Debates of May 3rd, 2006

The Environment

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite might like to know that, under the Liberal Kyoto plan, Canadian families could have seen up to $600 per Canadian family shipped overseas to be spent on international credits. Under our made in Canada plan, Canadian taxpayer dollars will stay right here in Canada to be spent on our environment right here at home.

Our made in Canada plan will invest in Canadian solutions, Canadian technology and Canadian communities. I would like to ensure that the hon. member knows that in our plan, Canadians come first.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, what is notable is that in their plan, the environment comes last.

This is what the Sierra Club has said about this budget, “The most tangible action on the environment by government has been to cut climate change programs”.

Why is the environment minister not ashamed that by slashing $2 billion from environmental programs, Canada has joined the international organization of one: the only country in the world to cut environmental programs?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to address the hon. member's concerns. I would like to let him know that during the election, when we announced our transit pass tax policy, the Sierra Club said, “I think it's a very good move on the Conservatives' part”.

The other thing I would like to remind the hon. member of, as he stands in his place as the Liberal Party of Canada environment critic, is he is on record as saying that the Kyoto agreement was basically written on the back of an airplane napkin on the way to Kyoto, and on December 10, he voted against Kyoto.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians agree that the economic and social conditions of our aboriginal citizens is desperate. For months, the Liberal Party, the aboriginal leadership and all the premiers have called for the full implementation of the Kelowna accord. Had the NDP not sold out, they too might have done the same.

My question is for the Prime Minister. With a 90% reduction in the Kelowna commitments, does he realize that he has cast aside the greatest opportunity to create social peace and prosperity for aboriginal Canadians?

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, let us ensure that the facts are clear. Aboriginal Canadians are real winners under this budget. We have provided the following: $300 million for northern housing; $300 million for off reserve housing; $150 million additional funds in the budget; and a $325 million budgetary increase for this department in the estimates last week. That is a total of $1.1 billion of new money. In addition, there is the $500 million socio-economic fund. In addition to that, there is $2.2 billion for the residential schools agreement.

This is a fair and reasonable budget for aboriginal Canadians that also requires--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Winnipeg South Centre.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this is not a good news budget for aboriginal peoples. Let me tell members what people are saying.

Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of B.C. Chiefs, said, “aboriginal people across Canada learned that Prime Minister has a wooden heart to match his wooden smile”. Grand Chief Phil Fontaine agrees.

As we heard earlier, Ralph Klein said, “I don't like it...I liked the commitment that was given by the Liberal government to the First Nations and the Métis people”.

How can the Prime Minister and the minister even pretend that what was announced was good--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, the budget puts forward $1.1 billion of new money for aboriginal Canadians. It balances the competing objectives of being fair and reasonable to aboriginal Canadians, and ensuring accountability and results.

Here is what Patrick Brazeau, the national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, had to say:

--it's the first time that a federal government has fully acknowledged our constituency being the off-reserve, Métis, non-status and status Indians... But secondly, you know, we see a government that's fulfilling its commitments.

Taxation

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has acknowledged the fiscal imbalance and pledged to correct it. Fine. Correcting the fiscal imbalance for the long term will require the redistribution of tax fields and fundamental reforms to equalization.

Does the Minister of Finance agree that we must immediately dismiss the idea of solving the fiscal imbalance by a one-time increase in federal cash transfers? Unlike tax fields and equalization, a federal cash transfer will do nothing to ensure the autonomy and financial stability of Quebec and the provinces.

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to announce yesterday the increased payments with respect to equalization for this year for a number of the provinces. I was also pleased to set out the principles upon which we will move forward in the debate about the fiscal balance, including equalization, and the steps that we will follow in order to arrive at a solution to these challenging issues this year.

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government stated over and over that the $807 million Quebec lost when the daycare agreement was scrapped will be taken into account as part of resolving the fiscal imbalance.

Can the Minister of Finance confirm that the $807 million will be part of such a resolution?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would not presume to set out an agenda for all the discussions. There are a number of issues that ought to be discussed, including post-secondary education.

We made a recommendation or a suggestion, at least, in the fiscal balance paper yesterday about how unanticipated federal surplus could be handled with respect to the QPP and the CPP. Those ideas are there.

We will follow a process, awaiting the O'Brien report, the federal report on equalization, which should be released in the middle of May, followed by a meeting of finance ministers, followed by other meetings by other ministers and eventually a meeting of first ministers in the fall.

Securities

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in its budget, the government picks up an idea put forward by the Liberals, namely, the creation of a single securities commission for the entire country. However, the Prime Minister keeps saying that he intends to honour Quebec's fields of jurisdiction.

How can the Prime Minister say he will respect the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces when by promoting a pan-Canadian securities commission he jumps with both feet into Quebec's exclusive jurisdiction?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, there is general concern in the business community about attracting more capital to Canada, more equity capital, more investment in our businesses. One of the concerns that the community expresses repeatedly across Canada is the fact that we have multiple regulators in our security system.

That is an issue in the interests of the Economic Union that we should have on the table for discussion, not necessarily that the federal government would get involved, but that we work toward a common regulator in Canada.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in both the budget and the minister's response, the government makes a commitment to work with Quebec and the provinces to put a common securities regulator in place.

How can the Prime Minister make such a commitment in his budget, when he knows full well that Quebec has always rejected this approach?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I compliment the provinces that have been engaged in this discussion, working toward a common regulator and simplifying the red tape involved in persons and corporations wanting to invest in Canada.

I commend the member for the question, because that is where we want to go. We want to move toward common regulations, and allow fewer barriers to investment in Canada.

Post-Secondary Education

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister created false hope on Monday when he pretended his budget would help thousands of students pay tuition each fall. However, all he offered was an $80 tax break on text books and the ability to go deeper in debt.

Did he keep his promise to create as dedicated transfer? No. Did he help aboriginal students? No. Did he offer students any hope at all? No.

How does that minister have the gall to stand in this place and offer students a pittance?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, the member obviously missed a large part of the budget speech yesterday. There are students not just at university. There are students in colleges. There are students who are apprentices. For them, we have the apprentice job creation tax credit and the apprentice incentive grant to help them get jobs. We have a $500 deduction for their tools. We have the tax exemption on all scholarships and bursaries. It is above and beyond what we promised, and we increased eligibility for Canada student loans. That is a lot for students.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, that is another arrogant answer from a bush league government.

Our students have to go through all sorts of contortions to cover their registration fees and meet their needs.

On Monday, the minister promised to respond to the concerns of our students and, on Tuesday, she reneged on her promise.

Clearly the NDP abandoned our students in return for 10 seats.

Why has the minister abandoned our students to their miserable fate?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, I just listed a lot of brand new programs that will directly help students. What I did not mention was a billion dollars was added for infrastructure for post-secondary education as well as the $16 billion for education that is included in the Canada social transfer.

This is a lot of money that will help a lot of kids get the education they need.

The Budget

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance speaks a great deal about competitiveness, but let us check the record. Last November the Liberal government committed $2.5 billion for university research.

When we looked at the budget papers yesterday, the Minister of Finance scaled it back to 10¢ on the dollar. If the minister has been giving math lessons, he would understand that 10¢ is less than $1 and $1 is more than 10¢.

When will the Minister of Finance get serious about future prosperity for the country?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite, as with his colleagues, are fond of talking about moneys promised but never delivered.

I know this budget is different. I know it is hard for the party opposite to accept that a party could run for office, make definite commitments to Canadians and, lo and behold, bring in a budget that keeps the commitments to Canadians.

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this budget misses an opportunity to prepare Canada to meet the challenge of competing internationally.

How does the government hope to compete with emerging economies, such as those of China, India and Brazil, without a plan to make Canada more competitive and productive in order to maintain our standard of living?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it will do it by tax cuts; by reducing the disincentives to work in Canada; by building massive new infrastructure in Canada; by investing in our universities and colleges; by investing in infrastructure in our universities and colleges; by reducing the tax burden on individual Canadians; and, by reducing taxes overall by almost $20 billion over two years.

These are not promises. These are commitments that we made to the people of Canada, which we are keeping in the budget. I hope the Liberal side of the House will support it.