Debates of March 28th, 2007

Equalization Formula

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. We are going to have a little order.

There seems to be some papers that people are waving in the air today for some reason. I do not care what they are. Hon. members know that props are not permitted in the House. This sets a very bad example that can only lead to future trouble. I would urge hon. members to refrain from waving any kind of paper around in the House.

Second, there is excessive noise. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor. I could hardly hear the last question, and I want to hear the answer. The hon. the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor. We will have some order.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thought it was a surrender because those members are so wrong on this.

When the member said a commitment was made that there would be no cut, no cap, that was to the Atlantic accord. He is right. He is dead on. There was no cut to the Atlantic accord. There was no cap on the Atlantic accord. The Atlantic accord was negotiated by Premier Williams.

We will deliver the benefits under the Atlantic accord to the province as was committed with no cap.

Aerospace Industry

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Saint-Hubert Pratt & Whitney plant in Longueuil is another example of how dithering and delay in making decisions is threatening to result in high-quality jobs being lost and moved abroad.

Are the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec aware that they have to act quickly, or many jobs in key aerospace industries are going to be exported somewhere else in the world?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member has asked that question several times now. Over the last few days, I said that we were going to be looking at this matter. We have examined it in a little more detail in recent hours. In fact, what the department is being asked for is $70 million out of a total budget of $200 million. Obviously, allocating $70 million to this project would mean depriving all the other regions of Quebec. I believe that the promoter should instead take a look at the strategic infrastructure program.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing to stop the ministers from thinking outside their bureaucratic box and still being responsible.

When we know that they have billions of dollars at their disposal, would it not be a better idea to model their programs and budgets on what the needs are, and not the reverse, as is still the case?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I am entirely open to looking at the framework of the new infrastructure programs. We are currently reworking the architecture of those programs so that they will in fact reflect the needs of our regions and communities, and so when we know what the new programs will be, we will be happy to inform our colleagues in the House.

Status of Women

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the Bloc Québécois asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women about the changes made to the funding criteria, the minister said, “that the government understands the difference between supporting not only organizations but real women”.

Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women tell us who these “real women” are that she is referring to?

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

Mr. Speaker, the women that I meet in my constituency, the women that are in their families raising children, the single mothers who are struggling every day to offer the best for their children and their futures, the senior women who are struggling to meet their bills, many of them who are alone now, these are the women that have to be supported, that we know have contributed and will contribute and will pass on to the next generation, their children, the best that Canada has to offer.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, all women deserve the title “real women”; we are not inferior beings.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Laval.

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women is not saying is that there is group called REAL Women of Canada that the minister met with shortly before changing the funding criteria at Status of Women Canada.

Can the minister deny that this ultra-conservative group challenges women's right to abortion and their right to flourish throughout our society and that it wants to limit the role of women to domestic affairs?

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

Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes that women are taxpayers, that women are the owners of businesses, that women educate our children, that women are caregivers, that women participate in their communities. This government also recognizes that there are fine women who serve Canadians by sitting in this House.

Consequently, this is why this government wants to ensure that all women have an equal opportunity to participate in Canada and Canadian life.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. I realize it is Wednesday, but the noise in the chamber today seems excessive. It is very difficult for the Chair to hear the questions or the answers. We have to be able to hear in case somebody says something they should not.

The hon. member for Sydney—Victoria now has the floor. We will have a little order, please.

Federal-Provincial Relations

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the province of Nova Scotia is prepared to sue over the Conservatives' promise-breaking budget and it appears the government does not care. Yesterday in the House the foreign affairs minister in a stunning us versus them betrayal of the people who voted for him said that he would see them in court.

Why are the people of Nova Scotia forced to sue the government in order to get the Prime Minister to keep his promise?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what my colleague from Newfoundland and Labrador--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. I have just recognized the Minister of Foreign Affairs. We must have some order so we can hear his answer. The member for Sydney—Victoria is on the edge of his seat waiting to hear the answer. How can he hear with this kind of noise? The Minister of Foreign Affairs has the floor. We will have some order.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat today what I said yesterday. If in fact a court case is launched, of course we will deal with that inevitability, and I also said yesterday that it is not our preference.

What we have done in the budget is present to Nova Scotians a good option, an option which, if it were the subject of a court case, would be a very difficult case to make, a case saying, “Take more money or take even more money”. That would be an interesting case.

[Mark Eyking, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, may I remind the minister that Ottawa is not the capital of Nova Scotia? He stands in the House and refers to his own people, the people of Nova Scotia, as “they”, essentially telling Nova Scotians that they can take it or leave it.

The government may well face a lawsuit for not meeting its obligations. Is the minister prepared to continue this game of chicken with the people of his own province?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, the capital of Nova Scotia is Halifax, for the hon. member's edification, and I will remind him, as I know he is not the best at arithmetic, that it is more money any way we slice it, any way we add it up: the province of Nova Scotia will receive more federal money, money from the federal government to the province of Nova Scotia.

The hon. member should do the math and figure it out. It is good for Nova Scotia and it is good for everyone in the province, including Cape Breton.

Foreign Affairs

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is an inspirational woman. Beyond being the first woman democratically elected president of an African country, she and her administration have taken sweeping steps to rid Liberia of corruption.

Why did the Prime Minister yesterday refuse an official request to meet with the president of Liberia while she is in Ottawa?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows full well, this was a private meeting arranged by the president of Liberia. I met with her in my office for almost an hour. We discussed important issues of development and debt reduction. We had a very informed and very useful discussion on how Canada can continue to help the people of Liberia. We have been there for them in the past. We will be there for them in the future.

This is a very inspiring woman, one in whom the Government of Canada places a great deal of respect and a great deal of hope for the future of the people of Liberia.

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am very disappointed with that answer. The Prime Minister yesterday had an opportunity to meet with hockey players. That is very nice, but unfortunately the president of Liberia deserves better from the Prime Minister.

As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, why will the Prime Minister not take time from his schedule today to meet with the president of Liberia? Does he not care?