House of Commons Hansard #54 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was billion.
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to the Cairo plan of action, and in fact that is why we are making decisions according to the Paris accord and the Accra plan.
I have read the actual Cairo action plan and that is how I can assure that we are following the internationally accepted practices of helping women and children around the world.
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, it is following it selectively. The Conservative government continues to pick and choose. It turned a blind eye to the 13% of maternal deaths which occur as a result of unsafe abortions, 70,000 women each year, one woman every eight minutes, and to the orphaned children of these mothers who are 10 times more likely to die prematurely.
On what basis does the Conservative government decide which mothers and which children in the developing world shall live and which shall die?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, our government wants to ensure its international aid is making a difference. In fact, I met with representatives from the Mali government and they told me that when we increased our assistance to them, that represented 20% of their national budget. They put that forward to help the health of women. Now 80% of the women in Mali have birth attendants when they give safe delivery to their children. This is the kind of difference and this is the kind of action we want to see.
Daniel Paillé Bloc Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, in addition to acting against the wishes of the National Assembly, the government is planning to make life more difficult for Quebec businesses, which now comply with the Autorité des marchés financiers.
By destroying the passport system, the government will be splintering and balkanizing a system that functions very well, according to the OECD. The government will force Quebec businesses to join the securities commission in Toronto. It will be a matter of do or die.
Will the government admit that it is eliminating the passport system with its new plan? Eliminating the passport system—
SecuritiesOral Questions
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
The truth is, Mr. Speaker, that we are not eliminating anything. We are actually adding to the accountability, the credibility of Canada's financial system through a voluntary system, a Canadian securities regulator.
I know the Bloc has a lot of trouble thinking that something Canadian is good for this country, but most Canadians do. We are protecting the investments of Canadians. We are encouraging foreign investment into this country to help grow our businesses. That is the right thing to do and I would encourage the Bloc to stop preventing that from happening.
Daniel Paillé Bloc Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, we should forgive him because he does not know what he is doing. The voluntary system is just a show, a sham. Eliminating the passport system will create conflict among the securities authorities and will increase fees for companies that want to do business with four or five commissions. It is shoving the idea of doing business in Toronto down everyone's throats. The government is starting fires everywhere—Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba—and it wants us to call Toronto's firefighters. Is that the deal? Come on, it makes no sense.
Ted Menzies ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, can I tell him what does not make any sense? It is the argument he just gave.
It is a voluntary system. I will say this a little slower: it is a voluntary system.
I would encourage Bloc members to go back to their supporters and remind them what this is all about. It is a voluntary system to help protect against some of the bad things that have happened to those people in Quebec who have been caught in scams. We need to put protection in place for them. We need to encourage investment in all of Canada.
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Minister of Justice, the same man who agreed to pay the $2 million to Brian Mulroney, figures that there are enough new facts in the Oliphant report to warrant having the Justice Department look at the possibility of recovering the money paid to Brian Mulroney.
Contrary to what he said in 1997, the former Conservative prime minister did have business dealings with the arms dealer.
My question is clear: will the Minister of Justice try to recover the $2 million from Brian Mulroney, yes or no?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the dealings of the individuals the hon. member is referring to have been the subject of a report by Justice Oliphant, who tabled his report this week. Again, as I have indicated, the appropriate authorities are going to look at those recommendations very carefully.
I have a question for him. Is he going to be supporting our justice legislation for cracking down on crime in this country: oui ou non? I want the answer to that.
Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice is already preparing for being in the opposition. He is now asking us questions.
The government is suggesting that recovering the money is not one of the recommendations in the Oliphant report. That does not surprise anyone, since the mandate set by the Conservative government was much too narrow.
In light of the new version from Brian Mulroney, who finally admitted to the business dealings, why does the government refuse to recover—
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I guess one thing we know for sure is this member will never be part of any government.
That being said—
EthicsOral Questions
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Order, order. We know the Minister of Justice's responses are always very welcome in the House, but we have to have some order so we can hear the response.
The Minister of Justice has the floor.
Rob Nicholson Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
I want to apologize, Mr. Speaker. I made a mistake. I understand there are quite a few discussions going on about a coalition that could in fact involve the Bloc.
That being said, hon. members were looking for a public inquiry. They got what they wanted. The questions were set by an independent individual. That should make the hon. member very, very happy.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Inuit are calling for public hearings on federal plans to conduct seismic testing in Lancaster Sound, which is a proposed marine conservation area. Exploratory activities are being carried out despite the fact that the minister admitted that he does not even have a budget to study the effects of a spill in the far north.
President Obama suspended activities in the Arctic until an emergency response plan can be implemented. Why are they not doing the same thing?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, marine mapping is being carried out across Canada. Canadians are lucky to have a government that cares about Arctic development and ensuring our sovereignty in the region. My colleague, the Minister of the Environment, announced that he would carry out studies to designate marine areas, which in no way conflicts with comprehensive marine mapping across Canada.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, we have asked seven times now for the government to table its plan to deal with a major offshore oil spill.
Instead of a plan, we get half-truths about the activity in the Arctic waters. We get a minister who admits he has no budget to conduct research into the effects of a major spill, a minister who admits he does not have one red cent for oil spill emergency relief.
Why is the federal government not taking the lead on an issue that could have such dire consequences for our environment and our economy?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, our government is providing leadership on this file. As recently as May 11, the National Energy Board, an independent regulator and quasi-judicial tribunal that has been in place for 50 years, said that it would hold hearings to review the regulations as a whole. The public will be invited to make submissions. As of now, no authorization has been granted for any drilling in the Beaufort Sea or for deepwater drilling in the Arctic. No project will be given the go-ahead unless the government is convinced that the environment and the health and safety of workers will be protected.
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Mr. Speaker, at a time when the world is turning to nuclear energy to fight global warming and provide personalized medicine, Canada is turning away from it. The Prime Minister has said that Canada will stop producing isotopes and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has laid off employees at Chalk River. We are failing our researchers and destroying our international leadership in the process.
Can the Minister of Health explain why her government is sacrificing this bastion of research that is so essential to the present and future health of all Canadians?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the priority of this government and of AECL is to get the NRU reactor up and running again as soon as possible. That being said, alternative solutions are being considered. Yesterday, we announced some good news: $35 million for research. We will be asking for submissions from businesses and agencies that are working on alternative solutions for isotope production based on cyclotrons or linear accelerators.
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, we have more smoke and mirrors on medical isotopes. The research dollars announced today will do nothing to help the patients waiting for their cancer and heart tests.
Yesterday the Minister of Health said she was working with the international community to find an alternative source of medical isotopes. She did not seem to know that a supply deal had already been negotiated by Lantheus with Israel, but that it was turned down by Health Canada.
The patients are waiting. Will the minister approve the Israeli supply, yes or no?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the member should be well aware that we are dealing with a global shortage.
We are doing everything we can to facilitate access to any and all alternatives to TC99. We continue to encourage the medical community to apply through the special access program and seek approval for the use of unapproved TC99.
We have not received an application from the company the member makes reference to.
Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
Mr. Speaker, I was shocked yesterday when I heard the Liberal MP for Ajax—Pickering defend the practice of paying old age security to prisoners.
Even though hard-working taxpayers already foot the bill for prisoners' room and board, the Liberals actually think that prisoners should receive even more benefits, benefits that are intended only for low income seniors.
Can the minister tell us what she is hearing from Canadians who actually care about victims and taxpayers?