Debates of Nov. 22nd, 2010

Childhood Cancer

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today it is my privilege to tell the House about an incredible young woman of determination and great courage.

Stephanie Simmons is a 16-year-old grade 11 student at Clarke Road Secondary School in London, Ontario. She is also a childhood cancer survivor who has battled cancer since 2004, and understands the physical and emotional impact of the disease on individuals and their families and friends.

It is Stephanie's goal to convince Canada Post to create a commemorative stamp to promote awareness of childhood cancer in honour of the many children who have faced the disease. Today, more than 10,000 Canadian children live with cancer. Each year, 1,500 cases are diagnosed.

Stephanie's own words are the most powerful argument:

...Sometimes I wonder if there are ten thousand kids just like me...how is it that we don't hear more about kid's cancer?

...I would love to honour and thank all the survivors that have come before us, their strength and determination to beat their disease inspires all of us current warriors to dig in and keep fighting....

But mostly I want to honour all the brave warriors that have lost their battle. I want these heroes and their families to know that they have not been forgotten.....

Canada's Economic Action Plan

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan is working, as shown by the thousands of jobs that have been created since July 2009, the restoration of economic growth and the fact that Canada is the first country in the industrialized world to recover from the recession. The economy is not just about numbers. It is about people and families.

We need to plan the next step of the economic action plan. We will ensure economic recovery by ensuring that our economic policies are in line with the values and principles we share with Canadian families: living within our means, saving by reducing waste, and keeping taxes low in order to create jobs and maintain growth.

We will not undertake any new, useless government spending that would increase taxes and make jobs vanish, thus stunting Canada's fragile economic growth.

Use of Wood in Federal Buildings

[Robert Bouchard, Bloc, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Order of Architects publicly supports Bill C-429 to promote the use of wood in the construction and renovation of federal buildings. André Bourassa, the order's president, stated, “We have the ability to integrate.... It is time to begin this shift in Quebec....”

He also disagreed with the Conservative members for Jonquière—Alma and Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, who are spreading false information by saying that we are not ready for Bill C-429.

The Conservative government's inconsistency when it comes to the forestry industry never ceases to amaze us. While it refuses to support Bill C-429, it initiated the North American wood first initiative, which encourages greater use of wood in non-residential construction. Yet that policy does nothing to encourage the use of wood in its own federal buildings. The Conservative government is sending mixed messages. Bill C-429 is a step in the right direction, but the Conservatives are demonstrating, once again, the lack of consideration—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Wascana.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, over the past few weeks we have heard a lot about Saskatchewan's strategic resources, especially potash, but nothing is more strategic in Saskatchewan than our precious Roughriders.

Facing temperatures of 30° below zero, the tough Calgary Stampeders, and the bad memories of last year at McMahon Stadium, the Riders came from behind yesterday in the CFL western final to seize the division championship once again. Now it is on to the 2010 Grey Cup game next weekend against the Montreal Alouettes. This will be the 98th Grey Cup.

Significantly, the Saskatchewan Roughriders pre-date the national championship. The roots of the Riders run all the way back to 1910, so this is the team's 100th anniversary. A century of Rider pride will warm up Edmonton this week.

Congratulations to president Jim Hopson, general manager Brendan Taman, head coach Ken Miller, quarterback Darian Durant, and every Roughrider and Roughrider wannabe in every corner of Canada.

Green is the colour.

Taxation

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Tony Genco, the Liberal candidate in Vaughan, recently told the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce in regard to taxes, “We can't afford to increase them”.

Unfortunately for Mr. Genco, his Ottawa boss is promising to raise taxes. The Liberal leader has promised to hike taxes on businesses, hurting our job creators when we need them the very most.

Groups such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce have warned that the Liberal plan to raise taxes is a disastrous idea that will put the brakes on job growth, and it is the wrong thing to do if we want to create jobs and growth in the economy.

The Liberal leader has openly proclaimed that he will have to raise taxes and has said, “I am not going to take a GST hike off the table”.

Tony Genco has proudly referred to the Liberal leader as his mentor. We understand why Mr. Genco would want to hide from his mentor's job-killing tax hike agenda, but that is no excuse for his attempts to mislead the good people of Vaughan.

National Defence

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in the finance minister's prebudget crusade against “risky spending schemes”, he needs to look in his own backyard at the scheme to write a blank cheque for stealth fighter jets.

The Auditor General says this project is very high risk. The Pentagon and U.S. Senator John McCain said that costs are out of control. Reports today suggest billions more in cost overruns and more delay.

Will the finance minister say no to this Conservative risky spending scheme that will add billions to his deficit?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me say this. The Government of Canada, when the hon. member opposite was a member of the cabinet, spent some $170 million in the development of this very same aircraft. It would seem rather strange that we would spend literally $170 million and then change our minds and go with a different plane.

This is the only option on the table, the only fifth generation stealth fighter. It is the same plane which 10 of our closest allies are purchasing. The American government has put a significant amount of money into the development of this plane. We believe that our men and women in uniform need this plane to do the job after 2020, when the logical lifespan of the CF-18s expires.

Government Priorities

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, there are at least two other competitive bidders.

This is the government that increased federal spending by three times the rate of inflation before there was any recession, that put Canada back into deficit before there was any recession, that blew a billion bucks on one extravagant, wasteful weekend with the G20, and another billion on advertising consultants and a bloated PMO, plus that $16 billion for those stealth fighters and $10 billion for bigger jails.

Where is the plan to fix all these risky, reckless, Conservative schemes?

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

Mr. Speaker, it was the Minister of Finance who stood in this place some two years ago and brought forward Canada's economic action plan, a plan that was so good, even the Liberal Party of Canada stood up and supported it.

The good news is that the plan is working. We have seen the creation of some 420,000 net new jobs. That is incredibly positive for the Canadian economy, but we must not celebrate. We must recommit ourselves to keeping taxes low and avoid the temptation that the Liberals seem to have of raising taxes.

That is our focus. That is our priority and the job is not yet done. We will continue to fight for more jobs for Canada.

Taxation

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the government says that helping families care for sick loved ones is reckless, fixing long-term disability pensions for desperate Nortel workers is risky, helping students get to university is risky, but somehow it is not risky or reckless to borrow another $6 billion to give an extra tax break to big corporations.

Those corporations already had their taxes cut by 35%. They already have the second lowest rate in the G7 and a 10-point tax advantage over the U.S.

Why is helping families reckless, but $6 billion for the richest corporations is not?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what is important. It is important that we create a tax dynamic in Canada that makes us a magnet, a magnet for jobs, a magnet for investment, and a magnet for opportunity. That is exactly what we are doing.

What we know is that high taxes kill jobs. We saw that in Ontario during the last recession and we will not make those same mistakes in Canada.

Infrastructure

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, more than 1,000 infrastructure projects are in jeopardy because of the arbitrary March 31 deadline imposed by the Conservatives.

They have no problem making announcements and posting signs to the tune of $40 million, but when it comes time to pay the bill, the Prime Minister hides.

It is as though the Prime Minister invited the municipalities out to a restaurant and now he wants to slip away before the bill arrives and leave it to his guests to pay.

Is that what the Minister of Finance calls fair and reasonable?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we have already announced that we are going to be very fair and reasonable on this. In fact, I have met now with virtually all of the transport and infrastructure ministers across the country. We are getting all the data in on the status of various projects from coast to coast. That data is very useful as we do an analysis of what projects may be at risk and how we can help.

When I met with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities executive last week I was able to show how, by working closely together, we were able to get not only the best projects for Canada but we were able to create some 420,000 to 430,000 new jobs. That obviously is good co-operation.

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows that the government is being vague on purpose. We need clear answers.

What will their criteria be? We want to know which municipalities will have to increase their property taxes to finish the construction abandoned by the Conservatives. Will the Conservatives agree to pay their share of the projects that they promised to the municipalities and citizens? If not, we are going to end up with 1,000 broken promises and 1,000 unpaid bills. What are their criteria for projects that exceed the March 31 deadline?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it has gone exceptionally well. The Auditor General audited this program. She said it is a model on how to roll out a big economic action plan.

Let me quote:

As we go into an era of deficit fighting, we cannot return to the 1990s--what we call the lost decade....We feel the economic action plan has been very successful, (but) we feel it's time to move on.

Who said that? Brock Carlton, the CEO of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, said that. The municipalities know the 1990s, the Liberal era, the lost decade, the decade of darkness. What we are doing now is co-operative federalism with the municipalities.

Afghanistan

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the middle of the NATO summit, the Prime Minister had the nerve to promise not to extend the mission in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Yet on January 6, 2010, the Prime Minister publicly stated that there would be no military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2011, aside from what was needed to protect the Canadian embassy.

Does the Prime Minister realize that when he broke his promise not to extend the military mission in Afghanistan, he lost all credibility as to what would come next, and that people no longer believe him?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, we clearly stated, with our allies, that Canada's combat mission would end in late 2011. That has been very clear from the start. During the transition, we will continue to provide aid, focus on development and help that country, as we have said.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in May 2006, the Prime Minister said there would be a vote on any troop deployment abroad, whether or not it was in a combat role. That is what the Prime Minister said here in the House.

Will the Prime Minister at least keep that promise and hold a debate and a vote in the House on extending the mission in Afghanistan beyond 2011, regardless of the form the mission will take, because Canada will still have military personnel there? Will he go back on the promise he made?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, as members are aware, after a decade of darkness, our government has supported the armed forces as never before, and we will keep on doing so. As the Prime Minister has said, this training role, which is a non-combat role, will ensure that the progress the Canadian Forces have made to date continues. The sacrifices made by our brave men and women in uniform have helped build a safer, more stable, more prosperous Afghanistan that is no longer a haven for terrorists.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, according to documents obtained by Climate Action Network Canada, three departments have put in place an extensive international lobbying effort to defend oil sands operations. This “oil sands advocacy strategy” primarily targets the efforts of California and the European Union to improve the quality of fuels and automobiles.

Why is the government lobbying against the environmental policies of countries that want to do more? Why adopt such a strategy?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, one thing that annoys the Bloc more than anything is that this government is able to work with everyone. We are able to work with the provinces. We are able to work with industry.

The Bloc just cannot seem to understand that we are working for the future. We are developing future policy in terms of environmental issues and in terms of dealing with natural resources. At every turn, the Bloc opposes each of those steps.

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

Mr. Speaker, what annoys the Bloc is that this government is working with the oil companies. That is the reality.

The government lobbyists have developed a number of communication tools to torpedo international efforts and help Canadian oil companies. In one of its lobbying campaigns, the former Minister of Natural Resources even made veiled threats that legal action would be taken against California if it did not drop its greenhouse gas reduction measures.

How can the government justify devoting more energy to fighting international greenhouse gas reduction efforts than to reducing its own emissions?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know very well that Quebec profits from the oil sands industry. The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec invested more than $380 million in the oil sands. It invested more than $600 million in Canadian Natural Resources Limited. Furthermore, even the leader of the Bloc has personally benefited from this industry through the Caisses populaires Desjardins's Helios program. Those on the other side of the House should call themselves the new PQ, the “Pétrolières québécoises”.

Afghanistan

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' decision to extend the mission in Afghanistan without a vote in Parliament is beyond understanding. They have extended it twice now.

NATO is now making it clear that 2014 is not a fixed date.

We do not yet have clear figures on the costs.

What is the Prime Minister waiting for to present a clear plan? When will the House of Commons vote on extending this mission?