Debates of May 12th, 2010

The Environment

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not answering the question. The question is whether he will make climate change a central issue at the G20 summit, not just one among many but a central issue.

The Secretary General is saying that Canada has a leadership role to play, especially in contributing to mitigating the catastrophic effects of climate change on poorer countries. This is a leadership issue.

Will the Prime Minister step up and commit today in the House of Commons to lead on the issue of climate change?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the G20 is the world's primary principal economic forum. That is its mission. The main issue of discussion at the G20 will be the global economy. I anticipate that a range of subject matters will be talked about, including climate change.

The government's position is clear. We support the Copenhagen accord which, for the first time, includes all major emitters. We support the financing provisions under that accord. Where does the Liberal Party stand?

Taxation

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, leadership is about choices. On this side, we have a plan to reduce the deficit and we make vital investments in learning, care and innovations. The Conservatives have made a different choice: more tax cuts for wealthy corporations, paid for with borrowed money, but fewer services for ordinary Canadians.

Why are the Conservatives taking money from children and from families to help corporations that already have the second lowest tax rate in the G8, 25% lower than in the U.S.?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, the Liberal Party, we actually do not believe in more taxes and more spending. We believe in less taxes on Canadians. In fact, since we took office, a typical family pays $3,000 less in taxes than they paid back in 2006.

That is the difference between the government on this side of the House and the tax and spend Liberals on the other side of the House.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's corporate taxes are already the second lowest in the G8, thanks to a decade of Liberal tax cuts—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. The hon. member for Mississauga—Streetsville has the floor. We will have some order, please.

[Bonnie Crombie, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is thanks to a decade of Liberal tax cuts.

The Liberals cut both personal and business taxes when we had surpluses because it was the fiscally responsible thing to do. Now the Conservatives are offering more tax breaks for wealthy corporations, paid for with borrowed money. This will put us deeper in debt and leave those most in need more vulnerable.

Why are the Conservatives making such reckless and ideological choices?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

It is apparent, Mr. Speaker, that sometimes the Liberals like tax reductions and sometimes they like tax hikes. What is clear is they are prepared to raise the GST, which we reduced by two percentage points. It is clear that they are prepared to raise other taxes. Their leader talks about raising taxes. He describes himself as a “tax and spend Liberal”.

Afghanistan

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

Mr. Speaker, the government told us that the 2007 agreement guaranteed that prisoners handed over to Afghan authorities would not be tortured. As well, ministers have assured us on numerous occasions that prisoners were not being tortured. But Brigadier General Guy Laroche said that the situation became critical in the summer and fall of 2007 because there were not enough visits to Afghan prisons. The safety of detainees could no longer be guaranteed.

Does this further testimony not prove, once again, that the government has failed in its obligations under the Geneva convention?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a number of witnesses now and we have heard a great deal of testimony. However, we have also heard from an individual who is a former director of international security at the Department of Foreign Affairs. He is now a respected professor at Queen's University, Paul Chapin. He wrote a very interesting article, which said:

Regrettably for the inquisitors, no evidence has yet been uncovered: no mutilated bodies, maimed survivors, photographs, first-hand accounts, or authoritative reports documenting specific cases with names, dates and places. Not a single individual appearing before the committee has yet provided any such evidence, beginning with the first one.

That is what he had to say.

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

Mr. Speaker, while the government swore that prisoners handed over to the Afghans were not at risk of being tortured, Brigadier General Laroche told us that on the ground—and he was on the ground—civil servants did not visit Afghan prisons often enough and, therefore, could not guarantee that detainees were not being tortured.

How can the government say that it respected the Geneva convention on torture when the prisons were not being visited often enough?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, another witness, Gavin Buchan, former political director of the Kandahar provincial reconstruction team during much of the time in question, said:

I'm confident that Canada has consistently met the test of its international obligations throughout our period in theatre.

Another witness, Cory Anderson, a former DFAIT employee also working in Afghanistan, said:

In my experience and in the interviews and the visits that I took at the NDS, we never uncovered a specific allegation of abuse.

These are people who were there, unlike the hon. member who just gets up and makes these allegations with no basis.

Securities

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said in the House that no decision has yet been made about where a single securities commission would be headquartered.

The Conservatives have a plan, but the Premier of Ontario is the one who said it out loud: the commission's headquarters will be in Toronto, the Gretzky of the finance world. Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal are all minor league players compared to Toronto.

How can Conservative members from Quebec stand by silently and watch as Quebec loses out to Toronto?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Securities Transition Office has been working hard for many months with respect to the drafting of the legislation, which should be ready soon.

I can assure the hon. member that no decisions have been taken with respect to location of offices except this decision: that those participating jurisdictions, those participating provinces and territories, will maintain offices in the new national scheme.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a strong Quebec coalition of economic, financial and business stakeholders opposes the federal government's plan.

Mouvement Desjardins has applauded the economic community's stance and is urging the government to reconsider its plan, which everyone considers authoritarian, pernicious, harmful, damaging and centralizing.

When will the government listen to Quebec and drop its ill-conceived plan to set up a securities commission in Toronto?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is to be noted that two of the largest financial institutions in Quebec chose not to participate in that. However, let us say this. This is a great project for Canada, This is an opportunity for Canada to get that pillar, that securities pillar, in line with the rest of our harmonized system.

As we see around the world today, there are tremendous challenges to financial institutions. Fortunately, in this country, our financial institutions are functioning well, with the exception of 13 securities regulators. We look forward to gathering them together.

Government Programs

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after failing Quebec by making drastic cuts to culture, the Conservatives are at it again with their cuts to funding for FrancoFolies de Montréal.

Do they not know about the FrancoFolies? I will explain it to them. It is one of the largest francophone music festivals in the world. It attracts 500,000 tourists every summer and makes it possible for our culture to shine throughout the world. In fact, the festival is part of Montreal's identity.

The Conservatives have already made a political choice by writing off Montreal. Is that why they have decided to no longer fund the FrancoFolies?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, that is not true; that is not correct. In 2009, more than 50% of the funds were given to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Here in 2010, the regional and national distribution fund ensures that all parts of Canada can benefit from this stimulus program. It is a major victory for the entire country.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great blow to Montreal. The FrancoFolies qualified last year, but not this year. Interestingly enough, the program is the same and the written rules are the same. The FrancoFolies will be held in three weeks and they have just learned that their funding has been cut. They were told that the rules were changed a little at the last minute and someone forgot to tell them. The rules are not like a box of Cracker Jack, where you know you will get a surprise, but you do not know what it will be.

Will the Conservative stop their surprises, follow their own written rules and fund the FrancoFolies?

[James Moore, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, yes we will respect the FrancoFolies. The FrancoFolies festival has signed an agreement, the first multi-year agreement with the Government of Canada, and will be receiving $350,000 from Canadian Heritage. They will also receive funding from the Minister of State for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

We have also provided funding to Pop Montréal, the FestiVoix festival, Festival Envol et Macadam, Festival international de Jazz et de blues, Festival du nouveau cinéma, Festival mode et design, Festival littéraire international and Festival international du film sur l'art. We have given more money than ever before to festivals. The Liberal Party voted against this.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, why will the Minister of Industry not fund the Toronto Pride Parade? It brings in tens of millions of dollars in economic benefit to the city and it fulfills all of the criteria for the marquee tourism program. Is he afraid that, like the last secretary of state for tourism, he will have his portfolio yanked, or is he just another lemming in a government that ideologically discriminates against the GLBT community?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, last year over 50% of the funds were shared by just three great cities in the country, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. This year we decided to make sure that other major urban centres also had access to the funds.

This meant that over 19 additional marquee events are funded by this fund. We think we are being fair and equitable to cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, but also fair and equitable to other parts of the country. This is good regional distribution. It is good for the tourist economy throughout the country and we are in favour of that.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to make the ridiculous excuse that it does not have enough money when it comes to funding GLBT events. Yet, it still has a lot of money left in the marquee tourism program, $11 million to be exact.

Why does the minister not just admit that he is ideologically opposed to funding any gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender event in this country?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of this more regional distribution, of course, events like the PNE in Vancouver and the International Jazz Festival were chosen. But the World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler, Crankworx in Whistler, the Festival Series in Fort Langley and Interior Provincial Exhibition in Armstrong, they also received funds. Is the hon. member saying that she is against those funds being allocated in B.C.?