawyers, in federal court, disagree with the minister. They deny that natives have a constitutionally protected right to harvest lobster.
Which is it? Who is speaking for the government on treaty rights to harvest lobster? Is it the minister of fisheries or is it the Department of Justice? Who is speaking for the government?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the government speaks with one voice. We have said it from day one that the supreme court clearly said there is a right to a commercial fishery.
I have also said it is not an absolute right but a regulated right. Yes, we are spending money to make sure that—
FisheriesOral Question Period
The Speaker
It is very hard to hear one voice when there are 10 or 20 others yelling. The Chair has to be able to hear the person speaking. The hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor.
Herb Dhaliwal Liberal Vancouver South—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, we hear the Alliance Party members say they want to help aboriginal people but when it comes to helping them with government programs, they stand in the House and say they are against it every time.
Why do you not make up your minds on whether you are interested or—
FisheriesOral Question Period
The Speaker
It would be helpful if members would address the Chair as well.