House of Commons Hansard #14 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was jobs.

Topics

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

It's a flip-flop.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

It's a big flip-flop.

On January 5, the Prime Minister said on CBC The National:

The decision to prorogue, when the government has the confidence of the House, is a routine constitutional matter.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:20 p.m.

Rob Nicholson

Hear, hear.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:20 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

The justice minister said “hear, hear”. He is a good friend of mine. I agree on a lot of things he is doing. I support the justice minister with respect to some of his legislation, and he knows that. However, on some of these issues, we do not see eye to eye. The Prime Minister cannot sing and dance at the same time, or maybe he can.

Nevertheless, it is a question of a lack credibility on behalf of the Prime Minister and his government, which causes Canadians, and us as well, not to trust him and the government. The Prime Minister seems to do things according to his agenda.

I could go on and on and talk about how and what the Prime Minister said a year ago, or back in 2004 when he sent a letter to the then Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson, in co-operation with the other two leaders of the opposition, the leader of the Bloc Québécois and the leader of the NDP. That was okay then, when he asked the Governor General to do what in essence was being asked in 2010, but today it is not.

I read the concern of one of my constituents into the record the other day, Mr. Frandsen, and I will repeat it today. He said:

If the Prime Minister can behave and do what he is doing while having a minority government, can you imagine what he will do if he had a majority government?

That is scary.

I want to go on and talk about some of the issues. In the throne speech, he talked about health. Every election, every year that I have been here since 1993, the most important and number one issue has been health care, and we see this debate unfold in the United States. Finally, it has decided to allow the insurance companies to sell more policies. It is all about insurance policies. Not in Canada.

The number one issue by the government has been looked at with closed eyes. It has done nothing for health care. In fact, when the former health minister of Ontario moved to federal politics, he was appointed health minister. He is today's industry minister. When he was asked a question in this hon. House a couple of years ago about what he would do about health care, his answer was that the government would continue the funding. What was he referring to? It was the funding agreement that was signed by the Martin government after the recommendations of the Romanow report. Mr. Romanow went on television with Peter Mansbridge and said that the Liberals not only met the report's expectations, they exceeded them. I believe it was $58 billion over 10 years. The provinces want to start talking about this now because it ends in 2014.

The government and the Prime Minister are avoiding everything. They unfortunately have done nothing, zero on health care. That is a shame because if we do not have a healthy country, we do not have a healthy tomorrow.

One thing I am pleased to inform the House of, and I was made aware of this the other day when somebody gave me the clipping, was that Sarah Palin, the new neo-con of the United States, confirmed that she and her family received health care in Canada. Sarah Palin, of all people. This tells us that we do indeed have a good system, if anything a much better system than what the United States has.

On health care, which is a very important issue, the government has been silent. Why? I want to read a quote by an individual. This gentleman was asked, on CBC TV, about what he thought of a private, parallel health system in Canada. The response was,“Well I think it would be a good idea”. Who said that? The Prime Minister.

Another senior minister in his cabinet, the current Minister of Immigration, said to the Calgary Herald, “I do support the idea of private health care”.

The Conservatives have a minority government. We know Preston Manning and Mike Harris have had forums on private health care. God help this country. God help us all if ever they get a majority government. That is what they think of health care.

The Conservatives talk about income trusts. Aside from the damage they did to the seniors who planned for their golden days and today have to adjust downwards, they also weakened Canadian industries. They said in their budget that they would make it easier for foreign governments to invest. The difference now is that with their policy, Canadian companies can no longer, like foreign companies, use the interest deductibility factor when investing. In other words, foreign companies can borrow money, come and buy Canadian companies and write off the interest. Canadian companies that used to be able to do it can no longer do it. That puts us at a disadvantage.

I really value the words of what Mr. Frandsen said, that if the Prime Minister and the government ever had a majority government, it would be a scary thing.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is always a little amusing to listen to a Liberal talk about credibility. I, for one, am old enough to remember the 1993 election, when the Liberals insisted that they would not proceed with the GST. As soon as they were elected, they turned around and said that they were not really serious.

Right now Canadians know that the Conservative government has brought them through the worst recession since World War II with little or no damage, and it has a great deal of credibility. However, what I found most incredible was the hon. member's observation that the Liberal Party was responsible for Canadian banking success and borrowing practices.

I would like him to think about the fact that Canadians are known around the world as cautious, sensible, fiscally prudent people. Will he admit that the Liberal Party was not responsible for our sound banking and borrowing and that Canadians deserve credit for that?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, I will tell the hon. member, who is a new member, about the red book and make this challenge public. I would be more than happy to resign my seat as long as he is prepared to resign his seat publicly if we pull out the red book and in there it says exactly what the Liberal government would do.

At that time, Sheila Copps said what she said. He knows it very well and if he does not know, I will remind him. She resigned and went back to the people. If the member is serious, honest and truthful with what he has said, let him take me up on my challenge and put his seat against my seat.

On his other question, Canadians are prudent, cautious and responsible people, but if he does not remember this, I will remind him it was the Liberal Chrétien and Martin governments that told the banks they could not do it.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Mr. Speaker, for a man who has been elected since 1993 for good reason, he has the passion, vigour and voom that this place needs on important issues such as those we are discussing today.

I will ask him a couple of questions. We know there are a number of new taxes in this budget. In fact, this is one of the more tax-laden budgets we have seen in Canada. There are taxes on jobs and the EI tax. There are taxes on health and certain surgeries. There are taxes on safety through the airport tax. There are taxes on students, in terms of no more exemptions for scholarships for post-doctoral students on top of the income trusts.

We know the government specializes in attack ads. We also know the government specializes in taxes. Did I miss any taxes in the budget?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, he missed a lot. Time constraints do not allow me to talk about all of them. However, I want to compliment him on his hard work.

The member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour continuously talks about education. Last Friday, he pointed out how there was another tax increase on education. It is in Hansard. He also knows very well that the government has increased over $13 billion in EI premiums, which will cause employees to have 1.5% less in their pockets and the employers will pay more. As a result, employers will lay off people. There are also taxes on travel, which the Minister of Transport has not even publicly put out, supposedly for security.

He also talked about lowering taxes. The Liberals had lowered the lowest income tax bracket to 15%. The Conservative government raised it to 15.5% and then turned around and said that it was a tax decrease. I do not know where the Conservatives went to school to learn their math, but it is certainly not my kind of school.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:35 p.m.

Conservative

Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON

Mr. Speaker, I was really pleased to hear the member indicate his strong support for the initiatives of our Minister of Justice.

I have three short questions for the member.

First, he mentioned deficits. Why did he not take the time to inform the Canadian people that this government paid down $37 billion of our national debt?

Second, in dealing with the current deficit and financial situation, would he recommend that we offload this problem onto the provinces and municipalities, or should we as the House of Commons take responsibility for doing that?

Third, could he name one G7 country that is better off in terms of their debt-to-GDP ratio than Canada? If he could just name one, I would be very happy to hear that.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives were very fortunate when they inherited the lowest debt to GDP ratio and of course the projections for the following year. But in their own graph on how the debt to GDP ratio is going to go up, it supposes that it is going to go down by .2% in 2014-15. We can talk about their credibility, but they do not talk about--

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Barry Devolin

Order. You can quote it off the page, but you cannot use it as a prop.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

I apologize. Let me quote it off the page then.

In the Conservatives own records the accumulated debt for this country will be by 2014-15, when they inherited from us over $500 billion, and I give them credit they brought it down by some $30 billion to $463 billion, they will leave us with $622 billion in debt.

Shame on them.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL

Mr. Speaker, I can honestly say that if my hon. colleague who just spoke was on the opposite side of me, I would be tremendously scared, but luckily he is my colleague.

However, he does bring up a point about the idea of flip-flops. In the last two weeks we have seen so many flip-flops that they put Cirque du Soleil to shame. Every single day it was flip, it was flop, it was something else.

What it shows, and I want my hon. colleague to address this issue, is the lack of vision. So many of these programs that were so crucial to this country have been given a short-sighted one year infusion of cash for the sake of just keeping them afloat.

I speak specifically about Internet in rural communities as one and several others as well, unless of course we look at changing the national anthem. I am not quite sure where that fits in.

Nonetheless, I would like my hon. colleague to comment on how all of this weaves a tapestry of let us hope that they will forget the missteps.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:40 p.m.

Liberal

John Cannis Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, my good friend really hit the nail on the head.

We are losing the jobs of the future. On R and D the Conservatives have done nothing. The Canadian Millennium Scholarship Fund for example is shot down. The research chairs that we established under the Paul Martin government and the Jean Chrétien government are literally not being supported.

China is investing in the new green economy much more than we are. In terms of carbon capture and storage the Americans were investing $594 million in 2009, Australia was investing $123.5 million, and Canada is investing $19 million. These are not my words. These are data and facts.

We are losing our researchers. We had, as a Liberal team, reversed the brain drain. I was at York University when Brian Tobin, the minister of industry at that time, announced funding to hold on to our researchers. I remember this example. A young lady whose husband was offered a job in Germany said, “No, because Canada is making the right investments and we will stay here”.

We are losing the brains of tomorrow. We are not able to attract the best and the brightest. As a result, we are not having a bright future the way I see it.

However, there is some optimism only because I sense, and I will close with this, that Canadians are starting to see through the smoke screen. As I said, God help us if the Conservatives ever get a majority government.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:40 p.m.

Simcoe—Grey Ontario

Conservative

Helena Guergis ConservativeMinister of State (Status of Women)

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Nunavut.

The 2010 Speech from the Throne highlights, in part, what our government is doing to advance women's full participation in society. It also showcases our government's progress in implementing Canada's economic action plan, a plan to stimulate, protect and renew the economy while making investments in long-term growth.

We are building the jobs and the industries of the future. Our government responded to the global economic downturn by introducing Canada's economic action plan, a plan that stimulates the economy, creates jobs for Canadians and protects those hit hardest. Canada is now emerging from the recession, powered by one of the strongest economies in the industrialized world. Women are more vital than ever to Canada's success.

Our efforts to promote investment in Canada and open markets are supported by low taxes, which help attract investment and ensure Canadian firms can compete globally. Small-sized and medium-sized businesses are the engines of the Canadian economy. They are responsible for most new job creation. Women start small businesses at twice the rate of men in Canada. Over the past two decades Canada has witnessed an increase of more than 200% in women's entrepreneurship.

By keeping taxes low, closing unfair tax loopholes, and opening Canada's doors to further venture capital and foreign investment, our government is creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs, both domestically and in key international markets.

By identifying and, if necessary, removing regulations and barriers that hinder growth, our government is providing ongoing support to small-sized and medium-sized businesses, a sector in which women-owned entrepreneurs are especially strong contributors.

The recent World Bank Group 2010 report entitled “Women, Business and the Law” analyses key differences in formal laws and institutions affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees. Out of 128 economies covered, Canada ranks as one of the top 20.

With respect to crime and justice, the Speech from the Throne highlighted the Government of Canada's renewed focus on greater protection for women and children victims of crime, a move that will benefit two of societies vulnerable groups. Statistics show that women are considerably more likely than men to be victims of violent crimes, such as sexual assaults and criminal harassment.

The high number of missing and murdered aboriginal women underscore the reality that aboriginal women and girls are among the most vulnerable members of Canadian society. They experience much higher rates and more serious forms of violence than their non-aboriginal counterparts, facts that the Native Women's Association of Canada and the Sisters in Spirit initiative has highlighted and examined.

The Speech from the Throne highlighted our government's commitment to take further action on the issue of murdered and missing aboriginal women, which will result in concrete solutions to this pressing criminal justice priority.

I would like to read a few quotes. First, from the Vancouver Sun:

It’s a start, because five and 10 years ago, the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada never passed the lips of a single cabinet minister, that I’m aware of, over all those years.

That was from Ernie Crey, whose sister Dawn disappeared from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in 2000.

Also Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said he was “elated” to finally see recognition of this important issue from Ottawa.

As Native Women's Association President Jeannette Corbiere Lavell said about the Speech from the Throne, “I’m pleased with this announcement. This is a positive step forward”.

Women want safe communities in which to raise their families. This includes being safe from recent threats, such as cybercrimes, to which children are especially vulnerable.

Women will welcome our government's commitment to take tough action to further protect children from Internet luring and to increase penalties for sexual offences against children, as well as the move to strengthen the sex offender registry, as indicated in the speech.

The Speech from the Throne also touched on our government's increased support to victims of crime and their families, including giving the families of murder victims access to special benefits under employment insurance. This will help the many women who are victims themselves or whose family includes a victim.

In making Canada the best place for families to live and grow, the Speech from the Throne provided an update on the universal child care benefit, a benefit that particularly encourages sole-support, single-parent families, many of which are headed by women.

The decline in poverty rates among these families is stunning. In 1998, 42.9% of families headed by lone-parent mothers lived below the after-tax low income cutoff. By 2007, the number had fallen to 23.6%.

The Government of Canada's commitment to further strengthen the universal child care benefit provides direct financial support to working families, many of which are headed by lone-parent, sole-support women, and retains their freedom to choose for themselves the best child care option.

We are standing up for those who helped build Canada. The Speech from the Throne indicated our government's initiative in taking action to improve the lives of veterans and Canadian military. As the majority of military spouses, women will benefit overwhelmingly from the change in unfair rules restricting access to benefits under employment insurance for military families who have paid into the system for years.

We are a country with an aboriginal heritage. Our government is acting to better protect the rights of aboriginal people, particularly women living on reserve, by taking steps to ensure the equitable distribution of matrimonial real property assets in the event of death, divorce or separation.

Passing matrimonial real property legislation on reserve will provide women and children with protections and provide them with the option to return or remain in their communities. As the Speech from the Throne indicated, the government will amend the Indian Act to comply with the court decision in order to address gender inequality under the Indian Act. This is an issue that has been ongoing for many years but will now be addressed in this session of Parliament.

Education is the key to success of individuals, their families and communities. Aboriginal women are attending school at higher rates than both non-aboriginal women and aboriginal men. Nevertheless, they continue to face barriers. The Speech from the Throne underscored our government's commitment to strengthening first nations education which benefits aboriginal women, their families and their communities.

Canada's history is enriched by its aboriginal heritage and yet, as we have explained so many times and are very well aware of, aboriginal women still face barriers to this full participation. As the Speech from the Throne indicated, our government will take steps to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in a manner that is fully consistent with Canada's Constitution and our laws.

As well, foreign credential recognition is important to immigrant women, who tend to be more highly educated yet less likely to be employed than their Canadian-born counterparts. Our government is committed to continuing to work with the provinces to strengthen recognition of foreign credentials. Such recognition advances the full participation of immigrant women, helping them to put their training and knowledge to work for their families and for Canada.

Food, drug and consumer product safety is of course very important to women. They are the primary decision makers and consumers in ensuring their children's food, medicine and toys are safe. The Speech from the Throne indicated the Government of Canada will continue to be committed to strengthening Canada's food safety system and to reintroducing legislation that protects families from unsafe food, drug and consumer products. These are important measures for women who control the majority of family purchasing decisions.

In closing, the Speech from the Throne demonstrated that our government remains focused on the economy. Along with our budget which focuses on jobs and growth, the Speech from the Throne forms a key element of our government's overall plan for women, their families and their communities.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:50 p.m.

Liberal

Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE

Mr. Speaker, we have heard interesting words from the minister on the Speech from the Throne.

In all seriousness, this is a minister we believe should not be in cabinet. She came through the Charlottetown airport well over a month ago now, on February 19. I asked the Prime Minister in this House to show some class and show that his cabinet is not above the law. This minister has certainly given the indication that she is above the law and that she does not act on what her responsibilities are as minister.

I go through the Charlottetown airport roughly once a month. Those people are still upset. One man was there who has been working for Air Canada for three decades, and he was never so belittled and berated in those three decades.

So I ask the minister, she is supposed to be a minister for the Status of Women, giving explanations and working with people on bullying, yet she set an example for bullying herself. How can she sit in that chair? How can she sit in that cabinet still as minister for the Status of Women?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:50 p.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, as I have done on several occasions, I apologized.

I was raised in a family where my parents told me very clearly that throughout my life I would make mistakes. What is key and important and the honourable thing to do is to take responsibility for them and to apologize. The words that I used about the P.E.I. airport were completely unacceptable and I apologize for them.

It is time to move on. I know the hon. member will agree that neither he nor any other member in the House is perfect and that we will make mistakes, but we have to take responsibility for them and I have done that.

With respect to the throne speech and the work I am doing as the Minister of State for the Status of Women, I have been a 20-year advocate for ending violence against women.

We have done some significant work at the agency. Our government has restructured it completely.

We have seen an increase in the number of grassroots organizations that are now able to deliver support to the most vulnerable women across Canadian society. It is in line with the three pillars: ending violence against women, women in leadership and democracy and, of course, women in the economy. There is a 69% increase in the number of organizations that are now receiving benefits to help those who are most vulnerable across Canada.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:55 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Szabo Liberal Mississauga South, ON

Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned aboriginal matrimonial property rights. The government introduced a bill in the last session, but there was also a consultant's report. The consultant was hired by the government to recommend the changes necessary to make it an important functioning bill, and none of the recommendations of the government's own consultant was accepted and incorporated into that legislation.

I ask the member, why is it, if there is a commitment by the government to deal with this very serious matter, that it would not even consider the recommendations of its own paid consultant?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:55 p.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken action on aboriginal people, specifically aboriginal women, where the previous Liberal government had failed.

I take the hon. member back to a woman by the name of Janet Corbiere-Lavell. She had taken her case to the Supreme Court long ago to regain her Indian status, because she had married someone who was non-aboriginal. She lost that court case by one vote. It was a Conservative government that changed the law and gave her back those rights and it is a Conservative government that is determined to see that aboriginal women have matrimonial property rights just as every other Canadian woman does across society.

This is something the Liberal government failed to do for many years, but it is our government that will finally deliver and work closely with aboriginal communities to make sure that we get it right.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

12:55 p.m.

Nunavut Nunavut

Conservative

Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the House to speak about the Speech from the Throne. It sets forth our government's agenda to get Canadians back to work and bring Canada back to a balanced budget. It lays out a course for the future while acknowledging the need to stand up for those who helped build our country. It also sets out to improve and protect the health and safety of our children.

We believe that youth are the cornerstones of our communities. As such, one of our goals is to ensure that our children enjoy a safer, healthier and more prosperous future. Being fiscally responsible will help us better guarantee our continued prosperity and that our of children.

In order to help restore fiscal balance, our government will reduce stimulus spending once the Canadian economy has recovered, all the while protecting transfers that directly benefit Canadians.

On this note I am pleased to say that unlike past governments, we have maintained important health care support that Canadians need. As the speech makes clear, balancing the nation's books will not come by cutting transfer payments for health care. While seeking efficiencies and savings within our own operations, we remain wholly committed to increasing the Canada health transfer by 6% each year until 2014.

By keeping our promises and fulfilling this commitment to Canadians, we are providing much needed assistance for the benefit of our families and, ultimately, to protect and promote the health of Canadians.

As health minister I know full well that health issues are not restricted to the delivery of health care. They extend throughout our society and economy. Health matters when it comes to making sure consumer products are safe. It matters when we buy food for our families. It matters when we buy medicine. As we saw last week, it even matters when we buy hockey sticks for our kids.

Protecting the health and safety of Canadians and their families is a priority of our government. We believe that Canadians deserve to benefit from stronger legislation to ensure that these products are safe. We believe that producers and manufacturers should be held accountable for the safety of their products, and we believe that our standards should be improved to align with those of our major trading partners.

Canadian parents need to have the confidence that their government will protect their children and will get tough with those who try to profit from dangerous goods. As such, we will be reintroducing legislation to protect Canadian families from unsafe consumer products. This legislation is long overdue and will replace the current 40-year-old legislation, and is something that all Canadians deserve.

This means gaining the ability to recall products, such as children's toys, that are found to be unsafe. We will be able to act more quickly whether or not the producers agree to do so. Improved consumer product legislation will also require suppliers to report serious injuries or illnesses resulting from the use of their projects. This legislation will ensure that Canadian families have the information to make informed choices and will hold those who produce, import and sell goods in Canada accountable for the safety of Canadians.

It is unfortunate that the Liberal senators delayed and watered down the consumer products safety bill that we introduced during the last Parliament. I urge members of the House who provided unanimous support during our last session to act accordingly in support of swift passage of the bill through Parliament.

With this commitment to action, the Speech from the Throne commits to a safer future for Canada's children.

While health issues extend beyond our hospitals onto our store shelves and into our homes, they also extend to our playgrounds. On this note, the Speech from the Throne commits to action aimed at preventing accidents that harm our children and youth. Last year our government took action to prevent childhood injury. This included changes to regulations, in order to make cribs, cradles, bassinets and corded window coverings safer for children.

We are committed to making communities and households safer places to raise a family. As a result, I look forward to working in partnership with provinces and territories and non-governmental organizations to develop a national strategy on childhood injury prevention. This commitment builds on years of important thought, work and initiatives. As both federal health minister and a mother, it is my honour and privilege to see this through.

I also commend the throne speech for recognizing the goal of realizing the potential of Canada's north for northerners and all Canadians.

As prosperity and good health go hand in hand, I am pleased to see that the vision in the speech is reflected in budget 2010. For example, I commend the temporary extension of the territorial health system sustainability initiative. This initiative enhances territorial health responsiveness to northerners' needs and improves community level access to services. As well, in my home territory this funding supports the Inuit public health strategy and education and training for more Inuit to enter the health professions.

We are also investing an additional $45 million to make healthy foods more affordable and more accessible to people living in northern and remote communities. This will broaden the ability of northerners to make healthier choices and therefore live longer and healthier lives.

I would like to highlight our commitment to aboriginal health. Effective disease prevention, health promotion and improved health outcomes for first nations and Inuit are critical. That is why our budget commits $285 million over the next two years for the continuation of aboriginal health programs.

In closing, as health minister, I commend the direction of the throne speech. It confirms important health commitments to Canadians. It reaffirms our commitment to modernizing our legislation for consumer, therapeutic and food product safety and it builds on our focus on Canada's north. It is for all of these reasons and more that I urge all of my fellow members to vote in favour.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted that the member is in Parliament and a minister. I have three quick questions: One, she referred to the sustainability fund. As she knows from once being part of the Nunavut government, that government and other northern governments want the fund extended for five years. It was only extended for two years. Can the minister commit to getting it extended to five years?

My second question is on the health food program. The minister suggested in her speech that the food mail program was increased by $45 million. In fact it says in the budget that the increase will bring it up to $60 million, but if we look at the estimates for last year, the expenditure for the program was $69 million, so that is a decrease. As she knows, the population is increasing in her riding and food prices are going up, so a decrease is totally unacceptable.

Finally, there has been an outcry across the country regarding the closing of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. In fact the legislature in the minister's riding last week passed a motion condemning the closing of the foundation. There are all sorts of tremendous projects in the north and across the country that need that money and I would like the minister to commit to trying to get that healing foundation reopened.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU

Mr. Speaker, first, on the issue of victims of residential schools, in this budget there was $199 million identified to provide assistance to the victims of residential schools, both students and their families. Within that $199 million is a $60 million portion within Health Canada to provide direct assistance to people impacted by the residential schools. So that is good news and it will continue through this budget.

In regard to the food mail program, my colleague, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, will be announcing the rollout of that program. I recognize it is a very important program in the north. I am from a community where a turkey can cost up to $200, or Tropicana orange juice $12, so we have been working with many communities in the north to identify healthy foods through our healthy food stores initiatives. We are developing food guides to promote healthier food choices in remote communities throughout the north, providing more information to Inuit and aboriginal people on these food choices. This is an ongoing initiative and I am proud to be a part of the continuation of this program in the northern communities.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

1:05 p.m.

NDP

Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT

Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleague from Yukon in congratulating our colleague from Nunavut on her speech today.

I am concerned, however, with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. The foundation was set up 10 years ago to empower aboriginal people to deal with the issues coming out of things like the residential schools. This was given to the aboriginal people to run. What we see in the budget and in the government's approach today is to do away with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation but put money into Health Canada, back into the hands of the federal government on this particular issue.

Does the minister think it is appropriate in this day and age and after the apology we went through, to take away the resources that aboriginal people have to deal with their problems in their own fashion? Does she think it is appropriate that Health Canada, that bureaucracy, should be the one that determines how aboriginal people heal themselves from the wounds that were caused by the federal government?

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

1:05 p.m.

Conservative

Leona Aglukkaq Conservative Nunavut, NU

Mr. Speaker, we all know the history behind residential schools across the country and the people involved in the delivery of those services. It was certainly not the federal government, just to clarify that.

The funding that has been identified in this budget of $199 million, $60 million will go directly to the victims of the residential schools. The program is accessible to those individuals and it will continue to be there. It is the choice individuals will have.

I went through a residential school program in the Northwest Territories. I know the history behind this and I feel very passionate about it. I will continue to work with individuals who have been impacted by that.

I urge the member from the Northwest Territories to vote for these important programs that make a difference for individual aboriginal people and the north. I would urge the member from the Northwest Territories to support these important budget initiatives that go to the heart of many northerners.

Resumption of Debate on Address in ReplySpeech from the Throne

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to speak to the Speech from the Throne today, a speech that received a resounding chorus of indifference across the country because it contained no substantive new announcements in it.

I am splitting my time with the member for Cape Breton—Canso and it is a great honour to do so.

Members need not just take it from me that there was nothing in the speech. I will quote the National Post, which usually supports the government. On March 4, Don Martin, who is obviously very supportive of Conservatives, stated:

Prime ministerial speech writers injected an entire thesaurus into 23 pages hyping the same direction they were taking when [the Prime Minister] unplugged Parliament last December. They filled the text with weasel words like "continuing" and "reintroducing" programs while "building upon" and "extending" various initiatives already in place.

Canadians were shocked when the Prime Minister shut down Parliament and said that he had to re-calibrate and come up with something exciting and new. However, there really was nothing. There was no difference. As the headline in the Montreal Gazette said, “[The Prime Minister] needed time off to produce this?” There was nothing substantial.

I will now use the time for my remarks to talk about some things that should have been in the Speech from the Throne. During the prorogation, we had 32 forums where we had excellent speakers and we did a lot of work developing excellent policy ideas for Canada. I made one on the northern forum. An entire afternoon on Parliament Hill was dedicated to northerners, at which there were excellent speakers.

A lot of themes were raised but four of the main themes were poverty, homelessness, climate change, which of course is affecting the north more than anywhere else, and aboriginal land claims implementation and the many problems happening there. All of these things are major problems in the north and need support but there were no new major initiatives in the throne speech to deal with any of those.

As was just mentioned in the debate, the closing of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation has caused an outcry across the country. There are 133 projects and organizations that have been established over the years to help people heal from the tremendous tragic impacts on their lives. People are dreaming in Technicolor if they think the healing is finished. I have four projects in my riding and one project alone sees thousands of people. If we multiply that by 133 projects and organizations, one can imagine how many people still need healing.

As I mentioned briefly in my question, the Nunavut government passed a motion last week that asks for Canada to fully reinstate funding to the programs and services provided under the Aboriginal Healing Foundation which support Nunavummiut. The government's answer was that it had provided $60 million to Health Canada so that it could run healing programs. It was actually $33 million a year, so it is a bit more than that, but it is actually a decrease because last week in committee Health Canada officials said that the expenditure last year was $39 million. Not only is it closing all the healing organizations across Canada, but it is reducing the government's own services to provide healing, which is totally unacceptable.

What else is missing in the throne speech? It talks about “recognizing the realities of rural life”. The government certainly did not do that in relation to rural volunteer firefighters. The volunteer firefighters and fire chiefs of Yukon asked for a tax break. I passed that on to the Minister of Finance but nothing in that regard showed up in the budget or the throne speech.

I want to discuss food mail, which was just talked about. Northerners are getting very worried that their food supplies will be cut and the throne speech and budget were not much help. In fact, the minister said in committee that the program had been increased. I think the Minister of Health said that $45 million were added, which would bring it up to $60 million a year, but last year's expenditures were $69 million. When the population in the north is increasing and the price of food is increasing, we cannot decrease the food going to northerners. We will be following that up very carefully because nothing is more important to people's lives than basic food supplies.

The throne speech, fortunately or unfortunately, has a very small section on the north. The good point about that is, unlike the number of promises in the other throne speeches that were not kept, at least with so little the government cannot break as many promises. There was repetition of a few previous promises that have not been brought to fruition.

I do want to reference the quote where it says that the government will work with northern countries to settle boundary disputes. For a long time I have been pushing the government to work on the Beaufort Sea dispute but it has ignored that for years. When I brought it forward on a question on the order paper, it said that there was no dispute, that there was just a well-managed issue there. In fact, I am glad the government has dispensed with that imaginary situation, has acknowledged the dispute and is actually willing to work on it.

As I said before, the U.S.A. was putting oil leases on what we consider Canada. It was putting fish moratorium on our waters, which could affect the Inuvialuit land claim. It looks like the government will come to the table and I commend it for finally listening after all this time.

One of the themes recently in B.C. has been the great work of Liberal MPs in getting the convention centre and helping to get the Canada Line and, in fact, the Olympics. I commend the Liberal MPs for their work there. It changed the face of B.C. in recent years.

The throne speech talks a lot about the Olympics, et cetera, and the excellent government investment of millions of dollars for 200 and some athletes, but then the government almost ignores the over 1,000 Canadian athletes in the Arctic Winter Games. While small towns put more than half a million dollars in, there are millions of dollars required for this. The Government of Canada only put in $400,000 and denied repeated requests. The answers received from several departments were: “declined, do not meet the criteria”, or there was no response. In fact, Canada Customs, instead of helping the situation, added a bill of approximately $20,000 to the situation.

I encourage the government to walk the walk, talk the talk and provide more money for the Arctic Winter Games.

In regard to the public service, the original threats before the throne speech and budget, fortunately, did not materialize. I congratulate the government for saying that the public service is a critical national institution. However, I am worried about the freezes in operations and departments. It will have more of an effect on the north than anywhere else where there is more federal jurisdiction. We will be looking very closely at what types of cuts may be made. The last time the government did an expenditure review, it cut things like literacy, museum funding and women's groups. We cannot afford those types of cuts to the vulnerable this time round.

Something else that will affect the north is increasing seats in other parts of Canada. We only have three seats for the northern 40% of Canada, and the proportion of those will go down.

More foreign investments in telecommunication industries were referred to in the throne speech. I received nine letters opposed to that. Increasing foreign investment in uranium will have an effect on my riding, too, as we have a number of uranium claims.

The government could have made the homelessness partnering initiative permanent. Various government departments have a copy of the very important report on youth shelters, “Raising the Roof”, and yet there is no substantial action to deal with that.

With regard to volunteerism, the Prime Minister's award for volunteerism is good. At this time I would like to applaud Madeleine Gould, who passed away and whose service was this past weekend in Dawson City, for being volunteer of the year. However, I decry the government's cuts over the years in the millions of dollars to the volunteerism programs.

The throne speech says that hope is borne on the wings of prosperity. Why then is there no help for single mothers wanting child care? Why are there no new funds for pensioners? Why is there no hope for the depressing conditions on reserves or those on hospital waiting lists?

If indeed hope is borne on the wings of prosperity, this throne speech does not have hope.