Debates of Jan. 30th, 2009

Labrador Inuktitut Language

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Moravian Church, one of the oldest Protestant denominations, was established in Labrador over 250 years ago.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Moravian missionaries and Inuit congregation members patiently translated the Bible into the Labrador Inuktitut language.

Over the centuries the language has evolved, and so a new translation was required. Some years ago a group of concerned Moravians and Inuktitut language experts started that monumental task.

With the support of the Canadian Bible Society, this work is now complete. Last week the new translation, Gûdip Ukausingit, was launched at a special service and ceremony in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

On behalf of my constituents, I extend congratulations to translators K. Naeme Tuglavina, Amos Onalik, Sophie Tuglavina, Hilda Lyall, Andrea Webb, Sarah Townley, and Sabina Hunter, and to all of those who helped reach this important goal for the living Labrador Inuktitut language.

The Budget

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to emphasize the great investments that our government has put forth in its economic action plan.

This budget will provide tremendous benefits to my constituents in Macleod and to all Canadians.

For instance, budget 2009 introduced a $500 million agricultural flexibility plan that will help farmers in my riding with rising input costs.

Our $50 million investment over the next three years to expand slaughterhouse capacity is key to supporting our beef and dairy industries along with other livestock producers.

Seniors will also see new support through the increase in the age credit amount by an additional $1,000.

As well, the new green infrastructure plan provides $1 billion over five years for sustainable energy infrastructure.

This is a great initiative. I am eager for my riding of Macleod to be able to benefit from this fund, since Macleod is a renewable energy leader in this country.

Post-secondary Education

[Nicolas Dufour, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, students are once again among the groups that have been left in the lurch by the Conservative budget. Capping equalization will not solve this problem or correct the $820 million shortfall for post-secondary education in Quebec. What is more, because infrastructure money will be allocated randomly in response to project submissions, instead of taking the form of federal transfers, there is no guarantee that post-secondary institutions in Quebec will get their fair share. Rather than solving the problem of education underfunding, the Conservative government is once again interfering in Quebec's jurisdictions.

Even though the Prime Minister opened a door when he promised in 2005 to correct the fiscal imbalance, which is something all Quebeckers want, the Conservative budget has slammed that door shut by not keeping that promise. For us in the Bloc Québécois and for other education stakeholders, such as the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, the solution to university and college underfunding is to restore federal transfers to 1994 levels. We in Quebec need to give ourselves the tools to exercise our authority in the field of education.

Economic action plan

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the economic action plan will boost Canada's economy through the construction of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The money will move quickly and construction will also start quickly. The project approval process will become more flexible and there will be less paper work and less red tape.

We have allocated $212 million to renew the Champlain Bridge, which is the busiest bridge in Canada. Rehabilitation work will ensure that the bridge can continue to sustain traffic volumes and provide long-term safety benefits.

Work to be undertaken on the bridge includes improving access roads and the Île-des-Soeurs ramps. The government will invest in this project in order to align federal infrastructure with that of the City of Montreal.

Canada's economic action plan will help Canadians get through the global recession while ensuring that Canada will come out of this recession stronger than ever.

Fiji

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Fiji has just experienced massive floods that have caused millions of dollars in damage, displaced thousands of families, and killed several people.

All across Canada, Fijian families are concerned that the government has not reacted with any urgency. Canada has pledged no form of support to deal with this Fiji situation.

Canada has a long-standing tradition of providing humanitarian aid around the world. I ask the government to listen to Canadians of Fijian origin and provide the necessary humanitarian support that is needed for the people of Fiji.

OC Transpo Strike

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the House that my constituents are extremely pleased that Parliament worked together to encourage an end to the OC Transpo strike. Many residents throughout my riding from Rockland to Russell, Embrun, Casselman and beyond faced considerable hardship commuting to their jobs in Ottawa during the strike. They were delighted to hear last night that the transit strike has come to an end.

On behalf of the constituents in my riding, I would like to thank the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities for their work on this issue, as well as the members for Ottawa—Vanier and Ottawa Centre. With the support of the opposition parties, the members and senators were ready to stay late last night to quickly pass a bill to solve this problem.

The results show that the members of this Parliament can work together to help all Canadians.

The Budget

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this February a number of students, including Christina Dymond, one of my constituents from the University of Alberta, will join an expedition to the Antarctic. The Students on Ice program takes students to the Arctic and Antarctic and offers a comprehensive field course on wildlife, history, geology and the environment. It is funded in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. I am sure the House will join me in wishing Christina and the participating students a safe and rewarding expedition.

The polar regions have a profound significance for the earth's climate and ecosystems. Instead of lauding programs like this and investing in Canada's knowledge infrastructure, the budget, under the short-sighted guise of streamlining, slashes funding for the granting councils, including NSERC, which supports over 26,000 students and post-doctoral fellows in advanced studies.

The government must invest today in knowledge infrastructure and not kick the legs out from under Canada's long-term sustainability and competitiveness. Do not shortchange Canada's future.

National Anthem

[Mike Allen, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were outraged to learn that the principal of a New Brunswick school banned the playing and singing of O Canada. Apparently he wanted to be inclusive.

This is political correctness run wild. There is nothing more inclusive than O Canada. It is a song that belongs to each and every Canadian.

The singing of O Canada is an expression of our collective pride in being citizens of one of the most prosperous and peaceful nations the world has ever known.

I hope that we can come together to convince the principal to reverse his decision and give O Canada back to the students in his school.

This will demonstrate the importance of our national anthem as a symbol of our respect for this great country and the people who helped to build it.

The Budget

[Jean Dorion, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in voting against the Bloc Québécois subamendment, the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party openly decided to abandon Quebec. Their Quebec representatives should have followed the example of two Liberal members from Newfoundland and Labrador who chose to oppose the budget because it is contrary to the interests of their province.

Thus, the Conservatives, propped up by the Liberals, are ignoring Quebec's concerns regarding the equalization ceiling. They are ignoring the many federal intrusions into Quebec jurisdictions. They are ignoring the unemployed, with only 47% having access to the employment insurance system. They are ignoring Quebec's manufacturing and forestry sectors that have been hit hard by the crisis.

The Bloc Québécois has put forward the unanimous priorities of the National Assembly of Quebec. They have been rejected by the Conservatives and the Liberals, who thus choose Canada over Quebec.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the previous Liberal government had the foresight to make changes to the Atlantic accord, changes that helped the people of Newfoundland and Labrador get their economy back on track. However, since the current government has come to power, it has tried to claw back any advances the province has made, breaking an election commitment the Prime Minister made to the people of the province. This latest budget includes more harmful and offensive cuts to the province. Early calculations indicate cuts will amount to at least $1.5 billion over three years. These changes are not right. They are not just.

I cannot help wonder if it is a direct retaliation for the “anything but Conservative” campaign the premier raised during the election.

This approach to federalism breeds an atmosphere of mistrust that will cause a number of problems. The province of Quebec and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador are targets of the Conservative government today.

Now is not the time to play politics. Now is the time to do what is right.

Warren Kinsella

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents are asking me why the Liberal leader is refusing to fire his top political aide, Warren Kinsella. Was Mr. Kinsella's comment about tucking into a bowl of barbecued cat at the Yang Sheng restaurant here in Ottawa made in his role as Liberal Party spokesman?

His comments that Chinese restaurants serve cat meat deeply offended the Chinese community in Canada and have already been condemned in the Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao, the World Journal and across Chinese language talk radio.

As Chinese Canadians and as people who appreciate the freedom and opportunity that Canada provides, my community and I are deeply offended by these racially ignorant comments from an official spokesperson for the Liberal Party. What hurts the most about Kinsella's comments is that he refuses to apologize to the Chinese community.

When will the leader of the Liberal Party realize the seriousness of this and when will we see an apology?

The Economy

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the latest economic figures confirm a deepening recession in Canada. Real domestic product fell by 0.7% in November. Manufacturing and all major sectors are all sharply down.

However, while this was happening in November, and Canadians could feel that pain, the Conservatives were saying that they would still have five more surplus budgets. Their numbers were bogus and they knew it.

Does the government, now on probation, finally realize that it has to start telling the truth to its parole officer in this Parliament?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, in our fall economic statement, which was not the budget by the way, we presented to the House the situation that was presented to us that day. Numbers were falling quickly. We recognized that.

In fact, we recognized this so early on as to the economic fall statement the year before where we took pre-emptive action, cut taxes, paid down debt, lowered the GST so Canadians would have more of their own money.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, if they knew it all in advance, the plan certainly did not work. The Conservatives have to stop the spinning. The jig is up. The truth is out. Bafflegab will not work any more. Canadians and this Parliament are demanding the truth, complete accountability and real performance for a change.

For example, the Conservatives say that their budget will help small businesses to get loans through the Business Development Bank. However, since the budget, the BDC in Saskatoon is telling businesses that nothing has changed. It will not deal with those businesses because they were not customers in the past.

What kind of help is that?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this provides a great opportunity to encourage my hon. colleague and all members on the other side of the House to support the budget.

The positions that we took, the stimulus that we put into the fall economic statement somehow, because of a threat of a coalition, seemed to not get passed through the House.

We will be bringing forward legislation that will allow BDC and EDC to help Canadians. I encourage all members of the House to support the budget.

Trade

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, he should tell the BDC in Saskatoon to get its straight.

U.S. protectionism is about to make Canada's recession a lot worse. It is not good enough for those Conservatives to say they expect the Americans to live up to their obligations. The track record is not encouraging. On softwood lumber, the Conservatives capitulated. On the grain trade, despite 20 rulings in Canada's favour, the Conservatives caved in. On the oil sands, they let the Americans prohibit Canadian products.

How can we have any confidence that the government will actually fight for Canadian producers and exporters?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we do expect the Americans to live up to their international trading obligations. They have legal obligations under NAFTA. They have legal obligations under the WTO.

This is not the time for heightened rhetoric. This is the time for calm, reasonable discussions with our American counterparts. This is the time to seek an end to this type of protectionist talk. This is the time to move forward in a reasonable, practical way.

Nuclear Energy

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister acknowledged yesterday that she was aware of what she described simply as “problems” at Chalk River on December 6.

Can she clarify for the House the exact nature of the details known to her or her office that day, and can she tell us exactly when she or her office was informed of these radioactive leaks?

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister answered that question. She informed the House that there were difficulties on December 6 and that she was informed of those. She said that she was not aware of some of the details that later came to light. This is why she has asked the department, as well as the Nuclear Safety Commission, to get to the bottom of it.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here is the problem. On December 15, the minister released a statement on Chalk River. Eleven days after two radioactive leaks had occurred with no knowledge of the cause and with 7,000 litres of heavy water a day leaking into the Ottawa River, the minister told Canadians, “the reactor at Chalk River continues to produce isotopes reliably”.

Was the minister negligent in the performance of her duties, or did she simply mislead Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, Chalk River continues to produce isotopes for people around the world. The minister has asked officials and the CNSC to give a full report on what happened during the December shutdown.

We are very concerned about this issues. Obviously the health and safety of Canadians has always been our number one priority.

The Budget

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives and the Liberals were as thick as thieves yesterday, both parties rejecting the unanimous will of the National Assembly of Quebec by voting for a budget that clearly favours Ontario and western Canada to the detriment of Quebec. We are still searching the budget for signs of the big promises meant to correct the fiscal imbalance and provide adequate funding for post-secondary education.

Does the government understand that the only logical conclusion to be drawn is that it chose to put Canada first, to the detriment of Quebec?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, speaking about logical solutions, that is why this government decided to put an end to fiscal imbalance. That is why we put a solution in place to fix equalization. Quebec's increase in equalization this year alone is 37% above where it was in 2005.

The government refuses to treat any province or any territory any differently than it does all of the rest.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, now that the election is over, equalization agreements are no longer being respected and the supposed will to eliminate federal spending power is being brushed aside.

Given such clear evidence, will the government admit that in these difficult times, it chose to help Canada first, and tough luck for Quebec's priorities?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is the job of members of Parliament in the House to put Canada first. We will do that but not to the detriment of any individual province. We will treat all provinces and territories equally. That is why we continue to increase health transfers by 6% and social transfers by 3% to all provinces and all territories.