Debates of Nov. 30th, 2010

Tax Harmonization

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government often says that Quebec will not receive its $2.2 billion in compensation until the GST and QST are fully harmonized.

But unlike Canada, Quebec does not tax books. Quebec does not tax authors' creations.

Are we to understand that the Minister of Finance expects Quebec to tax books and authors' creations if it wants to receive compensation for tax harmonization? Is that what he wants?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is up to the Government of Quebec to decide whether it wants to tax a given item.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I never would have expected the Minister of Finance to be inspired by his colleague, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, who is stealing from artists. The Minister of Finance, however, wants to steal from Quebec, because the sales taxes are not harmonized quite to his liking and because he wants to collect the QST for Quebec. Quebec has been waiting for 18 years now. What is standing in the way of a positive agreement between the federal government and Quebec? Where is the problem? They have been negotiating for 18 years. They need to get on with it.

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we are discussing a number of factors with the Government of Quebec. I discussed some of them with the minister of finance of Quebec last week. Again, our officials continue to discuss a number of factors.

The goal is to get to a true harmonization, if that is what the Government of Quebec wants. If we are able to get there, that will be an accomplishment. However, the discussions are continuing.

Afghanistan

[Jean Dorion, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is finally confirming that child soldiers have been arrested and transferred to the Afghan security services, which are sadly known for torturing detainees handed over to them. It is shameful.

How many children has Canada transferred to the Afghan authorities?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the Prime Minister was very clear in his response a few moments ago. We have a system in place. When a member of the Taliban under 18 is arrested, certain procedures are followed. Under those procedures, these people are not detained in the same place. They are treated the same way and all the conventions to that effect are respected.

[Jean Dorion, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how many children have been transferred to the Afghan torture services?

In the past, the transfer of adult detainees to the Afghan security services was criticized because of serious concerns that the Afghans were torturing the detainees in their custody.

Does the minister not think that Canada should have stopped the transfers at the first hint of torture, especially when children are involved?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as hon. members know, we have managed to correct a transfer, an arrangement, an agreement that was in place. We have improved it. This improvement allows us, at any time, to have access to those who have been transferred.

I want to remind the hon. member that since this arrangement has been in place, almost 280 visits have been made without notice to the Afghan authorities.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal broadcasters who have served Canada admirably for years are in crisis because of the incompetence of the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Fourteen aboriginal broadcasters started paying their salaries, rent, heat and electricity April 1. Where is the government cheque that should have arrived in April to pay those bills?

It is much worse than that. In fact, Northern Native Broadcasting and some other broadcasters have not received a cent for the entire year and are on the verge of laying off staff, cancelling payroll and programming and possible dissolution.

How could the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Minister of Health let the Minister of Canadian Heritage create such a mess in aboriginal broadcasting?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, we are proud partners with our aboriginal broadcasters across the country.

With regard to the issues that the member has brought forward, we are in discussions with them to ensure that aboriginal broadcasters will continue to go forward and provide the services that people, certainly in the north, have come to expect.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, eight months into the fiscal year is a little to be in discussions.

Sadly, this debacle is only the tip of the iceberg of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the government's attack on aboriginal people: millions of dollars cut from proposed aboriginal language funding; shutting down the Aboriginal Healing Foundation; $5 billion cut from aboriginal people for economic development, health, education and governance.

Why did the current government find $130 million for partisan Conservative advertising, but cannot find the $9 million it owes its aboriginal broadcasters? Will the minister send emergency cheques this week?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, it is very nice to hear the member for Yukon talking once again, pretending to represent his backyard, when he spent his time this summer saying, when I was there, that we should be listening to Yukoners. We did. What did the member do? He voted against the removal of the gun registry and he voted for the anti-mining legislation in the House, against the wishes of his own constituents.

Afghanistan

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister just said that Canadian officials responsible for monitoring detainees made 280 visits.

How many of these 280 visits concerned children in the hands of Afghan security forces?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to my hon. colleague that in the course of the 280 visits made during that period, no allegation—when one was made—was determined to be founded. When we receive complaints, they are managed by the authorities in the field. Furthermore, we conduct random inspections and visits.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is almost an example of here we go again. It has taken us three days for the minister to tell us how many visits have been made to the prisons with respect to inspections. He has told us now that there in fact are juveniles who are in custody in Afghanistan and he has those two numbers. All we are asking and have been asking all day long, and we still want an answer, is, how many of those visits concern children? Give us that straightforward answer. Why can he not do it?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have been able to correct an error of the past. We have been able to put in place a regime that enables Canadians to inspect and to go and visit at any moment, at any time, along with the Afghan human rights committee. We can do that and we have done it. Up to now, we have been able to do close to 280 visits of this nature.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that Quebeckers pay some of the highest taxes in the Americas. The coalition parties want to squeeze them some more by imposing a new tax on iPods without taking aim at piracy. With Christmas approaching, the last thing Quebec families need is a new tax. By defending a new tax, the Bloc members are clearly demonstrating that they are out of touch with the Quebec reality.

Would the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages tell the House the government's position on this new tax?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague articulated himself so well in French, maybe I will also add to this in English.

This Conservative government has put forward copyright legislation that balances the interests of consumers and creators. What the other side has proposed is a tax, frankly, on everything: a tax on laptops, computers, cellphones, BlackBerrys, iPods, iPads. It hurts consumers. It is bad for Canadians. It is bad for the creative community to make it more expensive for Canadians to enjoy Canadian content. We will oppose the opposition's iPod tax every single step of the way.

Foreign Affairs

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, leaked documents reveal disturbing comments made by the former CSIS director to foreign officials. Jim Judd attacked the rule of law in our country and he insulted Canadians' respect for human rights and our basic freedoms. Mr. Judd called Canadian values “Alice in Wonderland” and said court rulings that prohibit torture tied CSIS “in knots”.

Does the Minister of Public Safety agree with Mr. Judd? Does he think these are appropriate comments for a Canadian bureaucrat to be making to foreign officials?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we must remember that these are not Canadian documents. I repeat, these are not Canadian documents. Irresponsible leaks such as these are deplorable and certainly do not serve anybody's national interests. I am reminded that the perpetrators of these leaks may threaten national security or endanger the men and women who are serving abroad.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing that these leaks are endangering is the government's integrity.

Mr. Judd's comments also reveal how deeply the government plays politics and manipulates the truth. Conservatives say we must support the Afghan government with more troops, while Mr. Judd calls it corrupt and says it lacks the will to combat narcotics.

Conservatives say that sending private information on Canadian travellers to U.S. homeland security is justified, while Mr. Judd says concerns about domestic terrorism are overblown.

Someone is not telling us the truth. Is it the government or Mr. Judd?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Let us be clear, Mr. Speaker. The United States and Canada enjoy one of the closest and most extensive relationships in the world. Those relationships will not be changed by what has occurred with these leaks.

Once again I want to be perfectly clear. We have had discussions with the ambassador. Secretary of State Clinton has spoken to me on that and I am extremely satisfied by the responses that we have been able to obtain from our American neighbours.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Jim Judd, lamented that the release of images of Omar Khadr's interrogation would trigger paroxysms of moral outrage.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the comments made by the former CSIS director reflect the attitude of his Conservative government, which refuses to admit that what is immoral is that it abandoned a Canadian child to American torturers in Guantanamo?

[Lawrence Cannon, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I have already said twice now. These are not Canadian documents. Irresponsible leaks like these are deplorable and certainly do not serve anybody's national interests. The United States and Canada have a an excellent relationship, a strong relationship. I do not think this information, which in many cases is unjustified, is part of building a strong relationship.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the documents obtained by WikiLeaks also reveal that the former CSIS director complained that the justice system and the courts paralyze Canadian intelligence services.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the comments made by the former CSIS director reflect the attitude of his Conservative government, which is constantly complaining about the work of judges and which seems incapable of tolerating any opposition?