Debates of Feb. 7th, 2007

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Safer Internet Day

[Art Hanger, Conservative, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday and today, dozens of countries around the world are recognizing Safer Internet Day.

Safer Internet Day is a chance to raise awareness about the dangers that lurk on-line and encourage all parents and guardians to protect their children from them.

The need has never been greater. A new study has found that more than 42% of children as young as 10, who are using the Internet, have recently been exposed to pornography. Just this morning we read a news story about a child porn ring that may include more than 100 Canadian offenders.

As a government, we are taking steps to protect children, trying to increase penalties for child luring and raise the age of sexual consent but parents are always the first line of defence. Websites, like the Kids' Internet Safety Alliance, are an excellent resource if they are looking for help.

On this Safer Internet Day, let us encourage everyone who cares for a child to educate themselves and then their children on how to stay safe on-line.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Roger Valley, Liberal, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize two members of the Wabaseemoong First Nation First Nation. Chief Eric Fisher and Councillor Waylon Scott are two men who have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life in their community.

The Wabaseemoong First Nation, or, as it is commonly referred to, Whitedog, is located just over 100 kilometres north of the city of Kenora. Wabaseemoong is an example of how hard-working community leaders can achieve great things for their communities. However, Wabaseemoong is also an example of the government's inaction on aboriginal issues. This community would have benefited greatly from the initiatives outlined in the Kelowna accord but the government decided not to ratify it.

Chief Fisher and Councillor Scott have traveled to Ottawa this week to bring to the minister's attention the unnecessary delay in the construction of their school. The condition of the current school is such that the community had to order it closed for a period of two weeks as the community could not ensure the safety of the students.

The Conservative government has delayed the start of a new school. The parliamentary secretary to the minister comes in to the riding and does not announce a date for starting the school. The students of Wabaseemoong need a chance at an education. The community of Wabaseemoong needs a new school.

Sherbrooke Summit

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on January 19, I was very proud to participate in the pre-summit forum for the Sherbrooke summit to be held on May 16.

I would like to thank the 280 people who attended the pre-summit forum. The large number of participants from all sectors showed their interest in bringing about positive development for Sherbrooke's future.

During the forum, the following vision was adopted: “In 2012, Sherbrooke will be recognized in Quebec, in Canada and internationally as a major centre for social and economic innovation in a community that offers exceptional quality of life”.

The Sherbrooke summit is a local initiative that showcases local people's exceptional dynamism and highlights their interest in regional development. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to wish all participants a successful Sherbrooke summit on May 16.

Status of Women

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, my NDP colleagues in Hamilton and I hosted a community forum to discuss the local impact of the cuts imposed by the Conservative government. What we learned was disheartening and shocking. The government is failing the most vulnerable in our communities and it must stop.

Poverty in Hamilton is real. Nearly one in five Hamiltonians live at or below the poverty line. On any given night, 399 people seek emergency shelter, twice the number who did in 1995.

That situation is most grim, however, for the women in my community. In Hamilton, women make up 52% of the population but 59% of the adults living in poverty. Among seniors over 75, the poverty rate for women is 36%, double that of men and, for single mothers with preschool-age children, the poverty rate is an astounding 81%.

Instead of addressing these issues, the Conservatives have abandoned support for child care, affordable housing, pay equity, literacy programs, women's shelters and even the very notion of equality for women by gutting Status of Women Canada. However, they did find $1 billion to give to the oil and gas industries.

My Canada includes more than their wealthy friends. It includes ordinary citizens who deserve their government's support.

The Environment

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our new government is committed to real improvements in our transit system and our environment, not just empty promises like the previous Liberal government, but genuine action and real commitment.

I want to tell the House about the $23 million investment this new government made in the GO transit system in my community on December 20 of last year. This work includes a new and additional third track and the widening and extending of the platforms at all three of our Burlington GO train stations.

We are investing in environmentally sound transportation such as commuter rail. This will help ease traffic congestion, combat smog and reduce greenhouse gases.

In my community, our new government has done more for transit and the fight against GHGs in one year than the Liberals did in 10 years. We set priorities and we get things done. Canadians cannot afford to go back.

Len Hopkins

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my sad duty to mark the death of Len Hopkins, Liberal member of Parliament.

Len represented his people from 1965 to 1997, an incredible 32 years and nine victories as the undefeated political champion of the Ottawa Valley. He worked unstintingly for his people, saying, “Once you hang your shingle out, you're like the old time country doctor, on duty seven days a week, 365 days a year”.

Len was best known for his strong support for Canada's military and for championing CFB Petawawa. He was AECL's undisputed champion and was ahead of his time in pushing for renewable energy such as biomass.

In retirement he led the charge to have the Ottawa River designated a Canadian heritage river. We will continue this fight in his name.

Asked about his legacy, Len said, “I would like to think I left some decency in the political system”, and indeed he did, and what a difference he made for his constituents, for Canadians and for all of us.

I ask members to join me in giving thanks for Len Hopkins and condolences to his wonderful wife Lois and all members of the Hopkins family.

Quebec Winter Carnival

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the first Quebec winter carnival night parade as it went through my riding, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

I am proud that our Prime Minister, the member for Calgary Southwest, was in Quebec City for the opening of the 53rd Quebec winter carnival. This was the first time a Prime Minister of Canada attended the opening of the Quebec winter carnival, and it is all the more significant given the fact that Calgary and Quebec City have been twinned since 1956.

For many years now, both cities have participated together in the Quebec winter carnival and the Calgary stampede. This sets a great example of cooperation for all regions of the country.

I would like to invite my colleagues to participate in the second Quebec winter carnival night parade next Saturday, February 10. Welcome everyone!

Georges Filion

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

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the Valley of Saint-Sauveur lost one of its builders, Georges Filion, to leukemia at 67.

Georges Filion was mayor of the municipality of Saint-Sauveur for more than 32 years, from 1973 to 2005. He was also warden of the Pays-d'en-Haut RCM and vice-president of the Union des municipalités régionales de comté du Québec.

This dedicated man played a leading role in the introduction of RCMs by the Government of Quebec in the 1970s.

On the eve of the 2005 municipal election, he announced that he was leaving politics in order to spend more time being with his family, doing volunteer work and enjoying his land.

On September 10, he was awarded the Quebec National Assembly medal.

My Bloc Québécois colleagues join me in extending our sympathies to his wife, Ginette, his family, his friends and the people of the Valley of Saint-Sauveur.

Canadian Wheat Board

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's new government believes western grain farmers should have the choice on how they market their grain, while preserving a strong, viable, yet voluntary Wheat Board.

Farmers have told us that they want to be consulted on this issue, and that is exactly what we are delivering. It is my great pleasure to remind members of the House that the voting period for the barley plebiscite begins today. The three questions are clear, simple and to the point.

Canada's new government is committed to providing western wheat and barley producers with the freedom to choose how they market their grain. Canada's new government looks forward to what farmers have to say on this issue.

Farmers are the ones taking all the risks and making all the investments. They should not be punished or jailed for pursuing opportunities outside the Wheat Board if that makes good business sense to them. Whether selling to the Wheat Board or outside of it, why should farmers not be allowed the opportunity to seek out the best price possible for their products?

This vote is about asking farmers in a clear and honest way what they really want. Therefore, let us allow barley farmers to have their say. I encourage all those eligible to make their votes count.

Government Programs

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance prepares his budget, the residents of Vaughan are crystal clear about their priorities. There is a consensus among my constituents. They want a balanced approach in the next budget, one that places people first.

They want the government to invest in key areas such as health care, education, environment, research and development and infrastructure, including the extension of the Spadina subway line, as well as cut taxes and reduce the national debt.

The focus should be on growing a globally competitive, productive and sustainable economy, one that will improve Canadians' standard of living and quality of life.

The residents of Vaughan have been active participants in the prebudget consultation process. They expect the Conservative government to listen and act.

The Environment

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to address some disturbing comments from the member for Ajax—Pickering. The new critic for natural resources recently revealed how far he and the leader of the Liberal Party could go to restrict development of Alberta's oil sands.

Quoting Charles Adler:

—he appeared...Dave Rutherford’s program and was asked whether a [Leader of the Opposition] government would consider nationalizing oil companies if they didn’t meet Kyoto standards. [The member for Ajax—Pickering] replied, “If they refuse to work with us….there will be consequences."

Reckless talk like this is insulting and frankly irresponsible, considering the importance of a strong oil and gas sector to both Alberta's and Canada's economic well-being.

I am glad Canada's new government has the courage to tackle important environmental issues, without throwing around immature and reckless threats. I hope the Leader of the Opposition recognizes the inappropriateness of his attack dog's comments and has the courage to discipline him for his bad behaviour.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the environment, everyday Canadians are way ahead of this country's business and political elites. The rest of us are ready to move from a polluting economy to a sustainable one. Daily I hear from constituents who truly worry that our children will not have clean air to breathe or water to drink.

The Conservatives want Canadians to believe they are getting serious about the environment. They have a new minister and a new legislative committee to fix their flawed bill.

The Prime Minister has an opportunity today to back up his words with action. He can make a real impact in Hamilton by funding two important local environmental initiatives.

For the year since they took power, I have called on the Conservative government to fund the cogeneration project at Stelco. It would improve emissions and air quality in Hamilton.

The mayor of Hamilton is here today to ask the Prime Minister to fund the clean up of Randle Reef. Local activists and representatives like myself have been calling on the federal government to fund this important port rehabilitation project for years.

The time to act on Hamilton's solutions is now. An important reminder, act locally, think globally, must be reflected in this—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for West Nova.

Post-secondary Education

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in an increasingly competitive global economy, our country must bank on the future to maintain Canadians' prosperity and quality of life.

Now more than ever, the government has to promote access to higher education. Our country's future is being played out every day on its college and university campuses. The students attending these institutions today will be supporting the government's social and economic programs in the not-so-distant future. That is why we have to do our part to make sure they have all the tools they need to take on the challenges that lie ahead.

The 21st-century economy requires a 21st-century education system. That is the message the demonstrators outside this House are sending us.

We have understood that message, and we will give our unconditional support to a policy designed to increase the federal government's role in supporting our students financially.

PaperWeek International

[Yvon Lévesque, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with PaperWeek International underway, I cannot help but remind this Conservative government that the forest industry is in the midst of a major crisis and it is the government's duty to take action. As a result of its failure to act, more than 10,000 jobs in Quebec have disappeared since the beginning of the crisis. This government's inaction is appalling. It is time for the government to change tactics and do something to help the softwood lumber industry.

The Bloc Québécois has long been proposing possible solutions, such as accelerated amortization of equipment, measures to promote innovation and transformation, accessible programs to diversify lumber markets, and loans or tax credits for additional operating and innovation costs.

This government's next budget must include concrete measures to help the forest industry and to demonstrate to Quebeckers that this industry remains a priority for this government.

Government Programs

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

Mr. Speaker, today thousands of Canadians are braving the cold to protest the government's lack of action, but students are getting used to being left out in the cold by the Conservative government.

Under the Liberal government, billions of dollars were invested in post-secondary education, research, infrastructure and directly to students. It seems Conservatives love power, but they hate government and especially government programs that work. Take, for example, the summer career placement grants.

At a time when students need help the most, the government gutted $55 million from the program. It was meanspirited, it was stupid and it was unnecessary. Now thousands of students are left to wonder where they will work to pay for tuition and not for profit organizations, which depend on the grants, are left out in the cold. This program needs to be restored immediately.

It is time for the Conservative government to warm up to students, get serious about post-secondary education and invest in our future like the previous Liberal government.

Senate Tenure Legislation

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today to address the inaction we have seen from the Liberal senators on Bill S-4. Since being introduced in the Senate 253 days ago, we continue to see unelected, unaccountable Liberal senators filibustering, preventing any debate on this very important bill.

To add insult to injury, even the leader of the Liberal opposition in the Senate highlighted last week “You are appointed. You're not accountable”.

Canadians have told us they want term limits for senators. The Liberal leader has publicly said that he supports term limits for senators. Yet this message seems to be lost on the Liberal senators. Is it that they just do not get it, or is it that the Liberal leader simply cannot lead his own caucus?

When will the Liberal leader stop this obstruction, stop defending this patronage in the Senate and allow us to debate this very important bill in the House of Commons?

Government Policies

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, in his speech yesterday, the Prime Minister complained that the Liberal government had “dramatically expanded Ottawa’s fiscal and jurisdictional reach”.

Well, the Liberals are proud that they have reached out to students, women and minorities in this country and that, in doing so, they have respected provincial jurisdictions.

Can the Prime Minister indicate which policies, programs and initiatives he wants the federal government to drop, other than the ones he has already slashed to the detriment of the least fortunate?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the leader of the Liberal Party is very proud of his centralist philosophy: such is the nature of the Liberal Party.

We have a very different philosophy. That is why, for example, we reached an historic agreement with Quebec on its representation at UNESCO. Furthermore, we will continue to provide direct benefits to the people of Quebec, benefits such as our family allowance that the opposition leader wants to cut.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, maybe the Prime Minister will be a bit more courageous in English and he will name the policies, programs and initiatives that he wants to cut and how he will dismantle the role of the federal government.

In the past, he has been much more precise. He talked about health, post-secondary education, skills training, housing, forestry, mining, culture and cities. Which programs does the Prime Minister want the federal government to stop for all Canadians?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, the government has been investing in areas of core federal responsibility like national defence, international trade, security and direct assistance for Canadian families.

On the other hand, it is interesting to note what the Leader of the Opposition wants to do. He wants to kill pension income splitting for seniors. He wants to repeal our tax cuts, including the GST cut. He votes against anti-crime legislation. He wants to take away the child care benefit from seniors, to scrap the softwood lumber agreement, to rip up military contracts and all the benefits to Canadian firms in all regions. We do not want to go back.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I will ask the Prime Minister the question again. Maybe the architect of firewall federalism could answer the question.

Which programs, initiatives and policies does he want the federal government to stop? In what way does he want to dismantle the federal government?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the programs the government has been delivering to Canadian families are very clear.

The government's philosophy of federalism is very clear, which is why we have a country that is more united and why we are not talking about waste, about scandal, about corruption and about the bad old days of the centralizing Liberal Party.

Post-Secondary Education

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

Mr. Speaker, students are demonstrating on Parliament Hill today and they know the government has wasted a year.

The government has done nothing to improve access to post-secondary education. It has done nothing to help low income families send their kids to college. It also has done nothing for aboriginal Canadians seeking access to higher education.

Why has the government wasted a year before developing a strategy for investment in post-secondary education?