Debates of Jan. 30th, 2007

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, on oil sands expansion by 2015 the Prime Minister has touted an increase in production of three to four times. His finance minister, while in China, was even more specific, targeting a rise in production of 4.6 times the current output.

Let us be clear on the implications. With these increases, the Prime Minister is preparing for greenhouse gas emissions to skyrocket. We will have no reductions by 2020 and we will have given up on our international Kyoto commitments. How will the Prime Minister meet even his inadequate, distant targets with his aggressive plan to exploit our natural resources?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the member opposite could explain to the House what went on at these meetings. These meetings were first organized by the Liberal Party when it was in government. We would like to learn more about that. Let us look at what the then minister of natural resources said:

The opportunities for Canadians in dealing with the energy supply situation in North America are wonderful.

Who said that? The member for Wascana. It was his plan.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is wonderful is the opportunity to manage them properly, not multiply them times five.

Any credible plan to address the crisis of climate change includes participation in Kyoto, yet Canada has a Prime Minister who spent his entire career fighting Kyoto and denying the science of climate change.

Now we learn that in 2002 the Prime Minister wrote a fundraising letter calling on his supporters to wage war on Kyoto, imploring them to “block the...economy-destroying Kyoto Accord” and saying that Kyoto is “based on...contradictory scientific evidence about climate trends”.

When it comes to Kyoto, is this the Prime Minister's version of getting the job done?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing about what happened at these meetings that the Liberals organized with the Bush administration, and Canadians want to know what the then minister of the environment knew. If he did not know, why was he so out of the loop?

This government is prepared to take real action so that Canada can do its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and so Canada can accept its responsibility to have cleaner air in this country. What we did not want to do is send a $5 billion cheque to where no greenhouse gases would be reduced, over to Russia, to China or to India, which was the cornerstone of the Liberal hyperbole.

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

Mr. Speaker, in the matter of oil sands development and reduction of greenhouse gases, the federal government wants to apply the polluter-paid principle.

Why is the federal government refusing to apply the territorial approach which would make it possible, when distributing the Kyoto targets, to make polluters pay rather than having others foot the bill?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government was very clear. We made an announcement last October. We have worked very hard in the last four months to draft regulations for each sector of Canadian industry. This sector will be included with all Canadian industries. That is very important.

We have had very good consultations with industry and the environmental groups. In the next few weeks and months, there will be real action in this very important file.

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

Mr. Speaker, in this House we continue to wait for real action.

The Conservative government constantly tries to differentiate itself from the previous government.

I would ask the minister, if he truly wishes to set himself apart from the previous government, why he does not agree to pay to Quebec the $328 million needed to put in place its plan for achieving the Kyoto targets. That would set him apart from the Liberals.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I was very aware of provincial needs in this important file.

After my appointment as Minister of the Environment, I called my Quebec colleague, the provincial environment minister, and told him that I was quite open to meeting with him and hearing about his province's needs. I also want to hear about what they want to do with this money, about the greenhouse gas reduction rates, and air quality. These are this government's two major priorities.

Aerospace Industry

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry said yesterday that there was no question of interfering in the Boeing contract, which he described as a private contract. I want to remind the minister that the $3.4 billion for the contract comes directly from the government. It is taxpayers' money.

When a contract for $3.4 billion is awarded without going to tender, conditions can be imposed. Why did the government not require that Boeing guarantee that 60% of the economic benefits would go to Quebec, as the Government of Quebec and the people of Quebec have called for?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to explain my role as industry minister to my opposition colleague. I think that it is misunderstood in this House.

Our role is to give our soldiers the best possible equipment, but also to secure high-quality economic benefits for Canada. What do we mean by “high-quality benefits”? Benefits that will enable Canadian companies to acquire new technologies, innovate and remain competitive on international markets. That is our role. We are going to act accordingly.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, why did the minister feel it was his role to require that the Boeing contract have economic benefits for Canada? Why does the minister set conditions when it comes to Canada, but refuse to set conditions so that Quebec reaps 60% of the contract benefits? Will he carry out his responsibilities as Minister of Industry and minister for Quebec?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the aerospace industry in Quebec and Canada is one of the most productive in the world. The Bloc Québécois should understand that.

It is insulting to Canadian companies to say that CAE, Héroux-Devtech, Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney Canada are unable to compete for Boeing contracts. These companies are accustomed to competing on the world stage, and they will do so under the contracts.

Child Care

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank all members. Last night was a very special night and I can only wish one for everyone some day in their own way.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

We will start the clock now.

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, real leadership is not just decisiveness. Most of all, it is direction, and to know a direction, one has to really believe in it, truly believe in it.

The Conservative child care plan, in every way, can only be understood as child care for those who do not believe in child care. It does not work. It cannot work. Why does this government not tell Canadians what it really believes?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, this government believes in something the previous government did not believe in, which is having faith in parents. We believe in choice. Within five months of forming government, the Conservative Party started to deliver choice in child care. Today, 1.9 million children receive cheques of $100 a month.

Thanks to the vision of this Prime Minister, we are delivering choice for child care. That is what we promised.

Government Policies

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this government has offered no choice whatsoever.

Yesterday the Leader of the Opposition asked the Prime Minister three times if he believed in climate change and three times the Prime Minister did not say, would not say. If we are going to meet the challenges of the environment, we have to really believe. It is too big, too hard and too long for simply political believers.

It is the same for child care, literacy, first nations, women and persons with disabilities: we have to believe hard to really get the job done. Does this government--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out that today in the House we are debating Bill C-36, a bill that will ensure Canadian seniors receive the guaranteed income supplement more easily than they have in the past, a bill that will ensure disabled Canadians will have a chance to receive disability benefits.

Through income splitting, pension splitting, raising the age credit and cutting the GST, we have done more in one year to help seniors than that government did in 13 years.

Aerospace Industry

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, I looked up the definition of “insignificant” and I noticed a major omission. It should have read “See remarks of the Minister of Industry during yesterday's question period.”

With respect to the Boeing C-17 affair, the minister accused all ministers and leaders who wanted their share of spinoffs for the aerospace industry, especially those in Quebec, of patronage and political interference.

Does this mean that the Minister of Industry accused his colleague, Michael Fortier, of patronage yesterday?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I would reiterate that, unlike the opposition parties, we believe in the people, we believe in Canadians, we believe in entrepreneurs and we believe in Quebec's aerospace industry. Quebec will get its share of military contracts worth over $13 billion. These companies are able to compete internationally and they can compete for the necessary contracts.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that means that every member of the Quebec caucus, including his friend Michael Fortier, is engaging in patronage.

If we want to talk about political intervention, let us talk.

The process to buy C-17s should have been open, transparent and fair from the start. Now we know the minority Conservative government has changed the rules to give a free ride to Boeing so that the Minister of National Defence could get his favourites. Something smells here. Somebody changed the criteria so that only one company would meet the new qualifications.

Who changed the rules at the last minute on the weight lifting capacity and who set a new schedule for delivery of the planes? Who gave the order?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I think he is going to win the actor's award.

Requirements are set by the military and they go through a process from a desk officer all the way to the Chief of the Defence Staff, and then they come to me. At that point I get the requirements from the military.

The military requirement was not changed after the Chief of the Defence Staff gave it to me. By the way, the weight I think was 39 tonnes and the aircraft we eventually selected lifts 85 tonnes.

Health

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health were in Toronto to announce yet another initiative with regard to patient wait times. After 13 years of empty promises from the Liberals and the doubling of wait times, the Conservative government is delivering for Canadian families.

Could the Minister of Health tell the House the details of this latest initiative?