House of Commons Hansard #4 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Michael Ignatieff LiberalLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, if the United States erects barriers between itself and Canada, it will slow down the economic recovery of both countries.
Will the Prime Minister address the question of American protectionism during President Obama's visit, and what is he prepared to say to defend our country's interests?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, for any country, protectionism is a serious concern during such an economic crisis. I have been prepared for some time. Protectionism must be avoided during a global downturn. It is an ongoing process in the American Congress. We will see further changes, plans and proposals.
United with every country in the world, we will insist that the United States respect its obligations with respect to the World Trade Organization.
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, several new genetic research programs and cancer research programs are at risk because this budget did not provide any new funding for Genome Canada, an extremely important scientific research program. Canadian scientists involved in that program have been recognized around the world for their contributions.
Can the government reassure this House, and confirm that it was merely an oversight and that new funding for Genome Canada is not at risk?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology)
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the hon. member is absolutely incorrect. This government has in place two five-year contracts with Genome Canada, with almost $250 million remaining for science research. We are doing that because we know Genome Canada is good for Canada, and the good work they do is good for Canadians' health.
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister of state knows that small amount of money is already fully committed and has been for some time. Genome Canada's world-leading research programs are in jeopardy and thousands of jobs will be lost if the Conservatives fail to fund it.
Canadian scientists can only contribute to new discoveries and create the jobs of tomorrow if we give them the support they urgently need. Is his government deliberately undermining Canada's scientists or has he just simply forgotten to fund their future work?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology)
Mr. Speaker, one minute later and the member is still wrong. The government supports Genome Canada. It will receive $106 million this year and $108 million next year. When we put those initiatives forward, that party over there voted against them.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister neglected to mention that his budget had been condemned by a number of groups in Quebec and that the creation of a Canada-wide securities commission had been unanimously criticized throughout Quebec. Even the OECD said that the current system, with securities commissions in each province, was one of the best in the world. But the Prime Minister will not be moved.
Will he admit that what he is really trying to do by going ahead with his proposed Canada-wide securities commission is to concentrate everything in Toronto?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, at a time when the international community is thinking about better international regulation, we must have better national regulation in Canada.
As for the Canada-wide securities commission, we are clear: participation is voluntary. If Quebec does not want to take part, it has that option. But many other partners want such a commission, and their participation will also be voluntary.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is pure hypocrisy, because at the same time, the Prime Minister is telling us that every company has the right to join the Canada-wide securities commission and avoid regulation by Quebec. In other words, the Prime Minister is making sure that the Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec will die a slow death. His Minister of National Revenue has implied as much.
Will the Prime Minister admit that he is putting all the conditions in place to kill the Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec and concentrate financial power in Toronto?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the proposed Canada-wide system is decentralized, but Quebec's participation is entirely voluntary. It is our constitutional responsibility to strengthen Canada's economic union. That is important at a time like this.
Robert Bouchard Bloc Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts. The automobile sector, mainly concentrated in Ontario, is receiving $2.7 billion and southern Ontario gets another billion dollars. In the same budget, there is only $170 million over two years for the forestry sector across Canada, including Quebec. With the communities fund, it is Alberta that benefits to the detriment of Quebec.
Will the Minister of Industry admit that, for electoral gain, his government decided, in its budget, to favour Ontario and the west over Quebec?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)
Mr. Speaker, as usual, today we are still setting the record straight. The automobile industry in Ontario is receiving loans whereas the forestry industry in the rest of the country is receiving grants and financial support.
We have honoured agreements made with our American partners, which was very important in order to prevent what they want to happen, that is further job losses.
Robert Bouchard Bloc Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the auto sector will receive the lion's share of federal assistance for the manufacturing sector. The government should have imposed conditions, particularly that assistance be used to develop products that are fuel efficient and that contracts not be outsourced abroad.
Does the Minister of Industry intend to remedy the situation and require such conditions?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)
Mr. Speaker, the facts are that the automobile industry is supported by loans whereas the forestry industry is supported by monies provided for marketing, breaking its dependence on the market and investing in new forest products, which will allow the industry to recover.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, in the budget tabled on Monday, the word “women” does not appear once in the entire document. What is worse, the budget again attacks women's right to pay equity.
The Conservative attack, again with support from the Liberals, takes away a woman's right to demand equal pay for equal work and to go to the courts to get it.
Can the Prime Minister explain to us how this attack on women's rights will help our economy?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the proposals in the budget concerning pay equity will ensure that decisions about equity will be made much more quickly than they are now. In addition, these are the same measures that were adopted in Manitoba and Ontario by New Democrat governments.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows that answer does not cut it.
The legislation in Manitoba was very proactive. It ensured that there were a number of steps to involve the government in the responsibility to ensure pay equity. We certainly do not have any confidence, and cannot have any confidence, in the Conservative government to do the same thing.
The reason we have no confidence in the government is because it has cut the funding to Status of Women. It even took the word “equality” as a goal out of the mandate of the department. The government cannot even bother to mention women in its entire budget.
What kind of economic stimulus is it that does not address the issues facing women?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Canadian women will benefit from all the measures in this budget. Under this government, we have more funds available for women's programming than ever before and we will have a pay equity system that will serve women better than ever before.
The NDP should get on the side of women and support the budget.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, what a sad contrast when we compare it to what we see going on south of the border.
Today President Obama signed his very—
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. The hon. member for Toronto--Danforth has the floor. We have to be able to hear.
Jack Layton NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is a sad contrast. Look at what is happening in the White House today.
The very first bill being signed by President Obama makes it easier for women to pursue pay equity and it allows them to sue employers for pay discrimination, something the Conservative government wants to take away. Not only is it a big step forward for women in the United States, it also helps families that are struggling to make ends meet in this tough economic circumstance.
Will the Prime Minister stop the strategy he is following, fighting women's pay equity, and instead get on board with the direction that President Obama—
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I will tell the House what the only sad contrast is around here these days. It is the leader of the NDP, who a month ago was prepared to support the mission in Afghanistan, prepared to support corporate tax cuts, prepared to support development of the oil sands and now wants to go back and try to pretend he is a left wing ideologue all over again. It is his problem. He made his bed. He can sleep in it.
Gerry Byrne Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL
Mr. Speaker, the government committed itself to the expert panel on equalization, which will “put equalization on a fair and secure and a fully sustainable foundation, ending federal-provincial bickering”.
Now, without any consultation, Conservatives are gutting the panel's key findings, abandoning the fairness and the stability that it brought and unilaterally slashing the value of my province's revenues by $1.5 billion, a 60% cut over three years.
Will the Prime Minister now admit that his decisions were never about more fairness but were about revenge?