Debates of June 12th, 2009

CBC/Radio-Canada

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are worried about the dismantling of an institution like CBC/Radio-Canada for ideological reasons. Because of the government's inaction, CBC/Radio-Canada must cut 800 jobs across the country and sell $125 million worth of assets. To oppose what the Prime Minister is doing, employees of Radio-Canada have launched a campaign entitled “I am, we are in favour of quality public broadcasting”. A number of federal and provincial members have supported this initiative.

Will the Prime Minister support this important campaign to save Radio-Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, our support for the CBC remains unwavering. We made a commitment in the last election that we would maintain or increase funding for the CBC. We have kept that commitment because we keep our election commitments.

The Liberal Party does not keep its election commitments, like in 1993 and 1997. In both cases that party promised to increase funding to the CBC and actually cut it and 4,000 jobs were lost.

We keep our election commitments. When it comes to the CBC, the Liberals cannot be trusted at all.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives say that they are funding CBC/Radio-Canada appropriately, they know that that is completely false. Public funding for CBC/Radio-Canada in constant dollars is declining, and the corporation's budget is eroded every year. As a result, a major player in developing French- and English-language television, radio and new media is fading away.

Can the Prime Minister put aside his ideology? He should give that a try and promise to provide stable, adequate funding for our public broadcaster. Can he do that?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is consistent with what we always hear from the Liberal Party: spend, spend, spend. The Liberals say that they will raise taxes and bring in an increase to the GST. They are going to get it all from Canadians because they are going to keep on spending.

Our government has put stable funding behind the CBC, more funding than the Liberal Party ever provided. Tax Freedom Day came 19 days earlier this year thanks to our Conservative government. We will not follow a Liberal example.

Foreign Affairs

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Mr. Abdelrazik's daughter, Wafa, celebrated another birthday without her father around.

Today, Mr. Abdelrazik had a flight booked to return home, pursuant to a request for him to appear before the foreign affairs committee. In fact, the minister received the letter, signed by the Conservative chair of the committee, asking the minister to issue him a passport so he could appear before the committee, which is exactly what the Federal Court is requesting. Sadly, the minister did not even bother responding to the committee's letter.

Will Mr. Abdelrazik be at the foreign affairs committee on Monday?

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, our government will make a decision at the appropriate time.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, appropriate would be the Minister of Foreign Affairs getting up and answering the question. The minister is showing contempt for Parliament for not even responding to a request from a chair.

We have a judge from the Federal Court who says that the government has absolutely no case. Up until now, the government has been hiding behind the courts, but the decision could not be more clear. The government must plan for Mr. Abdelrazik's return by next Friday.

Will the government respect the court, or will it show contempt for the courts as well?

[Daniel Petit, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. I would point out to him, however, that a decision will be made at the appropriate time.

Lighthouses

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove at the entrance to St. Margaret's Bay is recognized by all Canadians and citizens of many countries around the world.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade assure the House that this national icon will indeed receive the upkeep it needs?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is in my riding of South Shore—St. Margaret's, and it is a tourist destination for nearly one million people a year. It should be noted that it is also near the monument to Swissair 111, which was erected in memory of the 229 men, women and children who perished in 1998 on Swissair 111.

It should be noted that I spoke directly to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans about this last fall. She has given clear orders for the lighthouse to be painted. It was not painted last fall. It will be painted this year.

Government Assets

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister says that he will make $2.3 billion from asset sales this year. The Conservatives told us we would see a list of those assets by June. However, Public Works has now told us that it has not even been asked to do an asset review. Gee whiz, those guys are confused.

Either the minister does not know what he will sell, and he will miss his deficit numbers again, or he will flog God only knows what crown corporations at fire-sale prices, or the minister knows what he is planning to sell, but he just will not say. Which is it?

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

Gee whiz, Mr. Speaker, that hon. member should get her facts correct. All four of the departments that have been tasked with doing an asset review, the Departments of Finance, Indian and Northern Affairs, Natural Resources and transport and infrastructure are all well aware of the review that is necessary.

That is prudent use of taxpayer dollars. It has not been done in 15 years. It is a good idea that we see what the Government of Canada now owns.

Colombia Free Trade Agreement

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

Mr. Speaker, the former Colombian ambassador to Canada, the one who initiated negotiations for the free trade agreement, has resigned his position as a senator, because he is under investigation for his ties to the paramilitaries, as are many other members of Alvaro Uribe's party. These death squads are responsible for hundreds of human rights violations, including murder.

How can the Minister of International Trade claim that this agreement will improve the human rights situation, when it has been signed by a government linked to paramilitary groups?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, let us be clear; I reject the premise of that question. That hon. member is totally over the top.

If the member had taken the time to come to the committee yesterday, President Uribe appeared at committee himself. He spoke very clearly and with great candour about the situation in Colombia and about the advantages and opportunities for Colombians if free trade begins, because it will give more jobs and more opportunities for all Colombians.

Mackenzie Valley Pipeline

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday the U.S. Congress supported a bill increasing the loan guarantees for the Alaska pipeline from $18 billion to $30 billion.

Yesterday, Imperial Oil's parent company, ExxonMobil struck a deal with TransCanada Corporation to develop an Alaska gas pipeline at a projected cost of $26 billion, a clear threat to the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. The minister who has been in secret talks with Imperial says, “Don't worry, be happy”.

When will the minister come clean and tell this House just exactly what his cozy relationship is with big oil and how it is advancing the Canadian pipeline, or do Canadians—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. Minister of the Environment.

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member ran out of time and facts, as well.

The only thing that is actually a threat to the pipeline has been the hon. member's position that is not supportive of the pipeline. I am quite surprised by the question, as a matter of fact, based on what he has previously said.

The Mackenzie Valley project continues to have a four to five year lead in front of the Alaska project. Certainly positive news has been announced for the Alaska project and that is fine. It is the position of the Government of Canada that we wish to see the Mackenzie project proceed first so that a northern basin is opened up.

We remain four to give years ahead of the Alaska project in terms of regulatory work and work with aboriginal Canadians.

Infrastructure

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

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada, in cooperation with the provinces, is investing heavily in infrastructure projects across the country.

As these projects continue to get under way and jobs are being created, could the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities update the House about the status of one of the first projects announced through the building Canada fund, the Ottawa Congress Centre?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in this period of economic uncertainty, what my electors, the people I work for in Ottawa West--Nepean, expect is their political parties to put aside partisanship and to work together for the benefit of the country, the province and the city.

There is a great partnership going on between this federal government, led by the Prime Minister, and the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty, my premier. We are working constructively with the city and the other two levels of government on a $160 million plan with the Ottawa Congress Centre.

We put the shovels in the ground this morning. Jobs are being created. Hope and opportunity are in the future. Already 50 conventions have been booked.

Not-for-Profit Organizations

[Lise Zarac, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's not-for-profit organizations have 12 million volunteers who provide services equivalent to 7% of the gross domestic product, to help the poorest members of our society. These organizations are most vulnerable during a recession like this one, yet it is now when they are needed the most.

Experts believe that 20% of these organizations are at risk of closing. What is the government going to do to protect them?

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

Mr. Speaker, absolutely, this government is focused on helping Canadians, whether it is non-governmental organizations, whether it is the poor. We have taken 750,000 low-income Canadians off the tax rolls in the last five years. We care very much. We are dealing with the pension issues that impact seniors in this country. We have put forward an economic action plan that helps all Canadians equally.

The Environment

[Jim Maloway, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago this month Parliament held an emergency debate on the threat to Manitoba's health and environment from water dumped into the Red River system from Devils Lake, North Dakota. Members instructed the government to move as quickly as possible to stop the flow until adequate filtration was in place. There is still no filter and now North Dakota intends to double the flow.

There have been 18 months of inaction on the Chalk River reactor and two years of inaction on Devils Lake. When will we see action on this file?

[Jim Prentice, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the question of Devils Lake has previously been raised in the House.

I can assure the hon. member that we are well aware of the file. We have reviewed the circumstances of which he complains in the House. Frankly, I have had discussions and will continue to have discussions, in the upcoming meeting between Lisa Jackson, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States, and me. We will be meeting in about a week's time. At that time this issue will be raised with her.

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

I want to know, when the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance in responding to questions says the answer lies, is he speaking for all of the government and all of his colleagues?

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I do not think that is a point of order.