Debates of Nov. 23rd, 2006

Quebeckers

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois leader is once again talking about partisanship. The reality is that three parties in this House support the government's motion. The ADQ and the PLQ also support it. Only Bloc members and PQ members are unanimously opposed to it. This is important, because Quebeckers are fed up with this debate. They want respect for the Quebec nation, and they also want to participate in this country, which is the best country in the world.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is entitled to his opinions and that is precisely what we call for in the House. He is entitled to his opinions and we are entitled to ours. One fact remains, however. The Prime Minister said so, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities said so, and the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec said so, and this fact is that our government recognizes that Quebeckers form a nation.

Why not just say so clearly, without any tricks? It is a fact, it is reality, one recognizes it and says so unambiguously.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Bloc Québécois that asked me to take a position and we did. We take the same position today as we did yesterday, unlike the Bloc Québécois. Our position is clear, namely that the Canadian identity is an essential part of the Quebec nation.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister doubtless forgets that in a decision handed down not so long ago, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the legitimacy of all the political options, including the legitimacy of the sovereignists advocating and promoting their point of view and finally triumphing democratically.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the concept of a Quebec nation—the Québécois forming a nation—does not depend on any conditions or tricks or strategies but on what we really are? We would like him to recognize that.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we respect the minority position, but if we want to pass a motion on the Quebec reality, we have to accept the whole truth. The reality is that Quebeckers form a nation within a united Canada. Twice the Bloc and Parti Québécois put this question to Quebeckers and twice the people of Quebec gave their answer. They are part of Canada and will continue to be part of Canada.

Government Policies

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that increasingly working families out there are finding it harder and harder to get by. Now we face a continued lack of investment by the federal government in key areas. The result is we see drug prices going up. We see the costs of sending young people to university and college going up. We see even the cost of putting a roof over people's heads skyrocketing. This of course was the tradition of the former government as well.

Now the question has got to be, will the Prime Minister address the needs, health care lists that are getting longer, infrastructure that is failing and crumbling, by having a balanced approach and--

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

The right hon. the Prime Minister.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is why this government has taken many steps to increase the disposable income of Canadians by reducing their taxes, by providing to every working Canadian in this country a tax credit that will grow over the next two years. It is why this government has invested in child care, why it is investing in infrastructure.

I think it is ultimately why the House passed this government's budget with the support ultimately of the NDP.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, does the Prime Minister realize that bridges cannot be repaired with tax cuts, or nurses hired or daycare spaces created? The Conservative government is turning its back on the families of ordinary working people.

Why will the Prime Minister not take a balanced approach and invest in programs for the families of working people and their communities?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the approach taken by this government is a balanced approach. There are tax cuts and investments in important social programs. We have also paid off a lot of debt. This is essential to the development of the country and we pursue these policies because ordinary working people and their families benefit from them.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 13 years of Liberal economic management turned massive Conservative deficits into surpluses. Now Mike Harris's old minister of deficits who turned a $2.2 billion surplus in Ontario into a record $6 billion in the red wants to melt Liberal success into Conservative debt and slashing, promising more misguided, unaffordable tax cuts than can be counted.

Is the minister going to mislead Canadians again to try to scam more votes, or does he want to join every other Conservative finance minister since 1912 in running a deficit?

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite ought to cheer up a little bit. The economic fundamentals of this country are better than they have ever been.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

I do not know whether the hon.Parliamentary Secretary finished her answer or not. If she wished to elaborate further, she would have a few seconds to do so.

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, employment is at its highest rate. We were able to pay down the debt by $13.2 billion. There is tax relief for Canadians of $20 billion over the next two years.

The member opposite should be cheering. Instead of painting gloom and doom, the Liberals should cheer up.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I saw what their finance minister did to Ontario. I saw what our minister of finance did for Canada. Successive finance ministers for our government had put our house in order and put us in very strong stead.

The reality is the same man who led the attack on Ontario, the same man who led Ontario into deficit is now leading the attack on literacy funding, women's groups, youth programs, health care waiting times and the environment, and that is just the beginning.

What is next? How much debt, how many slashed services, how many Canadian priorities will be sacrificed to fulfill their neo-conservative agenda?

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, what a great stump speech for a Liberal election campaign, but it really has no place in the House of Commons. As I mentioned, and I guess the member did not hear me, far from creating more debt, we have paid off debt, $13.2 billion this year alone.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, today the finance minister will show Canadians what he plans to do with the impeccable fiscal situation he inherited from Liberals, but Canadians are worried.

Before Mike Harris became premier, the Ontario economy was leading the nation. Once federal books were balanced, Ontario received huge increases in federal transfers. However, the finance minister spilled red ink all over Ontario: a $6 billion deficit, an ideological plan to make government small and mean, less help for the poor, tax cuts on borrowed money and deficits.

Is this why he ran away from his record in Ontario?

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the words “small” and “mean” could certainly apply to the members opposite, who obviously do not like the fiscal success of a Conservative government. It was able not only to give huge tax relief for overtaxed Canadians, to make large investments in important projects and services for Canadians, but also to pay down over $13 billion worth of debt this year alone.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are troubled that the Mike Harris gang is now clutching the purse strings of the Government of Canada. That three-headed monster pulled off an amazing feat: one slashed social services; one increased the number of homeless; and one threw them in jail. They cut environmental protection. They caused Walkerton. They ended up running $6 billion deficits and they still gave huge tax cuts to the most wealthy. That is not common sense. That is a train wreck.

Does the minister understand why Canadians are rightly worried about this meanspirited government?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very happy with the financial management of this country by this government, not just for the reasons the parliamentary secretary stated but also because Canadians now know the purse strings are in the hands of people who will not steal the money.

National Defence

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, another major military aerospace contract is heading for the United States. Lockheed Martin has just been awarded a contract totalling $4.9 billion Canadian, for purchase and maintenance of the Hercules CC-130J tactical aircraft.

Does the Minister of National Defence acknowledge that his procurement process excludes all other companies from a potential transaction, and that he is again going against a tendering process that is equitable, fair and transparent, with all of the negative consequences for employment in Quebec, where 55% of the industry is located—

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services has the floor.

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague appears to be unaware of what has been said. I told the leader of the NDP yesterday that the awarding of this contract has yet to be decided. A request for proposal will be issued to the sole bidder qualified. The project is proceeding on schedule. The plan is for this contract to be awarded in August 2007. So this has not yet been decided.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, considering Quebec companies make up 55% of the Canadian aeroindustry, can the minister explain why Lockheed Martin should be chosen?

Also, how does the minister explain the fact that, in his letter of intent posted on the Public Works Canada site, he requires Quebec content of no more than 5% of the total contract? That is absolutely unacceptable to Quebec.