Debates of Nov. 30th, 2007

Natural Resources

[Gary Lunn, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. First of all, certain parts of Canada, such as Quebec and British Columbia, are blessed with a lot of hydro and it is up to the provinces to decide on their own energy mix. We do not take any say in that. But where there are provinces that choose nuclear, as does Ontario, it is important that we provide leadership in the safety and security of all Canadians.

With respect to the global nuclear energy partnership, we made it unequivocally clear that we will under no circumstances ever accept any nuclear spent fuel back from any other country. This is a good initiative and Canada should be at the table to ensure that we have a voice.

Citizenship and Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, a Federal Court ruling referring to the Maher Arar case has virtually nullified the safe third country agreement between Canada and the U.S. with respect to the treatment of refugees. According to this ruling, the Americans are contravening international conventions by not ensuring that the refugees they deport do not become victims of torture in their country of origin.

Given that this agreement would contravene the Canadian charter and international conventions that Canada has signed, does the minister intend to renegotiate the terms of the agreement?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, a decision was rendered yesterday. That decision is being reviewed and after review, appropriate steps will be taken. In the meantime, as I understand it, the safe third agreement continues to remain in effect.

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

Mr. Speaker, to prevent another case like that of Maher Arar from occurring, does the Minister of Foreign Affairs intend to negotiate a new agreement with the Americans in order to ensure that no refugee will be deported to his country of origin if there is a risk of torture?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as I have previously mentioned, the decision has just been rendered. The agreement continues to remain in effect. That decision is being reviewed and after the review, appropriate steps will be taken.

Airbus

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, somebody over there stopped a justice department review of whether or not Canadians should get their $2.1 million back from Brian Mulroney.

The current Minister of Justice claims that he had nothing to do with shutting it down, which leaves one obvious candidate. Was the former minister of justice, now the current President of the Treasury Board, the one responsible for protecting Mr. Mulroney?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, on this entire issue, the Ontario Court of Appeal has granted a stay of a surrender order. The issue is before the courts and it would be inappropriate to comment.

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, but I believe that was the wrong page on the briefing book. That was not the substance of my question.

Somebody in the current government decided to shut down a justice department investigation into the questionable ethics of Brian Mulroney and it happened on that government's watch. The current Minister of Justice says he did not do it.

My question is really quite simple. Who shut down the investigation? Who is the responsible party? Has this investigation been restarted and if not, why not?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is making some really irresponsible accusations in our view. Our government and the Prime Minister have done the responsible thing. There is going to be an inquiry into this issue and we should let that take its course.

Infrastructure

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, here is a quote:

We should abandon the infrastructure works program immediately and begin the overdue process of cutting government spending.

Who said that? It was the current Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

In the face of a report from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities demonstrating that our national urban infrastructure is on the verge of collapse, does that minister still believe in slashing municipal infrastructure?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary. When we came into power in 2006, members will recall that we put an unprecedented amount of money forward to be able to address the infrastructure needs in the country.

We sat down with the provinces and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to design the new building Canada fund, which is the largest infrastructure fund dedicated to municipalities and communities across the country. This is the largest one since the second world war. We are getting the job done.

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the building Canada fund, everyone knows, is nothing more than re-gifting. It consists of the Liberal gas tax rebate, the Liberal infrastructure program and the Liberal transit funding, all of which were announced by the previous Liberal government. There is nothing new here.

The Conservatives are recycling Liberal programs. While recycling is good for the environment, it should not apply to promises for our cities and communities. This cannot wait until 2050 like the government tried to do with the environment, because our cities need action now.

Why is there so much contempt?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, let us face the facts. The Liberals have been saying that it is their money.

There is $1.3 billion for public private partnerships. Is that new money? There is $2.25 billion for PT base funding for all the provinces for seven years. Is that new money? There is $8 billion of extension gas tax from 2010 to 2014. Is that new money? There is the new building Canada fund of $8.8 billion. Is that new money?

Poverty

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has been three weeks since the Leader of the Opposition released his uncosted plan to reduce poverty, yet the Liberals have only asked one question on this file, which the Leader of the Opposition said would be his main election platform plank.

It was the Liberal leader who sat around the cabinet table for almost a decade while child poverty increased, access to affordable housing decreased, and no action at all was taken on child care.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources tell this House what we have done to combat poverty in the 22 months we have been serving Canadians?

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have to know that while the Leader of the Opposition talks about poverty, this government takes action.

Our government has invested billions to strengthen vital social programs like income assistance, the working income tax benefit, disability supports, support for seniors, skills training, post-secondary education, affordable housing, $5.6 billion per year to support early learning and child care, three times more than the Liberal government ever spent.

It is not easy for the Liberal Party leader to make priorities--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. The hon. member for Ottawa Centre.

Afghanistan

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the total cost of Canada's participation in the war in Afghanistan is mounting. It is now pegged at $3.1 billion since the war's start in 2001. Yesterday the defence minister admitted that the costs of the war were inevitably going to get higher and higher.

Canadians are paying for an ill-planned, poorly executed and dangerous mission, a mission that has no exit strategy. Commanders admit there is no military win to be had in Afghanistan.

Could the minister tell the House what the total cost for Canada will be by February 2009?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this government has provided the Canadian Forces with the tools and the protection they need to maintain a high level of activity and intensity in a very remote and undeveloped region. They are conducting more joint operations, mentoring more Afghan police and Afghan soldiers and are facilitating long term reconstruction and development in that country

Unlike the Liberals who starved the armed forces and did not give them the right tools, this government is working to provide the soldiers with what they need for an effective mission in Afghanistan.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that I asked a very specific question and all I got was jingoistic ballyhoo.

Canadians want to know what the cost of the war is. It is too bad the minister cannot figure it out.

The cost has increased by a half billion dollars in the last six months alone. If Canada continues on this current track, the war could cost $4.1 billion by 2009 and $5.2 billion by 2011.

Last May, Canada was spending $10 on combat for every dollar it was spending on aid. Five hundred million dollars later, could the minister tell this House what the new ratio will be?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to know that the Canadian Forces do get the resources they need for effective operations in Afghanistan, which requires security and development, as well as international reconstruction. It is all about making Afghanistan a democratic country, and as a world member, it is absolutely important that we provide these resources to our armed forces.

The Environment

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with only days to go before the Bali climate change conference, the government's Republican-style sabotage of a global accord is becoming clearer. The Minister of the Environment is trying to replay President Bush's six-year-old message track that Kyoto is a dud because not all countries had targets. The problem is that the world did not buy the president's arguments and the Republicans were left behind.

When will the minister realize that the world will not buy his sad and pathetic story now?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, from that member, the Liberal environment critic, after six months of not asking any questions, the first question we heard a week ago was, “Can I please go to Bali?” I would encourage him to stop watching so much of the Travel Channel.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that is nothing short of pathetic. Where is Karl Rove when Canada's new republicans need him?

The hole in the ozone layer is no longer a menace to humanity because the industrialized countries were the first to reduce their emissions. But when it comes to climate change, the minister proclaims, “you first”.

Why does he not set the bar higher for Canada? Why is Canada not a world leader?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, what a pathetic question. We now have a government that has turned the corner of 13 long years of Liberal inaction. We have targets of 20% reduction by 2020. We have 60% to 70% reductions by 2050. These are some of the toughest targets in the world.

We need less Liberal lectures and more action on the environment. That is what we are getting from this government.

Forestry Industry

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Bowater announced yesterday the permanent shut down of machine no. 3 at its Gatineau plant. The workers who have been laid off in my region have therefore lost all hope of returning to work.

Bowater is also closing down in Shawinigan, Quebec City and New Brunswick. In Quebec alone, 1,000 jobs will be lost just before Christmas. The president of Bowater is not ruling out other closures in the next six months.

How many jobs must be lost before this government will take action?