Debates of March 27th, 2009

Gaston Labrèche

[Meili Faille, Bloc, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to a retired Quebec court judge, Gaston Labrèche, who was killed in a tragic bus accident in Argentina a week ago.

I knew Judge Labrèche as a great defender of human rights and a man devoted to justice and the rights of the oppressed. He practised law for 10 years and was a Quebec court judge from 1971 to 1996. He presided over both civil and criminal matters.

After retiring in 1996, Judge Labrèche took part in a number of international missions on behalf of Quebec organizations to observe show trials. He was very interested in individual liberties and he did it all of his own accord and at his own expense.

The funeral will take place on Saturday, March 28, at Saint-Albert-le-Grand church in Montreal. My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

We thank Judge Labrèche.

Forestry Industry

[John Rafferty, NDP, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the forestry industry continues to struggle under the weight of the economic crisis and the government's indifference to the industry, communities and families that have been suffering massive losses for a number of years. We learned in our community that AbitibiBowater prolonged the shutdowns in the Thunder Bay and Fort Frances mills.

Exactly three weeks ago, I sent the Minister of Natural Resources a letter asking her to convene a national forestry summit to help the industry, communities and families get through the current crisis and to come out of it in a strong and competitive position. Such a summit was called for by the finance committee, the natural resources committee, industry, labour and now the opposition. Everyone knows this must happen and the callous indifference of the government is becoming more apparent by the day.

I urge all members of the House to join me in calling for, indeed, demanding that a national summit be convened by the minister and the government.

Northern Ireland

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

Mr. Speaker, recently two British soldiers were killed in Northern Ireland. A breakaway group from the IRA claimed responsibility for these killings.

The death of these two soldiers was a tragedy for their families, friends and colleagues, but it was also a brutal reminder of the past in that region, of the history of hatred and sectarian violence, of violence that has claimed too many lives.

There were ominous declarations about a return to the troubles of the past and increasing divisions between political leaders. Fortunately the opposite has happened. These hateful acts have united the political leadership in Northern Ireland to condemn these acts and strengthen their resolve to continue their power-sharing political arrangement.

The modern story of Northern Ireland is an amazing story of past foes putting aside their differences and resolving together to work for peace and justice. Their courage and wisdom are examples for all of us.

As chair of the Canada-Ireland Interparliamentary Group, I ask all parliamentarians to join me in offering our condolences to the soldiers' families and our support for the political leadership for their continued success in working together for the well-being of the people of Northern Ireland.

Exemplary Canadian

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to give praise to the Right Reverend Exarch Habib Kwaiter, who retired a few days ago after 60 years of priesthood with the Melkite Church.

Born in Damascus, Syria, Monsignor Kwaiter started his work in the Middle East and came to Canada in 1965. Four years later, he arrived in Ottawa and has been serving the Sts. Peter & Paul parish since.

Known for his moral strength, Monsignor Kwaiter is also an example of devotion to his community. Over the decades, he has been a true inspiration for many of his parishioners. In difficult circumstances his leadership is often and still sought after, something his community is very proud of. The church he built, Sts. Peter & Paul, is an architectural jewel in the constituency of Ottawa—Vanier and is known as a rallying force for its parishioners.

Bravo to Monsignor Kwaiter, an exemplary Canadian, for his dedication throughout the decades.

Thank you so much, Monsignor Kwaiter, for your dedication and all the work you have done for more than 60 years.

Child Care

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

Mr. Speaker, in these difficult times, Niagara families are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the global economic downturn, but despite this uncertainty they can be assured that our government will deliver them the resources so the parents of Canada's two million preschoolers can choose how they care for their children.

Niagara families, like those around Canada, have varying priorities in their lives that require a more flexible child care plan that best suits their circumstances. The universal child care plan achieves this goal by annually providing $1,200 per child so that parents can choose how to raise their children. The plan also provides funding for the provinces and tax breaks to help create additional day care spaces.

Despite all of this, the opposition wishes to scrap the universal child care plan. Why? It is because the opposition refuses to accept that parents know better than it does about what is best for their children.

This government believes in Canadian families and will continue to give them choice in child care despite what the naysayers on the other side say.

Sickle-Cell Anemia

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

Mr. Speaker, sickle-cell anemia is the most prevalent genetic disease in the world, yet not many people know much about it. Today, I want to bring this disease to the attention of this House and tell members that one in 10 black individuals carries the gene and that 10,000 children in Canada reportedly suffer from sickle-cell anemia. I also want to applaud the work done by the Association d'anémie falciforme du Québec and its dedicated president, Wilson Sanon, and express my support for the people who have to live with the severe pain, frequent blood transfusions, restricted activity and constant fatigue.

Lastly, I want to congratulate Dr. Martin Champagne, whose was recognized with the Yvette Bonny award, named for that pioneer in treating this form of anemia, and Mélissa Maurice-Carrénard, a rare survivor who has also received a liver transplant. On the occasion of the association's third gala on March 21, this young woman gave us a wonderful, passionate lesson in living.

We thank all those who are making a difference for the people with this disease and their family members.

L'Acadien II Capsizing Anniversary

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark a sad occasion, that of the capsizing of the vessel L'Acadien II.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to offer once again our deepest sympathies to the families and the friends of Bruno Bourque, Gilles Leblanc, Marc-André Déraspe and Carl Aucoin, who lost their lives one year ago on the night of March 29, 2008.

This tragedy has been extremely difficult for the families, friends and all the residents of the close-knit communities in Îles-de-la-Madeleine. This tragedy has also deeply marked the men and women who proudly serve in the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Government of Canada is confident that it has a better understanding of what happened on March 29 last year, and the Coast Guard will be releasing its action plan in the near future.

I can assure the families and friends of those who were lost that we will take all steps necessary to reduce the chance of any repetition of this tragedy.

Spread the Net Student Challenge

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in congratulating John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute in Guelph, winners of the national Spread the Net student challenge. Through the hard work and dedication of students and staff, John F. Ross high school raised $59,340 to purchase bed nets to protect children in Africa from malaria-spreading insects.

Malaria, which kills 3,000 African children a day, is the single leading cause of death for children under the age of five. One bed net can protect one or more children for up to five years. Founded by Belinda Stronach and Rick Mercer, Spread the Net is a campaign designed in partnership with UNICEF Canada as a simple and affordable solution to the devastating impacts of malaria.

Congratulations and thanks to John F. Ross for its success and commitment to this worthwhile effort.

The Bloc Québécois

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues of certain facts.

Yesterday, our government delivered the goods with respect to funding for infrastructure that will bring hope and especially jobs to Quebec. Unfortunately, the Bloc voted against it.

Our government has taken action to protect the forestry sector by implementing many measures to safeguard Quebec jobs. The Bloc is unable to protect any job, any worker, any industry whatsoever in Quebec. So, what did it do? It voted against our measures.

It was our government that increased the CBC budget to unprecedented levels. The Bloc will never be able to protect the CBC. And furthermore, the Bloc voted against it.

While our government is working to put the economy back on the road to lasting recovery and our citizens on the path to employment, what is the Bloc doing? Once again it is voting against that.

Alzheimer's Awareness

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise all colleagues in the House of Commons and the Senate of an event on April 1, in the Parliamentary Restaurant. We will be inviting all MPs to come and meet individuals from the Alzheimer and Dementia Society of Canada.

Alzheimer's disease and dementia affects over half a million Canadians, and it is a growing health concern in Canada.

I also want to send special thanks to Mr. John O'Keefe of the Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia for the great job he has done in making us all aware of this terrible condition that inflicts so many in this country.

With the right research, investments and funds, hopefully one day Canada can realize the dream of trying to eliminate or drastically reduce the effects of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in this country.

Again, I invite all MPs and senators to please join their colleagues on April 1 for a great awareness day and to promote the aspects of it, and to give support to those families that are dealing with this terrible disease.

Justice

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday the Minister of Justice announced he will introduce draft legislation that would cap the credit given to criminals for the time spent in custody before trial, a practice that developed under 13 years of Liberal soft-on-crime government.

Now the Liberals are using this serious issue to try to gain political points. The Liberal justice critic is even attempting to take credit for this initiative, saying:

[The Minister of Justice]...is catching up to a position we've been holding for a number of weeks.

I would like to remind the hon. member that this is not an issue that magically appeared during the last weeks. It has been an issue for many years, one that has been ignored by Liberals. In fact, we Conservatives have long campaigned to cap credit for time served. I guess newly converted Liberal crime fighters still have a lot to learn.

Given the overwhelming support the government is receiving for the initiative, I encourage the opposition to encourage speedy passage of this important measure when it is introduced in the House.

Fighting Poverty

[Josée Beaudin, Bloc, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is the last national action week of the mobilization campaign launched over a year ago by the Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté, a coalition dedicated to building a poverty-free Quebec. This week's theme is “Poverty? We've had enough!”

The driving force behind the extraordinary public and social mobilization that led to the Government of Quebec passing framework legislation to eradicate poverty, this coalition is relentless in its efforts to make Quebec a world leader in that regard.

We know that the economic crisis is not affecting only Bay Street; thousands of Quebeckers who were already struggling before the crisis hit are very severely affected. The coalition is once again standing up for these people, and we must applaud their initiatives.

Today, I want to congratulate the coalition for its determination and unifying leadership which brings together people from all walks of life to take meaningful action for the collective good. May they be an inspiration to all of us.

Easter Seals Ontario

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over 20,000 children in Ontario today live with a physical disability. That is why I take great pride in rising today to honour Easter Seals Ontario, a remarkable charity that has been operating for over 85 years.

The sole mission of Easter Seals Ontario is to create a better, more independent life for kids, youth and young adults living with a physical disability. Easter Seals outreach work also helps educate Ontarians and all levels of government.

The charity's principle purpose, however, is to help provide vital funding to the families of kids with physical disabilities for costly equipment such as wheelchairs, home and vehicle retrofits, and communication devices. Average families often face high costs of between $10,000 and $40,000 a year, particularly as a child grows. It also delivers one of North America's most highly regarded camping and recreational programs for the physically disabled.

I hope the House will join me today in wishing Easter Seals a very successful fundraising campaign during its “March is Easter Seals Month” campaign, and in recognizing the thousands of volunteers and donors who make the work of Easter Seals possible every day.

Carbon Tax Policy

[Rodney Weston, Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, while our Prime Minister is championing the economic action plan, a plan that cuts taxes, includes job-creating stimulus and protects those hardest hit by the recession, the leader of the Liberal Party is trying to back away from the job-killing carbon tax, a policy that he introduced and campaigned on.

The issue is experience. The issue is judgment. Imagine if we had gone the way of the carbon tax. Would we have more jobs or fewer jobs?

[Some hon. members]

Fewer.

[Rodney Weston, Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Had we gone the way of the carbon tax, would people be paying less or paying more?

[Some hon. members]

More.

[Rodney Weston, Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Had we gone the way of the carbon tax, would we have more trade or a trade war?

[Some hon. members]

Trade war.

[Rodney Weston, Conservative, Saint John, NB]

In these uncertain times there are two things we can be certain of, that the Conservative government's economic action plan is the right way to go and that the leader of the Liberal Party was 100% wrong on the carbon tax.

The Economy

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the economy is shrinking at twice the rate originally forecast by the Bank of Canada. Over 200,000 jobs have been lost so far this year and nearly 400,000 will vanish by June. The tax base is plunging. The deficit is soaring. The economy is not performing as the government pretended it was in its probation report.

That is the assessment provided by the Conservatives' very own Parliamentary Budget Officer, the officer they selected to be their watchdog. How can they just dismiss him now as some kind of hysterical rogue alarmist?

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

Mr. Speaker, we do not dismiss any good advice, but that is exactly what we did not get in our prebudget consultations from the Liberal Party. We did not get any advice at all.

Now all of a sudden the Liberals seem to be concerned about job losses. They came forward with no constructive suggestions and no way to help their constituents. They, as a party, did not relay any of their constituents' concerns to us.

We have an economic action plan that will help maintain jobs and provide new jobs for Canadians.

Employment Insurance

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives cannot build hope on fiction and fantasy. It is not just the Parliamentary Budget Officer. His warnings are consistent with the IMF, the OECD, Global Insight, Merrill Lynch, BMO Nesbitt Burns, the TD Bank, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge, and every other credible forecaster.

With their budget projections swamped by worsening events and massive job losses, will the Conservatives at least make employment insurance available now to those who need it now? Fix eligibility.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are making EI available to those who paid into it. We are also expanding it. We are expanding it to provide more benefit to Canadians who are unfortunate enough to lose their jobs by providing them with the training tools to give them the skills they need to get the jobs of the future so that they can look after their families going forward.

We are working on that to help Canadians grow and to keep our economy going.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, one of the victims of Conservative vindictiveness is the CBC and its services to regions and minorities. In my province, northern programming designed specifically to include aboriginal people is being cancelled. The CBC's 30-year-old bureau in La Ronge is being closed. The noon show, Blue Sky, is being chopped in half. Living Saskatchewan is being cancelled. The award winning Little Mosque on the Prairie is being cut back. The axe has yet to fall on the news department.

Just exactly how will slashing the CBC help to stimulate the economy, fight the recession and save jobs?