Debates of Dec. 8th, 2006

Aeronautics Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry has indicated the government's continued and ongoing support for the aeronautics and defence industries. I know this issue is tremendously important in Quebec but it is also important in Ontario.

The minister has been looking at enhancements and improvements that we can make to the technology partnerships program so it can meet the needs of a competitive Canadian industry. Aeronautics employs some 75,000 people in Canada and the defence industries employ more. This is incredibly important and the minister will be coming forward, in short order--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Don Valley East.

Status of Women

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during the election, the Prime Minister promised to protect the rights of women. However, the Conservative government has done nothing but turn its back on Canadian women. The court challenges program has been slashed. All but two of the Status of Women regional offices have been closed. In my riding, the Association of Women of Indian Origin in Canada depends on federal funding to do its important work.

Could the minister guarantee this organization's funding will not be axed?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, we can guarantee that the $10.8 million for women's programs will continue to be there. It is there now and it will be there in the next fiscal year.

The good news is that all the money we found in streamlining the administration will be available in the next fiscal year, which is $5 million more to help the organizations that are actually making a difference in the lives of women in the community.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I asked a specific question about a specific program and all I received from the minister was a repeated blah, blah, blah. I say shame on the minister.

Why will she not have some spine and admit that the $5 million that she axed from the budget is a cut? She does not understand math. It is not a reinvestment.

We now hear that the National Association of Women and the Law is concerned about the future of its funding. Why will the minister not have some courage and admit that she signed off on these cuts and is trying to camouflage the facts?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that we have had meetings with immigrant women organizations that are actually doing work for immigrant women. They have been in to see us and we have told them that $5 million in additional money will be available. They indicated that they were not told that by the opposition party. Once they knew the true facts, they said that it was good news.

We have been very clear. As a result of savings in administration, this government is putting the money back into women, not into Liberal Party friends.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's shocking cuts to Status of Women have huge implications for aboriginal women and their children. The Native Women's Association, which is largely funded by Status of Women, was before committee this week to raise the alarm that its funding may be next on the chopping block.

Could the minister guarantee that the funding for this organization will not be cut?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, members of the opposition party, when they cut, they took the money and removed it from being accessible to women. This government found savings in government spending and the money will go to women. It is very simple. A cut is made when there is no money and an increase is when the savings go directly to women.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, cancelling the Kelowna accord, cuts in the funding for aboriginal languages, cuts in the first nations stop smoking programs and $200 million in cuts to improve access to early learning and child care for first nations.

This Sunday marks International Human Rights Day. The theme is fighting poverty. Instead of cutting programs, why will the government not take real steps to address aboriginal poverty?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I find it quite alarming that the member opposite would ask that question. The Liberals had 13 years to ensure that the rights of aboriginal women would be there. In fact, it is this government that introduced matrimonial rights for aboriginal women, a fundamental right that every Canadian woman, including aboriginal women, should have recognized.

Agriculture

[Luc Harvey, Conservative, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the new Government of Canada reacted quickly regarding the golden nematode issue, so that the regulated zone was only restricted to the region of Saint-Amable. This quick and decisive action allowed trading activities worth several millions of dollars to Quebec's agriculture to resume. However, producers in Saint-Amable are quite concerned, following the collapse of their markets.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell this House what the government intends to do to help these producers?

[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 hon. member for his excellent question. It is with great pleasure that, yesterday, the minister and I announced a plan to help producers in Saint-Amable who are affected by the golden nematode issue.

The federal government is contributing $5.4 million to this plan, including $2 million in new money that will be paid to the 28 producers affected.

Indeed, unlike the Bloc Québécois, we are in a position to provide support to producers in Saint-Amable.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Inuit of Nunavut filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the federal government this week. The Conservatives want to spend billions of dollars to support Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic in the face of global warming.

Will the minister confirm that he will invest at least a part of that $1 billion on the people of Nunavut on whose survival and prosperity Canada has depended for its claim of sovereignty?

[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 government has been very supportive of the people of Nunavut and will continue to be. Unfortunately, a lawsuit was launched against the Government of Canada this week. It was filed in a court of justice in Nunavut. I must also suggest that the Nunavut Premier Okalik has expressed public disappointment with this course of action.

Having said that, the matter is before the court, we will address it as such and we will continue to be supportive of the people of Nunavut.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the lack of federal commitment means that less than 45% of Inuit have the jobs that were promised in the settlement agreement. This costs Canada $65 million a year to import southern workers into Nunavut and yet Nunavut has the highest unemployment rate in Canada. It does not include the addiction, suicide and health costs associated with unemployment, nor the lost wages to Inuit of $123 million a year.

Will the minister explain how this situation makes any economic sense?

[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 Government of Canada believes in the people of Nunavut, which is why we have invested over $200 million this year alone in a housing project that will bring a lot of economic development to Nunavut. The people have been facing a housing crisis for some time, which is why the government has taken action on this front.

Publications Assistance Program

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post has recently announced that it will not be renewing its funding of $15 million for the publications assistance program. This cut will cause severe hardship for hundreds of small papers across the country as they are not eligible for support, such as those provided to magazines, film and television. This cut takes direct aim at rural communities and will stop many presses permanently.

Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage immediately address this punishing funding cut?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the PAP does support publishing, community newspapers and farm publications. Heritage Canada will continue to provide the $45 million.

We understand that Canada Post has been in discussions with the Minister of Transport and hopefully will find some resolution to continue the support to those important publications.

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a $15 million cut punishes rural Canada. The Fort Frances Times, the Atikokan Progress and the Rainy River Record are papers in my riding that depend on the publications assistance program.

The integral services they provide in their communities are being put into severe jeopardy by this funding cut. Where will local businesses promote their wares? How will local charities advertise their fundraising events?

Certainly members can understand the harmful effects of this cut to this program.

When will the Minister of Canadian Heritage stop the bleeding?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, expressed in her response to the first question, we are looking at this file. We consider that it is extremely important for the viability of our small rural communities and we will, in due course, announce the course of action that we intend to take.

The Environment

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development has just concluded its work on my private member's bill to ensure that Canada respects its Kyoto protocol commitments.

This bill, which represents tangible action today for the benefit of future generations, will therefore go to third reading. The members of the three opposition parties voted in favour of the bill, but Conservatives members said no to Kyoto.

Does the Prime Minister realize he is again saying no to the Kyoto protocol and no to a better future for all Canadians?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, at the risk of repeating ourselves, hon. members have to consider not just what was said by our party, but also what the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development said, that the bill as submitted was not a plan that could help us achieve what we should be achieving.

Together we have developed a new plan and I hope that the people in the opposition will be in favour of it and help us achieve our objectives.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for his information, the people in the opposition, as he called them, voted in favour of the Kyoto protocol.

My bill talks about assuming our responsibilities for environmental issues: the Conservatives voted against that. It talks about limiting the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere: the Conservatives voted against that. It talks about setting performance standards to avoid emissions: the Conservatives voted against that. It talks about respecting the Kyoto protocol: the Conservatives voted against that. It talks about a better future for everyone: the Conservatives voted against that too.

What right do they have to go against the wishes of the vast majority of Canadians who are saying enough is enough and that it is time to take action?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it is too bad the hon. member did not put as much energy into developing his plan and program in order to achieve some objectives.

Again, we want to have a comprehensive approach. We know that some 5,900 Canadians die every year from problems related to pollution emissions and greenhouse gases.

The purpose of the bill we have introduced is to correct these things and we are calling on the hon. members to support us in this.

Immigration

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Canadian section of Amnesty International, the UN Committee Against Torture handed down favourable decisions concerning allegations of torture made by individuals who were refused the right to seek asylum in Canada.

In the Falcon Rios case, the Committee Against Torture asked Canada to implement a refugee appeal division. It reiterated the request in its latest decision.

Will the government commit to helping these people out in light of the humanitarian considerations articulated by a respected body of the United Nations?

We have a lot to learn from the Maher Arar affair.