House of Commons Hansard #145 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was crime.
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, it must be awfully nice for a former Liberal cabinet minister to think about what the world might have been if the Liberals had actually done something for Canada.
He can give quotes. I can give quotes, too. Let us look at what one individual said:
—my initial reaction is that this is a strong step in the right direction. The federal government seems to finally have its priorities straight on climate change...
Who said that? It was the leader of the Liberal Party of Alberta.
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister's latest plan scheme scam is intensity based. In the previous 13 years, Canada's energy intensity improved by 43%. We have to do more. That is why we are asking the minister to bring Bill C-30 back so we can have real reductions and absolute targets and get the job done.
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
There is a member, Mr. Speaker, who is a charter member of the “we didn't get it done club”. There is a member who himself has spoken out in favour of intensity based targets in the past.
We have a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, absolutely. These harmful emissions have been left unchecked in the country for far too long. The government will not study, debate and host more international conferences. We are actually going to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to fight climate change and to get the job done.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, the list of experts who have no faith in the Conservative climate change plan grows longer by the day: it includes David Suzuki, Al Gore, and many more. The plan is a trick and a fraud and it is misleading Canadians. Bill C-30 is a real plan for fighting climate change, and we can pass it today.
When will the government bring back Bill C-30?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, Al Gore, the man who invented the Internet, is also the vice president of the “we didn't get it done club”, and he gets together with the leader of the Liberal Party.
I could also quote people, people who are working to build the economy of Canada. Let us look at a prominent supporter of the Liberal Party who said, “I think the Minister of the Environment is right on the money”. Who said that? It was Buzz Hargrove.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, that hot air balloon has no credibility whatsoever on climate change. He has a bogus plan that will lead to increased emissions. Not one climate change expert has endorsed the plan and the list of those denouncing it is growing.
If the minister had the courage of his convictions, he would bring back Bill C-30. When will we get a real environment minister instead of that Chicken Little?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I know what the Liberal Party wants. It wants more debate, more discussions, more Chardonnay and canapés at fancy international conferences.
What the government wants to do is actually and absolutely reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are going to require industry, in a mandatory set of regulations, to actually reduce the amount of carbon it produces and sends into the atmosphere.
We will no longer sit back and watch these harmful emissions and allow climate change to go unchecked without Canada doing its part in the world.
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Mr. Speaker, Paul Gérin-Lajoie's manifesto denounces increased military spending at a time when people are still threatened by famine, disease and extreme poverty. Between 2006 and 2009, the Liberals and Conservatives will have increased the defence budget by $6.1 billion. The budget for official development assistance, on the other hand, will go up by only $1 billion during that period.
In light of this imbalance, are we to understand that the government has decided to solve the world's problems with weapons rather than development assistance?
Josée Verner ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my friend that the rate of international aid reached its lowest point under the Liberal government: 0.22% in 2001. Our government has announced more money for Canadian aid. In addition, out of respect for Canadian taxpayers, we are going to make sure that aid is efficient.
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister is constantly boasting about her international aid budget. But everyone agrees that even if it doubles current funding, Canada will fall short of the average for OECD countries.
I therefore ask the minister, if she and her government are so serious and really want to meet the millennium targets, what is she waiting for to come up with a credible plan to meet the target of 0.7% of GDP by 2015?
Josée Verner ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member again that we increased international aid by $900 million in our most recent budget. That said, as an accountable government, we must also report to Canadian taxpayers, who have a great deal of compassion for the people who need our assistance, something the Bloc Québécois will never be able to promise, because the Bloc Québécois will never form the government. The Bloc Québécois will never be accountable to Canadians.
Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON
Mr. Speaker, last Thursday evening, people packed a community hall in my riding, people who lost a huge amount of money in retirement savings. They asked me to ask the Prime Minister a question: Does he not regret having fooled people by telling them he would never tax their income trusts and will he now ask the Minister of Finance to revisit this disaster the way he is scrambling to save his failed policy on investment interest?
My constituents deserve an answer, not another cheap political attack, Peter.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, what the member should worry about is the double standard, not just the question of the double standard that he is worried about, but the double standard that he speaks about.
He said in 2006, “I think anybody who crosses the floor should go back to the people for ratification”. He has not yet, but then again that is the same member who said at the government operations committee last month, “no one cares what I campaigned on”.
We care. There are some byelections coming up. I think we can fit him in.
Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government came into power 16 months ago. From the very first day it has been committed to improving the vital agricultural sector of this country which was ignored for so long by the previous Liberal regime.
The Minister of Agriculture has been quick and decisive to introduce a new funding framework to replace the Canadian agricultural income stabilization program.
Could he please tell the House what this government is doing to help farmers deal with the rising costs of production?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, in reference to the CAIS program, that program was from the dark, sad, depressing era of farm policy brought in by the Liberal government.
We promised to replace the CAIS program and we are doing that with a disaster relief framework, increased and better production insurance, and a savings plan for farmers. More important, a couple of months ago the Prime Minister was on the Prairies and he announced another $400 million to address the costs of production. That is another $600 million for farmers, another $2 billion for the biofuels program; 4.5 billion new dollars for farmers. The dark, sad era is over. The good times are rolling.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Conservatives have been in power for 16 months. In June 2005, the now Prime Minister wrote a letter to a widow of a veteran and said that a Conservative government would immediately extend the veterans independence program for all widows of all veterans.
This year alone we will lose about 35,000 to 40,000 of our brave World War II and Korean veterans. Many of them will leave widows behind. These widows are asking for the VIP so that they can stay in their homes longer.
The Prime Minister made a promise and we expect him to keep it. When will the Prime Minister stand up and honour his promise?
Veterans AffairsOral Questions
New Brunswick Southwest New Brunswick
Conservative
Greg Thompson ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the member will acknowledge that we did more in our first 13 months than the Liberals did in 13 years: five OSI clinics, front line workers for veterans, an ombudsman for veterans, a bill of rights and we implemented the new charter.
We are committed to enhancing the VIP. I want to let the member know that this year alone we brought 12,000 new entries into that program. That is not a bad record.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, what absolute nonsense. I asked the Prime Minister to keep his promise, not to have his underlings answer this question.
I have a question on another point for veterans. Many thousands of veterans are suffering from asbestos from the ships used during the war. Many of these veterans are applying for DVA benefits but they are being denied because of their asbestos problems.
My question is for the Prime Minister or the Minister of Veterans Affairs. When will the benefit of the doubt, which is in the new veterans charter, be honoured so we can help these veterans who served us so gallantly in World War II and in Korea?
Greg Thompson ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the member has to be intellectually honest in his remarks but he is not being intellectually honest because he must acknowledge the 12,000 we brought in this year alone.
In terms of the veterans who are applying for disability pensions, he is referring to an issue that we worked on with our counterparts. We have the best pension entry plan in the world and the best arbitration in the world in terms of appeals. We are getting the job done for veterans.
Lloyd St. Amand Liberal Brant, ON
Mr. Speaker, OPP commissioner Julian Fantino has had enough of the government's failures in Caledonia. The Ontario Provincial Police are under pressure because it is holding back both sides in the dispute. However, the Minister of Indian Affairs is nowhere on this file.
Residents of Caledonia are wondering why the government is missing in action. The only thing the minister has done is to appoint a Conservative retread with no land claim experience and no mandate to negotiate.
Why will the minister not lift a finger and actually solve the dispute?
Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. First, this is the first government in Canadian history to recognize the Haudenosaunee Council and to actually be at the table with the Six Nations. Our negotiators are there and they are able people who are doing an exceptional job.
The OPP will continue to be responsible for policing in Ontario. We will continue to work at the table with the first nations in a respectful way toward a resolution.
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Senate backed off on its delay tactics and finally allowed the bill fixing dates for elections to become law. However, the Liberal dominated Senate is still stalling on the bill to limit senators' terms to eight years.
Today we learned that the Liberal senators are looking for a new obstruction tactic and are actually considering sending the bill to court to keep themselves from ever passing the bill.
The Liberal leader said months ago that he would get his senators to pass this bill. What happened?
Would the Minister for Democratic Reform comment on the Liberal senators' defiance of their leader and on the future of this bill?
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, as Liberal senator David Smith has often told me, “the devil finds work for idle hands to do”. Well, it seems there are idle hands in the Liberal Senate and they are creatively finding new ways to avoid doing their jobs.
Top constitutional scholars testified that the term limit in the bill is constitutional. Even a Liberal Senate committee found that it was constitutional. Apparently, they do not even believe themselves.
Why will the Liberal senators not listen to their own leader and go ahead and pass term limits? Maybe it is because they do not like this Faustian pact with the unrepentant Green Party leader.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the course of question period, there were discussions from time to time about the cost of gasoline and a comment was made by a member of the government alleging that the Leader of the Opposition had said that high gasoline prices were good. I believe it was the environment minister who said that. If he were to check the quotation, I believe he would find that the comment in question can be attributed to a newspaper but not to the Leader of the Opposition.
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear in the Calgary Herald of August 24 where it states:
[The Leader of the Opposition] said high gas prices are actually good for Canada....
I can also tell the House that in the Liberal leadership debate on June 10, 2006, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party said, “We've also got to have popular, practical, believable policies that may involve some form of a carbon tax...”.
The Liberals' record is very clear on this issue.