House of Commons Hansard #91 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was ndp.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, far be it from me to talk about things that are fat.
However, I can say that those expense accounts under the Liberals and those meals were an awful lot fatter. I can say that this government House leader pays for every one of his meals and enjoys them fully.
Paul Zed Liberal Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, the Saint John to Digby ferry is a vital link for Atlantic Canada. The provinces should not have to pay to maintain the service. It is part of our national transportation infrastructure, just like highways and rail lines.
This is a marine superhighway from the energy hub of Saint John to Nova Scotia lumber and fishing communities.
Will the government commit today to use funding from the Atlantic gateway initiative to help keep this tourism and trade link running?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member kindly for his question and his concern. This does affect both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
We have been working with both governments and both provinces, as we did the last time when we were able to bring together an arrangement that kept the Bay Ferries running between Saint John and Digby.
I do note, however, that there is some level of cynicism and hypocrisy in his question, knowing that it was under his government that this was devolved. At that time he did not express near the concern or the passion or the feigned indignation as he points the finger at this government today.
Bruce Stanton Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, in October 2006, I presented a motion in the House to evaluate the future of the Trent-Severn Waterway and last week the Minister of the Environment delivered some welcome news to the people who live in and around the waterway.
Could the minister please tell this House how the government has shown its commitment to the future of this national treasure?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, because of the hard work of the member for Simcoe North, I am pleased to say that our government will be making a five year commitment of more than $63 million to support the Trent-Severn Waterway.
People have known for many years that the member for Simcoe North works hard and now is just another example that he gets results.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, one of the most disturbing outcomes of the discrimination and marginalization that aboriginal women in Canada suffer is the extreme violence they face. In recent weeks, the remains of two young aboriginal women, Amber Redman and Tashina General, have been found.
Along the Highway of Tears and in Vancouver's east side, over 80 women are missing or have been found murdered. The Native Women's Association of Canada estimates that well over 500 aboriginal women have disappeared or have been killed.
Why will Indian affairs not grant the money needed to stop the violence against aboriginal women?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased earlier this year to announce, after the budgetary policies of this government, that we had added five new shelters for aboriginal women, to add to the current network of shelters across the country.
It is important that all Canadian take this issue very seriously. Violence against women is something that everyone in this House feels is a terrible crime, and for aboriginal women especially, who are often the most vulnerable, we need to ensure we take all the steps necessary to look after their needs, including these shelters for victims of violence.
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Mr. Speaker, the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine has written to the Minister of Transport asking him to use his regulatory powers to suspend night flights into Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport in Montreal until public consultations on environmental, economic and health issues are conducted.
The minister, indeed, has that authority. What is he prepared to do to assist Montreal residents in the area of the airport who are suffering through the noise and nuisance of night flights into the airport?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I have received representations from both that colleague as well as the colleague from Lachine on this specific issue.
We know that l'Aéroport international de Montréal is responsible for the flight patterns. It is also responsible for determining how things are going. It has put forward another option and it will be looked at. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, it will be in consultation with the people who are interested parties in this file.
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
Mr. Speaker, the House of Commons unanimously passed, at second reading, Bill C-454, which strengthens the Competition Act and gives greater powers to its commissioner, which would make it possible to keep oil companies in line.
Does the government agree to pass this bill through all the stages so that it can be implemented before the summer?
Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should have risen earlier last Monday to prepare and move his motion. Now it is too late. Bill C-454 is before the Standing Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology, where it will be examined. Once that is complete, there will be discussions. But now, today, it is too late.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Today, 63 years after victory in Europe, as we celebrate VE Day, I wish to call to the attention of all hon. members the presence in the gallery of several distinguished veterans of the second world war: Dr. Don Elliott, Q.C.; Mr. Fred Stephens; Mr. James Finney; and retired general, Paul Manson. They are accompanied by the distinguished historian, Sir Martin Gilbert and Lady Gilbert.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the government House leader could outline the plans he has for government business through the rest of this week and next week before the May break.
I wonder if he could tell us, since there is one week before the May break and one week after the May break, which two of those ten days he will officially designate for the House to examine in committee of the whole the estimates on one occasion of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and on another occasion the Minister of Finance.
Two such days need to be designated before the end of May and I wonder if the House leader could tell us which they will be.
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, the government took a major step forward this week to maintain a competitive economy, our theme for this week, and I am happy to advise the House that yesterday the Standing Committee on Finance agreed to report the budget implementation bill back to the House by May 28.
This is excellent news. The budget bill ensures a balanced budget, controls spending, and invests in priority areas.
This week also saw the passage of Bill C-23, which amends the Canada Marine Act, and Bill C-5 on nuclear liability at report stage.
Today, we are debating a confidence motion on the government’s handling of the economy. We fully expect, notwithstanding the minority status of our government, that this House of Commons will, once again, express its support for the government’s sound management of Canada’s finances and the economy.
Tomorrow, will we continue with maintaining a competitive economy week by debating our bill to implement our free trade agreement with the countries of the European Free Trade Association. It is the first free trade agreement signed in six years and represents our commitment to finding new markets for the goods and services Canadians produce.
If there is time, we will also debate Bill C-14, which would allow enterprises choice for communicating with customers; Bill C-7, to modernize our aeronautics sector; Bill C-32, to modernize our fisheries sector; Bill C-43, to modernize our custom rules; Bill C-39, to modernize the Grain Act for farmers; and Bill C-46, to give farmers more choice in marketing grain.
The government believes strongly in the principle of democracy and the fundamental importance of human rights. Next week we will show our support for that with strengthening democracy and human rights week. The week will start with debate on Bill C-30, our specific land claims bill. The bill would create an independent tribunal made up of superior court judges to help resolve the specific claims of first nations and will, hopefully, speed up the resolution about standing claims.
We will debate Bill C-34, which is our bill to give effect to the Tsawwassen First Nation final agreement. We will debate our bill to provide basic rights to on reserve individuals, Bill C-47, to protect them and their children in the event of a relationship breakdown, rights that off reserve Canadians enjoy every day.
As I said, we are committed to strengthening democracy in Canada. Yesterday, I had an excellent discussion on Senate reform with members of the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee. That discussion will continue in this House next week when we debate our bill to limit the terms of senators to eight years from the current maximum of 45, as foreseen in Bill C-19.
We will also debate our bill to close the loophole used by leadership candidates to bypass the personal contribution limit provisions of the election financing laws with large, personal loans from wealthy powerful individuals and ensure we eliminate the influence of big money in the political process.
With regard to the question about estimates, there are, as the opposition House leader knows, two evenings that must be scheduled for committee of the whole in the House to deal with those estimates. Those days will be scheduled over the next two weeks that we sit so they may be completed before May 31, as contemplated in the Standing Orders.
There have been consultations, Mr. Speaker, and I believe you would find the unanimous consent of the House for the following:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, on Friday, May 9, starting at noon and ending at the normal hour of daily adjournment, no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, given the noble purpose for which the government House leader offered his motion just now, which I think is intended to facilitate members of the House who wish to attend the funeral of a former hon. member, which will be taking place tomorrow about noon, I wonder if the House could reconsider the request you just made to give unanimous consent to the government leader to make his proposition.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I will ask again. Is there unanimous consent for the government House leader to put the motion to the House at this time?
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
The House heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
Comments by Member for Don Valley EastPoints of OrderOral Questions
Winnipeg South Manitoba
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the member for Don Valley East made a hurtful, discriminatory and unparliamentary remark. The member's remarks maliciously stereotyped young people. Allow me to quote Hansard, in which it says, “He is young so he will do what is asked of him without too much questioning”.
If a member made the same remark about other people or replaced the word “young” with “aboriginal, female or disabled”, we would rightly have been furious and demanded that member's resignation. It is not different when one targets the age of a member.
The member then used the term “junior” to describe Canada's youngest parliamentarian. If a similar disparaging remark had been made about a senior, we would have equally have been appalled.
The Canadian charter forbids discrimination on the basis on age. We say to our young people that they can risk their lives defending our democracy abroad and then the member suggests that they should not be allowed to participate here at home.
How can we encourage young Canadians to get involved in the democratic process when certain members insult them for doing so? As a young Canadian, my parliamentary privilege has been affronted.
I ask the member for Don Valley East to do the honourable thing and apologize to young Canadians for her hurtful remarks and withdraw her comments.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is not in a position to respond at this moment. I am sure she will take the opportunity to do so as soon as she is able.
However, simply for the information of the parliamentary secretary who raised the point, I believe the remarks, or at least a significant portion of them to which he referred, were in fact quoted from the Hill Times of this past week, wherein the Hill Times attributed those remarks not to a Liberal, but to a senior Conservative.