House of Commons Hansard #8 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was families.
Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, the quick answer is no. However, beyond your question, your implication was that somehow we--
Gordon O'Connor Conservative Carleton—Mississippi Mills, ON
Mr. Speaker, I apologize.
The answer to the hon. member's question is no, but I go further to say that we will consider all the requirements of the military equipment, personnel, training et cetera, based on the advice of the military. If there are equipment requirements, they will be processed according to the system within public works and defence.
Ujjal Dosanjh Liberal Vancouver South, BC
Mr. Speaker, the implication is that the hon. minister did not meet with General Hillier. I will take it on the face of what he said.
The appointment of a former lobbyist as defence minister is a flip-flop on the part of the Prime Minister and raises the question of conflict of interest. The committees of the House will be formed in the next few days. Would the minister commit himself to be the first witness before the committee to explain to the members why he still thinks that his former lobbying affiliations do not present any conflict of interest?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the House will know that this question has been raised before. The minister has complied not only with the conflict guidelines that existed when the government took office, but with the more stringent conflict of interest guidelines that exist now.
If the hon. member has a concrete allegation to make, he should make it outside the House. Otherwise, he should admit that he has no allegation of any kind with any substance.
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party named Glen Murray to its party's renewal commission, but Glen Murray is currently serving as the chair of the national round table on the environment and economy. Government appointees are not allowed to engage in partisan activities. After initially defending their decision, the Liberals eventually pulled Mr. Murray off the commission.
Could the government House leader assure the House that all government appointees will follow the rules?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, what is so disappointing about this is that this is the second time the Liberals attempted to appoint a Government of Canada appointee to a partisan position. I can assure the House that under this government, all government appointees will be expected to follow the rules and remain non-partisan.
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canada's food supply is in serious jeopardy. Canadian farm income is showing the three worst years in history. Farms and our farm families are being forced out of production.
Will the hon. Minister of Agriculture act today to provide immediate aid to farmers so they can put seeds in the ground this spring? The survival of our rural way of life is at stake, as is our nation's food security.
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board (Canadian Wheat Board)
Mr. Speaker, this government is reacting to meet the needs of Canadian farmers. We have already moved. We made a campaign promise to get out $755 million to our farm community. That money is going out. We have a further commitment in our budgetary process to put $2.5 billion over the next five years into the farm community.
Farmers have suffered under 13 years of failed Liberal farm programs and we intend to correct that.
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Mr. Speaker, $500 million a year is not enough. Now is the time to act. It is shameful that the country's food supply is being seriously compromised. It is being compromised because our farmers cannot make ends meet. Canada's farmers and all Canadians deserve better.
Is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food prepared to act now to resolve the farm income crisis?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board (Canadian Wheat Board)
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we have acted in the interests of the Canadian farm community. We have delivered three-quarters of a billion dollars. Of that, $470 million has already gone out. We continue to move on the agricultural community. We are committing another $500 million through the budgetary process this year. We will work to protect our farmers and work with them to make them successful in this country.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, not so long ago the finance minister said that GST cuts were absolutely terrible, that they were knee-jerk reactions that do nothing for the economy, whereas that income tax cuts were absolutely wonderful, the cornerstone of the Mike Harris common sense revolution. Now, in the mother of all flip-flops, he is saying the absolute opposite: raise income tax to pay for a cut in the GST.
How can the minister have any credibility at all?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to temporary reductions in consumption taxes. I was then and I am now. What we are talking about in our platform and what we will do is bring in a permanent reduction of 1% in the GST, a reduction that I know the member opposite is opposed to. He wants us all to join his save the GST club but I am not joining.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, that little word “temporary” will not do it.
The matter is very simple. If this budget does not flip into something that cuts income tax and improves Canada's competitiveness, then the budget will be a flop. Could the minister tell us when the budget will be?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I would like to inform the House that the budget will be presented in the House on Tuesday, May 2, 2006.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, farmers continue to demonstrate for monetary action from the government to address the farm income crisis. Provincial ministers are calling for assistance and they are calling for it now.
Today, 21 farm leaders in an open letter and press conference addressed to the Prime Minister stated that action was needed immediately. The Prime Minister expressed his concern earlier but flip-flopped on producing immediate dollars.
Will the Prime Minister recognize the urgency of the situation, the cash shortfall, and commit funding immediately to deal with the farm crisis?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board (Canadian Wheat Board)
Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that the Liberals have the gall to stand up and even ask this question. They left the farmers completely without farm programs that worked. They left them with no biofuels program. They left them with virtually no income on their farms.
The Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture have addressed this problem. They have met with producers across the country. Two weeks ago they met with many of the same people who are asking for the meeting right now. The Prime Minister has made it clear that these issues will be dealt with in the budgetary process.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about gall. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister knows that the Conservative government has not contributed 13¢ to the farm community, not 13¢. The only money the Conservatives have put out is what the previous finance minister booked. This situation is urgent.
I might mention as well that the parliamentary secretary who just spoke wants to undermine the Canadian Wheat Board and take another $200 million out of farmers' pockets.
When will the government act with actual funds and will it act today?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board (Canadian Wheat Board)
Mr. Speaker, it is too bad the member did not have that passion when he was on this side of the House.
The government has already delivered $500 million to the farm community. There is another $255 million coming from that first program. Another $500 million has been committed in the budgetary process. We will look after our farmers.
Paule Brunelle Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he expected all the parties to work for the well-being of the public. As far as the plan to allocate $1,200 is concerned, the Bloc Québécois proposed amendments that would be fairer and still allow the government to make sure families get more money.
Can the Prime Minister promise to consider this measure the Bloc is proposing, which would allow him keep his promises and be more fair to families?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, during the campaign we promised Canadians two things. The first was $1,200 a year, a choice in child care allowance to be paid directly to parents, not to provinces.
The second was a promise to work with businesses and community groups to create 125,000 new child care spaces right across this country.
We offered those things. Canadians chose them and we will deliver.
Paule Brunelle Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have a solid example for the minister. With his plan, a single parent family with two children on an income of $28,000 will get only $729, while in some situations, a family with an income of $200,000 could get the full $2,400 for two children.
Does the minister think this is fair and does she agree that the Bloc Québécois approach is better?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, we want to ensure our choice in child care allowance is truly a universal benefit, one that is not subjected to clawbacks by the provinces but one that is passed directly on to the parents. That is why I am very pleased to announce that so far five Canadian provinces have agreed not to do clawbacks. Unfortunately, Quebec is not yet one of those provinces.
I am hoping that Quebec is interested in seeing that parents get the full value for this money. I hope parents will encourage their provincial government to ensure that happens and Quebeckers are not deprived.
Paul Zed Liberal Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, last year the then leader of the opposition met with team Saint John and we identified harbour clean up as our number one community priority. The Prime Minister promised to provide full funding. Last month the Prime Minister flip-flopped a token $2.83 million. Harbour clean up has a price tag of $88 million. This will not stop the sewage from being dumped into Saint John.
When will the Prime Minister live up to the promise that he made to provide $44 million for Saint John?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as the House will know, I recently met with Premier Lord in Saint John where we announced at long last the beginning of the project to clean up the Saint John harbour. This announcement was well received by all people in the area and by all levels of government. Unlike when the current member was in government, we are actually getting on with the job.