House of Commons Hansard #77 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was authorities.
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
Mr. Speaker, in a speech given in Quebec City on October 2, 2007, the Minister of Natural Resources said:
I have no doubt that the [Wind Energy Institute of Canada] will play a key role nationwide in accelerating the development of wind energy in Canada through research, testing, innovation and collaboration.
How can this be when he just cut the funds for the institute?
Gary Lunn ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, we do not have to take any lessons from Liberals in our commitment for clean, renewable energy for this country. We have put $1.5 billion for wind energy, 4,000 megawatts of absolutely clean energy. We are announcing these projects in every single corner of this country.
We are very proud of our record. We are getting the job done. We are delivering. The Liberals should be ashamed of their record after 13 years of inaction.
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
Mr. Speaker, the funding for the institute is cut. It is good to have that confirmed by the minister.
I have a supplementary for the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The minister of ACOA told me that the wind institute would be the first in line for the next round of centres of excellence projects. How will this happen when the funding is cut?
Gary Lunn ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, we are delivering action. We are delivering more energy from wind, from renewable energy, and the member should recognize that our government is taking action.
The Liberals allowed greenhouse gases to rise by 35% in their 13 years in office. Their record is abysmal and they should be ashamed of it. We are getting the job done. We are delivering results for Canadians in every single corner of this country.
Richard Nadeau Bloc Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, francophone athletes and media representatives with the Canadian mission will be welcomed by bilingual volunteers during the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games. However, by bilingual, the Canadian Olympic committees mean mastery of English and Mandarin. They have forgotten one of Canada's official languages, our language: French.
Is that yet more proof that nobody really cares about the Quebec nation or its language, and that French has no place in the Canadian Olympic delegation even though it is the official language of the Olympics? Will the government intervene to ensure that French is also required?
James Moore ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics
Mr. Speaker, I can assure my Bloc colleague that our government is fully aware of the situation and that the 2010 Olympic Games will be completely bilingual. I understand his concerns, and I can assure him that we are aware of the concerns he has raised here in the House. The Olympic Games and all of the work the government is doing on this file will be bilingual in acknowledgement of this Canadian reality.
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, Paris and its francophone partners continue to disagree about the role of the multilateral channel, TV5 Monde. Belgium, like Switzerland yesterday, has threatened to withdraw if France continues with its plan to integrate the francophone television network into the proposed France Monde holding company.
What arguments has the Canadian government expressed to France to ensure that TV5 remains a multilateral tool for the francophonie?
Jim Abbott ConservativeParliamentary Secretary for Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, the heritage minister has taken note of these issues and it is under consideration.
Anthony Rota Liberal Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario plays a key role in the development and enhancement of Franco-Ontarians throughout the province.
This year alone, funding has been reduced by almost 30%, resulting in the closing of one of its offices in my riding and possibly many other offices across the province.
Why has this Conservative government abandoned Franco-Ontarians?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting to note that a Liberal member has asked this question because it was the Liberal government that slashed funding for Ontario's francophones. That is very interesting. Could he perhaps tell our government why major cuts were made in funding for linguistic communities?
Gord Brown Conservative Leeds—Grenville, ON
Mr. Speaker, a large portion of the population is aging and needs a greater level of care. We are hearing stories of the difficulties and abuse that seniors can sometimes experience with caregivers and even their own families. We know that the previous Liberal government did absolutely nothing to help vulnerable seniors experiencing the trauma of elder abuse.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development tell the House what this government is doing to help seniors who may be struggling with the issue of elder abuse?
Lynne Yelich ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that seniors built this country and play a vital role in its future. They have a strong voice at the cabinet table. That is why we created a Secretary of State for Seniors and a National Seniors Council.
In budget 2008 we committed $13 million to combat elder abuse. Seniors know we care, but more importantly, they know that the opposition did nothing for 13 years. We did more in 24 months for seniors than the Liberals did in 13 years.
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Mr. Speaker, last week Kamloops lost 200 jobs when the Weyerhaeuser sawmill closed. Last summer close to 200 jobs were lost when Pope & Talbot closed in Midway. Working families are suffering in the Kootenay Boundary and in Kamloops. Families in Kaslo are also hurting due to the Meadow Creek closure. They still do not know if they qualify for the $1 billion fund.
Can the minister tell the House if the workers from Kamloops, Midway and Kaslo qualify, yes or no? If so, when will he release the funding?
Gary Lunn ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, in fact, the $1 billion community development trust money for targeting hardships went out to the province to administer these programs. We are delivering for our forest communities. We understand this is a very difficult time for them. We understand it is a difficult time for the sector right across Canada. That is why we are putting these programs in place.
I should also mention the other $400 million that we have already delivered for the forest industry, looking at innovation and new product opportunities. We are working with organizations like the Forest Products Association of Canada.
We are getting the job done. These programs will be delivered to the province in cooperation with it. We are looking forward to those results.
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Mr. Speaker, more and more people in the north are concerned that review boards meant to protect the environment are becoming make work projects for Conservatives.
The most recent example of this patronage was the eleventh hour appointment of the failed Conservative candidate from the last election to the chair of the most important of these environmental protection boards, replacing the longstanding nominated incumbent.
Why is the minister ignoring the spirit and intent of these boards, which is to bring an independent northern voice to environmental assessments, by deciding that the only important qualification for the position is one's history with the Conservative Party?
Rod Bruinooge ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, all the appointments that we make throughout Canada come from a very talented pool of qualified individuals, and that is the same in this case. Our record on the north is without parallel. Not since the Diefenbaker years has a prime minister focused so much on our northern issues.
In that member's own territory we can look to the Yellowknifer that said that our budget was one of the most progressive for the north in many years. I find it hard to imagine why that member is not supportive of the initiatives we have taken in the north.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada has historically been a leader in advancing peace around the world. This was clear on March 1, 1999, when the eyes of the world were on Canada as the Ottawa convention was reached banning the manufacture and use of landmines.
It is now time to make history again by banning cluster bombs. These are horrible weapons which do not differentiate between civilian and military targets. They injure and kill civilians long after they have been deployed.
When is the government going to show leadership by demanding a ban on the production and use of cluster bombs?
Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to the Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that this government takes the banning of cluster bombs very seriously. We have been working with Norway and our partners to ensure that we can come to a proper resolution. We will continue doing that. I can assure the hon. member that we will be working very hard on that file because we agree with him that the issue of cluster bombs needs to be addressed.
Dick Harris Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals talked about the Kelowna accord, but for 13 long years they did nothing for aboriginals except come up with a bogus $5 billion press release in the dying days of their government. This press release, best described as cheap electioneering, had no budget, no specifics, no plan, no nothing.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tell us how Liberal cheap promises, with no delivery, simply do not advance anything first nations really care about?
Rod Bruinooge ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, clearly, the Kelowna proposals were nothing more than a press release backed up by false Liberal promises. If the Liberals were serious about these efforts, we would have seen them enact something in their 13 years. Even today, the Montreal Gazette calls the Kelowna proposals exactly the wrong approach to solving problems on reserve.
Clearly, our government has a different approach. We are actually getting things done. That is why we have cut in half the number of communities with high risk drinking water systems. We have resolved a record number of specific claims. We have tabled legislation to reduce the backlog of specific claims and we have paid out $1.2 billion so far in compensation. We are getting the job done.
Mario Silva Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation to the Canada-France Interparliamentary Association, on the second round of legislative elections, held in Paris, France, from June 13 to 18, 2007.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre Saskatchewan
Conservative
Tom Lukiwski ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions.
Fisheries and OceansCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
South Shore—St. Margaret's Nova Scotia
Conservative
Gerald Keddy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and to the Minister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
In accordance with its order of reference of Tuesday, March 11, 2008, your committee has considered Bill S-215, An Act to protect heritage lighthouses and agreed on Thursday, April 10 to report it with amendment.
Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women in relation to gender analysis.
Gender analysis is critical if we as a country are to address the problems of poverty and social injustice.
Gender analysis that was introduced and recommended in 2004 according to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women states that we would like that to be legislated.
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-535, An Act respecting the preservation of Canada’s water resources.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride and pleasure to table this bill. The object of the bill is to prevent transfers of bulk water from one major drainage basin in Canada to another, thereby protecting the environment, which is damaged by such transfers, and thereby at the same time also preventing the transfer of freshwater outside of Canada.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)