Debates of March 10th, 2009

The Economy

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, excuses do not cut it for the quarter of a million people who have been thrown out of work since the last election. When these unemployed workers turn to the government's job bank website to get a bit of help and maybe a bit of hope, what do they get? They log on and they are greeted by a message saying there are technical difficulties. Well, no kidding. How can we have any confidence in a website about the slush fund when the government cannot even get its job bank website working?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, we are doing everything we can to ensure that all Canadians have access to all the labour market information and all the job information they can. Unfortunately, we have unprecedented numbers of people looking to the job bank. We are working to update it to ensure that it is robust enough to withstand the demands upon it. We are working on that to serve Canadians.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have learned today that the Conservative government recently appointed Pharès Pierre, former chief of staff of the Prime Minister of Haiti during the Aristide regime, to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Given the importance of the Haitian situation for Canada, it is a source of concern that such an appointment has taken place. The Haitian diaspora is justifiably concerned.

Two questions arise with respect to this appointment. Why did the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration recommend Pharès Pierre as a board member, and did the security report not mention Mr. Pierre's political past in Haiti?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, I share the hon. member's concerns about this. I learned of this person's political connections this morning. His file was recommended to me by the CIRB, however, and it has a pre-selection process. He passed the Privy Council security checks.

I spoke today with the head of the Board and with my deputy minister to get his opinion on how to handle this matter.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister assumes responsibility for this appointment, fine, but he says he was not aware, and that holds no water. So it is one of two things: either he signs appointments blindly, or he signed this one on the recommendation of the political lieutenant of the Quebec Conservatives.

In committee today, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism said that, had he known, he would not have appointed Mr. Pierre. Now the harm is done, will he withdraw his recommendation of Mr. Pierre as a board member and will he have cabinet cancel the appointment?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the system under the Liberals, the new system for appointments to the IRB enables people to make public and transparent applications to the board. It makes pre-selections and then submits names to me. There is a system for security checks at Privy Council.

As the bottom line, I am responsible for the recommendations I make to cabinet. I am concerned about the connections this person had in the past with certain politicians in Haiti. This is why I will now be examining this file.

Arts and Culture

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the new Canada media fund has not been well received by the independent production industry. Claire Samson, president of the association of film and television producers of Quebec, says that the government is about to kill this industry. She said the new funding criteria, based on performance, would greatly reduce the production of documentaries and the numbers of jobs that are related.

Why is the minister trying to wipe our documentary industry off the map?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada media fund is what is in Canada's best interest.

We are merging it together with the Canada television fund in order to make it more efficient for the future. It will be $310 million for the production of Canadian content on multiple platforms. It has been well received.

I invite those who have concerns to simply look at the proposal and what has been said about it. Pierre Karl Péladeau said, “We now have reason to think that the necessary conditions will be created to promote the development of a strong and creative production industry...”

Everybody will benefit from it, from the broadcasters to the producers, and it is good for Canada.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Judith Brosseau, senior vice-president of Astral Media and a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Television Fund, believes that reducing the membership of that board from 21 to 7 will have a very negative impact. On the one hand, the expertise of the industry representatives on the board will disappear in one fell swoop, and on the other, there will be a flagrant lack of independence, because broadcasters, who have their own vested interests, will appoint five of the seven board members.

Why take a stand in favour of one segment of the industry over the other? What is he hiding?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

This is ridiculous, Mr. Speaker. It is modernizing a fund to create more Canadian content on more platforms. That is what is needed for this industry. Going forward, it is precisely what is needed.

With regard to the governance structure, it is a governance structure that needed to be amended and improved. It was recommended by the Auditor General. The Auditor General identified problems with the old Canadian Television Fund board. We put forward proposals. We did our consultations. We have come up with a governance model that will be independent and effective, and it will serve Canadians better.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the recent announcement by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages about the Canada Media Fund did not make everyone happy. The minister says he based his decision on the criteria for success and what viewers want, adding that people will pay for what they want.

By using commercial success as the Canada Media Fund's main funding criterion, is the minister not stifling boldness, creativity and innovation?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, absolutely not. This member always votes against the needs of our country's creators. In this Canada Media Fund, an investment of $310 million will be used to create Canadian content. One third of that money will be reserved for French-language productions. She voted against this measure. As usual, she voted against Quebec and the needs of our country's artists.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I invite the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages to say that in front of the artists.

Artists are worried about being left out of the decision-making process in favour of funding providers.

If the minister is so concerned about creativity, why do artists no longer have any role to play in the new structure, except as members of an “advisory” group?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false. As usual, my colleague is talking here in the House without her facts, without even a briefing. I can give her this information so that she can show up here in this House with the facts.

Citizenship and Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that Pharès Pierre, former chief of staff to the prime minister of Haiti under the controversial regime of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has been made an IRB commissioner. The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism has appointed an individual who was a member of a government that practised torture and who was involved in atrocities.

The minister cannot hide behind the fact that it was an IRB recommendation, since he makes the final decision. Can he explain why he made such an appointment?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question, but I am not hiding anything. As I said in committee and here in this House, I take full responsibility for all the appointments and proposals made to cabinet in this matter. However, all candidates are subject to a preselection process carried out by the IRB, as was the case for the individual in question, and he passed the security screening with the Privy Council Office.

That being said, I am concerned about his ties to Haiti, which is why I am following this file very closely.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are hiding and ducking the issue under false pretenses. The only plausible explanation for this appointment is that Pharès Pierre was the vice-president of the Conservative Party executive in Saint-Jean, and was vice-president of the Quebec branch of the Conservative Party. This is a partisan appointment, and that is the real explanation.

Will the government promise to reverse this shameful appointment?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, there is a new, transparent process overseen by the IRB for the preselection of candidates. The individual in question was not involved in the current Conservative Party. I personally did not know this man, and I was not aware of any partisan involvement here in Canada, or in Haiti. I accepted the IRB's recommendation, but I am concerned about his ties to certain political figures in Haiti, which is why I spoke with the chair of the IRB and my deputy minister to resolve this matter.

Pensions

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine, Mario, called my office this morning. He was very concerned about how his property taxes, utilities, food and medications are all going up, but his pension is not. These are difficult times, making it extremely hard for pensioners across Canada to manage.

What can I tell Mario the government is going to do to help him weather this storm?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, pensions are a matter of significant concern. There are pressures on pension plans across the country. As we know, many of the pension plans rely on their equity investments as part of the funding for their pension plans. This is the reason we took certain steps in the budget to assist the pension plans in terms of what is called “smoothing” and providing longer periods of time to repay capital to pension plans.

It is also why my parliamentary secretary is conducting a consultation that is starting soon all across Canada to gather information. It is a complex issue and must be handled carefully.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the current market conditions have Canadians very worried about the long-term viability of their pensions. Canadians want concrete action, not speaking points. People need real solutions, and I am sure the minister knows that.

Apart from his one-man show, what concrete actions will the minister take to protect Canadians' pensions, which continue to be hit by the recession and the Conservative inaction?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as far as the one-man show goes, I could not think of a better man for the job, quite frankly, than the member being asked to do it.

Pensions are a complex issue. Federally we only regulate about 10% of pension plans in this country. The provincial ministers and I have worked carefully together on this issue. The member opposite is correct that the pension issue needs to be addressed carefully, thoughtfully and thoroughly, and I am happy that my parliamentary secretary has undertaken this work.

Science and Technology

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, according to the OECD, Canada lags behind other G7 nations in investments in science. We have all seen how President Obama has made research and development a key plank of his stimulus package. So why are Canada's three granting councils--social science, natural science and health--coping with extreme financial shortfalls following January's federal budget?

Why has the government turned its back on knowledge?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology)]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely incorrect. This country is first in the G7, and second only to Sweden in the OECD.

In the previous three budgets, this government supported the granting councils with over $200 million in new funding that is ongoing every year, and I am glad the member supported those budgets.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I believe those facts are incorrect.

In order to attract the best and brightest to this country and at the same time avoid a brain drain, we must invest in research in all subject areas, yet the government wants to direct funding only to the research it approves of.

Since the government was unable to predict the current economic crisis, what makes it think it can predict the research that will be most beneficial to Canadians?