House of Commons Hansard #107 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was provisions.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, with the Boeing contract, the Minister of Industry stated that he could not impose any conditions because he had to respect the rules of the free market. Today we learned that the minister negotiated a clause favouring SMEs and ensuring that they will obtain 15% of the spinoffs. The fact that this clause is in the contract is proof that the government had the ability to set conditions.
Why did they not demand that Quebec be given its fair share, which comes to nearly 60%?
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, let me first remind all members that the goal of this procurement initiative was to obtain the necessary equipment for our Canadian Forces to do their work.
That said, last Friday we announced that the Boeing company had been awarded the contract for four strategic airlift planes. I am proud that the government is giving the tools to the men and women of our Canadian Forces so that they may do their jobs.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Quebec aerospace association denounces the fact that nothing was set aside for Quebec and feels that this is unacceptable. She laments the fact that the government did not even protect the Quebec aerospace industry, which represents nearly 60% of the Canadian aerospace industry.
How can a Quebec minister have been party to such a decision?
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, Boeing knows that under the IRB policy its investments are to be in advanced technology for its industrial benefit package to be acceptable. Boeing has agreed to direct at least 30% of its investments in nine key technology areas to support the growth of the aerospace and defence industry, and these contracts will be given out fairly and transparently.
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, not only did the government do nothing to ensure that Quebec would receive some of the spinoffs of the Boeing contract but, yesterday, the Minister of the Environment, in committee, hinted at the possibility of establishing the future carbon exchange in Toronto.
Can the minister tell us why the carbon exchange would be located in Toronto, when the Montreal exchange has been ready to move on this issue for quite some time?
Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question regarding the domestic carbon market. The minister made it very clear that he will not entertain sending billions of dollars outside of Canada. Those dollars are going to be staying here in Canada. The Montreal exchange could be set up right now. There is nothing stopping that, but what we need is a regulatory, mandatory framework and that is Bill C-30. That is part of the notice of intent.
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, everything is at the ready in Montreal and all we are waiting for is the establishment of absolute reduction targets.
Instead of announcing an imminent and major economic catastrophe, what is the minister waiting for to announce specific targets thus allowing the carbon exchange to open in Montreal?
Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the minister announced that those targets will be announced this spring. The voluntary system did not work. That is why we are moving to a mandatory regulatory system where targets will be set. This is a government that is set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we are considering the domestic carbon market.
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have broken another of their election promises. They promised that:
A Conservative government will:
Support the Official Languages Act, ensuring that English and French have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada.
Yet today, the Conservatives are no longer requiring that all senior officers in the Canadian Forces be bilingual, even though the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages rejected this move.
Why has a francophone Conservative minister abandoned bilingualism?
Sylvie Boucher ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, my Liberal friends opposite did nothing for 13 years to support official languages. National Defence had a very poor record on this issue. On this side of the House, with the former Commissioner of Official Languages, we put in place things that we are going to work on now. We are working together for the well-being of francophones.
Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC
Mr. Speaker, this is too much. The Conservatives have to renounce their plan to sabotage bilingualism in the Canadian Forces. Retired lieutenant colonel Rémy Landry stated that this restriction would ghettoize francophones and essentially confine bilingual positions to Quebec and the national capital.
Why has this minority government shamelessly abandoned the rights of Canadian soldiers to have access to services in the language of their choice?
Sylvie Boucher ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, the department spends more on its second language learning program than all the other federal institutions.
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Speaker, shocking details are emerging about the Conservative promise to recruit 23,000 new Canadian forces personnel. After an expensive advertising campaign, access to information documents now show that the Conservatives were able to boost Canadian forces by only 35 people. At this rate, only 657 more years until the Conservatives fulfill their campaign promise.
With Canadian forces significantly over-stretched in Afghanistan, how can the government explain this miserable recruitment failure?
Russ Hiebert ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, this is an important topic and I appreciate the member's interest in the military. It is important for him to understand that we actually have exceeded our targets. In 2005-06, we had a target of 5,500 enrollments and we achieved 5,800 new members, so 106% of the new goal. We are very much on track. I would appreciate his support for the military.
Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Speaker, they just need 22,965 more recruits. Obviously, everything is going well according to the parliamentary secretary.
Did the minister's recruitment efforts fall flat because official languages policies excluded a third of all French-speaking Canadians? When it comes to recruiting new soldiers, could we not say that as a general the minister is a disaster?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, let us make one thing clear: hypocrisy has its limits. For 13 years, that government had this file on its desk and did nothing. The Commissioner of Official Languages called on that government to take action. It did not take action. We are taking action. I am looking at the hon. members and they have nothing to say.
Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Speaker, the homelessness partnering strategy, which was announced in December, is already getting things done to provide shelter for the homeless. The cornerstone project in Victoria transformed a heritage building into homes for poor families, in partnership with the province, the city, regional districts and housing trusts.
The NDP has suggested that the homeless will be left out in the cold without funding, as we transition to the new homelessness partnering strategy.
Could the parliamentary secretary update us on what Canada's new government is doing to ensure no group is left out in the cold?
Lynne Yelich ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member and inform the House that we are taking necessary steps to ensure that there is a smooth transition from the national homelessness initiative to the new homelessness partnership strategy.
I am pleased to say that existing authorities, including the terms and conditions of the national homelessness initiative, have been extended by our government to allow projects that cannot be completed in the 2006-07 fiscal year and they will be completed in the new fiscal year.
Would you tell members to be quiet, Mr. Speaker?
This means that services to the—
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Now I will tell everyone to be quiet. The time has expired. We will have some order. There seems to be a lot of unnecessary catcalling, if I can use that expression, today.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I said it was unnecessary, I did not say who did it.
The hon. member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, China recently executed Ismail Semed, a Uyghur activist. With this troubling news, I fear for the life of Huseyin Celil, a Canadian being held captive in China.
We do not have time for more excuses. The Department of Foreign Affairs has failed to represent this man. It did not attend the court hearing. I understand the minister is furious, but fury and anger will not help Huseyin Celil.
Could the government tell Canadians today when the next court date is that so Chinese officials know that Canadians will be watching to see that rights of our citizens are respected?
Jason Kenney ConservativeSecretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member, in particular, for his concern about Mr. Celil's fate and raising this matter in a constructive fashion.
As the member is aware, two diplomats have been dispatched by the Beijing embassy, on direct instructions from the Prime Minister, to Urumchi. They have been unable to get access to Mr. Celil. We continue to raise this matter. We have not been informed officially of a future court date.
However, in the words of the World Uyghur Congress yesterday, it is profoundly grateful for the support of this government on human rights in the case of Mr. Celil in particular.
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government should know that the trial has been adjourned until the Chinese new year. The next court date will not be until March.
The member for Calgary Southeast called for a high level delegation last summer. Now is the time to act.
Will the government commit to sending an all party group to China to monitor the trial of Huseyin Celil when it resumes in March and show China that Canada means business when we talk about standing up for our citizens? I am ready to go to China. Canadians want action now. They want the government to act.