Debates of March 30th, 2007

International Cooperation

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for supporting our budget 2007, which in fact, I will remind this House, provided $900 million to get us to where we have committed to. This new Conservative government has committed to doubling aid by 2010-11.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal groups across the country are wondering why the Conservative budget did nothing for aboriginal people and did nothing to replace the Kelowna accord.

In a letter to the Winnipeg Free Press, the Minister of Indian Affairs threatened the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs if they participate in a national protest. It is deplorable for the minister to threaten their core funding because they disagree with him.

Does the minister plan to follow through with his threat or was he just embarrassed that there was no new money in the budget for us?

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, program funding is provided so that valuable services can be delivered on the ground in first nations reserves. The minister was distressed by the thought of moneys meant for basic services needed by women and children on reserve being used for illegal blockades and protest activities.

Government dollars are to be spent in an accountable manner but it is obvious that the member opposite does not share this same view. However, that is not surprising coming from the party responsible for that torrid affair now known as the sponsorship scandal.

Iran

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Iran is currently holding 15 British sailors captive claiming that they trespassed in Iranian waters. However, the U.K. has denied that the crew trespassed. The UN Security Council issued the following statement:

Members of the Security Council support calls, including by the Secretary-General in his 29 March meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister, for an early resolution of this problem, including the release of the 15 United Kingdom personnel.

Would the Minister of Foreign Affairs inform this House what our government's position is on this matter?

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

Mr. Speaker, as a result of this, tensions have risen in the region. We have called in the Iranian Chargé d'affaires to express Canada's concern over their actions in seizing British sailors in international waters that were clearly defined as Iraqi waters, not Iranian waters.

We have called for the immediate release of these sailors. We have expressed our support. The Prime Minister was in direct contact with the British, as was I yesterday after the meeting with the Chargé d'affaires.

We continue to express support for the British at this time and for the international community for Iran to come in line, not only with the release of these soldiers but also with the request from the UN Security Council that it cease and desist with its nuclear ambitions.

Government Funding

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the 2009 World Police and Fire Games were awarded to the lower mainland. This is an important way of supporting the work that firefighters and police officers do in the community every day.

They asked for a small amount of funding and, despite the fact that the federal gave almost $2 million to the Quebec City games, the government said no, not a penny. Nine Conservative MPs will have events for the games held in their ridings, which just shows how useful a Conservative MP is.

Why is the government refusing to fund the World Police and Fire Games in B.C.?

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, at this time the government is giving serious consideration to that request.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Actually, Mr. Speaker, it said no, which raises the question as to why B.C. always comes last for the government.

B.C. is also suffering from the loss of 700 highly skilled aviation maintenance jobs in Vancouver. Air Canada wants to put those jobs in El Salvador.

B.C. has been badly hit by the softwood sellout. We have seen thousands of jobs lost. In response, the finance minister says that his Canada does not include B.C.

Will the government take action to save these jobs or will B.C. continue to come last for the government?

[James Moore, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics]

Mr. Speaker, in this federal budget we have record spending of infrastructure dollars into the province of British Columbia. We have increased the Asia-Pacific Gateway up to $1 billion which will dramatically benefit British Columbia.

My colleague from Burnaby—New Westminster should be reminded that every Liberal member of Parliament from the province of British Columbia voted for a separatist motion that would have given 60% of all aerospace dollars to the province of Quebec, punishing British Columbia for innovation, punishing British Columbia's economy and it is bad for British Columbia.

We are standing up for British Columbia and this Conservative government always will. We will do so in every facet of the economy and we will be proud to do so.

The Budget

[Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, three of Canada's largest police organizations publicly rebuked the supposed law and order Conservatives. They are angry at another broken Conservative campaign promise.

The Minister of Public Safety has ignored months of calls from these organizations.

“It seems like the public safety minister forgot to mention it to the finance minister”, said Mr. Cannavino, President of the Canadian Police Association. There also is no money in the government's budget for new police officers on our streets.

Why has the Prime Minister broken his promise to hire 2,500 more police officers?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, again the Liberals struggle even bringing forward half the truth.

I believe it was on Wednesday, apparently a letter was sent to me by the three chiefs of the police associations which they immediately made public. It was a letter asking me to meet with them, which I will certainly do. I have done that in the past already, as I have met with my provincial counterparts, the other ministers of public safety and policing, to talk about their ideas on a cost shared formula for the 2,500 more municipal officers that we have committed will be on the streets of our cities during our mandate. It is a promise we are fulfilling. Work is being done. Consultations have started.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal companies are a dynamic, growing presence in Canada's economy, with more than 27,000 self-employed Canadians of first nations, Métis and Inuit heritage. According to a survey conducted by Statistics Canada, 13% of these businesses have begun to export their goods and services to other countries.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade tell the House how our government is committed to supporting the growth of these companies?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from the riding of Kitchener—Conestoga for that insightful question.

Our government is focused on encouraging all Canadian companies by helping them to find new opportunities around the world. That is why we have just launched a new aboriginal business and international trade website. This website will be an invaluable tool for aboriginal businesses that will help ventures, especially smaller firms, expand into international markets.

It provides targeted export information for a range of sectors where aboriginal industries are making a significant impact, sectors like tourism, cultural--

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The hon. member for Terrebonne—Blainville.

Foreign Affairs

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a Commons committee called on Canada to impose stricter legal, social and ecological standards instead of waiting for voluntary compliance. Following the Commons report, an advisory group representing industry, the unions, NGOs and experts is also asking that Canadian mining companies respect the rights of the people in the poor countries in which they are conducting their business.

Canada's record is pitiful, even though, according to this advisory group, it should be the international leader in this area. What is the government waiting for to make sure these standards are respected?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada has been a leader in this and so many other areas. This particular issue is one which we have been following closely for some time. We will continue to work with those interested groups, those who express concerns about human rights, particularly as they pertain to the workforce.

I appreciate the hon. member's interest in this particular area and her support for Canada to continue to provide the necessary input and the necessary action to improve the working conditions of those individuals.

Veterans Affairs

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the Conservative Party that I also have a friend and she is an 81-year-old widow from St. Peter's, Cape Breton. She was promised by the Prime Minister that if the Conservatives ever formed a government they would extend the veterans independence program for widows and widowers immediately, but there was not a word in the budget.

My question for the government is quite simple. Did the Conservatives deliberately mislead an 81-year-old widow who looked after one of our veterans or did they just not get the job done?

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

Mr. Speaker, over 94,000 veterans and caregivers receive the veterans independence program, for which at the moment we are budgeting $270 million, but like every program, we have to do better. We are reviewing the veterans independence program right now to see how we can deliver services better.

Sudan

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

Mr. Speaker, the hostilities in Darfur have already led to a regional humanitarian crisis. This week the UN has warned that the humanitarian effort in Darfur is in serious danger of collapse.

Could the minister tell us what concrete actions Canada is taking to address this serious crisis?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the hon. member raised this serious issue. In fact, word today is that things have deteriorated further.

Canada has thus far contributed $48 million with respect to the combined mission. We are hoping that the government of Sudan and the president will continue to move in the direction of a unified force that will allow UN troops to enter the country to begin the necessary humanitarian work. In the meantime, we support the lift aircraft, that is, fixed wing and helicopters that are there. We are continuing to provide trainers that work in the region.

Yes, there is much more to do. Will Canada be there with the international community? Will we continue to work toward the alleviation of the suffering of the people of Darfur? Yes, we certainly will. I look forward to working with the hon. member and all members in this House to see that Canada continues that work.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

That brings question period to an end. The hon. member for Mount Royal is rising on a point of order.

Comments by Minister of Public Safety

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

The Minister of Public Safety accused me of doing nothing on the RCMP pension file.

As the Minister of Public Safety knows, the responsible minister for the RCMP was the minister of public security at the time, just as he is the responsible minister today. As a result of the actions of the responsible minister of public security at the time, two investigations were initiated: an internal RCMP audit and an external investigation. When I was appointed minister of justice, these investigations were already under way. It would have been a breach of my responsibilities as a minister of justice to interfere in any fashion with respect to the ongoing investigation, something that I would expect the Minister of Public Safety would understand.

Where I had authority and responsibility as a minister of justice and minister of the Crown, I did indeed recommend that two independent judicial commissions of inquiry be set up, both in the case of the Gomery commission and in the case of the Arar commission.

All I am asking of the Minister of Public Safety today is to establish such an independent judicial commission of inquiry.

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

Order. It sounds to me that the hon. member may or may not have a point. It is a dispute as to the record and as to the facts. I listened and I gave him some time, but I do not think I heard a point of order there, but it was an opportunity for the member--

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the public record needs to be corrected--

[The Deputy Speaker, NDP, Bill Blaikie]

The public record is not a matter of point of order, but the Minister of Public Safety on the same specious point of order.