House of Commons Hansard #164 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was trafficking.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, the summer festival debacle is not the only area in which the Minister of Canadian Heritage has shown her incompetence.
In the most recent budget, she promised a new summer internship program for local museums. But once again, she has taken no action on this issue. There are no criteria, no forms, absolutely nothing to help museums.
Does the minister not know how to do her work? Does she need help, or does she not even care?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, the apprenticeship program for museums is there. We are receiving applications for support to those museums and to the youth.
In fact, I find it very difficult to understand why the member keeps advocating, keeps blustering, about what is needed for festivals, for museums and for the arts. Yet, he is not supporting the budget and that is where the money is.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, supporting or not supporting the budget will not help our museums when we are dealing with an incompetent minister. The fact is that the money is not flowing to the museums' interests.
She had two simple jobs to do this spring. Number one was to get the money flowing to the festivals. Number two was to get the interim program up for museums.
Does she really think that, given her dismal performance, she is still going to be sitting around the cabinet table come this fall, or should she be getting her bags packed for the long, slow train back to Palookaville?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that this is obviously typical of the NDP. The member does not understand what is responsible management of taxpayers' dollars. He does not recognize the fact that we must have a budget and a budget process with a vote so that people will support the budget. We will make sure that there is a government governing this country that will take care of tax dollars and ensure that they are used responsibly with accountability.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, we all know that Gwyn Morgan is the Prime Minister's favourite business leader, if only because he threw a tantrum when Parliament rejected him for a job.
Last week Gwyn Morgan came out with a carbon copy of the Liberal proposal on foreign takeovers. So, here is the deal. If we promise never to call it a Liberal plan, will the finance minister atone for his terrible budget and come out in support of the Gwyn Morgan plan for a quick review of the Investment Canada Act?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the fact that since our government was elected there are more than 450,000 new jobs in Canada, that we have the lowest unemployment rate in 33 years, that we have the highest rate of labour participation in the history of Canada, and that we have reduced the public debt in this country in only 16 months at a record level.
That is what we have accomplished so far, unlike the member opposite who is not sure whether he wants to raise the GST again or not.
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, let us just say that I have not had enough time to mess things up yet.
He is talking hypothetical from the National Post. Let us talk reality.
In reality, he raised the income tax of hard-working Canadians. In reality, his interest deductibility plan was so bad he had to rip it out of his budget. In reality, the experts called his feebate scheme stupid. In reality, his disastrous broken promise on income trusts has been ridiculed around the world.
How long can Canadians afford this out of his depth finance minister?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite obviously did not notice that in the month of May we had the highest new automobile sales in the history of Canada.
But let us go back to the member for Markham—Unionville's statement in Paris. He is from the party that said it would scrap the GST. Then last year he became the president of the save the GST club. Now, in Paris, not Paris, Ontario but Paris, France, he said he wanted to raise the GST. So, now he is the president of the raise the GST club over on that side of the House.
Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON
Mr. Speaker, tonight we vote on legislation which will destroy the hopes and savings of millions of Canadians. When the Conservatives and their NDP buddies support the taxing of income trusts, they will betray more than two million Canadians, many of them seniors, with a broken promise.
These victims have been asking the Minister of Finance for two things: proof that his crushing tax was necessary and some compassion. So far he has given none.
I ask him for the last time. With just a few hours left, will he release the data justifying this tax?
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, I heard the hon. member for Halton talking about just a few hours left to keep a promise. Is it just a few hours? He has all the time he wants to keep his promise when he said, “I think anyone who crosses the floor should go back to the people for ratification”. We were happy for him to have kept that promise a couple of months ago, but we will keep it tonight if he wants to keep it tonight.
Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is a profound sign of disrespect, not to me, I do not care, but to Canadians that the Minister of Finance will not even rise to answer this question.
He talks about pension splitting, but 70% of Canadians have no pension. He is taking $25 billion from Canadians with income trusts.
I ask him one more time. What is the purpose of the government taking $25 billion from seniors? Why should we be taxing the life out of them? Minister, withdraw.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member is enjoying his cross-Canada campaign to provide for a tax free corporate sector in Canada. I know he thinks that companies should not pay taxes. We believe they should.
However, we also know what he thinks when he talks about respect for the voters and respect for Canadians. Here is what the member for Halton said on April 19, 2007, in the government operations and estimates committee, “No one cares what I campaigned on”.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, first we had the Quebec City chamber of commerce and then Mayor Boucher. Now the Conference Board is asking for a feasibility study for high-speed train service in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, putting wind in the sails of the Bloc Québécois proposal.
Now that support is growing for high-speed train service for Quebec City, does the government intend to back the project by contributing financially to the feasibility study?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, what a marvellous comeback. What a reincarnation. Now the Bloc Québécois is the great defender of high-speed train service, not between Montreal, New York City and Quebec City, but between Quebec City and Montreal. You will recall that the Duceppe Express was to travel to New York City.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is strange because when talking about the high-speed train project between Calgary and Edmonton, the Harper Express, the Prime Minister calls it an interesting project; but when it is a question of rail service for the Quebec capital, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities says the Bloc is dreaming in technicolour.
Why does the government have one standard for the west and another for Quebec?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the member speaks of a double standard. Poor Bloc Québécois, poor Bloc Québécois.
In the past 16 months, this side of the House has been able to steadily deal with several issues, including the fiscal imbalance, calmly and efficiently. In 17 years, our friends in the Bloc Québécois have not been able do anything.
We will deal with issues as they arise.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's ideological attack on the Canadian Wheat Board is having a negative impact on our commercial reputation globally.
With the Canadian malting industry being the second largest exporter of malt in the world, the minister fails to respond to any requests for answers. The industry's president, in a letter, states his request “to highlight the significant contractual financial liabilities and consequences...that they may face through no fault of their own”. The fault is the government's.
Why will the minister not respond to these questions?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, of course what we have done is listen to barley producers across the Prairies. They were consulted in a plebiscite. They came through. Over 60% of them say they want to have more marketing choice for their barley products.
What is really interesting is that not only is the hon. member for Malpeque ignoring the barley producers, but he is now taking the side of the multinational grain and malting companies, against the farmers.
Who is going to benefit come August 1? The farmers are. The farmers finally will get a decent price for their barley. They are finally going to make a buck.
Let us have freedom of choice for barley producers and let us do it now.
Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC
Mr. Speaker, 16 long months have gone by since all parties in this House unanimously passed Bill C-55, which received royal assent during the previous Parliament. Wage earner protection provisions will ensure that workers get paid if their employer goes bankrupt.
Can the Minister of Labour explain what has changed since all of the parties agreed to fast-track this bill and why hard-working Canadians and Quebeckers still do not have this important protection?
Jean-Pierre Blackburn ConservativeMinister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. All parliamentarians unanimously voted for that bill. It was sent to the Senate. The Senate passed it with some technical amendments. We amended it accordingly. The Bloc Québécois members agreed to fast-track it, but they changed their minds, just like their leader recently changed his mind about going into provincial politics.
Today, they are still making amendments to delay the bill. They do not want to support workers, but we are asking for their cooperation to make this happen as soon as possible.
Tony Martin NDP Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Mr. Speaker, today is National Hunger Awareness Day. The Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank reports that use is up for the seventh year in a row and it saw nearly one million people last year. Since 1989, the food bank has seen a 99% increase.
We know the reasons: lack of secure income, unstable work, low government benefits and lack of social supports such as child care and housing. This will never go away without a national game plan to fight poverty.
Ireland and the United Kingdom have had success. Will the government commit to showing leadership to fight poverty?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's commitment on this issue.
It is true that today more people have jobs than ever before, and that is a pretty important way to battle poverty, but this government has been very active in making sure that we provide services for people who need help, with a $1.4 billion housing trust and, every year, $1.8 billion devoted to affordable housing, as well as a $270 million homelessness partnering strategy. We have improved employment insurance benefits. We have done a number of things because we know it is our obligation to help those who need help.
Tony Martin NDP Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am not hearing anything that sounds like a plan there. We need leadership from the minister, not empty words. The Daily Bread Food Bank director said:
It's not enough to know 'if' politicians support making poverty reduction a priority; we need to know 'how' they plan on doing it.
Over here we have a plan: a national housing strategy, quality child care, justice for first nations and equity for women. That is just a start. Will the government join us and commit to a comprehensive plan to reduce poverty or will we hear more empty words?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member has a plan, but we are acting. We have already delivered the universal child care benefit that goes to almost 1.5 million families on behalf of two million children.
The member mentions aboriginals. In the budget we doubled the funding for the aboriginal skills employment program, a program that is really working and is helping aboriginals on reserve get to work.
This is real action. I know the member wants to talk about it, but in the meantime we are going to get things done.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I would now like to acknowledge for hon. members the 15th anniversary of the birth of CPAC, the Canadian Cable Public Affairs Channel.
First created in 1992 and made up of a consortium of 27 Canadian cable companies, CPAC's primary mandate was to broadcast House of Commons proceedings to millions of Canadian cable households at no cost to taxpayers or cable subscribers.
In 1996, the network was renamed the Cable Public Affairs Channel because of its expanded public affairs programming.
We have with us today in the gallery the members of the CPAC board, including its founder, Mr. Phil Lind. On behalf of all members, and indeed all Canadians, I would like to thank them and CPAC for their invaluable contribution to Canada's democratic process.
You will all have the opportunity to meet the members at the reception being held in honour of CPAC's anniversary in the East Block courtyard later this afternoon.