Debates of April 29th, 2009

Employment Insurance

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada says that, in 2006, only 46% of unemployed workers were eligible for employment insurance, and that of those who contributed, only 68% collected benefits. The chief actuary is forecasting similar figures for 2009.

The minister's claim that 80% of unemployed workers collect benefits is therefore false. Changes made by the Liberals dramatically reduced the number of contributors entitled to benefits.

When will the minister review the eligibility criteria?

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

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the hon. member does not understand the numbers. Over 80% of those who have contributed to employment insurance are entitled to benefits. The employment insurance system adjusts automatically every month to regional conditions in the country's 58 regions, and that is why people can now collect their benefits more easily than before.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister thinks that prolonging the benefit period by five weeks is the only solution. But that will only help 25% of claimants because not all unemployed workers collect benefits for the maximum possible period. In contrast, eliminating the waiting period would help 100% of claimants from the very beginning, which, in these hard times, would help everyone by supporting local economies.

If the minister really cared about unemployed workers who collect benefits, then why would she choose to help only 25% of them rather than 100% of them from the beginning? One does not preclude the other.

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

Mr. Speaker, in our economic action plan, we proposed a number of measures to enhance Canada's employment insurance system, including the five extra weeks, the expanded work-sharing program, and the creation of the targeted initiative for older workers. Taken together, these measures will truly benefit workers who have been unlucky and lost their jobs. The Bloc voted against all of these initiatives. Shame on them.

The Environment

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment said yesterday that Ottawa would impose standards for the capture and disposal of greenhouse gases on all future coal-fired power plants. The minister also plans to establish absolute targets for that sector, as well as a carbon exchange in order to meet those targets.

Since he was off to such a good start, why did minister stop there and not plan something similar for the oil sands? What is good for carbon should also be good for the oil sands.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for asking a question about what this government is doing about the environment.

Earlier this year, the Prime Minister and President Obama met to establish the Canada-U.S. clean energy dialogue, which will help set Canada on the path to reduce our emissions by an absolute 20% by 2020. Those are the toughest targets in Canadian history and one of the toughest in the world.

Why does that member not support getting tough on the environment?

[Paule Brunelle, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the United States tries to reduce its dependency on oil and President Obama is announcing significant budget increases for green technologies, Ottawa can find nothing better to do than scale back the ecoEnergy program for renewable energy and freeze funding for all new wind power projects before the end of the next fiscal year.

Does the government realize that its decisions will reduce the ability of Canadian businesses to be competitive with those of the United States? As President Obama said, the choice is not between the environment and the economy, but rather between prosperity and decline.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that the ecoenergy renewable programs introduced by this government have been extremely successful in Canada, to the point where I can report today that in the province of Quebec alone, $290 million have flowed there, either with renewables, ecoETI biofuels or retrofits for homes.

Foreign Affairs

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Omar Khadr's trial will proceed in June under a system that has been deemed flawed and unfair both here and in the U.S. The federal court has ordered the government to defend Mr. Khadr's rights as a Canadian citizen. The Prime Minister cannot ignore his duty to uphold the charter rights of all Canadians and to respect Canada's obligations under international law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Does the Prime Minister think he is above the law? Why does he refuse to do what is right?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said on many occasions in the House, Omar Khadr faces very serious charges. He is accused of killing Sergeant Christopher Speer, an American medic, in Afghanistan, the same country in which Canadian troops are fighting today.

As this matter is in front of the court, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on it.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Prime Minister.

In the name of natural justice, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Federal Court ordered the government to ask that Omar Khadr be repatriated. However, the Prime Minister does not seem to be listening, just as he is not listening now. He thinks he is above the law.

When will he fulfill his duty and repatriate Omar Khadr? When will he decide to respect the rights of all Canadians? Why not use the court's decision as an opportunity to do what is right?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I have been saying. Mr. Omar Khadr faces very serious charges. News reports have shown video footage of Mr. Khadr allegedly building and planting improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, the very devices that have taken the lives of dozens of Canadian men and women.

However, as I have said before, as this matter is before the courts it would be inappropriate to comment further on this file.

Health

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, in absolutely shocking news yesterday, it was revealed under access to information that a government food inspector at the Maple Leaf plant in Toronto on August 26 of 2008 altered reports filed the previous February and March, five months late and immediately after 12 deaths from listeriosis had been confirmed.

Could the minister explain why this issue was never raised by his agency officials before a subcommittee? Who ordered the amending of reports and what action has the minister taken?

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the CFIA operates independently from the Department of Agriculture and from my ministry.

I will certainly pass those questions on to the president of the CFIA and seek to get the answers from her.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. The minister is responsible for the CFIA.

I have the documents right here. Attempting to tamper with documents is a very serious matter. Worse, doing it at the height of the listeriosis crisis, the worst food contamination in Canadian history, that caused 22 deaths is unacceptable.

The minister has a responsibility. Enough of the cover up and faulty investigation. Who instructed officials at the plant in Toronto to tamper with the documents?

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, whether the member for Malpeque likes it or not, I am not involved in the day to day operations of CFIA. I never have been and never will be. It is an independent operation. I will pass these questions on to the president of the CFIA, Carole Swan.

I will also ask for an inquiry from the head of the union, Bob Kingston. Maybe he can get to the bottom of this.

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, could the minister please provide an update to the House with regard to her work with the Mexican government? I know the Mexicans have previously asked us for assistance in determining if they were experiencing a human swine flu outbreak.

Could the Minister of Health tell the House whether the Mexican government has asked the Canadian government for help yet again.

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as Canada's Minister of Health, I am having regular discussions with our international partners, including the World Health Organization and my counterparts in the United States and in Mexico.

Yesterday I received a call from the Mexican minister to assist with Mexico's further testing of additional samples because of our expertise. We are pleased to assist the Government of Mexico with its testing.

This government is committed to protecting Canadians and helping our international partners during this difficult time.

Canadian Flag Pins

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the heritage minister is showing almost a pathological aversion for taking responsibility for the fact that his government has outsourced the parliamentary flag pin to China.

Yesterday, he tried to hide behind a bogus WTO claim.

I would like to read from Hansard, which states, why is the minister:

...hiding behind WTO trade agreements as his excuse for selling off the Canadian flag. Is it because he is too lazy to read the agreement? Maybe it is too complicated or maybe it has too many words.

Does the House know who said that? The former Conservative, Rahim Jaffer. Why the hypocrisy?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians are getting a little sick and tired of this one trick from the one trick pony of Timmins—James Bay.

The fact is that I have explained how Parliament Hill purchases of pins are done. I have explained how the Department of Public Works purchases pins. I have also explained to that hon. member how, if he wants to purchase pins that are made wherever he wants, he can do so with his own MP budget.

What I am still looking for the explanation for is how that member can go back to his riding with a straight face after having campaigned to scrap the long gun registry and then stands up in the House, burns his back on his constituents, breaks his word and does not stand up for his constituents and votes to keep the registry.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the crackers in the cheap seats might find that spectacle funny but yesterday the entire workforce of Bursan Pins, a Canadian company, were laid off. Not only were they frozen out of the contract, but they were not even given a chance to bid.

What baffles me is why the minister cannot give a straight answer for such blatant anti-Canadian practices. Why will he not admit that his government is on the wrong track for outsourcing the maple leaf pin to China?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have explained the policy. If he does not get it by now, he never will.

If he wants to talk about standing up for the manufacturing sector, perhaps he can stand up in this House and explain why he said that he would vote against the budget before he even read the budget. Perhaps he could stand in this House and explain why he campaigned in 2004, 2006 and 2008 saying that he would go to Ottawa, be an independent voice and stand and vote against the long gun registry.

Last week he showed his true colours by not standing up for his constituents, breaking his word to his voters and continuing the NDP legacy of turning its back when it comes to standing up for rural Canadians.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans recently awarded permanent shrimp quotas to fishers in Prince Edward Island, her home province, at the expense of shrimp fishers in Quebec, thereby ignoring Quebec's historical share of the shrimp fishery. Her predecessor, Loyola Hearn, also favoured his own province, Newfoundland and Labrador, when allocating fishing quotas.

Are we to conclude that if there should be a fisheries and oceans minister from Saskatchewan some day, Quebec's shrimp quotas would be allocated to Saskatchewan?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I did not get the question but I can say that the sharing arrangements are intended to provide a modest increase for Nova Scotia fish harvesters and for P.E.I. fish harvesters. As a matter of fact, they get 1.15% of that quota, while Quebec fish is almost 60% of it.

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec's National Assembly has unanimously adopted a motion condemning this decision to award permanent fishing quotas to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Does the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans promise to respond to the motion unanimously adopted in Quebec City on April 23?