House of Commons Hansard #39 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was adoption.
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the safest aviation systems in the world and the accident rate continues, basically, on a downward trend. That has been the case over the last several years.
Transport Canada constantly monitors the safety of the aviation environment and does not hesitate to take the appropriate action to protect the safety of the travelling public.
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Speaker, this morning we read for a second time an editorial in the Montreal Gazette about former Prime Minister Mulroney and his relationship with Karlheinz Schreiber. The editorial refers to three questionable $100,000 payments to Mr. Mulroney, something the former PM has acknowledge receiving.
All parties involved and all Canadians would like to see the facts on the table. The Prime Minister has had months to deal with the situation.
The Gazette states that his government would be expected to have some interest in the airbus affair, no matter where it might lead.
In light of this powerful editorial, is the Prime Minister prepared to call a public inquiry into this matter?
John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, the last time a Liberal spoke to this issue, there had to be a million dollar plus settlement, which cost taxpayers literally hundreds of thousands, well in excess of a million dollars.
The member opposite should be ashamed by asking that question. If he feels so strongly, why does he not repeat it outside?
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Speaker, this morning for the second time in the Montreal Gazette there was an editorial on the links between former Prime Minister Mulroney and Karlheinz Schreiber. Without a doubt, it is high time to answer the questions surrounding this relationship, questions that have remained unanswered thus far. All parties concerned, and all Canadians, would like the facts to be made clear. The Montreal Gazette talks about $2.1 million taken from taxpayers' pockets. It says the Prime Minister should address the Airbus affair, whatever the outcome.
The Prime Minister has had months to give us an update. Will he finally set up an independent inquiry?
John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member from Ottawa asked the exact same question in French.
The last time a Liberal member said anything about the matter, $2 million was spent on charges of false accusations. The Liberals had 13 years to make this request and they never did during their 13 years in government. The real reason they did nothing is because there is nothing to discuss.
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration explain why one gentleman, who jumped the queue by paying money, was issued a temporary resident visa from our Chandigarh office? To make matters worse, upon his arrival here, it was discovered that among his supporting documents to obtain the visa was a phony letter of support that claimed to be from my office. It was a fraud.
What will the government do to get to the bottom of this scandal?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, obviously we are always concerned about allegations of fraud. That is why we have an entire branch of the department that looks at those kinds of allegations.
I can assure the member that we are already looking into this situation. When we have more to report, we will report it.
Sukh Dhaliwal Liberal Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. minister for looking into this matter.
However, that answer does not cut it for thousands of deserving people who legally apply to come to Canada, either for a visit or to settle, and they are all refused.
The minister must tell us if he, his staff or department officials have changed the government's policy regarding the issuance of Chandigarh visas on compassionate grounds simply because some of his caucus members asked him to do so.
Has he changed this policy so political requests are simply rubber-stamped?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, that suggestion is outrageous. Tens of thousands of people are admitted to Canada through the Chandigarh office every year. The policies have not changed. In fact, what we request of the officers is that they show some common sense and some compassion when that is what is required in the situation, such as situations where there is a funeral or a pressing family matter.
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Mr. Speaker, in reply to a question yesterday about the increase in the price of nitric oxide, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health maintained that he could not take action because the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is an independent quasi-judicial body.
I would like to point out to the Minister of Health that section 90 of the Patent Act authorizes him to refer matters to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board for inquiry and to establish the time limits and terms of reference. What is the minister waiting for to take action?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to this House that the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is an independent agency with quasi-judicial authority. It is impossible to intervene in this situation because it is up to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board to make that decision.
Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my question to the minister as I believe he did not understand it.
The Minister of Health is authorized to refer matters to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board for inquiry and to establish the time limits and terms of reference pursuant to section 90 of the Patent Act. What is he waiting for to take action?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board can determine if the price is excessive. In such case, it is possible that it has the requisite authority to have the price lowered. It is a quasi-judicial board, independent from the government. I support this system.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, last week the sports minister said that his government had no money for the 1st World Outgames Montreal 2006. Happily, he was wrong. The Government of Canada is contributing some $1.5 million to these outgames, supporting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people.
Hallelujah, the Conservatives have seen the light. Now will the Prime Minister take his courage into his two hands and attend the outgames or is he afraid of the reaction of his caucus?
Michael Chong ConservativePresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Mr. Speaker, what I indicated to the House was that Sport Canada had not contributed to the support of the games because of a policy that is in place with respect to international sporting events, a policy, I might add, that the previous government put in place.
I pay tribute to any group of Canadians that gets together to encourage greater physical fitness and sport participation. Obviously, the Prime Minister's schedule is something that is often sought after and is often full, but I am sure an event like this will be given full consideration.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment has had 88 chances in the House to come clean on her government's plan for climate change, 88 questions and still no answers.
So far the minister has skipped out on a smog summit, snubbed environmental groups, bailed on Canadian mayors and questioned the very science of climate change.
Does the minister even believe there is a climate change crisis or does she agree with the flat earth society of the Conservative Party that dinosaurs walked the earth with humans? Which is it, the world consensus on climate change or the Flintstone theory?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his apparently 89th question on this issue, but he is still going down the wrong path. As usual, his alarmist and negative tone is only adding, unfortunately, to the good work that our environment committee is trying to do.
What the member is doing is disrupting the opportunity of the government and environmental groups to amend the most important piece of Canadian environmental legislation at the environment committee by working with the Bloc and the Liberals to disrupt any good amendments coming forward to ban pollution.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister has had 89 opportunities to unveil her plan in this House, yet we have seen nothing. The minister has instead ignored environmental groups, deserted the cities and abandoned the provinces, who want to reach their targets.
The NDP presented solutions for greener homes and greener communities.
This country has ideas for cleaning up the environment, but when will it have a government willing to put them into action?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, again the member is all talk and no action, by working with the Liberals and the Bloc. He continues to do that.
The Liberals have put the health of Canadians at risk for years. Mercury causes blindness and infant death, and the Liberals sat on the issue of banning mercury for years.
While the Liberals failed and the NDP supported their failure, our new government has brought in a new pollution law, within four months, that will protect the health of Canadians. We are banning 10 tonnes of mercury out of the environment in the next 10 years.
That is protecting the health of Canadians.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, our part time regional development minister is sullying the reputation of ACOA.
An analysis of ACOA funding by CanWest reveals that the Conservatives are spending taxpayer dollars to bolster the election campaigns of their provincial pals. This was clearly the case when the minister promised to dole out cash to a Nova Scotia riding if it elected a Conservative.
Will the Prime Minister order his misguided minister to stop treating ACOA like his personal political piggy bank?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, the faint-hearted former minister is obviously flirting with the truth on this matter.
ACOA has been set up to help deserving recipients throughout Atlantic Canada. Does the member opposite want the department to stop spending money in Atlantic Canada? He should explain to his constituents why he does not want ACOA to continue to give money to Atlantic Canada, to deserving, well-placed recipients.
Gary Goodyear Conservative Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, like all Canadians, hospitals too have struggled with a large tax burden left by the Liberals.
The Canada Revenue Agency has been reviewing the application of GST to hospitals. The Ontario Hospital Association says that a retroactive GST payment would cost them $90 million, money they do not have. Hospitals are rightfully concerned that they could be on the hook for GST, going back 10 years.
Could the government show its commitment to sustainable health care and end the uncertainty left by the previous dithering Liberals?
Carol Skelton ConservativeMinister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister of Health for his representation. The GST is a tax burden, which we are reducing on July 1 from 7% to 6%. I am pleased to announce that we are ending the GST uncertainty for Canadian hospitals.
We will not require hospitals to pay the retroactive GST tax. The government supports sustainable health care. Moving much needed dollars into health budgets is just one important way we are doing that.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, for over 30 years, National Defence has been operating unlawfully by not respecting the Official Languages Act. It is extremely insulting to Canada's linguistic minorities recognized by that act.
Knowing that the government must set an example, will the Minister of National Defence insist that his department comply with the Official Languages Act? If not, will he ensure that it is respected and hand out serious reprimands, yes or no?
Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, within the next few months the strategic language plan will be issued in defence which will provide clear objectives of the department. I believe that this will address the needs that the member has identified.