Debates of May 3rd, 2010

Forestry Industry

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, as we stated last week, previous governments ignored the forestry industry for years, but we signed a trade agreement with our major softwood lumber industry partners. Fifty per cent of Quebec's softwood lumber is exported, and 96% of that goes to the United States. That is why we had to do it. We invested money in our programs in accordance with the agreement. We will continue to support the forestry industry.

Science and technology

[Lise Zarac, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the knowledge industry, history is repeating itself.

Conservative policies will lead to a brain drain that may bring down the economic structure of the Montreal region and Canada as a whole. Conservatives are giving the boot to scientists whose discoveries do not reflect their Reform ideology.

Does this government not recognize that creativity in science, art and industry is the most reliable engine of economic growth we have? Why does it place ideology ahead of the economy?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely incorrect. No government in the history of this country has supported science, scientists and technology more than this Conservative government. We have recently surpassed $10.7 billion in the funding of science, basic science, applied research, and our universities and colleges. I do not know why the member is against that kind of funding. We on this side of the House are not.

Firearms Registry

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader continues to show Canadians that he is only in it for himself by politicizing everything he touches, including the long gun registry.

The Liberal leader is whipping his members to ignore their constituents and support the wasteful long gun registry. I hope that those Liberals who voted for Bill C-391 will not deceive their constituents and change their votes.

Could the Minister of Public Safety update this House on this important issue?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen from time to time, the Liberal leader is more concerned with party politics than listening to rural Canadians. He would rather silence the debate than hear from those who do not subscribe to his unconstitutional proposals.

It is time to end the senseless prosecution of hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. As the justice minister in Saskatchewan has said, “--it's a nuisance factor”. I would add, it is also a waste of money.

We trust the NDP will support the bill in its original form and not bow to the Liberal leader's coalition of deceit.

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, money does not have to change hands in order for lobbying to be deemed lobbying under the act. Influence peddling is influence peddling, even if no contract was signed. The Conservatives' third excuse is that the Liberals were even more crooked. The voters will decide.

Now that the Prime Minister has called the police to report the minister, will the police also investigate the other ministers tainted by these same illegal practices?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, that question from the deputy leader of the NDP is quite outrageous.

Serious allegations were brought forward about a member of cabinet. The Prime Minister did the right thing. He did the ethical thing. He turned the whole matter over to an independent authority.

We have a tough regime for lobbyists in this country. Each and every Canadian is required to follow that act. If the member opposite has any allegations, or any evidence, he would like to make, he should follow the high ethical standards of the Prime Minister and forward it to the independent Commissioner of Lobbying.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the government's mentor, Brian Mulroney, used to fire a minister a week for everything from influence peddling to tainted tuna. Of course, many just considered it a speed bump on the road to the Senate.

However, it is not every day that a minister gets punted from cabinet, drop-kicked from her own party, and turned in to the RCMP. We all know what Rahim Jaffer did, but why the veil of secrecy over the member for Simcoe—Grey?

The public has a right to know what, if anything, the member for Simcoe—Grey is accused of to deserve this political capital punishment.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Simcoe—Grey will be pleased to learn she has a friend over in the NDP.

This is what happened. Serious allegations were made to the Prime Minister about a member of the government. The Prime Minister did not have the context to know whether they were true or untrue, but they were serious enough that he did the right thing. He turned the entire matter over to an independent authority, so it could make a determination whether an investigation was warranted. It could investigate the matter and ensure that the rule of law was followed in this country.

Let me remind members that none of the issues in question that the Prime Minister referred to the independent authority had anything to do with the conduct of government business.

International Co-operation

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has reopened the abortion debate by announcing that it will not be funding abortion services abroad. A number of groups provide access to abortion as part of their family planning programs. Doctors Without Borders is one such group.

Can the government tell us whether the groups will lose all their funding for maternal health simply because they provide information on or access to abortion?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, our government wants to try to save the lives of mothers and children in developing countries. Our initiative will include training and support for front-line health workers, better nutrition and provision of micronutrients, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, proper medication, family planning and immunization. Every G8 country will identify its own priorities.

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard that tune before. It seems increasingly clear that this government is trying to follow in the footsteps of George W. Bush, who used the religious right and pro-life groups contributing to the humanitarian effort in order to export his anti-abortion agenda. NGOs providing a complete family planning program were deliberately ignored by the Bush administration.

Is the government choosing its Conservative ideology over women's health?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, every year, between 350,000 and 500,000 women die in childbirth in developing countries. Our government wants to do everything it can to try to save those lives. The government has been very clear: it will never reopen the abortion debate.

Fisheries

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, governments from around the world are taking action to help the fishing industry by reducing the number of boats and ensuring that processing sectors are up to date. The Maritimes are calling for the same things, but this government has no interest in helping them.

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is abandoning the fishers of New Brunswick. Do these Canadians from New Brunswick, who are in the middle of a crisis, not deserve better?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the hon. member that this government has done a lot for fishers.

We have extended capital gains exemptions to fishers that his government would not do. We have introduced policy flexibility in a number of fisheries to support viability. We have stabilized shares in many fisheries. We have doubled our budget to repair and upgrade small craft harbours. We do support the fishing industry in a way that it never has been supported.

[Brian Murphy, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, hard-working fishers from the Atlantic provinces have been left victimized by the 63% cut in snow crab quotas. The discretionary power of the federal fisheries minister is harming the economy and the people of New Brunswick.

Now the premier of New Brunswick has even been refused a meeting with the minister of human resources last week. New Brunswick fishermen have no means to sustain themselves and the federal government has failed to provide them with any support whatsoever.

How much more hardship shall New Brunswickers observe and endure before there is an answer from any minister?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the past, reducing the total allowable catch is a very difficult decision. I hope that the hon. member is not saying that we should be allowing fishers to overfish. We are concerned about the future of the fishery and about the future of the fishermen.

Product Safety

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister prorogued Parliament, one of the pieces of legislation he wiped out, Bill C-6, was supposed to improve the safety of products sold in Canada. Last week, we learned about another unsafe children's product. This time it was baby cribs.

Millions of Canadians are concerned for their safety and also the safety of their children. Yet, product safety has not made it back to the Conservative agenda.

When will the government take action and put the safety of Canadians ahead of its own political interests?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we tabled the legislation last year, the consumer product safety act, Bill C-6. Unfortunately, there were amendments made in the Senate. We will continue to work with stakeholders to improve the legislation and reintroduce it sometime in this House.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need more political games or rhetoric. The health and safety of Canadians, particularly our children, is at stake. Toys with lead paint are still out there and other unsafe products are still being sold.

Product safety legislation must be tabled in the House, without delay. This is the Canadian government's responsibility: protecting Canadians.

How long will Canadians need to wait, how many more voluntary recalls before the government finally puts the safety of our children back on the agenda?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of Canadians has been a concern of our government. That is why we took actions last fall to introduce Bill C-6. Unfortunately, the Liberal senators amended the legislation. We will be working again to reintroduce this legislation because the health and safety of our children is our number one priority.

Government Expenditures

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2010 laid out a clear three-point plan to return to a balanced budget and we included important measures to do just that, including freezes on departmental operating budgets; salaries for ministers, MPs and senators; and ministers' office budgets.

A key part of that plan was a commitment to ensure taxpayers are getting the value for money they deserve by continuing with tough, strategic reviews in 2010.

Would the President of the Treasury Board tell this House how this will be done and what it means for Canadians?

[Stockwell Day, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, taxpayers expect that programs are handled efficiently and effectively. We want to ensure that happens. Among a number of measures that we are taking to get to a balanced budget, we are asking all departments and agencies, on a cyclical basis, to look at all their spending.

This year, we are asking 13 departments and agencies, that spend in total about $35 billion, to find efficiencies in savings that will amount to at least 5%, $1.7 billion. These savings will continue year after year.

Public Safety

[Rodger Cuzner, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in rural communities across Canada, thousands of volunteer firefighters put their lives at risk to keep us safe. Without their countless hours of public service and sacrifice, many rural communities would be without protection. In an effort to retain, recruit and reward these local heroes, action has to be taken, specifically in the form of a substantial, refundable tax credit.

Why has the government failed to recognize the sacrifice of these special men and women? When will it take action to protect rural Canadians?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, just last week, I met and listened to the concerns of firefighters representing my home province of Manitoba. This being Emergency Preparedness Week, we recognize the valuable role that first responders such as firefighters play to ensuring the safety of our communities.

Our Conservative government remains committed to working with provincial and municipal governments, which are responsible for first responders. The joint emergency preparedness program and our disaster financial assistance arrangements are two such programs.