Debates of Nov. 18th, 2010

G8 and G20 Summits

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax—Pickering, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a departmental asset that the department itself says it cannot use. Give me a break.

Here is the test. Will the minister go out in the real world and defend this waste? Explain spending $85,000 in snacks at a single hotel to a mother who cannot afford groceries. Justify the $9,000 for a power cord to a senior who cannot afford heat. Sit down with a family that is desperate, that has nothing left to take care of a sick husband or wife and explain why hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on fiddlers, flowers and glow sticks.

Either the minister should own up to this waste and apologize, or take responsibility for what he has done.

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, my friend across the aisle is frequently wrong about his issues. He talks about an extension cord. In actual fact, it was an electrical cable. There were 13 kilometres of electrical cable to provide power to the fence around Huntsville. It was required by the RCMP and utilized by it.

The Environment

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is going to Cancun without a credible plan for fighting greenhouse gases. Before unelected Conservative senators defeated a bill approved by the House without even studying it, Canada had a game plan for effectively fighting climate change. By killing this bill, the Conservatives have ensured that they are free to defend the interests of oil companies in Cancun.

Is that not the crux of the matter—defending the oil companies' interests in Cancun?

[John Baird, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, there was a good debate about the bill. The member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie should listen to some of what our colleagues in the House of Commons said about the bill.

One member said that it was a publicity stunt by the leader of the NDP. The same member said that the leader of the NDP wanted to continue to play media games to try to frighten Canadians, mislead Canadians and be dishonest with Canadians. The same member said, “We don't think C-311 constitutes a climate change plan for Canada”.

Why will the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie not listen to my friend from Ottawa South?

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the minister is trying to create a diversion because the government will be going to Cancun without a position or a plan. Yet, it can be done. The African Union and the European Union will be showing up with a plan that is already posted on their Internet sites.

Does the minister realize that his lack of transparency is not just scuttling Quebec's efforts but that it may result in the failure of negotiations in Cancun? Does he realize what he is doing?

[John Baird, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we have signed on to the Copenhagen accord, as have some 138 countries around the world. Under that accord, we will be reducing our emissions by 17% by 2020.

We have already begun substantial action with the administration of Barack Obama in Washington, targeting particularly the transportation sector, where for the first time ever we have a North American common standard that will reduce GHG emissions on vehicles. We are moving into trucks and light vehicles. We are moving into marine and aviation. We are working significantly with the Obama administration. We think that is the right thing to do.

Afghanistan

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the week, two Conservative ministers were doing everything they could to convince me to be part of the Canadian delegation to NATO to ensure that one of them would be paired up. What a strange coincidence: as soon as they sealed the deal on the Afghan mission with the Liberals, they pulled the plug so that no one who disagrees with prolonging the mission would be heard in Lisbon.

Will the Conservative government admit that, by doing so, it is trying to silence the voice of Quebec, which opposes this extension?

[John Baird, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, that is not true and it is totally ridiculous.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the deal between the Conservatives and the Liberals on extending the military mission in Afghanistan was made behind closed doors and cannot take the place of a democratic debate. A real debate is needed to ensure that the mission really is civilian in nature.

Why is the government refusing to put this important issue up for a real debate in the House and, more importantly, allow for a vote in the House?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas)]

Mr. Speaker, building on the strengths and accomplishments over the past years, Canada is committed to help build a more secure, a more stable and self-sufficient Afghanistan that is no longer a safe-haven for terrorists.

If we were sending troops into a war situation again, we would put the matter before Parliament. However, the assignment post-2011 for Canadian Forces troops will be to train behind the wire.

Government Advertising

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, waste and more waste of Canadian taxpayer dollars. Now we learn that the Conservative government has spent money on Google keywords and websites that show women in compromising positions. One of the sites, hollywoodtuna.com, focuses on derogatory remarks and paparazzi images about our future Queen, Kate Middleton.

How can the Government of Canada justify wasting taxpayer money on a website that says, about our future Queen, “That's it Princess, clean yourself up for daddy”?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we agree that this is totally unacceptable and completely outrageous. We have directed our officials to ensure it does not happen again.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are using taxpayers' money to advertise on pornographic websites. It is shameful, shows a complete lack of respect for women and is unworthy of our country.

I would like a female member of this government to explain to the House how the Prime Minister can find the money to pay pornographic sites that degrade women, but cannot find any money, not a dime, to create a commission to look into the deaths and disappearances of 600 aboriginal women. I want a woman to answer me.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I believe we have made it clear that we find it unacceptable. We have directed our officials to ensure that it does not happen again.

Veterans Affairs

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week members of the House were in their ridings engaged in Remembrance Day ceremonies. No issue resonated louder from veterans than the failure of the government to immediately respond to their needs.

Former Progressive Conservative minister of science and World War II vet, Dr. William Winegard, said “I'm ashamed of what the government has done”, calling veterans' compensation “totally inadequate”.

Notwithstanding yesterday's recycled announcement, the average lump sum payment remains inadequate, whether paid upfront or over time. What is the minister going to do to fix this inequity?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the bill we introduced yesterday is an important one. Everything in that bill is based on recommendations made by veterans' organizations. We are obviously working on priorities. We had to immediately resolve the issue of wounded soldiers returning from Afghanistan in order to ensure that they and their families did not have any financial concerns. That is the direction we took. We will be injecting $2 billion to support our veterans.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Colonel Pat Stogran confirmed that the U.K. and U.S.A. have identified the number of their homeless veterans so they can help them. Yet the Conservative government, true to its aversion to facts, refuses to compile data, preferring to believe the problem just does not exist, while Brian Decker is living on the streets of the very country he was asked to defend.

Colonel Stogran had identified at least several hundred and believes thousands of our veterans are homeless. A cheque cannot be mailed to a homeless person.

What will the minister do to identify and help them?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, being homeless is obviously not desirable. That is why we encourage people who meet potentially homeless veterans to let us know. In addition, we recently implemented support measures in Montreal and Toronto to identify these people and to provide them with the services to which they are entitled.

Democratic Reform

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP leader has repeatedly told Canadians about how he wants to make Parliament work better.

Could the Minister of State for Democratic Reform please tell Canadians what the NDP did yesterday?

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the NDP withdrew its public commitment to support our legislation that would limit Senate term limits from 45 years to 8 years. The member for Hamilton Centre was clear that this was not motivated to make Parliament work, but was in retaliation. Here is a chance for the NDP to make Parliament work.

I ask for unanimous consent to immediately pass Bill C-10 at all stages.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. The minister may want to try that after question period. We do not usually do unanimous consent during it.

The hon. member for Edmonton—Strathcona.

The Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government's actions on climate change, or inactions, are undemocratic, short-sighted and out of touch. Canadians are contacting me, shocked by the Prime Minister's use of the Senate to kill Bill C-311. They are saying that the Conservatives have betrayed future generations on climate change.

Today's poll shows a majority of Canadians, including 87% of Conservative supporters, believe we have a moral responsibility to lead on reducing greenhouse gas initiatives.

With Cancun just around the corner, will the government respond to the will of Canadians and deliver on climate change?

[John Baird, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, climate change is an incredibly serious issue. We have brought forward a series of initiatives and policies designed to reduce carbon emissions in Canada. We are working very closely with the administration of President Barack Obama in the United States.

If the member opposite does not like the actions of the Senate, I urge her to stand in her place and support our government's agenda to elect the Senate, to stand in her place and limit Senate terms to eight years and to stand in her place and do the right thing.

[David Christopherson, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week we have seen the government use an unelected, undemocratic body to override the democratic will of the Canadian people.

Bill C-311 was passed in the House by a majority of members representing a majority of Canadians. The country then witnessed the indignity of seeing it killed by the unelected, unaccountable members of that other place.

Will the government agree to a new bill to be passed at all stages that sets hard, accountable targets for pollution reduction so the majority position of Canadians will also be heard at Cancun?

[John Baird, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to take credible action to support a clean environment. We will continue to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We will continue to work with Barack Obama's administration south of the border.

If the member opposite wants to stand in his place and criticize unelected senators making decisions, we could end it all today. We could pass legislation that would bring an elected Senate to Canada. We could pass legislation that would end 45-year terms for unelected senators and limit the terms to 8 years. The member should stand in his place, and let us do the right thing.