Debates of April 18th, 2007

Firearms Registry

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, just a few months ago I met with all my counterparts in the provincial and territorial governments, ministers responsible for security and policing. I asked them for the first round of feedback so we could begin the process of seeing 2,500 more municipal officers right across the country.

Many have responded, and we are working now in looking at what that cost sharing formula would be.

I also met with Mr. Tony Cannavino on this just about two or three weeks ago, and I met with the CPA representatives today. We are getting there. It is a promise and we are going to be keeping it.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was clearly a bad day for the Minister of Public Safety. Not only did the front line police officers, who were on Parliament Hill, tell us that they supported the gun registry, they also wanted more than a toothless investigator.

The minister has completely ignored Parliament. Will he also ignore the front line police officers he says he represents?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, many police associations have communicated to us and said that they feel the move to get rid of the unrestricted long gun registry was a good move. It allows them to focus on the people who commit crimes.

When the members of the CPA were here yesterday we were able to meet with them. I find this to be an interesting process. The only time we hear the Liberals speaking out and pretending to care about policing concerns is when those police officers are here on the Hill. Once the police officers leave, the Liberals continue to frustrate the legislation that would keep our streets safe and secure.

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the minister does not understand the necessity of getting to the bottom of the allegations about the RCMP pension fund or if he just does not care.

The officers have demanded answers and they deserve them. Any delays now in getting answers is the responsibility of the minister who has not acted on multiple calls for a full judicial inquiry.

When will the minister stop putting up roadblocks, end the sham of a powerless investigation and a powerless investigator and launch a full judicial inquiry?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I am somewhat alarmed at her attitude of prejudice toward people who have yet to begin their work but I will overlook that and suggest something else here.

Every time another Liberal mess or scandal is unearthed we want to get to the answers right away while the Liberals want a full public inquiry that would take years.

I would suggest that the Liberals call together their shrinking caucus, have a secret meeting, talk about all the scandals that are still yet to come forward, bring those out and we will have a massive omnibus full inquiry.

Quebec City’s 400th Anniversary

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Canadian Heritage stated that the committee for Quebec City’s 400th anniversary celebrations had not sent an invitation to the Queen to attend the festivities. The committee says that this invitation has to come from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The question is a very simple one. Has the Minister of Foreign Affairs invited the Queen, or is he planning to invite her, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the French presence in Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, today I say the same thing as I said yesterday, namely that, as far as I know, no invitation has been sent by the committee to Her Majesty the Queen.

Saint-George-de-Malbaie Wharf

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

Mr. Speaker, with respect to small craft harbours, unfortunately I must once again draw attention to the lack of action by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, this time in connection with the Saint-Georges-de-Malbaie wharf.

Barely a week before the beginning of lobster-fishing, the department decided to close the wharf for safety reasons, and did not present a repair schedule or offer an interesting alternative to fishers.

Why has the department acted irresponsibly in this file and not invested the amounts necessary to repair this essential infrastructure for fishers?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have wharves in every fishing harbour across the country. We do what we can to keep them going and damage is always caused whether it is by the seas, by ice or whatever the case might be.

In relation to the wharf the member is talking about, we will ensure that provisions are made for the fishermen in his area to be able to conduct the fishery when the season starts.

Government Contracts

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the unelected Michael Fortier thinks he is entitled to be unaccountable.

Tomorrow, Treasury Board is set to sign off on a $400 million contract which TPG claims was altered mid-stream to favour a company which the minister recently worked for and whose financial success is tied to the minister's personal investments. The file is before the Public Service Integrity Office.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and wait for the results of this investigation before awarding the contract?

[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, as I said yesterday, this contract was awarded in a fair and open process. Minister Fortier was not involved directly or indirectly in this contract, in the assignment of this contract or in the process at all.

We have obeyed all the rules, unlike the Liberals did for 13 long years in the Department of Public Works. We are cleaning up their mess and Minister Fortier is leading by example.

Housing

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard the opposition fearmonger that housing groups will lose out during the transition to the homelessness partnering strategy but the fact is that transitional funding was approved and projects were saved.

The opposition says that the recent budget does not do anything for aboriginals, seniors or youth at risk when it comes to housing and yet there have been announcements for supportive housing for women, at risk children, aboriginals and seniors all across Canada, including announcements made for affordable housing for seniors and the disabled in western New Brunswick.

Could the minister inform the House what he is doing to ensure funding for housing in New Brunswick and other provinces and territories?

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

Mr. Speaker, every year Canada's new government provides over $2 billion in support of affordable housing and programs to tackle homelessness.

Recently, my friend was present in Fredericton where we, along with our partners in the province of New Brunswick, announced funding for the creation of 63 new affordable housing units. I am proud of the hard work that my friend has undertaken to help make that happen.

I want to point out that this government does believe we have an obligation--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

The Prime Minister

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister’s fashion consultant travels with him around the world at the taxpayers’ expense. Really. Is it hard to choose the right Conservative blue suit? Did the Prime Minister have trouble sleeping at night, wondering whether he should wear light blue or dark blue socks? To my mind, ordinary people have other priorities.

Can the Prime Minister tell us who pays for his new fashion consultant and how much it costs?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister maintains a tour staff, as do all prime ministers. In fact, I believe members will find that this Prime Minister has a smaller tour staff than all his Liberal predecessors.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think a lot of ordinary Canadians are asking why the Prime Minister even needs a stylist.

I am certain that after the disastrous cowboy photo op, prime ministerial lint and stray hairs are at the top of the PMO agenda. Perhaps a one-time consultation but a travelling assistant devoted to tie choices?

The Prime Minister is wasting taxpayer dollars on his own ego. In fact, it was the Prime Minister who harangued his former colleague, Preston Manning, about a $31,000 clothing allowance.

What has changed? Why is it okay now when it was not okay a few years ago?

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

Mr. Speaker, a lot of ordinary Canadians are wondering what I am doing answering questions about style and fashion. However, I can assure the House that the Prime Minister pays for all his clothes, unlike some of his predecessors.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Cecil Clarke, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I also would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of two former premiers of the province of Nova Scotia: the Hon. John Hamm and the Hon. Russell MacLellan.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Government Response to Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to six petitions.

Mr. Speaker, discussions have been held among all parties and I think if you sought it you would find unanimous consent that, notwithstanding Standing Order 36(8)(b), the matter of the failure of the ministry to respond to petitions Nos. 391-1196, 391-1212 to 391-1214, 391-1217 and 391-1234 be withdrawn from the appropriate standing committees.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Is there unanimous consent for the withdrawal of the petitions enumerated by the hon. parliamentary secretary from the standing committees?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.