Debates of May 30th, 2006

Fixed Election Dates

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the voters in my home province of British Columbia now enjoy the certainty of fixed election dates. This aspect of our provincial democratic process serves the interests of the electorate and not the political party in power.

At the federal level, the need for fixed election dates was never so clearly demonstrated than when the Liberal Party of Canada manipulated the timing of federal elections to suit its own political needs instead of the needs of our country.

In 1997 the Liberals sent Canadians back to the polls early despite the flood crisis in Manitoba.

In 2000, for the second time the Liberals called an early election to take advantage of favourable polls.

Three and a half years after that, in 2004, the Liberals called yet another early election when Parliament began to unearth the Liberals' dirty laundry in its inquiry into the sponsorship scandal.

This abuse of power, which sent Canadians to the polls often and at the whim of a Liberal majority, is an unfortunate yet perfect example of why today this Conservative government tabled legislation to enact fixed election dates.

Racism

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we are all reminded daily of the vigilance required to rid our society of hatred and discrimination.

Just this month, in my own constituency, the Ashkenazi Synagogue was vandalized in what may have been an act of anti-Semitism.

In the midst of such acts of vile hatred come voices of peace and acts of courage, and it is from the youth of our land that we see the path forward.

Today, in my constituency, the students and staff of Maple Collegiate have just completed a 12 kilometre walk against racism. This is the 11th annual march organized by the Maple Unity Group which was recently awarded the Sybil Shack Memorial Human Rights Youth Award.

In another part of my constituency, Shaughnessy Park students wrote and produced, for the fifth time, an award winning video in the National Stop Racism Video competition. This video, Don't be the One, makes us all question our own prejudices.

Just last month, I witnessed the peace symposium for Grade 4 students at the Ecole James Nisbet Community School. They said, “The seeds of peace grow here and inspire us all to live the message: Let peace begin with me and let it begin right now!”

Suzanne Rochon-Burnett

[John Maloney, Liberal, Welland, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I stand to honour the life and spirit of Suzanne Rochon-Burnett who passed away in my riding of Welland on April 2.

Beautiful throughout her entire life, she was a successful journalist and businessperson, being the first aboriginal woman to own and operate a commercial radio station and the first woman to be inducted into the Canadian Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame.

As a young woman she became the face of the Montreal Royals baseball team, as well as acting in numerous commercials.

She was also a passionate advocate for our first nations people, culture and the arts, with her clarion call being, “My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who will fuel their spirits”.

Over the years, she sat on numerous boards and organizations, including the Canadian Native Foundation for the Arts, TVOntario, the Métis Nation of Ontario, the Canadian Council for the Arts and Brock University.

Suzanne Rochon-Burnett exhibited her gracious spirit in her work and everything she did, from modelling and broadcasting to advocacy, to sharing her wisdom and enormous pride of her Métis heritage and its people.

She was warm and charming, a mother and a grandmother who met all her challenges head on.

Let us honour that great lady by following her example.

Marine Industry

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are happy to welcome to Parliament Hill representatives of the marine industry, in particular officials from the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council. SODES offers a forum for discussion, cooperation and joint action to agencies whose activities are linked to the economy of the St. Lawrence. We pay tribute to their generous contribution to the defence and promotion of the St. Lawrence.

While American east coast ports are claiming a growing share of the market, the federal government is charging the marine industry significantly higher fees yet has cut services and withdrawn funding for maintenance of federal port infrastructures. This attitude has only weakened the competitive position of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which plays a vital role in Quebec's economy.

The Bloc Québécois urges the federal government to assume its responsibilities for maintaining the St. Lawrence Seaway and demands that the government put in place a program to support cabotage projects.

Access to Information

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's access to information plan will not strengthen accountability. It will clearly weaken it.

Bill C-2 will actually reduce the amount of information available to the public and increase the government's ability to cover up wrongdoings.

The government's approach to the access to information reforms came as a surprising disappointment to many, including the Information Commissioner.

According to the commissioner's recent report:

No previous government...has put forward a more retrograde and dangerous set of proposals to change the Access to Information Act.

The Prime Minister just makes it up as he goes along, falsely accusing the Information Commissioner of intent to interfere with journalistic freedom instead of acknowledging the shortcomings of his own accountability act.

It is a step backwards and will actually work against openness and transparency. That is certainly not what I call accountability.

Quebec Remparts

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the Quebec City area, I would like to congratulate the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec major junior hockey league on winning the Memorial Cup, the symbol of junior hockey in Canada.

I am especially proud that this team plays in my riding. It is always nice to see skill, team spirit, determination and the pursuit of excellence.

Chrysotile

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to attend the International Conference on Chrysotile organized by the Chrysotile Institute.

I wish to congratulate the chairman of the institute, Mr. Clément Godbout, for organizing this event which set the record straight on the use of chrysotile fibre by reviewing the most recent research on this subject.

The Conservative government confirmed that it supports the safe use of chrysotile in Canada and around the world. However, action to this effect is not forthcoming.

It should turn to the recommendations contained in a unanimous report of the Subcommittee on International Trade, Trade Disputes and Investment, tabled in the House of Commons by the Bloc Québécois, which states that the Government of Canada must adopt a national policy on chrysotile that will provide information about and promote this product as well its safe use, undertake a comparative study of the hazards of replacement fibres for chrysotile, carry out a national and international public awareness campaign promoting the safe use of chrysotile, and promote the use of chrysotile in its own infrastructure.

That is what has to be done to help in a tangible way an industry that employs several hundred people in the mines of the Asbestos and Thetford Mines region.

Canada Elections Act

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we showed to what extent the government dissimulates the truth and today we have even more evidence.

This morning, the government tabled its bill to supposedly allow fixed date elections. However, as usual, the difference between the legislation and expectations is shocking. Contrary to the government's press release, the bill still allows the Governor General to launch an election at any time and still at the request of the Prime Minister.

Why is the government presenting a bill that differs from its political message?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the opposition can make a comparison between this bill and the proposal I made as a private member when I was leader of the opposition.

In all these measures—and the same is true in the provinces that have adopted fixed date elections—it is necessary to respect the constitutional powers of the Governor General.

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is the whole point. This is just an illusion the government is trying to create around the idea of electoral reform.

The government told Canadians that providing fixed dates for elections every four years would eliminate partisanship, but the bill does not go anywhere near that. Again, there is a huge gap between what the government says and what it does.

If this act were enacted, the Prime Minister could go to the Governor General at any time and still ask for a snap election. Why does the legislation not specifically preclude the Prime Minister from seeking an early election or is this legislation designed to mislead the people rather than protect our democracy?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the government is clear that it will not be seeking an early election. At any time Parliament can defeat the government and provoke an early election, if that is what the opposition irresponsibly chooses to do.

I point out for the hon. member that the legislation is based on similar legislation that has been presented in British Columbia and Ontario by Liberal governments. It is about time the Liberal Party of Canada got into the 21st century.

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has yet to explain to the House and the Canadian public why his press release talks about eliminating the opportunity of governing parties to manipulate the time of an election for partisan advantage, while at the same time providing that the Governor General has unusual powers to do whatever the Prime Minister asks her to do.

Those two propositions are totally inconsistent. The government gives the impression that it is flying by the seat of its pants. It scribbles down laws on the back of an envelope, which mislead rather than solve the problems of Canadians.

This is a constant series of sneaking constitutional amendments by legislative sloppiness. When will this end and can we deal with this in an intelligent parliamentary way?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the government's position is clear. We brought in legislation, modelled on those of the provinces, to set elections every four years and set the next election for October 2009.

I think the real problem is the Liberal Party of Canada does not know whether it is for fixed election dates or not for them. It does not know whether it is for limiting the terms of senators or not for limiting them. This party is for reforming the political system.

Some day we will find out whether the Liberal Party has positions on any of these issues.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, relations between the provinces and this Prime Minister continue to deteriorate.

After abandoning the provinces on child care, now the environment is the issue.

We know how this Prime Minister operates. When things do not suit him he sends the problems to the provinces and takes their money. Quebec has just lost $328 million that way.

Is this government finished making savage cuts to the provinces or will it continue to abandon the provinces by cutting even more?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is all clear to Canadians now and particularly to Quebeckers, that the Liberal Party of Canada failed Quebeckers when it came to the environment. The Liberals failed Canadians when it came to their commitment to our international friends in setting targets under Kyoto. They failed in putting forward any implementation plan to actually reach those targets.

We have made the largest investment in Canadian history in public transportation. Quebeckers need that to ensure we can reduce greenhouse gases in Quebec.

Child Care

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

Mr. Speaker, no one is buying her story.

The government continues to abandon the provinces and increase the opportunities to do so. We just saw that with the environment and with child care.

Yesterday, in response to a request from Quebec for the right to opt out with compensation from child care, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development uttered more empty words by telling Quebec she would provide a reply. When will she provide that reply? It smacks of improvisation and total abandonment. To me it looks as if this minister is also abandoning the provinces.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has met with the provinces and her counterparts. She is in the early stages of designing this initiative. We will be consulting with the provinces and the territories to ensure that the initiative complements their existing child care systems.

Kyoto Protocol

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said plainly in the House that if Quebec wants to achieve its Kyoto objectives it need only use its own money to do so. Meanwhile, his government uses Quebeckers' money to fund tax reductions for the oil companies, a gift that will total over $3 billion by 2008.

Is the Prime Minister taking Quebeckers' money to help the oil companies, to the detriment of the environment?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great day for national unity when the Liberal Party of Canada and the Bloc Québécois defend Quebec within Canada.

This government's policy is to lower taxes for all Canadians. That includes a historic lowering of the GST, which will drop from 7% to 6%. All consumers in Canada and Quebec will benefit.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talks of lowering taxes for all Canadians. Lowering them by 1% for taxpayers and by 65% for the oil companies—is that what he calls fiscal fairness?

Does the Prime Minister realize that he is giving gifts to the oil companies to the detriment of Quebec taxpayers, with money they have paid for their hydroelectricity? Does he realize he is governing for the oil companies and against Quebec?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, I was one of the Calgary cowboys and now I am one of the oil company boys. The truth is that in our budget—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. The Right Hon. Prime Minister is speaking and we must hear his answer. Order, please.

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers are smarter than the stereotype the Bloc is promoting.

The reductions in income tax in the budget are for consumers and workers. Must of the cuts involve taxes on consumer purchases and personal income.

Child Care

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of child care, the Government of Quebec is calling for the right to withdraw, with full compensation, from the tax credit program intended to create new spaces because Quebec already has its own child care system.

Is there not a single Quebec minister in this government who can make the government understand that Quebec will be penalized again because it already has a child care system in place?