House of Commons Hansard #23 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

Canada-U.S. BorderOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

One, two, three, four, five.

Canada-U.S. BorderOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I have mastered those numbers, thank you. We do not need to hear them again. The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor and we will have some order.

Canada-U.S. BorderOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Calgary Southwest Alberta

Conservative

Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I have spoken about this with the premier, Mr. Charest, and with several other premiers, and we are encouraged by their position.

Canada-U.S. BorderOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude D'Amours Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB

Mr. Speaker, it is not enough to stand up and speak: one must also act.

Having good relations with the United States does not mean just having good relations with Washington. Seven of the 10 Canadian provinces and one territory are neighbours of the United States, and 12 American states are neighbours of Canada.

We shall have the proof today, in Bonn, that the government takes its orders on global warming from Washington.

When the people in the border communities begin losing their jobs because of reduced traffic, it will be too late.

How then does the Prime Minister justify being so quick to bow to the American administration?

Canada-U.S. BorderOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Okanagan—Coquihalla B.C.

Conservative

Stockwell Day ConservativeMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, it would be unacceptable to say nothing about this situation. That is precisely why our Prime Minister has made this situation a priority. We have a plan on the table for working with the public officials of the United States and Canada.

I ask the following question. Why did the Liberals do nothing for two years? Now, we are going to take action.

BarbadosOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC

Mr. Speaker, an increasing number of Canadian businesses are taking advantage of tax provisions and the tax treaty between Canada and Barbados to avoid paying their taxes in Canada. Canadian businesses alone have assets there worth $25 billion, which is a 500% increase in 10 years.

Can this government, which denounced these treaties when it was in opposition, now tell us what it intends to do to axe these laws and regulations that cause Canada to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes a year?

BarbadosOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Conservative

David Emerson ConservativeMinister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics

Mr. Speaker, the government is fully committed to liberalized trade and our trade with Barbados is extremely important to us. We will be carrying out further discussions to ensure that there are no impediments to the development of that commercial relationship.

BarbadosOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about free trade. We are talking about tax avoidance. The Auditor General has said five times now that these tax treaties are harming Canada's tax base.

How can the government tolerate billions of dollars disappearing from Canada when everyone in this House is concerned about the rising cost of health care, paying down the debt, and resolving the fiscal imbalance?

BarbadosOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

An hon. member

He gets it.

BarbadosOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Whitby—Oshawa Ontario

Conservative

Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to review the matter and report back to the hon. member.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Speaker, given that saving Darfur is the most urgent issue on the international agenda today and that what is at stake is nothing less than stopping the genocide and saving the innocent, why will the government not commit itself to an action plan on Darfur?

Where is the political will? Why will the government not fulfill its own throne speech undertaking for a robust diplomatic role for Canada and take the lead in concert with the international community to stop the killing, to put an end to the mass atrocity and to implement the responsibility to protect doctrine?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Carleton—Mississippi Mills Ontario

Conservative

Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, at the moment we have staff in Darfur who are providing training support and logistic support. We have also provided armoured vehicles for the protection of the African Union. We have also provided helicopter lift to move the troops around and we provide protective jackets.

We have had no request from the United Nations nor the AU. When it comes, we will consider the request.

Foreign CredentialsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Laurie Hawn Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, thousands of immigrants come to Canada with diplomas, degrees and experience in various fields. We have all heard stories of doctors driving cabs.

The Liberals promised for years to address this issue but did nothing. The member for Brampton—Springdale claimed to want to fix this situation but was unable to accomplish anything on the file.

Can the human resources minister tell us what plans the government has to speed up the recognition of foreign credentials?

Foreign CredentialsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Blackstrap Saskatchewan

Conservative

Lynne Yelich ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that the skills and talents of Canadian immigrants are recognized in a timely fashion.

Our 2006 federal budget committed $18 million toward the development and implementation of the Canadian agency for assessment and recognition of foreign credentials. We are consulting with the provinces, territories and other stakeholders on the mandate, structure and governance of the agency. These consultations will be the key to success. This government will assist new Canadians in realizing their dreams. We are opening up real opportunities for new Canadians.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, in 1992 Master Corporal Wheeler died in a training accident in Alberta.

For 14 years his wife Christina and her family have been working to clear his name and seek compensation for the pain and suffering the family has gone through. In fact the former ombudsman, Mr. Marin, said very clearly there is the basis of a cover-up and bias within DND in the investigation of this case.

Will the government now speak with Mrs. Wheeler personally and seek to redress, in compensation form, the pain and suffering that she and her family have gone through after the loss of her brave husband?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Carleton—Mississippi Mills Ontario

Conservative

Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the article in the paper today, this process has not ended. Mrs. Wheeler's lawyers are in contact with our lawyers and this issue will get resolved soon hopefully.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, why would the government hide behind lawyers?

The reality is the Prime Minister himself said to stand up for our Canadian troops. Yet the government is prepared to sit down when it comes to their families.

I ask the Prime Minister personally, will he stare into the camera and tell Mrs. Wheeler and her family that not the lawyers but he himself will meet with her to finally address this wrong once and for all?

National DefenceOral Questions

3 p.m.

Carleton—Mississippi Mills Ontario

Conservative

Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, unlike the member, we have to follow legal processes and this issue will get resolved very soon. Mrs. Wheeler has legal representation and we have our lawyers and it will get resolved soon.

EthicsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, on the day we learned the Prime Minister broke ethics rules with free Grey Cup tickets, we also learned the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board enjoyed free tickets to the March 17 Coldplay concert.

Without commenting on the member's taste in music, when will the President of the Treasury Board order his parliamentary secretary to set a better example than taking free tickets from influential Conservative friends and insiders?

EthicsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, I find it rather odd to get lessons on ethics from a member of the Liberal Party. I do find it strange.

The member opposite should perhaps do some research. The parliamentary secretary paid for his ticket before he attended and paid for all of his beverages and everything he consumed there.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

Mr. Speaker, instead of reducing greenhouse gases, emissions in Canada actually increased by 30% under the Liberals' watch. Yet they are quick to condemn any plan for the environment other than their own.

This government on the other hand is serious about producing a workable plan to cut greenhouse gases. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment tell us why this government chose a made in Canada plan?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Langley B.C.

Conservative

Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the excellent question on the environment and for his history of hard work on Fraser Valley airshed issues.

Our government is developing a realistic and effective made in Canada plan to address environmental issues facing all of us. Our initiatives will have clear benefits for Canadians and will invest Canadian money in Canada. We will not be sending billions of dollars overseas for phony credits.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

It is my pleasure today to welcome to the House of Commons, on behalf of all hon. members, medallists at this year's Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino. It is a lengthy list and I would ask all hon. members to hold their applause until I have finished reading out the list of athletes. I stress this is a lengthy list, so some restraint please.

I will read the names of the Olympians first.

Bobsleigh: Lascelles Brown, Pierre Lueders.

Curling, Men: Mike Adam, Jamie Korab.

Curling, Women: Sandra Jenkins, Christine Keshen, Amy Nixon.

Freestyle Skiing: Jennifer Heil.

Hockey, Women: Jennifer Botterill, Gillian Ferrari, Carla MacLeod, Cheryl Pounder, Colleen Sostorics, Katie Weatherston.

Snowboarding: Dominique Maltais.

Speed skating Long Track: Steve Elm, Kristina Groves, Denny Morrison and Jason Parker.

Speed Skating, Short Track: Éric Bédard, Anouk Leblanc-Boucher, Mathieu Turcotte.

Paralympians:

Alpine skiing: Kimberley Joines, Chris Williamson and Lauren Woolstencroft.

Curling: Karen Blachford, Gary Cormack, Christopher Daw, Sonja Gaudet.

Cross-country skiing: Colette Bourgonje and Brian McKeever.

Sledge Hockey: Jeremy Booker, Bradley Bowden, Billy Bridges, Marc Dorion, Raymond Grassi, Jean Labonté, Hervé Lord, Shawn Matheson, Graeme Murray, Todd Nicholson, Paul Rosen, Benoît St-Amand, Dany Verner, and Greg Westlake.

Your Olympic and Paralympic successes have earned you the admiration, respect and gratitude of Canada and indeed the world. In Turin, you won 37 medals. Congratulations.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

You have given us great moments in sport and you carried on the Canadian tradition at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For that we as parliamentarians want to thank you. We also want to thank all those who have supported you for so long.

On behalf of the Minister of Sport, I invite all hon. members to a reception for our honoured guests in the Reading Room, 237-C.

Everyone is welcome.

The hon. member for Bourassa has the floor for a point of order.