House of Commons Hansard #50 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was federal.
Stockwell Day ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, I have addressed that question twice already. The communication that I sent was very clear. The lack of willingness for the member to come up with another question that has been answered twice now is a concern with which she will have to deal.
I made it very clear that with the Arar family we took immediate action. It was under the Liberal regime that he was put on a list. We have taken the name off the list, unlike the Liberals who left his name on there for quite a while.
Maria Minna Liberal Beaches—East York, ON
Mr. Speaker, women's organizations are alarmed, and they have good reason to be. The government is altering the funding requirements of the women's program. These organizations will be unable to continue their fight for social justice for women in this country.
On behalf of all women in Canada, I ask the minister responsible to do her job and intervene, before cuts are announced on Monday, to save the women's program. This valuable work must continue.
Will the minister support the program without repeating the silly excuses about eliminating waste in women's programs? Will the minister stand up for Canadian women or will she not?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, it is important to understand the mandate of the Status of Women and the women's program within the Status of Women. In fact, I would suggest that the hon. member opposite check her facts. Before putting a letter on the Internet where she accuses this government of cutting funding to over 500 women's shelters, she should know that the Status of Women and the women's program does not provide operating funds for women's shelters. That is a provincial jurisdiction.
Belinda Stronach Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Ian Brodie, has said that the--
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. We have to be able to hear the hon. member for Newmarket--Aurora. Some minister is going to have to get up to answer and imagine if they cannot hear the question, never mind if the Speaker can.
The member for Newmarket--Aurora now has the floor and we will have a little order.
Belinda Stronach Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Ian Brodie, has said that the organization, REAL Women, raises interesting points that warrant close inspection. This is a group that is anti-choice, anti-gay, does not support equality for women and wants to obliterate the Department on the Status of Women. This group's website even has links to sites that suggest that day cares do not care and homosexuality is a psychological disorder.
With budget cuts on the horizon, who is the minister listening to, Ian Brodie, the right-wing organization, REAL Women, or will she stand up and defend the rights of Canadian women?
I want to add that promoting equal rights for Canadian women is never a waste.
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, this government, the new Conservative government, listens to all groups, but not only groups. We listen to the mothers of children. We listen to families. We listen to those people who are contributing to the community, unlike the previous Liberal government that only listened to its friends.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, the previous government listened to more than 52% of the population: the women of Canada. The minister is wrong when she says that federal funds do not go to women’s shelters because there has always been federal funding for those shelters. The evidence is there. Groups that represent and provide services to thousands of women across Canada will have to close their doors because this minority Conservative government has cut their lifeline. Organizations have been waiting for months to meet with the minister.
How can she explain this situation to—
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, again I would suggest that the party opposite check its facts. The Status of Women has funded 15 women's shelters groups for a specific project, not operating funds. We do not fund operating funds. Consequently, projects are supported, not whether a women's organization has to shut its doors.
Marlene Jennings Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister has just proved that the previous federal government provided funds to women’s shelters.
My question is addressed to the chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Will her committee do everything in its power to ensure not only that the Women’s Program continues—in spite of this minority Conservative government—but that any possible amendments to the criteria for awarding grants will not jeopardize the survival and the work of women’s groups that represent thousands of Canadian women?
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, the committee has already tabled a report on that very subject. In her response to the report, the minister specifically acknowledged the program's value and its relevance and the critical support that it provides to a large number of organizations in their work to advance women's equality.
When the minister finally appears before the committee on October 5, we would certainly expect her to reaffirm her government's full support for these very important initiatives on women's equality.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Prime Minister made a solemn pledge to Quebeckers to do away with the fiscal imbalance. Now, the National Post is reporting that the Conservatives want a watered-down deal that would see only $1.1 billion annually transferred to Quebec, which is nowhere near enough. If we update the findings of the Séguin report, on which there has been and still is a consensus in Quebec, the Government of Quebec should receive at least $3.9 billion more a year to correct the imbalance.
Will the Prime Minister, who has an obligation to produce results, keep his promise and, in an upcoming budget, finally pay Quebec the additional $3.9 billion it is entitled to?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, we are following our plan with respect to restoring fiscal balance in Canada. As I announced in the budget and in the paper that we released with the budget for restoring fiscal balance, we will continue with that process.
We have been having extensive consultations among ministers with our provincial colleagues. We intend to continue that process through the fall, moving toward resolution and budget 2007. The hon. member should not believe everything he reads in the National Post.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, $3.9 billion a year to correct the fiscal imbalance is not a figure invented by the Bloc, it is the amount the Liberal finance minister of Quebec, Michel Audet, demanded on April 12. The Conservative government has an obligation to produce results.
Instead of trying to reduce the size of the problem, will the Minister of Finance acknowledge that in order to correct the fiscal imbalance, the government must pay Quebec $3.9 billion a year, and not a penny less.
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, what it will take is a modern approach, not an approach that is confused and dithering, which we saw for years from the other side of the House. We need a principled and fair approach to restoring equalization and fiscal balance. That is our intention and we are on track to do that.
Derek Lee Liberal Scarborough—Rouge River, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety did not answer a specific question put to him earlier today about the O'Connor report on the Mahar Arar matter.
The minister said that he had met with the commissioner of the RCMP yesterday. Did he or did he not receive an offer of resignation and did he or did he not accept it? That is a straightforward question. Could we please have a straightforward answer?
Stockwell Day ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, I was very clear about the meeting and what we talked about. I said, and I will repeat it, that we had an extensive discussion about the O'Connor report.
We also talked about the issue of recommendations and the RCMP commissioner informed me that a number of those recommendations had already been put into place and are being followed. He agreed with me and he saw that it was also positive that all the recommendations should be enacted. That is what we talked about. It is fairly quick action on a report that is barely 72 years old out in--
Stockwell Day Conservative Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
--72 days. It seemed that long because the Liberals took so long to do anything when it was under their administration.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the hon. Joe Handley, Premier of the Northwest Territories.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the hon. Kevin O'Brien, Minister of Business for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.