Debates of Feb. 17th, 2005

The Environment

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I was with my colleague in Buenos Aires and he knows very well that Canada has been lobbied and lobbied to take the conference because the world regards Canada as a leader and they know that the Prime Minister of Canada cares about the environment. Thank God we do not have that party in power. It would be a disaster for the environment and a disaster for the planet.

Child Care

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

Mr. Speaker, under the current Liberal child care scheme, the money promised will only increase the number of regulated child care spaces from 7% to 10%. That does not even begin to scratch the surface of child care needs in this country. It would cost $10 billion a year to fund this program for every child that needs it.

A plan that only helps some children, some parents and some communities is not fair. Could the minister explain how his plan will pay for the other $9 billion this year needed for child care in this country?

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, Minister of Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, the government is committing $5 billion over five years. That represents a 40% increase over what is spent on child care across the country.

The party opposite talks about a $2,000 child tax deduction. It would be very interesting if anybody over there did the math. For a low income family that would represent $320 a year. The average cost of child care in this country is $8,000 a year.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my point is that $5 billion is not enough. We need more options to be able to afford child care. There are also other ways to help Canadian families--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I am sure the hon. member for Edmonton—Spruce Grove appreciates all the advice she is receiving in asking her question, but we are entitled to hear what the hon. member has to say without the assistance. The hon. member for Edmonton—Spruce Grove has the floor. We will have a little order.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my point is that $5 billion is not enough. We need more options to be able to afford child care.

There are also other ways to help Canadian families with young children. It is called tax relief. The Liberal tax system gouges families for every penny.

This child care program does not meet the needs of shift workers, part time workers and stay at home parents. Will the minister commit to giving parents who cannot use his system their tax money back so they can use it for other child care options?

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, Minister of Social Development]

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the plan over there is a $2,000 child tax benefit. The end result of $2,000 is $320 a year for a low income family and $320 a year is an embarrassment.

Marriage

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the leader of the official opposition made a baffling statement about the issue of civil marriage. He suggested that Parliament could deny extending civil marriage without invoking the notwithstanding clause. He further implied the provinces could create civil unions for gays and lesbians and that the Supreme Court of Canada would probably endorse this separate but unequal model.

This issue deserves truth and clarity, not rhetoric. Could the hon. Minister of Justice please respond to the legal musings of the leader of the official opposition?

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Justice.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition suggested that the Supreme Court had not ruled--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

It did not sound to me as though it was directed to the Leader of the Opposition. I think he might have enjoyed the question but it appears to have been directed to the Minister of Justice. He has been asked for his legal views as Minister of Justice. We will hear the minister.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition suggested that the Supreme Court did not rule on the question of same sex marriage. The Supreme Court in 2004 unanimously affirmed the constitutionality of extending civil marriage to gays and lesbians.

The Leader of the Opposition said that civil union was a compromise. The courts have said that civil union is a lesser form of equality.

The Leader of the Opposition said it is a matter of political discretion and not rights. The Supreme Court said it was clearly a matter of rights.

The Leader of the Opposition lives in a legal Disneyland where there is no charter, no rights--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Windsor West.

Transport

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's dithering on the Kyoto plan is matched only by his dithering on the Canada-U.S. border and the Windsor gateway, where the Schwartz report, a unanimous recommendation by the city and the county to have a resolution for the gridlock in our community, to end the emissions and the pollution of poisons and to move traffic, is still sitting because the Prime Minister has his own mental gridlock.

I would ask the Prime Minister to quit his idling and keep his promise that he made to the citizens of Windsor and Essex County.

[Jean Lapierre, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the hon. member to know that we received the details of the Schwartz report only a few weeks ago. We look on it very favourably. We have scheduled meetings with the city and the Government of Ontario to ensure that this report will be implemented with regard to the parts that do not interfere with the work of the binational committee. We are well along in our examination of this report. And we are very proud of the report.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what I have learned in my time here is that when we raise a Prime Minister's promise he loses his tongue and has no voice. With that in mind, let me read a response that he gave to the Windsor Star in the election campaign. He said that “it's a question of...determining how the city wants to see us do it. This is not going to be imposed, that's an absolute guarantee”.

This is not going to be imposed. We are still waiting for him to unlock his mental gridlock. We want to see the trucks removed from our streets and the economy functioning. More important, we want this Prime Minister to actually keep a promise this time.

[Jean Lapierre, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the member to realize that we have already done some work, that we have money on the table, that the province is participating and that the city is working with us. I do not know where the member was, but the mayor is very happy with the work that is being done. Much more will be done together.

Child Care

[Carol Skelton, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are putting billions of dollars into a day care scheme, claiming it will provide 250,000 new child care spaces across Canada. Many parents are looking for these spaces simply because they cannot afford to raise their children at home or stay at home.

We believe that better stay at home options for parents would result in less demand for new spaces. How could the minister not agree?

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, Minister of Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat just a few numbers: $5 billion over five years; a 40% increase to what is now spent on child care; and $320 a year for low income families.

[Carol Skelton, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, recently the Minister of Social Development confirmed that the Liberal day care scheme will not be free. Parents do not want to be forced to pay for institutional child care if they believe stay at home parenting is best for their family.

Parents want fair choices. Why is the minister going to compel parents to have others raise their children?

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, Minister of Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, real choice is the opportunity to have, as well as all of the other options that parents have, real child care, real quality early learning and child care. That is real choice. At $320 a year, the plan over there is no choice at all.

Auditor General's Report

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as reported last June, there are 24,000 Canadian deaths in hospitals each year from adverse events. Electronic patient records could prevent many of these deaths.

Canada Health Infoway received $1.2 billion way back in 2001 to fund electronic records for all Canadians. The Auditor General wants to look at the books to see if Canadians are getting value for money.

What is this government hiding? Is she going to get the books?

[Reg Alcock, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member does a disservice to the many services that these foundations provide when he misquotes the Auditor General.

What the Auditor General said yesterday was, “I'd just like to say, Mr. Chair, that we have no concerns about the financial audits that are being conducted in the foundations”.

Those are the Auditor General's words.