Debates of Nov. 14th, 2007

Airbus

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, all three opposition parties agree that the ethics committee should study the Mulroney Airbus kickback scandal as well, because aspects of it fall squarely within the mandate of ours to ensure that public office-holders conduct themselves at the highest possible standard of ethics.

Will the government guarantee that it will tell its committee members to leave their anarchist handbooks at home and that they will not sabotage and undermine the democratic will committee with their shenanigans, their mischief and their hijinks?

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

Mr. Speaker, I know the members of this party always act with responsibility and in the best interests of Parliament.

The members of the NDP are never happy. Yesterday they were crying about when we were going to appoint the independent third party. Then they got that and they wanted a public inquiry. They have got all those things and they are still miserable. They should just let the process proceed.

Government Appointments

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

Mr. Speaker, since answers on the government's Schreiber-Mulroney cover-up are not forthcoming, here is another question.

Has the Minister of the Environment ever met with the current mayor of Ottawa to discuss appointing Terry Kilrea to any position within the federal government?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

No, Mr. Speaker.

Foreign Affairs

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after 13 years of empty platitudes, Canadians are proud we have a government that is putting Canada back on the world stage.

This morning we learned that Canada will impose the world's most strict sanctions on the reviled military regime in Burma.

Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs inform the House how this morning's announcement furthers Canada's foreign policy of getting results through principled leadership?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have all seen stories about the repression taking place in Burma. I was very pleased and proud this morning to make this announcement.

Yes, we will have the strongest economic sanctions against the military regime there. This is something we have done and the previous Liberal government did not do. As usual, the Liberals did not act on an important file for our country.

I am very proud. What I will do is be out there. I will be in Paris to speak with my counterparts. I will encourage our allies and our friends to do the same thing.

Airbus

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister admitted last Friday that he hosted Mr. Mulroney at Harrington Lake in the summer of 2006, as Mr. Schreiber's affidavit describes.

Could he tell us who else was there? Was it a table for two, a table for three, or a full banquet? Could he tell Canadians, unequivocally, that he or his representatives have never discussed issues relating to Mr. Schreiber with Mr. Mulroney?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government has acted with responsibility and has put in process a scheme that I think will work in terms of an independent third party and a public inquiry. If the member has any questions, I am sure he would like to direct them to that.

Canada Border Services Agency

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has finally withdrawn the charges against humanitarian worker Janet Hinshaw-Thomas, who had been arrested at the Lacolle border crossing, where she was accompanying 12 asylum seekers. She was charged with human trafficking when in fact she is a humanitarian worker. Under the law, the Canada Border Services Agency cannot act on its own and must obtain the Attorney General's consent to lay such charges.

Since the agency acted without the Attorney General's authorization, can the government tell us what measures have been put in place to make sure that, in future, the agency does not resort to these illegal actions against humanitarian workers?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, ensuring compliance with our law is the cornerstone of managing our borders. It is vital to the integrity of the immigration system and to those who come to the country lawfully that our laws be respected. The Government of Canada has no plans to change that current law.

Automotive Industry

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Siemens VDO, in London, announced the loss of 250 jobs. It is closing the plant there. Over the last 10 years, we have lost almost 2,000 jobs. This closure will have a devastating impact on workers, their families and the London area.

When will the Prime Minister start protecting Canadian jobs in the automotive industry and will he commit to cancelling the unbalanced Korean free trade agreement?

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with the automotive industry in dealing with those issues which the government can control. We are dealing with border issues. We are dealing with the harmonization of regulatory requirements with our American neighbours. We are dealing with other issues relating to fuel standards for vehicles, on a North American basis, to pursue the dominant North American fuel standard.

We are, however, clearly in a period of market restructuring, softening of demand and some change in consumer preferences. That will continue to work its way through the industrial sector.

Oral Questions

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, in response to a question from the member for Toronto—Danforth, indicated that there were terms of reference for the independent investigation into the Mulroney-Schreiber affair.

I would ask that those terms of reference be tabled in the House.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think there is a rule that when documents are referred to in the House, they should be tabled, and I will endeavour to do that.

Constitution Act, 2007 (Democratic Representation)

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-22, An Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 (Democratic representation).

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

Interparliamentary Delegations

[David Tilson, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

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 Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation to the parliamentary mission to the country that will next hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union and the fourth part of the 2007 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia and Strasbourg, France, September 27 to October 5.

Criminal Code

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-475, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (credit for pre-sentencing custody).

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to introduce this private member's bill on behalf of my riding of St. Catharines and our country.

The proposed enactment will amend the Criminal Code to provide that a person who spends time in custody before sentencing will be credited for that time at a ratio of one day of credit for every day served. The ratio may be increased to one and one half days of credit for every day served if, and only if, the judge is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances that warrant it. However, a person who has been detained as a result of a breach of a condition of judicial interim release is not eligible to receive any extra credit for pre-sentencing custody.

Convicted criminals should do the time for the crime for which they are sentenced.

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

Business of the House

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Secretary of State and Chief Government Whip]

Mr. Speaker, discussions have taken place among all parties and I believe you would find consent for the following motion. I move:

That, when Ways and Means Motion No. 4 is called today, a recorded division be deemed requested and the vote deferred until later today at the end of government orders.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the chief government whip have unanimous consent to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

(Motion agreed to)

Adoption of Children

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to present a petition I received from residents of my riding of Lévis—Bellechasse. It contains over 100 signatures from people living in Sainte-Claire, Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, Saint-Lazare and Buckland. They are calling on the Government of Canada to promote adoption through various measures that would encourage adoption in Canada and through an adoption network for Canadian children.

Income Trusts

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present this income trust broken promise petition on behalf of Chris Funston of West Vancouver.

The petitioners remind the Prime Minister that he had promised never to tax income trusts, but he recklessly broke that promise by imposing a 31.5% punitive tax which permanently wiped out over $25 billion of hard-earned retirement savings of two million Canadians, particularly seniors.

The petitioners therefore call upon the government, this Conservative minority old government, to admit that the decision to tax income trusts was based on flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions, to apologize to those from whom the money came, and finally, to repeal the punitive and almost criminal tax of 31.5%.