Debates of April 24th, 2009

Foreign Affairs

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.

Firearms Registry

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable just how much contempt this government has for institutions that form the very foundation of our democracy. It completely disregards Federal Court decisions, as well as decisions reached by the majority of members in this House. Instead of enforcing legislation, this government finds all kinds of ways to circumvent the law and encourage delinquency, as is the case with the gun registry.

Will the government enforce the law, respect the vote in this House, maintain the firearms registry and stop shirking its responsibilities?

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

Mr. Speaker, what my hon. Bloc colleague does not seem to understand is that criminals, people who commit offences with firearms, do not use registered guns or hunting rifles. They use illegal guns. That is why our approach is the right one.

[Serge Ménard, Bloc, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister`s representative is quite right. They also use handguns, yet the Conservatives believe in the handgun registry. They need to be logical here.

The Minister of National Revenue very candidly admitted that the government had no intention of respecting the decision of this House.

Now that it is clear that the Conservatives want to dismantle the gun registry at all costs, will they transfer the resources and powers to Quebec, so that it may create and manage its own gun registry? That is what the Government of Quebec and all stakeholders are 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, we are taking action against criminals and gun traffickers, and we are increasing sentences. Unlike the Bloc, we respect farmers and hunters.

Canadian Flag Pins

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages tried to blame the gift shop, the Speaker's office and even the Board of Internal Economy for the made in China Canadian flag pins fiasco.

It turns out that the heritage department had a contract for over $200,000 worth of flags and pennants with a numbered company that imported 374 kilos of flag pins from China.

With thousands of manufacturing workers out of work here at home, why is the heritage department buying this Canadian symbol from China?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, as indicated yesterday, the NDP members are somewhat confused on this issue. As the House knows, the decisions to purchase items available at the gift shop are made through the Board of Internal Economy.

The NDP is a member of that specific committee related to internal economy, and that concern has never been raised, to the best of my knowledge, or to anyone on this side of the House.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is dead wrong. We have the contract. We are talking about the heritage minister's department that purchased and distributed these made in China pins.

This is a Canadian flag pin. It was a Canadian invention made by Canadian companies. Under the Conservatives, this Canadian symbol purchased by the government is now made in China.

Will the government stop blaming others and get these pins made in Canada?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I guess this causes me to bridge back to something called an economic action plan. That is where we are standing up for Canada.

I heard the member talk about standing up for Canada. That is why we are trying to create Canadian jobs and make investments in infrastructure right across the country.

We will not be lectured by the NDP about creating jobs in Canada. We are the party that is working to create jobs in the country. It is the party that votes against every one of those initiatives.

Debit Cards

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, John Scott and Gary Sands, of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, appeared before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Mr. Scott told us that between 50% and 70% of all grocery store transactions involve debit cards. The current fee is 5¢ per transaction.

If the Competition Bureau allows Interac fees to go up, that will have a devastating impact on every small business in this country.

This is exactly what I have heard from independent grocers and others in my riding.

Will the minister ensure that there is no change in the current Interac policy so our small businesses can survive?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have already put in place the necessary legislation to allow us to proceed with regulations, legislation that the NDP voted against. We are presently working on the detailed regulations related to that.

However, whether it is credit card, a debt or debit fees, what Canadian consumers and small businesses cannot afford is what the Liberal Party leader has indicated he will do when he said, “We will have to raise taxes”. The question is this. Which taxes will he raise, how much will he raise them and who will have to pay?

Employment Situation

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every day we hear of new layoffs in Quebec: 210 at Gurit in Magog; 225 at SFK Pâte in Saint-Félicien; 145 at Cascades Norampac in Quebec City; 140 at Rio Tinto Alcan in Montreal; 275 at Alcoa in Bécancour; at Bell Helicopter, at the CBC, and the list goes on.

Why do the Conservatives not have an action plan that shows that they truly understand what is happening in Quebec and Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan is a bold plan. It is in place now and we are working with the Government of Quebec, the communities and all economic stakeholders. We will succeed.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if that is the plan, no wonder Tory times are tough times, because the list of job losses continues.

There are more of them: 227 at Rio Tinto in Beauharnois; 245 at Komatsu America Corp. in Candiac; and we know about all the job losses at Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney. These are just the job losses in Quebec. Record job losses are occurring all over Canada.

Why is the government not taking real action to address these job losses and prevent more Canadians from losing the jobs they already have?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are creating jobs with Canada's economic action plan. It does so by building roads, bridges, hockey arenas and other construction.

We have cut taxes for the average family in the latest budget by roughly $500. We have given people a $1,300 home renovation tax credit to help builders and contractors get more work.

What we will not do is what the Liberal leader has suggested he will do when he said, “We will have to raise taxes”. He has to indicate which taxes will be raised, how much they will go up and who will pay. They were his words when he said, “We will have to raise taxes”. Those are not our words.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue refuses to discuss the plight of Mr. Leroux because, on the advice of the previous Conservative minister, it is before the courts. Perhaps I could take a different tack.

Is it common practice for either the present minister or the previous minister to advise Canadians to sue Revenue Canada to trigger a political payment as settlement?

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

Mr. Speaker, given that this specific case is before the courts, I cannot comment.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, an affidavit sworn by the Conservative member for Cariboo—Prince George, on March 31 of this year, states that Mr. Leroux initiated his claim solely on the advice that he was given by the minister's office.

Could the Prime Minister advise the House what remedy he has for taxpayers who are misled by his minister and thus face financial ruin?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

When taxpayers feel wronged by the system they can appeal.

Goods and Services Tax

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services told us that he did not want public arena negotiations about compensating Quebec for having harmonized its tax. Yet the Minister of Finance himself sent the media a letter in which he laid out his conditions—the reasons he hopes to avoid compensating Quebec to the tune of $2.6 billion.

Will the minister acknowledge that his demand that the province turn tax collection over to the federal government is just an excuse for not compensating Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, Quebec administers its own sales tax system and collects the GST on behalf of the federal government. In return, Canada has paid the province $1.77 billion to date.

We are ready to work with the Government of Quebec to facilitate the transition to a harmonized tax.

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

Mr. Speaker, every province but Quebec receives compensation for harmonizing its tax. The government has recognized the Quebec nation, but it refuses to recognize a motion passed unanimously in Quebec's National Assembly asking the federal government to pay the province $2.6 billion for having harmonized its tax. What could possibly be clearer?

Will the government admit that it is making excuses to avoid compensating Quebec, and that this whole song and dance is just a way to avoid cutting a cheque?

[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 the member that Quebec has not yet harmonized its sales tax. Quebec retains full control over collecting and applying its sales tax.

We are ready to work with Quebec to facilitate the transition to a harmonized tax.

The Economy

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has hinted that he might release his economic statement earlier than usual when we come back in September, which suggests that the existing budgetary measures are inadequate. After telling us that everything was fine, we are now seeing another flip-flop. That is why the Bloc voted against the budget, refusing to be pacified by the minister`s cheerful words.

Now that the minister recognizes that the budget is inadequate, why is he waiting until September to take action?

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

Mr. Speaker, I guess it is no surprise that the Bloc members voted against the economic action plan, and here they are suggesting that we need to come out with another plan so they can vote against that as well.

I will quote a very well-respected economist who said:

To their credit, on January 27 [the government] didn't believe the private sector forecast, and they actually lowered the forecast for the key factors of a nominal GDP.

We were well ahead of this. We put in place an economic action plan that some parties over there did not read let alone vote for. Canadians are happy that they have a government that supports them.