Debates of April 20th, 2009

Health

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear that the government and the Prime Minister are 100% committed to upholding the principles of the Canada Health Act.

The hon. member knows that our partners in the provinces and territories are responsible for deciding which drugs are publicly reimbursed. That is why our Conservative government has shown strong leadership by increasing the federal health transfer to the provinces and territories each and every year since we have been in office.

The Canada health transfer will be $24 billion this year, increasing by 6% annually to reach $30.3 billion in 2013-14.

Forestry Industry

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our government, in cooperation with the Government of Quebec is taking the necessary action to help the forestry sector. We must help and support the forestry sector, since it is important for all Canadian communities. An important announcement was made today in Montreal in that regard.

Can the Minister of Public Works and Government Services provide us with more details on the announcement made this morning in Montreal?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Beauce for his excellent question and for his work on this file. Finally, someone who is welcoming this good news with the enthusiasm it deserves.

Our government fully understands the issues facing the lumber industry in Quebec and Canada. That is why today we announced a historic partnership with the Government of Quebec to accelerate initiatives to help our workers, the industry and communities in general.

We have an ambitious plan, since the special task team will have to report on the situation by May 15. Now that is what I call action, and we are confident that that the industry will come out of this crisis stronger and more prosperous.

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation in St. John's has a 20 year record of success in research and development. The centre has support from industry, academia and all levels of government in Atlantic Canada, yet the current federal government will not renew its funding.

I ask the minister responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador this. Why is the government refusing to recognize the importance of this essential research and development network for the fisheries and aquaculture of Atlantic Canada?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, CCFI was established in 1989 as a fishing industry research sector matchmaking service. CCFI does not do any research on its own, zero research. It is no longer necessary to fund CCFI merely to perform a matchmaking service between the fishing industry and the research community.

The fishing industry has evolved to a point where the industry and academia now routinely partner directly in research opportunities supported by ACOA. In fact, since 2002, through the Atlantic innovation fund, ACOA alone has provided $60 million directly to industry—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, more than a month ago, I asked the Minister of State for Agriculture about the $50 million in the budget for slaughterhouses. I spoke about the Levinoff-Colbex slaughterhouse, in which cattle producers in Quebec have reinjected $30 million. But producers are still waiting for the Conservatives to make good on their election promise to help them in their project. The minister told me not to lose faith. I am trying not to, but producers want to know what criteria apply to this program.

Does the minister finally have details to announce to producers about the program that will allow Levinoff-Colbex to get its share of funding?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, as I recently told the member, we made an election promise to invest $50 million to support slaughterhouses. We have kept that promise. The $50 million is in the budget. We have started looking closely at the regulations, and things are moving ahead very quickly. I have had the opportunity to meet with representatives of Levinoff-Colbex, and they know that things are very close.

I again ask the member to be patient. He will see that we have a very attractive program to support slaughterhouses.

Canada-Poland Social Security Agreement

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

Mr. Speaker, subsequent to its tabling on February 6, 2009, by the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs it is my privilege on behalf of the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development and the Government of Canada to table Order in Council P.C. 2009-535 authorizing the entry into force of the Agreement on Social Security between Canada and the Republic of Poland.

The Canada-Poland agreement is designed to coordinate pension benefits between the two countries. Upon its entry into force it is estimated that the Canada-Poland agreement will immediately benefit over 5,000 Canadian residents.

The agreement covers benefits for some of the most vulnerable groups in Canadian and Polish society: seniors, disabled individuals, surviving spouses and dependent children for whom income security is critically important.

With this agreement we are ensuring that hard-working Polish citizens and Canadians receive the social security benefits that they have earned.

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, in an attempt to show you how hard some of us were working during the last two constituency weeks, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) the government's response to 109 petitions.

Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-361, An Act to amend the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act (reduced risk).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to put before the House today an act to amend the Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act in regard to reduced risk.

I was recently travelling through southwestern Ontario and heard from many seniors and workers who are on the verge of retirement and are very concerned about whether they will have a public pension in place when they retire.

The enactment of the bill would amend the Public Sector Investment Board Act to provide that the board shall only make investments that have a low risk of loss.

It would also enact provisions for additional information to be included in the annual report of public sector pensions for the investment board.

One of the things people said to me was that they were tired of having fund managers treating their retirement savings like chips from a casino. We are going to shine a light on this.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Earthquake in Italy

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask you to seek unanimous consent for the following motion, which has been circulated to other parties. I move:

That this House express its condolences of all Canadians to the people of Italy for the tragic loss of lives and the physical destruction caused by the earthquake on April 6th in the Abruzzo region, and we pledge to do our part to provide all necessary support to the Italian earthquake victims as they rebuild their lives, their communities and the unique cultural heritage of the Abruzzo region that is a treasure of the whole world.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member for Vaughan have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

(Motion agreed to)

Income Trusts

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 and as certified by the Clerk of Petitions I would like to present yet another income trust broken promise petition sent to me by Mr. J. Bedford of my riding of Mississauga South, who remembers the Prime Minister boasting about his apparent commitment to accountability when he said, “The greatest fraud is a promise not kept”.

The petitioners remind the Prime Minister that he promised never to tax income trusts, but he broke that promise by imposing a 31.5% punitive tax, which wiped out over $25 billion of the hard-earned retirement savings of over two million Canadians, particularly seniors.

The petitioners therefore call upon the government, first, to admit that the decision to tax income trusts was based on flawed methodology and incorrect assumptions; secondly, to apologize to those who were unfairly harmed by this broken promise; and finally, to repeal the punitive 31.5% tax on income trusts.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I rise today to present a petition from Nova Scotians to urge NATO nuclear policy review. The petitioners state that whereas the continued existence of the world's 25,000 nuclear weapons risks their accidental or unintentional use, posing a constant threat to our life and climate, Canada has signed and ratified the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the NPT, in which article VI commits each of the parties to the treaty to work for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The petitioners further state that the International Court of Justice has ruled that this NPT commitment is a legal obligation under international law, that NATO's stated position that nuclear weapons are essential runs counter to the NPT goal of eliminating nuclear weapons.

Therefore, the petitioners, Nova Scotians and Canadians, believe very strongly that the government needs to press publicly for an urgent review of NATO's nuclear weapons policies to ensure that NATO states fulfill their international obligations under the NPT.

Sri Lanka

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition with respect to the situation in Sri Lanka, which continues to deteriorate. Many constituents have come to visit me and this is the petition they presented. The essence of the petition they have brought forward asks the Canadian government to intervene and call for an immediate ceasefire and to continue the discussions for peaceful negotiations.

Employment Insurance

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of my constituents in Brampton who have signed in the hundreds with regard to the emergency EI measures that are needed. Being in the hub of the manufacturing and auto sector, a number of these constituents have lost their jobs and have signed a petition requesting that the government allow for the elimination of a two-week waiting period, ensure that there are 360 hours to qualify for entry level EI benefits, and ensure that they have the accessibility and the resources they need during this difficult time as they are laid off from their companies, which are either closing down or eliminating their shifts. This is a petition from these workers.

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting another petition, from workers from the Chrysler plant in the riding of Brampton—Springdale, concerning the laying off of a third shift and the laying off of almost 1,100 workers. They too are requesting emergency action from the government, which they think has failed them in being able to access the emergency EI measures that they need.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 63, 67, 68, 76 and 78.

Question No. 63

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

With respect to the official provider of uniforms and clothing for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games: (a) what was the selection process; (b) which companies submitted bids to provide these products to Canadian athletes and the Canadian public; (c) how was the decision made to select the Hudson’s Bay Corporation as the provider of official uniforms and clothing; (d) what consideration was provided for the selection of a Canadian owned company to provide the clothing; (e) what consideration was provided to companies who would manufacture the products fully in Canada; (f) what rationale can be provided for the selection of a foreign owned company who will produce the products outside of Canada; and (g) in the future, will there be an attempt from the government to further support the Canadian industry in the selection process for future Canadian Olympic clothing by selecting a Canadian company who will manufacture their product in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, VANOC is a legal entity separate from all of its government and non-government partners. Decisions on licensing of Olympic and Paralympic marks rest solely with VANOC and with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee. The response below reflects information available through public sources, including the VANOC website (www.vancouver2010.com).

Hbc was granted exclusive rights to official licensed products featuring the Canadian Olympic Committee or the Canadian Olympic Team marks and is the exclusive general merchandise retail partner for the distribution of such apparel. As VANOC’s premier national partner, Hbc is also responsible for outfitting the Canadian Olympic Team and Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games volunteers. However, other businesses have received licenses for apparel related to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 2010 Paralympic Winter Games marks only through competitive processes announced through VANOC`s website (www.vancouver2010.com).

The Canadian Olympic Committee is entirely responsible for the selection of a clothing supplier for the Canadian Team.

The Government of Canada does not provide any financial contribution to the Canadian Olympic Committee for clothing. In response to previous questions regarding the off shore manufacturing of clothing, we understand that the Canadian Olympic Committee has since revised its 2008 internal policy and consequently 80% of the clothing for the 2010 Olympic team will be manufactured in Canada.

Question No. 67

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

With regards to residential schools: (a) what are the (i) names, (ii) locations, (iii) former church, charitable, or other operators, (iv) years of operation of all residential or other schools which were excluded from the Indian Residential Schools Agreement; (b) how many former residents or other students of each school are estimated to be living; and (c) what specific steps has the government taken, and with which provinces, towards pursuing bilateral agreements to address the issues raised by, or in relation to, the attendance of Aboriginal people at schools not covered by the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement?