House of Commons Hansard #66 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage.
It has already been a year since the federal-provincial agreement on minority education ended, and the one-year extension of that agreement will also come to an end in three weeks. In all that time, there has been no hint of a new long-term agreement.
When will the minister be able to announce the new federal-provincial minority education agreement, in particular for my province, Ontario?
Liza Frulla LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. The provincial deputy ministers of education are meeting today. Tomorrow the provincial education ministers will meet and our goal is to conclude an agreement by March 31, 2005.
Ted Menzies Conservative Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has been dogged by reports of cronyism, corruption and cover-ups for years. The Auditor General continually criticizes the financial mismanagement and the lack of accountability in the government's spending.
Media reports today confirm our worst suspicion, that Canada's promised tsunami aid money is still sitting in the Liberal government's coffers and not going to those in need.
Is this yet another Liberal promise made; Liberal promise not kept?
Aileen Carroll LiberalMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, over $37 million in relief to date already has been put in place in tsunami affected countries; $26 million to UN aid control; the Canadian Red Cross, which we have funded, has shipped $33 million worth of relief supplies; and in Indonesia, 1,500 wells in Banda Aceh. So far Canada has provided $10.5 million to the world food program.
Promises made; promises kept.
Ted Menzies Conservative Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, speaking of promises, after $250 million went missing in the sponsorship scandal, the Liberals promised they would change the way they did business.
In a recent report, the Auditor General revealed that the Liberals still cannot keep track of foreign aid grants. Contrary to repeated recommendations, tsunami aid will be delivered through unaccountable grants, with no money for value oversight.
Do Canadians, who gave generously to the tsunami relief, not deserve better than Liberal promises made and Liberal promises not kept?
Aileen Carroll LiberalMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I have walked through this change in Treasury Board rules that allow us to move from conditional into grants. I have explained that we are not giving grants to fly-by-night outfits, but rather to United Nations agencies and to international organizations with auditing systems that are totally in compliance with my sense of fiduciary duty.
I have again and again explained that those NGOs with which we are working, that have been accepted for matching funds, have all the systems in place that make me very comfortable to tell Canadians they can rest assured that we are being responsible with their money.
Louise Thibault Bloc Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Department of National Defence and Public Works and Government Services Canada are about to kill Tannerie des Ruisseaux of Saint-Pascal-de-Kamouraska, which, incidentally, is the last tannery in Quebec and Canada.
How so? By considering waving the 55% Canadian content requirement for army contracts, when they are under absolutely no obligation to do so under NAFTA or the WTO. Could the Minister of Public Works and Government Services give us the assurance that he will enforce the Canadian content rule in the award of contracts for the manufacturing of temperate combat boots for soldiers, thereby ensuring that 50 jobs are maintained at Tannerie des Ruisseaux?
Scott Brison LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that we will continue to respect the principles of industrial benefit within Canada. We will at the same time respect our trade agreements and ensure that our Canadian armed forces have the best possible equipment for the best possible value for the Canadian taxpayer. At the same time, we will ensure that regional industrial benefits are there for all regions of the country, including Quebec.
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, last week, the government concluded a final agreement with the Government of Quebec concerning parental leave.
Can the minister explain to us what this agreement represents, both in terms of federal-provincial relations and socially, for Quebec parents?
Lucienne Robillard LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Mr. Speaker, I believe this represents a major victory for Quebec parents. We have always supported the innovative approach taken by the Government of Quebec, which is aimed at enhancing parental leave and broadening accessibility to it.
We were at last successful in concluding this agreement with Quebec. We had already made reference to a new era of cooperation with our partners and this is an example of what we can do and of how truly flexible our federation is, with the ability to adapt to the aspirations of all parties.
Interparliamentary DelegationsRoutine Proceedings
The Speaker
I have the honour to table the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation to Pakistan, from January 10 to 12, 2005.
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.
Paul Devillers Liberal Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
In accordance with its order of reference of Monday, December 13, 2004, your committee has considered Bill C-26, an act to establish the Canada Border Services Agency, and agreed on Thursday, February 24, 2005, to report it with amendments.
I would like to recognize the contribution of the members of the Subcommittee on Public Safety and National Security, who took part in this study.
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Matapédia—Matane, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present to the House on behalf of constituents from Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia. The first one deals with the missile defence shield.
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Matapédia—Matane, QC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with the definition of marriage.
Gurbax Malhi Liberal Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition in the House in which the petitioners express the view that marriage should be protected and remain as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Raynald Blais Bloc Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am tabling today a petition signed by people from the riding of Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, who call upon the federal government to guarantee any subsidies necessary to maintain rail passenger service, including VIA Rail's Chaleur train in the southern part of the Gaspé Peninsula, and any sums necessary to maintain the track used by this train.
Claude Drouin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Rural Communities)
Mr. Speaker, I am tabling in this House a petition sent by the Assemblée de Beauce 1043 regarding Bill C-38.
Ken Epp Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB
Mr. Speaker, I would like to add yet another 71 names to the petitions that have been presented on the subject of marriage. These petitioners, mostly from my riding but also from areas just outside my riding as presently bounded, say that marriage is defined, and has long been defined, as the union of one man and one woman, and is the best situation possible for the raising of children and the foundation for families.
The petitioners urge Parliament to continue to keep the definition of marriage as it is now in federal law as the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a number of Canadians, including my own riding of Mississauga South. The petitioners would like to point out that the majority of Canadians believe that the fundamental matters of social policy should be decided by elected members of Parliament and not by the unelected judiciary, and that they support the traditional definition of marriage.
They call upon Parliament to use all possible legislative and administrative measures including the invocation of section 33 of the charter, known as the notwithstanding clause, to preserve and protect the current definition of marriage which is the legal union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions in the House. The first petition asks Parliament to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as the lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I also have two petitions dealing with autism, asking Parliament to amend the Canada Health Act to recognize autism for a required treatment and also for the creation of academic chairs at a university in each province to teach autism treatment.
Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have six petitions totalling some 727 signatures praying that Parliament use all possible legislative and administrative measures, including invoking section 33 of the charter if necessary, to preserve and protect the current definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have petitions from aboriginal people around my riding as well as throughout Manitoba. They call on the federal government to repeal its position of charging taxes to aboriginal students on post-secondary education funding. In spite of hearing some rumours over the weekend that this was going to be repealed, we do not have any faith in the government following through on its promises, so it is important that these petitions keep coming in.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have petitions from people throughout the riding of Churchill calling on the Government of Canada to maintain the definition of marriage.