Debates of Feb. 27th, 2009

Molly Kool Carney

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Captain Molly Kool Carney.

Born and raised in the village of Alma in my riding, in 1939 Molly became the first woman sea captain in North America and the second woman sea captain in the world. This achievement made it necessary to rewrite the Canada Shipping Act to reflect the possibility of a woman at the helm of a sea vessel. Captain Molly Kool paved the way for countless other women to proudly assume positions of leadership in our country.

In June 2007, I had the great privilege of presenting Molly a letter on behalf of the Prime Minister recognizing her achievements and her remarkable life.

On Wednesday of this week, Molly passed away, just two days after her 93rd birthday.

I think I speak for all of those who knew her and were inspired by her when I say that Molly's life was a life well lived and her memory will live on in the hearts of our nation.

Young Heroes

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, let this House acknowledge and honour three young heroes from Newfoundland and Labrador. Seven-year-old Dimitri Strangemore and his younger brother, Brendan, last week saved the life of a classmate of theirs, seven-year-old Christa Simms, when Christa found herself trapped and in trouble after falling into a snow hole that had buried her alive.

The two brothers, after realizing what had happened, kept calm and cool-headed under pressure. One boy dug down and held up Christa's head and talked to her constantly to keep her calm while his younger brother ran to get help.

Thanks to them, officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the St. Anthony volunteer fire rescue were able to complete the rescue that Dimitri and Brendan had started. Christa was safe.

These two boys are our local heroes, as is young Christa herself, who managed to stay calm in the face of impending danger.

Education week begins next week in Newfoundland and Labrador and the theme this year is “Celebrating our Heroes”. We have to look no further than to Dimitri and to Brendan Strangemore and to young Christa Simms herself, as young heroes we can all be proud of.

Science and Technology

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

Mr. Speaker, this week Brock University received a significant investment from the federal government for three Canada research chairs. This is good news not only for St. Catharines and the Niagara region, but also for the future of science and technology in our country.

Dr. Vincenzo De Luca, Dr. Ping Liang and Dr. Cheryl McCormick are all experts in their fields of study and will no doubt further our knowledge and understanding of the world around us.

Brock University has also proposed the Niagara Health and Biosciences Research Complex. This complex will use biotechnology to advance human health and diversify the economic base of the region. This funding announcement reiterates our government's recognition of the key role of science and technology in our society.

This is why upon forming government in 2006, we introduced our strategy entitled “Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada's Advantage”. This strategy is promoting and harnessing scientific innovation in our country and is strengthening our competitive advantage.

This government is committed to supporting this industry so that it is good for scientists, good for our economy and good for Canadians.

Private Woodlot Owners in Quebec

[Claude Guimond, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to have been appointed the Bloc Québécois critic for private woodlot owners. With this recent appointment, the Bloc Québécois is recognizing that woodlot owners have their own set of problems to which the federal government is not paying enough attention.

The economic spinoffs from Quebec's 130,000 private woodlot owners are very important to our regions, and for some rural communities they are vital. However, private owners have to deal with the crisis in the forestry industry that has resulted in a significant drop in revenues because of mill closures, fewer buyers, and falling prices.

I would like to assure private woodlot owners in Quebec that the Bloc Québécois supports their demands and will continue to work for change.

Iran

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week in Tehran, over 70 student protesters who had been peacefully protesting the government's plan to rebury fallen soldiers on their campus were arrested and detained by police.

The reburial plan they were protesting is a cynical ploy to turn part of the campus into a war grave, thereby providing the police with a convenient pretext to crush any future political activity at the university. It is appalling that the government is misusing the remains of Iran's heroic war dead as tools with which to crush freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.

This cynical action follows a raid earlier this year on the offices of Iran's Nobel Laureate, the human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi.

All Canadians condemn these actions and call for the immediate release of the detained student protesters. The Canadian government continues to urge Iran's government to respect fundamental human rights and end the crude stifling of dissent.

We stand in solidarity with those in Iran who risk their personal safety to stand up for freedom.

Public Safety

[Joyce Murray, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about the recent explosion of gang crime in metro Vancouver. Crime has always been part of human society but that does not excuse government ineffectiveness in controlling and reducing it. On the contrary, we must continuously improve and strengthen the complex network of resources, policies, processes and laws designed to protect citizens. That takes partnership, coordination and progress by politicians at every level of government and all political parties.

We collectively represent each individual citizen, and citizens have a right to expect their representatives to work constructively together on their behalf and to not engage in divisive partisanship and to not hide behind rhetoric about who is and who is not tough on crime. On this issue we cannot afford to play games. On this issue we must find common ground because it is literally a matter of life and death for the innocent victims of drive-by shootings and for the young gang members themselves.

When B.C.'s ministers came to Ottawa to tell us what new crime laws B.C. needs, I met with them not once but twice. I stand here today to confirm that I will work with the province, my colleagues and government to make those laws a reality.

Bloc Québécois

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in this House, we were treated to an excellent performance of feigned indignation by the Bloc.

Despite the ill-advised theatrics, the facts are overwhelming. For several years, many Bloc Québécois members have been funding Le Québécois, a newspaper published by Patrick Bourgeois, that unsavoury individual who has encouraged violence and public disorder.

The City of Quebec is suffering as a result today. The Quebec City tourism office estimates that over $3 million will be lost as a result of the cancellation of the re-enactment of the battle of the Plains of Abraham.

While our government is working to help Quebeckers keep their jobs, the Bloc is doing what it does best, that is, blocking Quebec's progress.

On behalf of my fellow citizens, I have a message for the Bloc. Enough is enough. Quebec wants to move forward. Quebec wants to work. That is what people want in Quebec.

Hockeyville

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Terrace, B.C. has caught Hockeyville fever as one of the five finalists in CBC's Hockeyville contest. Rarely have we seen such enthusiasm around the community of Terrace.

No B.C. community has yet won Hockeyville, and I say yet, because that is about to change. In just four days, 328,000 votes came in . I am so confident that Terrace is going to win that I have chosen to challenge the member for Saskatoon—Humboldt to wear the Terrace Hockeyville jersey when his community unfortunately loses in March.

Terrace and the whole of northwestern British Columbia have fallen on some hard times, but they have shown us what the best of our communities are by pulling together and celebrating one another. Good luck to Terrace, B.C.

Bloc Québécois

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the intolerance and violence advocated by the Réseau de résistance du Québec, Patrick Bourgeois and Pierre Falardeau and the massive financial backing provided—with public money—by the Bloc Québécois and Parti Québécois for their threats have left many Quebeckers confused and poorer. The losses associated with the re-enactment are estimated at $3 million for the Quebec City area.

I suppose we should not be surprised, as this comes from a leader who lets his members march in a pro-Hezbollah demonstration and allows a member to send out pro-Hamas emails. What a great coalition. What a wonderful ideology of intolerance.

Our government has put forward a motion condemning these extremists. I hope all my hon. colleagues in this House will support this motion so that it is adopted unanimously.

Community Credit Week

[Luc Malo, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in these tough economic times, the anguish of unemployment and exclusion affects a large segment of our society. Individuals and families in this situation can face inequality, discrimination and prejudice.

Fortunately, there are organizations such as the Association communautaire d'emprunt de la Rive-Sud. ACERS provides loans and advice to the disadvantaged who have the desire and potential to start a business but who cannot get traditional financing to do so.

During the 2009 community credit week, the association wants to demonstrate the fundamental role that economic solidarity and community credit play in fighting poverty and exclusion. Activities culminate this evening with the entrepreneurs' celebration. My warmest congratulations to these businessmen and businesswomen who, because of ACERS, are now leaders in their communities.

Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, 10 members of this House joined 125 parliamentarians from more than 40 countries to participate in the inaugural conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism.

This interparliamentary conference, hosted by the U.K. government under the inspiring leadership of MP John Mann, heard chilling testimony about the new, escalating, global, virulent and even lethal anti-Semitism.

The parliamentarians adopted a landmark document, the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism, which expressed alarm at the resurgence of this oldest and most enduring of hatreds, including that of state-backed anti-Semitism in general and genocidal anti-Semitism in particular, and resolved to act through an action plan to combat this old-new hatred of Jews and a hatred of Israel as a Jewish collectivity.

As we have learned only too well, while it may begin with Jews, it does not end with Jews. This conference not only sounded the alarm, but issued a clarion call to act in the name of our common humanity and shared future.

Tackling Violent Crime

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Ottawa NDP claims it wants to be tough on crime, then returns to its “hug-a-thug” ways.

The NDP is offside and out of touch with working families who work hard and want to be safe in their communities.

The “soft on crime” NDP thinks that house arrest is reasonable punishment for serious repeat property crimes like car theft and arson.

The NDP works to oppose important legislation to protect the security of Canadian communities. That is why the NDP opposed anti-terrorism legislation and house arrest legislation for serious property crimes.

As a gang war rages on the west coast, the NDP wants to have illegal drugs legalized. The NDP opposes registering sex offenders in case those who commit “lower-end” sex crimes suffer from such a registry.

The NDP sees putting criminals in prison as a radical and extreme measure.

The NDP is--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Oral questions, the hon. member for Toronto Centre.

The Economy

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.

It has become very clear on reading the main estimates, which have come out this week, that the government's right hand does not know what its far right hand is doing.

The government talks a good game about how it is important to stimulate the economy and how it is important to increase Canada's international competitiveness, but it is very clear from the main estimates that it is cutting back substantially in areas that makes no sense.

Why is the Government of Canada cutting $150 million from the--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

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

Mr. Speaker, I did not quite get the tail end of that question.

We made a public statement that there will be no cutting in the budget and I will stand by that statement.

The most important part of the economic action plan remains the fact that it has not gone through all of the processes in the House and the other place. We have seen incredible delays this morning by the Bloc and the NDP to slow it up. That is not what Canadians want.

Research and Development

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, reading from the estimates, we can see that there is a $13 million cut in basic research under Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. There is a further cut of $2 million to attract and retain faculty. There are cuts in all sorts of areas with respect to science and research.

This is an intensely competitive area in the world. It is an area in which Canada has had an advantage over several years because of what governments have done and because of the fact that the Bush administration was not that interested in science. We are now looking at an Obama administration that is interested in science.

Why is the government cutting back on basic research just at the time when we need to be increasing our competitiveness?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the member has his facts wrong. If he were to look at the numbers, he would find that this government is committed to scientific research. He would find that we have been putting unprecedented amounts of money into the scientific research area.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the media starts to look at these estimates and the government starts to look at them, everybody will understand that the government is in fact cutting and it is cutting in critical areas.

My final question is for the same minister and it has to do with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Despite the comments of the parliamentary secretary yesterday, the fact remains that the Government of Canada is cutting its transfers to the CBC by over $60 million, which is putting that institution into a crisis.

Why is the government taking away the voice of all Canadians?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member should know because of his tenure in politics, this is all part of the budgetary process. I can reassure the hon. member that there will be no funding cuts to the CBC. The CBC will receive $1.1 billion in taxpayers' money this year to support its operations. That is one thousand, one hundred million dollars. There will be no cuts.

Government Expenditures

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, initially we were told that the $3 billion of spending for which the government seeks special approval would consist entirely of budget measures. Now the legislation makes clear that the government seeks authority to spend in virtually any area not limited to budget measures. This certainly gives the appearance of a blank cheque or even a slush fund for use in swing ridings.

Will the government explain why the legislation seems to expand the government's discretion in this unprecedented way?

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

Mr. Speaker, the stimulus of $3 billion and the moving up of the expenditure of that money from the June date to the April date is exactly in response to demands from the opposition that money move quickly. Nothing has been done in any way in terms of diminishing the oversight of how money will be spent and the projects determined.

This will be an appropriate way of ensuring that Canadians see the effects of our budget on a timely basis as requested by the opposition.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, he did not answer the question.

This morning “The Fiscal Monitor” did not come out at its usual time. It is obvious because the government is ashamed to admit that it has been running a deficit for many months.

With the debt clock rearing its ugly head for the first time in well over a decade, each tick of the second hand adding a $1,000 burden to our children, will the Conservatives admit they are planning to release “The Fiscal Monitor” late on a Friday afternoon in order to avoid scrutiny?

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

Mr. Speaker, such accusations of something we actually do not have any control over. Those numbers will be coming out in due course.

Let me get back to what is important to Canadians, which is to get on with the $6 billion of stimulus to the Canadian economy that is being held up by the opposition slowing it up.

I spoke earlier this morning about those who are waiting desperately for the extension of their EI benefits. How can any representative of Canadians stand in the House and say they are slowing that up?

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is trying to ram through a budget that includes a $3 billion reserve fund. The government is admitting that mistakes might be made in managing these funds, but it does not feel that it is necessary to put controls in place. In other words, it is asking for a blank cheque.

How can the government justify allocating $3 billion without putting any controls in place?