Debates of Nov. 13th, 2007

Manufacturing Sector

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right that in the budget in March we acknowledged the unanimous recommendation of the industry committee of the House of Commons with respect to creating an accelerated capital cost allowance to permit 100% writeoff over two years of new machinery and equipment. We did that in the budget this year and it is important that we continue with that.

We are seeing some acceleration in the acquisition of new machinery and equipment. The stronger Canadian currency vis-à-vis the U.S. currency helps that as well. Now we have gone ahead in the fall economic statement and reduced taxes significantly for all Canadian businesses out to--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Beauséjour.

Airbus

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, for the past seven months, the Conservative government has been hiding a scandal that touches the heart of the Conservative Party.

In March 2007, the Prime Minister's Office was made aware of allegations involving the former prime minister, but decided to cover them up. In September, the same thing happened.

Will the so-called public inquiry have the mandate to determine who within the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office endeavoured to cover up this scandal? Will the public inquiry have a say in the consequences those individuals will have to face?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I think the government has taken a very responsible course. We are going to appoint an independent third party to look into this, with recommendations with respect to a public inquiry, and all facts of course can come before a public inquiry.

I have to point out on this new-found enthusiasm of the Liberal Party on public inquiries, when there was the worst mass murder in Canadian history, Air-India, the Liberals stonewalled this for years and would have nothing to do with a public inquiry. Now they have found that this is a great idea.

The Environment

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of the Environment came to my home province of Manitoba and demonstrated this government's commitment to action on cleaning up our lakes, rivers and streams by announcing a total of $18 million for Lake Winnipeg.

Lake Winnipeg suffers from excessive nutrient loading, which creates large amounts of toxic blue-green algae. For 13 years the Liberals gave nothing to fix the problem. They only allowed it to get worse.

Can the Minister of the Environment tell the House how that $18 million announcement will help Lake Winnipeg and benefit Manitobans?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Selkirk—Interlake, in addition to members of the Manitoba government caucus, have fought hard to finally begin to clean up Lake Winnipeg, a lake that was ignored for a generation by the previous Liberal government.

We will be able to restore the ecological integrity of the lake, which is good news for western Canada, good news for all Canadians.

The member for Selkirk—Interlake will be shocked to learn that the Liberal Party not only did not do anything about this, but voted against these funds for this important ecological restoration.

Airbus

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know that Mr. Mulroney was paid $2.1 million. We know that he received payments from Mr. Schreiber, as he has admitted himself, of $300,000, and did not disclose that prior to the settlement.

The Minister of Justice is now telling us they are acting reasonably and responsibly. Would it not be reasonable and responsible to ask him if he has begun to conduct an investigation in his own department as to how that payment was made in those circumstances?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the terms of settlement by the previous Liberal government 10 years ago, I believe, are well known, but now we are taking the very responsible position of appointing an independent third party. Given the parameters for a public inquiry, I think that is a reasonable and appropriate step to take at this time.

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest he is shirking his responsibility.

There are very clear provisions within the accountability act for the appointment and the use of a public prosecutor in these circumstances. I am asking the minister today, has he considered that as a possibility to look at who should be directing those, or is the director of public prosecutions in a conflict because he may be investigating his own department?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the independent third party could make a recommendation to that effect. We will leave it up to him or her to make those recommendations.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the government in the Senate has been a friend and confidant of the former prime minister for many years.

How can the Prime Minister expect Canadians to believe that no members of his government will have any contact with the former prime minister or his representatives while he is under investigation?

Although he is certainly a master muzzler, does the Prime Minister expect Canadians to believe that Marjory LeBreton will no longer have her daily phone calls with Mr. Mulroney?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, that question is beneath the hon. member, I believe.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

I guess there is some disagreement. Some members say it is appropriate for members of the Liberal Party to ask questions like that. I do not want to get into that debate today. I think a public inquiry is the way to go and that is what has been promised by this government.

Diwali

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Diwali is a celebration of the victory of light over darkness and the triumph of good over evil. It is a time for family, friends and community to come together to celebrate the achievements of the past and look with hope to the future.

Would the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity update the House on what our government is doing to join Canadians who are celebrating Diwali?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his support of this important festival of the Indo-Canadian community, particularly members of the Hindu and Sikh faiths for whom this is the most important festival of the year.

I know that members opposite have a hard time entering into the festive season of important community holidays, but this government and the Prime Minister are proud to extend best wishes for a happy Diwali to the Indo-Canadian community. In fact, I would like to offer complimentary Diwali greeting cards on behalf of the Prime Minister to the member for Thornhill.

Human Resources and Social Development

[Louise Thibault, Independent, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government did not learn anything from the Canada summer jobs program.

The new horizons for seniors program was also a victim of the centralization of power. In the case of new initiatives, projects submitted by organizations in my riding, in my region, will be examined in Montreal.

Yet, Service Canada officers in Rimouski are much more familiar with the local community. They are competent and capable of making good, timely decisions in the region.

Why must the decisions that affect seniors in Rimouski, Trois-Pistoles or Dégelis be made in Montreal or Ottawa, or the minister's office, rather than locally?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the initiative we have taken with the new horizons projects. We have expanded that program and added $10 million for capital expenditures. We consult very broadly to ensure that we get input from across every region and province and to ensure that only the most worthy projects get consideration for those valuable resources.

Airbus

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, no one holds a brief for Mr. Schreiber, but in the public inquiry the Prime Minister has hinted at today Mr. Schreiber will undoubtedly be a vital witness.

Could the Prime Minister assure the House and all Canadians that the public inquiry he intends to call will not be deprived from hearing from its prime witness, that is Mr. Schreiber? Will he or will he not be available to testify under oath?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, that would be within the parameters of the public inquiry, and we do not want to prejudge what those will be at this time.

I can tell the House that if the member is asking me specifically about an extradition matter, and I think there are members in the Liberal Party who would know this, it would be inappropriate to comment on that.

Employment Insurance

[Jean-Yves Roy, Bloc, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, seasonal workers from 21 regions in Canada will be denied five weeks of employment insurance benefits if the government does not do anything about it. The pilot project ends on December 9. In June 2006, the then Minister of Human Resources granted an extension.

Will the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development make the pilot project a permanent measure to help end the gap that seasonal workers find themselves in year after year?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance has pointed out, many thousands of jobs have been created across the country and people around the country have benefited by that.

However, we have tremendous sympathy as well for people in regions of the country where those jobs are not available on a year round basis, and we will consider the future of that pilot project in that context.

Economic Development

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, northern Ontario is larger in size than seven provinces and has more population than three. Yet 20 years after FedNor was created we face worse problems in a resource dependent cyclical economy.

My party is calling for FedNor to become a full regional development agency, stronger and community driven. Imagine what FedNor could be for the north with an independent mandate and a larger budget.

Will the government support FedNor as a full regional development agency and if not, why not?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, this is a matter that will be discussed in our caucus. However, for the hon. member, if the NDP plan is to have more bureaucracy, less control, less employees in northern Ontario as a result of his plan, then this caucus will vote against it.

Notice of Motion

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1) I wish to table a notice of a ways and means motion respecting an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 19, 2007.

I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.