Debates of April 6th, 2005

Sponsorship Program

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

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear that anyone who used the unity crisis to achieve personal gain will be punished to the full extent of the law. The reason is that this party, this government, and this Prime Minister is ensuring that Justice Gomery does his work.

We support Justice Gomery. We will support Justice Gomery until we receive his report. We will respond both as a government and as a party very seriously to his recommendations.

If the hon. member wants to talk about playing games with national unity, that is exactly what he is doing when he supports the Bloc Québécois tendency to comment on daily testimony that is damaging to federalists and does not reflect the truth.

Foreign Affairs

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago we asked the government to abandon its discredited policy of playing softball with the dictatorship in Iran.

We asked the government to demand that the remains of Zahra Kazemi be returned to her son and that there be a new inquiry and a new trial with a Canadian presence.

If the government is serious about getting justice for a Canadian woman who was tortured and murdered, why will it not bring our ambassador home until the demands are met instead of sending him back there to resume normal relations?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have in the past withdrawn the ambassador and that has led nowhere. We need to articulate our case in Iran at the highest level and very strongly.

Yesterday when I spoke to the Iranian foreign minister I asked him when the appeal will take place. The family has asked for an appeal. The family is committed to having an appeal. The Iranian government has not yet announced that date. This is another request on top of the autopsy request we made yesterday, and we need to pursue our case all the time at the highest possible level.

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government promised harsh measures for the murderers of Zahra Kazemi. Yesterday, this same government tried to organize a training session in Montreal on maintaining good relations with Iran. Only after we criticized this decision did the government change its mind and cancel the training session.

Why does this government wait until the official opposition criticizes its contradictory actions instead of simply making decisions based on clear principles?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have made many decisions on the basis of clear principles. We went to the UN general assembly with our colleagues from the international community. We criticized them wherever the opportunity presented itself. We deal with them each time so that we can get the information we need from them. We want justice.

The opposition wakes up each time a piece appears in the media. But we have been working on this matter week in and week out, month in and month out, without waiting for the media to focus on it.

National Defence

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Lanark, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister told the defence committee that Norad would have died had Canada not agreed to provide radar information to the U.S. missile defence system.

The minister's delineation between presence and participation in missile defence is spin-doctoring. He thinks that just because Canada does not push the button, it is absolved of meaningful participation. This is simply false.

The Prime Minister has said we are not in missile defence, but the minister has confirmed we are. Who are Canadians to believe?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I hope Canadians will believe the accurate reporting of what I actually said before the committee. What I said was that we are participating with our American colleagues in providing information about what is going on around space and around Canada and the United States because we are their partners in the defence of North America and that is a natural thing for Norad to do.

That does not make us participants in the ballistic missile delivery system. What it makes us is participants in the defence of North America as a great colleague with the United States. We are building stronger ties every day and we will continue to do so.

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Carleton—Lanark, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that is obscuring the facts: we are in missile defence.

Yesterday the minister said that “at the moment we've decided not to” participate in missile defence. Does this mean that the Liberal government will reconsider Canada's participation in the future?

Was the Prime Minister's recent decision merely a ploy to ensure that he would receive a favourable vote on his leadership at the Liberal convention?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, this government and this Prime Minister take policy decisions for the good of Canadians and for the good of Canada. Our government is committed to providing the correct defence posture for our country.

We will work with our American colleagues in defending North America, but we will work with them in our way, under our conditions, with our priorities, under the direction of our Prime Minister.

Passports

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in paragraph 3.46 of her report, the Auditor General expresses surprise that the Passport Office does not always possess the information it needs to refuse to issue a passport to individuals who are not entitled to one.

How does the government justify the fact that the Passport Office is so ill-equipped, even though crown prosecutors always have access to such information, and have had for quite a while, by the time a defendant appears in court within 24 hours after arrest?

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

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP and the Passport Office share information and are in further discussions to ensure that all information presently found in CPIC and relevant to the Passport Office's activities is shared in real time.

In addition, on March 31 of this year, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Passport Office and the Correctional Service of Canada to ensure for any of those in the corrections system at any stage, including parole, that information is provided to the Passport Office so that it can act upon it accordingly.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is not what the Auditor General said. The information does not seem to be used in a timely manner.

Not only is security control lacking when passports are issued but, furthermore, we learn in paragraph 3.94 that the government has acted illegally by not revealing how it is using the fees collected.

How does the government explain that as it was increasing passport fees by over 40%, it was drastically lowering its service standards?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Passport Office finances its own operations from the fees its collects for passports. This has been the practice for a number of years. So, this agency finances its own operations with the revenues from passports.

I want to add that what the Deputy Prime Minister said is quite appropriate. We have already signed a memorandum of understanding with the RCMP to improve the exchange of information.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker]

I wish to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of Mr. George Chuvalo, former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion and recipient of the Order of Canada in recognition of his dedication to Canada's youth.

I invite all hon. members to a reception to meet Mr. Chuvalo, following the votes, which I believe are imminent.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Points of Order

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, during question period the Speaker ruled that perhaps I should withdraw the comments I made because I might have unfairly impugned members on the other side. I guess we will leave that to the people of Canada and Judge Gomery to decide, but I do believe that my words were unparliamentary so therefore I withdraw.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, as a consequence of discussion in question period today, I wonder if there might not be unanimous consent for the following motion, seconded by the hon. member for Toronto--Danforth, the leader of the NDP: “That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders or usual practices of the House, a minister of the Crown be permitted to table a bill without notice that implements the Atlantic accord; when such a bill is called for debate it be deemed read the second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage, deemed read a third time and passed”.

This would certainly clear up any problem and we could all get our wish to have this accord passed immediately.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to indicate the support of the New Democratic Party for this proposal. This will move the long awaited aspirations of Atlantic Canada into being. We call on all members to support the motion today.

[The Speaker]

Does the House give its consent to the motion proposed by the Leader of the Opposition?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With the unanimous consent of the House, I would ask that we move to Bill C-43, move it at all stages, vote on it, approve it, and get it through the House. This would ensure that Atlantic Canadians get the Atlantic accord that they deserve.

[The Speaker]

Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.