Debates of Feb. 8th, 2008

Afghanistan

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, attacking somebody's patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.

When it comes to Afghan detainees, the government cannot be trusted. Justice Mactavish herself has proven that the answers given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on this issue were simply false.

The minister and the government cannot keep standing behind their agreement, an agreement that Justice Mactavish blasted for failing to protect prisoners from torture and abuse.

Canadians are sick of false answers, spin and misdirection by the government. They want to know what steps, what real steps, the government will take to ensure no future torture or abuse occurs.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, that guy is spinning so fast he must be dizzy. He does not even bother to tell Canadians that the court decision was for Canada to uphold its position on Taliban prisoners. The Canadian government actually won that case. He did not bother to tell Canadians that, but I am not surprised because the Liberals do not like to tell Canadians where they stand on anything.

On the Afghan mission, what do we hear? They cannot decide. They do not want to decide so quickly. They are in favour of our troops being there but they want them out.

It is time for leadership and time to decide. Do they support our mission in Afghan or do they not? They should make up their minds and tell Canadians now.

Manufacturing and Forestry Industries

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since activity resumed in the House, the Conservatives have been desperately trying to divert our attention. There were many examples this week. They are trying to divert attention away from their disastrous performance with respect to the crisis presently rocking the manufacturing and forestry industries.

Instead of engaging in these diversionary tactics or hiding its head in the sand, will the government put aside its laissez-faire and do-nothing ideology and move immediately to improve the aid package for the manufacturing and forestry industries, as urged by everyone in Quebec?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I am certain that my hon. colleague has not reviewed the Statistics Canada data with regard to job creation, for Canada in particular, but also for Quebec. It should be noted that Quebec's unemployment rate of 6.8% is the lowest it has been in 33 years. That proves that we are doing something about real issues.

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of figures, in the past five years, 145,000 jobs have been lost in the manufacturing sector in Quebec. Most of these jobs have been lost under the Conservatives. Last year, 45,000 manufacturing jobs were lost in Quebec. That is how the Conservatives have performed.

Will the Prime Minister take advantage of his meeting with Jean Charest in Quebec City this weekend to do as he did with Mario Dumont in Rivière-du-Loup and announce this time that he will immediately improve the aid package for the manufacturing and forestry industries in Quebec, which are suffering? You need to open your eyes.

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, for two years now, our eyes have been wide open. We are delivering what Quebeckers want. Last week, this House was able to deliver $1 billion to help communities, including $216 million for Quebec. That is action.

We put in place tax measures to help businesses and Quebeckers and reduced the GST. But they voted against that, as we know.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Jean Charest and Dalton McGuinty called on the Conservative government to improve aid to the manufacturing and forestry industries. On Tuesday, the CSN joined in the call; on Wednesday, the FTQ; and yesterday, the Forest Products Association of Canada.

In the face of such a consensus, will the government finally stop doing nothing and take action immediately to improve aid to the manufacturing and forestry industries?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to remind my hon. friend that the Premier of Ontario responded by congratulating the federal government. The premier in particular clearly stated that he was pleased with the work that had been done.

If our friends in the Bloc Québécois are saying that something else needs to be done, then why did they vote for the measure that gives Quebeckers $216 million immediately?

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the prebudget report of the Standing Committee on Finance, we find a recommendation that is identical to one the House voted on this past Monday, calling on the federal government to introduce tax measures to help the manufacturing and forestry industries.

What is the government waiting for to respect the wishes repeatedly expressed by a majority of this House, calling on it to immediately implement assistance measures using some of the projected $10.6 billion surplus for this fiscal year?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, we have to be accurate. Facts are facts. The Bloc Québécois voted against the measures in the economic statement. These measures immediately provide Quebec over the next five years with $12 billion to help companies, $12 billion to help workers, and $12 billion to help cut taxes.

We are delivering the goods and they are walking around empty-handed.

Broadcasting Industry

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to sticking up for consumers, the Conservatives cannot be trusted. We saw it on ATM fees, on cellphone charges and on credit card rates.

Now we learn that at CRTC hearings, for two years the government failed to take action to protect consumers from cable company overcharge. We are talking about more than $1.2 billion owed to Canadians.

Would the government tell us why ordinary Canadians are overpaying for cable services and why the government has done diddly-squat to stop it?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government has set forth a competition panel that will be looking at all the competition issues. It is an arm's length organization. We will be looking at all the different rates being charged across Canada.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian television fund was not meant to be a hidden tax to consumers. We all remember last year's fiasco when Shaw and Vidéotron refused to live up to their obligations. In fact, they were forced to reverse themselves, despite the lack of leadership from the heritage minister.

Cable companies must live up to their obligations and they cannot do so by ripping off Canadians.

Why is the government letting cable companies pass the buck to consumers? Why is the government refusing to take action to protect Canadians from these cable company fee grabs? Why is the government not taking action?

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the actions by our government and our minister on the issue of the cable funds.

We referred the issues to which she is referring to the CRTC, which is an arm's length organization and, as such, we are looking forward to its report when it is finalized.

The CRTC is going through hearings at this particular point and we are looking forward to the results of those hearings.

Chalk River Nuclear Facilities

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, MDS Nordion testified at committee yesterday that it warned senior officials at the Department of Natural Resources about the isotope shortage on November 22. AECL emailed the department about the looming crisis on November 22.

The former chairman of AECL also said that he and the Minister of Natural Resources were advised that the reactor would not return to service as expected on November 22 and yet the minister insists that he only found out on December 3.

When will those two ministerial “isodopes” come clean and tell Canadians the truth?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding his cute attempts at quips, in reality the timelines they were given yesterday were the same as the minister gave.

Actually, what Canadians should be shaking their head at is the lack of leadership from the opposition side. The opposition cannot continue to have it both ways.

One week members of the opposition say that we should have acted sooner and then the next week they say that we should not have acted at all. Canadians are tired of that. They are glad that we moved when we did. They are glad that Parliament supported that.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a rope-a-dope answer from an “isodope” member.

MDS Nordion warned the Department of Natural Resources about the isotope shortage on November 22. The former chairman of AECL also said that he and the minister were warned on November 22.

The nuclear medicine industry were put in the picture on November 27. It is simply unbelievable that the Minister of Natural Resources did not know anything before December 3 and that the Minister of Health was not informed until December 5.

When will the Bobbsey Twins admit that they have been found out?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, that is the same information that the minister gave. MDS Nordion pointed out, as the minister had, that right up until the end of November everyone expected that the reactor would start in early December. When we found out that was not the case, this government acted and it acted quickly, and it acted with the support of all of Parliament.

I would like to quote Mr. Malkoske from MDS Nordion when he said, “I think the government was doing what they could, frankly”.

Municipal Affairs

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on December 10, OPP superintendent, Dave Truax, announced that he would be forwarding the O'Brien investigation to the RCMP after its eight month probe revealed that O'Brien had allegedly negotiated with someone at the federal level to get Terry Kilrea a federal appointment.

Strangely, the very next day the OPP changed its mind.

Would the Prime Minister tell us whether the environment minister's chief of staff called the OPP the next day on December 11? A yes or a no answer, please.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, I am puzzled by this question. I thought this was settled a long time ago but I guess there is nothing left for the Liberals in their barrel of questions.

It is clear that nothing was ever offered by anyone in this government. No post was ever provided and no patronage appointment was made. I know that upsets Liberals, who like to see those patronage appointments made, but none ever occurred. Then, God forbid, the police actually cleared the minister and confirmed that was the case, which really upsets them.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, some accountability. I am afraid that Mr. Kilrea was the one who turned down the bribe.

The OPP has evidence that suggests that the minister and O'Brien met during this period, that this bribe was on the table and that they discussed it at that meeting.

Let us try again to get a straight answer. Did the minister's chief of staff or others in his office make calls to the OPP after it was announced that it was handing over the case to the RCMP? A clear answer, if it is not yes, is it no, but give us a straight answer.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, the police made a pretty clear decision. Charges were laid but none were laid against anybody in this federal government. In fact, the OPP declared that there was nothing improper done by anybody in this government.

I do not know why they cannot accept that. It may not be good news to them but it is the truth and Canadians are proud of their government for behaving that way.

Afghanistan

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Justice Mactavish took the government to task for failing to put safeguards in place to ensure that detainees transferred to Afghan authorities would not be tortured. Despite the claims of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, an agreement without concrete measures to ensure there is no torture is not worth a hill of beans.

Do Justice Mactavish's comments not prove that the government did not fulfill its responsibilities to ensure that once the detainees are transferred, they are not tortured?

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we will reiterate the answers that we gave before. The judge did make it clear that the government had met all obligations to allow transfers to take place.

The arrangement that we put in place last May is still in place. The policy has not changed. It is still a good policy and it is still a good arrangement.

The decision will still be made on the ground by members of the Canadian Forces and other Canadian officials working in the area. They are the right ones to make it. We trust their judgment. The system is working. Why can they not accept that?

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the detainees are being kept somewhere, but the minister does not want to tell us any more than that.

Since we know there is no Canadian prison to accommodate the detainees and, according to the minister, there are no transfers, can someone tell us what happens to them? What happens to the detainees? That is what we want to know.