Debates of Oct. 27th, 2006

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, obviously I cannot comment on the particulars of a case that I am not familiar with, but I will say that there are hate crime laws within the Criminal Code. The government will always fully enforce those laws and we would encourage attorneys general to do the same.

We would condemn expressions of hatred toward any Canadian for any reason without qualification, but as to the particular matter the member refers to with respect to Canada Post, I am sure the minister will look into it and get back to her.

The Environment

[John Godfrey, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a bit rich for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister to talk of slowing parliamentary business. For two hours yesterday the member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre hijacked the environment committee to prevent any discussion of the Kyoto implementation bill which passed second reading in the House.

The government is completely ignoring the fact that it is not a majority government and must work with the opposition parties if it wants to get anything done. It must also accept that we on this side of the House have a right to study private members' business.

Will the Prime Minister accept the will of Parliament and allow the environment committee to study the Kyoto bill without interference from the Prime Minister's Office?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and this Parliament are making it very clear that we will not permit the opposition to ignore parliamentary rules, which is exactly what has happened and why there was a point of order.

A point of order was raised because of a breach of parliamentary procedure. The members need to apologize for what they are doing in trying to obstruct what the government is trying to do. We need to clean up the air that Canadians breathe for the health of all Canadians. I say shame on them.

[John Godfrey, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the decision that was challenged was made by the Conservative chairman of the committee.

After hijacking the environment committee, the member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre revealed the true intentions of the minority Conservative government. He described the Kyoto plan as “obsolete and out of date”. The true colours are exposed.

Who is making climate change policy in this country: the environment minister who claims she supports the Kyoto process, or the member for Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre who has exposed the real position of the government, which is to kill Kyoto?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, that comes from a member of a party that announced $6 billion in environmental announcements and spent $1.6 billion and got nothing done. Now those members have the audacity to applaud the fact that they did absolutely nothing for 13 years. I say shame on them. They owe an apology.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Perhaps the House could keep the standing ovations down to a bare minimum.

The hon. member for Hull—Aylmer.

Infrastructure

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in Gatineau, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities said that the federal government had no intention, and I quote, “of interfering in the fiscal affairs of municipalities, or of interfering between provincial governments and municipalities”.

It seems the President of the Treasury Board did not get the word, because he interfered in Ottawa's municipal election by putting an end to the light rail project despite the fact that the contract was already signed.

The two ministers are contradicting one another, and I would like to know whether the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities approved the President of the Treasury Board's decision in this case.

[John Baird, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, when this government ran for office, we promised a new era of accountability. We promised to change the way government business was done in Ottawa and we are doing exactly that.

Gone are the days where backroom deals could be made on billion dollar contracts only to see huge cost overruns and scandals brought forward by the previous government.

Let us hear what Michael Polowin, a commercial property lawyer writing in the Ottawa Citizen on October 16, had to say. He said:

[This project] deserves to be dealt with in the full light of day, instead of in secrecy. The lack of full and honest disclosure leaves me wondering what else is there that we don't know.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Treasury Board President's interference in this matter is an abuse by a federal minister of his office for political gain. The Transport minister, clearly implied that while it was okay for the Treasury Board President to meddle with this particular file, the federal government will not be messing with other municipalities.

Why this particular municipality only? Is it because this is in the Treasury Board President's own riding where he has some personal political vendettas? Why did the transport minister, who is the lead minister on this file, allow this political interference?

[John Baird, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I would say to my friend from Hull—Aylmer that this is the only municipal project anywhere in the country where I have had two formal Liberal candidates call me and write to me and express huge concerns about this project. Two Liberal candidates have expressed significant concerns to say that this project cannot be delivered at its cost.

Let us look at what the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said. It said, “Taxpayers have been misled from the get-go and it is about time the light rail project got looked at by fresh eyes. This project has been cloaked in secrecy and half-truths for months. We will bring light where there is darkness. We will bring”--

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The hon. member for Drummond.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Regional Chief Ghislain Picard said he was extremely disappointed that the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development did not attend the aboriginal forum in Mashteuiatsh today because forum organizers had scheduled a workshop about social housing on reserves, an issue that falls exclusively under the federal government's jurisdiction.

Can the minister explain why he did not attend the workshop given that, according to Chief Picard, Quebec reserves alone need over 10,000 housing units?

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has been involved since the beginning of this conference as a co-sponsor and we have had a very large contingent of our ministers there, including the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Industry.

It should be pointed out that even though this was in fact offered to opposition MPs, including the members for Winnipeg South Centre, Nanaimo—Cowichan and Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, none of them came.

Clearly our government has been involved in Quebec, especially in relation to aboriginal affairs, and will continue to be.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is not offering aboriginal peoples any new money. Chief Picard is not at all impressed by the announcement of $28 million for health, which he says is just window dressing. The government should not be cutting smoking cessation programs for aboriginals. Instead, it should be investing new money to improve health, housing and sanitation on reserves. What is it waiting for?

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, our government has moved forward with one of the largest investments in the Department of Indian Affairs that we have seen in many years. In fact, we have brought forward $300 million in new housing announcements for northern communities and $300 million for off reserve housing as well.

Unfortunately, over the last 13 years we saw very little from the previous Liberal government, but, thankfully, our new minister is acting with real money and real dollars.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

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

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec grain sector remains mired in one of the worst income crises ever. For several years now, farm bill subsidies to American producers have depressed grain prices on the North American market. Current income support programs are not working, are needlessly expensive, and the government does not have a long-term vision.

Quebec and Ontario grain producers are at the interprovincial border at this very moment, protesting the federal government's inertia. When will we have a true income support program that is flexible and meets their needs?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

We are aware of the problems of Quebec and Ontario farmers. At present our programs have already provided several millions of dollars to these producers and we will continue to listen to them.

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

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, there will continue to be many demonstrations.

Quebec received on average only 6.8% of the total paid out by Agriculture Canada under its three main income support programs in 2006. The Fédération des producteurs de cultures commerciales du Québec has met with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board and yesterday, at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, his representatives told us that the minister had nothing new to offer.

Has the government abandoned grain producers? If not, when will it do something?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

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

To date Quebec producers have received $135 million. By year-end more than $300 million will have been put in the hands of our producers, and that is what our government can do.

The Bloc Québécois will never, ever, be able to establish a program to help Quebec producers.

Challenger Jet Use

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the President of the Treasury Board misled the House when he claimed that Derek Burney and Ian Brodie had paid their own expenses for a Challenger joyride to Washington.

Now we learn of another joyride by unknown persons to Halifax for an event dedicated to former Conservative premier John Hamm. Can the President of the Treasury Board tell the House why the Conservative Party is only now reimbursing taxpayers for the flight and why the passenger manifest was blacked out?

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

Mr. Speaker, I know the member was a cabinet minister, but he has forgotten all the rules. First of all, every 30 to 60 days there is an automatic disclosure of all Challenger manifests available to anyone at the ATI reading room here in Ottawa. Second, when the Prime Minister travels, he obviously has to travel on a secure government aircraft. Third, when he travels for non-government business, it is reimbursed.

In this case, it was party related business and, unlike the Liberals, we did not bill the taxpayers for that. We reimbursed the government. When that happens, according to long-standing DND practice, they sever the manifest. That is DND's long-standing policy, as it was under the Liberals.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, has the government secretly changed Treasury Board guidelines? Is it now possible for members of this House, for example, to pick up the phone, call over to DND and book the Challenger with the assurance that the party will pick up the tab?

The government needs to account for these breaches and it needs to end these offensive practices now. Would the government release the passenger manifest for this trip so Canadians can know which government members are playing limbo when it comes to meeting any kind of ethical bar?

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

Oh yes, Mr. Speaker, Liberals lecturing about ethical bars. They have spent a little too long at that bar.

The Prime Minister flew to Halifax. He was required to do so, according to security regulations, on the government aircraft. He went there for reasons other than government business. That is why the Conservative Party fully reimbursed the taxpayer.

When there is a reimbursement, DND excerpts the passenger manifest. All of this information is publicly available. No rules have been changed. All the rules have been followed.

We are setting an example. It would be nice if the Liberals would acknowledge that.

Ministerial Expenses

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec tried to justify hiring Normand Forest as his senior policy adviser. I would remind the House that Mr. Forest was given a contract worth $24,000 for 24 days of work.

The minister went further yesterday, even raising a point of order to indicate that a proper contract had been signed before the hiring and that everything was made public on the website.

I consulted the website. It indicates that Normand Forest Communication received $1,000 a day between March 7 and March 31, 2006, but that Normand Forest was hired on March 14, 2006—I repeat, March 14, 2006.

What is this trick with the bonus? What is the minister trying to hide from us?