Debates of May 28th, 2010

Ethics

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that member's question was like ShamWow without the wow.

The member should stand and wow all of us with an explanation as to why it is that he is voting to keep the billion dollar wasteful long gun registry which he promised in election after election to eliminate.

The Minister of Industry has followed all of the rules. He is working to create jobs across the land. His work on the economic action plan is succeeding. It is helping Canadians get ahead. He is bringing hope to all of us.

I ask all members to congratulate this great minister for his excellent work.

The Environment

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every time we dare ask questions in the House about the government's plan to clean up potential oil slicks, we get meaningless answers. We have yet to hear about any such plan, not a single page or detail.

Can the minister clearly outline what the government would do if an oil slick were to spread along our coastline? Can the government provide even a single document that would reassure Canadians and prove that the government is ready to deal with a potential catastrophe?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we have answered this question over and over again. They are always talking about potential slicks or potential risks. Is the member just looking to politicize this even more?

It is the National Energy Board that examines these projects. Companies must submit contingency as well as strategic plans. The National Energy Board is responsible for enforcing the toughest environmental regulations in the world, and it must be convinced that there will be no harm to workers' health or the environment. Otherwise, there will be no go-ahead.

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, again no real details, just more posturing with zero credibility.

President Obama has called for a full review of the government's plan to ensure that oil drilling is safer. Meanwhile, the Conservatives do nothing but talk.

With three separate coasts vulnerable to possible oil spills, why is the government persisting in its refusal to re-examine the issue? Why this denial of the obvious, such as the need for a real contingency plan?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the National Energy Board announced on May 12 that it would begin a review of all rules and regulations. No drilling authorization has been granted so far. No drilling has taken place at present in the Arctic in the Beaufort Sea. We are pleased that American authorities have decided to suspend all drilling that was planned for the spring because they have reached the same conclusions as we have here in Canada.

President Obama wants to examine what happened in the Gulf of Mexico to better understand and improve the regulations to ensure future safety of workers and to protect the environment. The president has reached the same conclusions that we have here in Canada.

Firearms Registry

[Nicolas Dufour, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite studies showing that the firearms registry saves lives, the government is determined to eliminate it. Quebec's public safety minister appeared before the committee to argue that this valuable tool should be maintained. He was accompanied by a large delegation of family members of the victims of the Dawson College and École Polytechnique tragedies, as well as municipal police officers, police chiefs, representatives of the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal and the Chief Firearms Officer of Quebec.

Why does this government, which claims to care about victims of crime, want to eliminate such an effective tool that is universally supported in Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the leader of the Liberal Party has once again turned his back on rural Canadians by stating his continued support for the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry, he will force all Liberal MPs to maintain the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry, including those Liberal MPs who have continually promised their constituents that they would vote to end the registry.

The Liberal leader's definition of tough on crime is to crack down on farmers and duck hunters. We all know that criminals do not register guns and we are committed to taking meaningful action that cracks down on crime.

[Nicolas Dufour, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think he confused me with the Liberals. Let me start over.

The government's ideological and stubborn desire to eliminate the firearms registry is exasperating. The Conservatives stubbornly refuse to listen to public safety experts and police officers, who are saying that the registry saves lives.

How can the Conservative members from Quebec remain silent, thereby condoning the government as it scorns the consensus of the Quebec nation, unanimously expressed by the National Assembly?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the registration of goods and property is a provincial jurisdiction. It is as simple as that. We do not want to make criminals out of hunters when they fail to register their long guns. These people do not commit crimes. Once again, our constituents, including those in the riding of the hon. member for Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, are probably not very happy about that. If Quebec wants a registry, it can have one. At the federal level, we are decriminalizing long guns. So the federal government no longer has jurisdiction.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Immigration Canada is refusing to grant visas to 60 representatives of organizations for the blind from African countries who were supposed to attend the Union francophone des aveugles conference in Laval. Immigration Canada is concerned that the delegates will refuse to return to their country. These people are leaders in their countries. They have ties to their countries. Some of them are even being sponsored by their government.

Does this not prove once again that the Conservative government's policy on granting visas is still far too often based on unacceptable prejudice?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I have answered this question from the Liberal Party previously. The one thing that is consistent between the Bloc and the Liberals is that they want to use words like prejudice and bigotry as if they work and are effective. This has nothing to do with that issue whatsoever.

These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis by independent, highly trained public servants without politicians being involved in it, and they apply it using the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

[Thierry St-Cyr, Bloc, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister had the authority to do something about this and he did not, yet again.

This government's lack of flexibility has major repercussions on Quebec's convention industry. In this case, the Union francophone des aveugles, which is meeting in Laval for a conference on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, will not have enough attendees to hold its annual meeting, which is rather discouraging to many other groups.

When will the Conservative government stop undermining Quebec's efforts to develop the convention industry?

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the last thing this government has ever done is to try to stop Quebec businesses and the industry itself from moving forward. If we look at the economic action plan, that is exactly what it does for Quebec and the rest of this country.

In terms of the decision, if we have parties on the other side of the House that want to bash and trash our public servants, we will not have that on this side of the House. They help us in terms of directing policy. They help this country move forward. We will continue to work with them and support them, even if the opposition will not.

The Environment

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, President Calderón called on the Prime Minister to do more on climate change. The president said that we cannot wait, that quality of life and the future is at risk.

Time is of the essence and there is no better opportunity for Canada to show leadership than at the G8 and G20 next month.

Why will the government not make climate change a focus at the conference?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, President Calderón said that in Mexico's view Canada has been one of the planet's leaders in environmental protection. He also said:

...Asia and the European Union have succeeded in combining their potential...regions that can maximize their comparative advantages will be assured of success.... Therein lies the importance of Canada and Mexico working together. .

We agree. Canada is committed to the harmonized continental approach, working together with our North American partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We will continue to demonstrate that good leadership.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, not only did the government mismanage the security costs for the conference next month, but the agenda will not speak to the most pressing concerns of our global partners.

The Conservatives are on the wrong side of bank reform. They are ignoring climate change. Their approach to maternal health will cost lives.

When will the Conservatives realize that the world is passing them by?

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the only party in this House that has been an absolute failure on the environment is the Liberal Party, with the support of the NDP and the Bloc.

This government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We have made great progress. In the budget there is $8 million for cleaning up the Great Lakes, $18 million for the government's annual reporting on environmental indicators and $9.2 million for Arctic meteorological research and navigation.

Why are all those members voting against these good environmental programs?

Agriculture

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's agri-retail sector has pleaded for help to secure its sites where massive amounts of explosive fertilizers and drug-producing chemicals sit without proper security from the nefarious plans of terrorists and drug dealers.

President Obama has instituted security tax breaks for the industry to secure American sites, while in Canada, Conservative ministers refuse to even meet with agri-retailers to keep Canadians safe.

How can the Conservatives spend $1 billion for 72 hours of security for the G8 and the G20 and yet spend years with their heads in the sand, ignoring Canada's own security threats?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite makes the point for us. We are committed to security and we are proving that with the G8 and the G20 summits.

We continue to work with agri-retailers. There seems to be some miscommunication coming out of the Liberal years when they were left hanging high and dry. We will work with them and ensure that Canadians are well served on all fronts.

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, most recently a terrorist attempted to explode a car bomb packed with fertilizer in Times Square. If that car bomb had been filled with the Canadian fertilizer that the government leaves completely unprotected, the bomb would have killed hundreds of innocent people, terrorized the nation and cost billions in economic losses.

The government's own members from Edmonton—St. Albert, Yorkton—Melville and Saint Boniface have joined with the official opposition and the industry asking for action to keep Canadians safe.

With all that is at stake, what excuse does the government offer for its continued neglect of our public safety?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am left in a bit of a quandary here. If that member was so concerned about this issue, why did he not raise it on all the cross-Canada tours that his committee just did? Why did he not bring it up at that point? A report will be coming out--

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I've raised it three times in the House.

[Gerry Ritz, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

The member is screaming about raising it in the House. That is not real Canadian. I am not sure why he did not bring it forward at those committee meetings when we actually had agri-retailers before us.

We continue to work with the sector. He continues to fearmonger about things that happen in other parts of the world. We will continue to work with the sector in the best interests of everyone.

The Economy

[Dave Van Kesteren, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan is at work in communities across Canada with historic infrastructure and lower taxes for Canadian families.

With the OECD and the IMF predicting Canada's economic growth will grow and lead G7 nations, and with 285,000 new jobs created since last July, it is clear that our plan is working. In fact, an OECD official said that Canada's economic performance “shines”.

Could the parliamentary secretary tell this House what the experts are saying about the Liberal leader's tax hike plan?

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday an important study was released. It confirmed that the Liberal business tax hike would lead directly to 233,000 lost jobs. Earlier this year another study revealed a Liberal GST hike would cost Canada 162,000 jobs. We now have independent evidence that these two Liberal tax hikes alone would kill nearly 400,000 jobs.

Our Conservative government knows that lower taxes create jobs and fuel economic growth, which is why we have cut the GST and over 100 other taxes since forming government.