Debates of Nov. 16th, 2009

National Defence

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, a solidarity march was held in response to the TCE-tainted-water tragedy in Shannon. I also attended a memorial ceremony for the victims. The people of Shannon are angry with National Defence because it did not lift a finger to prevent them from drinking contaminated water even though it knew the risks.

When will the Minister of National Defence heed their distress call and acknowledge his responsibility for the contaminated soil instead of delaying their class action suit?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about this issue too. The Valcartier military base supplied drinking water to members of the Canadian Forces and their families as well as to the people of Shannon.

Over the past few years, we have invested over $40 million in projects to improve and maintain the base's drinking water supply systems and to help the Municipality of Shannon improve its drinking water system.

In addition, the government has announced that it will invest $30—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Québec.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Shannon are victims of negligence on the part of the federal government. Their cry for help is compelling. They want the federal government to acknowledge its responsibilities. They want the government to do everything in its power to disclose all relevant information about the extent of the contamination problem in Shannon.

Is the federal government ready to support my bill to identify, trace and inform all individuals who might have been contaminated, just as the United States did in connection with Camp Lejeune?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is working hard on this issue. The department is working with all stakeholders, including the Municipality of Shannon, the City of Quebec, the Province of Quebec, Health Canada, Environment Canada and the people of Shannon.

We are prepared to continue working with everyone to find an acceptable solution.

Political Party Financing

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the troubling revelations about the funding of Vision Montréal, the Conservative Party distanced itself from Giulio Maturi, one of Senator Housakos' cronies. Another friend of Leo Housakos, Dimitri Soudas, was recently relieved of his responsibilities for Quebec.

By distancing himself from Maturi and asking Dimitri Soudas to stay away from issues involving Quebec, is the Prime Minister not acknowledging that some light needs to be shed on the schemes led by the Maturi-Soudas-Housakos trio?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question and encourage him to submit any information or allegations to the appropriate authorities.

Senator Housakos immediately asked the Ethics Commissioner for advice on this matter. However, let me be clear. It was our government that took action to put an end to the influence of big spenders on federal political parties. We banned contributions from unions, corporations and organizations. Our government took action to ensure greater accountability.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary can pretend to be a puritan, but the noose is tightening around Senator Housakos. I would remind the House that in addition to being involved in awarding a major contract to the Bridge Corporation at a Conservative Party cocktail fundraiser, he is also involved in questionable financing in Rivière-des-Mille-Îles and of Vision Montréal, where he was recommended by none other than Tony Accurso.

Will the Prime Minister finally resolve to shed some light on the schemes of Senator and bagman Leo Housakos?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member has any allegations to make, he should submit them directly to the appropriate authorities or express them outside this House.

The Environment

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let us review the Reform-Conservative record on climate change.

After four years and three ministers there is no plan, no analysis, no price on carbon, no cap and trade system, no regulations, support for renewable power that was first frozen and then abandoned, no absolute reduction targets, rising rates of emissions, and provinces and businesses being forced to go it alone.

While the rest of the world is retooling their economies to compete in the global clean energy race, why is Canada not even at the starting line?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member well knows that the government's plan is clear. We now have in effect a North American target of 20% reduction by 2020. We are also making progress on tailpipe emissions standards, aviation standards, carbon capture and storage, and a North American integrated approach on cap and trade.

By contrast, members of the opposition would move us away from a North American strategy. They have a long 13-year record of not getting it done. That will not happen under this government.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, countries around the world are reorganizing their economies in order to be competitive in the global race to develop clean energy. In that regard, Germany has already created 250,000 jobs. The United States is investing six times more than Canada and China is investing $250 billion in the development of advanced energy technologies. Even Alaska and Sarah Palin are beating us.

Why is this government jeopardizing our economy and our environment, and when will it finally wake up?

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

Mr. Speaker, that member and other opposition members would have us abandon the target of 20% reduction by 2020. They would have us terminate our agreements with the Obama administration.

The person who nailed the Liberal position on climate change was the leader of the Liberal Party who said “I think our party has got into a mess on the environment.... We didn't get it done”. He was absolutely right. That party did not get it done. We are getting it done.

Foreign Affairs

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over the issue of the repatriation of Omar Khadr.

Can he assure us that the government will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and members in the House have heard many times that the government's position is very clear. Mr. Omar Khadr faces very serious charges. These charges arise from activities in Afghanistan: allegations of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, material support for terrorism, and spying.

With respect to the decision to ask for Mr. Khadr's return and the formal obligations of so doing, we have always maintained, and continue to maintain before the courts that this jurisdiction is found in the duly elected Government of Canada and not in the courts.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the same parliamentary secretary said that they would let military justice take its course in the United States.

In light of that comment, does the minister not realize that what that means is that Mr. Khadr's status as a child soldier has been repudiated by the military tribunal, as well as the standard of evidence required, and that the standard of fairness for the accused is much lower in a military tribunal than it would be in a regular court?

Why would the minister not accept Canadian justice instead of military justice in the United States?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member has international experience and he would know that we would, of course, acknowledge President Obama's administration's decision to prosecute Omar Khadr through the U.S. military commission system.

Clearly, we do believe, in the U.S. legal process announced today, that it should run its course. Due process should take place. Our position remains, incidentally, unchanged from the positions of two previous Liberal prime ministers, I would add.

Having just returned from a theatre of operation, I can assure the hon. member that there is concern about an individual who was involved in making bombs and IEDs in Afghanistan where Canadians continue to serve marvellously today.

Crown Corporations

[James Rajotte, Conservative, Edmonton—Leduc, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as Canada continues to cope with the effects of the global economic recession, it remains essential for the federal government and for federal agencies to spend tax dollars wisely.

Today, the President of the Treasury Board took further actions to protect taxpayer dollars that have been invested in crown corporations.

Would the President of the Treasury Board update the House on the new measures that have been taken to help ensure that federal agencies spend taxpayer dollars in a responsible fashion?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, today I reminded crown corporations and other public organizations that they should not hire lobbyists to communicate with the government.

Agencies within the federal sector need to examine all their spending to ensure taxpayers receive value for their money. The use of consultant lobbyists for communicating and lobbying the federal government is an unnecessary use of public funds. These interactions should be conducted directly and without use of publicly funded lobbyists.

Our government promised to protect taxpayer dollars and clean up lobbying and we have kept those promises.

Tax Harmonization

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today the Ontario Liberals, with billions in financial support from the Conservative government, are introducing legislation to implement an 8% tax hike.

Exempting coffee and doughnuts does not make it easier to swallow this bitter pill. So, on a day when Liberals join hands with the Conservative government to gouge Ontarians, let us not add insult to injury by continuing to lie to them.

Will the minister finally admit that he is bribing Ontarians with $4.3 billion of their own tax dollars to implement the HST?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is pretty harsh language and I will not repeat that kind of language because I know you do not accept that, but it is a little rich coming from the member and her party to pretend to be standing up to protect citizens against taxes when they have, in fact, voted against every tax cut that we have put forward in this House, including such an emotional issue as guide dogs for the blind. The NDP voted against that and many other tax cuts in this House.

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that answer is an insult to the intelligence of all Ontarians.

The HST will nail Ontario families, seniors and small businesses at a time when they are barely staying afloat. Instead of exempting essentials, such as electricity and gas, Ontario is exempting doughnuts. Give me a break. Businesses will still need to keep two sets of books, one for items that get the HST and one for those that do not.

Will the government not just admit that the HST has nothing to do with streamlining the books of businesses and is all about a government tax grab to make its own books look good?

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

Mr. Speaker, once again the hon. member should be directing her questions to Queen's Park or to the legislature in British Columbia, not here. That question has no place here. However, I will tell members what does have a place and that is helping Canadians through this difficult worldwide recession. We have done that, starting out by reducing their taxes so they have more money in their pockets. It has been no thanks to the NDP for helping us with that and yet the New Democrats stand up and continue to suggest that they represent their constituents.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism persists in alleging that he decided to impose a visa requirement on Mexican tourists at the request of the Government of Quebec. Quebec’s minister of international relations stated in the National Assembly that the visa requirement was never the solution advocated by the Government of Quebec.

Will the minister admit that he deliberately misled this House to justify his indefensible decision?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, not at all. I had discussions on this subject with my Quebec counterpart, Ms. James. I was very clear: the visa requirement is the only tool available to Canada to prevent a wave of false refugee claimants that has cost Quebec taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

The member must explain to his fellow Quebeckers why he believes they should pay tens of millions of dollars for false refugee claimants in Canada.