Debates of Feb. 16th, 2007

Tourism Industry

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the government has no plan for the manufacturing sector and now it is attacking the tourism industry. Six thousand people could lose their jobs this year because of the government's plan to cancel the visitor rebate program.

Why does the government want Canada to be the only OECD country with a national consumption tax that does not offer a visitor rebate program?

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is misrepresenting the situation. The fact is the visitor rebate program was only taken up by 3% of visitors, and the member knows this very well. This program was not working and it was not giving value for money. Therefore, the government is changing the program.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should listen to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. It says that this cut will cost thousands of jobs. In fact, the Hotel Association of Canada has conducted analysis to indicate that this decision will cost the government millions of dollars of lost tax revenue due to the reduction in tourism numbers. Due to the HST, Atlantic Canada will be hit the hardest.

Will the government perhaps consider a private operator for the program or reverse the decision to cancel the visitor rebate program and save thousands of jobs in the Canadian tourism industry?

[Diane Ablonczy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the member should listen to his own premier, the Premier of Nova Scotia, who said:

I don't think that visitors make their decision based on that rebate...They come to Nova Scotia for the scenery, the people, the experience of what Nova Scotia's all about.

Textile and Clothing Industry

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one of the manufacturing sectors most harshly affected by job losses due to globalization is the clothing and textile sector. The previous Liberal government had implemented measures to help this industry become more competitive, with the CANtex program for example. Far from helping this industry, the Conservative government has cut its funding. Last fall, $25 million was cut from this program.

Why is this government trying to destroy this industry? Why does it not have a plan?

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about job losses in any manufacturing sector in our country. We have begun the long trek back to get the economy rolling again, with tax cuts and job creation programs about which the Liberals forgot.

All the Liberals want to talk about is Kyoto. They do not even want to mention Bill C-257, which would exonerate the programs that we are trying to put in place.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this answer is not acceptable. The Liberal government helped the industries that were having difficulties, such as the clothing and textile industry. The Conservative government seems to be under remote control by our overseas competitors and is making sure all our jobs are exported. We created a program of duty remissions on inputs to help the textile industry cut its costs.

Why did the Conservative government eliminate this program and re-establish the duties, thereby increasing costs?

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, we are into the silly season before the budget. The Liberals like to talk about programs that they tried to put in place, which were not that effective to begin with.

I advise him to wait for the budget to come out. We are within a month or six weeks of that happening. I am sure everybody in job creation across the country will be well pleased.

Public Safety

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Public Safety gave us an update on a Canada Border Services Agency list of CIA transport flights that landed in Canadian territory.

Will the minister table the list in the House so we can all know what is on it?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I thnk there was some discussion about an EU report. This has not changed in Canada. We have had those lists of planes that have landed here. We have no information that any of the individuals who the opposite side is talking about were ever in Canada.

[Vivian Barbot, Bloc, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we are asking for the list of what was talked about yesterday with respect to the flights. Either the minister did not understand or he does not want to produce the list.

The Minister of Public Safety reported on the planes that landed, but he did not say anything about the transport planes that overflew Canadian territory.

Can the minister guarantee that no CIA planes transported prisoners through Canada's air space? Can he swear to that?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the CBSA and Transport Canada have looked into planes allegedly linked to the CIA. The officials have informed the minister that there is no information at this time which would confirm any allegations from the member opposite.

Agriculture and Agri-food

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to forecasts by Agriculture Canada, net farm income will total $784 million in 2007, one of the lowest results, if not the lowest, ever. By comparison, the annual average in the 1990s was about $3 billion.

Does the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food intend to quickly establish an income support program appropriate for the farm reality and, naturally, the Quebec reality?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Secretary of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food was clear. We are currently working on improving programs to adapt to what is happening. Market conditions change and we want to adapt.

We are taking action. Recently, important initiatives were announced in Quebec and we are continuing our work. We are working on behalf of our farmers.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it would be a good idea for the parliamentary secretary to also meet with Quebec farmers, because it seems that he lives on Mars.

Quebec received only 6.8% of the total envelope disbursed by Agriculture Canada for the three main income support programs in 2006. There is a problem. Quebec agriculture actually represents 20% of Canada's agricultural sector. The math is simple.

How can the minister disregard what is happening to Quebec agriculture to such an extent?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Secretary of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague can throw out all kinds of statistics. One thing is clear: a decision was made last week in support of supply management. We were accused of being against supply management. Measures have been taken that the Bloc will never be able to take.

Furthermore, we are working on providing a fair income for everyone. Officials agree on this and we are headed in the right direction. My colleague knows quite well that he will never be able to do anything in this matter.

The Environment

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister said that he would respect the will of Parliament regarding the plan to meet our Kyoto commitments, but in the next breath he called it meaningless.

Will the Prime Minister commit to ensuring quick passage of the bill he said that he would respect?

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

Mr. Speaker, imagine that, a Liberal asking a question on the environment. The Prime Minister made it very clear that if and when Bill C-288 becomes law he would respect that.

The real question Canadians are asking is, why did the Liberals not act on Kyoto when it was ratified, why 13 years of doing nothing? The other question Canadians are asking is, why, right after that vote, did the former prime minister go to the Rideau Club and leave his big V-8 limousine idling for over two hours?

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is more of passing interest to me that the member opposite could make the statement that we had no plan, when it was our plan that party was presenting internationally.

The initiatives the Conservative government has announced are underfunded and they are re-gifted programs that the government itself cancelled. What is worse, there is no money for them, for the EnerGuide refit, for the renewables, for Quebec and other provinces.

How soon will Canadians see the government's actual detailed plan to battle climate change? What funds is the government committing?

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

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to sharing what funds we are providing because we are creating real action on the climate change issue.

This is what the commissioner of the environment said:

When it comes to protecting the environment, bold announcements are made and then often forgotten as soon as the confetti hits the ground...The federal government seems to have trouble crossing the finish line.

Nothing seems to change with that party.

We are providing $350 million for the ecotrust, working with the provinces and territories; $220 million for ecoenergy technology.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment claims that he has not misconstrued the words of former U.S. vice-president Al Gore on the urgency of climate change action. About a week ago, the minister insinuated that Mr. Gore supported the minority Conservative government. In fact, the former vice-president has called on the government to reverse itself, to do the right thing, and follow the Kyoto protocol.

Since the minister now clearly wants to be on the same team as Al Gore, will he accept the challenge, embrace Kyoto and stop his fearmongering?

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

Mr. Speaker, a week ago that member asked me to table the quote. I will be glad to read the quote again. Mr. Gore said:

My friends in Canada tell me that across party lines and in all regions there is very strong support for Canada, once again providing leadership in the world, fighting above its weight class and showing moral authority to the rest of the world....

The Liberals did not get it done. They created an environmental mess. We are getting it done.

Justice

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. parliamentary secretary just confirmed our point.

I have a second question for the government House leader.

Earlier in question period, the government House leader said that police made the best judges. No one doubts the law enforcement expertise of Canadian police officers, but there is a reason why investigative and adjudicative functions are separate in our country.

If it is true that policing and judging should be comingled, is the government House leader calling for an end to the notion of an independent Canadian judiciary?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not know that the opposition House leader was listening to what I said.

I said that police officers are pretty good at judging what needs to be done to combat crime in our country. I think they know something about the problems of combatting crime in our country and they know something about dealing with the judicial system in our country. Every day police officers are in our courts providing evidence, bringing criminals before the courts for prosecution, for adjudication. As a result, I think they have a lot of experience in what is necessary and what is good in the courts.

National Parole Board

[Daryl Kramp, Conservative, Prince Edward—Hastings, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a recent report highlights the Liberals soft on crime approach while they were in government. Over the last six years the National Parole Board has awarded more than 100,000 pardons, including numerous pardons to violent and sexual offenders.

What is the government's reaction to this? Will the Minister of Public Safety be taking action to protect Canadians?