House of Commons Hansard #61 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was application.
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Ottawa South for his interest in the file.
What would have been very helpful to this file that I and the government are faced with today is if he had actually brought his concerns to the member for Markham—Unionville when he was the minister of natural resources and could have dealt with this issue at that point in time.
Thirteen years, five Liberal cabinet ministers dealing with this issue in front of them and they did nothing.
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Official Languages Commissioner presented his annual report marking the 40th anniversary of the act. The central theme of the report was lack of leadership. An excellent example was the Olympic Games in Vancouver.
The commissioner points to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and the President of the Treasury Board for their inaction.
Does the Prime Minister find their behaviour acceptable? Will he act or do like they do, close his eyes, wait until the Olympics are over and then hope our reputation as a bilingual country does not suffer too much?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, we agree with the Commissioner of Official Languages when he points out that the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games are truly the opportunity, in this the 40th year of our Official Languages Act, to make our support of official languages truly clear. The 1988 Olympic Games were a great improvement over the 1976 Games and the 2010 Olympic Games will be a great improvement over the 1988 Games. This will be a great success for both official languages and each and every Canadian in each and every part of this country will be able to celebrate our athletes in the official language of their choice.
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us talk some more about the Commissioner of Official Languages's report: lack of leadership by the Prime Minister, lack of leadership by the President of the Treasury Board, lack of leadership by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages in connection with the Olympic Games, lack of leadership by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in connection with the airports.
If everyone in his cabinet lacks leadership, is this not simply because, as far as official languages are concerned, they are all following the lead of the Prime Minister: no leadership, no vision, no importance?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, we are showing leadership and I will give one example. Earlier this year, we invested $4.5 million into the École Jules-Verne, the first ever francophone high school in the province of British Columbia.
My mother was one of the first teachers of French immersion in the province of British Columbia, an anglophone, with other people standing up in order to support kids who were trying to learn French for the first time in their lives. They were given virtually no support, no resources and no textbooks but they stood and fought.
I am standing here 32 years later as her proud son of this government that has invested to create the first ever francophone school in British Columbia. We have come a hell of a long way.
Bob Dechert Conservative Mississauga—Erindale, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government has a proud record when it comes to protecting our youth, whether it is through our tough new justice legislation or through the proposed Canada consumer products safety act. However, tobacco remains a concern for many parents, especially when it is marketed in a way specifically aimed at our children.
Would the Minister of Health tell the House what action our government is taking to protect our youth from tobacco products?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, during the last election, we committed to take real action to protect our young people from tobacco marketing practices.
This morning I had the pleasure of announcing that our government will crack down on the marketing strategies used by tobacco companies to entice our children. A promise made, a promise kept. This will include setting a minimum package size for cigarillos and blunts that are less affordable for children, prohibiting flavours and additives that would appeal to children, and banning all tobacco advertising and promotion that may be viewed by youth.
Thanks to the action of this Conservative government, Canada is a world leader in tobacco control.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, before the start of the recession, 28% of claimants had already used up their employment insurance benefits, but were still unemployed. That means half a million people. With the recession, we can expect some three-quarters of a million people to have used up their benefits before they find work. People do not want employment insurance. They want jobs.
But, while this government is unable to create jobs, why is it refusing to change the employment insurance system to make it more accessible?
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we are doing.
First, we expanded the employment insurance program to give people more time to find a new job by adding an extra five weeks of regular benefits. We then expanded and made a significant investment of $2 billion to help those who are on EI and those who do not qualify to get the training they need for the jobs for the future.
Finally, just yesterday we launched an initiative to help those workers who have been in the workforce for a long time who may have lost their jobs permanently to help them get up to two years of benefits while they get new training. Those members voted against it.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, we voted against them because they were not the right changes to EI that needed to be done. More than one in four claimants exhaust their EI benefits before finding jobs. Now, with a crippling recession, it will only get worse. EI benefits need to be strengthened to help families when they need it most.
When will the government realize that it has failed to deliver on its promise to create jobs and start working with us to implement job creation and make EI more accessible to help Canadian families, instead of insulting them by telling them that they want to be on EI and--
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. The hon. Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, we were asked for two weeks of additional EI benefits. We gave the unemployed five weeks. They voted against it.
They are saying that we should offer training. We are investing over $2 billion in additional training so the unemployed can get the jobs of the future. They voted against it.
We are investing in the unemployed so they can get employment insurance benefits for up to two years while they train for new jobs that will replace the ones that have gone away. We are supporting their families. They voted against that too.
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, negotiations for peace have reached an impasse. President Netanyahu, the new Israeli president, is questioning certain aspects of the peace plan. The roadmap provides for an end to Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory and recognition of two states, and the UN advocates the return to the 1967 borders.
Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs confirm that recognition of these three points remains essential for long term peace in the Middle East? Is this in fact the Canadian position?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, Canada's position remains unchanged. Canada believes that expansion of the settlements, including through natural growth, does not help the peace efforts.
I would add that, in addition, the government also feels that not only the terrorist threat but also the refusal by some to recognize Israel's right to existence and to self defence represent two major obstacles to the peace process.
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canada chairs the Refugee Working Group. This forum has been inactive for years. What is keeping Canada from using it to put forward a proposal for a realistic settlement on the matter of refugees, which would serve as a basis for negotiations and could bring the two parties together? Why not?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, in this regard, the Government of Canada has already done a huge amount. Hon. members will recall the international aid Canada provides in this sector. The minister responsible for this aid has been extremely active in this matter. Canada continues to support a policy to permit two states to live in peace and harmony side by side.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, I have checked the record and earlier today in question period the Prime Minister said that he would not bring in a new budget “until we need to raise taxes”. That is a massive admission of a Conservative hidden agenda to increase taxes in this country.
When will he introduce that budget? What taxes will he increase? Who will pay and by how much?
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order, please. Perhaps we could have a little more order in the chamber. It is very difficult for the Chair to hear the person who has the floor, which is essential.
The right hon. Prime Minister has the floor now and we will have a little order.
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I have no idea what the member is talking about. We all know, unfortunately for him, that it was the leader of his party, the Liberal leader who said that he will have to raise taxes, who has promised to raise the GST, whose convention voted again for a carbon tax and who is proposing EI reforms that would mean massive increases in payroll taxes.
Canadians know that and that is not the direction in which they want to go, especially in a time of recession.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, at exactly 2:23 p.m. in this House, earlier in question period, the Prime Minister said that he will not produce another budget “until we need to raise taxes”. That is what he said on the record of this House a half an hour ago.
It was this party that eliminated a Conservative deficit, that balanced the books, that brought down 10 surplus budgets, that cut taxes by $100 billion and left the best fiscal record in Canadian history.
When will the Prime Minister come clean to Canadians?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, once again I think everybody was clear on exactly what I was saying.
We have a party opposite that has demanded billions of dollars of spending. This government has brought in an important stimulus package.
Every two or three months that party wants us to bring in yet another budget with yet more spending and with no idea how they will pay for it. That is a recipe to raise taxes and not what this government will be doing, which is why nobody will elect it.
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, today the Federation of Canadian Municipalities released a critical report on the government's lack of action in rural Canada.
It states that over 50% of Canada's exports come from rural areas in terms of natural resources, agriculture and raw materials, but the wealth the government reaps is not benefiting rural and northern communities. Rural Canadians have to fight for what many others already have, from clean water to basic health care.
Why is the government not making a long-term commitment to rural Canada? Why is it taking rural Canadians for granted?