Debates of March 3rd, 2009

Afghanistan

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, there is more than a little irony and cynicism coming from the members opposite. The feigned indignation belies the fact that the member and members of the Liberal Party voted to support the extension of the mission.

We need to remind ourselves that what we are doing in Afghanistan today is building the capacity of the government of Afghanistan,its national security forces and its government departments to provide for its own people. That is our humanitarian, diplomatic and military obligation there as part of a UN-backed, NATO-led, Afghan-invitation mission.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that the Minister of National Defence has abandoned our troops.

The Prime Minister's about-face on the Afghan mission came as a shock to our troops, and especially to families who have lost one of their own. We hope that the 1,600 soldiers who will be leaving Valcartier for Afghanistan in the coming weeks have been informed about the Conservative government's about-face and capitulation.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

I am talking to the Prime Minister.

What does the Prime Minister have to say to Guy Roberge, father of Chief Warrant Officer Gaétan Roberge, who was killed last December, who wants to know what our troops will be doing there until 2011 now that the Prime Minister has given up the fight?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, our Prime Minister supports the mission in Afghanistan. He supports our soldiers. I am very pleased with the abilities of the soldiers serving our country on the ground in Afghanistan today, and I am confident that they can do the job.

Of course, the mission will go on once the soldiers' work is done. Our support is needed. Canadians are proud of our efforts in Afghanistan, which are comprehensive and government-wide.

Taxation

[Jean-Yves Laforest, Bloc, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while six European countries are calling for sanctions against tax havens, the Minister of Finance is doing the exact opposite by allowing companies to use them to twice deduct interest on their loans.

At a time when his government is refusing to help industries in difficulty and the unemployed, how can the minister give greater access to tax havens and encourage tax leakage?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as is well-known, we commissioned a report, led by Peter Godsoe, the former CEO of the Bank of Nova Scotia, on this subject and the budget follows the recommendations of the report.

[Jean-Yves Laforest, Bloc, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is using this report and competitiveness as an excuse. What sort of competitiveness is he talking about, when France, Great Britain and the United States are opposed to double deductions? Will the minister admit that his budget choices are proof, yet again, of his indifference to the victims of the crisis and his desire to please his Bay Street buddies?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Godsoe panel took the time to examine what is in fact the practice of different countries worldwide and recommended to the government, particularly, in this time of recession, that the government take the action, which we did in the budget, in the best interests of the competitive position of Canada.

Afghanistan

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is finally admitting that there will be no military victory in Afghanistan. Moreover, as the Secretary General of the UN has said, the security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating, and this requires a real refocussing of the mission itself, not just a bunch of empty words like we have had so often from this government.

Given this realization, does the Prime Minister intend to raise this issue at the coming NATO summit in Strasbourg and to call upon that body to review its whole intervention in Afghanistan, as we called for in 2007?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is in Afghanistan in response to the request by the democratically elected government of Afghanistan, in order to help the Afghans to rebuild the country into a stable, democratic and self-sufficient society.

According to Rémi Landry of the Université de Montréal, the Canadian troops share this point of view. This is very clear in the very name of the NATO mission, which indicates that the troops are there to offer assistance and not to do the job of the Afghans.

This is the same position as our government's.

NATO

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the next NATO summit should also be the occasion for throwing out the idea of an international summit on Afghanistan, which would go beyond the limited framework of NATO. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, made up of China, Russia and five former central Asian soviet republics, could be included.

Does the Prime Minister intend to take such a proposal to his NATO partners?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. It is a good question. I am confident about the coming NATO meeting. It is an opportunity to hold a clear and very important discussion in order to attract more support for this mission. That can perhaps include certain states in that region in order to support our mission and support the pan-governmental approach. Our government is learning, and this is a good question.

Softwood Lumber

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday the London Court of International Arbitration imposed an additional 10% tax on Quebec and Ontario softwood lumber being exported to the United States.

This decision is a direct result of the softwood sell-out deal that the Conservatives signed with the Americans.

How will the Conservatives explain to forestry workers who have lost their jobs that $68 million in taxes has to be paid before they can even be rehired?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, we have an agreement with the United States. From time to time, either country can table a subject for discussion if there is a disagreement. There is always a ruling afterwards. That is important. Sometimes we win, other times the ruling is against us. It is important that we respect our agreement.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the London Court of International Arbitration imposed a 10% tax on Quebec and Ontario softwood lumber exports to the United States. This decision is a direct result of the flawed Conservative softwood lumber deal signed with the Americans.

How can the Conservatives possibly explain to unemployed Quebec and Ontario forestry workers that even before they can be rehired, $68 million in export taxes need to be paid?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, before the softwood lumber agreement was in place there were constant court battles and constant quota assessments going against Canada. We have an agreement now that has huge support from the industry.

When we have an agreement like this, there is a dispute settlement mechanism. If one side goes to the referee and the referee says that the other side has to pay or is offside on it, then we must live up to the agreement. We intend to do that and we intend to work with the provinces to see how this can be repaid in a way that does not hurt them.

We must keep in mind that $5 billion was returned to the Canada side of this agreement.

Infrastructure

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, thousands of unemployed construction workers and their families are waiting for the Conservative government to do what it has so far failed to do: deliver infrastructure funding responsibly, quickly and fairly.

In fact, the government has failed and has delivered only 5% of what it promised, costing tens of thousands of jobs. The government promises that it can distribute $7 billion this year using the same methods.

Given the vital importance of actually getting jobs into our communities, will the government now change its ways?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in the member's province we are moving very aggressively to get infrastructure projects started. We were able to announce 289 different projects in every corner of the province at more than $1 billion worth of spending.

We were supposed to allocate money for $300 million worth of projects and we more than tripled that. Just two weeks ago, in the member's own constituency, the Prime Minister and my premier made another announcement for $500 million to help GO public transit.

Step by step we are getting the job done.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister used the same old trick, repeatedly announcing projects that will not create any jobs. Today, we will vote on the Liberal motion to transfer half of the infrastructure funds more efficiently, along the lines of the gas tax.

Will the Conservative government renounce its old political habits and finally act in the interests of Canadians?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we will be working constructively with the provinces.

What the member opposite would like us to do is simply shove aside the Premier of Ontario and go directly to municipalities.

The member ran against Dalton McGuinty. He has never been supportive of him. We are committed to working with him. We are committed to a partnership and to getting the job done.

Israel

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Jewish students across the country are under siege as anti-Semites unveil their plans for Israel Apartheid Week. Liberal MPs have been quoted in the media and even today in the immigration committee saying that anti-Semitic organizations like the Canadian Arab Federation should receive taxpayer support.

Will the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism explain why the government believes that Israel Apartheid Week is anti-Semitic?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are free to express different views about the policies of foreign government but Israel Apartheid Week is not about that. It is about a systematic effort to delegitimize the democratic homeland of the Jewish people, a country born out of the Holocaust.

We find very troubling this resurgence of the old slander that Zionism is racism. That is the notion that lies at the heart of Israel Apartheid Week.

Jewish students at campuses across the country are subsequently feeling increasingly vulnerable. We condemn these efforts to single out and attack the Jewish people and their homeland in this terrible way.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the duplicity of the Conservatives astounds Canadians. First nations were working on accountability measures before the government was elected but the Conservatives stopped that work in its tracks.

Now the Conservatives want to change band council elections and band funding with little or no consultation and the Conservatives will cut the budget for talks by more than two-thirds.

Accountability is a two-way street. Since the Conservatives are not talking to first nations, are they ignoring their own responsibilities?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, I am not exactly sure what the member is talking about. It is true that we are working with first nations on the Indian government support programs. There is, for example, an advisory panel that has been set up. It involves financial officers from aboriginal communities, the AFN, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and others.

They have a meeting today, very secretive of course, everyone has been invited publicly. I have sent a letter to every single chief and council in the country talking to them about this. There is another meeting. If members want to know about another secret one, it is this Friday in Atlantic Canada.