Debates of Feb. 13th, 2007

Tire Manufacturing Industry

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Henri Massé, of the FTQ, contends that the Prime Minister does not want to provide any money to save the Goodyear plant because he is opposed to government intervention. Beyond any principle, a whole region is being threatened by the closing of the Goodyear plant.

What is the Minister of Industry waiting for to do his job and fight to save the 800 jobs at the Goodyear plant? Does he intend to act as he did with Boeing and allow market forces to decide without doing anything?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, I recently met with the mayor of the city, as well as with union representatives and other socio-economic stakeholders. As a matter off fact, tomorrow night, my colleague, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, will be going to Salaberry-de-Valleyfield to announce, with the Quebec government, a plan to try to keep the jobs in that region.

Government Programs

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians are being left behind in the Conservative government's push to steer Canada toward a right wing, narrow, ideological path.

Let us take the homeless. Shelters are closing because funding is in limbo. The homeless are being turned back into the cold.

When will the minister stop playing partisan politics with the most vulnerable in our society? When will the minister step up to the plate and have an inclusive plan, a national plan, for the homeless?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member has her facts wrong. On Friday, the government announced that there would be transition funding to ensure that projects underway already under the national homelessness initiative would continue until they were completed. Then, on April 1, the new homelessness partnering strategy will begin.

The government will not cut $25 billion out of the Canada social transfers that hurt the disabled, the homeless and the aged. That is the Liberal record.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is it was a piecemeal approach. The Conservative government has taken no action, has no plan and has shown no leadership when it comes to the homeless in our country.

Let us take a look at the minister's track record. He is the same minister who voted against the child tax benefit. He is the same minister who voted against increased funding for children. He has not created a single child care space. Now the homeless are being ignored by the Conservative government.

Why is it that the Conservative government likes to pick on the most vulnerable? Why is it that there are more losers than winners in Stephen Harper's Canada?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Brampton—Springdale knows very well that using member's names is not a good idea in the House. It is contrary to our practice. She will want to ensure that she refers to members by their title or constituency name in future.

The hon. the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government moved very quickly to ensure that Canadians had choice in child care. In fact, within four months of coming into office, 1.4 million families were receiving cheques, benefiting 1.9 million Canadian children.

What is disturbing is that member sat idle while her leader said back in October that he was prepared to cut that transfer if he became prime minister. He would take that money away from Canadian families. He would take choice away from Canadian families.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are the victims of the Conservative government's narrow-minded, right wing ideology.

The government is stacking the judicial appointments committees and the courts. It killed the court challenges program because it helped those who did not share its social conservative agenda. Now students, looking for summer jobs, are victims of the $55 million cut to the summer career placement program as are worthy community organizations across the country.

Why does the Conservative ideology include cutting jobs for students?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is kind of hilarious that the member would be concerned about a few million dollars in cuts to summer career placement. When it came to billions of dollars in cuts to the Canada social transfer to the disabled, to the elderly, to students, he said nothing.

The fact is jobs are being created today for students and everyone under the leadership of our finance minister. Last month we created 89,000 jobs. The economy is on fire thanks to the leadership of the finance minister.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we can see the government's social conservative colours shining through by looking at who is suffering because of its actions. We have students without jobs, families without homes, discrimination victims with nowhere to turn, parents with no child care and there does not seem to be any help on the way.

Only one of the $3.6 billion in cuts that the government has planned has been announced. It is getting worse. Who will be the next victims of these cuts?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government has acted very quickly to address the needs of disadvantaged people. It was this government that announced $1.4 billion to go toward housing in Canada. In December $270 million to the homelessness partnering strategy was announced. In the House today, Bill C-36 in committee will deliver more benefits to disabled Canadians.

Guess what? The common denominator to all of those things is the fact that the Liberals voted against them. That is the hypocrisy of the Liberal Party.

Canadian Forces

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard troubling news that widows of Canada's brave men and women who had served in Afghanistan were being denied benefits related to mortgage insurance claims. The finance minister stated yesterday that he would raise this issue with Canadian banks.

Could the minister update the House on any response he may have received?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, this issue was raised in the House yesterday. I said that I had written to the financial institutions and I would report back to the House as soon as I heard from them.

I have heard from the financial institutions. I am pleased to advise the House that the Canadian Bankers Association has confirmed that in most instances the policies, which are underwritten by insurance companies, do not include any war related exclusions and where such exclusions exist, the banks are waiving the exclusions for soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

I have received similar confirmation from Manulife that it will not rely on such clauses to deny otherwise valid claims.

Canadian Television Fund

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after a month of inaction, the Minister of Canadian Heritage sent a letter to Vidéotron and Shaw. How polite. Yet yesterday, Vidéotron issued a statement in defiance of all the rules. The company does not intend to support the fund and will not comply with the conditions of its licence.

My question is simple. Who is in charge of heritage policy—Vidéotron or the minister?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. Perhaps hon. members could contain their joy at having the minister rise to answer the question. We have to be able to hear his answer.

The Minister of Industry has the floor. Order please.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand the opposition members' reaction. This is a serious problem. I would like to tell my colleagues that the government is determined to protect Canadian content in radio and television broadcasts. This is very important for Canada's new government. The laws must be respected. As the Minister of Canadian Heritage said this morning in committee, all stakeholders must obey the law, and stakeholders like Shaw and Vidéotron must make their monthly contributions as the law dictates. The CRTC must take the necessary measures to ensure that happens.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the CTF crisis is a power play by industry, which believes the minister is either unwilling or unable to stand up for her portfolio, as we have seen right here. No wonder. She has been missing in action on every key file under her jurisdiction, from museums, women's centres, aboriginal languages programs. We have never had a heritage minister so closely tied to lobbyists and industry. They are even rewriting the terms of their licenses.

I ask the government to maybe save the taxpayers some money and ask that limo-riding phantom to step down.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes its responsibilities. It recognizes that there needs to be stability, not only in how it carries out its responsibilities but in how the agencies do their work.

This is a serious situation. We respect the fact that all licensees must respect the regulations and play by the rules. The CRTC has responsibilities and it will take appropriate action, which is why I have asked Shaw and Vidéotron to resume monthly payments immediately.

[Tina Keeper, Liberal, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Quebecor announced that instead of making contributions to the Canadian television fund, it would create an independent fund for its own television productions.

Losing its contribution in accordance with the CRTC guideline would be the end of the CTF. Artist unions and other stakeholders fear that the private interests are taking over the government initiatives.

Will the minister put her foot down right away and stop the destruction of the Canadian television fund?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, as I told the hon. member at committee this morning, and I am telling the House again, the government is committed to Canadian programming and the Canadian Broadcasting System.

We recognize the seriousness of the situation but we also respect the responsibilities of the CRTC and the government. We are confident that the CRTC will take appropriate action, which is why I have asked Shaw and Vidéotron to resume their monthly payments. I know the CRTC will be acting.

[Tina Keeper, Liberal, Churchill, MB]

In a letter, Mr. Speaker, two months too late. Even the CRTC said today that it is up to the minister to help resolve this, not ignore it. We still have two of Canada's largest media companies trying to sabotage the television fund.

Why has the minister ignored her responsibility and allowed Shaw and Vidéotron to renege on their obligation to the fund?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, it was pointed out this morning that the best way to move a resolution to this very serious situation forward is for all parties to work constructively and in cooperation.

As I said before, this is a serious situation and we must respect the laws. The first action that must be taken is for everyone to respect the rules and the laws, which is why I have asked Shaw and Vidéotron to resume their monthly payments.