Debates of May 16th, 2007

Canadian Heritage--Main Estimates, 2007-08

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, the Minister of Indian Affairs is committed to the aboriginal peoples. He is putting in programs that are meaningful and are going to really make a change.

We just do not talk; we act. I can assure members that the needs of the aboriginal communities will be met.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Chair, my first question will be for theminister responsible for official languages. In her opening statement earlier, she mentioned the opening of two official language community centres in Saint John and Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Would the minister acknowledge that those two facilities were in fact the result of the official languages action plan of 2003?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chair—

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

If the hon. member for Bourassa wants to answer for me, he is free to do so, since they are not very far from one another.

It was a great pleasure for me to go to New Brunswick at the beginning of my term to make announcements to two school-community centres—announcements that were highly anticipated. I went back in early April when additional funding was announced. We will stay attuned to their needs.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Chair, the parliamentary secretary responsible for the Olympics acknowledged the work that was done in preparation for the Olympics. The minister of multiculturalism showed the same graciousness. In fact, construction began even before the election.

Would the minister not acknowledge that was the direct result of the 2003 action plan that the Prime Minister denied this afternoon in question period?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last year, at the beginning of the term, together with Bernard Lord, I had the pleasure of attending a sod turning ceremony to announce plans in New Brunswick.

If the hon. member thinks this was a building that was already there under his government, I can assure him that I had a shovel in my hands.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Chair, it is not a matter of how I feel about it. It is a reality. The hole was in the ground. The building was being built. I think the minister could show the same graciousness as her colleagues, the minister of multiculturalism and theparliamentary secretary responsible for the Vancouver Olympics.

I have a question for the Minister of Heritage. Does the Minister of Heritage realize that all the good being done by her apprenticeship program for museums is being undone by the fact that all students who were going to work in the museums this summer are not going to have their jobs because of cuts that were made by her colleague minister, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, the reality is quite the opposite. In this budget we have enhanced the support for student apprenticeships in museums by $5 million. We are addressing a pent up demand that was left to grow by the previous Liberal government. That is why this sum will now be available to support student work in museums in every community across Canada. I know how valuable that work is to the museums and to the students.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Chair, the reality is that while the minister is announcing new money for museums for students for the summer, her other minister is announcing that they will be cancelled.

Would the minister guarantee, in her new program, that all the kids who will not be working in my riding this summer will get the jobs that she has talked about tonight?

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Chair, I rise on a point of order. I know these proceedings are new to some of us, although my friend and I have been in the House a fair length of time. He might want to reflect on the fact that his questions really should be directed at the minister to do with her estimates, not the broad questions that he has been putting.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Chair, my question was for the minister about her program that she spoke of in her announcement. I simply asked the question whether it would undo the damage that the other minister did.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, as I indicated, there is an enhancement to the assistance given to museums for student work. The program that was introduced by the Minister of Human Resources is to redirect the money that is necessary, not to advantage Liberal held ridings but to show that the work can be done where there is low employment and that employment will be given to those students with the greatest need.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Chair, she is supposed to be an advocate for in the museums in my constituency. She has just insulted them by suggesting they do not deserve the students—

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

The Minister of Canadian Heritage.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, as I say, we have enhanced the support available to museums. We will respond to every application and give them due process and ensure museums are helped as much as possible.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport)]

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to speak to the committee of the whole as Secretary of State for Sport on behalf of Canada's new government.

I would like to begin by discussing the government's commitment to strengthening Canadian sport for the benefit of all Canadians and how we are building on these successes.

The government's involvement in sport is directed by the Physical Activity and Sport Act and is informed by the Canadian sport policy, which has been endorsed by the federal government as well as all provincial and territorial governments.

The government is committed to establishing Canada as a leading sport nation at home and abroad, where all Canadians and their communities can enjoy the benefits of active participation and excellence in sport.

Canada's new government understands the importance of supporting sport at all levels from the grassroots to the Olympic and Paralympic excellence. The government is the single largest investor in Canadian sport, with more than $140 million a years.

The foundation of our success is a planned and strategic approach to strengthening sport in Canada. We have developed and implemented a long term athlete development model called “Canadian Sport for Life”, which delivers an integrated framework to further coordination and collaboration between governments and organizations working in sport. We have also renewed the federal-provincial-territorial priorities for collaborative action through to 2012.

Through these policies aimed at improving partnerships, Canada is well poised to build on its success for an even stronger, more successful sport system in the future.

I will say a few words about our four major pillars of the Canadian sport policy.

First is participation. More and more Canadians are getting involved in quality sport activities at all levels and through all forms of participation. The long term result of this participation will be healthier lifestyles and an improved quality of life for everyone. Over the last year and a half Canada's new government has significantly increased the amount of opportunities for Canadians to participate in sport.

For example, the children's fitness tax credit has been in effect since January 1. This allows parents to claim a tax credit of up to $500 of eligible expenses related to sport and physical activity programs for their children under the age of 16. This helps promote physical fitness and sports among our children and youth which is critical to the present and future health of our society.

Also we have relaunched the award winning ParticipACTION program with a contribution of $5 million over two years. ParticipACTION is partnering with media, business, labour, education, volunteer organizations and physical activity and sport groups to support the efforts of national, provincial and territorial governments to strongly encourage a more active and healthy Canada.

We have also collaborated with the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute to improve understanding of sport and physical activity trends in Canada. The findings that result from this collaboration will help inform our future policy decisions in sport and make Canada a globally recognized leader in physical activity and healthy well-being.

Finally, we have implemented two new policy guidelines, the policies on sport for persons with a disability and the aboriginal people's participation in sport. These two initiatives provide frameworks to improve equity and access to quality sport opportunities for these two under represented groups in Canadian sport.

Our second pillar and major goal in Canadian sport policy is excellence. It is clear we have an expanding pool of talent in Canadian athletes who are achieving great results on the world stage. As we look forward to hosting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the government has established strategic initiatives to ensure that Canada has the proper conditions to achieve success in amateur sport.

Canadian take great pride in Canadian successes. That is why Canada's new government has worked with the Canadian Olympic committee, Canadian Paralympic committee and the Vancouver organizing committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to create Podium Canada.

This initiative is aimed at the strategic focus of resources for high performance funding to support Canada's medal count. Through Own the Podium, our government's support for targeted excellence includes $12 million for summer sports and $11 million for winter sports.

Another aspect of our drive for excellence is the athlete assistance program which provides direct tax free grants to 1,700 Canadian high performance athletes each year, assisting them in meeting, training and competitive requirements.

It is clear that we are on the right track to meet our goals. In 2006-07, Canada was second only to Germany on the winter sport World Cup competition circuit. As well, Canada was third at the last Winter Olympics and sixth at the Winter Paralympics in Torino.

Through clear policy initiatives like those I have described, Canada's new government aims to improve on these finishes in 2010.

Our third pillar and major goal is to build capacity for sport across Canada.

This government has put in place an athlete and participant-centred development system in order to strengthen the technical and ethical foundations of sport. We are hosting events to provide important opportunities for athletes to train and compete, as well as to develop the capacities and skills of coaches, technical officials and volunteers.

Each year Canada supports the hosting of over 50 international single sports events such as the 2007 women's world ice hockey championships held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Our government is also supporting the hosting of the 2007 FIFA men's soccer under-20 world cup in July.

In addition to supporting these exciting events, this government is a major contributor to the Canada Games. This event is an outstanding example of federal, provincial and territorial cooperation, the pinnacle of interprovincial-territorial competition, and a key event for the next generation of Canadian athletes, coaches and leaders.

February 2007 was the 40th anniversary of the Canada Games. To celebrate this achievement, the games were hosted in Whitehorse, Yukon, the first time they had ever been hosted north of the 60th parallel. More than 3,200 athletes competed in 22 sports, with Sport Canada contributing over $37 million to the success of this event.

Canada's new government also recognizes the importance and the contribution of coaches so that Canadian athletes have access to quality, innovative instruction and coaching. Competency based coach education and improving working conditions for coaching are just two ways to strengthen the important role coaches play in sport.

Finally, this government is respected worldwide for its domestic anti-doping program and policies and for its leadership in promoting a drug-free, fair and ethical environment for sport. Our government is pleased that the UNESCO convention against doping in sport, a convention Canada accepted in 2005, entered into force on February 1, 2007.

The last of the four pillars is interaction.

Ultimately, the sport system functions more successfully if the various stakeholders communicate and coordinate with each other. By stressing collaboration and communication, we are always working to improve these relationships.

In order to encourage interaction and communication, we are working with the four Atlantic provinces to launch the Atlantic high performance sport strategy. We have also signed bilateral agreements on sport with all 13 provinces and territories.

We are also working with Health Canada to promote active and healthy lifestyles through our support for SummerActive and WinterActive and through the joint school sport consortium.

In conclusion, Canada's new government has put in place a wide range of successful policies and initiatives, which have resulted in further integration of intergovernmental policies and programs. It has led to increases in funding levels for sport and physical activity. It has also furthered the development of bilateral agreements in each province and territory, which has ensured more sport for all Canadians. Canada's new government has ensured stable funding for national sport organizations, a key for their long term sustainability.

We have the opportunity to build on these accomplishments thanks to an unprecedented level of collaboration between this government and the sport community. This cooperation will significantly strengthen the development of sport, which will directly impact all Canadians throughout Canada and at all levels of participation.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Chair, I really appreciate the comments of the Secretary of State. I was especially intrigued by her discussion of athletes, particularly coaches.

Evidence to the contrary, I used to be an athlete. I spent a great deal of time playing hockey, playing softball, fast pitch, and also playing a lot of soccer. One particular individual who was a coach of mine, a manager and indeed a mentor, was a defining influence in my life.

I was really intrigued to hear the Secretary of State talk about how coaches play such a significant role in Canada. Perhaps she could comment on what she sees as the role of coaches and what kind of influence they can have in building the character and self-esteem of our athletes.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

First, Mr. Chair, as the Secretary of State for Sport it is my responsibility to report to all members that the Senators are behind 3-2, but my officials tell me that of course we are a third period team and we are sure we are going to be successful.

I thought I saw the member playing soccer with the House pages the other day and I thought he played a pretty good game.

I thank the member for bringing up the issue of coaching and the role that coaches play in the lives of the athletes. I think it is especially important to note the importance of coaching in the lives of our younger athletes and those youths who are just becoming involved in sport or just starting to participate in physical activity.

The role of the coach in today's sport environment goes beyond the teaching of skills and now includes nutrition and overall well-being. A good coach has a tremendous impact on an athlete's outlook on life and on the athlete's attitude in terms of acquiring a healthy sense of competition.

Canada's new government recognizes the importance and the contribution of coaches. Its significant investment in coaches ensures that Canadian athletes have access to quality and innovative instruction in coaching, from learning their sport to achieving the podium.

Competency based coach education and improving working conditions for coaching are of course two ways to strengthen the important role that coaches play.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Chair, I appreciated those comments. I also appreciated the focus of my colleague on the whole issue of fitness. Obviously it is important for us as Canadians to remain fit. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to get Canadians off the couch and into the fitness rooms, the pools and the ice rinks and onto the playing fields.

It is important because our health system benefits when Canadians are fit. Everybody in Canada benefits. Perhaps my colleague could comment on the role of physical fitness and how to get Canadians to participate in activities that are going to make them fit.

[Helena Guergis, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Chair, it certainly is a challenge for us as parliamentarians to keep healthy and active and to be involved in fitness. I know we all give it our best shot, and some may be more successful than others.

I will focus my answer on participaction, because we know that the previous Liberal government actually cancelled the participaction program and it is this government that has restored it with a $5 million contribution. We also see that the media is very much looking forward to participating in participaction again.

I remember how as a young child it was such a benefit for me, living in a rural community and not having a recreation centre to attend, to have a sport class on a regular basis, but I want to point out, too, that we took a long time to do some focus testing to see if people related to participaction. We found out that 78% of all of the young adults aged 30 and up make a connection with participaction, so we believe in relaunching participaction.

I remind the House that of course it was the Liberals who cut that program. I have no idea why they cut it, because it was so absolutely successful.

I think it is important that Canadians relate to and understand what participation in sport can mean for them. Reinvigorating participaction will help us do that across the country.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am extremely disappointed by how Status of Women has been run by the Conservative government. Every step and every move the government has made has left Canadian women feeling alienated and silenced.

The changes to the funding mandate and the closure of the regional offices have sent shock waves through women's communities, women's rights organizations and women's programs that depend on Status of Women assistance and funding.

What on earth is the rationale for giving more money to a federal agency but taking away its accountability, its integrity and its ability to get to the root problems of women's equality in Canada?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, let me say that I cannot reiterate enough this evening that we believe addressing women and women's needs directly in their daily lives is the most effective way and is going to have a direct impact on improving their future.

I find it ironic that the member is talking about women's rights when it is her party which suggests that we abandon the women in Afghanistan. We have made great strides in improving the situation for women in Afghanistan. They are now, with micro financing, starting their own businesses. The young women are going to school. They have access to medical facilities.

This government will not abandon women in Canada or in Afghanistan.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Chair, search and kill missions in Afghanistan are hardly helping women.

I would also like to know what is the status of the independent research fund.

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Chair, we know that there have been many studies done. The studies are telling us that there are two major issues that must be addressed for Canadian women: violence against women and the economic self-sufficiency of women. That is why we are going to continue working to improve--