Debates of Nov. 23rd, 2007

Energy Efficiency

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the surplus expected to reach some $11.6 billion dollars, what does the government intend to do for the environment? How much of this windfall will go to energy efficiency programs?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, we are achieving real results. We are helping Canadians to save money and improve the environment.

Our average grants so far in this program to deal with home energy efficiency have averaged $250 per home, more than the previous program. Under our initiative, 95% of that money will go directly to homeowners.

We are proud of this program and we know it is serving Canadians well.

Montreal Planetarium

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a year and a half ago, the unelected Minister of Public works signed a letter of intent on behalf of the federal government for the relocation and construction of the new Montreal planetarium at the Biodome. Despite repeated requests from the mayor of Montreal, Muséums nature Montréal, the Government of Quebec and the Chambre de commerce de l'est de Montréal, Ottawa still has not honoured Minister Fortier's signature.

Does the minister realize that his government's inertia is jeopardizing the relocation of the planetarium and the $33 million in economic spinoffs from this project for Montreal's east end?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his interest in this project. As he mentioned, the Government of Canada together with the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal and private enterprise are reviewing this matter. I hope that we will find a solution in the very near future.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, could the minister immediately commit the $9 million from the building Canada fund, since $8.8 billion is available for the next seven years. The project needs $9 million. A minister signed a letter. They must keep their word. That is the fact of the matter.

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, when I hear the sovereignists talk about keeping one's word, I cannot help but think of René Lévesque and Jacques Parizeau, of the Quebec government, who went back on their word to officials. So much for keeping one's word.

When the Government of Canada makes a commitment and when this government promises to do something, we deliver the goods. That is the big difference between us and the Bloc Québécois opposition members.

Federal-Provincial Relations

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader has chosen childish name-calling over constructive debate with the Premier of Ontario about the government's bill that shortchanges Canada's largest province. He cannot support his arguments with facts because the facts are clear: Ontario is getting the short end of the stick.

If the minister really believes in representation by population, will he show a little respect today and amend his bill and agree to consult with the Government of Ontario?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, the problem in the current formula for representation in the House of Commons is that fast-growing provinces are severely underrepresented. That applies to Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. Unless we change that law, that underrepresentation will get worse over time.

For 13 years, although the Liberals introduced bills twice on redistribution, they did nothing to change that formula to help British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

We are finally taking the step of doing that, and that should be welcomed as a positive thing to restore the principle of representation by population. That was why the former Liberal critical said that the Liberal Party was supportive of this bill. It has changed--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River.

[Ken Boshcoff, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, do not try and divide our country. We support more seats for Alberta and British Columbia.

The minister has already had to apologize once this week for misleading the House on this issue, but he clearly has not learned his lesson. All he can offer Ontario is mudslinging. The people of Ontario deserve better. All Canadians deserve better. They want their government to work for them.

Does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs think this is how federal-provincial relations should be conducted?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, I have a high regard for the hon. member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, but when Ontario was underrepresented and his party was in government, he never raised one word once in the House of Commons about that issue.

Today we are finally doing something to give Ontario better representation, to correct a law on the books that the Liberals did not change, which punished Ontario. We are looking to give Ontario a better position. He, like that small man of Confederation, Dalton McGuinty, says, “Sure I'm getting more, but I want more”.

Guess what? We are doing something for Ontario. We are making it better in terms of restoring fairness for all these provinces, and those members should welcome that.

Manufacturing Industry

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been systematically ignoring the manufacturing crisis since coming to power. In Ontario hundreds of thousands of good manufacturing jobs are disappearing at an alarming rate. This is affecting workers, their families and their communities.

When will the industry minister take his rose-coloured glasses off, accept what is happening out there and put forward a comprehensive plan that will actually help the workers of the manufacturing sector?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the government has taken action, and I ask that member to support the government.

We understand the importance of manufacturing jobs. We have taken many steps to support this important sector. We have reacted positively to the 22 recommendations of the INDU report, which was a unanimous report. All parties supported it, and that member voted against it. He voted against his own critic.

We increased the capital cost allowance for write-offs. We have supported infrastructure, $33 billion, a record amount for seven years.

We are delivering on our commitments. That is something that party did not do for 13 long years.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the auto sector, which is one of the cornerstones of the economy of Ontario, is suffering greatly from the government's indifference. Shoving the problem under the carpet by refusing to act is negatively affecting the whole Ontario economy.

I ask the industry minister this. Is this indifference caused by the Conservatives' narrow, laissez-faire ideology, or is it yet another way to show their disdain for the Province of Ontario?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, again, this is the government that has acted for the auto industry. The auto industry has asked for partnership and investments. We have done that. It has asked for investments in infrastructure, the Windsor-Detroit border. We gave $400 million to that. That member and his party voted against it.

In human resources, we have made record amounts of investment in education, the apprenticeship programs, tools, education deductions, innovation and over $1.3 billion for our science and technology strategy. That member and his party voted against it.

He should stand up and vote to support good action for Canada's auto industry.

Income Tax

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently the Liberal leader had the audacity to claim that our government had not taken action to tackle poverty. That is quite the statement from a leader whose own MPs, like the member for York Centre, openly admit that the Liberals have not done well in the past in combatting poverty. It is also astonishing coming from someone who is against our working income tax benefit.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance please explain the importance of this measure?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Burlington for his work on this file.

Unlike the Liberals, we are not simply talking about tackling poverty. We are doing it through measures like the working income tax benefit. This measure will supplement earnings of low income Canadians to encourage them to work, instead of remaining on social assistance. We hope to build on this key first step.

The Liberals should stop opposing this measure and vote for Bill C-28.

International Trade

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, disingenuously the Prime Minister is attempting to convince Canadians that the SPP is about nothing more harmful than jelly beans. Unfortunately, his government's own internal documents, when they are not totally censored, tell a different story about a wide and dense agenda.

The SPP involves the giveaway of Canada's energy and water resources and the dumbing down, the worst thing, on lowering of regulatory standards in over 300 areas, including transportation safety, food safety, consumer and environmental standards. So much for jelly beans.

Will the Prime Minister respect Canadians and come clean on his dirty SPP agenda?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, in a competitive global economy, Canada benefits from strong relationships with our North American neighbours. Under the SPP, we are working to ensure Canadian firms continue to have access to U.S. suppliers and American markets. We are working with our neighbours on smart border initiatives, infrastructure improvements and regulatory cooperation.

It is something on which the NDP should be supporting us instead of going against the government.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we are smarter than that.

This government is working behind the scenes on a free trade agreement with Colombia, a country that violates the Canadian values of justice and human rights. Since the arrival of the new president, 560 Colombian citizens have been assassinated for the crime of unionizing. The army has carried out over a thousand summary executions of journalists and peasants.

The U.S. Congress refuses to support a similar agreement because of these abuses. Will the government stop talking business with a Colombian government whose hands are stained with blood?

[Brian Pallister, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, the key is the government understands we do not separate trade opportunities from human rights benefits. Human rights benefits can accrue to the people of other nations if we give them the opportunity to enter into trading relationships.

In fact, as opposed to the ideological protectionism that the member and his party demonstrate all too often, we understand that opening doors to trading opportunities around the world is a way to advance human rights successfully, and we will continue to do that.

Economic Development

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since the Conservatives came to power, 65,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Quebec. The forestry sector has lost 10,000 jobs since April 2005. These sectors are in crisis and the Prime Minister still has not met with the provincial premiers to talk about it.

What is the Prime Minister waiting for to wake up and send out invitations to the provincial premiers?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, the Economic Development Agency of Canada is helping with the diversification of the forestry communities, among other things, through its new CEDI-Vitality measure. Between February 7, 2006, and September 30, 2007, the agency provided assistance to 680 projects, creating 5,663 jobs in the manufacturing and forestry sectors of Quebec, which now employ over 11,000.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec read the wrong briefing note.

When will the Prime Minister invite the provincial premiers, as the Premier of Quebec has been asking him to do, to a public meeting under the media spotlight in order to discuss serious matters to do with Canada's economy?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, today the Government of Quebec announced assistance for the manufacturing and forestry sectors and we are happy about that.