Debates of March 21st, 2005

Air-India

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Calgary East.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell the Deputy Prime Minister that she is giving the impression that this government does not care for the lives lost in the Air-India disaster. If this government does not want to shed tears over this tragedy then it does not have to, but for God's sake and for the sake of victims, I say please have a public inquiry. Yes or no?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is very sad that the hon. member would appear to turn this into a partisan issue. As I have said, what is important here is that we determine the questions that remain unanswered and in fact what process, if any, would be the best in terms of providing us answers to any of those unanswered questions. I will sit down with the families. My government officials will sit down with the families. We will try to identify those questions and then work to--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Thornhill.

Multiculturalism

[Susan Kadis, Liberal, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, March 21, marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In Canada we have launched our annual campaign. Although we have made great strides, we know that racism is still a reality that must be eradicated.

My question is for the Minister of State for Multiculturalism. I am interested in finding out what the minister plans to do to ensure that Canada continues to be at the forefront of the international struggle to combat racism.

[Raymond Chan, Liberal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Thornhill for her excellent work on this matter. Racism is still a very important issue and it prevents Canadians from participating fully in our society.

This morning I was very proud to unveil Canada's first ever action plan against racism. This plan takes a horizontal, coordinated approach and includes new concrete measures in order to achieve an inclusive and equitable society.

Government Appointments

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a year ago when the Prime Minister finally clawed his way to the top job he promised to put an end to the politics of cronyism. Obviously this was just another empty promise rather than a sincere commitment to changing how Liberals do their shady business.

The environment committee reviewed Glen Murray's nomination as chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy and the committee said no. Late Friday afternoon, when he thought no one was looking, the Prime Minister decided to thumb his nose at Parliament and all Canadians and confirmed this appointment against the committee's wishes.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and reverse this patronage appointment?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, do members know why the government is so pleased to have the former leader of the NDP, Madam Audrey McLaughlin, at this round table? It is because we look at the qualifications of the candidates and we do not choose them because they have a partisan past. It is an honour for them and an honour for Canada.

It is the same for Mr. Murray. The proof that he has the right qualifications is that the NDP members are upset because he turned down their request to be a candidate in the last election.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the only qualification this person seems to have is who he knew in the PMO. It is another promise made and another promise broken.

The NRTEE is going to be asked to do some very important work over the coming years, picking up the slack for a cabinet that cannot seem to decide on how to get Kyoto done. This crucial work depends upon someone who has the expertise to fulfill that need, not somebody who is just another yes-man for the Liberal Party, but the Prime Minister seems unconcerned, choosing to give profile to political buddies rather than finding the best person for the job.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the environment is more important than patronage and reverse--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of the Environment.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the member should give an apology to Mr. Murray, councilman for eight years and the Mayor of Winnipeg, a chair of the Big City Mayors' Caucus, an important part of the new deal for cities, an active member of the International Conference of Mayors, and a leader in the creative cities movement. He created the green plan for the City of Winnipeg and its green pricing for procurement.

His whole mistake, according to the member, is that he turned down the request to be an NDP candidate in the last election.

Airline Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, a poll of business leaders, which was released today by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, shows that 55% of respondents think the federal government is responsible for Jetsgo's collapse. Excessive taxes, fees and charges are largely to blame, they say.

Jetsgo certainly had its own problems, but when nine air carriers go broke in eight years of Liberal government, it is clear that the number one problem our air industry faces is this Liberal government.

Will a tenth airline really have to go broke before the government finally does something and stops taxing our air industry into the ground?

[Jean Lapierre, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that we are in a free market economy and this is a competitive market. I thought those values were Tory values.

What we are seeing now is an entrepreneur trying to succeed in this market, but he has not succeeded and he has been given the reasons why he did not succeed. There was a question of prices. There was a question of competition.

This is what the free market is all about, so what is the hon. member for? Government intervention?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know what the Liberals are for, which is taxing the air industry into the ground.

One of the business leaders in the poll was quoted as saying, “Our government's dithering on this and other matters makes me feel that we are just plain leaderless”. Another quote to note is, “Federal government taxation is what is hurting the airline industry”.

The business community gets it. The air and travel industry gets it. The transport committee gets it. The Conservative Party gets it.

Why is this Liberal government so absolutely clueless when it comes to the high taxes that are driving Canada's air industry into the ground?

[Jean Lapierre, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the hon. member would believe the National Post when it says, “As his Conservative critics should understand better than anyone in Parliament, politicians shouldn't be expected to come to the rescue when a private business falters”. This is from the National Post , not a Liberal publication and not a poll.

Government Appointments

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the House of Commons environment committee recently voted seven to four against appointing Glen Murray to chair the national round table on the environment. The committee found him to be lacking in credentials and expertise for the job. After hearing the recommendations of the committee, the Prime Minister appointed Murray anyway.

The Prime Minister only one year ago promised to condemn the practice and politics of cronyism. Apart from the fact that Glen Murray is a Liberal, why did the Prime Minister break his word and appoint Murray against the recommendations--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of the Environment.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

We can see, Mr. Speaker, that the vote of the opposition in this committee was a shameful partisan vote. Could it be, for that party's members, that it is because Mr. Murray did not run for them despite their request? Or could it be that one of those parties does not respect the city of Winnipeg, of which he was such a good mayor and gave Winnipeg a green plan?

Or could it simply be that The Globe and Mail editorial is right when it says, “He is a well-qualified individual who happens also to be a Liberal. He should keep his new job”.

[Lee Richardson, Conservative, Calgary South Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I think the only shameful partisanship is on the Prime Minister's behalf. First of all there was the blatant patronage appointment to open a seat in Winnipeg for Mr. Murray. The wise people of Winnipeg rejected that notion.

Now he is trying to bail him out with an appointment to this committee. The Prime Minister is using another blatant patronage appointment to bail out another Liberal loser. When will the Prime Minister stop insulting Canadians and withdraw this appointment?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, instead of having this kind of shameful partisan behaviour, the opposition and its leader should start to build a real plan for the environment, because they admitted themselves during their convention that they do not have one.

They did not request the spending in this budget for the environment. They do not care about the environment. When they see a good Canadian who is able to help the country through the round table on the environment, they are not able to be non-partisan. This is shameful partisanship by the opposition.

Citizenship and Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration confirmed that he was considering an alternative to the refugee appeal division and that he would make a decision within six months.

How can the minister ask refugees to wait another six months when, for nearly three years, the government has been violating its own legislation by refusing to implement the appeal division which has, in fact, been duly adopted by this House?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have always said that refugees must be considered within the bigger picture of immigration as a whole. I have also indicated that last year we accepted another 6,000 additional people.

When speaking of the relationship between the House committee and the government, it must be remembered that the hon. member is one of the members who voted completely in favour of these six months of study. If she votes one way in committee, why—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

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

Mr. Speaker, everyone disagrees with the minister. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Human Rights Commission, lawyers defending refugees—they all condemn the Canadian government's attitude and its refusal to immediately implement the appeal division.

How can the government accept that the lives and futures of thousands of refugees depend on a decision made by one person?

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

Mr. Speaker, there is no such decision on behalf of one person. The member is mischaracterizing the process. Once there is a decision, there is also a pre-removal risk assessment. Every step of the way there is an opportunity to appeal to the Federal Court or in fact to submit an application under humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Let me remind the member and the House again that last year there was an acceptance of 6,000 more refugees than the year before. Where is the damage?