Debates of Feb. 21st, 2005

International Aid

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate those norms that are set as international guidelines, but I also think that one of the norms expected of me is an effective delivery of aid. It is not just all about quantity. In that regard, I would ask the hon. member to consider all of the improvements and standards that this agency has achieved.

I would note, as she listens and follows the outpouring of the international policy statement, the intention for far greater coherency and focus at my department. Effectiveness will increase and so will the total amount given to the aid budget.

Equalization Program

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday several Conservative MPs, myself included, met with Premier Lorne Calvert and other political leaders from Saskatchewan.

During that meeting we were all united in calling for the elimination of oil and gas revenues from the equalization formula, but the government, and the finance minister continue to ignore and betray the people of Saskatchewan.

Would the Minister of Finance stand today, do what is right and fair, and commit to ending the non-renewable resources in the equalization program?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan has had the happy circumstance of graduating from a have not province to a have province, in part through the good efforts of the finance minister who recently negotiated on behalf of Saskatchewan, a $710 million top up to the equalization program.

That along with the revenues that have been generated from the oil resources have put Saskatchewan in a happy situation. In fact, Saskatchewan's unemployment rate is below that of Ontario's.

[Jeremy Harrison, Conservative, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday a united front of Saskatchewan political leaders, including the premier and seven Saskatchewan Conservative MPs met to discuss the shabby treatment given to Saskatchewan by the Prime Minister and the Liberal government.

With the exception of the finance minister, my province is united in demanding a fair equalization deal. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister will not even agree to meet with the premier.

When will the Prime Minister stop dithering, show some respect for Saskatchewan, and commit to a fair equalization deal for the province?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the premiers met last September and negotiated an equalization program. Included in the equalization program was a two year period where the equalization calculations would be left as is based upon a panel being struck and negotiating different terms through the equalization.

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan lives in a very good situation. Its debt to GDP is something in the order of 25% while the federal government's is just a touch over 40% debt to GDP.

Social Development

[Françoise Boivin, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the Minister of Social Development signed a social development agreement with the Republic of Estonia. I understand that such agreements benefit Canadians by enabling them to receive pensions as a result of periods they have lived or worked in other countries. I also understand that these agreements enhance Canadian competitiveness abroad.

Can the Minister of Social Development tell me who will benefit from this agreement?

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, Minister of Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, today we are very pleased to have signed a social security agreement with the Republic of Estonia. There are about 23,000 persons of Estonian descent in Canada, many of whom will qualify for pensions as a result of the agreement.

The agreement will help enable those who have lived or worked in either of the two countries to receive old age, disability and survivor pensions, recognizing the contributions they have made and telling them that their work is valued and respected.

Housing

[Dave Batters, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has a $2.4 billion surplus, another Liberal slush fund.

CMHC charges home buyers an insurance premium if they cannot make a 25% down payment. Home buyers are charged as much as 3.75% of the value of their mortgage. This can amount to thousands of dollars that each of these home buyers has to pay.

Given this massive $2.4 billion surplus, will the minister commit to giving home buyers a much needed break by reducing CMHC premiums?

[Judi Longfield, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Housing]

Mr. Speaker, the member would know that the minister is currently looking at a number of flexibilities, and he will be happy to report on the outcome of his discussions when he returns.

Fisheries

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, St. John's South, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is the federal agency responsible for the management and conservation of wild salmon and trout stock in Atlantic Canada. Instead of reacting to the declining stock by reducing catches and closing rivers, why is DFO not trying to prevent the decline by trying to find out what caused the decline in the first place?

[Shawn Murphy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue in all Atlantic Canadian provinces involving the salmon runs. Again, the government has been working very closely with the Atlantic Salmon Federation. It requires further study, further enforcement and further science. We will see some positive developments in the very near future.

Immigration

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration told us that the case of Mohamed Cherfi was following its course. In Le Soleil a spokesperson for the department said that nothing would be done, while another source reported that the file is being studied and a decision is imminent.

Can the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration be clear with us and reveal his true intentions with respect to Mohamed Cherfi?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated at an earlier time, this is a personal individual case, and I will not comment on the floor of the House on a private matter. The issue has already gone through the courts of the Canadian system and it is before the American system. We will not intervene in the affairs of another country.

When an application comes before us, we will deal with it as is appropriate for that application.

Poverty

[Michael John Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of International Cooperation.

Canadians, as a government and as a nation, have shown remarkable generosity and compassion in the wake of the tsunami that hit Asia two months ago. Unfortunately, we know that many parts of the world suffer less spectacular but more chronic forms of poverty, disease and famine. Poverty itself is the root cause of incredible misfortune throughout the developing world.

Could the minister tell us what Canada will do to address this inequity and injustice?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I would agree that global poverty is indeed the challenge of our time. I do not think we can leave to future generations the challenge of 40 million children going to bed hungry, of living in a world where the average life expectancy is not even 40.

We need to understand in the House that the government and the country is committed to the millennium development goals. The best thing I could say is to quote Nelson Mandela's comment, “We must make poverty history”.

Insurance Industry

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, insurance companies are raking in record profits while gouging consumers with record high premiums. Like Liberals, insurance companies are swimming in surpluses while Canadians struggle to make ends meet.

Is the government prepared to review what is happening and to rein in the industry, or is this just another cash cow for its corporate friends?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question fails to understand jurisdictional allocation.

The Government of Canada ensures that every insurance company in Canada has sufficient reserves to cover their liabilities. That is the nature and extent of the Government of Canada's responsibility, vis-à-vis insurance companies.

Any regulation is entirely set by provincial jurisdiction.

Revenue Canada

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that Revenue Canada had been breaking its own procurement rules over 60% of the time.

Why would we be surprised? The first thing the revenue minister did when he was appointed was to break all the Treasury Board rules and hire his crony buddies. We are still waiting for the receipts from the former Liberal patronage master, André Ouellet. There are no rules for him either.

The fact of the matter is, do as I say, not as I do just does not cut it as a management style and does not create the right tone at the top.

When will the minister realize that it cannot enforce the rules in the department when it breaks them itself?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, without accepting a single one of those premises, may I assure the member that the audit to which he refers was a self-inflicted audit. Some might say it was a little masochistic, but the agency took it upon itself to audit itself. It found some things where improvements could be made. Those are being done, and there will be another audit to follow through.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker]

I wish to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Richard Hurburt, Minister of Natural Resources of Nova Scotia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Certificates of Nomination

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour pursuant to Standing Order 110(2) to table two certificates of nomination.

Order in Council Appointments

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to table a number of orders in council recently made by the government.

Committees of the House

[Roger Gallaway, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Transport. Your committee conducted a number of hearings on the proposed disposal of the federal grain hopper car fleet. We heard testimony from officials of the Department of Transport and from several stakeholders. The committee has formulated some recommendations to the government on this issue.

The report I am presenting is not unanimous. It does have two dissenting opinions.

I take this opportunity to thank all members of the committee on both sides of the House for their diligence and also the committee staff for their work.

Petitions

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition signed by quite a number of people from Ontario and Manitoba. To sum it up, these fine folk are asking for the defence of traditional marriage as the bond between one man and one woman. It is a serious moral good they say. The petitioners allege that the recent rulings of the appeal courts of Ontario and British Columbia redefining marriage to include same sex partners destroys traditional marriage in law and it also endangers Canada's social stability.

They call upon Parliament to take the necessary steps to maintain the current definition of marriage in law in perpetuity and to prevent any court from overturning that in the future as well.