Debates of March 13th, 2009

Forestry Industry

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec's Natural Resources Minister Claude Béchard maintains that urgent help is needed for the forestry industry and that holding a summit will not cut it. He said that the industry needs money fast and that the only way to meet this need was through loans and loan guarantees, something the government refuses to recognize.

Instead of hiding behind false pretences, will the government finally provide the loans and loan guarantees everyone is calling for?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my dear colleague of what Mr. Lazar, the president of the Forest Products Association of Canada, told the Subcommittee on Canadian Industrial Sectors yesterday morning. He applauded the measures taken by our government regarding the forestry industry, namely solutions that have to reflect what the real problem is or have to do with the markets.

Measures such as access to credit, EI work sharing, community development, product innovation and the pursuit of new markets have been applauded.

I would like to remind my colleague that she voted against all these measures.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary should know about the position of Quebec's foresters association.

Luc Bouthillier, a professor at the department of wood and forest sciences at Laval University, explained that nothing in the agreement, no specific clause or provision, prohibits loans or loan guarantees, and that, whatever we do, the United States will always use the same argument as grounds for challenge. He added that doing nothing is worse than risking a challenge.

Instead of docking and dodging, will the government help this industry in urgent need of help?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, not only have we announced a whole range of measures to help the forestry industry by providing assistance to workers, communities and the industry, but we are continuing to work together with them and the other stakeholders, as we have been for the past several months. The Bloc Québécois cannot deny that our government is there and making a real difference. Could the Bloc stop with the little political games already and let us do our job? Ours is a responsible government which takes informed decisions—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Alfred-Pellan.

Parliamentary Budget Officer

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer pointed out that inadequate funding is preventing him from doing his job properly. If he does not receive the money earmarked for his budget, this will result in significant layoffs in his office before the end of the month, thereby limiting even further his ability to do his job.

Does the government's unwillingness to adequately fund the Parliamentary Budget Officer stem from its desire to silence anyone who does not share its views?

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

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the Parliamentary Budget Officer reports to the parliamentary library and the parliamentary library reports to you. Therefore, I would invite you to answer the question.

[Robert Carrier, Bloc, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government promised to create an independent agency. But, according to the Budget Officer, the current setup cannot guarantee this independence, and the fact that its duties are not governed directly by Parliament make it vulnerable to political interference.

Does the government intend to support the Parliamentary Budget Officer and do whatever it takes to ensure that he can fulfill his mandate free from any interference?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out earlier, the matter relates to the parliamentary library, which reports to you. At some point I expect that you, or someone in your chair, will answer that question for the hon. member.

In the meantime, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the good work in Canada's economic action plan. It cuts taxes for the average family by $500, it creates jobs building roads, bridges, hockey arenas and other new infrastructure, it helps people who have lost their jobs to find new ones and it injects billions of dollars into creating new wealth and getting our economy back on track. That is something to celebrate.

Agriculture and Agri-food

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the government's incompetence is causing job losses in every region and every sector. Nowhere are these job losses more preventable than in agriculture, if only the government would stand by its commitment. Instead, the minister consistently breaks his word. Promising $12.4 million for crop losses in P.E.I., the government has only delivered $3 million. Producers face financial ruin for crops that are still being lost in storage.

Will Conservatives stop making excuses, pay out the full $12.4 million promised to--

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture.

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, this government stands up for its farmers. Through agri-recovery, we have in fact delivered financial support to P.E.I. potato farmers.

employment

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, employment figures released today show that 2,900 jobs were lost in my province, New Brunswick. That means 2,900 more families affected by the economic crisis and 2,900 more families forced to suffer because of the Conservatives' failure to act.

How many more jobs must be lost before the Conservative government understands and takes real action to get these New Brunswickers back to work?

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

Mr. Speaker, we in fact sympathize with every Canadian affected. Our government acted early and put forward a comprehensive plan.

When it comes to inaction, there is only one party that the member should ask, and that is his own party. Why did he and his fellow members stand in the way of ensuring this economic action plan was implemented? Why did he delay the benefits from which his constituents would have benefited?

The Economy

[Albina Guarnieri, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should be asking why the government prorogued.

Six months ago the Prime Minister responded to one of the first plant closures in Ontario with the dismissive but prophetic pronouncement that “We can't guarantee your job”. Never were truer words spoken. The government has failed to get any job guarantees out of any auto maker, Xtrata, U.S. Steel or any foreign company that is taking jobs out of Canada.

When will the Conservative government stop—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. Minister of Industry.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we are in the middle of a world economic downturn, so it is not surprising that in some sectors there have been, unfortunately, some job losses.

The government has worked hard on the auto sector well before the hon. member has cottoned on to the fact that there might be some issues. Over a year ago, my colleague, now the Minister of the Environment, launched our action plan for the auto sector. We have made investments for forward thinking investments in the future.

What I cannot understand is why the hon. members opposite are not celebrating the huge job victory from Bombardier this week, the $1.53 billion order filled. Why are they not celebrating?

[Albina Guarnieri, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for six months all the government's policies have delivered are pink slips to Canadians.

On October 2, workers facing plant closures might have taken the advice of the Prime Minister that stock prices were a buying opportunity and that their savings could see them through to retirement. Those who bought on that advice were burned by a further 24% decline in the market.

Why should Canadians buy their Prime Minister's rosy economic predictions today?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

All I can say, Mr. Speaker, is thank goodness Canadians did not take the advice of the Liberal Party of Canada in the last election, when it wanted to impose a job killing carbon tax on them. Thank goodness Canadians saw through that. Thank goodness we do not have the Liberal Party in power, which would have meant thousands upon thousands of jobs lost because of its poor policies.

[Rick Norlock, Conservative, Northumberland—Quinte West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is being impacted by the global economic downturn. Nowhere is this more evident than in the significant job losses reported in February. Families affected by job losses are looking for economic leadership, not a hike in the GST and certainly not a job killing carbon tax proposed by the Liberal leader.

Could the President of the Treasury Board tell the House why enacting this plan is so important?

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

Mr. Speaker, today's job numbers are sobering, and we sympathize with every Canadian affected.

I thank the member for his hard work in terms of implementing the economic action plan. His vote in favour of it has helped his constituents.

Our government acted early and put forward a comprehensive plan to support Canadians, a plan that the IMF called “a strong fiscal package, large, timely and well targeted”.

We are getting the job done, unlike the member for Wascana who has continually stood in the way.

Veterans Affairs

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is amazing how in tough economic times the government can find $6 million to hire 18 of its friends for the Senate, yet at the same time cut $6 million from Veterans Affairs in staffing allowances.

In fact, Robert Rutledge, the president of the Saint Anne's Hospital veterans group has written to the Minister of Veterans Affairs. He has said that he is very concerned about the 40 staff cuts at that hospital, which will seriously affect the night and day time services.

Why do the veterans who served in World War II and Korea have to suffer from the blatant abuse by the Conservative government?

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore stated several times how pleased he was that the Conservative government put back in place so many programs for veterans, programs that were cut by the previous Liberal government.

We share the concerns. We meet regularly. We want to the very best we can for our veterans. I know the problem he has and his frustration. The very budget that supports these veterans, which his leader made him vote against, must make him very uneasy.

Veterans are concerned about the economic well-being of our country. They are concerned about everything else that Canadians are concerned about and they support this economic action plan.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, from VIP for veterans' widows, from SISIP to agent orange to allied veterans and on and on, the Conservative government has deliberately misled veterans and their families.

In 2005 the Prime Minister and the Minister of Veterans Affairs said to thousands of people in Gagetown that if a Conservative government were elected, they would look after everyone affected by the spraying, from 1958 to 1984. In fact, the Conservatives brought in a compensation package even worse than what the Liberals were going to do.

On four separate occasions, the Minister of Veterans Affairs said that he would call for a public inquiry into the spraying in Gagetown. Will the minister or his parliamentary secretary—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.