House of Commons Hansard #17 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, how embarrassing could it be when the only money the government can come up with is our $300 million from last June 23, our $500 million that the deputy prime minister--
Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentOral Questions
An hon. member
It belongs to the taxpayers, Larry, not you.
Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentOral Questions
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Order, please. I am sure the hon. member for Yukon appreciates all the help he is getting with the question but we need to be able to hear it. How will the parliamentary secretary be able to reply if he cannot hear the question? We need a lower level of noise. If members would refrain from carrying on their debates here on the floor among themselves when they are not recognized and do it out in the lobby, it would be better.
The hon. member for Yukon has the floor.
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, it is so embarrassing that the only money the Conservatives can talk about is the money we announced last June 23 for affordable housing and the $500 million the deputy prime minister, Anne McLellan, announced for the Mackenzie Valley pipeline.
We put in a northern strategy, northern economic development money, money for northern search and rescue planes, money for the territories and more money for northern health.
When will the Conservatives put in even one thing for the north?
Indian Affairs and Northern DevelopmentOral Questions
Winnipeg South Manitoba
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, our government is very interested in the north.
Let me remind the member that the money committed is not his money or our money. It is taxpayer money.
As a person who is originally from the north, I am very interested in working with the minister and with all members on this side to help northerners achieve the economic development that they are looking for.
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Mr. Speaker, this week's budget has shown the government's overwhelming commitment to our farm families. The constituents in my riding of Bruce--Grey--Owen Sound, like the rest of rural Canada, were abandoned for 13 years by the previous government.
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
They obviously do not like to hear the truth, Mr. Speaker.
Could the agriculture minister please tell us what farmers in my riding will be receiving from this budget?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary (for the Canadian Wheat Board) to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, farmers are well aware of the government's commitment to them, especially the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound who has been very vocal in his support of the farm community.
We put forward $755 million right after we were elected. We promised $500 million and we have tripled that. The farm community is very happy to have that. We are coming forward with a biofuels initiative to give farmers a chance to be part of the processing and development sector. We want to do research and development.
We look forward to working with farmers to bring them the success that they have not had in the past because of--
AgricultureOral Questions
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, 15% of federal prisoners are aboriginals, even though the aboriginal population nationally is only 3%.
Provinces have been working hard to reduce the number of aboriginal people in jail. Today, Saskatchewan's NDP justice minister, Frank Parnell, said, “striking down the conditional sentencing laws as proposed by the Conservatives may reverse that trend”.
Is this reasonable or fair? How will the government ensure the percentage of aboriginal Canadians incarcerated does not go up?
Rob Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians asked us to end the revolving door to our criminal justice system. They asked us to take seriously the concerns of victims of crime of the provinces and of the police who protect our streets.
The government made a commitment to act and yesterday we delivered. We will continue to act in the best interest and the safety of all Canadians.
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, have you actually consulted with aboriginal communities about some alternatives?
Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Lubicon Lake First Nation is testifying today at the United Nations in Geneva. It will tell that international body of the government's reluctance to settle land claims, of the third world conditions its members live under, the mouldy housing, the lack of running water and the high rates of youth suicide.
Why did the government not live up to its promises and put real money toward closing the gap on aboriginal poverty in the budget? Is this fair and reasonable?
Rod Bruinooge ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, our government is very concerned about aboriginal people throughout Canada. We are currently working with all stakeholders throughout Canada to rectify the problems as they are.
The government is committed to a progressive achievement by all Canadians of economic, social and cultural rights contained in the international covenant, which the member mentioned, at the UN and we look forward to working on this issue.
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, at a stop in New Brunswick during the election campaign, the Prime Minister, drunk on the idea of seizing power, promised immediate compensation for all soldiers and civilians who had been exposed to agent orange. Veterans in my riding read the budget with interest, but found no trace of the money that was promised—not a word, not a cent.
When will the Minister of Veterans Affairs keep his promises and compensate all of the victims?
Betty Hinton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, it is a priority of our government to respond to concerns raised by members of the Canadian Forces, veterans and area residents about the health effects of herbicides used at CFB Gagetown.
The Government of Canada does not intend to wait for the resolution from the class action suits. As promised, work is continuing and proposals are being developed to deliver on the commitments the government has made.
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, during the campaign, the Minister of Veterans Affairs assured agent orange victims that they would be given the benefit of the doubt in their claim for compensation. Now the same minister is saying that he refuses to be pressured into compensating the victims.
Will the minister now admit that he was making promises he had no intention of keeping, or is the minister admitting that he lacks the clout to get the money that he promised? Will the minister stop hiding behind the parliamentary secretary and face the House?
Betty Hinton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I said for the hon. member and I will say it as clear as I can. The Government of Canada does not intend to wait for the resolution of the class action suit. As promised, we will deliver.
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Speaker, the Petitcodiac River has been called one of Canada's worst environmental disasters. The time has now come to act quickly and restore the full tidal flow of this once mighty river.
Premier Lord says it is a federal responsibility. The Prime Minister has said it is a provincial project. While these two Conservatives continue to pass the buck, residents grow more impatient and the environment continues to deteriorate.
Where is the money in the budget to begin work on the restoration of the Petitcodiac River starting this summer?
Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, this is another example of 13 years of a government doing nothing and this is why we have some of these problems.
The government is focused on clean water and clean air and we will engage in discussions with all jurisdictions and interested parties to work together to ensure safe, clean water for all Canadians.
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary obviously has absolutely no idea of the answer because he would know that a joint federal-provincial environmental impact assessment was just completed a few months ago and now the decision is in the hands of the government as to whether it will do the right thing.
Not only did the government cut funding to fight climate change, it also failed to invest any money in strategic infrastructure funds for the coming year. These funds are needed to fix the problem on the Petitcodiac River.
How long will residents of New Brunswick have to wait before the government decides to act?
Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, budget 2006 delivers real promises on the environment. We have increased incentives to promote the use of public transit. This measure alone will help reduce traffic congestion and improve the environment.
The finance minister has confirmed that substantial funding of $1.3 billion will help with infrastructure.