House of Commons Hansard #9 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was process.
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Speaker, that is not a vision, that is a fiction. Choice in child care exists only when child care spaces exist. A choice was made in Canada to provide real child care and better training and wages for child care workers. Over 60% of Canadians voted for parties on January 23 that supported real child care.
When will the government get serious about helping Canadian children and families?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, we are serious about creating these spaces and about child care overall. We will be investing $1.25 billion in the creation of these child care spaces. We will be putting forth legislation for parents to receive $1,200 a year to help with their choice in child care.
If the Liberal Party is serious about helping parents with child care, then I suggest it support our choice in child care allowance.
Ron Cannan Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, last year an agreement in principle was reached in the residential schools resolution. Government agencies and those affected have been working toward a final settlement.
Would the Minister of Indian Affairs please update this House on the status of the residential schools resolution?
Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to inform the House that the government's representative, the Hon. Justice Frank Iacobucci, together with the Assembly of First Nations, legal representatives of the former students of the Indian residential schools and representatives of three of the churches running the schools have today reached a substantive agreement on a final residential schools settlement agreement.
I have also been informed that the lead representatives for the Catholic church groups involved have given their assurance that all these organizations will be confirming their support for the settlement agreement. The government will immediately consider the settlement agreement and the interim payments and the timing of those payments, and I will keep the House informed.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, six months ago the House adopted the NDP motion for compensation benefits for the families of public safety officers, such as Canada's firefighters, over the strident opposition of the Liberal government. The House voted to support the families of those who give their lives to protect others. Not only have they not moved to implement the motion but, incredibly, the Conservatives even refused to send a speaker this week to the gathering of Canada's firefighters held just a few minutes away.
Will the Prime Minister betray firefighters or will he honour the vote of this House and establish compensation for their families?
Stockwell Day ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that firefighters from across the country are meeting here today. What they are doing is meeting with members of Parliament, not just in our party but also in others.
We appreciate the good work they do. We appreciate the fact that these people put themselves literally in harm's way in times of emergency to protect Canadians. We will be meeting with them to hear their needs in order to see what we can do to best meet their needs.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, words are cheap. The Liberals used to give the same answer.
I have another issue that may be another possible betrayal. Media reports are surfacing of a move to betray Canada's interests on softwood lumber.
Canada won on NAFTA but the Bush administration refuses to honour that. Anything short of full respect of NAFTA is a betrayal.
Will the Prime Minister confirm that he will not accept American control over our forest practices, not accept one penny less than the $5.3 billion illegally taken and not betray the working families that have been devastated?
David Emerson ConservativeMinister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics
Mr. Speaker, I have said before and I will say again that this government is committed to the softwood lumber industry. If there is a possible settlement of the softwood lumber dispute that is in the interests of the industry and all the workers and this country and respects NAFTA, we will be there.
We will be there, and if that member is saying he wants to stand up and be opposed to a settlement that the industry agrees to, then let him do so.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, when he was in opposition, the Prime Minister said that Bill C-48 was so irresponsible, so absurd, that he wanted to bring down the government. He did not want anything for first nations, for public transit, for universities. Now things have changed. It appears he wants to use that bill.
Is there no end to the Prime Minister's daily flip-flops?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the budget is to be delivered next week. We will be dealing with surplus issues and we will be dealing with some of issues relating to some of the items he mentioned in his question. I am sure the member will look forward to May 2, when we will be able to provide the information that he is seeking concerning many of those issues.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, in reference to yesterday's mother of all flip-flops, I would point out that I have never seen the word “temporary” attached to the minister's castigations of GST cuts.
The point today is that the Prime Minister continuously did one thing in opposition and does quite the opposite in government. The modus operandi has become clear. He flips in opposition and then he flops in government.
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, that is from the chairman of the “save the GST” society.
I read with interest the report last week concerning Mr. Dingwall. I now have a sense that this member was the one who kept saying that Mr. Dingwall left voluntarily, while Justice Adams said he clearly left involuntarily. That member is now also the sole member of the “David Dingwall left voluntarily and is entitled to his entitlements” society.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, on Bill C-48 the surprising thing is not that the Conservatives have flip-flopped. It is not even that the NDP was bought and paid for. The surprising thing is that the NDP members sold themselves so cheap.
They settled for less than Bill C-48, 25% less, and they have nothing to increase child care spaces in this country. Last November, the NDP traded off a national child care system for their own short term partisan gain.
The Minister of Finance cannot comment on the high value of the Canadian dollar, but could he please comment on the low value of the NDP?
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. I am not sure that the value of political parties falls within the administrative responsibility of the government. I think we will move on. Perhaps in his supplementary the hon. member for Wascana could rephrase his question in some way that makes it procedurally acceptable.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, the issue here, at least in part, is why the NDP have settled for so little: nothing for child care; nothing for the Kelowna accords; nothing to fight climate change; nothing for student aid; and nothing for science and innovation.
This is rather pathetic given that the government has inherited the strongest economy and the best fiscal position of any incoming government in Canadian history. Will the government at least commit to the $5.1 billion to fully honour the Kelowna accords for Canada's aboriginals?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that I hold all parties in this House in high esteem.
I can also assure the member that when the budget is announced, when we make spending initiatives and when we make commitments to reduce taxes, we will keep our commitments. We will not make a deal a couple of months later to change our commitments. When we reduce taxes, we will keep our commitments to the people of Canada, who voted for change.
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Speaker, pilot project no. 6 gives workers five additional weeks of employment insurance benefits in regions where the unemployment rate is 10%. In particular, it will reduce the income gap faced by seasonal workers. This pilot project ends on June 4, 2006.
Does the minister intend to renew this pilot project until there has been a comprehensive reform of the program, as many stakeholders throughout Canada are requesting?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member said, the pilot program, and that is what it is, expires on June 4. A review of the results of that pilot is under way. I look forward to seeing the results of that review. I would be happy to report back to the hon. member on the results when I receive them.
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister must surely realize that her reply leaves these workers in a state of uncertainty. It is urgent that the current employment insurance program be overhauled, as recommended by the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
Will this government improve the program or will it too dip into the employment insurance fund, as did the previous government?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, the EI program, part I and part II, benefits a lot of people right across this country. That is why we want to make sure that as we proceed with changes, if any, they are in the best interests of all Canadians. When we have a pilot project, we think it is the responsible thing to wait until we have the results to make a decision on how to move forward.
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Speaker, on this day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust, I ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to tell the House what measures the government has taken--aside from the public statement that was issued--to express to the Iranian government the Canadian people's strong disapproval of the heinous remarks made by the Iranian president, who denied the Holocaust and again called for the destruction of Israel.
Has the government considered calling in the Iranian ambassador?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the question from the member opposite and I thank him, as I know that this is something all members of the House share in expressing their abhorrence for this type of advocacy of violence, this type of abysmal public commentary on what was truly one of the darkest eras in human history.
Clearly the Prime Minister has conveyed publicly Canada's distaste and abhorrence for this type of public commentary. That was received well in communities around the world in terms of Canada's position. If further action is necessary, I assure members that the government will take that action.