Debates of March 10th, 2005

The Environment

[Christian Simard, Bloc, Beauport, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of the Environment do not agree on what position to take concerning auto manufacturers. One prefers the voluntary approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the other prefers an agreement accompanied by binding regulations. This difference of opinion between the two ministers is delaying the drafting of the Kyoto protocol implementation plan and has even forced the Prime Minister to step in to resolve this impasse.

Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he decided in favour of the Minister of the Environment?

[David Emerson, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that the discussions which are ongoing with the automotive industry will not delay the implementation and release of a climate plan.

[Christian Simard, Bloc, Beauport, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of the Environment recognize that if the government continues to reduce greenhouse emissions targets, particularly with regard to the major industrial polluters, he will have to buy emission credits from other countries, and the taxpayers are the ones who will pay for wealthy oil and gas companies to do nothing?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we will have a plan for Kyoto. It will be announced in the coming weeks and it will be an excellent plan that will allow all Canadians to play a role. Indeed, everyone will be asked to do his or her share.

The excellent green budget presented to Canadians by the Minister of Finance provides the tools that we need, including a fund for climate change and for partnerships, tax incentives and targeted programs. Of course, regulations will also be made regarding final emitters, and this will help Canadian competitiveness.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what a unique approach to improving Canada-U.S. relations. The Prime Minister's hand-picked representative actually has advocated that Canada sabotage U.S. trade discussions with other countries. How ironic, because that is exactly what the parliamentary secretary is doing to our trade ties with the United States.

When will the Prime Minister fire the parliamentary secretary?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that is the very member who on his website is using Dr. King's name for a political end, absolutely using and misusing American history. He pretends that on this sort of thing we can build a strong relationship between Canada and the United States. Not only is he not respecting Canadian efforts and Canada's role in North America, he is not even respecting the whole history of the United States.

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one in three jobs in Canada depends on trade. It is ridiculous that we get that kind of answer when that many jobs are dependent on good relations with the United States.

This was no slip of the tongue. This was a trade strategy proposed by the parliamentary secretary at a time when we had the border closed to Canadian cattle and softwood lumber. How can the Prime Minister have any credibility when he goes to meet President Bush when he carries that kind of baggage around?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member mentions softwood lumber. Why does he not recognize that we are making progress in continuing with our three-track approach? What one single constructive idea has he given on this? What one constructive bit of advice has he been able to provide? None.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, on the heels of a booming economy and significant internal economic reforms, the World Food Programme director, James Morris, has announced that at the end of 2005 the program will no longer be an active operating program in China. China no longer needs us.

The Minister of International Trade returned from China earlier this year raving about China as a crucial emerging market for Canadian business. When will the CIDA minister get the hint that China is now ready for trade, not aid?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, members on the other side of the House love to talk as they do about the government of China. What they do not understand, and I have said this a number of times, is we do not give one penny of money to the government of China. We work with the Canadian Bar Association that is setting up a legal aid system. We work with the Canadian Bar Association that is setting up community legal services for the poorest and most disenfranchised.

Why they want me to cancel this program and not engage China is beyond this side of the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, communist China has the world's largest military ready to crush independence and democracy in Taiwan. If it has money for military and space programs, it has money to take care of its own.

When will the Liberal government get its act together and decide exactly what its foreign policy is and help countries that cannot help themselves?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, this side of the House has its act together. We are working very well with all our departments of the international policy system to provide exactly the kind of coherency and focus that seems lacking on the other side of the House.

We are sending experts to China to improve the judicial system and to improve the legislative system. Helping the Chinese to build a more democratic and more prosperous country is not only good for China, it is good for the world.

Status of Women

[Russ Powers, Liberal, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over the last 20 years women have made real progress toward achieving gender equality. Women and girls throughout the developing world are taking action. Canada too has committed to gender equality in all of its CIDA programming.

I would like to personally thank the Minister of International Cooperation for her work on addressing the global fight against HIV-AIDS and her initiative in the promotion of gender equality.

Will the minister update the House on what Canada is doing to address gender inequality and women's lack of empowerment globally?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, may I assure him and the House that gender equality will always be integral to everything we do within Canada's development programs. I would like to give him an example of a few of them of which I am particularly proud.

In Afghanistan, CIDA supported the education of 3,000 girls who were denied access to education under the Taliban. As a result, this initiative means full integration for 3,000 young women into the public education system.

In addition, it provided $15 million for microbicides to enable women on the AIDS fight.

The Environment

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in the United States decommissioned Zonolite plants are designated EPA super fund sites and full remediation is underway. That is because people who live next to these Zonolite plants are dying of asbestosis.

The Zonolite plant in Winnipeg is right across the street from the largest high school in my riding, yet the federal government has done absolutely nothing to remediate the ten Zonolite plants in ten cities across the country.

Why has the government taken no action about Zonolite? Why is it afraid to admit there is no safe level of asbestos? Why is it not cleaning up these hazardous sites?

[Joe Fontana, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Housing]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is as concerned as we are about the question of safety in homes and in buildings. The member is a resident of West Block and I can reassure him that it is safe. We are looking into the situation, and we will ensure that people's safety comes first and foremost.

Social Development

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government rewards its corporate friends with billions in tax cuts while killing funding to programs that support people with disabilities.

The navigating the waters program that supports people to find work and to develop their skills is losing its funding, despite the government's repeated promises to increase the participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities. This national program puts millions into the economy. Clients leave social assistance and become taxpayers. Seven hundred people will lose their employment support.

Will the Minister of Social Development immediately overturn this--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Social Development.

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, Minister of Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres, which is the driver of that program, has been a significant recipient of assistance from the government, having received $3.7 million in 2003-04 and over $2 million this year.

A proposal that it made for funding in this past year did not meet the new criteria, and it was not accepted. At the same time, we have been working with the organization on a new proposal, and we look forward to supporting it in the future.

Immigration

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is coming out about the Liberals' growing contempt for democracy. This week the Liberal immigration minister said that a law passed by Parliament would not really be the law of the land. It is just “for guidance”. In other words, he actually said that Parliament's laws did not have to be respected and followed if the Liberals did not feel like it.

When he said that Parliament's laws were just guidance, did this minister speak for the Prime Minister?

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

Mr. Speaker, first, I wish the member would quote me accurately and do the complete quote. What I did indicate was that the Refugee Appeal Division, which was proposed by the committee and accepted in Parliament, was an additional impediment to streamlining the process, which she apparently favours.

I gave an indication in the House and elsewhere that last year we had an additional 6,000 refugees that were approved in the process and, therefore, with an increase of close to 25% in refugees' acceptance, we hardly needed that mechanism.

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that law was passed by Parliament years ago. It is alarming that the minister of the Liberal government would actually try to excuse and rationalize ignoring and disrespecting the law of the land.

Canadians deserve to know why the Prime Minister is allowing Parliament's laws to be treated merely as guidance.

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

Mr. Speaker, considerations for that legislation were designed to provide claimants with an opportunity to appeal a negative decision.

I might remind the House that all failed claimants can make an appeal to the federal court. They are also subject to a pre-removal risk assessment and have applications for H & C in the process.

I refer to a specific case just this last year: a country from Central America, 2,000 applicants and 99% of them were refused. Would she have those 99% clogging up the system that she abhors?

Sponsorship Program

[James Moore, Conservative, Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when we think of it, the sponsorship scandal is based on a very simple premise: The Liberal government awarded generous contracts to advertising agencies that are friends with the Liberal Party and, conversely, these agencies gave money to the Liberal Party. We learned that Pierre Michaud and Pierre Davidson both gave $1,000 to the Liberal Party in 1997, after receiving money from the sponsorship program.

The Minister of Transport promised to give back the dirty money related to sponsorships. Is this also a broken promise by the Liberal government?

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, once again the member is commenting on testimony. We know that even this week one day's testimony has been contradicted by another day's testimony. He would be better off to wait for Justice Gomery to complete his report and to report back to Canadians. When we know the truth, we will be able to do the right thing and address those issues then.

I am sure the hon. member will be very pleased with the government's action at that point.