Debates of Feb. 1st, 2007

Maurice Huard

[Keith Martin, Liberal, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, coming back to Parliament this week, we were confronted by the tragic news that the House had lost one of its family. Maurice “Moe” Huard was the Assistant Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms since 1993. He passed away at the beginning of January after a very brief illness.

All of us knew Moe because he sat at the end of this great House in that fine chair. He served with professionalism. Moe was a professional to the core, reflective of the 21 years he served with honour in our Canadian Forces as a medic.

Although he was a professional, Moe had a contagious joie de vivre about him and dispensed great humour to all who engaged him. Moe was a part of the professional cadre of men and women who serve our House and all of us so nobly in providing security.

On behalf of the Liberal Party and all members of the House, may I extend to his wife Maria and his colleagues our deepest condolences. Parliament lost a great friend in Moe Huard and in this we are all at a loss. We will miss him deeply.

The Environment

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the Liberal so-called leader. He was minister of the environment, minister of intergovernmental affairs, president of the Queen's Privy Council and he had the ear of two former Liberal prime ministers.

Today, he cannot even manage his own Liberal senators. His deputy leader and his environment critic have criticized him more than the Conservatives do. He cannot make up his mind on who to have as a shadow cabinet, on where he stands on same sex marriage, on whether to let ad scammers back into the Liberal family and on whether or not Canada can even meet its Kyoto commitments.

My question is, what is Kyoto to the Liberal leader? Is it his dog or an international agreement on greenhouse gas emissions? He had 10 years to make Canada's environment a priority, yet greenhouse gas emissions went 35% beyond even his own targets.

This Conservative government will get the job done. This Conservative government is a government of action.

Rural Health

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a conference is being held in Drummondville today on rural health. Its objective is to build bridges between the farming community and the health and social services network.

It has been organized by the group Au Coeur des familles agricoles, a non-profit organization that works to prevent psychological distress among agricultural workers, under the theme "Getting to know farming better, to know farmers and their families better".

The connection between the general public and the farming community has grown increasingly tenuous. There is a clear lack of understanding of the challenges and issues facing the farming community on a daily basis. This conference will allow health services workers and community organizations to become better informed about those problems.

With greater knowledge they will be able to target their services more accurately and better meet the expectations of agricultural producers.

I am sure that this conference will be a success.

Quebec Sovereignty

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, With the author Michel Tremblay, playwright Robert Lepage and singer Jean-Pierre Ferland questioning the sovereignist plan and simply no longer believing in it, now one of the strongest voices for sovereignty, the president of the Conseil de la souveraineté du Québec, Gérald Larose, is saying there will not be a referendum during the next mandate of the Parti Québécois should it form the government under the leadership of André Boisclair.

We all know that the leader of the Bloc Québécois regularly consults with Mr. Larose, and did so as recently as last November regarding his position on the issue of the House of Commons recognizing Quebeckers as a nation.

In light of Mr. Larose's comments, does the leader of the Bloc Québécois agree with him? One thing is certain, the big names of sovereignty no longer believe in it. The Bloc is proving to us, yet again, its eternal powerlessness.

Carnaval des Compagnons

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to tell you about the largest francophone festival outside Quebec. The Carnaval des Compagnons is an annual festival in North Bay and this year it is being held from February 9 to 18.

When a few people got together in 1963 to think about ways to bring together the francophone community in my riding and to organize fundraisers, little did they know they were creating such a large-scale event.

For 10 days in a row there are all sorts of shows, sporting events, plays, traditional meals and a wide range of family activities. For many, the centrepiece of the carnival is Bonhomme Carnaval, the mascot of the event, whose identity is never revealed until the last day.

The North Bay Carnaval des Compagnons is a magnificent festival that celebrates francophone culture. I want to congratulate the organizers and encourage my parliamentary colleagues and all Canadians to put on their toques and mittens and come enjoy the carnival.

The Environment

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, two days ago, Dr. Gordon McBean revealed that when he briefed the Liberal cabinet in 2002 on climate change and Kyoto, an unnamed Liberal cabinet minister opposed taking any action, suggesting that the Liberals did not care about climate change, but only cared about doing things that would help them win an election.

Given his bragging record about the environment, will the new Liberal leader, who would have been at that cabinet meeting as the intergovernmental affairs minister, tell Canadians which Liberal cabinet minister made that remark? Was it one of the former Liberal cabinet ministers that he brags are still a part of his caucus?

Canadians would like to know who is this unnamed former Liberal cabinet minister who did not care about climate change, and if he is now the leader of the Liberal Party or one of his trusted shadow cabinet members.

Six String Nation

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Canada Day this past summer on Parliament Hill, a constituent, Jowi Taylor, introduced his project Six String Nation which is unique in the world.

It is a guitar assembled from 64 pieces of Canadian history and heritage, reflecting the many diverse cultures, communities and characters of the country: a piece from the Golden Spruce of Haida-Gwaii, Louis Riel's schoolhouse and Maurice Richard's Stanley Cup ring. It even includes a piece from the Centre Block, part of Sir John A. Macdonald's sideboard and copper from the roof of the Library of Parliament.

In recognition of both the unique achievement of this one remarkable guitar and of the role of all guitars of all the musicians and songwriters who have made their own unique mark on Canadian culture, I have introduced a motion proposing that tomorrow be recognized, this year and every year, as Six String Nation Day.

Join Jowi Taylor, after question period, in the Commonwealth Room to hold this beautiful piece of history. Members' portraits will join the 3,000 he has already taken at events across the country, which reveal the true face of Canada.

Government Programs

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

Mr. Speaker, organizations across my riding of Thunder Bay—Rainy River are outraged at the funding cuts made to the youth employment strategy. Dozens have written to express their concerns.

The Township of O'Connor writes:

—it is deplorable that the Conservative Government would make such a significant cut to this most valuable program.

The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre says:

The BizKids has taught over 300 students about entrepreneurship...in our community....If we are unable to receive a summer student, I am concerned that we will not be able to offer the BizKids program this year.

The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame writes:

—I am “living proof” of the success of this program...it was a summer job, funded through this program, that led me to my current position...and...having just celebrated my 20^th year as a museum director.

These testimonials and so many others express the value of the youth employment strategy.

I once again call upon the Prime Minister to reinstate the $55.4 million that he recently cut from this most valuable program.

Black History Month

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in 1926 a black historian in the United States, Carter G. Woodson, launched Negro History Week, which evolved into Black History Month in 1976, the year of the American bicentennial.

The City of Montreal began officially recognizing Black History Month in 1991, and the House of Commons and National Assembly soon followed suit.

Those public institutions share one objective—to recognize the cultural, economic and political contributions of blacks to our collective wealth. We will never forget that our history has been marked by the dreadful system of slavery, which cost black populations so dearly.

The Bloc Québécois is calling on the federal Parliament to designate August 23 as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition and to recognize the slave trade as a crime against humanity.

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

Mr. Speaker, today marks the first day of Black History Month. Throughout February, we celebrate the contribution of black Canadians to our national history.

Notably, Queen's University is recognizing Robert Sutherland, who, in 1852, became the first black graduate at a Canadian university and, at the time of his death, was Queen's largest benefactor.

Black History Month was created in December 1995 when the House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion put forward by my predecessor, the hon. Jean Augustine.

In 1993 Jean Augustine became one of the first black women to be elected to the House of Commons and remains one of only two black women to have ever been appointed to the cabinet.

It is an honour for me to serve as member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore since Jean's retirement. Thanks, Jean, for Black History Month and thanks for a lifetime of public service.

Member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently the Liberal deputy leader admitted, “People are prisoners of their past beliefs.” This must give his new Liberal leader fits.

Unable to change Liberal spots, let us look at the verbal crime spree that has landed the Liberal deputy leader in the political slammer for life.

The Liberal deputy leader supports the Afghan mission while accusing his Liberal boss of running away for, “political convenience”. The deputy leader also accused first nations governments of lacking, “the capacity to deliver rights, justice and equality.” Can the Liberal leader let him out of jail free? I hope not.

Unlike his boss, he also supports the U.S. in Iraq. “I've done so ever since 1992,” he said. He is a Liberal serial offender.

On his Liberal leader's environment record, he correctly said his leader, “didn't get it done”.

The Liberal deputy leader is caught in a prison of his own past beliefs. Now he is doing hard time behind the man he thought he would be. Talk about not getting the job done.

The Environment

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, not only did the Prime Minister paralyze Canada on climate change, notably by cancelling regulations on industry that he must reinstate right away, but he also attempted to paralyze the world.

When the world met in Bonn last May, the Prime Minister sent his environment minister to sabotage the conference. The Canadian submission to that conference said: “Canada will not support...more stringent targets in the future.”

Can the Prime Minister assure us that he is not sending his minister to another United Nations conference to yet again block international efforts to fight climate change?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition in trying to deny his own record is descending into plots and conspiracy theories.

The simple fact is that the leader of the Liberal Party had 10 years to get the job done. He did not get it done. More important, he has already said that even if he came back into power, he still would not do it. He said in the National Post last year, and he repeated it again today along these lines, “I will be part of Kyoto, but I will say to the world I don't think I will make it”.

He did not think he would make the targets. He did not get the job done. He never will get the job done.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, if we have an additional year of paralysis in Canada, in 2008 it will be very difficult to be on time for 2012.

It was not only in Bonn that he tried to sabotage and paralyze the world. Just last November, at another international climate change conference in Nairobi, Canada was again embarrassed on the international stage by the Prime Minister. Other countries slammed Canada for turning its back on Kyoto and they underlined the contrast with the Montreal conference.

Can the Prime Minister assure us that sending his minister to Paris will not again--

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again the reason Canada is not meeting its international targets is because of 10 years of inaction.

Let me read from the 1998 report of the former commissioner of the environment: “--the federal government is failing to meet its policy commitments--”.

She said in her 1999 report: “--additional evidence of the gap between the federal government's intentions and its domestic actions”.

In her 2000 report she said: “--it continues to have difficulty turning that commitment into action”.

I can repeat that for 2001 to 2005, ending in 2006 where she said: “It is increasingly clear that Canada will not meet its international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions".

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is increasingly clear because the Conservatives killed the plan to do it.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. We have to have some order. The hon. Leader of the Opposition has the floor to put his question. He will want to do that promptly as the time is running.

Afghanistan

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, It is not only in terms of climate change that this government is embarrassing Canada abroad. A few days ago, the Minister of National Defence adopted thevocabulary of neo-conservative Americans when he said that our soldiers were in Afghanistan in retribution for the attacks of September 11.

The Prime Minister has still not denounced those remarks by his minister. I will give him the opportunity to do so today.

Can he declare that Canada will always intervene in the world, not for retribution, but to help preserve peace and security for all people?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, of course, we are there to help the Afghan people; but, once again, the leader of the Liberal Party is trying to change the subject of the environment and his failures that are documented in the 10 reports of the former Commissioner of the Environment.

The leader of the Liberal Party has said himself what would happen if he were returned to power, “I will be part of Kyoto, but I will say to the world I don’t think I will make it”.

He did not make it and he still has no intention of succeeding in the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, how can the government represent Canada overseas if it cannot even explain to Canadians at home what we need to do in Afghanistan? This mission is not about retribution; it is about reconstruction. It is not about revenge; it is about rebuilding.

What is the minister of defence doing to re-balance the mission to increase development and reconstruction, so that our military efforts can actually succeed in building support for the Karzai government in the Kandahar region?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. It is Thursday; it is not Wednesday. Hon. members should calm down. The Prime Minister has the floor to give an answer to the question.