Debates of June 19th, 2009

National Defence

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, local Afghans are hired to provide security at specific Canadian Forces installations and are undertaking these duties under the training and supervision of the CF after being appropriately trained by Canadian Forces personnel. Weapons are collected and secured when not in use and never leave the CF installation.

Canada employs these personnel in a manner consistent with its international legal obligations. As Major Steve Jourdain said recently:

It definitely gives us flexibility. If it was not for the private security, it would not be possible for me to do the next operation.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, farmers are truly being ill served by this Liberal-Conservative coalition. The real Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is mum, while the Minister of State for Agriculture, when asked about the “Product of Canada” label and the 98% standard, says that he is holding more meetings.

Why did the minister not follow the recommendations of producers, processors, consumers and his own officials, who all said that the 98% standard was ridiculous and inappropriate?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has been present in this House for 18 years. During that time, it could have met with food processors in Canada, but it has never held such a meeting—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. The hon. Minister of National Revenue has the floor, and we need to hear what he is saying. He has the floor.

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, in its 18 years in this House, the Bloc Québécois has never delivered the goods. It could have met with processors, but it never has.

I have been Minister of State for Agriculture for just a few months, but last week, I met with about 30 representatives of various food processors. They talked about product labelling, and we are going to continue to move ahead.

[André Bellavance, Bloc, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in a few months, he has proven that he could not care less.

The Canada-U.S. agreement on organic products will take effect on June 30. This agreement provides for less stringent organic standards than the ones already in place in Quebec, which says to producers that Quebec products will face unfair competition in their own market.

How can the Minister of State for Agriculture justify taking a stand in favour of foreign producers at the expense of producers in Quebec?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, once again, these people are not familiar with this issue. We have signed an agreement with the United States so that we can have greater access to the U.S. market. American producers must meet Canadian standards for organic products. For example, to sell their products here, American producers cannot use sodium nitrate and similar compounds. There are three variants covered by our standards.

We export $60 million worth of products to the United States, and its exports to Canada are worth $700 million. Our efforts are opening up a huge market.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to fail Canada's hog producers. Another week and more families are driven out of business.

With cash denied, will the minister change the reference margin to include CAIS payments so as to deliver immediate cash?

Nieuwland Feed and Supply, in a request to the government said, “Governments can react quickly with large dollar bailouts to the auto industry. Now that same speed is needed to keep the pork industry from collapse and is needed straight away”.

Previous governments have acted. Will the minister act and act today?

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

Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with the pork sector at all levels.

We have had meetings as late as last night, working forward on these projects within the existing program. I would advise the member to go home, begin to enjoy his holidays, sit tight, and we will look after the agricultural sector far better than his government ever did.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, the existing programs do not work, and the minister knows it.

Pork producers have no cash, no credit, no feed and a government in denial. Now added to that problem is a western Canadian drought that has unbelievable damaging conditions. On weather disasters, P.E.I. producers have found that the government's agri-recovery program is itself an abject failure.

Will the minister at least deliver real disaster assistance and not convoluted programs that offer no hope?

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

Mr. Speaker, I guess the first thing I would say is that the constituents of Malpeque could hope for better representation.

We have put together a program for the potato sector in Prince Edward Island. It will deliver some $12 million in the next days and weeks. We are doing the same thing with the drought sector in western Saskatchewan and Alberta.

What we are finding is that the crop insurance program is the first line of defence. Of course, that is provincially outlined. We are working with them to further those programs. We have agri-stability and the cash advances on that program. We also have the third pillar in agri-recovery, which will look after a region that is affected by flood or by drought. They are well covered.

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we need confirmation that this aid is going to come immediately and not months down the road.

That is the problem that we are facing today. It is going to be a long, dry summer for farmers in western Canada. Grain producers are watching their crops die in the fields. Cattle producers are looking at dried-up water holes and pasture land. Groundwater sources are almost gone.

Farmers are not only asking where the rain is, but where is the government? Will the government provide the funds that western farmers need to get through this drought and ensure that aid programs have the staff and resources to get claims processed quickly?

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

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the NDP to the agricultural file at the end of the day. That said, as I outlined for the member for Malpeque, the programs are there, the programs work and there are cash advances on the programs.

We also have the other cash advance program now, by which we can lend up to $400,000, with the first $100,000 interest free. That can be triggered at any time.

We have termed out some of those repayment situations so that farmers maintain the liquidity to work themselves through this.

We have the staff in place. We have the programs in place. Farmers are well served by the government.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, three chiefs in my region of northern Manitoba came to Ottawa this week and were able to have a meeting with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. The hon. member for Churchill has the floor. We are not finished the question.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the chiefs drew attention to the appalling living conditions in first nations communities.

I would like to note that we demanded many times for this meeting. This is a crisis that these people are facing in their communities.

While this meeting was extremely important, what we really want to see is an immediate plan of action.

One of the things these chiefs proposed was the need for a field hospital. It takes 15 hours on average to get a medevac to a community that is one hour away from Winnipeg.

Why can these people, these first nations, not receive the immediate health care services they need?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, in February I met with all the chiefs in Manitoba to discuss many issues related to the delivery of health care in their communities.

This week I also met with them to discuss the H1N1 situation. I also had a meeting with the health minister from the province yesterday.

Again, we are doing everything for the community to respond to the situation with H1N1. Additional staff are there. We have the supplies in the community, and we will continue to provide the services to the residents of those communities.

Education

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Lévis—Bellechasse, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for 13 long years, the Liberals abandoned Quebec's colleges, universities and CEGEPs. During that time, as is their habit and as they are doing this morning, the Bloc members complained but did nothing for Quebec.

Once again, they will sit on their hands today while Conservative members from Quebec stand up for Quebec.

I would like to know what our Minister of Public Works and our Conservative government is doing for our colleges?

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

Mr. Speaker, our dilapidated infrastructure is the result of our predecessors' inaction. Fortunately, this morning we announced $394 million for infrastructure and 207 projects throughout Quebec. That will generate about $1 billion in investments across Quebec.

This money has been made available through the economic action plan. The NDP voted against it. The Bloc Québécois voted against it. The Bloc wants to block everything. It looks for crises. It voted against Quebec's colleges and universities. That is deplorable.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

Earlier, several eloquent statements by members paid tribute to a great Canadian who is with us today. However, I must remind the House that television is a visual medium and that in order to get the shot of him in the gallery today, it is the Chair who must draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Mr. Don Newman, who retires today after a long and distinguished career. He will be sorely missed.

On behalf of all members, I pay tribute to him and congratulate him on his illustrious career.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Strategic Outlook for the 40th Parliament

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report on the strategic outlook for the 40th Parliament of the House of Commons administration.

Parliamentary Delegation Visit to Finland

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

I also have the honour to lay upon the table the report of a Canadian parliamentary delegation concerning its visit to Finland, from May 18 to 22, 2009.