House of Commons Hansard #3 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was tax.
Jim Abbott ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Liberals came out with a whole potpourri of ways of distributing money. It was without any organization.
Our government has established priorities that were well publicized. KAIROS, along with every other organization, was aware of what those priorities were. Its application was inadequate and insufficient against the priorities of which it was aware. It is that simple.
Frank Valeriote Liberal Guelph, ON
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. It met those priorities.
In a letter dated January 21, 10 of the most influential national faith leaders from the Anglican, Catholic, Christian Reform, Anglican Lutheran, Presbyterian, Quaker, Mennonite and United churches requested a meeting with the Prime Minister to understand why his government made KAIROS a target for such vicious attacks.
When will the Prime Minister meet with these faith leaders as they requested, offer a full apology for his government's slanderous attacks and restore these politically motivated cuts?
Jim Abbott ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, again, it is very interesting that the majority of those organizations he named did take a look at the priorities when they applied. Taking into account the priorities, many of those organizations received funding.
It is simply the case that we will not simply shovel money out the door, as the Liberals would. We want to ensure we get proper results for taxpayer money.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, yesterday's budget mentions post-secondary education for aboriginal people, but there is no mention of funding and no mention of First Nations University in Regina. That institution is working hard with partners to correct its governance problems. The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the University of Regina and the government of Saskatchewan are all pulling together to help.
Will the federal government fully support these combined efforts to first fix and then preserve First Nations University?
John Duncan ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, we continue to work on options to ensure the affected students complete their academic year. That is our primary concern. As previously stated, we will not be renewing the funding agreement with First Nations University. In terms of discussions with the province the department continues to look at a wide range of options for the funding.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, this is about hundreds of aboriginal and non-aboriginal students now at First Nations University and generations yet to come. It is about treaty rights and it is about the federal minister's fiduciary responsibilities. It is about the proper administration of a genuine university and $8 million in federal funding without which a noble vision will get thrown out with the bath water.
Specifically, is that money in fact in the federal budget for 2010-11? Exactly where is it in the budget and will it be directed to the students at First Nations University?
John Duncan ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, the department has been working since 2005 with the university to address longstanding and systematic problems. There have been allegations of mismanagement of funds, audit information handed to the RCMP commercial crimes unit, and politicization of the board on all issues. Meanwhile attendance has been falling. That is why the university was censured by the major teacher's union and it is why the province withdrew its funds as well. We need to be accountable to Canadians as well as first nations.
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government's top priority is creating jobs and promoting economic growth. Budget 2010 did just that with $19 billion in new stimulus investment to create the jobs of tomorrow and make Canada the number one location for new investments.
Could the parliamentary secretary please comment on the reaction to yesterday's budget?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to relay some of the positive reaction. Indeed, Canada's economic action plan keeps on working and it is keeping Canadians working. In less than a day we have had applause from all across this country such as from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Construction Association, the Conference Board of Canada, C.D. Howe Institute, Forest Products Association of Canada, Certified General Accountants and Canadian Federation of Independent Business. If I had more time, I would continue on.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, for the big banks budget day was a great day. Not only did they announce that their profits doubled over the last year, but the government handed them billions more in tax giveaways. Great day for the banks; lousy day for Canadians still trying to cope with the effects of this recession.
Why does the government keep giving money to those who do not need it while ignoring those who do?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the only people in the House who appear to be ignoring the needs and wishes of Canadians are those who have decided, without even reading the budget, that they are going to vote against it. There is something in the budget for every Canadian. There is a plan for going forward.
We need to remember that we are dealing with taxpayers' dollars. We have a plan to exit our stimulus spending to bring us back to balanced budgets. There is something in it for everyone, but apparently not for the NDP. It is voting against it.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government is so deep in the pockets of big business it will choke on the lint at the bottom. The billions in tax giveaways to the big banks will not help one senior in poverty and will not create a single new job. The worst part is that we are going deeper into debt to give it to them.
Why did the government help the rich get richer instead of strengthening our economy by creating jobs and supporting seniors who spend their money in our local communities?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, it needs to be clarified that not one cent of taxpayers' dollars went to support Canadian banks.
However, we did put money into the economy. We stimulated the economy. We created 135,000 jobs since July of last year. That is the important part. More Canadians working is what matters to this government.
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, this government has allocated billions of dollars to oil companies and the nuclear sector. This government has failed to make the green shift to say the least.
The Quebec economy would benefit from a real plan to fight global warming, and yet the Conservative government prefers to help western oil companies.
Does the government realize that the $800 million allocated over two years to oil companies for carbon capture and storage are nothing more than hidden subsidies to an industry that already has billions?
Jim Prentice ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, that is not the case. Canada is now a leader in the production of clean energy. We will continue our work so that our energy is even cleaner. That will be done through regulation and not subsidies.
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that this government does not believe in climate change, and that is obvious from the budget. The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences is bearing the brunt of this denial and is waiting for its research funds to be restored.
Does the government realize that by reducing funding for this foundation it is jeopardizing 20 years of work in developing climate modelling expertise?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, in 2007 it was announced that $1.43 billion was being allocated for clean energy with production of 4,000 megawatts of power by March 31, 2011. To date, 95 projects have produced 4,433 megawatts of clean energy. There are projects underway worth another $124 million.
That is action. We are delivering. It is not just empty rhetoric.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of State for the Status of Women disgustingly referred to the birthplace of our great country as “a hell hole” and contemptuously called warm-hearted residents of Prince Edward Island “you people”.
Apparently, the Prime Minister condones this contempt for Islanders. Is it because the Prime Minister still believes Atlantic Canadians suffer from a culture of defeat? Does the Prime Minister believe we are less Canadian because of where we are from? If not, why has this minister not been fired and removed?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, our colleague and our friend, the Minister of State for the Status of Women, has made a sincere apology with respect to this issue. As all hon. members should do, I have accepted it and I encourage everyone to do the right thing.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, what unbelievable deed does one have to do to lose one's job when one is from among the entitled cabinet?
Several independent officers of this Parliament lost their jobs for doing their jobs by questioning the government. Yet, the minister berates, belittles and bullies the very people that she has been sworn to work for.
Is it the sense of entitlement of the cabinet that they are above other Canadians? Why is the minister still in cabinet?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the member opposite should do the right thing, should do the decent thing, and accept the apology of the minister like the rest of us.
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Finance presented a non-budget that followed a throne speech just as long and useless as the prorogation. What is worse is that we are uncertain about the future of FedNor and the possibility of creating jobs for the future that correspond to the needs of people back home. People from Toronto or Ottawa do not know about the needs of people in northern Ontario.
Why is the government creating uncertainty about FedNor and the kind of regional development that corresponds to the needs of the people of northern Ontario?
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, indeed, we did have an excellent budget presented here yesterday. We will be voting on it soon. We are just not sure which direction everyone is going to take.
We need to remind all hon. members that because of our economic action plan last year alone we created 135,000 jobs since July of last year. The economic action plan continues and $19 billion more will be rolled out this year creating jobs all across this country.
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government does not care about the needs of northern Ontario. There is no mention of FedNor in yesterday's federal budget. The community futures program drops from $21.8 million to $8.5 million, and the northern Ontario development program is down $1 million from last year.
Is this the government's definition of commitment toward the people of the north?
In order to better serve the needs of northern Ontario, FedNor needs to become a stand-alone agency. Is the industry minister heading to Sudbury today to deliver this good news, or is he going to tell the people that these decisions about the north will now be made in the south?
Mike Lake ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I would point out that this government gave FedNor stable five year funding in the 2006-07 budget. Let us also remember that it was this government that created the community adjustment fund which is delivering over $30 million toward economic development projects right across northern Ontario.