Debates of June 15th, 2009

Forestry Industry

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, it is always fair to ask the question what more could be done, but it should also be acknowledged what is being done.

On one level alone, the fact that EDC is working with over 530 forestry companies, facilitating over $8 billion worth of financial transactions in the worst time historically for the forestry industry, is very significant.

If my friend is sounding the alarm, he should do so in a responsible way. He should bring forward some ideas that may work and also acknowledge that $8 billion moving into the industry at one of the most difficult times in history is a significant amount of money.

Trade

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are justifiably worried about the rising tide of protectionism developing in the United States. The buy American campaign threatens our good relationship with the United States.

Across Canada, and especially in southwestern Ontario, we are concerned about this unprecedented approach to U.S. government spending, which will leave us out of critical business opportunities and result in additional job losses in Canada.

I understand this past weekend that the Minister of Foreign Affairs met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss this and other critical issues. Would the minister please advise the House on the outcomes achieved in their meeting?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government is very concerned about the negative impacts of buy American legislation. We raised these questions this weekend when I met with Secretary of State Clinton. We received assurances from her that we would work cooperatively to address these problems and expand our cooperation and our trading relations.

I know my colleague, the Minister of International Trade, has put forward a vigorous campaign to be able to do so and to fight against the rising tide of protectionism.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, when is the Minister of Agriculture going to accept that there is an extraordinary crisis in Canada's hog industry that requires action?

Here are the facts for the Prime Minister: hog producers are out of cash, they are out of credit and they are rapidly running out of feed with no means to provide for their sow herds. Simply put, this is an incredible tragedy for our producers and the affected animals, and it is getting worse each passing day.

Will the minister accept his responsibility and deliver on the Canadian Pork Council's request for immediate cash?

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

Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with the Canadian Pork Council on this situation. We are working toward it having the liquidity to carry it through.

We have reopened borders successfully around the world, working with the Minister of International Trade to get borders open again after H1N1.

The member for Malpeque himself is on record saying that we cannot, without creating trade problems, deliver cash on a per head basis. He gets it. I wish he would carry those discussions to some of his pork producers, as we have. We will continue to work with them and make sure that they remain liquid.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of crew members of CanJet Flight 918, which was hijacked in Jamaica on April 19, 2009.

Hon. members are invited to meet with the crew members shortly in Room 216-N.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Canada Elections Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

I have the honour to lay upon the table a report of the Chief Electoral Officer, entitled “Draft Regulations Adapting the Canada Elections Act for the Purposes of a Referendum”.

This report is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 10 petitions.

Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement Act

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-41, An Act to give effect to the Maanulth First Nations Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Ending Conditional Sentences for Property and Other Serious Crimes Act

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Criminal Code.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Scrutiny of Regulations

[Andrew Kania, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations in relation to the use made of the statutory authority granted by Parliament to impose charges, as illustrated by the challenge of certain provisions of the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations, 1997.

Criminal Code

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

moved that Bill S-4, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (identity theft and related misconduct).

(Motion deemed adopted and bill read the first time)

Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement Act

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as usual there have been consultations and negotiations among all parties in the chamber, and I think, were you to seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, when the House begins debate on the second reading motion of Bill C-41, an Act to give effect to the Maanulth First Nations Final Agreement and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, a Member from each recognized party may speak for not more than ten minutes, after which the Bill shall be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a Committee of the Whole, deemed considered in Committee of the Whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

(Motion agreed to)

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

I rise on a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the government House leader, in light of the agreement that has just been arrived at, would indicate when it is his intention to call Bill C-41.

Could he also, apropos the business question last week, provide us with a little bit more information of his intentions with respect to the proposed honorary citizenship for the Aga Khan?

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-41, I believe, is on the order paper for today.

As to the other matter, it might be better to be raised on Thursday as the standard Thursday question.

Business of supply

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, at the conclusion of today's debate on the opposition motion in the name of the member for Saint-Maurice—Champlain, all questions necessary to dispose of the motion be deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at the end of government orders.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. member for Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord have the unanimous consent of the House to move this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?