House of Commons Hansard #106 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was code.
Tina Keeper Liberal Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, it is fundamental to the residential school apology process that an opportunity to be given to the survivors to respond. There is a precedent for non-parliamentarians to address the House. The government could introduce a motion to the House to allow victims an opportunity to immediately speak to the apology on the floor of the House.
Out of respect, will the government introduce such a motion?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are committed to having a meaningful and respectful apology. That apology will happen in the House of Commons next Wednesday. That will be a historic event, to which we are all looking forward, especially the survivors themselves.
There will also be ceremonial duties and ceremonial opportunities that follow the apology. We look forward to those as well because they are equally as important.
All in all, it is going to be a wonderful day, something that first nations and aboriginal people have been looking forward to for a long time.
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Mr. Speaker, Montreal's Trudeau Airport is fraught with crime and corruption and no one at Transport Canada is taking responsibility.
CATSA, which manages the security system, contracted it out to a private company. There is no check done on individuals or the procedure to be followed and there is no surveillance. The minister remains unfazed. Yesterday, his colleague, the head of the RCMP, had to authorize a raid by 60 officers.
Has the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities lost the confidence of his colleague, in addition to the public's confidence, in matters of security?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
This allows me to point out the security measures that are in place. As we know, over the past few years, almost $2.6 billion has been spent on security measures in our Canadian airports.
Although the former government was unable to do so, we instituted the use of restricted area identity cards. That system is working. That is concrete proof that cooperation between the Department of Transport and my colleague's department—
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Mr. Speaker, the facts speak differently.
Yesterday 60 police agents raided Montreal's Trudeau Airport for the second time in 20 months. That follows breaches in security exposed by a journalist and two parliamentary committees, which summoned witnesses and presented reports. Yet corruption and criminality at the airport continue to erode public confidence in its safety and security.
Surely the Minister of Transport is aware that he is accountable for all security failures. Since nothing he has proposed has worked so far, is he prepared today, with a plan of action, to clean up the mess of lawlessness building up at the airport under his watch?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, we are taking action. My colleague should know that over the last five to six years, governments in Canada have invested over $2 billion in the security and the safety of the Canadian public in our Canadian airports.
One of the demonstrations that this thing is working is a RAIC system, which is an access to limited areas identity card. That has been put in by our government. As a complement, the actions that are undertaken by CBSA are proving we are cracking down on those—
Vivian Barbot Bloc Papineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, last December, the Minister of International Cooperation said that the government did not plan on closing the Montreal office of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre. In March, she told me in this House that she would look into it and get back to me. It is now several months later, and the Montreal office is empty and calls are being transferred to the Ottawa office.
Will the minister admit that the Montreal office of the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre is, in fact, closed?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, as the member is aware, the organization is a respected one that does very worthwhile work around the world. It is an independent organization and it makes its operational decisions on its own.
We continue to support its good work in so many countries around the world.
André Bellavance Bloc Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, the UPA, the Fédération des producteurs de bovins du Québec and the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec have put out an urgent appeal to the government concerning the Levinoff-Colbex slaughterhouse. Since the mad cow crisis started, the federal government has done absolutely nothing about cull cattle in Quebec, according to Michel Dessureault, president of the Fédération des producteurs de bovins.
Producers decided to inject more than $30 million, and the Quebec government is prepared to give $19 million. How much is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food—the real one, with the moustache—prepared to announce right now to ensure the survival of the only large-scale slaughterhouse in eastern Canada and also of the entire slaughter industry in Quebec?
Gerry Ritz ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, we continue to have discussions with the owners and operators of Levinoff–Colbex in Quebec. We are working toward a resolution that would see them stay alive. The one thing that is hurting them is the cost of their feed stocks. The cull animals that they buy have gone up by two and three times, which is great news for producers but it is really hard on the processing line. We see that across the country.
At this juncture, the farm gate is alive and well and serving those processors. We continue to have discussions with the dairy producers and the beef producers in Quebec.
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Mr. Speaker, while this government is busy fighting tooth and nail against the British Columbia Supreme Court decision to allow Insite to continue operating, Quebec plans to open a similar facility in Montreal in light of the undeniable success of Vancouver's site.
Should we conclude, given the determined opposition of this government, that the facility in Montreal, which has the full support of the community, will never see the light of day?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Health and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, drug users need our help and our compassion.
Let me be clear again. We respectfully disagree with Justice Pitfield's decision, which permits the injections at Insite to continue. Yesterday our government filed notice that we planned to appeal this decision.
This much is clear. People who are addicted to drugs need our help and compassion. They need treatment, not warehousing. Injection is not medicine. It does not heal the addict; it does quite the opposite.
This is the compassionate framework within which we will consider any future application.
Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, many questions have been raised in the House about an audio tape. The Liberal Party has used this tape to smear the Prime Minister, despite the fact that the Prime Minister has always been truthful and has maintained that the tape has been edited.
Strangely, over the last number of days, there have been no questions on this matter from the opposition.
Could the government please tell the House if there is something of which we should be aware?
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, right from the beginning, we said nothing inappropriate happened in the Cadman matter. The RCMP said that there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Chuck Cadman himself said that there was no inappropriate offer. Now expert forensic analysis shows the Zytaruk recording is incomplete, doctored and edited in numerous places.
When did the Liberal Party obtain the doctored tape? From whom did it receive it? Why did the Liberal Party not ensure the tape was authentic. Was the Liberal Party aware of or involved with the doctoring of the tape? When will the Liberal Party give Canadians a complete and honest explanation of its involvement in the false and malicious smear of the Prime Minister of Canada?
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to standing up for auto jobs and auto workers, this government is as bad as the last.
First, the Conservatives say that there is nothing they can do to help our ailing auto sector. Then they come up with a paltry pilot project that does not get the job done at the moment. It is not acceptable. A pilot project is not an auto strategy that includes trade provisions.
The hybrid truck promised to the workers in Oshawa will now go to communities in the United States and Mexico.
Why is the finance minister not knocking down the executive doors of General Motors, demanding why it broke a Canadian collective agreement? Why is it always left to workers to defend the jobs of our nation?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, what workers, the CAW members, their leadership and the executives at General Motors and other companies know is what we know in the knowledge advantage in “Advantage Canada”, and that is the future of the auto sector depends on innovative technology.
How do we get to that future in the auto sector? We get there—
Jim Flaherty Conservative Whitby—Oshawa, ON
I do not need lectures about the auto sector in Ontario from the member for Toronto Centre, after what he did to the Ontario economy.
We have a $250 million auto innovation fund in the budget. I hope the Liberals will support the budget legislation.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. The hon. member for Windsor West has the floor. We will have some order, please. If members wish to carry on a discussion, I would urge them to do it in the lobby.
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, the truth of the matter is that under the old regime and this regime, we have gone from fourth in the world in auto assembly to tenth. It has been a legacy of loss of jobs here.
A one-time fund for one plant at one moment is not a winning strategy. We need is to stop picking winners and losers. Oil company executives who want to have their tar sands projects fast-tracked are the winners and manufacturing families are the losers left behind by these policies.
Where is the green auto strategy that brings all workers together and produces the vehicles here? Why do we not have that leadership, for crying out loud.
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the auto innovation fund is exactly for that. It is for innovation and for green technology.
The reason the auto strategy was successful before, and I am sure the member knows this, is because of the innovations such as the flex line in the Oshawa car plant and the Oakville car plant.
Had we not had these innovative technologies through government assistance in research and development, we would not have the auto sector we have today, an auto sector with a future with the auto innovation fund.
