House of Commons Hansard #115 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
Diane Bourgeois Bloc Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, Tony's boat is for sale for $9 million. The problem is that taxpayers paid to have it built. We have also learned that a false invoicing scheme generated a lot of cash to cover the personal expenses of executives of Constructions Louisbourg and Simard-Beaudry Construction.
Now that it has caught Tony Accurso's businesses, will the Canada Revenue Agency go after those who benefited from all that cash?
Jacques Gourde ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting our tax base from anyone who tries to avoid paying their taxes.
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Mr. Speaker, the report tabled this week by the commissioner of the environment was very damning and reads like a tragic comedy.
The ineptitude on the part of the government would make the Trailer Park Boys blush. It raises very important and serious questions. Where is our national emergency management plan? Where are the regional EMPs? Why has the government disregarded and rejected any investment in training?
The big question that people are scratching their heads over and want asked is this. Why has the government turned the responsibility for marine cleanup over to Ricky, Julian and Bubbles?
Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I thank the commissioner for his report.
We are committed to addressing environmental issues that are of concern to all Canadians. The fact is we are already taking action on preventing and preparing for environmental emergencies, strengthening our water monitoring systems and investing in climate change adaptation.
The government has accepted the commissioner's recommendations and actions are already under way.
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Mr. Speaker, maybe we will hear from Ricky and Julian later.
It has gone from a tragic comedy to a fairytale now. It sort of reads like this: “Once upon a time Canadian governments cared about the environment and now they do not give a damn. The end”.
We saw what happened with the BP crisis and the catastrophe of that. There is no happily ever after on this. If those guys do not get it together, we are looking at dire consequences.
When will the government wake up and do something on this important issue?
Mark Warawa ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the member knows well that this government takes the environment seriously. We show up for conferences, and we stay and work hard.
This is what the commissioner of the environment said about the Liberal Party and the gap between what the Liberal government said it would do and what it actually did. He said:
When it comes to protecting the environment, bold announcements are made and then often forgotten as soon as the confetti hits the ground.
The Liberals owe the House an apology for what they did.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadian household debt levels have been rising at an alarming rate for the past four years. Even the Governor of the Bank of Canada is worried. They are now almost one and a half times disposable income.
Where are the jobs the government was supposed to be creating? Without jobs Canadians cannot afford to keep up with even the basics, never mind spending extra to stimulate the economy.
The Bank of Canada is calling for action. When will the government finally get serious about creating quality, family-supporting jobs?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, that is a very troubling question considering that every time we put forward policies to help create jobs, members of the NDP have voted against it.
Members of the NDP have a lot of audacity to stand and say that we are not helping Canadians. Over 440,000 net new jobs have been created since July 2009. The NDP has voted against every initiative we have put forward that has helped to create those jobs.
Wayne Marston NDP Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, we hear the parliamentary secretary, but there are new documents from Service Canada showing that HRSDC is still moving forward with changes that could claw back the GIS payments of thousands of Canadian seniors. Last month the minister said she would end the policy. This week she said, “we have cancelled it”.
In light of these new documents, has it been cancelled or not? Will the government please stop playing games and tell Canadian seniors the truth about this policy?
Ed Komarnicki ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of the member and the Liberal-Bloc-NDP coalition, the policy has been cancelled. Not only has the policy been cancelled, but we have reverted to the old policy that was effective in May 2010. All of the departmental officials have been instructed to follow the old policy. The new one was cancelled. It is not in existence.
Royal Galipeau Conservative Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Mr. Speaker, the part-time environment critic for the opposition coalition, the member for Parkdale—High Park, had Canadian taxpayers pay his way to attend the UN climate change conference. He was supposed to spend the week in Cancun working, but he bailed out of the conference two days early, not even bothering to wait for the delivery of Canada's national statement before heading for the airport.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment tell us what he thinks about this part-time critic's behaviour?
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I do not think that question has anything to do with the administrative responsibility of the government.
The hon. member for Kings—Hants.
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, last month Maple Leaf Foods announced the closure of Larsen's plant in Berwick, Nova Scotia, leaving nearly 300 people out of work. Many of these workers have been at Larsen for over 20 years and some of them have never ever drawn EI benefits. The jobless numbers in this area are now worse than they were last year.
Will the minister extend the program for long-term workers so the people at Larsen, who paid into EI for years, can now get the full EI benefits they deserve?
Ed Komarnicki ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, we have extended the EI pilot projects that related to working while on claim, the best 14 weeks, the extra 5 week pilot project program. We have done a number of initiatives with respect to employment. We have unprecedented investments in training to get Canadians back to work, of over $4 billion in training to help 1.2 million Canadians.
We have done a number of things, including preserving 260,000 jobs protected through our enhanced work-share program, programs that the opposition party members did not necessarily support. We ask them to get behind us in support of those programs.
Gérard Asselin Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, during the 2007 floods in Rivière-au-Renard in the Gaspé, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions committed to helping affected merchants who were not fully covered by Quebec insurance companies and emergency programs.
Does the government plan to take its cue from this precedent and help businesspeople, merchants and NPOs that were victims of the high tides in eastern Quebec?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. member that the Government of Quebec and the federal government have been working very well together on this issue. Members will recall that yesterday my colleague, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, made reference to this collaboration. Once again, I want to assure the member that the federal government, the Government of Canada, is keeping an eye on the situation.
Jim Maloway NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, the government is driving billions of dollars away from the Canadian airline industry. In Winnipeg alone the airport authority believes more than 50,000 Manitobans a year stream across the border for cheaper flights.
A January 9, 2011 flight from Winnipeg to Los Angeles, priced at $342, is only $97 from Fargo, taxes included. The government's taxes, the highest in the world, account for up to 70% of the total fare. It is hurting Canadian airlines, taking $3 billion more every year than it puts in.
Why will the government not help the Canadian aviation industry compete?
Brian Jean ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, it is nice of the member to stand in question period every time, cry foul, talk about encouraging the economy and talk about creating jobs. However, that NDP member represents a caucus that wants to close down Canada and wants to stop creating jobs in Canada.
For the member to stand now and say that he wants to create jobs is very funny indeed. Every opportunity the NDP members have to create jobs in Canada they oppose it. They oppose every one of our economic action plan programs. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Chris Warkentin Conservative Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, our government has taken unprecedented steps toward supporting Canadians during this global economic recession. Thanks to the leadership of this government, Canada's fiscal situation remains one of the strongest in the world today.
We have brought forward a three-point plan to bring this government's budgets into balance. The plan was reflected in the appropriations act that we voted on in the House last night. I wonder if the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board might update the House on the results of that vote?
Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, last night by voting full confidence in our Conservative government's priorities, the Liberals once again admitted that our economic action plan was on track and working. Securing the recovery and creating jobs for Canadians is our number one priority. We will continue to focus on completing the economic action plan and balancing the budget.
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, if the Larsen's plant had closed in September, the workers would have received additional EI benefits under the program for long-term workers, but the program ended in September and the Conservatives did not renew it. The jobless situation in this area is worse now than it was last year when the workers would have actually qualified under this program.
How can the Conservatives justify billions for planes and prisons and next to nothing for the good, hard-working people who have spent years and decades working for Larsen's in Berwick?
Ed Komarnicki ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, we of course extended EI benefits for five additional weeks. We extended it for five to twenty weeks for long-tenured workers during tough economic times during the last couple of years.
In fact, we have taken a number of initiatives to create jobs. If the member and his party had their way, they would increase taxes and kill, according to experts, approximately 400,000 jobs. While we are trying to preserve jobs and an environment to create jobs, they are doing things just the opposite of that.
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and their energy corporations have signed an agreement to develop and transmit 800 megawatts of electricity from the lower Churchill River. The project will bring clean energy to the island of Newfoundland, making its electricity 98% renewable, reduce coal generation in Nova Scotia and provide clean power for New Brunswick and P.E.I.
Does the government agree this is a positive step for Canada in reducing greenhouse gases and providing significant industrial benefits? Will the government commit the financial support for the project and do its part to resolve outstanding aboriginal claims, which could stand in the way?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, of course this government is always in support of things that will help our environment.
Our government has put together Public-Private Partnerships Canada Inc. There is a request that has come in to them to help fund this. The private portion of it is the most important thing that we think should be involved in a project like this. It is under review, it is arm's length from government and we will be looking forward to its solution.
Paule Brunelle Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Foreign Affairs has temporarily closed the Canadian embassy in Haiti because of the current environment of political and social unrest.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us what is being done to maintain a minimum level of diplomatic service and, most importantly, continue activities to reunite families?