Debates of Oct. 19th, 2009

The Environment

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Minister of Transport.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to working with all of our major trading partners and with international maritime organizations to have better standards, so we can have cleaner air with respect to our transportation systems, particularly in the area of maritime transportation.

It is essential that we work together with the United States because we do share a common border, we do share the Great Lakes, and we are committed to working constructively with the Obama administration and with leaders in Congress on achieving this important public policy goal.

Infrastructure

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there are many more examples of the Conservative government wrongly using taxpayers' money to promote the Conservative Party.

This time, could the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians just how much of that taxpayers' money was used for a one hour long self-promotion in Cambridge that was clearly very slick and very clearly promoted the Conservative Party?

Could the President of the Treasury Board tell us just how much money was spent for that?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the House of Commons mandated the Prime Minister with two important goals: first, to fully implement the economic action plan of the Minister of Finance. He has done yeoman work with the assistance of his ministers and MPs, and with the public service in doing just that.

He also had a second important responsibility with which the House entrusted him, and that was to report back to Canadians on that important work. He did that in Cambridge, Ontario. He did that in Saint John, New Brunswick. The Prime Minister never makes any apology for getting off Parliament Hill and listening to the real voices of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has become clear that the Prime Minister is incapable of apologizing for anything.

I cannot believe that the hon. member does not know the answer which does beg the conclusion that he is trying to hide something and rightly, he should be ashamed.

One hour of a Conservative Party infomercial cost Canadian taxpayers more than $100,000. I ask the hon. member this. Whose money does he think he is spending anyway?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, at one moment the member opposite claims that we are keeping numbers a secret. I think those numbers were all in the newspapers this morning. That is generally the research bureau of the Liberal Party.

More than half of the money the member opposite talks about is the cost to print the document, the report to taxpayers that she herself demanded that this government follow.

We do not apologize for being accountable to Canadian taxpayers. We do not apologize for having our Prime Minister speak to Canadians in every corner of the country. That is a responsibility that this government responds to and we are up to the challenge.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, the dishonesty of the Prime Minister's propaganda campaign knows no limits. Squandering taxpayers' money for everything from Conservatives' cheque signing to plastering their logo on government announcements, the Prime Minister has found a new low. Using maintenance in government buildings as an excuse to manipulate the public mind, Conservative operatives in Kensington, P.E.I., set up an economic action plan sign for replacing a boiler room door.

Mr. Speaker, can you imagine calling a door replacement stimulus? Prime Minister, which cost more? The door or the propaganda sign?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the government does not have to make apologies for making accessibility improvements to federal government workplaces across the country and in P.E.I.

I have seen the Liberal Party members on their feet many times today complaining about cheques. The member for Malpeque explicitly talked about a project in Kensington.

I would not use a prop, Mr. Speaker, but I have in my hand a picture of the member for Malpeque with a cheque, “a cheque for Kensington”, his smiling face and the grant recipient. I have it right here. I would be pleased to table it right after question period.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, order. I am sure the minister perhaps wants the photograph autographed by the member but that can be arranged later.

The member for Hull—Aylmer.

Order, please.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the one hand, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities says that the Bridge Corporation is independent. On the other, we just heard the Minister of Public Works and Government Services say that the Conservatives gave the Bridge Corporation policy direction.

Who is telling the truth?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, when it comes to health and safety, this government gives directives to our crown corporations to make sure that our transportation systems are safe. We do not apologize for that at all.

In addition to having signed cheques, not signed cheques because they are not signed yet, I have to get them to sign after question period, we have the member for Malpeque's picture signing a cheque. We have the member for Richmond Hill who has actually signed the cheque and we also have the Liberal member for Scarborough—Agincourt. If any more of them want to stand up, I have plenty more.

Afghanistan

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to its claims here in the House of Commons, the government has known since May 2006 that Afghan prisoners faced the risk of torture. The report by the Canadian diplomat posted in Kandahar more or less confirms this and supports the questions raised several times in this House by the Bloc Québécois.

How can the Minister of National Defence claim in this House that he never saw Richard Colvin's report on the treatment of Afghan prisoners?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, the important issue, really, is what Canadians have done to improve the transfer arrangement that was left in place by the previous government.

It is important to note that there have now been over 170 visits to Afghan prisons. We continue to mentor the Afghan army and police, as well as corrections officers. The transfer arrangement has been greatly improved, as has the Afghan penal system as a result of the hard work of Canadians.

As for this report, we receive hundreds, if not thousands, of reports annually through the Department of National Defence, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs. That is why it did not make it to my desk.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister just claimed that he never saw the report. He claims he never saw that report and maintains that it never reached his desk. The minister must not be very curious, to say the least.

Even as the Bloc Québécois asked him about it, and as various groups were denouncing how the Canadian Forces were treating Afghan prisoners, the minister did not ask any questions. And supposedly no one in his political entourage brought this report to his attention. Is that what the minister would have us believe? What he is saying is far from convincing.

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to all of the improvements that we have seen in Afghanistan with respect to the treatment of Taliban terrorist suspects, we have also seen this particular issue be the subject of at least three court challenges. We have three different independent investigations going on into the circumstances. This is an issue that has been deliberated on fully.

I am not going to comment on the hon. member's intellectual abilities, but I will note that when it comes to Bloc members, I wish they would spend just as much time standing up and protecting the interests of Canadian soldiers as they do for the vigour they seem to have for Taliban prisoners.

The Environment

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there have been rumours suggesting that the government is about to establish two categories of targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: less stringent intensity targets for the oil and gas industry, and absolute targets for everyone else. This will mean that Quebec, which has already done its duty when it comes to pollution, will also have to pay for the negligence of others.

Does the government really intend to establish two categories of targets?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the member well knows that climate change is a global issue. It needs a global approach. That is why Canada is working with our international partners. There is the clean energy dialogue that is ongoing with President Obama in the United States as we prepare for Copenhagen. We need to work hard on this and we need the support of the member across.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister refuses to answer, is that not proof that the government is about to grant special favours to the oil and gas industry, by applying the polluter-paid principle rather than the polluter-pay principle?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, all members need to participate in greenhouse gas emission reductions, including that member, including the Bloc, including the NDP, including the Liberals.

It was during 13 dark years that the Liberals did absolutely nothing. In fact, it was the Liberal leader who said that his party got into a mess on the environment. Yes, it did. We are getting us out of that mess. We are reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Afghanistan

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the former and current ministers of defence all claim that they were not aware of Richard Colvin's reports on the treatment of Afghan detainees at the time. As far back as the fall of 2006 questions on that matter were being raised in this House.

When did the Minister of National Defence become aware of the reports? Has he now investigated who in the military and the Department of National Defence was made aware of the reports and when?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that it was due to the shortcomings of the arrangement that was in place when our government took office that we did act to improve the arrangement. We then obviously undertook further prison visits. We undertook to train more Afghan army, police, as well as correctional investigators. As a result of that, we have drastically improved the system as it currently exists in Afghanistan.

I would remind the hon. member as well that we continue to investigate certain issues which are of a serious nature and we are co-operating fully.

[Ujjal Dosanjh, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the government has been throwing obstacles in the way of the Military Police Complaints Commission and it is not answering questions in the House.

Colvin claims his reports were sent up the chain of command in the military, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the minister was the minister of foreign affairs in the beginning, and the Department of National Defence.

How is it possible that no one in cabinet, including the Prime Minister, was aware of Colvin's reports, or is this a case of continuing wilful blindness on the part of these Conservatives?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of these issues, as I mentioned, we are continuing to support, I want to indicate it was, in fact, the decision of the chairperson of the Military Police Complaints Commission to shut down its hearings. He is invited and welcome to begin those hearings again at any time. Also, he has decided, with respect to a decision by the federal court, which clearly outlines the mandate of the Military Police Complaints Commission, to appeal that decision. That has delayed proceedings as well.

We are co-operating. We have provided documents. We have provided witnesses. We will continue to do so. I intend to hear from the Department of Defence, as well as foreign affairs, as to where this report stopped, because it did not make it to the deputy minister or my desk.

The Environment

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister shirks his responsibilities at the United Nations; the Minister of the Environment attacks China as it takes its first steps toward reducing its greenhouse gas emissions; outraged by the minister's attempt to water down a possible agreement, developing countries walk away from negotiations in Bangkok; and the minister announces that no agreement will be reached in Copenhagen.

When are these Reform Conservatives going to stop sabotaging any progress on the world stage?