House of Commons Hansard #73 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was offenders.
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, there is an urgent need right across this country to deal with the homeless situation. That is why we made another $37 million available, money that the previous government chose not to spend on the homeless because it was unspent from last year.
We are going forward based on the need across this country to ensure that our homeless are as well taken care of as possible.
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, this morning the Union des producteurs agricoles sent out a distress call denouncing the situation of potato farmers and horticultural producers in Saint-Amable who have suffered enormous losses since their region was placed in quarantine following the discovery of the golden nematode.
What specific assistance measures does the Minister of Agriculture intend to adopt to help these producers?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, we were able to work with the Quebec government and with other departmental and CFIA officials to regionalize that problem very quickly to Saint-Amable. It is now down to about 20 to 25 farmers who have been affected.
We are working closely with the minister of agriculture in Quebec, with MAPAQ and CFIA, and hope within days to come up with a package of proposals that farmers will find suitable.
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, action must take the place of discussion. The Saint-Amable producers are in an extraordinary situation which requires extraordinary measures. Although the American border was partially reopened on October 16, the producers are still in a crisis.
What is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food waiting for to authorize a special compensation package for the Saint-Amable farmers?
That was the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food just this morning when it voted unanimously in favour of a Bloc Québécois motion to that effect.
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I am very familiar with the situation. A task force has been meeting with the farmers and other people in the Saint-Amable area. This situation is serious in that the golden nematode is going to be there for a long, long time and we have to have a long term plan that will help those farmers. We are keen to work with the farmers and with the Government of Quebec. We hope to have an over-arching realistic plan to deal with that shortly.
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Mr. Speaker, there is still no compensation for 150,000 victims of agent orange. Veterans continue to express concern that the minister's department will only award disability pensions to those exposed to agent orange during seven days between 1966 and 1967.
Will the Minister of Veterans Affairs commit today that he will deliver on the Prime Minister's election promise for a full and fair compensation package, that is, disability pensions for all veterans and civilians impacted by almost 30 years of chemical spraying in Gagetown?
Greg Thompson ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank the member for his personal efforts in the support of veterans, but I caution him not to confuse our position with the position that his party and his government took for 13 years and beyond which was simply to deny until they die.
We are going to deliver on our commitment, as we always do. We have a track record of delivering on our commitments. We cannot say the same thing for that party and that former government.
Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the people of southwest Nova Scotia learned that we have an agreement in principle to operate the Digby ferry for the next two years. This is great news for businesses and fish processors in southwest Nova Scotia and for the economy of New Brunswick.
Unlike the dithering Liberals who sit on their hands until a crisis develops, can the minister tell us what the next steps are to preserve this important service for the future of eastern Canada?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member South Shore—St. Margaret's, as well as my colleague, the Minister of Transport, for this important active assistance that they provided.
Yesterday's announcement was the result of a rapid and effective response by the government with respect to this looming crisis left by our predecessor government. We worked with partners, municipalities and provinces to make this happen with Bay Ferries. We have found an interim solid solution going forward. The economic impact of this particular crisis and the ferry service is approximately $20 million annually, which is five times the investment of the federal government to find a solution.
The Government of Canada will continue to work with all the stakeholders. We will work to promote the service and increase tourism and industry across Atlantic Canada.
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, on September 22 when asked if CF-18s were being prepared for deployment, the minister told the media, “I think I can deny it because no one's even brought it across my desk”. But yesterday the minister admitted that NATO asked for six planes, we signed a foreign military sales contract, paid the deposit and today the planes are ready to go.
I understand the minister has no plans to send them today, but what about tomorrow? Will the minister commit to tell Parliament and parliamentarians before he sends any CF-18s to Afghanistan?
Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate this question. I do not know how many times I am going to say that we have no plan; we are not considering sending CF-18s to Afghanistan.
The six CF-18s that I referred to yesterday are committed to the NATO reaction force, which has nothing to do with Afghanistan and has nothing to do with Kosovo.
We are not sending CF-18s to Afghanistan.
Dawn Black NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time the minister has chosen different versions to put forward. On August 24 the military denied that Leopard tanks would be deployed, “There are no plans to send tanks to Afghanistan”. The tanks are now on the ground in Afghanistan.
Before any CF-18s are deployed to Afghanistan, will the minister commit that he will stand in the House and deliver a ministerial statement informing the House of Commons and Canadians of any such action?
Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. We have no plans, no intentions, no musings about sending CF-18s to Afghanistan.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government has taken children from schools as bait to catch their parents. It has refused to help undocumented workers. It has turned its back on Canada's labour economy, which is begging for more skilled workers, not the deportation of the few workers it has.
Instead of skirting the issue, will the minister explain what he will do to legalize these workers so they can continue to contribute to Canada's economy, and allow more skilled workers to come into the country?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his new-found interest in this issue. Under the previous government, he sat on his hands while it deported over 100,000 undocumented workers out of the country. It does not end there. It also cut settlement funding so people who arrived here legally had no chance to get language training, career training, even literacy training.
We have rectified that. We have announced $307 million in new funding so all newcomers can realize the Canadian dream.
Bill Casey Conservative Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
Mr. Speaker, the member of Parliament for Egmont has been accusing the Conservative government of trying to cut jobs at the Canada Revenue Agency in Summerside. He has even raised it at committee. He has gone to all that trouble.
Could the minister update the House on the detailed discussions she has had with the member from Summerside about this important issue?
Carol Skelton ConservativeMinister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, the MP from Summerside and his Liberal colleagues have never come directly to me with any questions or concerns, but I am not surprised.
Under the Liberal government, CRA jobs were lost in P.E.I. and local Liberals were silent. In fact, since 1999, the Liberals cut 459 CRA positions in Summerside alone. Shame on the Liberals for their record and shame on them for trying to mislead those in Summerside, causing all excellent employees concern.
Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON
Mr. Speaker, last summer a family in my riding stood helplessly on a dock in Beirut watching as Lebanese citizens, waving Canadian passports, were evacuated while they stayed stranded. We now know Canada spent some $63 million evacuating 15,000 Lebanese Canadians, half of whom promptly returned to their homeland. My constituents know the way they were treated was not fair.
Could the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration please tell the House how exactly we will prevent this from happening again and if we have made any attempts to review our outmoded dual citizenship laws, which the Liberals did nothing about for 13 years?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I think it is fair to say that Canadians were not prepared to ask people to pony up and try to figure out who should pay in the middle of a war zone.
The issue we hear about from Canadians is not whether there should be dual citizenship. It is about the responsibilities that dual citizens have. One of the things we hear is that many Canadians believe that if people are not resident in a country for many years, perhaps they have some obligations to ensure that services are provided for while they are absent and that they provide them so when they return in their old age, the services will be there for those people and everyone.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, I have a short question for the Prime Minister. Could the Prime Minister simply give Canadians the absolute assurance that Mr. Norman Spector, a former Conservative government operative, will never again speak in any capacity for the Government of Canada?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, that individual does not speak for the government. If he speaks for anybody, he is doing it for himself, and that is all.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, today during question period the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration misled the House when he talked about my new-found interest on the issue of undocumented workers.
I have been working on the issue for a very long time. Had he listened during question period and certainly during routine proceedings, he would know that many petitions have been presented in the House, dealing with the issue of undocumented workers.
Clearly, the minister is not paying attention to petitions, which I and many people are presenting in the House, and he obviously does not care about the issue of undocumented workers. I am very sorry for his misleading the House. He should apologize to me and also to my constituents.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Rather than a point of order, it sounds like a matter for debate. We do have these kinds of suggestions made in the House from time to time on either side. Therefore, I will treat the hon. member's point of order as having made his point in the debate, which no doubt will be ongoing.
The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-27, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (dangerous offenders and recognizance to keep the peace), be read the second time and referred to a committee.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
When the House was last considering this matter, the hon. Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development had the floor. There are 17 minutes remaining in the time allotted for his remarks.
I therefore call on the hon. Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development who I believe will want to resume his remarks.
We will have a little order, please.