Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2009

Small Business Week

[Maurice Vellacott, Conservative, Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as we reach the end of Small Business Week I would like to acknowledge Canada's entrepreneurs and the resilience they have shown throughout this economic downturn.

Our government is standing firmly behind small businesses by increasing access to financing, by lowering their taxes and by cutting red tape.

A recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business rated my home province of Saskatchewan as having the highest number of business friendly cities in the entire country.

The World Bank “Doing Business 2010” report ranks Canada as the second easiest country in the world to start a business.

Our economic action plan is working and small businesses are poised to lead the recovery.

We salute the entrepreneurs across the country.

The Environment

[Keith Martin, Liberal, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is International Climate Action Day, a stark reminder of the Conservative government's anemic and irresponsible approach to global warming which is: no plan, strive for lower emission targets, obstruct international efforts in striking a deal, or simply to wait and see what others do. This is a pathetic abdication of leadership, despite the outstanding climate scientists we have and that we are on the cusp of the Copenhagen talks.

Even security depends on environmental security. Biodiversity losses due to habitat loss threaten human health.

To tackle these problems, Parliament's all-party international conservation caucus now in its second year, connects top environmental scientists with legislators, NGOs, bureaucrats and the media. Only by doing this using science to forge an effective plan and having the courage to lead will we be able to tackle global warming, the single greatest threat to the survival of our planet and ourselves.

Truth in Sentencing

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Mississauga—Erindale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have told us loud and clear they would like to see more truth in sentencing. Canadians believe criminals must serve a sentence that reflects the severity of their crimes.

I am proud to stand in the House today and recognize this government's achievement in having our truth in sentencing bill receive royal assent.

This legislation is an important achievement in implementing our government's tackling crime agenda. It ensures that the courts will no longer be able to grant a two to one ratio for pre-sentencing custody.

Unfortunately, some 30 Liberal senators still voted against the bill. These unelected Liberal senators defied their leader and the will of the House of Commons. Thankfully, we were still able to get the bill passed unamended and it is now the law of this country.

Canadians can count on this government and the Prime Minister to stand up for the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians.

Peter Kennedy

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today Peter Kennedy's family, friends and colleagues bid him farewell for the last time.

Peter, a 50-year-old worker at the Cliff Street heating and cooling plant, passed away on Tuesday from injuries suffered in a boiler explosion at the plant. Two other workers were injured in the same incident.

On behalf of this House and all other workers in downtown Ottawa who have benefited from the hard work of Peter and his co-workers at the Cliff Street plant, I wish to recognize Peter's service to our community. Those workers are responsible for our health and comfort in our workplace.

I also extend our deepest sympathies to Peter's wife, Terry, his family, friends and colleagues.

This tragic incident reminds us about the importance of workplace safety. As members know, accidents are preventable. In Peter's memory, we must affirm our commitment to ensuring safety in the workplace.

Once again, let us take a moment today to think about Peter and honour his memory.

Justice

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are aware of the role that drugs play in organized crime and gang violence in this country. Canadians have supported our legislation ensuring mandatory jail time for serious drug offences involving organized crime, violence and those who prey upon youth.

Members will recall that despite support from members in this House, the Liberal leader and his senators dragged their feet and delayed such legislation. Unelected senators should not be allowed to delay the will of this House of Commons on such legislation. This is a poor reflection of a Liberal leader who cannot show leadership and get his Liberal colleagues in the Senate to pass our legislation.

Canadians deserve better. That is why they choose this government and the Prime Minister who continue to stand up for the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians.

Supreme Court of Canada

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court handed down yesterday declared that Quebec's Bill 104 is unconstitutional. This bill closed a loophole in the application of Bill 101, which ensures the protection and primacy of the French language in Quebec. The Supreme Court has made it possible for individuals to avoid obeying Bill 101 and to pay their children's way into the English public school system by first sending them to an unsubsidized English school for a while.

The Supreme Court is just like the Tower of Pisa; it keeps leaning in the same direction, in favour of the Canadian nation. It is disappointing to see that this decision invalidates the work that the Quebec nation has done to affirm and maintain the primacy of the French language.

It is unacceptable that a court from another nation would chew up and spit out a bill that was unanimously adopted by Quebeckers to protect their language. This is why the only way for French to survive is for Quebec to become a sovereign nation.

United Nations Day

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 64 years ago tomorrow, the UN Charter came into effect. The United Nations was created on October 24, 1945. Since 1948, we have been celebrating United Nations Day to mark the event.

The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the world of the United Nations' goals and achievements and to build support for the UN's work. There were only 50 member states when the UN was created, and now there are 192. I think we can say that the goal has been achieved.

Since 1945, this international entity has helped facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights.

I would therefore like to mark the day with a message. The United Nations has been doing extraordinary work for over 60 years, and I hope that it will be around for us all for a long time to come.

Maher Arar

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during a recent interview with the British Observer, the Liberal leader accused Canada of sending Maher Arar to Syria to be tortured. This is not true. As anyone who has lived in Canada in recent years would know, Maher Arar was sent to Syria by the United States. This was an overt attempt by the leader to mislead Canadians.

What is more, the Liberal leader conveniently ignored that Maher Arar's ordeal happened under the Liberal governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, and that it was our Conservative government that apologized to Mr. Arar.

When asked to clarify his smearing of Canada to his British friends, the Liberal leader's office refused. For once, will the Liberal leader admit he has made a mistake? Will the Liberal leader correct his comments, or will he brush them aside and pretend he never made them?

While the damage to his party is the Liberals' problem, rest assured his mountain of misinformation will not cross to this side of the floor.

Government Spending

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are not fooled. They can see that the Conservatives are much more interested in large-scale political propaganda than economic recovery. The Prime Minister has launched a campaign to polish his own image. The bill taxpayers are footing for that is now upwards of $60 million, and still climbing. What hurts the most is that he is paying for these extravagances with borrowed money.

Why is the Prime Minister mortgaging our children's future with his politicking?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider comments from others besides the Liberal critic, for instance. It was the International Monetary Fund that said that Canada was the best positioned to weather the global crisis. Canada is the leader among industrialized countries, and we will continue to lead.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative vanity advertising campaign has cost at least 60 million borrowed dollars and it is well on its way to over $100 million.

Let me put this in context for Canadians. Sixty million dollars could fund any one of the following: 30 MRI machines; 1,000 registered nurses' salaries for one year; 20,000 hip, knee and cataract surgeries; or 8,500 insulin pumps for our kids coping with type 1 diabetes.

What does the government have to say to Canadians suffering on waiting lists while it wastes their money?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, there are two things we need to consider. First is the past historic record of the Liberal government. The only time it had the opportunity to do something related to health care in the 1990s, it slashed it by over a third without even consulting the provinces.

When it comes to advertising, which is the other point the member is raising, we think Canadians want to know about things such as how to access the H1N1 vaccine. We think they want to know about the Canadian military and recruitment programs. We think Canadians want to know about the home renovation tax credit. We think they want to know how to access these programs, and we are going to tell them.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the largest propaganda campaign in Canadian history keeps rolling on down the tracks. Now it is a $46,000 Conservative gravy train. But let us continue. Sixty million dollars buys 600 affordable housing units, or it buys two million bus passes for seniors on pensions, or it pays the tuition fees for 10,000 students.

In the face of so many needs, why does the Prime Minister insist on his obsession for self-promotion? Why does he continue to put greed before need and cheap politics before people?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what well spent, well directed investment can buy. On our economic action plan, some 7,500 projects are under way across this country, providing employment, providing everything from water treatment plants, to improved highway systems, to increased infrastructure improvements at our post-secondary institutions right across the country.

That is what good money buys, and the good money comes from the hard work of taxpayers. That is why our tax system continues to be the lowest among the G8 countries.

Infrastructure

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, every day there is more evidence of the Conservative government's abuse of power.

Two-thirds of recreational infrastructure went to Conservative ridings, the use of taxpayers' dollars for political gain. On the cheques for those announcements is the government party's logo. That is use of public funds for party advertising. Now Western Economic Diversification uses political branding in its funding announcements, breaching rules of bureaucratic neutrality.

Does the minister not know it is an abuse of power to make the department do political advertising?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to go stat for stat and quote for quote, we should consider, first of all, what the deputy premier of the province of Ontario has said, what the head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has said, what the mayor of Toronto has said. They all said that they are very pleased with the fair disbursal of these funds.

Just as one example alone, under the RInC program, 136 applications were received from the city of Toronto and 86% of those were fulfilled.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that government came into power promising transparency, accountability and impeccable ethical standards and yet--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Vancouver Centre has the floor.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

--they break the rules, use their power to bully bureaucrats, spend public funds for Conservative Party advertising and then refuse to answer to this House for that breach of public trust.

Will the Prime Minister now turn over to the Parliamentary Budget Officer all government files on every type of government advertising since the budget last January?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I suppose I should be worried when my colleagues cheer louder for the critic than for me.

She quite rightly articulated the fact that it was this government that brought to a new level of transparency the rules and regulations that govern spending in this place. We had to do that because the former Liberal regime had absolutely devastated public confidence in public spending. We have restored that and we feel good about it.

The Environment

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' bad faith when it comes to global warming is no secret, but the Minister of the Environment's statements are out of line. Requiring Canada to have less stringent reduction targets than Europe and Japan under the pretext of its energy-consuming and polluting industrial structure is not only ridiculous, but it illustrates to what extent this government does not want an agreement at the Copenhagen conference.

Do the minister's statements not prove that Canada will do anything to sabotage the negotiations at the Copenhagen conference and prevent a new environmental pact?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, we are very clear. We are concerned about our climate and the environment. That is why it was Canada that set levels and implemented a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. That is our goal and we will reach it.

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not only has Canada not respected its signature at the bottom of the Kyoto protocol, but it has not stopped sabotaging negotiations ever since, so much so that during the preparatory meeting for the Copenhagen conference in mid-October, almost 75 countries left the room in protest during Canada's presentation.

Will the minister admit that Canada has lost all credibility when it comes to climate change, both domestically and abroad?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely false. A number of countries were sorry about the situation at the conference that he is referring to.

He said something else that bothers me. It was the Liberals that signed the Kyoto protocol and did nothing about it. We have done many things. We have set levels and introduced emission reduction programs.