Debates of Nov. 26th, 2007

The Grey Cup

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, green is the colour, football is the game, and last night Riders fans from coast to coast to coast celebrated a victory from the greatest football team in Canada.

As I speak, the Grey Cup is on a plane travelling back to Regina where thousands of fans await its arrival at Mosaic Stadium.

I would like to congratulate the Saskatchewan Roughriders players, coaches and the hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the Riders Nation on their championship season.

Head coach, Kent Austin, did a fantastic job throughout the year, and now the Grey Cup is ours.

Riders pride is alive and well, not only in Regina but throughout the province and throughout the country.

The Riders are a community team, supported by virtually everyone who has ever lived in the province. The fans are simply the best around. Riders supporters stayed with their team through the highs and the lows, and now the residents of Saskatchewan can be proud of last night's win knowing that a victory for the province is well deserved for everyone who bleeds green and white.

I would ask all members of this assembly to join with me in saluting the pride of the prairies, Canada's favourite football team, this year's 2007 Grey Cup champions, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Passport Services

[Joe McGuire, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Speaker, P.E.I. congratulates Saskatchewan.

For years now, Prince Edward Islanders have been putting up with inadequate passport services. With the new rules requiring Canadians to have passports to travel to the United States, the demand far outstrips available services.

It is unacceptable that Prince Edward Island continues to be the only province without a passport office. Receiving agents are not enough. They can only review applications, not process them.

Islanders who need a passport on short notice still have to drive to Halifax or Fredericton. This is not a short trip. It is approximately a 700 to 800 kilometres round trip, and there is the toll cost for the Confederation Bridge.

When the passport requirements extend to land border crossings next summer, the demand for passports will be massive. Opening an office in P.E.I. would reduce the workload in the other regional offices, would make it easier for Islanders to get their passports, and would free up constituency office workers to do constituency office work.

The Environment

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at the recent Commonwealth Summit in Uganda there was a lot of misinformation being spread by some countries that were more interested in playing politics than taking real action on climate change.

Some of these countries wanted to let others off the hook when it comes to reductions. The world tried that and it did not work.

The truth is our Prime Minister played a leadership role by working hard with his Commonwealth partners to achieve consensus, especially with the developing world.

Canada's position on global action on climate change has been clear. Any agreement must include targets for everyone, especially the big emitters like China, India and the United States. We will not accept any agreement that does not include all countries, because everyone must do their part to reduce greenhouse gases.

As for the criticism from the Liberal leader, this is coming from a man who let our greenhouse gases rise to 33% above our Kyoto target.

The fact is our government was very clear about its environmental policy in the Speech from the Throne. That policy passed, and that policy has the confidence of the House of Commons.

Asbestos

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, asbestos is the greatest industrial killer the world has ever known, yet Canada remains one of the largest producers and exporters of asbestos in the world.

In contrast, on October 4 the United States senate unanimously passed Senator Patty Murray's bill 742, the ban asbestos bill. In contrast again, Canada in the last year increased its production and its exports.

Canada allows asbestos to be used in construction materials, textile materials and even children's toys.

On November 28 new research will indicate the number of common household products where asbestos is used. It will also list those children's toys.

Our Department of Justice lawyers are acting like international globe-trotting propagandists for the asbestos industry as it pollutes the third world and developing nations with this carcinogen. The Canadian Cancer Society condemns asbestos and calls for its ban, as does the World Health Organization and the ILO.

Health

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, November is health month.

Tommy Douglas saw health insurance as a way to keep people healthy, and not only to get them back on their feet again when illness strikes.

November is also the start of flu season.

An estimated 10% to 25% of Canadians may get the flu each year. Although most people recover completely, 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians, mostly seniors, die every year from pneumonia related to flu, and many others die from other serious complications of flu.

Rolling up their sleeves to get a flu shot is the simplest and best way people can protect themselves.

I remind my colleagues here in the House of Commons that they can get their flu shots at the clinic being run tomorrow.

I encourage all Canadians across the country this winter to wash their hands, stay home when they are contagious, and roll up their sleeves to win.

Antonio Lamer

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Antonio Lamer, passed away on the weekend. This criminal lawyer presided over the highest court of Canada for 10 years, from 1990 to 2000. He was renowned for major contributions to law reform and especially for his interpretation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

He was involved in the landmark ruling that decriminalized abortion and he handed down decisions on native law that, even today, serve as points of reference. He also presided over some very political cases, for example the reference on Quebec secession in which he recognized the federal obligation to negotiate.

He was a founder of Quebec's Association des avocats de la défense and was the recipient of many awards including the Ordre du mérite from the University of Montreal.

My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Antonio Lamer.

Identity Theft

[Albina Guarnieri, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week the government claimed to be addressing identity theft without touching industries that traffic in surreptitiously obtained personal information and credit histories.

There is nothing to prevent retailers from violating the privacy of customers by selling purchase histories, unlisted phone numbers, and credit information to U.S. based telemarketing firms.

Worse, these firms are under no legal obligation to reveal the source of credit histories they purchase to target Canadians for U.S. credit card companies. Regrettably, the same information that makes someone a candidate for pre-approved credit also makes the person a candidate to be a victim of fraud.

I ask the government to take immediate steps to prevent companies from selling personal information without obtaining consent.

If the government is serious about curbing identity theft, it cannot allow a free for all in the possession and sale of the ammunition that makes identity theft possible.

The Environment

[Luc Harvey, Conservative, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the recent Commonwealth summit in Ouganda, a number of countries more preoccupied with politics than with real change have circulated incorrect information.

The Prime Minister took a leadership role in working on achieving a consensus with his Commonwealth partners, especially those from developing countries.

Canada's position on global measures is clear: any agreement on climate change has to set targets for everyone, especially large emitters like China, India and the United States.

Consequently, we will not approve any agreement that does not include all countries, because everyone has to do their part when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

As for the criticism from the Liberal leader, it is criticism from a man who has let greenhouse gas emissions exceed by 33% the objectives of the Kyoto protocol.

In its Speech from the Throne, our government was very clear about its environmental policy. That policy has been adopted and it has the confidence of the House.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the world agrees that climate change must be fought by firm targets and binding commitments. The world agrees, except for the Prime Minister of Canada and George W. Bush.

At the Commonwealth conference the Prime Minister stood in the way of progress. He sabotaged the conference.

Why is the Prime Minister leading Canadians in a race to the bottom on the worst ecological threat facing humanity?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister did is provide real and genuine leadership to try to get all the big emitters to accept binding targets.

Canada believes we have an important leadership role to play. Leadership means going first. That is why we have set aggressive targets: a 20% absolute reduction of greenhouse gases by 2020 and up to 60% and 70% by 2050, something we never saw under the previous Liberal government.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, essentially what the Prime Minister illustrated at the Commonwealth conference is that he does not believe in climate change. He has denied its existence his entire adult life. This time last year he was still talking about “so-called” greenhouse gases.

A person who lacks conviction cannot make courageous decisions for Canada or for the rest of the world.

Is there any chance this government will resist sabotaging the UN conference in Bali as well?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, much more than making good decisions, we have to take action. The previous government never did anything to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our government thinks this is very important.

Any agreement on fighting climate change has to include targets for everyone, especially large countries such as the United States, China and India. Why? Because the leader of the opposition never did anything to fight climate change. He owes everyone an explanation.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, instead of leading by example and agreeing to binding targets, the Prime Minister engaged in sabotage at the Commonwealth conference.

We want all nations to be part of the fight against climate change, but one does not lead by saying to others, “After you, you first”, when one is Canada. We lead.

Will the government refrain from sabotaging--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The time has expired.

The hon. Minister of the Environment.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, that leader had his chance and now he sits back on the opposition benches and wonders what might have been.

We are not prepared to allow the big emitters, the big polluters like the United States, China and India, to get off the hook. We need all the big emitters on board, everyone with an oar in the water rowing together.

The reality is he had his chance to stand up for the environment. The House of Commons gave this government a mandate and that member, as usual, was sitting on his hands.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister believes that everyone is wrong when it comes to climate change. The Commonwealth is wrong; the UN is wrong; scientists are wrong. However, in Bali, the world will discover that the Conservatives plan will allow greenhouse gas emissions to increase until 2050.

In Bali, will the world tell the Prime Minister that he is the one who is wrong?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that every major country take the real figures and take real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For 10 long years after the Kyoto protocol was signed, Canada did absolutely nothing while the Liberal Party was in power. The time has come to stop talking and to start doing.

That is why this government is going to regulate the major industries. That is why this government is taking action in many areas. That is something we did not see in 13 long years.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is exactly the action that is missing.

At the Commonwealth summit the Prime Minister's approach was, “I am right and everyone else is wrong”. When the Commonwealth turned to Canada and asked to commit to binding targets, Canada looked away.

The government does not want binding targets, because it does not want the world to know that its own made in Canada plan will see emissions rise until 2050. Is that not the truth the government wants to hide at Bali?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I can see that the Liberal Party knows a lot about rising greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

Let us look at what The Globe and Mail said on November 23: “any regime that would impose binding targets only on some emitters, and specifically exclude other major emitters, would fall well short of the international response that is urgently needed”.

This is a crisis of environmental and world proportions. We need all hands on deck. We need all countries to accept binding targets so we can get the job done for our planet, something that this government has committed to do.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, just as Australians were sending John Howard packing because of his anti-Kyoto stance, our Prime Minister had nothing better to do than take advantage of the recent Commonwealth meeting to sabotage an agreement to establish absolute greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. He even had the nerve to say that the Kyoto accord was a mistake that should not be repeated.

Is the Prime Minister finally showing his true colours as a big oil champion who throws his political weight around to ensure that no inconvenient plan to fight climate change is adopted?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, that is not the case at all. Some countries think it is a good idea for just four of the 50 Commonwealth countries to act. That is not our position. We think that all big countries should take action—that everyone should take action—to solve this serious problem and fight climate change. All the big countries must do their part.

Here in Canada, we are ready to do our part. We will take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, can the minister explain how big countries, such as France, Great Britain and Germany, will achieve the targets set out in the Kyoto accord? Can he explain how some big companies, such as Quebec's aluminum smelters and pulp and paper producers, have brought about major reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions?

Will he finally admit that he is more interested in protecting the interests of pollution-creating oil companies that are not doing a thing to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is simple. Great Britain, Germany and France began to take action ten years ago. Here in Canada, with the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois in Ottawa, emissions increased by 33% over the Kyoto targets.

That is why the time to act is now. All the big countries, such as the European nations, China, India and Canada, must take action, and that is why we are working hard on this very important file.

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Prime Minister embarrassed us this weekend and acted like an environmental criminal.

The Prime Minister is turning his back on the future and is following the example of countries such as the United States that prefer to ignore the much more serious problems that will result from their failure to take action.

Does the Prime Minister know that in so doing, he is working not only against the best interests of the planet, but also against the economies of Quebec and Canada?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago in December, the world gathered in Japan to sign the Kyoto protocol. That protocol required countries right across the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it did one thing badly. It left out 70% of countries with greenhouse gas emissions.

That is why we need to get everyone on board. We need to get the big countries such as China, India and the United States on board, but it is also important that Canada begin to act. That is why this government is moving forward with an aggressive plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, something that has been absent for the last 10 years.