House of Commons Hansard #47 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was energy.
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, experts remind us that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects Canadian nationals abroad because Canadian authorities are required to ensure that these rights are respected. Julius Grey stated that in this case, “the Canadian government has failed to carry out its fundamental duty to assist its citizens abroad.”
When will this government understand that it must abide by Canadian laws and that it is time to bring Nathalie Morin and her children home?
Lawrence Cannon ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, of course we abide by Canadian laws and fully respect them. I would remind members that the case of Ms. Morin is a complex family matter. Furthermore, we must respect Saudi laws as well as the Hague Convention, which deals with young children. In this context, we are providing all consular services possible in the circumstances.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister bounced the member for Simcoe—Grey from caucus and cabinet because he said he had serious and credible allegations of her misconduct.
The member for Calgary Northeast is being investigated by the Calgary police and the RCMP and is named in the largest mortgage fraud in Canadian history.
Is it only the Prime Minister who believes these allegations against that member are neither serious nor credible?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, there is not enough time in my answer to correct all of the factual inaccuracies in the member's question.
I will simply point out that this matter has nothing to do with government business and it is before the courts.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, possibly the Prime Minister is waiting for Derrick Snowdy's advice.
Certainly the Bank of Montreal regards this multi-million dollar fraud as serious and credible. The RCMP and the Calgary police regard it as serious and credible. The Law Society of Alberta regards it as serious and credible.
The only person who seems to think that this is not serious and credible is the Prime Minister. When will the member for Calgary Northeast be removed from the Conservative caucus?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, that member's question is neither serious nor credible.
This matter is before the courts. It has nothing to do with government business.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, we have seen the massive and immediate response to the gulf oil spill from the American government.
The chair of Canada's safety regulator admitted yesterday that an accident could happen here, but there is no plan in place if a similar catastrophe were to occur in Canada, neither for the east coast, nor for the west coast, nor for the north.
An oil spill on any Canadian coast would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, destroy fragile ecosystems, and cost livelihoods.
Why does the government not have a plan to deal with a catastrophic oil spill, or do the members opposite not believe this is important?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, that is totally false. They are just fearmongering. Canada has strict, responsible regulations. In the Beaufort Sea in particular, there is unlimited liability. Had my colleague taken the time to review the agreement, she would know that it includes unlimited and absolute liability.
Moreover, there is a tanker exclusion zone in British Columbia. No oil tankers are allowed in the inside passage. That is the way it is, and it will not change.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, I hope the minister's grasp of the issue is better than his grasp of Latin was yesterday.
Since the gulf oil spill, we have not been able to get a straight answer out of the Conservative government. Canadians just do not know whether or not the government will respect the 1972 Liberal oil tanker moratorium on B.C.'s Pacific north coast inland waters.
One day ministers say no; the next day they say yes. Is the minister confused, or just trying to confuse Canadians? I have a very simple question: will the government explicitly respect the 1972—
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member, instead of scrutinizing the way I speak English, should check the state of the law enforced here in Canada.
We have a very severe regime. We have unlimited liability everywhere in the country. Moreover, there are absolute liabilities. There will be no drilling until the government is convinced that the security of the workers is ensured, and also that there is protection of the environment.
She should check the law that the government enforces.
Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday at committee, the Yukon environment minister lamented that his MP's local voice was being stifled by the leader of the Liberal Party.
He also asked whatever happened to democracy. Here, in this House, we are all elected to represent our constituents, the people who voted to send us here.
Will the member for Yukon listen to his constituents, or will he allow his voice to be dictated by the Liberal leader?
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety update the House on this important issue?
Dave MacKenzie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can. I also want to thank the member for his strong support on this very important issue.
The member forYukon is on the record as stating:
I may not have a choice, but I'm certainly going to continue to try and see what my options are up to the day of the vote.
I would remind the member for Yukon that he answers to his constituents and for them the choice is either vote to keep the wasteful long gun registry or vote to scrap it. It is as simple as that. There is no shifting and no sliding.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, if a poor kid in Winnipeg steals our hubcaps, the Conservatives want to lock him up and throw away the key, but when a member of their own caucus is implicated in a criminal investigation in a massive real estate fraud, there is not a peep from the PMO.
Could someone explain to me why the member for Simcoe—Grey was banished from the party, from the caucus and from the cabinet over bad optics, while Conservative men under criminal investigation or who leave secret documents on a bedside table get the full protection from the Conservative good old boy's club? Where are the bad optics associated with that, I would like to know.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the matter has nothing to do with government business and it is before the courts.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, let us sum up this week in politics. A Conservative MP is directly implicated in a massive real estate fraud. A Liberal MP is advertising that he will sell his loyalty to foreign interests, and well-connected lobbyists are holding so-called fundraisers for the very ministers that they are lobbying. This is not exactly the same as handing over a bag full of cash but it is pretty close.
Why does the Prime Minister not call in Derrick Snowdy to make the world safe for democracy again? We know he takes swift action on the flimsiest of allegations from Magnum B.S. Why does he not call in Mr. Snowdy?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, our friend from Winnipeg Centre has certainly demonstrated why this week in Parliament in The Hill Times newspaper he was named the most quotable member of Parliament. I am very pleased on behalf of all members of the government caucus to congratulate the member opposite.
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, last week, drug manufacturer sanofi-aventis announced that it was laying off 70 workers. The company lamented the fact that the federal government provides inadequate support for innovative companies' research activities. It also noted that, unlike generic drug companies, innovative companies have no meaningful right of appeal when their intellectual property is challenged.
When will the minister provide the kind of balanced intellectual property protection that is critical to Quebec's economic development?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this government continues to remain committed to supporting the provinces and territories in the delivery of health care, which is why we continue to increase the budget transfers by 6% and each jurisdiction will allocate those funding resources accordingly.
Luc Malo Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, I will give the minister a second chance. I would ask her to listen carefully to my question. The Government of Quebec is trying to attract biotech investment and make the sector a stronger component of our industrial development, but the Canadian government is discouraging that kind of investment.
When will federal ministers implement a plan to support Quebec's biotech industry?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out for the member opposite that this government has supported Quebec industry second to none in the history of this country. In fact, the NRC IRAP provided $61 million alone to Quebec businesses and other groups. Quebec Drug-Discovery Consortium in Montreal received $8 million. It goes on and on.
The point is that if the Bloc members had their way, none of this funding would go into their province of Quebec because they voted against it. Every time there is a vote concerning businesses, students and investment, they vote no.
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, in light of the government's decision to change Canada's long-standing policy on maternal health, yesterday's words from a Conservative member speak volumes.
The member for Winnipeg South spoke of “small steps in scaling back the rights of Canadian women”. This helps to explain the so-called small steps like killing the court challenges program, attacking pay equity, cutting funding for 22 women's groups this year alone.
What other small steps do the Conservatives intend to do to Canadians next?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's comments but we are listening to what World Vision is telling us on maternal health. It is telling us that 24,000 children under the age of five will die today in the developing world.
Our government has a responsibility to act. We have made a decision to bring our G8 partners to the table to address this issue with the goal of saving the lives of millions of women and children. Development leaders are supporting this. They are telling us that every year, nine million women around the world watch as their children die from painful, preventable illnesses that cost dimes, not dollars, to treat.
We have a responsibility to act and I ask the member to support us.
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, what about Planned Parenthood? Funding for groups throughout Canada only goes to the ones that share the very narrow ideology of the Conservative government. Women's rights groups have been cut, along with literacy advocates, cultural events and, as I said earlier, Planned Parenthood.
There is no hiding it. A few words from the Conservative member for Winnipeg South explain the government's true bias and its real agenda.
Which Canadians will be next to get trampled on by the government's so-called small steps?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, the member knows that our government has increased the funding for women's groups to the highest level ever in the history of this country. However, we are also listening to the presidents and CEOs of World Vision, UNICEF, Results Canada, CARE Canada, Plan Canada and Save the Children. They have all told us:
It's time to focus on the hope and opportunity that this G8 Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health presents and end the suffering of millions of families around the world.
In fact, Sharon Marshall from World Vision Canada said that World Vision was outraged that this debate was being raised.
