Debates of April 3rd, 2009

Parliamentary Budget Officer

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that answer had absolutely no relevance to the question whatsoever, apparently because the government does not want to answer the question.

The Library of Parliament cannot give more money to the PBO unless the Conservative government gives it the necessary funds. It is a broken promise. It is misleading, and it is insulting to Parliament and parliamentarians.

When will the government fully fund the PBO as it promised in 2006? The hon. member should not recite a litany of nonsense.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer reports to the Chief Parliamentary Librarian, a position that the Liberal Party then supported. This is another flip-flop because it has now changed its position on that as well.

I am prepared to draw that hon. member a map, so that he can find the Library of Parliament, and I will personally pay for a library card so that he can become more lucid on this matter. In the meantime, he might take the occasion to ask his leader why he has flip-flopped on five issues. Five issues in one week. That will be found in the Guinness book of world records, also in the library.

Forestry Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, one of the giants of our forestry industry, AbitibiBowater, is facing serious financial difficulties. Employees are worried and nervous, and the Conservatives are doing nothing to reassure them. While they give billions of dollars to the Ontario auto industry, they are providing only minimal assistance to the forestry industry.

Although they managed to find $2.7 billion for the Ontario auto industry, the Quebec forestry industry must share a measly $170 million over two years with the rest of Canada. Is that what they mean by federalism that is open to Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government is following the situation very closely. We are very concerned about the future of the company, and even more concerned about what happens to the employees of AbitibiBowater. That company has a presence in a number of Quebec communities. That said, what is encouraging is that AbitibiBowater is not throwing in the towel; it is seeking other solutions to implement its financial restructuring.

Public Works and Government Services

[Luc Desnoyers, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is in the middle of an economic recession, yet the government is giving big contracts to foreign companies. They have ordered 1,300 military trucks from Navistar in the United States and 30 military buses from Germany.

Now the government is thinking about ordering five more buses from Setra in Germany, even though it is well aware that companies like Paccar and Prévost Car in Quebec have experience manufacturing these kinds of trucks and buses.

Can the Minister of Public Works and Government Services assure the House that when it decides who gets the contract for the five buses, it will consider—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

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

Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: the government must always ensure that the process is open and transparent, and that is what we are doing. We have to comply with international agreements, and we have to make sure that taxpayers get their money's worth.

That being said, our government is making decisions to help our companies be more competitive so that they can create jobs, not cut them.

The opposition should stop making all kinds of insinuations. There are rules, and we are following them. Canadian taxpayers will benefit.

Quebec Bridge

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

Mr. Speaker, the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec recently reiterated the request made in 2003 by the mayor at the time, Mr. Allier, to the Canadian Minister of Transport that it honour its commitment to completely refurbish the Quebec bridge.

In order to prevent further deterioration, will the government act on the suggestion made by the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec, that is, to complete the restoration and, once and for all, show a little respect for this national historic site?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we have taken real action in Quebec in relation to infrastructure funds, in relation to transportation, and working with the provinces and our municipal partners to make sure we get funds flowing to Quebec as soon as possible, and that we increase and make better the quality of life for Quebeckers.

Some examples of this are $210 million for smaller communities in Quebec under the building Canada fund, $200 million for larger centres under the building Canada fund, and $11.75 million for water filtration plants in Lévis, Quebec.

We are getting the job done for Quebeckers and we are giving them a better quality of life.

Quebec City Armoury

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

Mr. Speaker, the question was about the bridge.

A year after it was destroyed by fire, the future of the Quebec City Armoury remains uncertain. The minister responsible for the Quebec City region says she does not know where they are with the investigation and still cannot say how and when the public consultations will take place. What a display of incompetence and amateurism.

What is the minister responsible for the Quebec City region waiting for to reveal how and when the public hearings concerning the Quebec City Armoury will be held?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member can call the minister responsible for the Quebec City region every bad name in the book. The Bloc Québécois should be ashamed of themselves. I can say one thing: they sit here in this House, looking at the situation, not really knowing what is happening, and tossing lines in the water, just to see what comes up.

In the budget, we committed to holding public consultations. Why? So that the people from the Quebec City area can tell us their ideas, rather than simply coming up with willy-nilly plans, the way the other side of the House likes to do.

That being said, I can say this: we will be delivering the goods very soon.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, another week is drawing to a close, and it was a very bad week for many workers in Quebec.

In Beauce, more than 650 jobs disappeared in the past week.

In Saint-Félicien, in the riding of the regional economic development minister, SFK Pâte laid off 225 employees.

By the end of the year, more than 1,800 people will lose their jobs at Bombardier in Quebec.

Does the Minister of Industry still feel like saying we should “celebrate this great victory”?

[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 concerned about everything that is happening with the economic crisis. With the help of our economic action plan, we are going to do something about a very urgent situation.

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague does not seem to take this news very seriously.

Will he have just as glib a reply for the 145 employees at the Norampac plant in Quebec City, which will be closing permanently, as Cascades announced yesterday?

And how will he reassure the 210 workers at wind turbine parts manufacturer GURIT in Magog who are also being laid off?

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

Mr. Speaker, we sympathize with all the families of workers who are losing their jobs. For that reason, we have to act as quickly as possible, with our economic action plan worth more than $33 billion, and that is what we are going to do.

Forestry Industry

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, what will it take for the Conservatives to see that Canada's forestry sector is in crisis? Jobs are being lost. Businesses are closing and communities are suffering. Instead of action, we get idle boasting about recycled community adjustment funds.

Could the minister explain why the industry is telling a Commons committee it has no access to credit, research and development or other federal programs? Could the minister explain why the Conservatives sat on their hands while 20,000 forestry jobs disappeared?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, let me tell members what was actually said at the industry subcommittee yesterday by Mr. Rick Jeffrey. He said, “The future of this industry is great...For you, as the federal government, that means the Canada wood export program, the wood first program, the value to wood program, and the forest innovation programs that were in the last budget. Those are all great programs. They help drive innovation, they help keep markets open, they help us produce new products, develop new markets, and they also allow us to promote our products in those markets”.

Even the member for Halifax West has to admit that we are getting the job done.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the loss of 20,000 jobs. That is not exactly getting the job done.

Again yesterday, we asked the government to protect the 12,000 jobs at AbitibiBowater in Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario. Perhaps the Prime Minister was in the washroom when we did that, because the Conservatives are still silent on this.

Why are the Conservatives not reassuring workers who are still waiting?

[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 aware of the problems in the forestry industry. That is why we asked this Parliament to pass Canada's economic action plan as quickly as possible, as it will help industries across the board, including the forestry industry.

Leader of the Liberal Party

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

Mr. Speaker, when the Leader of the Opposition is elsewhere and he thinks that Quebeckers are not paying attention, the things he says are not in Quebec's best interest. It seems to have become a habit. When he gets caught in the act, his response is to deny, deny, deny.

Speaking somewhere outside of Quebec, he said that he wanted to take the francophone province's seat at UNESCO away. When he was in British Columbia, he said that he wanted to shut down Quebec's chrysotile industry.

Can the Minister of Public Works and Government Services tell us what the government thinks of that?

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

Mr. Speaker, we will certainly not be giving the Liberal leader an opportunity to take away Quebec's seat at UNESCO. That is for sure. Nor will we let him make unfounded statements about the chrysotile industry. His disdain runs deep. Workers and people in Thetford Mines will not accept that. Our people have good memories, and we will not forget the Liberal leader's ignorant statements.

Public Safety

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this week an internal audit at the Canada Border Services Agency found that the security of seized items is shockingly inadequate. Guns are being left unsecured and illegal drugs are being dumped in garbage cans. More shocking is the government's lack of response.

Justice O'Connor, the Auditor General and New Democrats have all called on the government to give the Canada Border Services Agency proper oversight.

Will the minister responsible now admit the government's failure to act and commit to provide the CBSA with the oversight it needs and Canadians expect?

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

Mr. Speaker, actually the report demonstrates the value of an independent, objective and timely internal audit service. The audit concluded that the control framework for the management of seized goods was not effective in providing assurance to management that seized goods were safeguarded, accounted for and properly disposed of.

CBSA is taking steps to correct that. I expect that most of that will be in place very shortly.

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about serious national security concerns especially at airports and the Minister of Transport is making superficial announcements and doing stunts at those very airports. His spy games are not the kind of oversight we need.

Canada's border guards are doing good work to keep Canadians safe, but two internal audits now spanning 10 years show they are not getting the support and oversight they need to keep our streets and communities safe.

Will the government provide the CBSA with the oversight it needs, or should we expect more of the peek-a-boo politics we see from the Minister of Transport?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House and all Canadians that safety and security of Canadians is this government's number one priority and we are getting the job done. We support the recommendations of the Auditor General and agree that we need better tools to help ensure the safety and security of air travel and our government is committed to doing so. This message will remain clear in every province and every territory across Canada.

What will not remain clear is the Liberal leader's message, because it seems to change from town to town, from city to city and from province to province.