House of Commons Hansard #85 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, the contact is not yet written, not yet drawn up. This will not be decided before August 2007. So I ask my colleague to wait until then.
We will comply with all the processes, as will all those who wish to submit their application for this project. We shall do what we can to ensure the best results for our country.
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Mr. Speaker, the federal policy respecting vessel transfer costs for ship refit systematically penalizes Quebec shipyards. This transfer costs policy is not only unfair to Quebec, it would also appear to be totally arbitrary.
How can the government explain, for example, a 700% increase in transfer costs from 1997 to 2006 for HMCS Montreal?
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce to my friend that I recently met with representatives from the Canadian shipbuilding industry. I have listened to their concerns. We have gladly taken cognizance of their claims. That said, we will take action, as this government has always done.
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Mr. Speaker, from the moment that the cost of moving a ship from Halifax to Les Méchins is added, the shipyard in Quebec becomes uncompetitive.
Will the minister admit that, by maintaining this unfair policy, he is basically condemning in advance Quebec shipyards to never getting any major government contracts?
Maxime Bernier ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that our industrial policy for shipbuilding will be in the best interest of all Canadians and all Quebeckers.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, on the subject of the Prime Minister's comments on Liberal versus Conservative management of the economy, I can tell members one thing Canadians know. On the subject of income trusts, Canadians know the Conservative Party told a $25 billion lie.
Furthermore, on the subject of broken promises, Canadians know the Prime Minister promised to honour the Canada-Ontario agreement and that promise has been broken. Ontario took the Prime Minister at his word. It booked the money in the budget--
Diane Ablonczy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well, because he has been told over and over and he has seen it for himself, that the Ontario federal agreement is fully funded. In fact, it was funded for an additional year over what was agreed. The money is there and it will be given to Ontario.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, like yesterday with the finance minister finance minister, this is a case of totally bogus accounting, where the government counts the same money twice, where the government looks at tax credits paid to all Canadians and counts it as part of the Canada-Ontario agreement. It makes absolutely no sense.
The simple fact is, the Prime Minister's broken promise has punched a $1.6 billion hole in the budget of Ontario. Ontario booked that money believing the Prime Minister, then the government reneged.
When at last will the Minister of Finance stand up--
Diane Ablonczy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, if Ontario should be worried, it should be worried about the fact that a Conservative government in Ontario took over from the NDP, which had run Ontario into the ground to the point where the debtors were starting to call in their debts in Ontario. Who was running Ontario at the time, who put Ontario in such a mess and who now wants to run our country? It was Bob Rae, who is now a Liberal.
Jean Lapierre Liberal Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, since the Conservatives came to power, the Government of Quebec has suffered a series of financial setbacks at the hands of Ottawa, with the loss of $807 million from the child care program and another $328 million to help solve environmental problems under the Kyoto protocol.
How can the Prime Minister have promised to correct the fiscal imbalance when he has helped increase the fiscal imbalance by over $1 billion?
Under the Conservatives, the Government of Quebec has over $1 billion less than it had under the government—
Diane Ablonczy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that the fiscal imbalance is very much on the government's agenda, although it was not on his government's agenda. The Liberals denied that it even happened and that there was a problem.
Discussions are ongoing. The Minister of Finance of Canada will be meeting with his provincial counterparts in December. These discussions will be fruitful. The fiscal imbalance will be addressed, and the member knows that.
Jean Lapierre Liberal Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, how can the hon. member say that when, instead of solving the problem of the fiscal imbalance, the Conservatives are in the process of increasing the fiscal imbalance with the Government of Quebec because of their decisions to cut $800 million from child care and $328 million from environmental programs? Instead of making things better, they are making them worse. The Government of Quebec is losing ground under this Conservative government.
How can the parliamentary secretary have the nerve to tell us that the Conservatives are solving the problem when they are making matters worse?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, once again, this government has increased transfers to the provinces, including Quebec. What is more, this government has given money to taxpayers in Quebec and to every family with our new family allowance.
The real question is this: how can the member talk about the fiscal imbalance when he does not even believe the fiscal imbalance exists?
Chris Warkentin Conservative Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, the police, the Ontario attorney general, victims and ordinary Canadians have called for a tougher bail scheme for criminals who commit firearms offences.
During the last election, the Conservative Party promised to impose a reverse onus on bail for gun crimes, a promise that was copied by the Liberal Party and the NDP. Today we took action on this issue.
Could the Minister of Justice please tell the House why this bill is important and why it is required to ensure the safety of Canadians first and foremost?
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, gun crime is indeed a menace to public safety. Protecting Canadians must be the first consideration in granting bail.
The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized there are situations where the reverse onus is necessary, for example, in drug trafficking cases. However, getting serious about our bail laws helps us tackle the serious gun and gang problems that plague our communities.
The Liberals and the NDP made a promise during the last election. They have slipped on their other election promises. We can only hope that they will keep this promise.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, Glenn O'Farrell, president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, made a provocative speech in Vancouver last week. It was widely seen as a corporate shot across the bows to get the CRTC to let the broadcasters off the hook from paying into the television development fund. Mr. O'Farrell, by the way, was the host of the minister's 2005 fundraiser.
The fact that the minister is dragging her feet on renewal of the Canadian television fund, is that a case of he who pays the piper is calling her tune?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, the government supports the production industry and our broadcasting industry. We understand the importance of the television fund and the role it plays. The fund is being processed in consideration.
We want to ensure that the money will be used and that it provides value for the dollars.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, I did not quite hear a yes or a no. I would like to hear a yes.
However, I figure I might as well turn my attention to the President of the Treasury Board for help. If he could take his bright shining light and shine it into the dark places recessed in the heritage department, could he answer two questions?
First, were the cheques for last week's cancelled fundraiser collected in cash? Second, would he give us a list of who gave those cheques so we can at least know who is helping to write the broadcast and copyright policy in our country?
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I am not sure the cheques the hon. member is referring to are government cheques or party fundraising cheques, but since the President of the Treasury Board is rising to answer, perhaps we will hear what he has to say.
John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, I should tell my friend from Timmins—James Bay that thus far no member of the Conservative Party has had any excuse, or any reason, or any cause to have to return money to taxpayers, unlike the million dollar cheque that had to be returned to the taxpayers by the Liberal Party when Justice Gomery unveiled corruption in the Liberal Party.
With respect to his question, the cheques were returned.
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, the previous Liberal government signed the Canada-Manitoba labour market partnership agreement. It was an investment that ensured the growth and development of the Manitoba workforce. This minority government has not honoured it, thus jeopardizing Manitoba's labour needs. As always, it has promised more and delivered less for the people of Manitoba.
Could the regional minister for Manitoba explain why he has done nothing to honour the signed agreements dedicated to fostering growth in Manitoba?
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, that is a party that made all kinds of promises to the people of Manitoba and delivered absolutely nothing. It indicated that there was money ready for the floodway. The money was not there. I have been very proud to serve with this government trying to rectify the mistakes of 13 long years under that Liberal government.