Debates of Oct. 15th, 2004

Technology Alliance Group

[Barry Devolin, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one of the realities of rural Canada is that Internet access is limited or even unavailable. That is why the government's Community access program, known as CAP, is so important. CAP provides thousands of Canadians with free access to computers and the Internet in places such as schools, community centres and libraries.

In my part of central Ontario, the Technology Alliance Group, or TAG, provides this service in Kawartha Lakes and oversees it in the counties of Haliburton and Simcoe and the district of Muskoka.

Recently TAG's general manager, Linda Rickard, informed me that it was still awaiting confirmation from Industry Canada that it would receive funding for 2004-05. Given that TAG's service extends into Parry Sound--Muskoka, I approached that member, the agriculture minister, to seek his cooperation. By working together we got the ball rolling. TAG's contract is signed and its funding is forthcoming.

This is clear evidence that by working together in this minority Parliament, we can make things happen for the benefit of our constituents.

Millennium Excellence Award

[Beth Phinney, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate three outstanding young Canadians from my riding of Hamilton Mountain, Carolyn Charters, Larissa Moscu and Meaghan Toth, for being awarded the millennium excellence award for the 2004-05 academic year.

The millennium excellence award program was designed to recognize the achievements of students entering college or university and to encourage academic excellence.

Carolyn, Larissa and Meaghan join another 913 students from across Canada who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the areas of academics, community service, leadership and innovation.

I would like to wish all of these students the best of luck as they undertake their college and university studies. We look forward to hearing about their future accomplishments.

Middle East

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, UN special rapporteur, Dugard, has issued a scathing assessment of Israeli government actions in reference to human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

On demolitions of Palestinians' homes, Dugard reports that Israeli bulldozers have destroyed homes in a “purposeless” and “wanton manner” and “savagely dug up roads including electricity, sewage and water lines”. Fifteen hundred demolitions have displaced 15,000 Palestinians.

Dugard documents the suffering of Palestinians as a result of the illegal Israeli wall and condemns Sharon's disengagement plan as one designed to allow Israel to claim its occupation of Gaza is over and, therefore, be no longer bound by the fourth Geneva convention.

Since Israel retains control of border crossings and airspace, it is an occupier, according to the report.

We deplore the loss of innocent Israeli lives as a result of Palestinian mortar attacks and we condemn suicide bomber attacks.

Our government and the international community must heed this UN report. Israel is bound by international law and must end its inhumane treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories, indeed, end the occupation

Prime Minister of Australia

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a Liberal of vision, a Liberal of integrity, a Liberal prime minister who has shown real leadership in this world; a prime minister whose economic management has been second to none and whose presence on the world stage has made a nation proud.

I am of course referring to the recently re-elected Mr. John Howard, the Liberal prime minister of Australia, a leader whose conservative policies of integrity in government, lower taxes and a strong and well-equipped military have brought his nation 13 straight years of solid economic growth.

It is a shame that our Liberal Prime Minister's record is one of higher taxes, corruption in government and a systematic weakening of our armed forces.

If Canada had a government with the same principles, integrity and vision as Mr. Howard, then Canada could be proud, but then Canada would need to have a Conservative government.

Human Rights

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, bombs and other weapons are being unjustly used against millions of women, men and children in the world, and now we learn that a court in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi has sentenced a woman accused of adultery to be stoned to death.

Hajara Ibrahim is the fifth person to be thus sentenced in that state. Hon. members will recall the case of Amina Lawal, who received a death sentence in another northern state, Bakauri, and was acquitted after international protests.

It is hard to understand the reasoning behind such cruelty and such attacks on the most basic of human rights.

I call upon parliamentarians throughout the world. Let us unite our voices in a chorus of tolerance, friendship among peoples, and overriding humanity. Let us send the message to Hajara Ibrahim that her struggle for life and freedom is our struggle as well.

Riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Grey—Bruce—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise for the first time in the House to thank the fine people of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound for their overwhelming support in electing me to represent their interests in Ottawa.

My riding is the largest producer of beef and lamb in the province of Ontario as well as many other agricultural products. I would like to pay tribute to these hard-working individuals as they struggle to cope with the ongoing BSE crisis. Some of my friends and colleagues have already filed for bankruptcy. The government must immediately start the flow of money it promised on September 10 before it is too late.

My riding is also surrounded by 175 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, and my constituents are some of the more than 15 million Canadians who would be affected by the American proposal to divert large volumes of Great Lakes water to points south of the border.

The government has already bowed to the Americans on the issues of BSE and softwood lumber. It is time that the government stood up and assured Canadians that our water, our most precious commodity, will stay where it belongs; on this side of the border.

Canada's Parliamentary Institutions

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the pleasure of meeting with history students from Glengarry secondary school in my riding, and speaking to them about the Canadian parliamentary system, the throne speech in particular. Today another group of pupils from another school in my riding, Elda Rouleau primary school in Alexandria, Glengarry county, is in Ottawa as well, learning more about our parliamentary institutions.

Although Canadian history is on our school curriculum, it is always interesting to see how some teachers go off the beaten path a bit to show their students exactly how our Parliament operates.

These young people are the ones who will be here after we are gone. My personal congratulations to them and their teachers on their choice to learn more about our democratic institutions.

Persons Case

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, October 18 is the 75th anniversary of the persons case. The Famous Five went all the way to the Privy Council to prove that women were persons under the law and could hold public office in Canada. For some of the women it was an intensely personal fight.

Emily Murphy, as a police magistrate, had her judgments appealed repeatedly by one lawyer who said she could not as a woman legally hold that office. Nellie McClung helped women in Manitoba gain the right to vote. Henrietta Muir Edwards established training programs for women. Louise McKinney established women's property rights. Irene Parlby was one of the first women to sit in the Alberta legislature and the first to sit in any legislature in the British Empire.

Although I am proud to be one of the 175 women who have sat in the House since the Famous Five won their persons case, we still have very much work to do in Canada.

Lou Gehrig's Disease

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a disease that is being fought by many persons. It is a rapidly progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that attacks the motor neurons responsible for transmitting electrical impulses from the brain to voluntary muscles throughout the body. These muscles eventually lose strength, atrophy and die, resulting in a spreading paralysis of the entire body. There is no known cause, treatment or cure at this time.

A group of caring persons in my riding of Brant has organized a fundraiser for Sunday, October 17. I wish to commend all of those who contribute to this event and, in particular, Linda and Ray Wreaks, for organizing and hosting the fourth annual ALS benefit dance, and to wish them success in their goal to raise $30,000. This event is a true example of compassion and caring by the good people I am privileged to represent.

National Defence

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, just when our proud military thought it could not get any worse, now documents from DND reveal that not only were $54 million slashed from the submarine budget, but the military is now being asked to cough up an additional $144 million and $184 million next year. In addition, $500 million in cuts are being contemplated by the defence department. This will virtually wipe out all of the money that the Liberal government bragged about giving the military last year.

Yesterday the minister said in the House, “When we have to invest, we invest”. How does the minister square that statement yesterday with documents revealing his department plans further cuts to the Canadian military?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I square it with the fact that the government has invested. Since 1999 we have committed $10 billion of new money to the military. We have committed $7 billion in new equipment. We are now committed, and I am confident we will get money for the 5,000 additional troops that the government promised in the election campaign and which we will deal with in the review that we are going to take to the House of Commons.

We are reinvesting in the military. We are also a part of a government that is committed to fiscal responsibility. We will work together with our partners in governments to ensure this department is properly financed and works properly.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the military needs moral responsibility from the government. The government took $1.2 billion away from the military in the last budget. The 2003 budget allocated $800 million to the military and then $200 million was promptly taken back. Now the government is taking back every cent and more that was promised to the Canadian Forces. What a cruel and deceptive move on the part of the government.

Military analysts say that these cuts will delay any recovery. Our forces have suffered grievously under the government. Why does the government continue to play this dangerous shell game with our Canadian Forces?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, it is outrageous for the hon. member to say that these decisions have been made. It is outrageous to make misleading comments in the House of Commons about what the government is doing. The government is reinvesting in our military. No decision has been made whatsoever about the cuts to which the hon. member has made reference.

Of course the government is discussing what efficiencies we should make through our whole government and how we should deal with it, and I can promise the government, the House and the public that our department will cooperate in that, but the overall record is that we are reinvesting in our military heavily.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, what is outrageous is the cynical way in which the government has handled our defence budget.

My question is very simple. Does the minister have the courage to make a firm promise today not to reduce the national defence budget any further?

Will he stand in his place today and guarantee unequivocally no more cuts to the Canadian military?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the military itself is looking for ways in which it can rationalize, make itself efficient and deal with modern threats. We have a military that invested in many things, tanks and other issues, which we have decided do not correspond to what we need for a future modern military. Every other country is going through the same thing.

It would be unwise and even foolish to say that some things will not be cut. Some things may be cut but overall the military will be reinvested in and will be a better military, a more efficient and modernized military, and that is what we need.

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the minister's answer is that the government will continue to underfund our military as it has for the past decade.

In its former life as the HMS Upholder , the HMCS Chicoutimi had a lengthy history of serious electrical and water leakage problems. In fact, five times in the early 1990s this sub was forced to limp back into port due to the very type of problem that tragically reoccurred last week.

Despite knowing this and continuing its policy of chronic underfunding of our navy, the Liberals agreed to acquire this submarine. Why?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we agreed to acquire the submarine precisely because the navy was there during the very trials that the hon. member refers to. They were familiar with the problems and worked their way through them.

The submarine has been late leaving Scotland for the very reason that our navy personnel spent time making sure that the sub was safe for ocean passage before it left port. That is why they took the extra time and why they did what they did. I am confident that they were professionally capable of doing that. That is exactly what we asked them to do, and that is what they have delivered for the good of the navy and for the good of the country.

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, obviously this minister and his Prime Minister have a bad habit of blaming everyone else for their decisions. Last week, and they are continuing today, it was blame our navy. Yesterday the Prime Minister blamed the British. It was his government that decided to acquire these submarines when it knew of their long history of defects and then the Prime Minister himself decided to underfund the retrofit program.

Why will they not simply accept the responsibility for their own decisions?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we do accept responsibility for our decisions and that is why we negotiated a price for the submarines. The hon. member says we undercut the amount of money available for them. We negotiated a price that was less than the asking price and then we reinvested substantial new moneys on top of that to make sure they were fit to sail.

That is what the government is doing. That is what the government is responsible for. The government did that in conjunction with the navy. We worked with the navy. This is not hiding behind the navy. This is relying on the professionalism, the expertise, of a superb group of men and I continue to remain confident in their judgment.

Aerospace Industry

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Minster of Transport, the aerospace industry is to Quebec what the automotive industry is to Ontario. Nevertheless, the government is content with stopgap measures that lead to uncertainty about its real intentions regarding equipping this industry to face international competition.

Now that Bombardier, Quebec's premier aerospace firm, is being courted by several American states, does the government intend to do its part and produce a concrete offer within a month, so that Bombardier can develop its new aircraft in Quebec and thus save thousands of highly skilled jobs?

[David Emerson, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we are developing an aeronautical strategy and aerospace strategy for all of Canada which will include Bombardier. We are having discussions. We are pushing ahead on an urgent basis. It is a critical industry for Canada, with over $21 billion in revenue and nearly 80,000 jobs, and we intend to make sure that it is the most competitive industry possible going forward.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has a number of programs that could be used to help Bombardier immediately, for instance Technology Partnerships Canada, tax credits to encourage research and development, or Export Development Canada. The tools exist; it is the will to act that is missing.

Because there is little time left before Bombardier makes its final decision known, can the government commit to revealing its intentions by the end of the month?

[David Emerson, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we are not going to be railroaded into making an urgent decision. We are working with Bombardier. We will make a timely decision and we will ensure that the Government of Canada is there to provide the appropriate support for Bombardier, for the aerospace industry and for all of Canada.

[Sébastien Gagnon, Bloc, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week Quebec's minister of economic development, Michel Audet, urged the federal government to do its part quickly to help Bombardier develop its new aircraft in Quebec.

What is the federal government waiting for to give real support to Bombardier? Time is running out. Tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs are being threatened.

[David Emerson, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken with my colleague, the Minister of Economic Development in Quebec. We are working together. We do intend to make sure that there is a strong business case. At this time we still do not have all of the details that are required to ensure the taxpayers of Canada are protected and Bombardier and the aerospace industry are protected.