House of Commons Hansard #116 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was information.
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the uncertainty about the future of a Canadian nuclear reactor to produce isotopes is having impacts in a number of areas. There are concerns now that our colleges will see a drop in enrolment of nuclear medicine technicians, who are responsible for diagnostic procedures.
What is this government doing to ensure that Canadians with certain cancers or heart problems will have access not only to isotopes, but also to the technicians who administer the required procedures?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health
Again, Mr. Speaker, we have been working with the provinces and the territories and have created a guidance document to mitigate the issue.
Our government has invested in alternative medical isotopes based on the recommendations of the experts that we appointed to deal with the situation with us. This means that more isotope alternatives will be identified through the research that we are doing.
We have also appointed Dr. McEwan as a special adviser. He is a renowned expert in this field. We will continue to work with him as well as the medical experts on this file and the provinces and the territories in the future.
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Mr. Speaker, the federal Conservatives want to impose a new tax. The provincial Conservatives do not. The provincial Liberals want to impose a new tax. The federal Liberals are not sure they do. One thing is certain: the NDP does not want a new tax that would drive up heating costs, any more than the Canadian Association of Retired Persons does. In two months, opposition by retirees to the Conservatives' proposed harmonized tax has risen from 73% to 85%.
Why is the Minister of Finance turning his back on retirees?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I think the question was about harmonization of the provincial sales tax and the GST, which is proposed by two provinces now. They are going ahead with their legislative options in that regard. It is up to the provinces that are not harmonized to make that decision. Two of them have done so, in line with the provinces that did so in the 1990s.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, for the past two years, the International Longshoremen's Association has been trying to stop Irving Oil from taking over part of the port of Saint John.
No one in New Brunswick has the courage to ask Irving Oil to respect the law. That is why I sent a letter to the Minister of Transport asking him to deal with this situation. His answer was that the transaction has to be approved by his department. However, Irving has taken over the Long Wharf Terminal and is now building on it without proper authorization.
Why is the minister letting Irving Oil break the law?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly supports and is committed to supporting initiatives in Atlantic Canada, in New Brunswick, that will improve port operations and help stimulate economic growth.
I understand that his colleagues in the longshoremen's union have taken the issue to court. As it is before the court, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further.
Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to protecting Canadians, particularly our children, from crimes being committed in today's technological environment.
Child pornography is an appalling crime. It should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Would the Minister of Justice please update this House on our latest piece of legislation that stands up for victims of crime?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that today our government introduced legislation for the first time that would require Internet service providers to report child pornography to the appropriate authorities.
There can be no higher goal in our society than to provide greater protection for our children. I am proud to be part of a government that recognizes this.
Canadians want this bill to have the support of all members of Parliament, including members of the Senate.
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Speaker, today we mark the 20th anniversary of a parliamentary motion calling for the elimination of child poverty.
We have much work to do to, even to change people's attitudes, including members of the Conservative government.
The minister for employment insurance suggested that she did not want to make EI too lucrative. Today we read the comments from the Conservative member for South Shore—St. Margaret's who referred to the unemployed as “all those no-good [blanks] sitting on the sidewalk in Halifax”. I cannot even use the word in this chamber.
Is this what the Prime Minister meant when he referred to a culture of defeat?
An email apology will not feed children or house families. Will the government commit today to an anti-poverty plan for Canada?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, there are two different approaches one can take. One can take the approach of having a plan, spending years developing a strategy, which is what the Liberals did with very little result. The other option is to do what this government has done, and that is to take action against poverty.
We do not want to see a single poor child in this country. That is why we have enhanced the national child benefit and the child tax credit. Between the two of them, they have affected three million children in this country. With the universal child care benefit, another 55,000 children are out of poverty. The child poverty rate in this country is half what it was under the Liberals.
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party is in Federal Court this week because of a scheme designed to get around the limits on election expenses. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, 67 Conservative candidates tried to get refunds totalling more than $700,000 using false invoices. Yesterday, lawyers for the Conservative Party criticized the CEO for exercising overly tight control when approving expense claims.
When will this party stop showing contempt for the CEO, who prevented it from dipping into the public purse with both hands?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, two elections ago, Conservative candidates spent Conservative funds on Conservative advertising. The national campaign transferred these funds to those local candidates. How did Elections Canada find out? We told them. Why would we not? After all, all parties do it and it is completely legal, but they singled us out, so we took them to court. Canadians knew all of these facts when they voted in the last election and they gave us more votes and more seats.
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada is walking away from the most vital role of any government: protecting the public. Already we are not in compliance with international standards for aviation safety oversight and enforcement. Now we have to add pilot fatigue to the list. Canada's approach does not take into account factors like irregular shift time, multiple time zones, or night work. The result: Canadian pilots are flying when they are too tired. Why is the government allowing companies to cut costs on aviation standards and not ensuring that Canadians are safe when they fly?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, this government takes the safety of the travelling public very, very seriously. That is why we require pilots and others responsible for ensuring the safe transport of the travelling public to get the sleep that they need. Our government already has measures in place that are consistent with the intent of the ICAO standard for flight and duty times for flight crews. I am very pleased to offer to work with the member and to work with any pilots or unions across the country on making them stronger.
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
Mr. Speaker, parliamentarians from all parties have been touched by Canadians who suffer and live with all forms of diabetes, like Sydney Grace in Barrie, Ontario who lives with juvenile diabetes. We are also proud of the rich history this nation has in scientific breakthroughs, beginning with Sir Frederick Banting and the discovery of insulin.
Could the Minister of State for Science and Technology and for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario tell the House what our government is doing to build on this tradition and ensure southern Ontario plays a global role in combatting this disease?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleague for his tireless dedication to combatting juvenile diabetes. Yesterday I was proud to announce a $30 million partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Canada. This initiative will expand diabetes research. It will build a new clinical trials network in southern Ontario. It will create hundreds of new jobs. It will move new technologies from the laboratory through to the marketplace where they can help Canadians and people around the world with this condition.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the hon. Dr. Wayne Mapp, Minister of Defence and Minister of Research, Science and Technology of New Zealand.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I would also like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Michael McLeod, Minister of Public Works and Services, Minister of Transportation and Minister responsible for Infrastructure for the Northwest Territories.
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, in response to a question, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development seemed to indicate, I think she said, that child poverty under the Conservatives was half what it was under the Liberals. That is what I heard. That is an absolute lie.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
The hon. member knows that the use of such language is not permitted in the House.
The House resumed from November 20 consideration of the motion.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
It being 3:05 p.m., pursuant to order made on Friday, November 20, 2009, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie relating to the business of supply.
Call in the members.