Debates of March 30th, 2007

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Secretary of State and Chief Government Whip]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among all parties and I think you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, in relation to its study on the Agricultural Policy Framework, 10 members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food be authorized to travel to Penticton, British Columbia; Olds, Alberta; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Gimli, Manitoba, from April 15 to 19, and that the necessary staff accompany the Committee.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

(Motion agreed to)

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Secretary of State and Chief Government Whip]

Mr. Speaker, I think you would also find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, in relation to its study of the Agricultural Policy Framework, 10 members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food be authorized to travel to Truro, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Fredericton, New Brunswick; Quebec City, Quebec; and Stratford, Ontario, from April 22 to 26, and that the necessary staff accompany the Committee.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

(Motion agreed to)

Lumber Industry

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition is on log exports from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. There are about 10 pages of signatures.

The petitioners call for a tariff on log exports. This is the result of the lumber export duty that is currently in place under current market conditions. It has resulted in incentives for logs to be exported from British Columbia, particularly Vancouver Island. There are large tracts of private land holdings that are federally regulated. This means logs are being exported rather than processed locally. Currently, there are about one million acres of private forest land on central Vancouver Island and 70% of those logs are destined for export.

The petitioners call upon the government to implement a tariff on logs exported from private lands to level the playing field and ensure the Canadian mills, as well as secondary industries, have equal opportunity. They also call upon the government to work with the province of British Columbia to implement a similar tariff on logs exported from Crown land.

Natural Health Products

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition has to do with GST on natural health products.

The petitioners note that the weight of modern scientific evidence confirms the mitigation and prevention of many diseases and disorders through the judicious use of natural health products. Canadians support the use of natural health products to promote health and wellness. They note that improved access to natural health products would allow Canadians to better manage their own health and relieve pressure on the Canadian health system.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Parliament to provide Canadians with greater access to natural health products by removing the GST on them and enacting Bill C-404, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (natural health products).

Summer Career Placement Program

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

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to present a petition in the House signed by at least 1,000 young people and organizations from across Quebec, who are calling for the return and improvement of the summer career placement program.

Canada Labour Code

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I am presenting a petition from approximately 100 of my constituents and other residents of the city of Windsor and the County of Essex.

The petitioners call upon the government to support the minimum wage bill that has been presented to the House as a private member's bill by the member for Parkdale—High Park, known as Bill C-375. They note in the petition that by raising the minimum wage, which was done away with by a former Liberal government, it would have the effect of moving at least an individual above the poverty line at that rate of pay.

I submit it on that basis and thank them for having presented it.

Iraq

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I stand again to introduce a petition signed by many concerned Canadians. It asks for the government to grant sanctuary for U.S. soldiers refusing to participate in the war in Iraq.

Canada should not punish U.S. war objectors for exercising their conscience in refusing to fight. We must continue our historical role as place of refuge for those opposing militarism policies. I should not need to remind the House that a majority of Canadians continue to be against the war in Iraq and the government was against supporting the war.

I will continue to raise this in this manner until the minister gives sanctuary to these men and women of great moral courage.

Literacy

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I also have petitions that call upon Parliament to reinstate funding for literacy programs cut by the Conservative government and to undertake a national literacy strategy to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to achieve this vital skill.

Immigration

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I have a series of petitions signed by people across the country that call upon Parliament to immediately halt the deportation of undocumented workers and to find a humane and logical solution to their situation and that undocumented workers build homes and lives with their families in Canada, including many who work and have Canadian born children and would be unfairly burdened by the deportation of their parents.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 164, 179 and 183.

Question No. 164

[Keith Martin, Liberal, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Why has the statement of requirements to place the fixed wing search-and-rescue (SAR), the Buffalo, been changed to increase the minimum flight speed to 140 knots which is higher than the speed needed for the SAR mission activities?

[Gordon O'Connor, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the fixed wing search and rescue statement of operational requirement is in development and has not been finalized. As such, it would be premature to discuss the specific contents of the document. However, it should be noted that requirements are not drafted to support a particular platform or aircraft. Rather, they are developed in response to the operational needs identified by the Canadian Forces.

Question No. 179

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

With respect to programs and spending administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) within the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior: (a) what were the projected and actual spending amounts of CMHC in 2006; (b) what is the projected budget for 2007; (c) how many CMHC-funded housing units for singles and families currently exist; and (d) how many CMHC-funded housing units for singles and families are planned for the remainder of 2007?

[Monte Solberg, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to programs and spending administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, CMHC, within the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior:

Social housing: In 2006, CMHC provided funding to 837 units in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior, committed under various programs administered by CMHC, which provides housing for singles and families. Of this total, there are 353 units benefiting from a preferential interest rate and some of these units are also benefiting from a forgivable capital contribution grant equivalent to 10% of the original project cost. The remaining 484 units received annual funding of $740,144 in 2006. The planned subsidy for 2006 was $722,359.

The administration of these 837 units was transferred to the province on January 15, 2007 under a social housing agreement, SHA, with the province of British Columbia signed in 2006. CMHC annual funding contained in the Canada-B.C. SHA is currently some $140 million. British Columbia also received in 2006 a one-time lump sum amount of $24 million for risks associated with future inflation, changes in interest rates and loan losses. The amount of subsidy available in 2007 is governed by the agreements between CMHC and the various sponsor groups as assumed by the British Columbia Housing Management Corporation pursuant to the SHA.

There may be additional units located in the riding that received on-going federal assistance under various federal-provincial programs already administered by the province of British Columbia prior to last summer’s signing of an SHA which are not included in the above unit counts. The province has the lead role for these units and does not report subsidies by project to CMHC. For the first nine months of the year the province had claimed federal funding of some $75 million on these programs, covering some 27,000 units across the province. These units are also covered by the SHA. Effective October 1, 2006, funding for these units is being provided through the annual funding of $140 million contained in the SHA.

Renovation programs: On December 19, 2006, the Government of Canada announced a $256 million, two-year extension of CMHC’s housing renovation and adaptation programs, effective April 1, 2007. The funding will help improve the quality of housing for an additional 38,000 low-income households in all regions of Canada. For 2006/2007, British Columbia’s allocation for these housing renovation programs is approximately $16.2 million.

Under federal renovation programs in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior, some $613,600 has been committed for 83 units in 2006. CMHC is unable to provide a forecast of how many units and dollars will be committed in 2007, since this will depend on the number of applications approved.

Affordable housing initiative/Canada-B.C. affordable housing program agreement: Under the $1 billion affordable housing initiative, AHI, over $130 million has been allocated to British Columbia. As of December 31, 2006, 4,432 affordable housing units had been committed or announced in British Columbia, representing federal funding of $126.4 million. The province of British Columbia and others are matching federal AHI investments.

British Columbia Housing (B.C. Housing) administers the Canada-British-Columbia affordable housing program agreement. According to information provided by B.C. Housing, no commitments were made under this program in the riding of British Columbia Southern Interior in 2006. B.C. Housing is not required to provide forecasts of units planned by riding to CMHC, but it does report on projects approved during the year.

Housing Trusts: The 2006 budget provides for a one time investment of $1.4 billion towards helping Canadians find safe, adequate, and affordable housing in all provinces and territories. This investment is being made through three housing trusts with provinces and territories to invest in affordable housing. This includes an affordable housing trust of $800 million, a northern housing trust of $300 million and a trust for off reserve aboriginal housing of $300 million. Funding for these housing trusts, which was confirmed on September 25, 2006, will be allocated over three years. B.C.'s share of this funding is $156.9 million.

Question No. 183

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

With regard to the Deh Cho First Nations, how will the government honour its commitments under the Interim Measures Agreement and the Settlement Agreement, particularly Article 13?

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

Mr. Speaker, as a party to the Dehcho process negotiations, this government continues to work closely and in earnest with the Dehcho First Nations and the Government of the Northwest Territories on the federal offer we tabled on May 30, 2006. Canada’s land and governance proposal, which is based on a land selection model, has the settlement of the Dehcho’s comprehensive claim in the NWT as its primary objective. It is this government’s hope that the Dehcho First Nations will provide their negotiators with a mandate to respond to Canada’s offer so that all parties can move towards a final agreement that will replace all interim measures.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed,