House of Commons Hansard #61 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was deal.
Dave MacKenzie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, there have been changes. There are 23 recommendations in Mr. Justice O'Connor's report and those are being followed up. There are regular meetings between members of the RCMP and foreign police agencies taking care of international security issues.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, today was like the worst nightmare of a parent on report card day.
The Government of Canada was given a failing grade by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund when it comes to its quality of water, and not only that, it was the only government to receive that failing grade. This is six years after Walkerton and we still do not have in place regulations that are firm and guaranteed by law.
We do not want to hear another tired old lecture about the failure of the Liberals, about Kashechewan or about legislation they pulled back.
When will the government get serious about cleaning up the water for Canadians?
Jason Kenney ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we have been serious about cleaning up the environment, the water and the air of Canadians since we were sworn in last February.
The Minister of the Environment and the government have undertaken important steps in this regard. We brought in the transit pass credit to allow for more mass transit and we have increased incentives for renewable fuels. The minister will be tabling shortly in the House Canada's first clean air act. Those are just the first steps of Canada's new government.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, let me just be clear about what being serious is here on water. Doing absolutely nothing apparently is what the government defines as being serious. It has failed to prevent the scandalous water situation on first nations communities where the health of these people is being threatened each and every day. Absolutely nothing has been done.
What about bottled water? The Conservatives continue to allow the bottled water industry to self-regulate, despite high levels of lead and bacteria, and absolutely nothing is being done. Voluntary guidelines will not prevent another Walkerton. Legislation will. When will we get it?
Jason Kenney ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, this government has announced a major investment in water quality for first nations peoples to try to fix the problems that were created under 13 years of Liberal neglect.
With respect to bottled water, I can tell the hon. leader of the NDP that bottled water has an excellent safety record. No water-borne disease outbreaks have been associated with the consumption of such water in Canada. Health Canada, in collaboration with the CFIA, is reviewing the existing regulations and policies to further enhance consumer protection.
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of the Environment attempted to undermine Kyoto's clean development mechanism by misrepresenting the views of Daphne Wysham from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington.
In a communication to Elizabeth May, Ms. Wysham said that she was a staunch supporter of the clean development mechanism. Ms. Wysham said that she was horrified that the minister represented her opinion of the mechanism so badly.
Will the Minister of Fisheries ask his colleague to withdraw her remarks and apologize to Ms. Wysham whom she so badly misrepresented?
The EnvironmentOral Questions
St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador
Conservative
Loyola Hearn ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, members of the party opposite certainly are experts on misrepresentation. It is amazing how they can take little bits and pieces out of context and try to blow them out of proportion. Nobody in the House or in country can take the stand that our Minister of the Environment has in relation to cleaning up the environment in this country. We should be very proud of that.
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Speaker, in her efforts to destroy the Kyoto protocol, the Minister of the Environment is simply denying the facts.
Yesterday, she did not properly convey Daphne Wysham's remarks. She allowed her department to post on its web site misleading information regarding global warming. She also repeatedly fails to attend international meetings on Kyoto.
When will she finally admit that her real goal is to sabotage the Kyoto protocol? When will she apologize to Daphne Wysham?
The EnvironmentOral Questions
St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador
Conservative
Loyola Hearn ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, let us see what the environment commissioner said. She actually said:
It has become more and more obvious that Canada cannot meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, instead of decreasing, greenhouse gas emissions in Canada have increased by twenty-seven percent [during the term that these people were in power].
In 13 years from now, I think we will have a much cleaner environment in this country thanks to the present environment minister.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, before the environment committee, the Minister of the Environment said that before the Conservative government could do anything on climate change, a clean air act was needed. However, we already have some of the toughest and most efficient environmental laws in the world: the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. A new bill would take five years before it could be put into place.
What is so deficient about CEPA? Could the minister name one thing in her bill that cannot be done under CEPA? Why does the government prefer delay over action?
The EnvironmentOral Questions
St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador
Conservative
Loyola Hearn ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, we have a lot of good legislation in this country but we also have a lot of legislation that just does not work.
The government will soon be tabling a new bill and perhaps the member will wait until then to ensure, collectively, with all his colleagues in the House, we can pass good legislation that will do the job that the Liberals failed to do in 13 years.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, we do not need new legislation to beef up monitoring and enforcement, we just act. We do not need a new bill to strengthen CEPA.
Why does the minister want to waste five years putting together a new bill when CEPA already gives her every possible tool she needs to act?
The EnvironmentOral Questions
St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador
Conservative
Loyola Hearn ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, it just shows how far out of touch the hon. members really are. Of course we do not wait for new legislation to act. If they followed what the minister was doing, they would see improvements every day.
What we need legislation for is to have a concrete framework that cannot be changed by hon. members opposite should they ever, 20 years from now, get into power again.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, we were surprised to learn that Transport Canada is investigating the journalist who revealed weaknesses in the Montreal airport's security system.
Rather than investigate the journalist who brought these flaws to light, does the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities not think that his department would be better off investigating the problem itself?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.
As we all know, allegations were made in the Journal de Montréal. I asked my officials to verify the allegations. As part of the verification, we are trying to communicate with the journalist who reported the information. This is standard procedure for airport protection and for our security measures everywhere. That is why we need the information.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, I will give another example of inconsistency. At the port of Montreal security is deemed so important that containers declared empty are not checked and security agents busy themselves searching the lunch boxes of the dock workers.
Although security problems are known to exist, containers are not inspected and excessive emphasis is placed on the workers. The authorities are missing the mark.
What does the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities intend to do to bring the authorities at the port of Montreal in line?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, for my colleague's information, she should know that Montreal's port authority acts entirely independently. Nonetheless, as far as security is concerned, and as mentioned yesterday in an FTQ news story, nearly $900 million in five years has been invested to rework and enhance the security of our ports. In that vein, we must recognize that this work has been done and, in this case, I think this is a matter that—
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, in the spring, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food did not dare confirm rumours that Quebec would receive only $50 million of the $950 million the government had promised in improved farm income support. We would remind the minister that the Government of Quebec, through the Financière agricole, was already using the proper method to calculate inventories and that it therefore should not have been penalized for exercising sound management.
Can the minister justify why Quebec is not receiving its fair share in this case?
Jacques Gourde ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question and his concerns.
I can assure him that farmers in Quebec now have a government that, unlike the previous Liberal government, cares about their situation and the situation of all farmers across Canada.
We recognize that some agricultural sectors in Quebec are facing serious problems. Farm payments are based on need, and I can assure farmers in Quebec that the province will receive its fair share.
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister promised Quebec a fair share, and we are still waiting for it. Last week, the hon. member himself told this House that there would be money. I am still waiting, and producers are still waiting.
Last spring, the minister said, “In the case of the retroactive fixing of the CAIS program, the Quebec government has already paid out its share”. He also stated that, in his opinion, Quebec “had a better system in place than the Liberal program, which had flaws”.
The minister's way of paying us back is to give us $50 million out of $950 million.
What led the minister to conclude that Quebec should receive only 5% of the funds when it accounts for nearly 18% of Canada's agricultural activity?
Jacques Gourde ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer. Farm payments in Quebec are based on need, and I can assure farmers in Quebec that the province will receive its fair share.
We are going to deliver real results for farmers and farm families in Quebec.
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister likes to use George Bush's line, “We won't cut and run”. At the UN he stressed the importance of upholding Canada's international commitments.
I would like to know how the Prime Minister reconciles that principle with his dogged determination to cut and run on Kyoto. Does the government not recognize the contradiction or is the real issue that since George Bush approves of his intention to kill Kyoto, it is okay to turn our back on the UN?
The EnvironmentOral Questions
St. John's South—Mount Pearl Newfoundland & Labrador
Conservative
Loyola Hearn ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, everybody is well aware of the role that Canada plays at the UN. In fact, Canada is one of the most respected countries there.
During this present week, a number of environmental issues are being discussed, certainly one of which is dealing with bottom trawling. One will find that, like any other environmental issue, Canada is front and foremost with a very sensible and sound approach that is supported by most of the nations in the world.
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
It has been confirmed, Mr. Speaker, that the environment minister has joined the long list of Conservatives who have misled Canadians.
On Tuesday, at a meeting of the environment committee, the environment commissioner said, “The one thing I want to clarify is that there was no commitment anywhere where the previous Liberal government was planning to buy hot air”.
Will the minister apologize for repeatedly misleading Canadians?
