Debates of Nov. 30th, 2007

Wabano Drum Group

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past October 7, in Niagara Falls, New York, the women of Wabano Drum Group, consisting of Allison Fisher, Bev Souliere and Carlie Chase, won in the category Best Debut Group of the Year at the ninth annual Native American Music Awards. The group's entry, titled Voices, has been a tremendous success.

“Our songs carry the voice of the land and as we know the honour of one is the honour of all,” said Allison Fisher.

I would also note that Allison and Carlie play an important role in the success of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health. Located in Ottawa Vanier and founded in 1988, the centre is a respected organization, which provides health services to aboriginal communities.

On behalf of all members, I congratulate them for their dedication and hard work toward aboriginal communities and for the talent that they have demonstrated with Voices.

Hog Industry

[Roger Gaudet, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the rising dollar has aggravated the crisis in the manufacturing sectors, but it is also affecting hog producers and exporters. From the start of 2000, the situation of farmers has been disastrous. Almost half of Quebec's hog producers can no longer make their loan payments.

In Canada, imports of American meat rose from 88 million tonnes in 2001 to 138 million tonnes in 2006, an increase of 36%. In addition, the Conservative government has stricter standards for our producers. At the same time, the Americans are imposing stricter regulations. The government's attitude is hurting hog producers.

The crisis highlights the shortcomings of Canadian assistance programs. It is high time that the Conservative government assume its responsibilities and harmonize standards for hog production. In these times, it cannot look out for the interests of oil companies alone.

Autism

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we know the government has a habit of ignoring motions passed by the House by the opposition, but it is really incredible when it ignores a motion that it supported.

Earlier this year, the House unanimously passed a motion to deal with the situation of autism in our country. The government sits on billions and billions of dollars of surplus, yet not one additional penny is available to coordinate with the provinces and territories assistance for children with autism and their families.

What is the government waiting for? The governments of Europe and of the United States are moving very quickly with a huge investment to assist these children with autism and their families, yet the Conservative government ignores a motion by the House to have a meeting with the provinces and territories to deal with a national plan and with this crisis.

Given the right opportunity and the right investment, these children could have an opportunity that all children in the country have. Autistic children are living in the most beautiful country in the world. It is time the government stood up and honoured that commitment.

Infrastructure

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise today to speak in support of our government's building Canada fund.

The building Canada fund commits the government to an unprecedented $33 billion in new infrastructure funding to assist the provinces and municipalities in repairing, replacing or upgrading Canada's existing infrastructure.

In my home riding of Peterborough, simply extending the gas tax rebate by five additional years will translate into an additional $26 million in direct funding to the city alone and more than $40 million for my riding.

Additionally, our government will be there to support new projects, which will build bridges, roads, highways, sewers and public transit. Municipalities were clear. They need our support to assist them with Canada's infrastructure deficit and the government and the Prime Minister are committed to providing them with historic infrastructure support.

The initiatives of the government have already led to the successful agreement on the FLOW project in Ontario, which will provide new transit lines in the GTA and complete Highway 407 all the way through to Highway 115, but we are just getting started.

Like John A. Macdonald, the government is building Canada, and our nation's future could not be brighter.

Willie O'Ree Place

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Fredericton's new Northside Sports and Leisure Complex will officially be named Willie O'Ree Place on January 16.

Born and raised in Fredericton, Willie O'Ree is remembered as the first black player in the history of the National Hockey League.

Willie broke hockey's colour barrier when he was called up by the Boston Bruins to play against Montreal on January 16, 1958. Willie played pro-hockey for 21 seasons despite losing the sight in his right eye after being hit by a puck when he was 21 years old.

This 50th year anniversary celebration is fitting for a gentleman in the true sense of the word. Willie is the director of youth development for the NHL diversity task force. He has set a wonderful example in promoting tolerance and understanding.

Congratulations to Willie O'Ree. He has made Fredericton proud.

Canada-U.S. Border

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today and pay tribute to our local administration at Blue Water Bridge Canada.

I recently met with Congresswoman Candice Miller from Michigan, U.S. border officials, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Blue Water Bridge Authority, and the local Canadian border services personnel to address issues that are pertinent to our crossing in Sarnia-Lambton.

One of the many issues that we discussed was the fact that although the crossing is served by both the NEXUS and the FAST programs, the hours of operation were not always convenient.

All attendees determined to address the issues and last week I am pleased to report that the NEXUS hours were increased at the Blue Water Bridge crossing.

As well as increased hours our government has announced that the application fee for NEXUS will be reduced to $50 on December 1.

Congratulations to all involved for making cross border travel more convenient for our residents.

Violence Awareness Campaign

[Raymond Gravel, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. That is the appeal being made by AFEAS. Ms. Mariette Gilbert, president of the organization, launched the 11th annual campaign to raise awareness about violence under the banner Opération Tendre la main.

The objective of the campaign is to denounce the murders of spouses, children and parents, which all too often make the headlines. In memory of such tragic events, Ms. Gilbert is asking everyone to wear a white ribbon during Opération Tendre la main, being held from November 25 to December 9.

The purpose of this campaign is to promote practices that respect the individual in interpersonal or professional relations and remind us that violence can take many forms, whether committed against young people, women or the elderly. AFEAS wants to make us aware of this daily, and often silent, violence in order to build a violence-free society.

Ms. Gilbert, my colleagues and I share your stand that enough is enough.

Foreign Affairs

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over the past 60 years Japan rebuilt itself as a peaceful nation and worked to be a positive presence on the international stage.

Canada is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Japan working to make the world a safer and more prosperous place for current and future generations.

Canada is particularly proud of the work that we are doing alongside Japan to help the people of Afghanistan to regain peace and stability in that country.

Both Canada and Japan are among the largest contributors to reconstruction and development in Afghanistan and we are encouraged by our strong people-to-people exchanges, nurtured through academic exchanges, commerce and tourism.

Over nearly 80 years of diplomatic relations are the result of hard work and the ability to resolve our differences. Canada is not one to turn a blind eye to injustices, but it also recognizes the importance of learning from the past and moving forward.

Canadian Health Network

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I recently received a message from Nova Scotia's Cathy Leslie who said this neo-Conservative government's cuts to the Canadian Health Network reveals, “some of the stealth being used to dismantle our national social safety net”.

Ms. Leslie said that we must oppose the cuts and shed light on this quiet death.

The health network works with 26 organizations—departments, universities, hospitals, libraries and non-profit health care providers—who rely on 1,600 specialists in the country.

How can a government sitting on a $14 billion surplus explain why it will eliminate funding for this program at the end of the fiscal year? Is it oblivious to how destructive its policies are or does it just not care how many Canadians will be hurt by its actions?

Status of Women

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Bloc sent Quebeckers a brochure about what we are doing for women, and once again, the Bloc Québécois is making false accusations about our government. In particular, it criticized our actions to fight violence against women. Let me set the record straight.

Every year this government sets aside $7 million for the family violence initiative.

Furthermore, 34 of the 60 projects approved as part of the women's community fund deal with violence against women, and that is only from the first call for proposals. The total amount approved for these projects is $4,465,962.

This government announced close to $56 million in funding over five years for programs and services to prevent violence on first nations reserves.

Our government is taking action and directly helping women. The Bloc has shown its clear contempt for women, since it has not suggested any positive solutions—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for London—Fanshawe.

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

Mr. Speaker, this weekend FAFIA, the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action, will be holding its national symposium in Gatineau, Quebec.

It will be honouring Professor Jody Williams, Nobel peace prize laureate, who has been recognized for her leadership in the international campaign to ban landmines. She will address Canada's current conduct on the international stage, as well as the recent global effort to establish a new UN women's agency.

The symposium will also include discussions on: preparing for Canada's upcoming performance review under CEDAW; an in-depth exploration of gender budgeting and how it can be effectively used in the Canadian context; and exploring how women's groups in Canada can financially sustain their work.

FAFIA's hard work to promote equality for women in Canada is critical. The changes made by the Conservative government to Status of Women Canada have made access to funding more difficult for many equality seeking organizations such as FAFIA.

We need changes made to the funding mandate so that more can access the funds they need to promote women's equality in Canada.

World AIDS Day

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, I rise to draw the attention of the House to the fact that tomorrow is World AIDS Day.

I am disgusted that this minority Conservative government has taken money out of the hands of Canadians living with HIV-AIDS by redirecting $15 million in funding to the Gates Foundation.

The Minister of Health must immediately reinstate this money and commit to never again tampering with funding for the Canadian HIV-AIDS community.

Yesterday, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health said in the House, “the government has invested $84.4 million in HIV-AIDS and that is more than any other government in the history of Canada”.

He should apologize for misleading Canadians by claiming the actions of the previous Liberal government as being that of his government and, instead, encourage his government to take meaningful action to fight this disease in Canada.

2010 Quebec Summer Games in Gatineau

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last night we found out that Gatineau will host the 2010 Quebec Summer Games.

I would like to congratulate the City of Gatineau and the members of the organizing committee, capably led by Robert Bob Labine, on the success of their impeccable submission.

The fact that Gatineau has been chosen to host the 2010 Quebec Summer Games is very good news for the whole Outaouais region, which will benefit from increased visibility thanks to such a high-profile event. The region has hosted the Quebec Summer Games just once before, during the summer of 1981.

I would also like to congratulate the cities of Rivière-du-Loup, Charlevoix, Vaudreuil-Dorion and Shawinigan who were also in the running. I am sure that it was not easy to choose just one of these excellent candidates.

Once again, congratulations to Gatineau and the Outaouais region. Three cheers for the 2010 Quebec Summer Games!

International Aid

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, late last month heavy rains and flooding devastated the southeastern Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas. Despite rapid Mexican government response, the heavy flood waters destroyed the homes of almost a million people and all of the farm crops, which is their major source of income. This week, more rains and flood waters could further devastate the already battered region.

In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, Canada's Liberal government was immediately present in a wide range of capabilities, from deploying over 1,000 Canadian forces to air and sea transport of medical and emergency supplies.

As neighbours, Canada should be stepping up to assist the rebuilding and prevention reconstruction of one of the poorest of regions in the Americas. We have the engineering expertise and the money to do so.

Recently, the Prime Minister vowed to focus his foreign policy on the Americas. Yet, an important poorer neighbour and trading partner has received scant attention and a paltry $500,000 in aid. Even far away Ireland donated one million Euros.

Does the Prime Minister plan to put his money where his mouth is and send further aid to Tabasco or is this the best he can do for a poor neighbour in desperate need?

Infrastructure

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week, I announced a bridge to results. The Strandherd-Armstrong bridge will connect the community of Barrhaven and Riverside South, while relieving 25% of the traffic in the Village of Manotick.

I did this by unlocking $35 million, that is a third of the cost of the future bridge, from a $200 million fund that was sitting in a federal vault.

The Liberal Premier of Ontario and his brother have both said that money should stay in a vault. They agree with a local Liberal councillor, Jan Harder, that the money can stay around for another day for potentially future projects.

But we need this bridge now. My constituents do not give a tinker's damn what fund that money comes out of. They want the bridge. They want the result. I will not stop until they get both.

Wireless Industry

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we asked whether Brian Mulroney and his spokesperson, Luc Lavoie, lobbied the government on wireless spectrum. The government laughed.

Now the Conservatives understand the trouble they are in. I ask them again: were there any meetings, conversations, communications or contacts of any kind with any ministers or federal officials, arranged or facilitated, directly or indirectly, by Brian Mulroney or his associates?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am familiar with the same media reports as the Liberal asking the question. It is of course incumbent upon lobbyists to ensure that they are properly registered under our new tough accountability provisions. The question the member raises is a question that should be raised with the Registrar of Lobbyists.

The fact is that our decision on the wireless industry was based on the best interests of consumers. We expect that it is going to lead to more choice for Canadians, lower prices for cellphone services, better service and more product choice.

Our government is delivering better results for Canadian consumers. Our decision is based on what is in Canadians' best interests, not any representations made by lobbyists.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it looks like Brian Mulroney was lobbying the government on a multi-billion dollar policy decision. It also appears he was lobbying the government illegitimately.

Why did the industry minister or the former industry minister not immediately report Mr. Mulroney's illegitimate lobbying to the registrar? Since the industry minister is responsible for enforcing lobbyist registration, why did he choose not to report Brian Mulroney's potential violation of his own government's Federal Accountability Act?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, this government introduced a tough Federal Accountability Act. It includes a lobbyist registrar who is responsible for dealing with lobbyist registration. The responsibility for registration is not the responsibility of the government. It is the responsibility of individual lobbyists.

But the fact is that on the decision in question--and that is the real question, the decision in question--and what we have delivered for Canadians on wireless broadband spectrum, we are delivering more choice, lower prices for cellphone services, more and better choice, more products and more competition.

Canadian consumers will be better off. The member would be better off if he recognized the fact that we have delivered results for Canadians.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the former industry minister was approached by Brian Mulroney. It may be true that the current Minister of Industry did not meet with Mr. Mulroney on this matter, but he did indeed meet with Luc Lavoie.

Does the minister realize that Luc Lavoie is Brian Mulroney's main spokesperson? In a $2 billion affair, why did they invite the Mulroney gang to be part of the decision-making process?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I said.

It is the responsibility of lobbyists to obtain the proper qualifications. The fact is, we made the decision in question, on the wireless industry, in the best interest of consumers. This decision should provide Canadians with more choice, lower prices for cellphone services, better service and more products. Our government is delivering results for Canadian consumers.

Foreign Affairs

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, explain this to consumers. Last July in Chile and again last week in Tanzania, the Prime Minister held private meetings with senior executives from Barrick Gold. Both of these visits helped Barrick do damage control over controversial mining operations that have had devastating impacts on local environments and have led to serious complaints of human rights violations.

Why is the Prime Minister going out of his way to promote this one particular company on the international stage despite these controversies?

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

Mr. Speaker, as is the case when the Prime Minister or ministers of the government travel abroad, we do meet with Canadians doing business and investing abroad. In the case of the trip in question, I know that the Prime Minister met with a large number of companies in a round table context.

However, I would say that the government has also carried out a process on a corporate social responsibility round table internationally. I know that the mining companies have a large part in that. This government has a strong interest in seeing our Canadian values of human rights advanced abroad and that includes by our corporate citizens.

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I guess it had nothing to do with the fact that Brian Mulroney has been a director on Barrick since 1993 and the fact that he is the chair of its international advisory board.

Mr. Mulroney appears to have been acting as an unregistered lobbyist for at least one other company where he serves as a director. Just how many companies has Mr. Mulroney been discussing with the government? Will the government table all records of involvement with Mr. Mulroney or will we just have to wait until each minister is subpoenaed?