House of Commons Hansard #19 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was police.
Jeremy Harrison Conservative Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member does only answer questions in airplanes.
Last Thursday in committee the minister said, “Frankly, I don't want to defend what I consider to be an under-resourcing for the department”. This is clearly at odds with the Prime Minister's supposed commitment to improving the lives of first nations people across the country.
Let the Prime Minister stand in his place and be very clear. How can he square his rhetoric with the position of his Minister of Indian Affairs?
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, the department, in the estimates that we are reviewing right now in committee, shows a 9% increase in the budget. I can assure the House that there has been no minister of Indian affairs who is satisfied with the amount of resources available, as is any minister trying to do better for their department. However, a 9% increase is a 9% increase, consistent with what the Prime Minister has said.
Brian Pallister Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, recently, Amnesty International issued a scathing report critical of the Liberal government's inaction with respect to violence against aboriginal women. However, since that time, the federal government has remained silent on this issue. The minister has not spoken to Amnesty International and he has not spoken to the families of the victims. Rather than respond, he has simply chosen to remain silent, as he is doing in response to questions today.
Why the delay in meeting with the families of the victims of aboriginal violence?
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, quite the contrary. I have been meeting with the Native Women's Association of Canada, and will be responding very specifically, very soon.
Brian Pallister Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, that is 10 years of empty rhetoric from the government on violence against aboriginal women. The fact is Canada's aboriginal women are among the world's most vulnerable people. They have no matrimonial property rights. They cannot own their own homes. They are not yet, because of the inaction of the government, protected by Canada's human rights act.
Aboriginal women deserve better. This party will offer them better. That government does not. Why has the Liberal government given nothing more to aboriginal women over 10 years than empty platitudes?
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, I think the Native Women's Association of Canada feels a lot more protected by the people on this side than the people on that side, and they will see that.
Marc Boulianne Bloc Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government has been promising to announce its aerospace policy for some time, but the policy is long in coming. It seems that decisions are made more quickly when they concern the automotive industry in Ontario.
When will the minister announce an aerospace policy that recognizes the fact that the aerospace industry is located primarily in Quebec, just as the automotive industry is located primarily in Ontario?
David Emerson LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the government clearly acknowledges the importance of the aerospace industry for Quebec, but it is also very important in Ontario and across Canada. There is a large portion of the aerospace industry in western Canada. There are 80,000 workers there.
In the weeks ahead we will be developing and coming forward with an aerospace policy for Canada.
Marc Boulianne Bloc Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister of Industry assure the House that the logic by which Ontario became the main centre of automotive production in Canada will prevail with the aerospace industry, which is concentrated primarily in Quebec, and that it will immediately preclude any form of scattering, which would be detrimental to Quebec and the Montreal area in particular?
David Emerson LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I have been answering this over and over again. The aerospace industry is a Canadian industry. It does have concentrations in Quebec. It has concentrations in Ontario. It has concentrations in the Atlantic and in the west. We will ensure that we have a strong national aerospace industry.
Rick Casson Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, the most basic function of any self-government agreement is finality between the first nation and the Government of Canada. The Tlicho agreement now being put forward by the government fails in this most basic duty. In the case of Nisga’a, the agreement was a final agreement with a release of a definition of the section 35 rights recognized.
Why has the government not protected the interests of Canadians by negotiating a final agreement?
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the legislation that is presently before the House will go to committee. The reality is, this is good legislation and it is long overdue. On this side of the House, we are proud of the Tlicho agreement.
Rick Casson Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is obvious the minister does not know what he is talking about and he does not have the answers to these serious questions here today.
The Nisga'a agreement states:
This Agreement constitutes the full and final settlement in respect of the aboriginal rights, including aboriginal title, in Canada of the Nisga'a Nation.
Therefore, I ask the minister again, why has he failed in his duty to Canadians to achieve the finality of other agreements with the Tlicho?
Andy Scott LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, it is comprehensive, it is complete and it is supported by the community and by the government. They will have every opportunity in committee to discuss it further.
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, in the case of the Forum des maires de la Péninsule acadienne, asking that the Official Languages Act be made executory, the Minister of Justice objected to the motion for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. I would like to know why.
Also, would the minister not agree that it is time to pass legislation, like Bill S-3 for example, to clarify Canada's Official Languages Act and to make it executory?
Irwin Cotler LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we have objected to the motion for leave to appeal in this case because the legal issues involved have become theoretical. The initial problem of violation of the right to receive services and communications in French was resolved. As the Attorney General, it was my duty to point out to the Supreme Court the theoretical nature of this case.
I would like to emphasize that this government encourages the development of official language communities in Canada. Development is a matter of identity, a matter of access to justice—
James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow Americans will go to the polls to select their president and their congressional leadership. Canadians will be watching this election very closely. Unfortunately, their viewing choices are limited, as the most popular American news channel, Fox News, is not allowed to broadcast in this country.
Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage explain why her government will not allow Fox News to broadcast in Canada?
Liza Frulla LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, as hon. members know, out of market radio stations must apply through the CRTC. The CRTC determines whether or not a given station can broadcast in Canada. For example, RAI, an Italian radio station, is currently under consideration at the CRTC, and we anxiously await its conclusion.
James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is actually slightly incorrect to state that Fox News is not broadcast in Canada because there is one place in Canada where Fox News is broadcast, and that is on Parliament Hill.
The Liberals prevent this channel from being shown to ordinary Canadians because it might be scary, but at the same they can view it from their offices in Ottawa.
Why the double standard? Why do the Liberals deny to Canadians a news channel that they themselves enjoy?
Liza Frulla LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, first, I think that we are all very well served in terms of information in Canada. Second, there is also a need to protect, on the one hand, access to information and, on the other hand, our Canadian industries. These Canadian industries account for $26 billion and 740,000 jobs in Canada.
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, despite the new money the minister responsible for sport has announced, a top athlete not classified as elite but with serious potential for reaching the Olympic or Paralympic Games in Beijing, receives a measly $900 a month. This athlete has to train several hours a day to qualify among the best in his discipline, but unlike an elite athlete, has little chance of being sponsored.
Does the minister responsible for sport understand that this new developmental athlete assistance is still not enough to live on—
SportsOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State for Sport.
Stephen Owen LiberalMinister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport)
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member for his position as sports critic. I know of his eminent sports background himself.
The developmental athlete assistance has been increased from $500 a month tax free to $900 a month tax free this year. This is an extraordinarily important increase. I hope we can build on that both for direct living expense assistance such as this as well as more assistance for coaching, equipment, sports science and hosting of international events, so these young athletes can get more exposure to high competition at an earlier stage in our country.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. In the last Parliament we dealt with a motion on fetal alcohol syndrome, more specifically to consider the advisability of health warning labels on the containers of alcoholic beverages.
The vote on the motion was 220 to 11, a 95% support level by members of Parliament. Would the Minister of Health please advise the House of his position on this important child health initiative?