Debates of May 10th, 2010

Government Programs

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. We have a program. It is important to have events across the country, in other urban centres as well.

Perhaps the hon. member would like to instead cut funding from some of the programs that were funded in order to make up the difference, like the Festival de jazz or Juste pour rire. I am sure the hon. member is not suggesting that.

The fact of the matter is there is a limited amount of funds that is spread out across the country and that is what people expect of the government.

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Francofolies de Montréal are another victim of the Conservative government's ideological cuts. One month before the event, organizers have learned that they are going to have to do without $1.5 million. Once again, the Conservatives are underestimating the economic value of festivals and Quebeckers' love for their culture.

When will this carnage stop?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we have announced grants for the Quebec City Winter Carnival, the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, the Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke, the Festival d'été de Québec and the Tremblant Summer Festival. We have helped fund many events for Quebeckers—for Canadians in Quebec. We have supported Quebeckers and Canadians.

Justice

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the media are reporting that the RCMP will not investigate one of the biggest mortgage frauds in Canadian history.

Can the Conservative government explain to Canadians why it suddenly decided not to investigate the BMO mortgage fraud in Alberta?

Why will the RCMP not investigate?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I answered last week, this particular issue, as the House well knows, has absolutely nothing to do with government business. It is a private matter with the member for Calgary Northeast.

But I will tell the House what is of concern to Canadians and that is the issue of jobs. That is why the government was so excited to see that our policies in connection with the economic recovery are so well sounded. We have learned that just last month our country produced over 108,000 new jobs. That is the largest in history.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the question had nothing to do about the member and everything to do with confidence in our financial system and fairness in the housing market.

Worse, our Criminal Intelligence Service says organized crime often uses the money it steals from mortgage fraud to fund its other criminal activities. But the Conservatives seem content to let mortgage fraud go unpunished, even uninvestigated.

When will the government provide the RCMP with the tools that it needs and why does it refuse to bring forward meaningful white collar crime legislation? That is the question.

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

Mr. Speaker, every time we bring forward meaningful white collar crime legislation, it seems to get stalled, whether it is the Liberals or whether it is the rest of the opposition.

We are talking about confidence, so let us talk about confidence. I will read a quote from the member for Markham—Unionville. He said: “I was wrong. I can admit when I was wrong. Ten years ago I was in favour of bank mergers. I believed it, but in hindsight having seen the financial crisis, having seen that the Royal Bank wanted to grow up to be Citibank and having seen what happened to Citibank, I've acknowledged for some time now--”.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Beauséjour.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the government likes to say it is against white collar criminals, but it continues to deprive the RCMP and the Department of Justice of the resources they need to establish an effective strategy against these criminals.

The RCMP's commercial crime unit is underfunded and federal prosecutors are quitting because the government has reduced their salaries.

When will the Conservatives start putting their words into actions? When will the Conservatives tackle the real problem of white collar criminals?

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague opposite is full of water, wind and such, but on this side of the House we do not direct the RCMP as to what it should or should not investigate. The RCMP will make those decisions on its ability and what it does best.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, untold billions are spent on new prisons when the RCMP and federal prosecutor are starved of the resources necessary to actually investigate and prosecute large scale mortgage fraud.

The government wrongly pretends that every crime is solved by simply increasing sentencing, instead of actually catching and convicting those involved in large scale fraud, like the one that hit BMO in Alberta.

Why is the government ignoring serious white collar crime?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite forgot a couple of important ingredients. We did increase funding for the RCMP and we increased the numbers of the RCMP, but he voted against that.

However, the RCMP and everyone else in Canada would like to know where that $39 million are.

Broadband Internet

[Dick Harris, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the broadband Internet access is hugely important to the social and economic success of our country.

Last week, the Liberal opposition member tried to drudge up a 10-year-old broken promise about broadband that the Liberals broke 10 years ago and likely would again. This government, on the other hand, is taking some real action.

I would like to ask the Minister of Industry to explain what the Conservative government is doing to help rural Canadians be competitive in the digital economy of the 21st century.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, on Mothers' Day yesterday, I was pleased to announce the first series of projects under the broadband Canada program. The 52 initial projects in nine provinces and territories will bring broadband Internet access to an estimated 168,000 households. They will soon have access to the economic and social benefits of high speed Internet service for the first time.

Thanks to this government, Canada continues to make great strides in the digital economy. The difference between us and the guys on the other side is that we keep our promises.

Government Programs

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the G8 and G20 summits in Canada provide a unique opportunity to address major global challenges like growing poverty, catastrophic climate change and the crisis in the financial system.

Our global partners are putting forward solutions for these challenges but the Conservatives are just shooting them down.

One cannot honestly say no to everything unless one brings one's own ideas to the table. Where is the plan, where is the new money for it and when will the Conservatives tell Canadians what they will do in all of these areas?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to answer my hon. colleague's question but he is coming at it from exactly the opposite of reality.

There are several areas where G20 actions will remain vital: in the area of financial sector reform, implementing stimulus measures, promoting reforms to the international financial institutions and ensuring that they have the resources and the tools they need for global trade and growth strategies.

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was hoping for some real concrete action but what I got was a regurgitation of talking points. If the Conservatives are not careful, we will be having the Seinfeld summits here in Canada instead of real action on these problems.

At a time when we need sensible leadership on the global stage, we have the exact opposite. Worse yet, the Conservatives are standing in the way of even considering some of the solutions that have been put forward.

Why can the Conservatives not be honest with Canadians? They travel around the world and they host summits but at the end of the day they do not have a concrete plan. Where is the concrete plan on financial reforms, global poverty and on the environment?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, we know what we will be doing. Every day in the developing world over 1,100 mothers die and 24,000 children are dying. Our government's G8 initiatives on security, protection and maternal health will be to save lives and make the world better.

In the time that the member asked his question, eight children have died. Our government wants to change that. We do not want to continue divisive debates. We want to encourage all members in the House to ensure we save lives and make developing countries flourish.

Afghanistan

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the report by Rear Admiral Maddison, head of the inquiry into the fate of a prisoner beaten by Afghan police, confirmed that the Canadian government knew, as early as 2006, that detainees turned over to local authorities were at risk of being tortured.

How can this government continue to deny violating the Geneva convention when it handed over a number of Afghan detainees to be tortured?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, Rear Admiral Maddison said that “all of the critical witnesses required to build a comprehensive and complete reconstitution of events as they occurred on the 14th of June were brought to the board. So the board was absolutely confident that we had what was required to make the findings”.

I have another interesting quote from Arif Lalani, a former ambassador in Afghanistan, who said, “I am very confident that during the time I was there and when I left we were meeting our obligations”.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Rear Admiral Maddison also revealed that a number of compromising documents have disappeared. Documentation from a war diary and recordings of tactical communications also mysteriously evaporated. The investigators complained that this hampered their investigation.

Does this most recent report on the plight of an Afghan prisoner not prove that we must have a public and independent inquiry on the torture of detainees handed over to Afghan authorities by Canada? When will the inquiry be held?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member is not interested in evidence but what the rear admiral said was very clear. He said that they had sufficient evidence to make the findings they did.

Here is a little more evidence, which I know the member likes to overlook. Gavin Buchan, a former political director, somebody on the ground who is probably best situated to make such a determination, said, “I'm confident that Canada has consistently met the test of its international obligations throughout our period in theatre”.

That is what he had to say. I will take his word over the hon. member's word any day of the week.

Agriculture

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, once again in Canada we have a recall of meat that may be contaminated with listeria. We are so far lucky in this case that no one has been made seriously ill.

The government claims that it will implement all 57 recommendations in the Weatherill report to prevent tainted meats from making it to market. To date, it has done nothing of consequence. Why have the Conservatives not implemented all the recommendations?

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, as the member stated, no one has become ill from this particular outbreak. We are very fortunate with that. The company is voluntarily working with the CFIA as we work through the list and will recall any product that might be implicated.

As to the Weatherill report, since we formed government, even before Weatherill and since that time, we have now hired 538 net new front line inspectors. We have allocated resources, both human and dollar wise. However, every time we do that lately, she and her party vote against them. I am not sure what she is complaining about today.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 22 people died from a listeriosis outbreak in 2008. Last year, in response, independent examiner, Sheila Weatherill, investigated this tragedy and put forward clear recommendations that, if implemented, would help ensure the safety of our foods: prevention in the first place, not just multiple recalls after the fact.

If the government is implementing all the Weatherill recommendations, then how did this happen?