Debates of June 18th, 2007

Government Policies

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is a pattern to the government's difficulty with the truth. The Prime Minister shifts direction not because he realizes he got things wrong, but because he realizes he got the politics of them wrong.

Then, not a real believer himself, he is so shocked at people who really do believe in the environment, who really do believe in gun control, and who really do believe that a real future for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador needs the Atlantic accord, the trouble begins.

So he delivers a little, spins big and tries desperately to orchestrate an election before people notice the difference. When will the Prime Minister realize that it is time for the truth?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we did not see a lot of truth in the Liberal leadership, particularly in the televised debates. We did not hear truth from the member for York Centre. We did not hear truth from the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore.

We have heard a lot of truth from people like Sheila Copps and people like Christine Stewart and other former Liberal environment ministers. Eddie Goldenberg said the truth, but no more have we heard the truth than what we heard yesterday from the Ottawa Sun, where one of the members opposite said, “We deserved to lose in the last election because of our arrogance”.

Do members know who said that? The member for Bourassa.

[Ken Dryden, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that is the problem with a government just campaigning, not governing. Then it is all about politics, about creating divisions, wedges: with me or against me, citizen against citizen, group against group, and province against province. This is a far more divided country now than we were 16 months ago.

When will the Prime Minister realize what the public already knows to be true? This government is not new, was never new and was cynical and politically obsessed from the beginning. This government was born old.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, something that is divided is the Liberal Party. We can see it in the recent book by Toronto Star journalist Linda Diebel, who talks about the ongoing divisions in the Liberal Party.

Let me tell members what we are going to do. We actually are going to do something remarkable in this country. We have a plan for an absolute 20% reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions. We have a plan to help clean up our Great Lakes. We are taking initiatives to clean up Lake Simcoe and Lake Winnipeg.

This government is getting things done when it comes to the environment, something the Liberals opposite failed to do for 13 long years.

Older Workers

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Commonwealth Plywood, a company in the forestry sector, has announced that it will close 18 plants indefinitely, putting 2,400 workers out of work. After working their entire lives for that company, many of those workers were only a few years from retirement, and retraining will be nearly impossible for them.

What is the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development waiting for to present a real income support program for older workers who have been the victims of mass layoffs, to make it possible for them to live a decent life until retirement?

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

Mr. Speaker, the first thing we do when there is a layoff like this is that Service Canada contacts management and employees and informs them of their entitlements.

But we have gone beyond that. Because of the leadership of the government, we now have in place a targeted initiative for older workers, which will help 3,500 workers over the next two years in Quebec alone.

On top of that, new labour market agreements offer resources to the provinces to provide people with the training they need to upgrade their skills so they can be successful and not just be relegated to the dustbin because their industry closes down.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about workers who cannot be retrained. A real income support program, as the Commonwealth Plywood union representative reminded us, would allow older workers to transition towards retirement, while preventing young people from leaving the regions because of a lack of work.

Does the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development realize that such a program would cost the federal government only $75 million, for all of Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the member is entirely too pessimistic. We think older workers have tremendous skills and experience that they can share with the rest of the country and we want to make sure they get the chance to do exactly that.

That is why we have in place the targeted initiative for older workers and, soon, new labour market agreements that will provide the help and support to people so they can go on and share this with the rest of the country and help us build a better and stronger Canada. That is what should happen.

Foreign Affairs

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, Mr. Din Ahmed was deported from the United States to Bangladesh, where he faces execution. This follows a trial in absentia that was severely flawed and without due process.

Despite the efforts of a number of NGOs and members of Parliament, we were unable to have Mr. Ahmed come to Canada, where he has family and a welcoming community.

I ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs if he would make representation to his counterpart in Bangladesh, a recipient of Canadian foreign aid, to ensure that human rights, due process and the rule of law are followed and that Canada does everything possible to ensure that Mr. Ahmed does not face execution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question and for the notice that he gave me before question period, and yes, I can assure him that Canada has been following this case very closely.

We will undertake to make representations to the Bangladesh government with respect to Mr. Ahmed. Given some of the public statements about what may face him upon his return, I know that he finds himself in very dire circumstances.

He did go through a very rigorous process in the United States,of which the hon. member is aware. Within those parameters, given the fact that he is not a Canadian citizen, we in fact will undertake to make those representations the member has referred to because of our strong stance on human rights and the protection of individuals facing the death penalty.

Justice

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, an article published in the newspaper La Presse revealed that, of the 342 criminal groups identified by Quebec police forces, 57 street gangs work exclusively in Montreal and, of these, about 20 are considered major players.

The chief of the Montreal police force also stated that the mafia, bikers and gangs are working together to an increasing extent.

Can the Minister of Justice tell us what our government is doing to fight organized crime and street gangs in order to make our streets safer?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, our government has decided to take action by proposing a justice agenda that targets organized crime and gangs. Bill C-10 will impose longer mandatory sentences for criminals found guilty of serious gun crimes. Why are the Bloc and the Liberals not supporting this bill? Why?

Airport Security

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

Mr. Speaker, as we know, the no-fly list came into effect today. We are hearing there are about a thousand names on the list.

My question is for the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. If in fact there are names on the list of people who belong to terrorist groups, why does the government not see that they are charged, prosecuted, put in jail so they will not only stop being risks to airlines, but also to all the rest of Canada?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, this list not only supports domestic air travel, but also international travel. First and foremost, the list's objective is to ensure that the vast majority of Canadians who, on a daily basis, take aircraft to go from one place to another will be able to do it in complete and total security.

This is another way that the government takes its job seriously and ensures that terrorist threats that exist will not impede our travel.

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

Mr. Speaker, this program is going to cost us $3 million per year. The no-fly list will catch many innocent Canadians and ruin business and recreational travel plans. Worst yet, it is the victims' responsibility to get their names off the list. It will take at least six months, if they ever can do it.

This so-called safeguard will not protect ordinary Canadians, despite what we hear from the minister. If the government will not scrap the no-fly list, will it at least set up an ombudsman's office with the authority to have access to all the files and the power to immediately get names off that list that should not be on it?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is there is a recourse for an individual who happens to find himself or herself on that list. The hon. member knows that. He has hopefully read the regulations that govern this passenger protect program. There is a recourse there.

We have consulted with the civil liberty groups in the country. We have obtained the advice of the Information Commissioner. We have done our job and this list is there to protect Canadians.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Members of the European Union are putting a squeeze on Canadian fishermen through an illegal ban on seal products. In a flagrant violation of international trade law, Belgium has now banned Canadian seal products on the basis of domestic public concern.

Action must be taken by the government before other EU members consider enacting similar bans due to a perceived lack of consequences.

Will the minister and his colleagues formerly commit to launching WTO actions against EU members that are illegally banning Canadian seal products?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is actually a pretty good one.

First, let me ensure that everyone knows the EU itself has not banned or will not ban seal products. It has admitted that the seal hunt is conservationist. Second, it is looking now at the humaneness of the hunt, and we hope to be able to prove that also.

Individual member states, some of them including Belgium, have banned seal and seal products. This is a serious precedent. We cannot put up with it and we will take action.

International Trade

[Nina Grewal, Conservative, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, building good trade relations with countries around the globe is vital for Canada to maintain its place in the world and to make us a more prosperous nation.

Earlier this month the Minister of International Trade concluded free trade negotiations with the European Free Trade Association countries, the first free trade agreement in six years.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Minister of International Cooperation say whether our government is engaged in trade talks with emerging economies like India?

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

Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to strengthening our relationship with India, and we have delivered. On Saturday, the Minister of International Trade announced that Canada has concluded a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement with India, a key step toward increasing trade and investment flows.

This FIPA and the recent free trade agreement with the EFTA countries send a clear and unambiguous signal that after 13 years of Liberal neglect Canada is back in business.

Telecommunications

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, twice now, when it comes to local telephone services, the Minister of Industry has shown that he does not care about people in rural areas.

First, he denied that his government was leaving the door open to rate increases. Then his parliamentary secretary downplayed the importance of the CRTC's decision and invited people to appeal it, which is a process that does not actually apply in this case.

Back home, communities are getting organized. They will form a coalition and will demand that the government back down from its stance and protect rural people once again.

Will the minister listen to the people, hear their message and take action?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we are putting consumers first. The CRTC has decided that it wants to update its price cap framework. I remind the member that this government will see that the CRTC will continue to regulate in areas where there is little competition.

Because the decision by the CRTC can be appealed within 90 days, it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Diane Whalen, Minister of Government Services for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

[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 24 petitions.