House of Commons Hansard #8 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was jobs.
Jim Abbott ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. The Government of Canada immediately released $85 million for the urgent need at that point. President Préval of Haiti has said:
We must draw the lessons from what occurred in Haiti--the massive, spontaneous, generous help was a good response to the disaster. However, its effectiveness must be improved, because effectiveness depends on the quality of coordination.
That is exactly what we are doing.
Shame on that member for playing politics on this issue.
Joe Preston Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan is at work in all communities. It is fueling new economic growth and creating new high-paying jobs for Canadians.
Canada's economic action plan has created and maintained jobs with job creating stimulus and has saved even more through expanded work-sharing agreements. Our Conservative government is also lowering taxes to fuel job growth for tomorrow.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance update the House on the latest news on the job front?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for raising that question because the opposition chose not to, probably because it is such good news.
Canada created 21,000 new jobs in February, which brings us to a total of 160,000 net new jobs since last July. That is good news for Canadians. It is proof that our economic action plan is working and it is proof that the Liberals' plan to raise taxes would not work. They want to raise the GST, which. according to Informetrica, would take--
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, in last week's budget, the Conservatives once again chose the old energy economy over the new. Rather than new investments in green technology, they instead gave the highly profitable oil and gas companies a massive tax giveaway. This means that by 2012 the annual giveaway to just the top three oil companies will be more than all of the money the government has committed to green and renewable energy in this budget .
The government claims to believe in green but these numbers put truth to the lie.
When will the government stop the taxpayer handouts to oil companies and fund a real green future for Canada?
Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the member has his facts simply wrong. If he were to look into the matter, he would find that there is much that we can applaud in Canada, in particular our electricity system which is one of the cleanest of any major industrial democracy in the world. Seventy-five per cent of Canada's electricity system emits no carbon whatsoever.
This government has made investments, such as the green infrastructure fund of $1 billion and the green technology fund of $1 billion, continuing over several years. Those are the kinds of investments that we need to do to continue to ensure we get our electricity system in particular to 90% non-emitting or low-emitting status.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, in Nova Scotia the sustainable development technology program is a leader in tidal energy production but it is absent from the budget, and the highly successful ecoEnergy for renewable power program has been cut altogether.
The government claims that it wants to spur innovation and yet it continues to give all the breaks to the oil economy of the past.
When will the government wake up, stop coddling the uber-profitable oil companies and invest in tomorrow's energy economy?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, this government has invested in those very things. I would just like to go through a couple of the things that we have put money into.
We put $1.5 billion into energy for renewable power, which the member mentioned. We put $1 billion into a clean energy fund, $500 million into sustainable development technology, which she just mentioned. We put $1 billion into the pulp and paper green transformation fund.
This government is committed to renewable energy, to revitalizing energy in this country, and we will continue to work on that.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, the federal budget does not meet Quebec's needs. The aerospace industry is a critical component of Quebec's economy, but it is receiving no targeted assistance despite soft sales and countless layoffs in the Montreal region.
The industry—especially its small and medium-sized businesses—needs targeted measures to support research, but the Conservative government is refusing to do anything.
Why is the government refusing to implement a policy to support the aerospace industry and breathe new life into the sector?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, our government has actively supported the aerospace sector since coming to power. Let us not forget that it was our government that created the strategic aerospace and defence initiative. In addition, we have already invested over $400 million in the aerospace sector. We support the sector because it represents our country's future.
Robert Vincent Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's shipbuilding industry is going through tough times. Last month, almost 1,600 workers were laid off in Lévis. Quebec's industry has to compete with foreign builders who have better support from their government. In the face of uncertainty, workers have started leaving the industry. The loss of skilled labour is the greatest threat to the industry.
Why does the government refuse to implement a real support policy for the shipbuilding industry?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, we are currently taking part in a consultation process with stakeholders from the shipbuilding industry. The shipbuilding strategy will be a national strategy that will benefit thousands of individuals across Canada. We support this industry and I am convinced that this industry has a bright future in Canada.
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Mr. Speaker, any green shoots of recovery will be crushed by the government's monumental $13 billion payroll tax increase, a tax predicted to kill 220,000 jobs. In fact, the Minister of Finance himself described payroll taxes as “proven job killers”.
Why has the minister suddenly flip-flopped and is now imposing a proven job killer on Canadian small businesses?
Ed Komarnicki ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, in fact we have frozen premium rates for EI for two years, 2009-10.
It is quite hypocritical for that member and the leader of Liberal Party to suggest that there is an issue with that when they supported many of those and, in fact, proposed a $4 billion 45-day work year job-killing tax that would have added to the premiums or added to the deficit.
The Liberals cannot have it both ways. They are being hypocritical on this issue.
Navdeep Bains Liberal Mississauga—Brampton South, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is not only the Minister of Finance who thinks payroll taxes are a job killer. One very prominent Canadian asked that the federal government recognize the terrible effect of payroll taxes, particularly on small businesses. He further stated that an EI premium increase was a tax on jobs.
Do members know who said that? It was none other than the Minister of Transport.
Why will the government not listen to its own ministers and quash this job-killing payroll tax?
Ed Komarnicki ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, we put in an EI financing board, an arm's length organization, to ensure that the premiums charged will be equal to the benefits over time.
What we will not do is what the Liberals did in the past, which is raid the EI account to the tune of about $50 billion for pet political projects. We put this in place to ensure that the books would not be balanced on the backs of employers and workers.
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, while the government is slashing corporate taxes, corporations are slashing jobs. Yesterday, 550 hard-working people at the 115-year-old Hamilton Siemens turbine plant were shocked to learn that their jobs were gone, shipped south of the border.
Just days after a budget that “promised” to help Canadian workers find and keep their jobs, 550 more workers have been thrown overboard. It is now time to keep that promise.
What exactly will the government do to help keep those jobs in Hamilton?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, of course we were saddened to hear of this decision but it is actually contrary to what is happening on the ground in many other parts of the country. There were 21,000 new jobs in February alone.
I was in Hamilton yesterday helping to open a brand new facility that the federal government, in part, funded. It will be a great world-class facility when it comes to cardiac and stroke care. That will add new jobs in the health service field. New business will come into Hamilton. That is what we are doing for Hamilton.
Tony Martin NDP Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Mr. Speaker, once again, Huron Central Railway is on its deathbed when it should be on new rail beds with long-term infrastructure. This railway is a valuable freight line for Essar Steel, Domtar and communities from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury. We can return to passenger service and grow the northern economy with rail as a key player.
Is Ottawa committing to new funding and will it convince Ontario to get on board now before it is too late?
Brian Jean ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, it is very important to this government and this government values very much northern communities, which is why we offered the provinces $175 million to fund important projects, such as water, roads and, yes, even rail.
We encourage the Government of Ontario to sign a Canada-Ontario provincial-territorial base fund agreement so that we can continue to get shovels in the ground and keep Canadians working.
We are indeed prepared to support this initiative and we recommend that we move swiftly to sign the Canada-Ontario provincial-territorial base fund agreement, which could be the source of funds for infrastructure.
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government has worked for years to advance free trade. Our government has opened doors to Canadian businesses by implementing free trade agreements with Peru and the European Free Trade Association.
We have also concluded free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and Jordan. These agreements help to expand trade, open doors for Canadian exporters, encourage economic growth and create jobs. That is an impressive record.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade please tell the House what the NDP has been doing while our government has been hard at work?
Gerald Keddy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member for Niagara West—Glanbrook exactly what the NDP has been doing. It has been doing nothing. In fact, it has been doing worse than nothing because it has been obstructing every free trade agreement that we bring before the House.
Instead of standing up for Canadian workers, the NDP stands in front of Canadian workers. Instead of standing up for opportunity, it stands in front of opportunity. Enough is enough. I call on the NDP to support—
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, does the Prime Minister just not get it? Bullying tactics on individuals, insults on provinces and creating havoc at airports is absolutely unacceptable behaviour for a senior cabinet minister.
His former inner circle believes it is outrageous. Kory Teneycke stated, “It speaks to a sense of entitlement and different rules applying...”. Now Tom Flanagan offers, “The minister must go. Her behaviour is not compatible with being a cabinet minister”.
Will the Prime Minister just accept his responsibility and remove the minister from cabinet?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, it is time for the hon. member and, indeed, all members to accept the minister's sincere apology.
