Debates of March 26th, 2007

Canadian Wheat Board

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, what we do know is how the Liberal Party is going to handle this. The Leader of the Opposition was in the Prairies the other day and said he is not quite sure what he is going to do, but he has “a lot of imagination” so we should just leave it with him.

We are not leaving it with him. We are leaving it with farmers. We have asked them some clear questions in a plebiscite. Do they want barley to stay as it is? Do they want more freedom of choice?

I look forward to what they are going to have to say, because on this side of the House we respect farmers and what they have to say about the Canadian Wheat Board.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition will allow farmers to have a voice, which that party has not done.

Let us review the process. Gag orders were placed on farmer-elected board members. Appointed board members were fired. The CEO was fired for standing up for producers. Now we have numbered and traceable ballots. Finally, the minister called a plebiscite but it has a fraudulent question.

Now there is evidence of multiple ballots and calls to voters from the returning officer, KPMG itself. Does the Prime Minister think this is a credible process?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, if he wants to impugn the honourable integrity of KPMG, I guess he can try.

We are in contact with farmers all the time. It is a little different from when the Liberals are in charge and the Liberals deal with the Wheat Board. Farmers who want to contact people when the Liberals are in charge have to phone their lawyers because they are in jail for trying to market their own product.

Manufacturing Sector

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, job losses are adding up in the manufacturing sector. Shermag, a furniture manufacturer, announced that in May it would be permanently closing two plants in Quebec, causing a loss of 283 jobs. The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology has tabled a report that makes 22 recommendations to the government for supporting the manufacturing sector.

With 33,000 industrial jobs lost in Quebec in February alone, does the Minister of Industry intend to implement the 22 recommendations in the report promptly in order to protect the threatened jobs?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, on the hon. member's question, he is correct in that the industry committee did put forth 22 recommendations, and what I would like to ask him to do is actually read the budget. Because if he read the budget he would see that the major recommendation, the two year writeoff for machinery and equipment, will help boost the cashflow of investment. Canada offers a significant tax advantage for this.

We have moved forward on all these commitments. This is the best budget for manufacturers that has ever occurred.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the budget brought down by the Minister of Finance last Monday virtually ignored the fisheries sector. There is not a single measure that could help solve the crises the fisheries sector has been experiencing for several years now.

Can the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans confirm if there is additional funding in the next budget to help small craft harbours?

[Loyola Hearn, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, while I thank the hon. member for his question, let me also thank him and the Bloc for coming out publicly and asking the Liberals to move ahead with Bill C-45.

Let me say for the member, who is a very good representative for his fishermen, that we will, not through the budget but through the regulatory process and work already under way, be very shortly announcing positive moves that will help his fishermen and fishermen all across the country.

Government Appointments

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister confirm that the Ontario Provincial Police are currently investigating allegations against registered lobbyist and Conservative campaign chair John Reynolds in relation to irregularities in the 2006 civic election in Ottawa?

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

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the perspective of the government, the individual in question says he contacted the Minister of the Environment about a possible appointment. The minister said he did not know what he was talking about. I think that is all on the record and the individual in question exonerated the Minister of the Environment.

FedNor

[Barry Devolin, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question regarding federal investment in northern Ontario.

Over the past 10 or 15 years I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Ontario's north. I believe that northern Ontario is a treasure trove of human and natural resources and that the best is yet to come for that region. It is also my belief that the previous Liberal government did not do very much to realize this potential.

Can the minister responsible for FedNor explain to the House what Canada's new government is doing to create a brighter future for northern Ontario?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reveal to the House that our new government of course is committed not only to development across Canada but to development in northern Ontario, unlike the current leader of the Liberal Party, who during his leadership campaign wrote off northern Ontario and many other parts of Ontario by saying that in general people should simply move to where the jobs are.

Not only has this government announced five years of stable funding for FedNor, something the previous government never did, we have also announced well over $16 million of investments in northern Ontario this last year alone. I call upon the hon. members opposite from northern Ontario, wherever they are from in northern Ontario, to--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

Financial Institutions

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has failed to explain to Canadians why the big banks have to take so much money out of people's pockets with ever increasing ATM fees.

The banks have failed to explain why, with record profits, they have to nickel and dime Canadians.

Will the Minister of Finance step up to the plate? Will he tell the banks that $19 billion in profits is enough and it is time to scrap the fees? Will he do this or will he wimp out and fall back to supporting Bay Street, like so many other finance ministers before him?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure who the member is referring to as finance ministers before me. Some are on the other side of the House, of course, but in terms of the question I encourage the member to go ahead with the hearings before the House committee. As members know, the finance committee has decided to look into the subject of ATM fees.

I have had active and recurrent discussions with people in the banking industry on this subject. I look forward to seeing the report from the committee.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the trouble is that the minister talks a lot but in the end he uses words like choice and competition, just like the big banks, as an excuse to stick it to working families with ever increasing fees. He has to answer questions about this.

Today I want to ask him this. Are these same big banks not negotiating exclusive rights contracts to key markets like airports and school campuses, virtually guaranteeing that consumers are hit with fees? This is more than an inconvenience and it certainly is not competition.

I want to know. When is the finance minister going to realize that banks are pulling the wool over his eyes about competition and start to act for ordinary Canadians on ATM fees?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the member speaks about ordinary Canadians. In the budget we brought in something that had been talked about in this House for a long time: the workers income tax benefit. I cannot believe it, but the member who asked the question and her party intend to vote against the workers income tax benefit.

We also introduced for the first time in the history of Canada a registered disability savings plan for the most severely disabled people in Canada. I cannot believe that the member and her NDP colleagues are going to vote against a registered disability savings plan.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the federal interlocutor for the Métis nation makes excuses for his government's betrayal of aboriginal Canadians by saying that it is not about the money. Does this mean his government need not live up to financial commitments?

The Manitoba Métis Federation remortgaged assets to continue delivering programs and services because it has not received funding for the year that is ending in nine days. Why is the government forcing aboriginal organizations to rely on lines of credit instead of delivering funding in a timely and responsible manner?

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, my friend needs to make sure that she has her facts straight. The arrangements with the Manitoba Métis Federation have been executed. The funding is in process and will be in place by the end of the year.

The Budget

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last Monday the finance minister delivered a balanced budget that will make things easier for working families by making investments in health care, the environment and infrastructure.

As well, the budget also reduces taxes for these working families through the working family tax plan. Could the minister responsible provide more details on this plan?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Peace River has asked an insightful question about tax reductions in Canada. Canadians pay too much tax. On this side of the House, we know that. Since taking office, we have provided $37.8 billion in tax relief for individuals only over this and the next two fiscal years.

Budget 2007 has four significant tax reductions: the $2,000 child tax credit per child under the age of 18; $550 million for the working income tax benefit, or WITB; eradicating the marriage penalty; and improving RESPs for Canadian families.

Status of Women

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women maintains that she cares about the status of women, but she is changing eligibility criteria in order to deny funding to women's rights advocacy groups.

How can the minister claim to be contributing to the advancement of women when she is cutting funding to the agencies that defend women's rights?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear. Canada's new government understands the difference between supporting not only organizations but real women, women in the communities, women who actually--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. The hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage has the floor.

Order, please. We want to hear her answer.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we understand and we live with women in our neighbourhoods and our communities. We understand the challenges they face.

That is why our budget recognizes the part that women play in their communities and in their families. Women need this support in order to meet the challenges. That is why we have addressed $5 million in addition, in new money, to support women in Canada.