House of Commons Hansard #34 of the 37th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Stephen Harper Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify the answers of the Deputy Prime Minister on the public accounts committee. Is the government guaranteeing to the House that Chuck Guité will be heard and examined in public, full testimony, before a federal election is called?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I think I have been absolutely clear. We on this side of the House look forward to Mr. Guité's testimony on April 22.
Stephen Harper Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, we all look forward to Mr. Guité's testimony. The question is whether we will ever get a chance to hear it. Let us be absolutely clear. Is the government guaranteeing to us there will not be an election call, and has said that we will be here and the press and the public will hear in person the testimony of Mr. Guité before a federal election is called? Yes or no?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, I understand, based on a motion by government members this morning at committee, that Mr. Guité will appear before the public accounts committee on April 22. Unlike those members, we on this side of the House look forward to hearing Mr. Guité's testimony.
James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are wondering about the Prime Minister's commitment to democracy. In a frantic search to find sacrificial lambs in British Columbia, the Prime Minister has decided today to appoint five candidates in British Columbia.
Does the Liberal Party not trust British Columbians to select their own candidates? Do you not trust British Columbians?
Liberal Party of CanadaOral Question Period
The Speaker
First of all, the hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam needs no lessons from the Chair in that he must address the Chair and, of course, the Chair trusts all Canadians, since he asked me. But I do not know what relevance this question has to the administration of the Government of Canada so perhaps he could move on to the next question which I have no doubt will.
James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, in the Speech from the Throne the Prime Minister said, “We must re-engage Canadians in our political life in order to end the democratic deficit”.
Democracy requires consistent rules. Canadians are wondering, how is it on the one hand that the Prime Minister can appoint a former NDP premier and then on the other hand give the boots to Sheila Copps?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Well, Mr. Speaker--
Liberal Party of CanadaOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order. The hon. member knows that referring to hon. members by name is out of order also. I think he was referring to the hon. member for Hamilton East.
In any event, the Deputy Prime Minister wishes to give her reply and we will hear her.
Anne McLellan Liberal Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Speaker, I find it passing strange that the opposition is so interested in the internal workings of our party, which of course has nothing to do with the running of the Government of Canada.
If we want to play this game, do I remember correctly the name of Grant Devine? Do I remember a decision by the national executive of the Conservative Party of Canada, where, if I remember correctly, the Conservative Party reached the conclusion that Grant Devine should not be allowed to run for the nomination of a riding in Saskatchewan?
Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Scarborough East's Bill C-260 on fire safe cigarettes has passed. Could the Minister of Health tell us, now that the bill has passed third reading in the Senate, how is the government going to move forward to ensure that fewer lives are lost, fewer injuries are suffered and less property damage ensues as a result of careless smoking?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. member for Scarborough East for his leadership in bringing the issue forward. Because of the efforts of the member, I have asked Health Canada to draft regulations in the Tobacco Act proposing a reduced recognition propensity standard for all cigarettes in Canada, and I expect it to be ready by April.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, the word Liberal was not the only thing missing in the Prime Minister's ads to Canadians yesterday. Credibility was also missing in the Liberal ad scam. There was not a word about the flawed HIV-AIDS drugs for Africa bogged down in the Liberal dominated committee. There was not a word about the Liberal slashing of overseas development assistance seven years in a row. There was a not a word about Bush's missile defence, nor about Canada's inaction on meeting our Kyoto commitments.
Why would Canadians buy this false advertising about Canada's place in the world?
David Pratt LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, the government has initiated a major international policy review, which is really rather unprecedented in Canadian history in terms of its scope, with respect to trade, aid, defence and diplomacy. It really bodes well for the future of Canadian foreign policy.
I would ask the hon. member, her party and the rest of the opposition to participate in this international policy review, which will provide us with a road map for Canadian engagement in the world.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, the word Liberal was not the only thing left out of the Prime Minister's ads on health care released yesterday. Where is credibility, or is this the latest Liberal ad scam?
After 11 years of Liberal promises on health care, we have no home care program, no pharmacare program, privatization is on the rise, and the provinces are struggling to survive.
When will the Liberal government stop putting image over substance and give Canadians the real health care system for which they have been asking? After 11 years of broken promises, how can the Liberals say health care is a priority?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, there are $37 billion for health care, and more yet to come.
Speaking of misleading advertising, let us talk about Jack Layton on budget day when he misstated the debt figure by 700%. The NDP debt scenario would only come true if there were no growth in Canada for 10 years, and that would only happen if there were an NDP government.
Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, despite the government's expenditure of $7.7 billion, the Senate committee on national security confirmed that the federal government lacks any credible plan to deal with a terrorist attack, both before and after 9/11. The official opposition repeatedly raised the very same concerns and criticized the government for its complacency.
How does the Prime Minister expect Canadians to sleep at night when even the frontline responders in our country say that Canada is not prepared for a terrorist attack?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, it would be useful if the official opposition members, instead of scaring Canadians, actually bothered to inform themselves about what is happening in relation to issues like emergency preparedness.
As I have indicated, since September 11, like all other countries around the world, we are preparing ourselves for terrorist attacks. In fact there are clearly plans in place. I respect the work of the Senate committee. It has done good work, but we have come a very long way since September 11. I can reassure Canadians that--
Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is the government's failure and inaction that scares Canadians.
When credible and knowledgeable forces are publicly condemning the government's security record, I do not know how the Prime Minister can sit here and try to satisfy Canadians with false promises. He should be absolutely ashamed of his government and its failure to keep Canadians safe at the airports, ports of entry and the borders.
Again, why does he just not admit that Canadians are sitting ducks because the government has repeatedly failed to take security seriously?
Anne McLellan LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, let us go back to what, for example, our neighbours in the United States has to say about our efforts.
National SecurityOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. The hon. member for Crowfoot asked his question. Now we have to hear the answer. It is not multiple questions. The hon. Deputy Prime Minister has the floor. I cannot hear her.
Anne McLellan Liberal Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Speaker, let us talk to some of the people who actually are on the frontlines and who know what is happening day after day in our fight against terrorism.
Asa Hutchinson is one of the most credible U.S. officials in relation to terrorism and the fight against terrorism. What Asa Hutchinson said on Wednesday was, “Canadian officials have offered their neighbours extraordinary commitment on the anti-terror front”.