Debates of Jan. 31st, 2007

Energy Strategy

[Gary Lunn, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the provinces are looking at expanding the electricity connections across the country.

I can inform the House that the Council of Energy Ministers right now is looking at this very issue and I am very confident we can make progress on this file.

It is also important that we put clean energy on the grid, which is why this government, in its first year, committed $2 billion to provide clean energy, to put 4,000 megawatts of clean energy on the grid after the old Liberal government, which claims to be holier than thou, did nothing for 13 years. Putting on a green ribbon does not reduce greenhouse gases. It takes action--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for York West.

The Environment

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the world scientific community is about to release a report that is unequivocal about the growing climate change crisis.

However, the Prime Minister, as we all know, has never believed in Kyoto. In fact, he has said:

“We're gearing up now for the biggest struggle our party has faced since you entrusted me with the leadership. I'm talking about the “battle of Kyoto”—our campaign to block the job-killing, economy-destroying Kyoto Accord.”

This is disgraceful.

Was the Prime Minister misleading Canadians then, or is he misleading them now?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we believe that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is tremendously important, which is why we intend to act where the previous government did not act. It had its chance to act and it failed.

For 10 years the Liberals sat on their hands, did more studies, had more conferences and achieved nothing.

This government will succeed where the previous Liberal government failed.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the failed record of the former Liberal government, as it relates to aboriginal affairs and northern development, is well-known to all Canadians. That fact has been made clear over and over again.

We are now one month into 2007. Could the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development inform the House what has been done to increase employment and economic development for first nations and for Canadians in the north?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his excellent and hard work on the aboriginal affairs committee.

Since January, a number of announcements have been made that specifically improved the lives of aboriginal Canadians: $2.5 million in Dryden in northern Ontario; $18 million to upgrade power infrastructure in Kenora; in the Primrose Lake communities to support the Métis communities, a $15 million economic development fund; and in Yukon, $10 million to support the construction of sewage and other road infrastructure.

This government with respect to aboriginal Canadians continues to get things done.

The House resumed from January 30 consideration of the motion.

Criminal Code

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

It being 3:07 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at report stage of Bill C-26.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #97

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I declare the motion carried.

Comments by Minister of National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to apologize to the member for New Westminster—Coquitlam for any of my previous words that may have offended her.

Oral Questions

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during question period the Prime Minister was asked 18 times whether he was misleading Canadians then or misleading them now on climate change. In answering those questions the Minister of the Environment continued misleading the House of Commons and Canadians by taking out of context comments I have made in the past as a professional. This is precisely the kind of conduct that Canadians have come to count on from the new government.

I would ask the Minister of the Environment to table the documents. I would ask all Canadians to understand these comments were taken out of context.

I would ask the Prime Minister again to answer the question as to whether he was misleading Canadians then or whether he is misleading them now.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to give the references for my comments in question period.

When I said, “if Canada does ratify Kyoto, the cost would be as much as $40 billion a year”, that was from the Globe and Mail of January 29.

When I said that the Liberal member for Ottawa South said that the Liberal Party was involved in a “medium sized car crash during the recent federal election”, that came from the National Post of March 23, 2006.

When I said “but when people see the costs of Kyoto, they are going to scream”, that came from Canadian Speeches, January 1, 2003, volume 16, issue 6.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I do not know that we are going far with this. It sounds to me like debate.

Is the hon. member for Ottawa South rising on another point?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Minister of the Environment for his extensive detailed research into my background. I thank him very much.

I would remind him on this point of order that the kind of conduct he is pursuing is conduct unbecoming of a Minister of the Environment. He should understand that Canadians are watching; his constituents and my constituents are watching. This does not advance the cause of climate change one iota. In fact, what the Minister of the Environment should do is prevail upon his boss, the Prime Minister, to answer the question.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I do not think we are on a point of order here, so we will move on.

Sponsored Travel

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Pursuant to Section 15(3) of the Conflict of Interest Code for members of the House of Commons, it is my duty to lay upon the table the list of all sponsored travel by members for the year 2006 as provided by the Ethics Commissioner.

Public Accounts

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109, I wish to table two copies of the government's response to the recommendation of the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts concerning chapter 7 of the May 2006 report of the Auditor General of Canada: Acquisition of Leased Office Space.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the 14th annual bilateral meeting of the Canada-Japan Interparliamentary Group held in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in Japan from November 12 to 17, 2006.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 28th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 28th report later this day.

Health

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Health entitled, “Proposed Regulations under Section 8 of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act”.

Employment Insurance Act

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-396, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (self-employed artists and authors).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this private member's bill because one of the largest contributions made to Canadian society is made by artists and authors. Like school teachers and child care workers, I do not think that artists are valued nearly enough, particularly as measured by their remuneration.

Artists also suffer another disadvantage in Canadian society. As most of them are self-employed, they do not have access to benefits that are available to people who are employed, such as maternity benefits, sickness benefits and income benefits as are contained in the employment insurance program. There are ways the employment insurance program could be modified to allow for self-employed artists to have access to those kinds of benefits. I think they are critical to them.

During the last election campaign we had an arts and culture debate, as we have had in the last four election campaigns in Fredericton, and this was the principal issue.

I am pleased to introduce the bill as a way of remedying the situation.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Procedure and House Affairs

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 28th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concerning membership of the committees of the House, presented to the House earlier today, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to)

Age of Consent

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition signed by a number of my constituents in the Sudbury County area of the riding of Fredericton.

The petitioners call upon the House to protect our children from adult sexual predators. They state that the age of sexual consent should be raised by the House of Commons from 14 to 18 years of age. They feel no adult should engage in sexual activity with a child under the age of 18.

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition on behalf of my constituents in Calgary--Nose Hill.

The petitioners are concerned about being able to protect their children from sexual predators. They point out that studies show that 14 and 15 year olds are most vulnerable to sexual exploitation, including recruitment from pimps. Therefore, the petitioners ask the government and Parliament to take all measures necessary to immediately raise the age of sexual protection from 14 to 16.