Debates of Dec. 2nd, 2004

National Defence

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that an arms race is neither in Canada's interest nor in any other country's interest, which is one of the reasons we have been at the forefront of the fight against nuclear proliferation. I also discussed that with the President, the absolute necessity of stopping nuclear proliferation and of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. We will continue in that vein because that is a fundamental tenet of Canadian foreign policy. It has been from the beginning and will continue to be.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been very confused on its stripper policy. The program does exist. The program does not exist. The program is under review. Then the minister said that the program does exist, but it is not about strippers at all.

The immigration minister has shown time and again to both sides of the House and to Canadians across the country that she is completely incapable of running her own office, let alone a government department. When is she going to step down?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the hon. member would have liked to have done a bit of research before asking the question.

There was a labour market opinion provided for such cases by my department and in consultation with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. We looked at whether we wanted to continue to provide labour market opinion, and the answer was clearly no. The program is finished.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government stripper program required vulnerable women to send nude photos to immigration officers overseas. Now the government has said that it has changed the program, and change it, it has.

Now these women have to submit their nude photos to HRSD officers in Canada. Why does the government continue to aid and abet the exploitation of women?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, I suppose the members subscribe to the opinion that if an accusation is thrown out, it will stick. There is no such program. There is no such requirement. Under a temporary workers program for Immigration Canada and HRSD, if there is a request for a labour market opinion or in fact for a visa that would require an indication of validity in Canada, my department will provide a validation on labour market opinion.

I have just given an indication that is not the case. Under a temporary workers permit program, if someone wants to--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for York—Simcoe.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal volunteer stripper affair is beginning to entangle the entire government in a web of damage control.

The immigration minister said that it was a good program. Then the parliamentary secretary said that there was no stripper policy. The Prime Minister told us that it was under review. The Deputy Prime Minister told us that it was cancelled. Today we discover that the human resources minister was happy he cancelled the program. However, apparently under government policy, strip club owners can still make a business case for skilled strippers.

Do not tease the House with half the picture. Is the government still in the business of importing strippers, yes or no?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, being a lawyer, the hon. member would probably already know the answer to that question would be self-defeating. There has never been such a program, and he knows it. I have indicated that any illusions at all to the existence of a--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

Order, please. Hon. members will have ample opportunity to express their views on the minister's answer on another occasion, but not if we cannot hear it. I cannot hear it and I think all hon. members are entitled to hear the minister's reply.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

I guess the hon. members opposite, Mr. Speaker, want to know whether we still will provide labour market opinion. I gave an indication that the answer was no. I do not know how many ways they would understand that language. That is pretty definitive. No, there is no such program.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what is the compelling hold that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has over the Prime Minister? What makes him willing to fully expose his government in a clumsy effort at damage control?

First, it was the immigration minister and her parliamentary secretary. Then it was the PM who got in the act. Then he conscripted the Deputy Prime Minister to help out. Now the human resources minister is getting involved with the damage control.

How many more ministers will have to put their bodies on the line to save that minister? How big will the cabinet's special committee on stripper damage control have to get before the ministers will be allowed to get back and focus on their real priorities, instead of trying to save this minister?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly support the minister. The minister has done an enormous amount for immigration. She has fundamentally delved into the structure of the department. She is working with refugees and with settlements.

That is the reason why all of us support her, because she is doing a first-class job for Canadians.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Roger Gaudet, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture has recognized that there is a problem with cull cows, but the real problem is that his program is not working. In Quebec, producers have received only $90 million out of the $366 million supposedly available to them.

Could the Minister of Agriculture confirm that he intends to cover, for each cull slaughtered, the difference between the production cost and a potential floor price?

[Andy Mitchell, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we have been providing producers in Quebec, through our business risk management programs when they are fully availed, some $366 million. In addition to that, they have been eligible for some specific programming in terms of BSE, including the TIS program, the cull animal program and the repositioning program.

As the hon. member points out, there are issues with respect to cull cows. We have been negotiating with the Province of Quebec. We have been in discussions with UPA. We are working with them toward a solution.

[Roger Gaudet, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how does the minister expect us to take him seriously, when he would not go to Quebec City to take part in extremely important negotiations, dealing with the slaughterhouse among other issues, and does not even bother to address the producers gathered at a convention to make an announcement? The minister's behaviour is pitiful.

[Andy Mitchell, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, here is a great example of the Bloc trying to suck and blow at the same time. The Bloc members put a motion to the House condemning the government's agricultural policy. Then they criticize the Minister of Agriculture for being in the House to address that motion. That is absolutely ludicrous, and every Canadian realizes that.

National Defence

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday President Bush was quite insistent that Canada participate in the missile defence shield. Yet, the Prime Minister's entourage repeatedly assured us beforehand that this would not be on the agenda.

Why was it President Bush through his insistence who revealed to us that there had been discussion on this issue, which should not have been on the table?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Bloc Québécois that wanted to give the impression that there was some sort of vow of silence, that something was going on behind the scenes, and that our government was trying to avoid talking about this issue.

Since the government did not follow the agenda the Bloc would have preferred for President Bush's official visit, they are now acting offended. We will take that into consideration next time.

Nonetheless, we will continue to work with the United States government to best defend the interests of Canadians as we perceive them.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the thing that bothers us about what the minister has just said is that it was President Bush who let this slip. The situation is paradoxical, when you think about it. We expected statements on softwood lumber and mad cow, but, twice in 24 hours, the President of the United States asked for Canada's participation in the missile defence shield. This has the public worried.

Will the Prime Minister tell us what stage discussions with the U.S. president have reached?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

First, Mr. Speaker, allow me to very clear. President Bush did not make any specific request to Canada concerning a missile defence shield. He did indicate he hoped Canada would participate at some point, but he did not make any specific request one way or the other.

If he chose to bring it up in his speech, well, he is the one who writes his speeches. Nonetheless, I can assure you that our government is not under any pressure to act either now or later. We will make the decision that best serves Canada's interests.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Rahim Jaffer, Conservative, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is rending her garments in public, but hiding behind the veil on the question of granting permits on a riding by riding basis, except of course, in her riding, which lit a fire under the Liberal caucus, according to the discreet member for Mississauga.

How many discretionary permits did she sign in her riding in June 2004?

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very, very clear. My department does not keep statistics on a riding by riding basis and never has. We treat, and I treat, as I have indicated earlier, all applicants on merit and humanitarian grounds, no other reason.

And all of you over there are clearly well aware of that because you have received lots of those.

[The Speaker]

The hon. minister will not want to set a bad example. She must address her remarks to the Chair rather than all the hon. members.

The hon. member for Edmonton—Strathcona.

[Rahim Jaffer, Conservative, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the immigration minister told the House on November 19 that she has an itemized binder of ministerial permit requests made by the opposition, but when asked for this itemized breakdown of permits by riding, she tabled an answer yesterday which claimed that the department did not keep those statistics.

The only conclusion possible is that she deliberately is trying to conceal the number of permits granted in Liberal-held ridings. How many permits has she personally signed off on requested by Liberal ministers?