House of Commons Hansard #38 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was students.
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, this is the same Minister of the Environment who said he had full confidence in his colleague at Natural Resources to achieve the sectoral objectives for the reduction of greenhouse gases. The deputy minister, however, is wondering how these objectives will be achieved.
Does this admission not convince the minister that he should change course, take the territorial approach and entrust Quebec with the management of greenhouse gas emissions within its jurisdiction?
Stéphane Dion LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the interpretation remains just as incorrect. It is true, however, that Canada, by far, has the most demanding Kyoto target of any country. That will not stop us from doing our part, though.
For example, in a single year, we have increased the production of ethanol in Canada fourfold. These are the kind of measures that do not yield immediate results, but can make a very significant difference in the future.
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Mr. Speaker, a year ago the Prime Minister was on the phone with Premier Klein seeking advice on what to say to President Bush about the BSE crisis. In a subsequent meeting with the President last year, no action was taken and the border stayed closed. Now, a year later, the Prime Minister again meets with the President and the border continues to be closed to live cattle.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Having failed to cause President Bush to open the border now, what does he have to say to all the farmers and ranchers across Canada who are facing another winter of despair? What will he do beyond small talk and no action?
Andy Mitchell LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the reality is actually very much at odds with what the hon. member said.
First of all, two weeks ago the rule change moved out of the USDA and into the White House office of management and budget. That is an important piece of progress. It puts in place a 90 day timeframe in which a decision needs to be made, after which it comes into force 60 days later.
Moreover, in a discussion between the Prime Minister and President Bush, the President said clearly, when he was here this week, that he will expedite that process in the OMB and that he will instruct his officials to do so as well.
Bradley Trost Conservative Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK
Mr. Speaker, all we have from the government on the live cattle ban is excuses on why the U.S. border will not open. President Bush has come and gone, and still the border remains closed.
The Prime Minister has failed our livestock producers again. When will the border open?
Andy Mitchell LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I suggest to the hon. member that, rather than just giving us partisan rhetoric, he should take a look at what is actually occurring in the marketplace.
Thanks to the program that we put in place on September 10, particularly with our set aside programs with fed and feeder cattle, we have seen a substantial recovery in price. It was around 65¢ for fed cattle. Last week it was up to 85¢. That represents, over an annualized basis, $1 billion from the marketplace to producers. We will continue to work to get the U.S. border open, but at the same time, we are ensuring that we assist producers in dealing with this situation.
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Mr. Speaker, in spite of Liberal opposition, the finance committee passed a motion on Wednesday calling for independent quarterly updates of the surplus forecast. For this independent process to begin, it requires funding approval from other House bodies that are dominated, unfortunately, by Liberals.
My question is for the Liberal House leader. Will he ensure that Liberal members of the House liaison committee and the Board of Internal Economy respect the decision of the finance committee when this motion comes before them?
Tony Valeri LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I am quite astonished that the hon. member would ask me to prejudge what would be done by a parliamentary committee. The liaison committee is made up of committee chairs of Parliament. They will look at this issue just like they look at any other issue. They will then assess the merits of it and provide funding accordingly.
As far as the Board of Internal Economy is concerned, perhaps he might want to ask the opposition House leader, who is actually the spokesperson for the Board of Internal Economy, for any of that information.
Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK
Mr. Speaker, the government takes in $250 million annually in rent from local airports across Canada, with no investment in return. Beginning in 2006, Ottawa will start charging the Regina airport over $500,000 in rent and $700,000 the following year. This rent is unnecessary and will increase the cost of flying for passengers.
Will the Minister of Finance do the right thing and eliminate this rent for the Regina airport in his next budget and work to relieve this burden on Canadian travellers nationwide?
Jim Karygiannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my hon. colleague for bringing this to the House. I know he has worked hard for his constituency and he has ruthlessly taken us on in committee in order to represent his riding. So I congratulate him for that.
My hon. colleague should be aware that there was a motion passed in committee asking the minister to freeze airport rents. This is something that is being looked at by the committee. We will be talking with all stakeholders to ensure that our airports are safe and provide the best possible solution for everybody.
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Several days ago I asked the government why Canada had not yet ratified the international convention on tobacco. The minister said he would look into it.
Will Canada, or even better, has Canada now signed this important convention that will protect the life and health of so many people around the world?
Ujjal Dosanjh LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that Canada has become one of the first 40 countries to ratify the framework convention on tobacco control. This is a symbol of our strong commitment to ensure that tobacco is controlled and that its effects do not damage Canadians or people across the world.
The framework convention is the first global public health treaty.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, but in Canada access for people with disabilities is moving backward, not forward.
This week the Council of Canadians with Disabilities has withdrawn from the Minister of Transport's advisory committee because the government has refused to restore regulatory standards. Countries like the U.K., Australia and even the U.S. have them and they are moving forward.
Will the Minister of Transport commit today to restore regulated standards and equal access for Canadians with disabilities to transportation in Canada?
Jim Karygiannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada provides policy and leadership to improve accessibility and remove undue obstacles from the federal transportation system. The department consults with public government bodies and the transportation industy, and facilitates solutions to problems and improvements to the system.
As an individual whose parents are hampered with public transportation and who face difficulty, I understand from where the hon. member is coming. I can reassure him that we on this side of the House, especially in the Department of Transport, are discussing this matter with all our stakeholders to ensure that every Canadian has the best possible solution for transportation.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, that is no reassurance at all. It is not just transportation where things are getting worse. It has been nearly 3,000 days, in 1996, since the federal task force for persons with disabilities brought forward recommendations aimed at empowering Canadians with disabilities. Yet this report has been gathering dust. The government has not acted on virtually all the recommendations. Today, nearly 40% of people with disabilities live in poverty and half of our growing number of homeless are people with disabilities. We need a housing strategy and other measures.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Will the government commit now to take that report off the shelf and get to work immediately?
Joe Fontana LiberalMinister of Labour and Housing
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the government, the hon. member would know that within our affordable housing strategy, within our homeless strategy and within strategies for renovating people's homes, it is our commitment to ensure that people with disabilities and our seniors have all the opportunities available to them to renovate their homes. We want to ensure that they have not only good transportation, but good housing. We are committed to doing that.
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, in Manitoba people licensed as marriage commissioners have been told that they have to perform same sex marriages or turn in their commissioner's licence. This is clearly an infringement on their freedoms protected by the charter. Eleven commissioners have been forced to resign and two are refusing to quit in defiance of this injustice. All these commissioners want is to provide the same services they have provided faithfully for years.
Will the government correct this discrimination and force the government of Manitoba to reinstate the commissioners who were forced to resign, and defend those who refuse to quite?
Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, clearly something like this is inappropriate as we would see it. That is why we went before the Supreme Court of Canada to ask what its interpretation would be on our reference and to see whether freedom of religion would be protected. In this particular case, we are awaiting, with interest, that response which will be coming to us next Thursday.
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, on November 13, Vernon Auxiliary Constable Glen Evely was killed when a stolen vehicle slammed into his cruiser. A day earlier, Pattie Lee Kibbee was killed in Edmonton when a stolen vehicle slammed into her car. In Nova Scotia, Theresa McEvoy was killed when her car was struck by a stolen vehicle.
Twenty-five to thirty-five Canadians will die this year at the hands of auto thieves. Why will the Minister of Transport not ensure that all new vehicles are equipped with ignition immobilizer to protect Canadians, and stop the carnage?
Jim Karygiannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, it is indeed something at which the Department of Transport is interested in looking. I can reassure him that we on our side are doing everything that we can. We are talking to all our stakeholders to ensure that we have a safe transportation system for all Canadians.
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, as I have made the Minister of Agriculture and the House aware, the greenhouse industry in my riding and around Canada was jeopardized this fall as a result of inspection issues caused by border delays. I have advised the minister, on behalf of the greenhouse industry, that a preclearance program for cut flowers is imperative for the survival of this industry in the future.
I acknowledge the government has announced funding for this program. However, this announcement is lacking in detail. Why has the government failed to deliver precise timelines for the implementation of this program?
Andy Mitchell LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member says, it is an important industry, part of the overall agricultural industry. Its ability to export is critical. That is why we have been moving with initiatives in that respect. We will ensure that we put them in place as expeditiously as we possibly can.
Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, recently when I asked the government about helping out with the pine beetle crisis in B.C., the response from the Minister of Natural Resources demonstrated clearly that he did not know the difference between a pine beetle and a 1960s rock band.
In B.C. right now there are 300 million cubic metres of dead pine. In eight years, there will be one billion cubic metres of dead pine. The government has not responded.
When will it stop ignoring British Columbia? When will it stop the disdain it has for British Columbians and come to the aid of our province in this crisis?
Larry Bagnell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should find out exactly what the government is doing before he asks the question.
We have already invested $40 million in a pine beetle program. All the programs under that are in place. We have also put professional foresters in Kamloops and Prince George. We are working with the Province of British Columbia on this problem.
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the American President recognized the importance of properly protecting our shared border. The recent decision to close nine RCMP detachments, thereby moving police away from the border, contradicts this concern and instead threatens to have the opposite effect.
In light of concerns expressed by the Prime Minister with regard to border security, does the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness intend to stay that decision until the mayors of the municipalities affected by the closures have been heard in committee?