House of Commons Hansard #44 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, that is one province. This is a big country. The Conservative government refuses to commit to continue funding projects for emergency shelters and homeless people. Shelters are the last line of defence for preventing homelessness and many will be left with no choice but to close down this fall.
Will the minister stand up for Canada, invest in a federal homelessness strategy and protect the most vulnerable people in this country?
Lynne Yelich ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, the member must have forgotten that she helped pass the budget in which the Government of Canada allocated up to $1.4 billion for affordable housing. This is a one time investment that indicates $800 million to increase the supply of affordable housing, $300 million to the provinces to address immediate pressures on the off reserve aboriginal housing and $300 million to address the particularly acute housing situation in Canada's north.
Keith Martin Liberal Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, an essential component to the success of our mission in Afghanistan is the ability of the Afghan security forces to provide security within their own country and yet we have heard nothing from the government in terms of how many Afghan security forces are needed and how many will be trained.
My question for the government is simple and it is important for the exit strategy for our troops. Over the next two and a half years how many Afghan security forces will be trained by the government and how many will be needed for the Afghan people to provide their own security?
Gordon O'Connor ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question but I must point out that the member voted against our troops in Afghanistan.
Our forces and a number of countries are involved in training the Afghan military and the Afghan police. We do our portion in Kabul. We have a training team training large numbers of the Afghan army but this is in concert with other countries.
Luc Harvey Conservative Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, thousands of investors lost their savings in the Norbourg scandal. We know that the Minister of National Revenue cannot comment on specific cases, but perhaps the minister could tell the House what the federal government's position on this issue is. Does the federal government intend to take any action that might eventually harm these investors?
Carol Skelton ConservativeMinister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Louis-Hébert for his excellent question and my Quebec colleagues have made very passionate representations to me. I cannot go into the specifics of any case but I am pleased to say that this government does not intend to retain funds identified as properly belonging to investors. This will be determined through court proceedings.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, in August 2004, a ruptured pump at CEZ Inc. in Valleyfield resulted in the release of a toxic cloud that travelled as far as downtown Montreal and affected thousands of people. Today we learn that, at the time, Environment Canada had not double checked some information provided by the company; certain compromising documents had even been disregarded.
Will the Minister of the Environment agree to reopen the investigation to shed light on this incident?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, as reflected in my earlier comments, protecting the health of Canadians is extremely important to this government and Environment Canada. I am not aware of this oversight but I will look into it and I will get back to the member. I can assure her that any exposure I have had to Environment Canada investigative processes is done with the full integrity and adherence to the process of the law.
John Baird ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order to correct the record. I should have said let us move to accountability from corruption.
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, last week you intervened twice on matters of decorum in this House. Again today, a disgraceful gesture was made by an hon. member of this House. When the hon. member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine asked a question, the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre made a disgraceful gesture toward her. More specifically, he gave her the finger. Accordingly, I would ask, in the name of decorum and in order to maintain discipline in this House, that you ask the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre to apologize for making this disgraceful gesture.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, I was going to rise on a similar point of order to speak to the comments made by the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine. I believe that in the context of her question she made a very uncomplimentary and even unparliamentary comment about me. I take it as a class issue. She is an academic and a lawyer and I am a blue collar worker and a carpenter. She was trying to imply that being a busboy is somehow a derogatory remark. I take it as an insult and I think she should apologize to me.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Is the hon. member for Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord rising on a different point of order?
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
I am rising on the same point of order, Mr. Speaker.
As I see it, the member for Winnipeg Centre was asked not to create a diversion and, as a responsible parliamentarian, to apologize for giving the finger.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre can no doubt explain what happened.
The Speaker did not see anything happen at that moment. If the hon. member could perhaps indicate what the problem was and maybe the appropriate words could be said. We will hear from the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, in the interest of trying to get the attention of my colleague from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, I did in fact raise my finger and perhaps that was misinterpreted by my Bloc colleagues as an insult. If they saw it that way, I certainly apologize.
My colleague from Notre Dame knows I have great respect for her and I would never use an obscene gesture in the House.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, if I am not mistaken, the member for Winnipeg Centre rose on a point of order before addressing his apology, which I accept, for the vulgar and distasteful gesture. I would like, however, to address the point of order that the member for Winnipeg Centre raised about my reference to him in the question that I asked of the Prime Minister.
In the question that I asked of the Prime Minister, I did state that the member for Winnipeg Centre had shown himself to be an excellent busboy. I do not believe that to be insulting for the Conservatives.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. The hon. member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca has a question of privilege.
Keith Martin Liberal Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege that arises out of question period and the comments made by the Minister of National Defence, who said during his response to my question that I did not support our troops. In my riding, which has a Canadian Forces base, this is exceedingly important. The defence minister--
The House resumed from June 15 consideration of the motion and of the amendment.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. It being 3:10 p.m., pursuant to order made Thursday, June 15, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded divisions relating to the business of supply. The question is on the amendment.
Call in the members.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I declare the amendment carried.
The next question is on the main motion, as amended.
The hon. chief government whip.
Jay Hill Conservative Prince George—Peace River, BC
Mr. Speaker, there has been some consultation between all four parties and I think if you were to seek it, you would find unanimous consent to apply the results of the vote on the previous motion to the motion presently before the House.