Debates of May 9th, 2006

Justice

[John Baird, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister clarified yesterday who was speaking on behalf of the government and who was not. What the member of the official opposition has not done is explain the actions and the comments of the member for Scarborough—Guildwood or the member from Mississauga East. Why have they not stood in this place and offered a full apology, and can people with these views continue to sit as a member of his party's shadow cabinet?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the point that the minister misses is very simple. There is a difference between expressing an opinion about the judiciary and launching a personal attack on the independence of Canada's chief justice and to put words in her mouth. There is a huge difference.

Canadians want to know are the comments from the member for Halton and the Prime Minister's close association with the ultra right wing Civitas Society part of their real agenda, an agenda to destroy the independence of our judiciary?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot resist answering a question about the vast right wing conspiracy. What I will say is that I will speak to the Minister of National Defence and see if there is any possibility in the budget of a black helicopter, so we can fly the hon. member around to investigate his concerns.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the chair of the aboriginal affairs committee with regard to the agenda of the committee.

Despite a history of disparaging remarks, the hon. member for Saskatoon—Wanuskewin remains the Prime Minister's anointed chair of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

With a motion of non-confidence now before the committee, it is clear that he no longer has the confidence of this chamber. Therefore, I would ask the committee chair this. Will the first item on the agenda at the next meeting be his unequivocal apology and a tendering of his resignation as chair of the committee?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member is a member of that committee, why does he not raise these issues at the committee himself. He knows committee chairs and vice-chairs serve at the pleasure of the committee. The committee will decide what it wants to do. That is what should happen. He should not be bringing the matter up here.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Saskatoon—Wanuskewin insists that Canada's judicial system is race-based and too lenient on aboriginal peoples. These prejudicial comments are unbecoming to the position, which the Prime Minister has bestowed on him. This is another stain on the shirt of the uncaring Conservative government.

Aboriginal Canadians and committee members have lost all confidence in the chair. Canadians deserve better. Again, will the hon. member for Saskatoon—Wanuskewin stand here now and declare that the first matter of business on tomorrow's committee agenda will be to submit an unequivocal apology and tender his resignation as chair?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from aboriginal Canadians that they have full confidence in the ability of the government to deal with aboriginal issues.

The budget, which has been put forward, is a wonderful budget with more for aboriginal Canadians than ever emerged from that side of the House, in terms of northern housing, off reserve housing, increases in additional funds for women, children and for other purposes.

Aboriginal Canadians will have confidence in this government.

The Environment

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a major coalition of international environmental groups may not want the Minister of the Environment to chair the Climate Change Conference to be held in Bonn next week.

Does the Prime Minister agree that his anti-Kyoto protocol stance is not fooling anyone and that the Government of Canada has already been so completely discredited internationally that the Minister of the Environment is in danger of being asked to step down from chairing the Bonn conference?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I continue to engage international counterparts on the issue of climate change. In fact, I am very proud that our government has taken the position we have in our approach to international talks on climate change. We are taking an inclusive approach.

It is important for Canadians to understand that 73% of countries in the world are the large emitters and 73% of emissions are not caused by countries that are in the protocol. We have to talk to countries that are within the United Nations framework and countries outside the framework. That is the direction the government is taking.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment can make all the statements she wants, but should she not admit that she has no more credibility in this House than she has internationally, not with environmental groups and certainly not with other countries and the international community?

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is important for all Canadians and all members of the House to understand that we are not the only country within the Kyoto protocol facing challenges. A number of international counterparts within the protocol agree with us that countries like China and India have to take on commitments to reduce their pollution and greenhouse gases. We need to engage countries outside of the protocol, like Australia and the U.S., to also make commitments. That is the approach we are going to take.

Health

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, even though silicone breast implants have been banned, barring exceptional circumstances, in Canada since 1992, some 24,000 cases have nonetheless been approved by Health Canada and only 45 cases have been denied.

Do these figures, which make us shudder, not show that we have a revolting and scandalous situation whereby Health Canada puts women's health far behind the financial interests of certain groups?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, it is important for this situation to be more regulated. The regulatory requirements are now clear.

I want to add that in the current context a doctor has to make the request. I believe this situation is clearer and promotes women's health.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health admit that the power of the lobbyists in this controversial breast implant issue and the fact that Mentor, the company calling for silicone implants to be reintroduced, was the subject of a criminal investigation in the United States in 2002 do not trouble him enough to uphold the ban and order an investigation to determine why the exception has become the rule at Health Canada with respect to breast implants?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, it is important for the situation to be regulated. That is now the case. It is important for Health Canada to protect women at all times.

I want to add in this House that a regulated situation exists and that we can defend women in this situation.

Atlantic Accord

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday there was a conflicting message here in the House over budget documents. The Minister of Finance states that, the Atlantic accords undermine principles on which the equalization program is based and undermine the overall fairness of the federal programs. Yesterday the Minister of Fisheries stood in the House and said that was simply wrong.

The Minister of Finance or the Minister of Fisheries, who is the skipper of this good ship Lollipop?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the member, being a Newfoundlander, should know that the Minister of Fisheries will always be the skipper of the ship.

We know the commitments we made, not only made but delivered to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Maybe he should ask why we had to wait so long to deliver to a province what was rightfully a province's own justification for getting good benefit from the offshore that his party should have delivered years ago.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, in Newfoundland and Labrador it is the skipper that we want but it is Gilligan that we got.

When the Atlantic accord came into the House that party did not even vote on it. Those members sat on their hands.

I will try this one more time. Will the Minister of Finance or the Minister of Fisheries stand in this House and answer to these accusations of unfairness in the Atlantic accord?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, we all remember the old Gilligan show. I just cannot think of the name of the parrot but I am sure it will come to me.

Let me assure the individual who spends more time watching television than he does following what goes on in his own province that we will ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador gets every cent it deserves and will be treated as fairly as any other province in this country. That is the commitment of the Minister of Finance, the commitment of the Prime Minister and the commitment of this government.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Perhaps we can get down to less seaworthy questions and something that will lead to more order in the chamber.

The hon. member for Markham--Unionville has the floor.

Homelessness

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in seeking to jail the homeless in 2002, this extremist finance minister enraged even his now seatmate, the health minister, who said at the time, such “half-baked pandering gives common sense conservatives everywhere a bad name”.

Jailing the homeless, viewing aboriginals as not real people. Will the Prime Minister muzzle his extremist finance minister, show compassion for the homeless and pledge not to cut their funding?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that there is a tremendous opportunity in Canada this year in our big cities with $800 million of one time funding to seriously address this issue of persons who need supportive housing and of people who have addiction issues.

This is a great opportunity for constructive progress with respect to a social issue that was neglected for 13 years by the previous federal government.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, such sanctimony, based on old money, a law they opposed and a man who wants to throw them all in jail.

It is grotesque that this minister who wants to send the homeless to prison is considering cutting programs for the homeless in order to build prisons.

Since the Minister of Finance has gone too far, can the President of the Treasury Board assure us that the homeless will not be on his list of victims?

[John Baird, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, providing support and services to the most vulnerable in our country is certainly a priority, not just for this government but for all Canadians.

The member opposite would be pleased to know that the important services that are provided to Canadians, that meet the priority of Canadians and that are run effectively will certainly be something this government will protect.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Fabian Manning, Conservative, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, under the previous Liberal government, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans spent nearly $300,000 to send officials to foreign conferences. We would hope that spending that kind of money would result in tangible benefits for fishers in Atlantic Canada.

Could the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans tell this House what, if any, benefits were realized by the spending of over $300,000?