Debates of Nov. 27th, 2008

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Carole Freeman, Bloc, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

The issue of culture is vital for the Quebec people, and they have taken to the streets to condemn all of these cuts. Quebeckers feel that culture is fundamental. Culture is the soul of our nation, it is our identity. Yet the Conservatives have inexplicably made draconian cuts to culture. Everyone has asked for explanations, asked about the reasoning and the need behind the cuts. No one has yet dared to answer and, when asked for information, the Minister of Canadian Heritage in the previous Parliament refused to give an explanation as to why the cuts were necessary.

Culture is not only our identity in Quebec, it is also an important economic engine. Everyone knows that Quebec culture is known around the world. It is possibly the most widespread of all Canadian culture. Think about Cirque du Soleil, Céline Dion and all of the people who make an incredible mark through their innovation and genius. Think about cinema and writers. The Conservatives made brutal cuts, and I think that the people of Quebec have made it quite obvious that they will not accept that kind of treatment and that they will continue to refuse to allow anyone to trample their identity, their culture and their nation.

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

Madam Speaker, first of all I would like to thank my colleague from the Bloc Québécois and all her colleagues in the Bloc Québécois, an opposition party that is really close to the New Democrats when it comes to government priorities.

Could the hon. member tell me what exactly the Bloc's demands are as far as this economic crisis is concerned?

For us, they are investment in infrastructure programs, social issues such as health, unemployment and so on, and innovation programs, and the protection of consumer rights as well. That is our position.

Now what, exactly, are the Bloc members' demands?

[The Acting Speaker, Denise Savoie]

The hon. member for Châteauguay—Saint-Constant has just 50 seconds for her reply.

[Carole Freeman, Bloc, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

In fact, I must rectify something in her preamble, where she said the Bloc was very close to the NDP. We most certainly need to clarify that a little. We represent the people of Quebec and the nation of Quebec, but we do not share the centralist views of the NDP. What we want is to regain our power, while the NDP wants to centralize power, and this is really the total opposite of our fundamental positions.

Since my allotted time is coming to an end, I will close with this: on the economic level alone, as far as our manufacturing and forestry sectors are concerned, we must really call for major investments. As I said in my speech, we of course are calling for all of the suffering disadvantaged and marginal members of society to be given proper support in this Speech from the Throne.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Kitchener Centre.

I am proud to respond to the Speech from the Throne.

As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour, I am proud to rise today to speak in favour of the passage of the reply to the Speech from the Throne.

First, I extend my thanks to the constituents from Souris—Moose Mountain, those who were responsible for electing me and getting me back into the House of Commons for the third term. I thank my family, my wife Sally, in particular, who stood with me throughout the campaign. I appreciate all the effort that was made on my behalf.

Both my province of Saskatchewan and Canada at large have made some solid economic gains in the past few years. We wish to continue to build upon that and the momentum we have created in the years to come.

Our government is mindful of the challenges faced by Canadians and their families in this time of economic uncertainty. I think of the people with small businesses, farmers, seniors, workers and families. I am sure if we work together, we can preserve their jobs and savings and come through stronger after these times than before we entered into them.

I also think of the first nations communities. I have seven reserves in my riding. We must strive to improve the educational success of our aboriginal young people. Preparing for the future means taking the necessary steps to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world. That is precisely what our government is doing.

In times of economic prosperity or uncertainty, it is more important than ever for Canadians to acquire skills and knowledge. In the Speech from the Throne our government made a commitment to strengthen Canada's workforce by continuing to support student financial assistance. To that effect, we have increased post-secondary education funding by 40%. We are also helping students through our new, income-tested student loan repayment assistance plan to ensure that no more than 20% of any borrower's income will go toward repaying the loan.

In budget 2008 our government introduced a new Canada student grant program that would provide students from low-income and middle-income families with cash assistance each month of $250 and $100, respectively. Starting next year, the new grant is expected to help 245,000 students for the first year.

The Speech from the Throne also reiterated our government's commitment to take measures to encourage skilled trades and apprenticeships. We have a number of programs in relation to that. The Speech from the Throne also emphasizes our government's commitment to work with provinces to remove barriers to internal trade, investment and labour mobility by 2010. We want to be sure that Canadians can move from province to province to ensure their skills and abilities can be used wherever they are required.

As I mentioned earlier, an important source of untapped potential in Canada lies within our aboriginal communities. Close to 16,000 aboriginal people are taking advantage of the aboriginal skills and employment partnership program, which helps them receive trades training and secure sustainable skilled jobs in the north and across Canada.

Our government has also committed significant funding over six years for new labour market agreements with the provinces to help address the gap in labour market programming for those who do not currently qualify for training under the employment insurance program.

With certain economic challenges ahead, our government recognizes that many workers may be forced to leave their jobs as a result of the economic downturn. Our government will support these workers facing transition and we will be there for them in the time of need.

We want to support Canadians in difficult times because our economy is only as strong as our workers and their families. The Prime Minister has stated that governments have a duty to help families and communities bridge the gap between a downturn and recovery.

That is why in January 2008 the Prime Minister announced a $1 billion fund for the community development trust, which supports a wide variety of initiatives such as job training and skills development to create opportunities for affected workers, community transition plans that foster economic development and create new jobs and infrastructure development that stimulates economic diversification.

To help older workers transition into new job opportunities, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development introduced the targeted initiative for older workers program to help unemployed older workers in the most vulnerable communities. We must help all Canadians participate.

Let me now turn to breaking down the barriers that prevent Canadians from reaching their full potential.

Canada is built upon a promise of opportunity and a willingness to work hard to secure a better life. That promise should be kept alive. It gives us hope.

By breaking down barriers to equal opportunity within the workplace, the Canadian economy will become even stronger and more competitive. We continue our work in this regard through our tools for fairness in the workplace, the Employment Equity Act, the racism-free workplace strategy and our federal labour standards that establish minimum conditions of employment for employees and for many employers, helping them to compete on more equal footing with other businesses.

We can find better ways to reconcile work with our other responsibilities in life and we will. A new model of labour standards must take this into account. To help families with children balance work and family life, our government introduced the universal child care plan. This plan provides parents with more choices in deciding what is best for their children.

Through our universal child care benefit, transfers to the provinces and territories and child-related tax credits, we are making historic investments that benefit families with children, mostly helping low income and modest income families. In fact, our investments amount to the single largest investments in child care in the history of Canada, three times more than the previous Liberal government had invested. Our universal child care benefit assists 1.5 million families and about two million children per year.

For the average family, this benefit, together with the child care expense deduction, offsets well over one-third of the cost of non-parental child care. The combined impact of these measures is even greater for one parent families. The universal child care benefit program has lifted an estimated 24,000 families with about 55,000 children out of the low income bracket.

With our significant funding for the creation of child care spaces, the provinces and territories have announced the creation of over 60,000 new child care spaces since March of last year. We will continue to work co-operatively with provinces to create daycare spaces and give parents what they have asked for: real choice in child care.

The Speech from the Throne reiterated our government's commitment to extend the homelessness partnering strategy and help more Canadians find affordable housing. Accordingly our government has renewed federal housing and homelessness programs at current levels for five years until March 31, 2014. This has been well received.

In helping to keep Canadians safe, the government is committed to preventing violence in the workplace. The violence prevention regulations that apply to workers in private and public federally regulated workplaces are now in force.

The Speech from the Throne also highlighted the need for our government to review all program spending carefully to ensure program spending would be effective and in line with Canadian priorities. Canadian taxpayers expect modern and cost effective services responsive to their individual needs. Through Service Canada, we continue to improve the access of citizens to a full range of government information, programs and services. We will continue to encourage innovation in service excellence while focusing on efficiency and results.

Once again, I reiterate the great honour and privilege it is to serve my constituents in this House. I believe I will live up to their expectations and I will do the best I can to represent them. I trust we will emerge from these uncertain times better, stronger and more able than we were before we entered.

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

Madam Speaker, it is a delight to see you in the chair. I know you will do a wonderful job for the House.

My colleague and I have not had a chance to chat yet, but I am the critic for human resources for the Liberal Party and I know he is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. I am sure we will get to know each other on committee.

I hope the first order of business that our committee will undertake will be a continuation of a study that we left off with when the last Parliament ended, which is a study of poverty in Canada. The government, as I am sure most people know, has an appalling record when it comes to dealing with poverty in Canada.

He talks about the universal child care benefit. Every serious poverty organization and advocacy group in Canada have said to turn that into a child tax benefit. The Association of Food Banks last week indicated that they had never had so many working people visiting food banks.

Will the government get serious? Will we have a poverty reduction strategy such as England, Ireland, the Scandinavian countries, Australia and like Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and even Nova Scotia? When is the government going to get serious about reducing poverty in our country?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour for his opening kind comments and remarks. I look forward to meeting him in our committee and working with him and others to see how we can address the issues that face us. Homelessness, housing and poverty are a matter of concern, particularly in difficult times.

I can assure the member that we will be looking at ways to meet the needs are out there through the employment insurance program, improvements to the universal child care benefit program, the child tax credit and the working income tax benefit.

I also remind the member that we have dedicated more funds to homelessness and bringing people through the transition in the housing initiative than any other government in history. We have just announced that we will ensure that there is funding of $387 million for a period of five years for a total of $1.9 billion to address those two issues alone.

It seems to me if one has a place to stay, a house, a roof over their head, a bed to sleep on, food on their table, they can progress to what they can become.

I am looking forward to working with the member to see what we can do in this area.

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

Madam Speaker, I, too, want to add my congratulations to your appointment as Acting Speaker in the House and appreciate the work you are doing.

I want to ask the parliamentary secretary about an aspect of his speech that was glaringly absent and shockingly missing, as it was with respect to the Speech from the Throne. It has to do with people with disabilities for whom he has responsibility.

In his position as parliamentary secretary, he will know that people with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty. Fifty-five per cent of Canadians with disabilities are unemployed. That rate rises to 75% among women. Two million Canadians do not have the aids and supports they need to work and to participate equally in their communities.

The government has to begin to do something.

First, does the parliamentary secretary have any kind of sense of how the government will advance quickly toward the ratification of the UN convention? Second, will he do something he refused to do in the last Parliament, which is to work with us to ensure there is a subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Human Resources to deal specifically with the concerns of people with disabilities?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Madam Speaker, we look forward to receiving whatever input the member and others are prepared to make in this regard. There is no doubt that persons with disabilities need to be regarded in a particular way to help them become what they can be and integrate them into the workforce.

We have put a number of programs together to that end. We are going to improve the registered disability savings program to make it easier for persons with disabilities to access money that has been transferred from unused retirement savings plans. We are extending the eligibility for child disability benefit. We are introducing a working income tax benefit, which provides up to $500 for individuals and up to $1,000 for families. It includes a supplement for low income working people with disabilities.

There is no doubt more can be done and more needs to be done. It is something on which we are prepared to receive input. In the course of events we all want to work together to improve the situation as best we can.

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, at the outset I want to add my voice to say how shocked and saddened I was to hear about the events in India yesterday. It was a terrible tragedy.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak in reply to the Speech from the Throne and I wish to thank the people of Kitchener Centre for giving me the opportunity to speak on their behalf. I am deeply grateful to my campaign team for their dedicated assistance.

We live in interesting times, as the Chinese proverb would observe. To further borrow from that tradition I suggest that we may define our present circumstances with the character for “crisis” that expresses in a single word not only “danger” but also “opportunity”. This Parliament has before it both danger and opportunity, and we have heard a throne speech that recognizes both the dangers and the opportunities.

The Speech from the Throne clearly addresses the economic challenges that define the work of this Parliament. As we speak, with the most recent reports available, Canada continues to enjoy the only budget surplus among the G-7 nations. Our average hourly wage rate has continued to increase by 4.3% in the last year. Our unemployment rate remains near historic lows. For the first time since 1981, we have less unemployment than the United States. In 2008, we have had a net gain of 107,000 new jobs to date. This contrasts with 1.2 million jobs lost by our neighbours to the south in 2008 to date. The fiscal prudence of our government in the last Parliament, undoubtedly, contributed to these advantages.

During the election campaign and again in the House I have heard the opposition parties refer to our government spending as “squandering the surplus that was left to us”. I must say that I do not consider paying down $37 billion of national debt in just two years, reducing almost $200 billion in taxation and investing in infrastructure as squandering anything. These were proactive measures to ensure the health of our economy.

To suggest that the government was wrong to reduce the surplus in this way, is to suggest that we should reverse those actions by raising taxes once again. To suggest the government was wrong to do these things, is to suggest that we should cancel those infrastructure investments. Yet, those are the very actions that have made our economic success known around the world. It is unwise to now suggest that lowering taxes and investing in infrastructure were wrong or should be reversed. Quite the opposite is true.

Those measures provided ongoing economic stimulus. The GST cuts, for example, did not just put more money in consumers' pockets last year, they continue to increase consumer spending power this year and will continue next year and the year after that.

The benefit of these tax reductions and infrastructure investments could not be greater if the government had waited until now to implement them, as have some of our neighbours. Quite the opposite is true. Because we were ahead of the curve, we are already enjoying the benefits and have delayed the onset of a recession far longer than have our neighbours.

However, the dangers remain: loss of stock market value; declining U.S. consumer confidence; reduced demand for our products, especially automotive, from our largest trading partner; and dropping commodity prices. We are all painfully aware of the dangers we face.

We cannot escape the economic downturn. The economic problems afflicting our largest trading partner will inevitably affect us. We are a trading nation. The health of the global economy impacts the health of the Canadian economy.

The government has already demonstrated its keen awareness of the necessity for international co-operation. Our Prime Minister has already met with world leaders and worked with them on general principles which will be implemented by our government with the support of the House. My personal hope is that two approaches will become priorities. I am certain that I speak for the people of Kitchener Centre in expressing these priorities. These in fact are opportunities. The first is an acceleration of investment in infrastructure. The second is ensuring support for those whose livelihood is lost or whose essential savings are lost by the economic downturn. These two priorities are emblematic of the Kitchener traditions of industrious community development and socially innovative concern for our neighbours.

As to infrastructure, the government has already wisely budgeted for $33 billion in infrastructure investment over the next several years. It is now important to provide much of that economic stimulus over the next 12 to 24 months. I am confident that our government will take those measures to the fullest extent possible. This is an opportunity to address real and present infrastructure needs.

It is equally important to ensure that no Canadian is left behind. In Canada, we do not abandon the less fortunate. Clearly, the economic downturn will make itself felt in the employment insurance fund and in provincial social assistance programs. I confidently expect our government’s new budget will address these very important needs.

The throne speech expresses a commitment to ensure delivery of the generous transfer payments already planned for health care and social programs. It promises to ensure that programs for workers facing transition are available for those who need them most. The throne speech also affirms our resolve to extend the homelessness partnership strategy and help more Canadians find affordable housing. These are opportunities to improve our support networks.

How will our government achieve these fundamental goals? How will we as a House in another minority position come together? How can the government reconcile sometimes conflicting needs across 10 provinces and 3 territories? We have a unique opportunity to accomplish this great work in this 40th Parliament.

We have two things going for us. First, we have heard a near universal call for a renewed sense of decorum in this chamber. This reflects a thirst by members of this House and by Canadians across our great land for a sense of common focus. The challenges before us are so great that they compel us to put aside partisan sharpness and find common purpose. This is an important opportunity to improve our public discourse.

Second, we have a Prime Minister who has the confidence to risk an open-minded search for solutions. Confidence leads to open-mindedness. It takes confidence to be transparent. It takes confidence to trust one another. In the last Parliament, our Prime Minister demonstrated his own quiet confidence on a number of occasions. These occasions included an open-minded commitment to secure Parliament’s approval on the Afghanistan issue before acting.

Another good example was the thoughtful and unifying resolution on the nationhood of les Québécois. Another was the heartfelt apology to our residential school survivors. These moments inspired the people of my riding of Kitchener Centre and, I dare say, they inspired Canadians across our great land. Everyone who was here for them can be proud of their work.

Those accomplishments required strength and confidence. Those efforts produced the truly shining moments of the 39th Parliament. Those efforts demonstrated how open-mindedness, transparency and mutual trust, possible only through confidence in our own strengths, can achieve common focus.

The Speech from the Throne lays out a path through a dark forest of economic perils. I call on all of our hon. members to seize the opportunity to confidently put on the cloak of open-mindedness, transparency and mutual trust. Let us travel that path together with common focus on the needs and well-being of all Canadians.

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to the member when he talked about putting partisan positions aside. I could not agree more but that is not what it is all about. It is a matter of being accurate with the facts. He talked about budgeting $33 billion over the next several years. After the patient is dead, we cannot bring him back. Will the member work to ensure that the money comes right away?

Let me clarify for the member what the Conservative government has not done. In 2005, money was put aside for the municipal rural infrastructure program, the Canada strategic infrastructure fund, the border infrastructure fund and the public transit capital fund, totalling $11.5 billion for 2007-09. In the Conservative's 2007 budget, for the member's clarification, only $4 billion of those funds were included, eliminating $7.5 billion. The $20 billion that he talks about was money coming from the gas tax and the GST rebate to the cities.

Is the member prepared to stand and tell his constituents that he will go to his government and his Prime Minister to get that money back for the cities?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, timing is very important with these infrastructure projects, which is why I am so pleased that the Speech from the Throne expresses a commitment to accelerate these projects.

The strength of our land is that we work in partnership with the provinces, not unilaterally. In my own riding of Kitchener Centre, for example, the Kitchener-Waterloo region transit corridor was designated as a top priority last August by the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada. My expectation is that I will be working hard to ensure that those funds flow on a timely basis in order to advance that project.

I have already been in touch with the mayor of Kitchener and the chair of the Waterloo region to find out what they believe to be their top infrastructure projects. I regard it as my job as a member to ensure that those get funded.

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

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Kitchener Centre. I hope he can live up to the high standards set by his predecessor, Karen Redman, a person for whom we in the House have a great deal of respect and admiration.

I know Kitchener quite well. I was born in Kitchener and my parents live near Kitchener in a village called Winterbourne. I also know, from visits to that city, that the concerns of that area are not being represented by the Conservatives to date. I hope they will be.

I want to ask about one particular issue, the issue of laid-off workers who not only must face the horror of being laid off but who suddenly do not have drug coverage. Residents of Kitchener have told us, as I am sure they have told him, that they want to see the government bring in a national drug strategy to ensure that all people, regardless of their economic circumstances, have access to necessary medications. Will the member promise to pursue that with the government?

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, my friend's presence in this chamber is simply more evidence of the number of great people who have come out of Kitchener. I am glad to hear that we share those common roots.

I, myself, was born and raised in Kitchener. I know its hills, valleys, streets and byways like the back of my hand. I have many friends and acquaintances who I have worked with over the years in Kitchener. I am in good touch with the kinds of needs and desires that they have.

I also want to add to what my friend has said about my predecessor, Ms. Redman. Many years ago, in another life, I had close contact with the organization that she represented. I have always had a good relationship with her and agree that she carried off her duties with class and dedication.

As to the issue of the unemployed and drug coverage, the government's first approach is to ensure that as few people as possible are unemployed. The kind of stimulus measures that are referred to in the Speech from the Throne are designed to do that. My expectation is that they will be largely successful.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Madam Speaker, I must inform you that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Davenport.

My congratulations, to begin with, Madam Speaker, for achieving this position. In my opinion, your obvious good will and calm nature will bring you the total cooperation of all members on both sides of the floor.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the voters of Lac-Saint-Louis for reaffirming their confidence in me.

I would like to thank the citizens of my riding for choosing me once again to represent them in Ottawa, to be their voice in the nation's capital.

I would also like to congratulate my colleagues, those who are taking seats in this House for the first time and those who are returning to this House. I would like to congratulate my colleagues from all parties. We have all shared the rigours of campaigning and I believe that a mutual respect flows from this fact, from this shared experience and from this shared commitment to Canada. Campaigning is fast becoming a habit for all of us here. I must admit that campaigning is a habit that I enjoy more and more, though many citizens are understandably growing weary of and saturated by several federal campaigns in rapid succession, interspersed, of course, with elections in other jurisdictions.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed last fall the opportunity to meet my constituents on a more frequent basis and in the more intense manner that is an election campaign. I enjoyed sharing their ideas at train stations, at shopping malls, at their doorsteps and in public gatherings and debates. I enjoyed their passion for the issues, domestic and international, that make the voters of Lac-Saint-Louis some of the most informed and engaged voters in the country.

The distinguishing feature of my riding, apart from the fact that it is surrounded on three sides by water, sitting as it does on one of the continent's greatest waterways, the St. Lawrence River, is the fact that my fellow citizens are known for their adherence to principle. This has always, in my memory, been the hallmark of the voters of Lac-Saint-Louis. They adhere to their principles, regardless of the direction of the prevailing political winds. The voters of Lac-Saint-Louis cannot be pushed off their principles by political fads or by slick and powerful political machines and their communications strategies.

I would like to turn to the throne speech. I listened intently to the throne speech, like the rest of my colleagues. There are some good ideas in the throne speech and there are ideas that may not be obviously those that my party and other members of the opposition would have put in a throne speech. Regardless, the throne speech, at this point, is mere words. What remains to be seen is whether those words are put into action.

There are two qualities that are required of a government or that are sought by the people of their government during difficult times: first, the government must be trusted by the electorate; and second, the government must be able to address short-term problems while simultaneously moving toward long-term solutions to longer-term challenges.

I am sorry to say that I feel the government has a dubious record on both counts, a record that leaves room to doubt its ability to lead Canada through these challenging times and its ability to put the words of a throne speech into action.

Let us look at the meaning of trust. What does trust mean? I believe there are two components to trust. One is transparency and the other is competence. In terms of transparency, the question is: Can the people put their faith in the government's pronouncements? That is very important to the people's trust in the government.

When it comes to competence, what we mean when we are speaking about trust is where it is assumed that the government has the best and most honest intentions and keeps its word, does the government repeatedly make the best and wisest decisions? Because a government that does not keep its word, if it is not effective, if it bungles, if it makes mistakes, or if it is incompetent, leaves the people, in some ways, no better off.

Let us look at transparency, first. I am not at all certain the government has earned the trust of Canadians by dealing honestly and sincerely with Canadians over the past three years. Does the government keep its word? Does the government follow-through on the direction to which it has publicly committed? Does the government engage in sleight of hand, pretending to do one thing but doing another? Does the government prefer window dressing to solid content?

Let us briefly examine the previous Conservative government's record.

On fixed election dates, the government committed to them, but it reneged on that commitment.

On income trusts, the government promised not to tax them, but it reneged on that commitment.

On capital gains taxation, the government promised positive reforms of taxation of capital gains in the 2006 campaign. That promise, like the promise to create more child care spaces, simply evaporated.

On infrastructure, the government promised to renew our infrastructure. Yet, it has been dragging its feet. I believe one of the reasons it is doing that is that it does not want to add to the deficit because that would be politically embarrassing. It does not want to add to the deficit that the chief Parliamentary Budget Officer said flows from the policies of the government. It would rather put off spending to save political face. It would rather let our infrastructure crumble than lose political face. It would rather keep people unemployed than lose political face.

On patient wait times, the previous government promised to reduce them before just giving up on even trying to fulfill that promise.

On climate change, three years ago the government promised regulations to help fight greenhouse gas emissions, but we have not yet seen a single published regulation.

On senate appointments, the government said it would elect senators. The first thing it did in 2006 was appoint a senator. The people responded by not electing that Senator to this Parliament. Now we know that the government and the Senate is setting up the board. It is setting up the Senate and in fact it is setting up Canadians to appoint 19 senators without election. It will argue, of course, that the Senate is dysfunctional and that it has to act.

Let us look at the second component of trust: competence. Some will argue that it does not really matter if a government is sincere or intellectually honest as long as it is competent and effective. As a matter of fact during the election campaign, in going door to door, I ran across many decent people who said that they did not like the government and they did not believe it, but its members seem to be clever and smart. They seem to be foxy and I suppose that counts for something. Maybe they can accomplish something by being clever and foxy. It is a little sad when we think about it, that good, decent people, after three years of Conservative government rule, have decreased their expectations about political honesty to such a level.

Here again the government has scored low on the measure of trust that is competence. Earlier this week, the Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) absolved the government of responsibility for the upcoming federal deficit by stating that the government could not foresee the current global recession. This begs the question, why did the government therefore eliminate the financial cushion the previous Liberal government had inserted into past budgets? That is what the cushion was for; it was for unforeseen problems. The Conservatives cannot have it both ways. If they did not foresee, why did they not plan for the worst in case it happened? That is an issue of competence.

There was a line in the budget inspired by my private member's bill, Bill C-228, that says the government will implement legislation to prevent transfers of water out of basins. It remains to be seen if the government will follow-through on that, but it can count on the fact that I will certainly be pushing the government to act as quickly as possible.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, I welcome my colleague back. I know certain issues around water and others will be front and centre in his mind again. We did good work on the environment committee together.

My question is around choices that the government is making in these uncertain times. We will see a series of the government's choices this afternoon. I would suggest that many of them will appear as policy but will be political in their nature. I hope not but the government has already indicated through a number of leaks to the media that it will be the case.

The choice revolves around how to actually stimulate an economy. I will speak about the northwest of British Columbia that has been in a recession for some number of years now. Some communities face upwards of 80% unemployment, while the government comes forward to say that there is not a problem it has not seen that a tax cut will not meet, and if one only has a hammer then every problem starts to look like a nail.

Companies in my region that had been suffering for a long time had not in fact been paying taxes because they had not been making profits. As the tax rate went down for corporations, they were not seeing any benefit coming back to them. Whereas when we were able to use part government and part private funding for a mill in Fort St. James for instance, 250 mill jobs are being saved and the workers are going back to work this week.

This is something that is about a choice, but the government seems so hooked to an ideology, that there is no other solution other than a tax rate measure rather than a true stimulus package and investment, which is being debated south of the border. I wonder what the member's thoughts are on the choices that are being made right now and have been made in previous budgets by the current ideological government.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Madam Speaker, the member's question relates to a point that I wanted to raise with the member for Kitchener Centre. He talked about the GST cut and how that is stimulating the economy.

The problem with tax cuts and interest rate cuts is that their effect, and this we learn in economics 101, is mediated by market psychology. We could cut taxes all we want but if people are afraid they are not going to spend. We can cut interest rates all we want but if businesses are not optimistic they are not going to borrow and they are not going to invest.

In response to my NDP colleague's point, I think in times like this what is important is that the government takes control of levers that it would have absolute control over, things like infrastructure spending. If the government decides it is going to spend on infrastructure, no amount of market psychology is going to make it change its mind, but if an individual gets a 1% GST cut, and by the way the effect of that is just recouped by oil companies that raise gas prices or coffee shops that raise the price of coffee, the problem is that the government has a very loose string. It has a loose string that it is trying to push. It is a string when what we need is a more solid lever.

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech and I would like to ask a two-part question.

As members will recall, the forestry crisis has given rise to many problems over the past 30 months, or since the Conservative government came to power.

I would like my colleague to answer the following. Has the government understood? Has the government listened to the demands? It was forewarned of the situation, of the economic crisis and the situation in the forestry industry. Did the government do anything?

Second, the Conservatives were also forewarned of the possibility of a deficit, but they said not to worry and that there would not be a deficit. I will ask my colleague the question. Has the government heard anything that we told it in the past 30 months? Did the Conservatives get the message or are they simply turning a deaf ear?

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. I think that what we see, once again, with this newly re-elected government, is—

[An hon. member]

They did not listen.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

They obviously did not listen. This government is not overly concerned with long-term policies. I mentioned it in my speech. A government that inspires confidence must first of all be intellectually honest and, second, must plan for the long term. I do not believe that the government has any alternative measures in the event that the crisis hits full force.

The answer is no.

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the good people of Davenport for the trust they have shown in me. I congratulate all members in the House for their election or re-election as members of Parliament. In choosing us as their representatives, the people of Canada have reposed in us a sacred trust and the responsibility of a noble tradition dating back to the founding of our country.

To the members who did not return, I take this moment to thank them for their service to this country we all love. Their hard work and dedication will long be remembered.

I would also like to thank my leader for his confidence in appointing me as official opposition critic for foreign affairs with responsibility for the Americas.

Allow me to begin by quoting from the Speech from the Throne:

In Canada as in other countries of the world democracy today faces a decisive challenge. It must adapt to new circumstances and new demands or fail in its purpose. This challenge is not abstract but a confrontation which you will have to face by virtue of your election to Parliament.

If members do not recognize these words from last week's Speech from the Throne, there is good reason. They are from the Speech from the Throne delivered in Parliament on September 12, 1968. If these words reach forward across the years and carry any message, it is that all times are challenging, the world is always evolving, and every generation must lift the torch and boldly go forward into the darkness in order to light the way for those who are to follow.

In 1968, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau was the young and vibrant newly chosen leader of Canada. Although the world faced many perils, not unlike today, he called upon all Canadians of his generation to hear the call to work toward building a more just society where prosperity was known to the many and not just the few. Most of all, he called upon all Canadians to take up their place in the world.

John Maynard Keynes once said that Canada is a place of infinite promise. Truly, we in the House have an enormous responsibility to meet the challenges that face our country and the world.

The Leader of the Opposition, the member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, is absolutely correct in the comments he made following the Speech from the Throne. He said, “By electing a minority government, Canadians are asking Parliament to work together to see our country through the economic challenges that we now face”. With power of any kind there comes responsibility and we have a responsibility to make this Parliament work.

Clearly, Canadians across the land are facing unprecedented economic challenges. Are the two other opposition party leaders suggesting that it would be better to spend $300 million on an election for the purpose of their political agendas rather than on meeting the needs of Canadians at this difficult time in our history?

As the leader of my party has made clear, there is much lacking in the Speech from the Throne and there is much need for improvement. However, Canadians sent us here to work. They sent us here to stop the blatant partisan gamesmanship that some have repeatedly displayed and instead put the interests of Canadians first.

With one of the lowest voter turnouts in Canadian history, it must be recognized that all of us here have a profound responsibility to seek to encourage confidence in our institutions and to give to citizens across this country a message of hope, co-operation and commitment in these difficult times. We are here for the people's business, not our own business.

In a mere nine years, Canada will be 150 years old. In 1967, Canada's 100th birthday, Canada hosted Expo '67 and the world stood up to take note of the great nation we had become.

There were bold new social, economic and political changes brought forward in that time of great advancement and wonder. We need to look for that vision once again to meet the challenges of the new millennium and to tend to the flame of hope and prosperity passed from the torch of history that has come from generations past. This will require bold action, especially in times of recession.

By way of example, the premiers of Ontario and Quebec, as well as others, have for some time called for the creation of a high-speed rail link between the city of Windsor and Quebec City. It would create a rapid and environmentally sustainable transportation link across that region of Canada. It is forward thinking and long overdue. Although nine years away, if we committed now to build the high-speed rail link, it would surely be possible to achieve its completion by our country's 150th anniversary.

Likewise, our national pension plan which was created by a previous Liberal government is a bold and daring statement that recognizes our need to take care of those who have worked so hard to build our country. The throne speech was a missed opportunity to clearly commit to protect the pensions of older Canadians. This is something they deserve. We must work together to ensure that all Canadians have the quality of life that is due to them as people who have raised us, worked for us and dedicated themselves to building a better tomorrow for those who now enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Our nation's infrastructure is in desperate need of attention. A real and dedicated financial commitment in this area would help to restore infrastructure in an environmentally sustainable manner in every corner of Canada and would also generate badly needed jobs in all regions.

We need vigorous and meaningful action to protect jobs in all sectors of our economy, including our manufacturing industries.

Working families need support from their national government during difficult times. We must work to reduce poverty and also ensure that as the world's economic foundations are challenged that more Canadians do not find themselves in such circumstances.

Our young people must believe that their future is bright. Though there are clouds of uncertainty hovering overhead, behind those clouds is sunshine. Young Canadians are the future. We need to help them learn, assist them to meet the challenges of a changing world and ensure they know that we are with them regardless of the pressing challenges that surround them.

Our country needs to show leadership in meeting the challenge of climate change. We need to show the world that our commitment is meaningful and that we are prepared to lead the way as if our survival depended on it, because in actual fact it does.

The throne speech would have done well to commit our country to a greener economy and the economic and environmental benefits of cultivating such progressive and necessary policies.

As a country we must also commit to green technology in the production of automobiles. If the present challenges facing automobile manufacturers have taught us anything, it is that the future will require us to produce more environmentally friendly cars which are more appealing to the marketplace.

We need to address the ongoing needs of our first nations people and to protect our territorial integrity in the northernmost parts of our country.

In challenging times it is easy to forget that a nation's identity is in many ways defined by its culture and the artists who define it with dedication and talent. As in all economically troubled times, artists are among those who will face some of the most severe financial pressures. We must commit to support them in every way possible, for their work is important to Canada and the world.

During the tenure of the previous Liberal governments, which efficiently and progressively managed public affairs in this country from 1993 to 2006, we not only balanced our budgets but also maintained a prudent contingency fund. The current global economic crisis confirms the wisdom of such a policy. We must find a way to restore contingency funds and not unwisely adopt economic policies that look good in the short term but do not serve our country in the long term.

I would also encourage the government to continue the policies of previous Liberal administrations with respect to the banking industry. Despite great pressures at the time, the former Liberal prime minister and finance minister resisted the requests for mergers and looser banking regulations which would almost certainly have placed our financial institutions in less favourable positions than they are in now.

We all agree there is much to be done. The call today to all members of the House is that we work together to seek bold solutions to the challenges that currently face our country and the world. Now is not the time for partisan bickering. We have the people's business to tend to and they await our answer to their call.

In these seemingly dark times, let us move on in the glow of our nation's unyielding spirit. Let us show the world the way forward no matter how difficult the road so that we may be the first to reach the dawn.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, I welcome my colleague back.

With respect to the economic update that will be presented this afternoon, the questions in front of us will be questions of potential confidence. We know the experience of the Liberal Party in the last session of Parliament on many questions of confidence. Because of political reasons, it was suggested that Liberal members were unable to express their own convictions in the votes. Forty-three times there were confidence measures brought forward on budgets, on the throne speech, on fiscal measures, and for reasons not associated with Parliament itself, other than political, they were unable to act on their convictions, .

I have a question for my colleague, whom I know as we have worked on various issues together. As we face these most dire and uncertain economic times, the choices before government are critical for working families in this country. These decisions will affect not only this current fiscal year, but perhaps years to come. The current Conservative government is wedded to some very deep ideologies that prevent it from applying other prescriptions, true stimulus packages, true investments in industry and communities.

What will the Liberal Party be doing as we face these confidence measures? Where will the line in the sand be drawn? Where will the conviction be on the choices that are before us as a minority Parliament to act in the best interests of Canadians everywhere?

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Madam Speaker, we all recognize the difficult situation this country is facing. In my speech I alluded not just to the fact that it is an economic situation but also to the fact that there is a lack of confidence in our parliamentary institutions. The fact that there was such low voter turnout in the last election should concern us all here in this Parliament.

As parliamentarians we have a responsibility to work together to meet the challenges ahead and to confront the government when it fails to react positively to the crisis facing the world.

We want to see a stimulus package such as those in Europe and the U.S. so that the economy can keep on going. I am afraid that the government is missing an opportunity. The Conservatives have not been good prudent managers of the economy or of our country's finances.

We have wasted the last two years by not addressing the issues of concern. Today we are facing a serious financial situation which has been brought on not just by what is happening in the world but also by the actions of the government.

We as opposition members have to make sure that the government is held to account for its actions.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Madam Speaker, in his excellent speech, the member talked about the lack of confidence in our parliamentary institutions.

It was discovered that the Conservatives had a book of dirty tricks on how to thwart democracy in Parliament.