Debates of Dec. 13th, 2007

Afghanistan

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my concern is that those major decisions have already taken place in the Department of Foreign Affairs, obviously without consultation with this minister in particular.

The real issue is whether or not after 2011, as a result of the directive that has been given in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Canada will remain there until 2015.

As the hon. minister knows, we cannot have a question of development, a question of diplomacy, in that region without security. The real question is this. Is the government prepared to keep our troops there until 2015 or even beyond that?

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, again, we have been very clear. If there is to be an extension to our military presence, there will be a vote in the House. We are committed to the Afghanistan compact which does go to 2011. Surely the hon. member understands that our diplomatic relations will undoubtedly continue.

Seniors

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

Mr. Speaker, all working Canadians are entitled to the Canada pension plan and to the benefits when they retire. The sad fact is that 55,000 seniors who have the right to receive Canada pension benefits are not receiving them because the government has not bothered to let them know.

When is the government going to show that it actually cares for Canada's seniors and immediately get them the information they require to get the benefits that they are entitled to?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, the member is simply uninformed on this issue. The fact is the government is constantly doing outreach. We advertise. We inform seniors of the benefits that are available to them through senior centres. We go to homeless shelters. We are actually physically on reserve to tell people about the benefits that are available to them.

The fact is there are now 597 Service Canada outlets around the country that explain all the benefits that seniors and all Canadians can receive from their government.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government's outreach is clearly not working. In addition to the 55,000 seniors not getting CPP they are entitled to, 130,000 Canadians who quality for GIS are not getting it. The government has the names, the addresses and the phone numbers. Pick up the phone and call them.

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think we need to call them. I think she just did.

The fact is we are doing very aggressive outreach. The member has pulled these numbers out of the air. I can tell the member, though, we are deeply concerned about making sure that all Canadians who are eligible for benefits do receive them.

Pearson Peacekeeping Centre

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Rumours continue to circulate about the possible closing of the Montreal office of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre. Recognized throughout the French-speaking world for its expertise, the office was set up in 1999 to provide additional support for the centre's francophone programming and help it play a larger role in supporting Canada's activities within the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs assure us that he will continue to fund the centre?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, this government stands for good governance, democratic governments and human rights. The Pearson Centre plays an important role. There are no plans for the closure of that centre.

Ice Storm

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, nearly 10 years after the big ice storm, Quebec is still waiting for the $435 million the federal government owes it under the disaster financial assistance arrangement program.

How can the government justify taking so long to reimburse Quebec when it has compensated Alberta for the flooding in 2005, British Columbia for the forest fires in 2003 and Manitoba for the flooding of the Red River in 1997? Could it be because Quebec is not in western Canada?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, since the terrible storm in 1998, the government has made eight payments to the Province of Quebec, for a total of $525,000. With our auditors, we are continuing to receive receipts from officials in Quebec so that we can make further payments. We are working with them.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, at the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans former top bureaucrats stated that the new NAFO convention was a bad deal for east coast fisheries.

The ADM of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans told the same committee that it is a significant international treaty, but the Conservatives' 2006 throne speech promised, “Significant international treaties will be submitted for votes in Parliament”.

I respectfully ask the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, when will he bring the amended NAFO convention before the House for a full debate and a vote?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, a number of senators, who have not been at sea lately, were completely bamboozled by a number of former bureaucrats who were at the helm of the department when the management of the fisheries went completely on the rocks.

Instead of sitting in on such meetings and taking notes, the member should go home, talk to the representatives of fishermen and plant workers, representatives of industry, and representatives of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, all of whom support the present convention.

International Aid

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware of the major natural disasters that occur around the world. We know that Canada's government made its largest contribution this year to aid the victims of the cyclone in Bangladesh. But there are lesser known catastrophes that do not garner national media attention. The United Nations central emergency response fund was set up to deal with these emergencies.

Can the Minister of International Cooperation tell the House what Canada's government is doing to aid this organization?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right. Natural disasters around the world affect hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable, particularly those in developing countries.

Canada has responded to flooding and tropical storms in East and West Africa, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Through the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund rapid response is available.

Today, Canada's government announced $192 million toward the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, so it can continue to do its work.

Natural Resources

[Catherine Bell, NDP, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, day after day raw logs are exported from my riding, shipped worldwide to be turned into floors, furniture and other products. The government will not stop this from happening. Now we hear of a plan to export raw oil to the U.S.

Why would the government endorse a raw oil pipeline that would outsource Canadian jobs? Has it not learned from the dire situation facing mills and wood processors across Canada? Why is it endorsing raw oil pipelines to other countries and hurting Canadian jobs?

[Gary Lunn, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the member has her facts quite mixed up and quite wrong.

In fact, we do upgrade our oil and gas sector here and it is shipped primarily to the United States. It contributes enormously to our economy and our way of life.

[Catherine Bell, NDP, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there are five major pipelines in the works to export raw oil from Alberta to the U.S. and Asia to be processed. One project will need to break the longstanding tanker moratorium off the coast of B.C. to proceed.

These pipelines create no jobs for Canadian workers, reduce energy security, and hinder investment and job creation in the Canadian energy sector.

Will the minister confirm that his government wants to break the longstanding tanker moratorium and at the same time ship jobs offshore--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Minister of Natural Resources.

[Gary Lunn, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. We are not lifting any restrictions with respect to tanker traffic, full stop.

I want to talk about what this government has succeeded in doing. We are the first government to take action to stop the City of Victoria from pumping raw sewage into the ocean.

Our Minister of Transport has banned the discharge of untreated sewage from marine vessels in marine waters.

The Minister of the Environment took immediate action in cleaning up Stanley Park.

This government contributed to protecting the Great Bear Rainforest off the coast of British Columbia.

This government has done more for B.C. waters, more for the marine environment than any other government ever.

Health

[Shawn Murphy, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, last March, members of the Conservative Party voted in favour of a Liberal motion calling on the government to meet with the provincial ministers of health and develop a national strategy on autism. During debate the Parliamentary Secretary for Health promised Canadians that this meeting would be held before the end of this year.

Could the Minister of Health now explain why Parliament is being ignored? Why Canadians are being ignored? Why this motion is being ignored, and why nothing is being done to assist Canadian families struggling with autism?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth.

There are many families who are struggling with autism across this country and we recognize that. That is why this government established the first national chair in autism research. That is why we hosted a national symposium to ensure that knowledge and research is shared across this country.

That is why we fulfilled every point of the five point plan of our national strategy for autism, which has never been done before. We delivered on our promises when it came to the parents of children with autism and indeed we are working with them.

I cannot hide the fact that the meeting of health ministers is not occurring this year. There was an election in Saskatchewan--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Barrie.

The Environment

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of the Environment delivered Canada's country statement at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Indonesia. Last night, Canada's environment minister told the world that Canada has already felt the impact of global warming and we believe wholeheartedly in the commonly accepted science behind it.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment please tell the House how the government is taking a leadership role on the international stage?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment delivered a well-received speech at the climate change conference. He said:

Canada is committed to action...the world has an opportunity to set ourselves on the right course--an opportunity to launch a new negotiation process that will bring us closer to achieving the goals of the world community.

Let us agree to put the greater good ahead of our individual needs and work together to reach a consensus for the future of our planet.

That is true leadership.

I wish every member a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

That will bring to a conclusion question periods for 2007.

The opposition House leader appears to want to ask the Thursday question. It seems the government House leader is keen to respond, so we will have the Thursday question even though we are not sitting for a while.