Debates of Nov. 27th, 2008

The Economy

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the recovery plan proposed by the Bloc Québécois can make the difference between an economic recovery and a deep recession. The Bloc’s proposals would help to improve productivity, increase innovation in the manufacturing sector, and boost construction.

What is the Prime Minister waiting for to help the victims of the crisis, help our companies and stimulate the economy?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we have not been waiting for anything.

If the hon. member had been paying attention, in last fall's economic statement we introduced an economic stimulus that is actually increasing jobs in this country. In fact, we have a net job increase in Canada of over 200,000 this year alone.

This government has reduced taxes by $31 billion this year. That equates to 2% of our gross domestic product. That is far and away ahead of some of the other G-7 countries.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, later today Canadians are going to be looking for bold leadership, dramatic and immediate action.

They are going to be looking to see EI reform. They want to see strong action to protect their pensions. They want to see credit guarantees for businesses that are on the edge. The jobs of those workers are on the edge literally this afternoon. Canadians want to see investments in infrastructure to create work.

Instead of an immediate stimulus package to attack the recession, the government is apparently going to attack democracy.

I ask the Prime Minister, how is such an attack going to create one job or protect one pension? Why is he protecting the Conservative Party instead--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this government acted early and strongly to deal with the economic crisis, including measures that we undertook as far back as a year ago, some of which are still coming into effect. The Minister of Finance has been very aggressive throughout this crisis. That is why Canada's job creation and fiscal position remains the strongest in the G-7.

Protecting the entitlements of political parties is not going to do anything for the Canadian people.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are heading into difficult times. Canadians want us to work together. They are fed up with political games, the government’s low blows, and public relations stunts instead of solid economic and financial policies. The steps the Conservatives took in the past and the hand-outs to the banks have not provided any stimulus at all. An attack on our democratic system will not stimulate anything.

Why is the government refusing to act? Why is it stubbornly doing nothing?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, the government has been acting for a year now. That is why the Canadian economy has created more jobs than the other major industrialized countries have and why we are one of the few with a budget surplus.

We are acting, and that is why the people of Canada gave us a stronger mandate. We will continue to act prudently, but we will act.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let me get this right. Here we have a Prime Minister who says that we are in a recession; he calls it technical. The people being thrown out of work call it painful and tragic. They are trying to make ends meet.

They are going to tune in to the extent that they are able to the economic statement. What are they going to hear? Apparently, they are going to hear a Prime Minister who is going to try to protect and defend the Conservative Party rather than take on the challenges that they are facing each and every day.

What does the Prime Minister think about each and every day? Why does he not stand up for Canadians and take some action on their part instead of protecting his friends in the Conservative Party?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure when the Minister of Finance gets up, today he will do what he has always done, and that is he will speak strongly for a Canadian economy that has performed well compared to our competitors under difficult economic circumstances. He will take measures to strengthen our response to this global crisis. He will lay out a road map for further action. He will ensure that we protect our structural deficit. When it comes to government spending, he will ensure that parliamentarians, beginning with Conservatives, lead by example.

Forestry Industry

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on the day when we may learn that Canada is being plunged back into deficit, it is being reported that the Conservatives' extremely flawed softwood lumber deal has actually created more jobs in the United States of America than in Canada. This is yet another example of the poor management by the Conservative government.

Forestry workers in British Columbia are crying out for help. Where is the government's plan for this ailing sector and its workers?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as we indicated before, we have a comprehensive plan on dealing with this situation. We are very concerned. We understand the effect that closures of mills has on communities. That is why we are investing in innovation and we are expanding market opportunities. As well, we are cutting corporate taxes in order to make our mills more competitive.

John Allan, the president of the Council of Forest Industries, said that the deal in retrospect was a good thing and that anyone who pointed to the lumber agreement as part of their problems was—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Vancouver South.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that she read that deal, and I will say why.

The Conservative minister has absolutely missed the point. Let me be absolutely clear. Today's report reveals that this flawed deal works against the Canadian workers, the very people it was supposed to be helping.

The workers, as I said, are crying out for help. Instead of defending the flawed Conservative deal, why is she not getting up and defending the Canadian workers and their jobs?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, on the question of the softwood lumber deal itself, the members of the opposition have a very short memory. They forget that for years the industry was being assailed by attacks from the U.S. side, resulting in millions of dollars of litigation and untold amounts being paid to quotas.

The deal has the virtual unanimous support of the industry. This industry is being hit by a global crisis and players in that industry are having to make some tough decisions. Let us remember that the deal returned $4.5 billion to Canadian industries. It is not a fault of the deal.

Automotive Industry

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the automotive industry is facing an unprecedented cash crisis and needs urgent help.

The industry's demands are very clear and known to the government. We are talking about the survival of an industry that is important not only to Ontario, but also to Quebec and other provinces in Canada.

Will the Conservatives set aside their laissez-faire attitude and help not only hang on to jobs, but also create them?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, at this time we are gathering the information we need to make the right decision. It is important to contact our partners, including the Government of Ontario, of course, to get all the information we need to make the right decision for Canadian taxpayers and for the sector itself.

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's response is as clear as mud.

Quebec excels at research and development in the auto parts sector.

Every year, General Motors buys more than $1.1 billion from parts manufacturers in Quebec, which helps support more than 13,000 jobs. These workers are living in uncertainty now, and all the Conservatives have to offer them is a new deficit.

When do the Conservatives plan on unveiling a plan to help workers?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we have already announced a number of action plans for the automotive industry and more than $250 million to support innovation in this industry. In the throne speech, we announced more money for this industry. For over two years we have been taking action for the good of the industry, as we have been for all of Canada's industries.

Arts and Culture

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs' unjustified cuts to the PromArt program could result in the cancellation of some 600 international arts tours. The new minister knows that artists from Quebec will be the hardest hit.

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs rise in the House to defend the interests of Quebec artists and culture and tell us that he plans to restore funding for the program, or will his silence prove that when the Conservatives recognized the Quebec nation two years ago today, it was an empty gesture?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, the PromArt program my colleague is talking about was a Liberal program that cost taxpayers $7 million. In 2008-09, the program cost $7 million. Of that $7 million, only $2 million was spent on artists' needs. The rest, $5 million, went to administrative expenses. The Bloc Québécois wants a program that spent over 70% of its budget on administration, not on artists. That approach does not help Canada's artists. Our government is spending $2.3 billion on artists, and that money is being spent wisely.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the program funded thousands of international tours. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has kept silent on this issue; his attitude is the same as that of his Canadian Heritage colleague, who cut other programs and transferred the money to the Olympic torch relay, and who is now refusing to reverse that decision.

If the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his cabinet colleagues do not really care about protecting Quebec culture, then why not transfer their jurisdiction over culture and their budgets to the Government of Quebec?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I am always surprised by how petty the Bloc Québécois can be when it comes to discussing cultural issues. They know very well that we have increased our spending on culture. For example, they know that we invested in TV5. They know that every time the government has had to make a decision about helping francophones and Quebec culture, the government has been present, but they have not.

Afghanistan

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, has said that he would, if he could, give the order to shoot down the coalition aircraft that are bombarding villages and causing numerous civilian deaths.

The Canadian Minister of National Defence's reaction to this is to say that President Karzai is running for election, so what he said needs to be taken with a grain of salt. This is trivializing the matter rather than admitting that intervention in its present form is headed straight for disaster.

Does the Minister of Foreign Affairs realize that his government's strategy of focusing more funding on the military aspect than on humanitarian aid and diplomacy is more than dubious and verging on dangerous?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the hon. member does not understand that it is impossible to have development without security.

The hon. member is missing the point. We clearly cannot do the necessary development and reconstruction inside Afghanistan without a secure environment. That is why we are there as part of a NATO-led UN mission, which, by the way, for the member opposite and for President Karzai, it is clear that we are there at the invitation of the Afghanistan government.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as it dealt with his foreign affairs policy. It would appear that this minister, like his predecessor, the member for Beauce, is the mouthpiece for the Prime Minister and incapable of answering for himself. What is his role, issuing passports?

I will ask the question again. Does the Minister of Foreign Affairs realize that his government's militaristic strategy in Afghanistan is fraught with failure and the intervention strategy needs reviewing as soon as possible?