Debates of May 19th, 2005

Budget Implementation Act, 2005

[Some hon. members]

Question.

[The Deputy Speaker]

The question is on the motion that this question be now put. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Deputy Speaker]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Deputy Speaker]

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Deputy Speaker]

Pursuant to order made Monday, May 16, the division stands deferred until later this day at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.

The House resumed from May 16 consideration of the motion that Bill C-48, an act to authorize the Minister of Finance to make certain payments, be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the motion that this question be now put.

An Act to Authorize the Minister of Finance to Make Certain Payments

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today to possibly change the subject a little to that bill which we would like to discuss and to which I would like to speak in opposition, that being Bill C-48.

In reading the introduction, “An Act to authorize the Minister of Finance to make certain payments”, I think the House would want to be much more precise than that. That certainly concerns me, as I am sent here to represent my constituents and I am sure that they would be very concerned about that also.

The past few weeks have seen anger and recrimination in the House, and so in fact have the last few minutes. Frustration with legislative paralysis and personal and professional insults hurled across the floor like a bunch of kids in a sandbox is not productive.

I speak today in an effort to remind the members of the Liberal minority government that Canadians deserve a government which inspires the nation with its vision and which brings Canadians together with its leadership. Rather than use my 10 minutes to turn up the heat or chase partisan quarrels, I want to talk directly to my constituents and to Canadians across the country to explain why the Conservative Party cannot support this Liberal-NDP budget amendment.

As I mentioned, I am opposed to this for a number of reasons. The first one I would like to raise is the fact that this is an NDP budget. I might remind those people here, as I would remind my constituents, that we did not elect an NDP government, and I would suggest intentionally so. In that case, why are we dealing with an NDP budget?

I would also suggest that if the minority Liberal government had consulted with Canadians and with the other parties in the House, we might have actually had a budget that could have passed back in March and we would not have had to go through all of this.

The Conservative Party of Canada at that time voted to continue this Parliament, to make things work and to make it better for all Canadians, as opposed to the NDP, which voted on March 9 to defeat the government. It is an interesting twist of fate that we find the NDP members suggesting they will vote with the Liberals on this NDP budget. That day, the NDP and the Bloc both attempted to defeat the government. The Conservatives have been working hard trying to make this work, but when we see a bill like this before us, we are having a difficult time supporting it.

I know my constituents. I have heard from many of them. They are frightened by this sort of bill being put forward with these unspecified spending qualifications, with $4.5 billion from a surplus. We are not sure what that surplus is now that the government has spent the billions of dollars it has in the last 30 or so days, with the Liberals flying back and forth across this country handing out money with no plan. It is money that should have gone to debt relief. That is a fundamental concern of my constituents, as it is of mine.

We have committed hundreds of millions of dollars with no plan whatsoever. It is a last minute plan, I suppose. Getting the Liberal government re-elected is the only reason I can see for the Liberals putting this kind of money out there in that form.

Conservatives want Canada to become more competitive. What we have seen in the last few days does not make this country more competitive. We have heard comments from this side of the House on the reality of how the economy works and what stimulates the economy. This budget is not good for the corporations in this country, so it will therefore not be good for Canadians. We need to recognize that. We need to be more relevant in trade. Trade is our future and we see nothing in here that stimulates trade.

We see nothing to get to the goals that we all recognize are very important in foreign aid. There is $500 million talked about here, again with no plan. We do not see any plan for any of the spending. We would like to see the foreign aid money be more targeted and more effective. The spending needs to be targeted, not just scattered wherever it may fall.

On this side of the House we would like to see a budget put forward that creates more jobs and does not overtax the employers. We all know and have heard how that will affect the taxpayers, our constituents. We need to provide good, accessible health care. We do not see that effect coming out of this NDP budget.

We need something very important in my riding, and that is some effective help for the agriculture industry. In the first budget that was tabled, I believe agriculture was mentioned once or possibly twice. There is a serious disaster going on in the agriculture industry, specifically with respect to BSE. Not only is there a disaster in the cattle industry, in the ruminant industry, but also in the grains and oilseeds industry.

All of the debate in the House has done nothing to help my constituents who are still suffering from the effects of the BSE situation. In fact processing plants have been applying for the money that will backstop processing facilities. The government announced a loan loss provision, but from my understanding, not one penny of it has gotten through to be poured in concrete. That is the sign of a very ineffective plan, but we have not seen anything to replace it.

The Conservative Party launched a process where we would be intervenors in the court case going on in Montana and moving on to San Francisco. The Liberal government attempted it, was rejected on the first claim and walked away. How is that going to help our producers? By ignoring them, ignoring the issue, it has not gone away; it has just gotten that much worse, in fact to the point where we may see the beef that is going across the border, as it flows now, being stopped in the next few weeks. That is a very real possibility with the new challenge coming up in Montana.

The NDP had a chance to deal with this. It had an opportunity to at least address the issues that affect farmers. Again I see nothing in here that will improve agriculture. That is one of the many reasons I have a difficult time accepting that this is a good budget because I do not see that it is at all.

There is a plan for CFIA to help expand markets. My understanding is that has not moved ahead. The agriculture minister stood in this House back in March and told us that the CFIA was going to work diligently to open markets. I do not believe that has happened. Once again our ruminant industry has been let down.

I have spoken about the CAIS program several times in the House. That program is not effective. It does not help the grains and oilseeds sector at a time when commodity prices, the grains and oilseeds prices in this country are probably the lowest in real dollars that we have ever seen. We have a program that our agriculture minister tells us will help farmers out, will buy them some time until we can see those commodity prices come back. In my own personal situation, I had applied for some of that money when I was an active farmer, before I came to this House. I owe half of that money back because that is how ineffective the system is. It does not put dollars into the pockets of farmers where it is needed.

My time is almost over and I respect that. I am enjoying what I am saying but I realize that we do have a time limit on debate.

We realize the corruptness that has gone on in the government and that is fundamental to my opposition to this bill. I cannot with any conscience support a piece of legislation like this bill, which in effect props up the government that we have watched demoralize the country and drive a wedge between the provinces.

I would like to close by reminding everyone that the type of behaviour we have seen is probably an indication of the demoralizing issues that have plagued the House. I certainly hope we see an end to it, which might even be as soon as this evening.

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to put a question to the hon. member, who made an excellent presentation.

If we look at this bill, we notice that the government is taking a piecemeal approach in an attempt to buy agreements with a number of provinces. Here is my question to the hon. member.

Does he not believe that, far from helping Canada, these agreements reached by resorting to a piecemeal approach are harmful to the provinces and confirm the existence of an imbalance between them and the federal government? By taking this piecemeal approach to reach these agreements, is the government not creating an even greater fiscal imbalance?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely correct. These piecemeal agreements that we have seen not only are ineffective, they are antagonistic. They have done nothing but pit one province against another.

It adds to what we have seen in the sponsorship scandal. In so many of the claims that we have seen, the money has gone to people in Quebec. That is the way it appears but that is not the fact. It may have gone to people in Quebec, but it had nothing to do with Quebec. It was the Liberal government trying to buy off Quebec, trying to buy the allegiance of one province.

This exemplifies what the Liberals have done. It magnifies it and brings it out to everyone that the Liberal government does not show equal respect to all provinces.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's speech and to the reply that he provided to my colleague, the hon. member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue. I am wondering if, in his reply regarding the fiscal imbalance, he also thought about what members opposite are imagining.

Will the government respect its agreements with Bill C-48? As we know, this is a party that has deep social values. Is it not betraying somewhat its social values by supporting such agreements? Is this not confirmation that everything has its price?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question certainly raises the larger question that everyone on this side of the House is asking. We have seen promises, promises and promises that have not been kept. Therefore, why would we expect the promises in this legislation to be kept either?

Nursing

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to inform the House that last week, May 9 to 15, 2005, was National Nursing Week. This year's theme is “Nursing: Patients first. Safety always”.

I would like to commend our nurses' dedication to deliver first class health care to Canadian families, often under very difficult circumstances. National Nursing Week provides us with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the immense contribution that nurses, especially our front line workers, make to our communities.

I want to particularly mention the Humber River Regional Hospital in my own riding of York West and all the valued and hard-working nurses who provide the highest quality care.

I am honoured to offer my thanks to everyone who has chosen nursing as a career. Their tireless efforts make a positive impact on the lives of Canadians.

Housing

[John Cummins, Conservative, Delta—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, over a month ago I provided the minister responsible for CMHC with documents received under access to information that made it clear that in 1981 CMHC was aware of the leaky condo problem in British Columbia, but failed to issue a public warning to homeowners and builders because of concerns about liability and defaulting mortgages.

CMHC abandoned its duty to protect the public because it wanted to protect itself. Recently obtained documents show that in 1981 CMHC requested that the national building code be amended to prevent what was to become a two decade long nightmare for B.C. homeowners. Nothing was done.

CMHC failed to take action to prevent this costly disaster. CMHC failed to warn homeowners whose lives were to be devastated by this conspiracy of silence. CMHC failed to advise the builders so that flawed building practices could be changed to protect homeowners.

When will the minister end the cover-up?

International Fund for Ireland

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is very good news that today the Government of Canada is announcing its continued support for the international fund for Ireland. The Canadian contribution is due for renewal and the government is not only committed to the reinvestment, but it is doubling our contribution from $1 million to $2 million over four years.

Canada is a founding partner in this important fund since 1986, along with the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union. At a time when the peace process in Ireland is at a critical stage, the renewed and enhanced commitment of Canada to the international fund is an important statement of our support for the Irish peace process. This fund promotes economic and social advances and encourages contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Ireland.

As a Canadian of Irish ancestry, I wish to thank all those in our government who understand how important it is that Canada has recommitted to the international fund for Ireland.

Prime Minister

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday was the 25th anniversary of the infamous statement by Pierre Elliott Trudeau, “We are willing to lay our seats in the House on the line to have change.”

We now know what change was brought about by this formal promise by this former Liberal prime minister. Pierre Elliott Trudeau shoved down Quebeckers' throats a Constitution they still have not ratified. There is a Liberal promise for you.

Jean Chrétien's actions were hardly any better, misrepresenting and even trivializing his formal promise to Quebeckers on the eve of the 1995 referendum to recognize Quebec's distinct nature and include it in the Constitution.

How much stock should we put in the current Liberal Prime Minister's promise to hold an election within 30 days of Justice Gomery's final report? The House has already voted on this issue. The government no longer has the confidence of this House. The Prime Minister has only one option left: he should have the courage to let the people decide.

Family Reunification

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the motion I introduced in the House on April 12, 2005. This motion proposes changes to the immigration and refugee protection regulations that would allow a sponsor's sibling's income to be included in family class sponsorships.

For many Canadian residents, it is difficult to bring family members to Canada because of financial constraints. Many new Canadians who wish to be reunited with their parents and family members cannot do so because they are not yet financially secure. While current regulations allow a sponsor's partner to financially contribute to a sponsorship, in many cases this is not enough.

In order to expand the opportunities open to Canadian families, my motion would amend the regulations to allow siblings to combine their resources. This simple change would greatly improve Canadians' financial options in bringing their families to this country. I urge all members of the House to support the motion and to support the reunification of families.

General Motors

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the hardworking men and women of General Motors and to recognize the success of Oshawa's GM complex in the recently awarded J.D. Power and Associates 2005 initial quality study.

In the prestigious awards, General Motors swept the North and South America plant categories, with Oshawa No. 2 taking the gold Plant Quality Award and Oshawa No. 1 receiving silver.

The executive director of J.D. Power and Associates stated:

GM's Oshawa complex is an extremely important driver of economic well-being in Ontario and in Canada. The recent investment announcement is also testimony to the importance that GM places on these facilities and these awards should solidify confidence in the Oshawa operation. This is an important achievement, not only for GM Canada but also for the industry in Canada as a whole.

Oshawa's auto workers led the industry with an unprecedented number of awards. I am proud to represent the thousands of individuals in my riding who helped make GM an industry leader worldwide.

Volunteerism

[Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Chris Yardley, a constituent of the riding of Burlington.

Chris went on assignment to St. Petersburg, Russia as a member of CESO, the Canadian Executive Service Organization, a unique volunteer based development agency that was founded in 1967.

CESO volunteers represent Canada around the world, working since 1969 with aboriginal peoples as well. These volunteers are part of Canada's effort to stimulate development here and in the disadvantaged economies around the world.

Chris advised a company in St. Petersburg engaged in software development on management and marketing. He conducted a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis and made recommendations on improving the company's management practices.

He introduced modern marketing techniques and provided information on the North American market where the client has customers. He helped them develop a marketing strategy and drafted a business development plan.

Chris Yardley is one of over 3,400 volunteers who use their expertise, professional experience and help businesses grow and economies improve at home and abroad.

I am sure all hon. members will join me in congratulating Chris and CESO for continuing to do a good job and to help others.

The Budget

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in a few hours, Quebeckers will send a message to the rest of Canada when the Bloc Québécois members vote. It is not our style to hold our nose and vote. We will vote as we always have, by defending, above all, the interests of Quebec.

Bloc Québécois members, like everyone else in Quebec, are people of principle and cannot be bought with billions of dollars in election promises, or with dirty money.

The Liberal budget is bad for Quebec. It does not recognize the fiscal imbalance. It proposes a plan for Kyoto that puts Quebec at a disadvantage. It does nothing for our workers.

This government has no regard for democracy, does not have our confidence and does not deserve to be in power. This evening, we will remind it of that. Above all, for the people of Quebec, tonight's vote will be one more step in building our country.

Student Employment

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the summer work student exchange program is an initiative I launched in my riding of Brome—Missisquoi. In the beginning, there were only 20 or so participants, students who were eager to learn a second language, get their first job and discover their country.

Ten years later, nearly 9,000 students have taken part in the program, including the 1,375 students registered for the summer 2005 program.

They are our raison d'être. Without all these young people, their participation and their enthusiasm, the summer work student exchange program would not have expanded as much as it did. I thank the Canadian Unity Council for its involvement.

My thanks also to all my colleagues in this House who have supported the program.

For 2005, there are some 193 MPs from all political parties involved in the program. My thanks to the host families, all the stakeholders, and those who, 10 years ago, believed in this project, whose sole purpose was to provide young Canadians with an unforgettable experience.