Debates of March 19th, 2010

Shipbuilding

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Speech from the Throne refers to a long-term approach to federal procurement. I did not get a chance to continue reading the actual specific measures that this government has taken, so I will continue.

With regard to the structured financing facility, which is extended until 2011, there is an additional investment of $50 million in the program to help buyers purchase ships built in Canada. The Canada first defence strategy also announced a series of Maritime-based procurements with an estimated value of $43 billion over the next 30 years.

Public Safety

[James Lunney, Conservative, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that this Conservative government is committed to ensuring that our communities are safe places for people to live and raise their families.

This week, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Public Safety introduced important safety measures and legislation that will further protect Canadians. I am proud to be part of a Conservative government that places the rights of victims ahead of the rights of criminals.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety update the House on these important pieces of legislation and how they will further protect Canadians?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his support and hard work on this file.

This has been an important week. We released the federal emergency response plan. The Minister of Justice introduced legislation to strengthen the young offenders system. On Wednesday, the protecting victims from sex offenders act was tabled in the Senate. Yesterday, the Minister of Public Safety tabled important amendments to the International Transfer of Offenders Act. Today, our Conservative government announced further action toward effective gun control.

Canadians expect to be protected from crime. They want to be safe in their communities and on the streets and we are delivering.

Rural Regions

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, since the Conservatives came to power, we are seeing a massive wave of job losses. In my riding, highly trained Service Canada employees who are retiring are not being replaced and their positions are simply being transferred elsewhere.

Now we learn that the Conservatives are going to eliminate all the employment insurance processing positions in the regions of New Brunswick. My riding will have lost more than 24 well-paid permanent positions.

Why are the Conservatives attacking the country's rural regions? Why are they so against the Atlantic regions? Why do they have no respect for people from rural Canada?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we have made many investments in New Brunswick. We understand we also have some challenges in New Brunswick in the forestry industry, to name one, and the fishing industry, to name another.

I do not know where the hon. member is getting his information on reduction of federal jobs. We are not reducing jobs in New Brunswick.

Firearms Registry

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

Mr. Speaker, the second-in-command at the RCMP told the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that the firearms registry is an important tool for police and that it increases public safety. However, the Conservative government is obsessed with dismantling the registry. Extending the amnesty declared in May 2006 for those who have not registered their firearms makes no sense whatsoever.

Will the minister admit that the RCMP Deputy Commissioner has more credibility than he does when it comes to issues of public safety?

[Dave MacKenzie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the comment in question was a personal opinion and clearly stated as such. Our Conservative government does not agree. We believe that the money wasted on the long gun registry would be better spent on effective gun control, measures that actually target criminals.

I would like to remind the member that there are also those in law enforcement who agree with our side. They suggest that we should be ending the long gun registry now.

Infrastructure

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, people of northern Manitoba rely on winter roads to get what they need. Usually the roads are open for over eight weeks. This year, due to a mild winter, they have been open for much less. Despite the Conservatives' denials, climate change is real, and the consequences, especially in Canada's north, are serious.

Will the government provide assistance to communities and first nations in my region to get the essential goods and services that they need? Will it also commit to investing in a long-term strategy, along with the province of Manitoba, to build a sustainable, long-term, all-weather road network?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, there is a significant amount of concern for those people living in rural and remote areas by those of us in government. We have made an unprecedented commitment to infrastructure in this country. I am pleased to report to the member that we have an excellent working relationship with the Government of Manitoba, and particularly the hard-working minister of transportation of Manitoba.

I will certainly take the hon. member's concern back to the table and see what we can do to help improve the lives, not just of the people of her constituency but in all rural and remote parts of this great country.

The Budget

[Stephen Woodworth, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition shockingly voted against supporting jobs and economic growth in Canada when it voted against budget 2010 and year two of Canada's economic action plan. It voted against a budget that Canadians from coast to coast to coast are applauding.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance please inform the House what he has heard about Canadians' response to budget 2010?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kitchener Centre for highlighting the fact that the opposition continues to talk down the economy when Canadians are actually applauding it. They are applauding year two of Canada's economic action plan.

Let me quote the mayor of Cornerbrook, Newfoundland, who said, “The federal budget is a positive one for municipalities”. Montreal's Board of Trade praised it for improving long-term productivity and competitiveness in Canada. B.C.'s Institute of Technology said that it would be important to enhancing the innovative capacity of the Canadian economy.

If I had more time, I would continue.

Rural Regions

[Jean-Claude D'Amours, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has to understand that a position cut and transferred is a job lost in rural areas. When 24 good federal jobs are lost, the economy of our regions is affected and opportunities for our youth are curtailed.

Before talking about the decentralization of jobs in rural regions, the Conservatives could at least show respect and replace the positions in our regions which were moved elsewhere as part of centralization.

There is only one thing for the Conservatives to do and that is apologize and bring jobs back to our regions. When will the Prime Minister stop the hemorrhaging imposed in rural areas?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the member has information with which I am not familiar. If he could provide me with the information, I will take a look at it and we will go from there.

International Aid

[Jim Maloway, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the earthquake and aftershocks that hit Chile have left the country and its people devastated. As of yet there are no federal funds matching what Canadians have donated to the relief efforts. No Canadian warships loaded with supplies or talk of waiving immigration rules. Simply put, our response has been embarrassing.

After the earthquake in Haiti, not only did Canadians donate generously, but the government matched donations and sent aid immediately. Why is the same not happening for Chile?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas)]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member speaks from a position of ignorance, innocent ignorance perhaps.

I had the honour of visiting Chile last week for the inauguration. The capacity of this country, a virtual developed country, to respond is very different from that of the government of Haiti. We are awaiting the new government's direction and suggestion of how exactly our assistance might be delivered.

Medical Isotopes

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, AECL informed us that the Chalk River nuclear reactor would not be up and running before mid-May and would probably not produce any medical isotopes before June. In the meantime, medical treatments are being postponed, patients are concerned and Quebec and other provincial governments are footing the bill for the additional costs of the isotope shortage.

The date for restarting the reactor has been postponed five times; how can we believe that this time is for real?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, no one is more frustrated than our government with the slow progress of this project and the continued delays that are completely unacceptable.

The health and safety of Canadians remains the top priority of the government of Canada, and the security of the isotope supply is a global issue requiring a global response. That is why our government led the way in the creation of the high level group on medical isotopes to make the global supply more secure and more predictable.

Veterans Affairs

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the throne speech the government paid homage to Allied war veterans. Allied war veterans, who have been Canadian citizens since the 1940s and 1950s, have helped build the Canada we have today. They have paid taxes on their hard-earned income over the years, but do not have the same access to the Ste. Anne's Hospital as other veterans. Why not? The hospital has empty beds.

[Greg Kerr, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that is a good question and certainly a matter that continues to be under review. As the member would be aware, in the budget this year there is a big effort to extend benefits toward new veterans, the young veterans that are coming on stream as the old veterans pass away. There have been adjustments to many of the programs and certainly they will continue. That certainly is a matter that is of concern to us as well.

Treaties

[Jim Abbott, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, under section 32 of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, four treaties.

First, an Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters, signed in Ottawa on August 14, 2007.

Second, an Exchange of Notes constituting an amendment to the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Mutual Administrative Assistance on Customs Matters, signed in Ottawa on August 14, 2007, signed on March 30, 2009, and on April 28, 2009; extending the Agreement to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.

Third, an Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania concerning Youth Exchanges signed in Vilnius on November 19, 2009.

Fourth, an Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of Estonia concerning Youth Exchanges signed in Tallinn on December 14, 2009.

An exploratory memorandum is included in each treaty.

I am also tabling the “Global Partnership Program” report in the House of Commons.

Pursuant to section 32(2) of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, I have the honour to lay upon the table, in both official languages, the “Report on Canada's Contribution to the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction”.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Joe Preston, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

In accordance with its order of reference of Wednesday, March 3, 2010, the committee has considered vote 5C, the House of Commons, under Parliament in supplementary estimates (C) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, and reports the same.

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion, that for the calendar year 2010 in the present Parliament, Standing Order 81(4) be amended by replacing the words “March 1” with the words “March 3”.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Does the hon. government House leader have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Standing Orders

[Jay Hill, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

In that case, Mr. Speaker, reluctantly, pursuant to Standing Order 56.1, I move:

That, for the calendar year 2010 in the present Parliament, Standing Order 81(4) be amended by replacing the words “March 1” with the words “March 3”.