Debates of Nov. 23rd, 2010

Public Works and Government Services

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister first said he did not discuss contracts at the cocktail fundraiser. Now we know he spent some 40 minutes negotiating with a construction contractor who later received $650 million in contracts from public works.

The fact is that the Conservative operatives are running a kickback scheme. They give out contracts, they get kickbacks, and they had the minister's help.

Does the Prime Minister condone this corruption? If not, why has the minister not been fired from cabinet, or is that treatment reserved exclusively for cabinet ministers who are women?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is quite unbelievable. I would have expected that from other members of her party, but not from the hon. member.

Let us look at the facts. Senior officials from the Department of Public Works appeared before committee. They said that all of the proper processes were followed and that there was no political interference with respect to any of these government contracts. That is the high ethical standards set by this government.

With respect to big money in politics, it was this government and the Prime Minister that finally once and for all eliminated the influence of big money in politics.

G8 and G20 Summits

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives continue to stonewall attempts to obtain spending records of the Ontario Provincial Police during the G8 and G20 summits. Every other department or agency has released its figures, except Julian Fantino's OPP. What we are seeing is peek-a-boo disclosure from a peek-a-boo Conservative candidate taking his lead from a peek-a-boo Prime Minister.

What are the Conservatives hiding for Julian Fantino? How could it possibly be worse than a $9,000 power cord, glow sticks and a fake lake?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as the parliamentary secretary already stated, this agreement was signed in March 2010 by Ontario minister Rick Bartolucci, who is someone the member opposite should recognize as a fellow Liberal.

However, what we still do not know is what Tony Genco is hiding from Canadians and why his friends at Downsview Park are refusing to release information on his expenses.

Many Canadians would agree with me that it is rather hypocritical of the federal Liberals to stand in this place and spout party rhetoric while Tony Genco's expense reports remain a secret.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it has been six weeks since the government operations committee first requested the OPP spending records. That was on October 7. The committee waited a month and got nothing. Last week the committee asked that the documents be delivered by this morning. They were not. Today the committee had no choice but to order the OPP to deliver the documents.

Why is the Prime Minister protecting his candidate in Vaughan? What does he have to hide?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the member should be asking his Liberal colleagues in Toronto why they signed the agreement indicating that they would have those expenses by December 1.

We still do not know who this Tony Genco is hiding from Canadians and why his friends at Downsview Park are refusing to release information on his expenses. Tony Genco's expense reports remain a secret.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, this government does not hesitate to spread misinformation to try to justify why the largest military contract in Canadian history will not be subject to the industrial and regional benefits policy. The government is making promises of possible spinoffs to the tune of $12 billion for the Canadian industry, while the Pentagon is talking about spinoffs of only $3.9 billion.

How can we believe the Prime Minister when he tells us that Quebec will get its share of the economic spinoffs when, from the beginning, he has been exaggerating the impact they will have?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we have maintained all along that this particular contract, a process which began under the previous government, will bring great benefits not only to the Canadian air force but, of course, to the Canadian aerospace industry. They are very supportive.

In fact, looking at the aerospace industry's recent release on the subject matter, the industry is predicting to compete for the production of 3,000 to 5,000 aircraft. This represents more than $12 billion in opportunities on the partners fleet only, excluding those related to sustainment and foreign military sales. This is from the Canadian aerospace industry, which I think would please the hon. member.

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

Mr. Speaker, the current government, the previous government and the Pentagon do not agree on the extent of the impact the economic spinoffs from the F-35s will have on Canada. The current government is talking about spinoffs of $12 billion while the Americans and the previous government predicted much more modest spinoffs.

Does this uncertainty not prove that the government should require a minimum level of economic spinoffs for the Quebec aerospace industry?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, when the competition occurred some time ago, there clearly were estimates at that time. We are talking about seven years ago. The U.S. state department's report goes back to June 2003. As usual, the members opposite are behind the times when it comes to this particular matter.

They supported it at one time. I know the Liberal Party did. I think the member opposite supports the aerospace industry, which stands to gain up to $12 billion in benefits with respect to these contracts. I thought the member, who comes from Quebec, wanted the Quebec aerospace industry to benefit from contracts like this.

Quebec City Arena

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

Mr. Speaker, a new arena is a significant development tool for Quebec City. Without an arena, the city's economic growth is at risk of being compromised. Mayor Labeaume has said that he needs a firm commitment from the federal government by December 31 concerning the Quebec City arena. There are fewer than 40 days remaining until this deadline.

I am calling on the Prime Minister. Will he tell the truth to Mayor Labeaume and the people of Quebec, more than 60,000 of whom participated in the Blue March?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government's position on this issue is very clear. We believe that this project should be funded primarily by the private sector. If the government were to contribute to this kind of project, it would do so in a fair and affordable manner throughout the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has been dragging its feet on the arena issue for months. The City of Quebec has promised $50 million, the Government of Quebec has promised $180 million and the private sector has raised at least $13 million through the J’ai ma place program. All that is missing is the federal contribution. For weeks now, Mayor Labeaume has been asking for a meeting with the Prime Minister. It seems as though the minister responsible for Quebec is unable to deliver the goods.

When will the Prime Minister meet with the Quebec City mayor?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, is there actually anyone in the Quebec region who thinks that the Bloc Québécois will make this project happen with its Bloc dollars? That is impossible. These people have been in the House for 20 years and have yet to do anything concrete in the Quebec region. The only major investments made by Bloc Québécois members over the past 20 years have been in their private pension plans.

National Defence

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, recently released Pentagon documents make a mockery of the Conservative claim of surrounding economic benefits for the F-35 purchase. While the government falsely speaks of $12 billion in benefits, the Pentagon estimates them to be less than one-third of that.

Why will the government not stop inflating the benefits and lowballing the costs, and have an open, competitive process to replace the CF-18s exactly as it told the Americans it would do in that same document?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I answered this question not three minutes ago. The documents the member is talking about, the U.S. Department of Justice report, is seven years old. As usual, the Liberal Party is behind the times when it comes to military matters. The report, written three years before this government signed the industrial participation plans, promises even more work now for Canadian companies. With respect to the F-35, given the current sales projections, the success the Canadian industry has already demonstrated, I am confident, and members on this side of the House are confident, that these estimates for the industrial aerospace industry will in fact reach $12 billion. The member should support the--

[The Speaker, Peter Milliken]

Order. The hon. member for Beauséjour.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives talk incessantly about the supposed $12 billion in economic spinoffs. And yet we learned today that the Pentagon estimates that the spinoffs for Canada will be less than one-third of that amount. In addition, apparently the Conservative government had formally informed the United States that there would be a tendering process to determine whether the F-35 is the best aircraft for Canada.

Why are the Conservatives refusing to go that route, which would be more responsible and more advantageous for our Canadian industry?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I just said that the report was seven years old. That is almost as long as it has taken the member's moustache to fill in.

The Canadian aerospace industry association said on November 16 that it has the ability to compete and produce 3,000 to 5,000 aircraft. This represents $12 billion in aerospace industry contracts.

The aerospace industry association in a recent press release urged members of Parliament to support the future of the aerospace industry's 150,000 direct jobs and reject the Liberal motion before the House for a vote today.

Pensions

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, seniors are facing a tough choice between putting food on the table and paying their bills. Gina and her husband are one of those couples. They live in Vaughan. They have worked hard to put a roof over their heads, but they fear they will lose their home as their Canada pension plan benefits are not sufficient to make ends meet.

How can the Prime Minister waste $1.2 billion of taxpayer money on fake lakes and unneeded advertising, yet he cannot find the money to reform the CPP?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we are all committed to ensuring adequate pension retirement income for Canadians. As we know, the federal government is responsible for only about 10% of the pension plans in Canada. We have had very constructive, progressive discussions with our provincial and territorial partners. I look forward to continuing them when we meet again as finance ministers in Alberta in about a month.

Small Business

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, small- and medium-size business owners in Vaughan are having a hard time accessing credit. The CFIB states that SMEs employ 53% of all working individuals. Mr. Ken Singh, a small manufacturer in Vaughan, wants to hire six new people. He wants to know why the Prime Minister is borrowing money to give unaffordable corporate tax cuts to large corporations, but is doing nothing for SMEs that are the actual engines of growth.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, no government has done more to help small business in Canada than this government. Small businesses have asked us to cut taxes and cut red tape and that is exactly what the government has done. We have lowered the small business tax rate. We have reduced red tape on small businesses. We will continue to do the strong work that small businesses have called on us to do.

Foreign Affairs

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are horrified to hear of the case of Ms. Ashtiani, an Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning without a fair trial. Canadians were also shocked to learn of Iran's candidacy for the executive board of new UN women, a body meant to promote the advancement of women's rights worldwide.

Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs please tell the House what Canada is doing to address women's rights in Iran?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of Canada and, indeed, all members of the House hopefully, we condemn strongly the discriminatory treatment of women by the Iranian authorities. Canada is deeply concerned by the case of Ms. Ashtiani and other women who have suffered egregious violations of their human rights. We also remember, with sorrow and outrage, the treatment of Canadian citizen Zahra Kazemi.

Canada opposed Iran's membership to the executive board of new UN women and its candidacy was rightfully defeated. Our government stands firmly with the people of Iran against human rights abuses—