Debates of April 24th, 2009

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, every day that goes by and every job that is lost show us that this government is making things up as it goes along. The government's modus operandi is simple: first, it denies the facts and then it agrees to act only when things hit rock bottom.

Could the Minister of Finance not try a different approach for once and bring forward his economic statement before we hit rock bottom?

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

Mr. Speaker, the only approach that I see that is wrong is voting against an economic action plan that actually provides new jobs for Canadians because it provides a stimulus into the economy. Not only does it provide new jobs but it helps employers keep money in their pockets.

Unlike what the Liberals want to do, which is take more money out of Canadians' pockets by raising their taxes, we would rather leave taxes in the pockets of Canadians so they can make their own decisions on how to run their businesses and run their homes.

Canada-U.S. Border

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

Mr. Speaker, businesses in Mississauga—Brampton South are going through some very difficult times. They depend on trade with the United States for the bulk of their exports. However, the border continues to thicken because the Conservatives are incapable of dispelling myths about our ability to secure it, myths that persist at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

What are the Conservatives going to do to set the record straight? Canadian jobs depend on it.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that the party on the other side, which created so many problems with the previous administration in the United States, has trouble now that we can deal with the current administration.

Things are happening. We have been dealing with the current Obama administration. Quite frankly, things are better now than they have been in a long time.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, jobs in Mississauga and across Canada rely on sound U.S. border relationships. While the government sits idly by, Canadian jobs pay the price.

This is no time to be an apologist for Janet Napolitano. It is time for action to defend Canadians. Canadians depend on their government to protect them. Canadians rely on their government to help them through difficult times.

It is time the government stops with the photo ops and starts delivering. When will the government stand up and protect Canadian jobs?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the member did not hear what I said. We did not go out and trample on dolls that represented the former American presidents. We have been dealing with the current secretary.

What we will not do is hurt the businesses in her riding by increasing taxes on Canadians that affect everybody's business.

Canadian Council on Learning

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have cut funding for the Canadian Council on Learning, which has had to reduce its staff by 20% and close its provincial offices. The council's services include skills transfer and acquisition for workers who have to find a new job.

Why are the Conservatives depriving the unemployed of a resource that helps them retrain for the job market?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, all government programs are reviewed to ensure they provide value for money. However, I can tell the member that the Canadian Council on Learning literacy funding has been extended to March 2010.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is only for one year. We learned that the government has cut the funding for the Canadian Council on Learning, which provides retraining and skills transfer services to help workers adapt to a changing labour market landscape.

Regardless of the generosity that he claims, what sense does it make to cut funding to an organization that helps workers to acquire the skills to find new employment while hundreds of thousands of jobs are disappearing across the country?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, we are quite committed to improving Canadian literacy and essential skills to build a highly skilled workforce, not only for now but into the future. We have invested $45 million into the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills for the development of literacy and essential skills; $500 million per year in new labour market agreements that deal with literacy skills; and an additional $150 million this year for language training for new Canadians.

We are putting money into the areas that need money most.

Justice

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past Monday, in committee, Bloc Québécois members attempted to weaken Bill C-14against organized crime. The Bloc wanted to reduce the minimum sentence for drive-by shootings.

On Wednesday, Bloc members voted against the bill introduced by the member for Kildonan—St. Paul, which would punish criminals who traffic in children.

The Bloc's ideology is to defend criminals rather than victims.

Could the parliamentary secretary explain the objective of the government's approach?

[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.

Anyone who commits a crime against young victims—whether kidnapping, trafficking or assault—deserves a minimum sentence. Society finds these types of crime truly repugnant. There can be no negotiating when it comes to protecting our children against these despicable crimes.

I was outraged on Wednesday evening in this Parliament. I just do not understand why the 47 Bloc Québécois members, including their leader, voted against the protection and safety of our children. It is very clear to the Conservatives that there will be no more lenient sentences for child molesters.

Afghanistan

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned new facts about the Afghan law and how it attacks the rights of women and children. It is actually worse than what we were told before. It acknowledges sexual intercourse in a marriage with minors. While sex with minors is generally prohibited, it is made legal by paying a fine with no criminal sanctions. The law spells out no repercussion for rape of an adult woman, including violent rape causing physical harm.

I have a simple question. Was the Canadian government aware of these details of the Afghan law that has outraged so many Canadians and so many Afghans?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, when this issue was first brought to our attention, the Prime Minister, as well as government officials, acted very swiftly. We intervened vis-à-vis the Afghan government. We have the assurances, not only from the president but from the whole of cabinet that the Afghan government will be reviewing this piece of legislation.

I want to remind my colleague that it is not a piece of legislation that is in force. The Afghan government is reviewing the legislation and it will take out of the legislation every individual aspect that is counter to its constitution and to the human rights of every individual.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we did not hear this from the government. We heard this from people on the ground in Kabul. What I am outlining here are facts that the Conservatives did not tell us. Does the government want to know why this information was sent to us? It is because women in Afghanistan are not being protected and their rights are not being asserted. Our government is not doing enough because we have not heard this story about rape and minors.

Did the government know about these new facts? What is it doing to protect women and children in Afghanistan? What is the answer? It is pleading--

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague can shout until his lungs are blue but, to make it quite clear, we do have people on the ground. Our ambassador, Ambassador Hoffman, and our officials are actually intervening with the government. Those are the people who are responsible to this House and to this government. They are giving us the information and they are putting in practice what we have asked them to do.

As for what this government is doing in Afghanistan, as for what our men and women are doing in Afghanistan and as for what we are doing in terms of aid, I ask the member to go and see exactly what we are doing to help and promote women's rights.

Agri-food Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, the 98% rule has just made another victim. Leahy Orchards, the largest applesauce producer in Canada, is located in my riding; it will have to invest $200,000 this year alone to change its labels because the sugar content of its products exceeds 2%, even though 100% of the apples it uses come from Quebec and Ontario.

Will the government reverse its decision before the industry is made to spend money needlessly to comply with a standard that makes no sense?

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

Mr. Speaker, the consumers have requested that we act to protect their interests.

The consumers of Canada want to know that when they reach on the shelf for a product that is made in Canada, they want the label to read “Made in Canada”. They want to know that virtually all of the content is Canadian.

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

Mr. Speaker, the consumers are confused. They say so themselves and they say so publicly.

The Minister of National Revenue is just like his government. Despite growing evidence, he continues to stubbornly refuse to review the 98% rule. It is a ridiculous standard. There is growing evidence, yet the government is obstinate in its insistence on imposing a standard that does more harm than good. The government has to change that standard immediately. What is it waiting for?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are listening and working very closely with Canadians all across the country and they were very clear. They want to know, when they purchase products with Canadian content, that the product is identified as such.

The problem before was that the “Made in Canada” or “Product of Canada” labels were not reflecting what was in the products themselves.

Consumers want to know. We are delivering real solutions. Now Canadians know that when they buy “Made in Canada” it means made in Canada.

Canadian Forces

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the plight of Trooper Kyle Ricketts and his family stirred the nation when this soldier was critically injured by a roadside bomb on March 8 while in Afghanistan, requiring a dozen or more reconstructive operations on his road to recovery.

Trooper Ricketts' parents wanted to be at his side while he endured these painful rounds of procedures. However, Sadie and Maurice, seasonal workers living in Newfoundland and Labrador, were told by Service Canada that if they left their community to attend to their son for the duration of his treatment, they would be stripped of all EI benefits; no income.

The minister, however, personally intervened and assured them that this would not be the case. Could she now please report to the House on the status of that?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is not in the House today but I will be happy to take that matter up with her and have her report back to the member in due course.

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I will report to the House. They did indeed leave to go to their son's side with the minister's reassurance. However, after spending several weeks there, they were told that they were only eligible for one week of benefits. Not only that, but the Ricketts were then told that the government intended to file for collection of any benefits that were paid beyond one week. To add insult to injury, they will effectively be prevented from requalifying for EI because of the seasonal nature of their work.

Mr. Speaker, are you listening? They will be forced to pay the money back.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, we do not need to take any lectures from that member. We are always looking at cases on an individual basis with compassion and we do that in every particular case.

If the hon. member has a specific case in mind, he should raise that with the minister and with me and we will deal with it effectively.