Debates of Oct. 20th, 2006

Diwali

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to share greetings with my fellow members of this House on the occasion of Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated around the world, which falls on Saturday.

Diwali, the festival of lights, has today become a widely celebrated event in Canada. I am happy to see how Diwali has emerged as a truly Canadian festival with all Indo-Canadians and well-wishers partaking in its festivities.

As in years past, this year too I will be hosting the seventh annual Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill this coming Monday. This event, which has taken on the proportions of a national Diwali celebration, is jointly organized by the India-Canada Association of Ottawa, the Federation of Hindu Temples in Toronto, the Hindu Mandir of Montreal and the Ottawa Business Council, in association with my office.

I invite all my colleagues from the House and the Senate and community members to join me on this occasion in celebrating Diwali.

Agri-Traçabilité Québec

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the team at Agri-Traçabilité Québec, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Created in September 2001, ATQ is an independent, non-profit organization that grew from a partnership between farmers and the Quebec government, whose purpose is to develop, implement and operate a permanent identification and tracing system for Quebec agricultural products.

Since June 2002 in the dairy and beef cattle sectors, and since December 2004 in the sheep sector, the organization has been tracing animals from the farm to the abattoir.

Furthermore, ATQ is working on various tracing projects in the deer sector, the transport of live animals, and the poultry and egg sector.

The Bloc Québécois commends the leadership of Martine Mercier, Agri-Traçabilité Québec's first president, and that of Linda Marchand, the managing director. The Bloc would also like to wish continued success to Richard Maheu, Agri-Traçabilité Québec's current president, for many years to come.

Davie Shipyard

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Friday, October 13, 2006 will long be remembered by the people of Lévis. On that day, the end of an interminable saga was announced.

In January, when few people still thought it was possible, the Conservative team in Quebec City made a commitment to support the resumption of business at the Davie shipyard, the largest shipyard in Canada.

With serious investors, the work of the Government of Quebec and the City of Lévis and the perseverance of the managers and workers, that promise has become a reality. It is a new day for the shipyard and for Québec-Chaudière-Appalaches.

I want to extend special thanks to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, who stopped the liquidation of the company and made this achievement possible.

Today, we celebrate that a great company in Lévis is back in operation. My Conservative colleagues and I extend our best wishes for success to the company's directors, subcontractors and employees. Together, we can say, “Mission accomplished”.

Status of Women

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative minority government is showing blatant disrespect to Canadian women.

It has cut the budget for Status of Women by almost 40%, effectively crippling organizations that are fighting for equality for women. It has removed the word “equality” from its mandate. There is no support with the Conservative minority government for the advocacy for women. The government's elimination of the court challenges program is just another example.

Among other groups such as minority language groups and immigrant groups, women's groups need resources to ensure their arguments are heard when they feel their rights have been trampled on.

Last week I talked to young people at the university in London, Ontario who could not understand the rationale for these types of short-sighted decisions.

The Conservative minority government continues to prove that it really does not care about women. I stand with my colleagues in this House who have been maligned by the government.

The Environment

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberal environment critic said that the Liberals would support the clean air act, allowing it to go to committee. Five hours later the same critic said that the Liberals would oppose the bill here in the House. Once again, the Liberals are sucking and blowing at the same time when it comes to the environment.

The member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore, otherwise known as flip, and the member for Don Valley West, otherwise known as flop, are making the Liberal Party name synonymous with flip-flop. A five hour flip-flop, the same amount of time it takes to cook a Thanksgiving turkey. Well it takes four hours to have a nice turkey, but five hours if we put in the stuffing, and we all know that a turkey is just an empty shell without the stuffing, an empty shell very similar to the Liberal policy on the environment.

Greenhouse gas levels skyrocketed while the Liberals were in power, along with the flagrant lack of air quality standards and a lack of sanctions against the worst polluters, yet another Liberal disgrace.

I ask the entire Liberal caucus, what does it have against Canadians' right to have clean air?

Aboriginal Women

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, October is Women's History Month.

This year we are paying special tribute to aboriginal women. Today I want to comment on the contribution of aboriginal women to our communities and this country, and talk about the journey forward.

In particular, I want to stand today and acknowledge those women in my community of Winnipeg North who work with aboriginal women, as aboriginal women, and for our community. I stand today to honour women who are the backbone of our community, who are agents of change and our hope for the future.

Let me mention just a few of them: Betty Edel, who is with the Community Education Development Association; Bernice Getty, who is with the North End Women's Centre, the Up Shoppe, which is a gently used clothing boutique, the Women and Money program, and who has also spoken out on behalf of solutions to domestic violence; Sonia Prevost-Derbecker, with Ndinawe, an organization helping young people; and many others.

Member for Central Nova

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday members in the House witnessed a sad and shocking display from the member for Central Nova when he callously inferred that the member for Newmarket—Aurora was a dog.

As a fellow Nova Scotian, as an MP and as a member of his gender, I cannot say how mortified and disappointed I am by this behaviour.

It is simply inconceivable that this member represents this government to the whole world.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I have indicated that attacks against other members during members' statements are out of order.

And so I think the hon. member is stepping over the line in taking this tack.

Thomas Bélanger and François Thériault

[Richard Nadeau, Bloc, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on September 7 in Gatineau, the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec en Outaouais inaugurated a monument erected in memory of Thomas Bélanger and François Thériault. These two workers died on October 8, 1906 while trying to set up a union.

They were targeted by police hired by the McLaren company, at a time when unbridled capitalism was sweeping Quebec. These men died defending workers' right to unionize. Their memory deserved to be honoured.

Granted, some progress has been made since that sad event, but more effort is still needed to make labour relations fairer and more harmonious.

Amending the Canada Labour Code to prohibit the use of strikebreakers will make for better labour relations in Canada and more civilized negotiations during labour disputes.

Decorum

[Tina Keeper, Liberal, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday an appalling incident to which I was a witness occurred in the House. As a woman I was insulted. It was intolerable and patently offensive behaviour, unbecoming for any member in the House, unacceptable to Canadian men with a sense of decency and honesty who treat women with respect and equality that they deserve.

This sexism would be punishable on a schoolyard playground. It would be wrong in a Canadian home. There is no reason it should occur in the House of Commons.

Sadly the Conservative pattern of sexism and misogyny continues with multi-million dollar cuts to Status of Women Canada and the removal of women's equality from the mission of the agency.

When will the minister finally do the right thing and apologize?

Liberal Leadership Campaign

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after shaking down children for campaign donations and attempting to raise the dead for, we can only assume, a divine intervention in his Liberal leadership campaign , the member for Eglinton—Lawrence is once again reminding Canadian taxpayers that the Liberal Party regards public money as its money.

While the federal accountability act is languishing in the Liberal dominated Senate, the staff of the publicly funded Career Foundation have demonstrated true accountability. By blowing the whistle on a scam which saw clients of the publicly funded organization work on the member's leadership campaign in the days running up to the so-called stupor weekend, they have demonstrated great courage.

Let me speak very, very slowly to the official opposition. Taxpayer money is not the property of the Liberal Party.

Thank goodness Canada has a new accountable government that respects public funds.

Old habits may die hard for the Liberal Party, but the age of transparent and accountable government is well under way in Ottawa.

Festival of Colours in Rigaud

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

Mr. Speaker, the ninth Festival of Colours in Rigaud was held in my riding last week. A variety of very interesting activities entertained the participants, who came in large numbers.

Be it as an opportunity to take in the beauty of nature in autumn, to sample unique regional delicacies, to watch local artists at work or to learn more about the traditional way of life of Aboriginal people, once again, the Festival of Colours in Rigaud has been a success through and through.

The festival also offered a forum of exchange for the artists, craftspeople and citizens of my region. All in all, the success of this great family experience goes to show how bustling Vaudreuil—Soulanges is.

I am looking forward to welcoming you in large numbers next year.

Decorum

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have a very straightforward question to the government. Is it acceptable to this government for a senior minister to depict another member of this House as his dog?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the alleged citation in question was brought to your attention in the form of a point of order yesterday. We trust your judgment to deal with such points of order appropriately. We trust your judgment unequivocally. I believe all members would agree that we could all work to improve decorum in this place.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this terribly offensive insult is unmistakable. What is worse, the minister, Canada's chief diplomat, ran from public scrutiny until he could check whether he had been caught by the written Hansard and then he denied the insult, but members of Parliament witnessed it and it was caught on tape.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs is Canada's face to the world. When will the government require this minister to withdraw the insult, apologize for it, and apologize for trying to deny that it ever happened?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I understand that this matter was raised in the form of a point of order yesterday following question period. I am sure that your honour is seized of the matter.

We trust your judgment in reviewing these questions when they are raised as points of order or otherwise. I am sure all members will join with me, including the opposition House leader, in agreeing that all members could exercise greater decorum in this place.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this incident reveals a demeaning attitude toward members of this House and women in particular. This is not trivial. Sadly, it seems all too typical, typical of bullies, intolerant and vindictive.

The instincts that give rise to this insult are fundamentally inconsistent with the values that make us a respectful and decent people. After depicting a woman as his dog, how can the Minister of Foreign Affairs pretend to promote women's rights in Afghanistan or anywhere else?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think that is getting just a little bit absurd. The fact of the matter is that there are members opposite who have made unparliamentary comments that have been clearly identified on the record.

Indeed, there is a member opposite who raised this point of order who I believe referred to the Minister of the Environment in this place as some sort of pretty potted plant.

There is another member who made similar remarks about the Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry. They have all faced remarks from members of the Liberal Party that were not acceptable.

I think we could all agree that decorum should be improved. We trust your judgment in this matter.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary's comments do not at all address the underlying issue.

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs made some absolutely insulting remarks. He said that the member for Newmarket—Aurora is a dog.

What are the intentions of the Prime Minister? Will he force the minister to publicly apologize? Will he strip him of his title of Canada's representative abroad, or demand both? Women expect much more than just silence in this matter.

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question.

I would like to point out that this matter was raised as a point of order yesterday and is being left up to your judgment, Mr. Speaker. You have our full confidence and I am certain that all members agree that members could exercise more decorum in this House.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not only did the Minister of Foreign Affairs make these unacceptable comments but, to add insult to injury, he had the audacity to deny it. He refused to admit that he made the comments that we heard yesterday right here. Nevertheless the tapes show beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did make these comments.

Will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Foreign Affairs first of all to tell the truth, and second, to acknowledge that he made these comments and to apologize publicly?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I believe that this matter was raised as a point of order. We have full confidence of the judgment of the Speaker in this matter.

I would like to remind this member that there have been many incidents involving members of the opposition. Unacceptable comments have been made. A member of the opposition stated, in reference to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, and I quote, “She may be pretty when she blushes, but she was blushing from shame”.

The Environment

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the bill introduced yesterday confirms, without any doubt, that the government has decided to kill the Kyoto protocol once and for all. In so doing, it shows its true colours by favouring its friends, the oil companies, which will be allowed to continue polluting as they wish, while penalizing Quebec, which wants to achieve the Kyoto protocol objectives, by refusing to give our province the $328 million of new money that it needs.

How can a government that claims to care about the environment justify such an attitude, considering that its plan is nothing more than the perfect gift to its friends, the oil companies?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is wrong. Yesterday, the government took historic measures by introducing regulations and a bill to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases.

We did not take any measure to protect any industry whatsoever. These regulations will apply to all industries, because we are dealing with a global problem that requires a global solution.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about these historic measures. We are going to have to wait until 2050. This is unbelievable.

This bill shows once again the huge gap between this government's approach to the environment and that of the Quebec government. Minister Béchard said he was surprised and disappointed, and he feels that this plan is totally unacceptable.

How can the government explain that, on the one hand, it rewards polluters, namely major oil companies, by granting them significant tax breaks, while, on the other hand, it penalizes Quebec, which wants to go ahead with the Kyoto protocol and which needs $328 million to do so?