Debates of Oct. 22nd, 2010

Infrastructure

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

Mr. Speaker, the member's statement is false. The Conservative government is working hard and is producing positive results for Quebeckers.

Let me continue. There would be no water supply to Canadians in Quebec, no waste water for Quebeckers. No universities or colleges would be upgraded and there would be no green infrastructure for Quebeckers.

If those Bloc Québécois members had their way, there would be no economic action plan in Quebec, there would be no money for Quebeckers and there would be no good economy in Quebec.

This Conservative government acts in the best interests of Quebeckers.

Natural Resources

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of the Environment expressed his support for shale gas and announced plans to regulate Quebec's shale gas industy. However, a representative from Natural Resources Canada, who was taking part in a conference on shale gas in Toronto, said that the federal government has no role to play in developing that industry. Issuing water permits, for instance, is a matter of provincial jurisdiction.

Can the minister clarify this contradiction? Who is telling the truth here, Environment Canada or Natural Resources Canada?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, shale gas represents a potential energy source that could contribute to Canada's energy mix. One thing is certain: we support the responsible development of our natural resources, but unlike the Liberal Party, we will not tell the provinces how to use their lands.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the environment commissioner has said that the federal government lacks the data on fish and fish habitat necessary for establishing healthy water flows in fish-bearing waterways. In other words, DFO lacks the aquatic census data to regulate water takings.

How can the minister make regulations on water takings by the shale gas industry without this basic scientific data?

When will the Conservatives establish a floor on water takings by the oil sands industry in the Athabasca River where the flow is dropping because of climate change? If the minister is waiting for the industry to agree to a floor, the industry's past obstructionism means that he will wait a long time.

When will he take action on water quantity issues in the oil sands?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am really glad it was that member who asked that question. He well knows that this government has appointed a panel to look at whether the monitoring in the oil sands is effective. It was not the Liberals when they were in government.

The member talked about water. Our government has introduced waste water regulations. Do members know where the most affluent that goes into the St. Lawrence comes from? It comes from that member's riding. We are cleaning up the Liberal mess.

International Co-operation

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are quite concerned to see the Prime Minister return to the world stage. This week, he has the nerve to attend the Sommet de la Francophonie, where he will face the Franco-African countries he has abandoned in terms of international aid.

In February 2009, he dropped eight African countries from his priority assistance list, including the following Franco-African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and Niger.

How does the Prime Minister plan to rebuild these relationships after turning his back on these countries?

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, the way the member has constructed his question is just simply not accurate in any way, shape or form.

The fact is that our government doubled aid to Africa in a faster period of time than any other G7 nation. Further, we are at a point now with the African nations that, notwithstanding the misinformation that people like him are bringing forward, they are beginning to understand the generosity and the co-operation there is between Canada and the African nations.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Francophonie is a major international summit, with thousands of delegates, 600 journalists, 53 member nations, including observers, and over 70 heads of state expected to attend, yet the Swiss government is managing to hold this summit by spending a modest $31 million in security costs.

How can the Swiss, with the fifth highest cost of living in the world, hold a bigger summit, with more leaders to protect, for only $31 million when it cost the Conservative government 30 times more in security costs alone to host a summit?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are delighted that the Prime Minister is going to the Francophonie summit this weekend. The PM's presence at the Francophonie summit demonstrates our engagement toward this important international organization. We will continue to support this great organization.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Bruce Stanton, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, no one thinks it is acceptable for criminals to abuse Canada's immigration system, especially through the despicable crime of human smuggling. Our government is taking action to crack down on these criminals. Those opposition members who think the status quo is acceptable are ignoring the fact that human smuggling is hugely profitable for crime syndicates, and that it is dangerous and exploitative.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration please inform the House what our government is doing to crack down on human smuggling?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Simcoe North for his commitment to this legislation, for supporting it in this House and for his hard work on immigration and for all individuals who come to this country.

The government has delivered on its commitment to crack down on human smugglers who seek to abuse Canada's immigration system. If passed, the preventing human smugglers from abusing Canada's immigration act would impose tough but fair measures that would help deter human smugglers from coming to this country.

Organizations across the country have come out in support of this bill. In fact, the Armenian National Committee stated yesterday, “This is insurance that human smuggling--

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order. The hon. member for British Columbia Southern Interior.

Rail Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, an independent study released by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Wheat Board, Keystone Agricultural Producers, the National Farmers Union and Wild Rose Agricultural Producers shows that farmers are being gouged for rail service to the tune of $200 million a year. Calls for a railway costing review have gone unanswered for years and the Conservatives continue to do nothing.

When will the minister put a stop to this robbery by the railways? The money that hard-working farmers have already overpaid needs to be returned.

Will the minister finally do his job and commit to a full costing review of railway charges?

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

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians know that when it comes to farmers, they cannot depend on the NDP to perform in any way. It is this Conservative government, as usual, that performs for farmers and acts in the best interests of farmers.

We will not take any lessons from members of the NDP who want to close our borders and close our export markets. We will listen to the farmers and to all Canadians and do what is in the best interests of Canada.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that we still have no answers on calls for a full costing review.

Top Shelf Feeds in Cowichan has seen its freight prices skyrocket 20% in just one year. It is the only feed mill on Vancouver Island and it is being gouged right out of business. It is not just the feed mills suffering. These prices are hurting our dairy and chicken farmers as well.

When will the minister acknowledge that rising rail rates are hurting farmers all across Canada and agree to take action?

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

Mr. Speaker, this government is already addressing concerns about rail freight. We review it through the rail freight service review. The independent panel leading the review released its interim report on October 8 and will present its final report and recommendations later in 2010.

We all know what the members of the NDP want to do. They want to close our borders and close our industry. If they had their way, that is what they would do.

This Conservative government will not do that. We will open markets to ensure Canada's economy remains strong and Canadians have jobs.

Use of Wood in Federal Buildings

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc has presented an innovative and environmentally-friendly alternative in Bill C-429, which promotes the use of wood in the construction of federal buildings. The Minister of State for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec has just returned from a tour of Italy and France, where he learned about European expertise in this area.

Did the member for Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean realize on this tour that Bill C-429 is a good measure? Will he finally support it?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, our economic action plan helped forestry communities. We invested $170 million in FPInnovations. We then invested $1 billion in black liquor and green transformation initiatives. In addition, we invested $100 million over four years for another renewable power initiative.

The forestry sector is looking for new opportunities and markets. That is what we are working on, and we are getting results. However, the Bloc again voted against all these initiatives.

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the president and chief executive officer of the Quebec Forest Industry Council, Guy Chevrette, said that if the government bothered to assess the environmental impact of the materials used to build federal buildings, it would realize that wood is considered to be the greenest material, in addition to being durable and easy to maintain. What is the government waiting for to promote the use of wood in the construction of federal buildings?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, what is the Bloc waiting for to support promising initiatives? We have identified new markets and opportunities. Recently, in Windsor, we made an announcement about nanocrystalline cellulose, an extremely promising material. What has the Bloc Québécois been doing all this time? It has been voting against initiatives.

I challenge Bloc members to go to their ridings, talk with forestry producers and tell them that they voted against all the fine initiatives that were recently passed.

Pensions

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is official. The Conservative senators have turned their backs on sick and disabled Canadians. By refusing the quick passage of Bill S-216, Conservative senators have said they care more about junk-bond holders than about the hundreds of disabled Canadians who will lose their benefits by the end of the year.

Why can the Prime Minister find hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the real estate holdings of Nortel, but cannot find just a couple of hours to pass legislation to help Nortel's former employees?

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, it is a complex issue. It is of concern to this government. We are carefully studying this issue. We realize that there are several bills, not just one, that address this issue both in this place and the other. As with all pieces of legislation, we will carefully review these bills. We welcome any ideas that members of any party may have to offer.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, all they have to do is pass the legislation, bring it in the House, and we will pass it. That will solve the problem.

Yesterday, Josée Marin and Peter Burns stood before the TV cameras and begged for the Conservative-dominated Senate to pass Bill S-216. Josée said that the bill's passage would mean the difference between her living in her home and dying in her car.

As Conservatives continue to put junk-bond holders ahead of sick workers, I wonder if the Prime Minister can tell Peter and Josée why is he prepared to throw them out onto the street?

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, it is a complex issue. It is important to this government, and we are carefully studying the issue. There are many bills that have been before this House and the other house that are being considered. The hon. member's office is two floors below mine, and I would welcome her at any time to come up to my office and discuss this issue.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Ontario minister of finance joined with the Minister of Finance in endorsing New Democrats' call for an expansion of the Canada pension plan. By doing this, that minister has placed himself in the middle of a growing consensus. Considering the importance of this development to Canadian workers, will the minister advise the House of the status of discussions with other provinces in securing their support for an expansion of CPP?