Debates of Sept. 22nd, 2010

Infrastructure

[Carole Lavallée, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the March 31 deadline for infrastructure projects is jeopardizing the completion of the arts and culture building planned for 2-22 Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal's Quartier des spectacles. The project was delayed by four months because of administrative red tape in Ottawa. Now the Conservative government is threatening to hold back the funds promised if the project is not completed by March 31.

Instead of disappointing everyone and using scare tactics at the Canadian Club, do the Minister of Finance and the Conservative government not agree that it would be better to tackle the real problems facing Quebeckers and to start by extending the March 31 deadline?

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, there seems to be constant chatter about extending the deadline. What we would like to have from the Bloc is some co-operation, perhaps when votes come around or when important situations come up in the House, that actually supports these infrastructure projects.

For example, the other day for the first time in 24 years a Prime Minister of this country was in Port of Sept- Iles, and this was what the director general of the Port of Sept-Iles said.

“Many thanks for the support of your government through its infrastructure stimulus program, which has made these strategic investments possible, in order to support the economic growth of the north shore and the rest of Canada.”

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the construction of the new exhibition facility in Rouyn-Noranda is being jeopardized because of the March 31, 2011, deadline. Although a regional call for tenders would have been sufficient, the federal government demanded a national tendering process, which delayed the beginning of the work. In addition, because of the early frost in Abitibi, it will soon be impossible to do some of the excavation work.

Will the government finally admit that its March 31 deadline makes no sense, because as well as increasing infrastructure costs, it is also jeopardizing jobs—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

[Chuck Strahl, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell why my seatmate had such fun listening to the Bloc members as they complained about too much infrastructure in their province and in their ridings.

We continue to work with the Government of Quebec and the Montreal government. We are working together on specific projects. We work together with them to scope the projects properly. We work with them on specific things that we can do together to make sure these projects get done.

Whether it is cultural infrastructure, port infrastructure, or whatever we are working on, it is creating jobs across the country

Firearms Registry

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative members from Quebec think that their ideological agenda is more important than protecting people. They have ignored all appeals. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec and the National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution once again asking federal members from Quebec to maintain the gun registry.

Will the Conservative members from Quebec heed this appeal, or will they insist on voting to dismantle the gun registry?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear for the member.

While we support the licensing aspect and the registration of prohibited and restricted weapons, we do not support the wasteful long gun registry.

There is a deliberate campaign of misinformation by Bloc members in respect of what we support. The member for Malpeque, as well, has participated in a deliberate campaign of misinformation after he promised his constituents that he would vote in favour of scrapping the long gun registry. Now he has flipped.

[Maria Mourani, Bloc, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am astounded by the Conservatives' hypocrisy. Across Canada, they have been urging Liberals and New Democrats to respect what voters want. At the same time, Conservative members from Quebec are preparing to vote in favour of scrapping the gun registry despite the unanimous opinion of the National Assembly and the vast majority of Quebeckers.

Why will the Conservative members from Quebec not vote in accordance with what their constituents want, which is to maintain the gun registry as is?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, what the members of the Quebec caucus of the Conservative Party, indeed all Conservative members, want to see is effective gun control that targets criminals and does not target law-abiding citizens, law-abiding hunters, and sports people.

We are concerned about crime on the streets, not simply registering long guns. That does not address the issue of crime at all.

I wish that for once the Bloc would actually support measures that stifle crime and not lawful gun-owners.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister went to New York to talk about maternal health, then he returned to Ottawa to vote against keeping moms safe. That is hypocrisy. He knows perfectly well that 70% of the victims of long gun shootings are women.

If the Prime Minister really cares about women's health and safety, will he work with us to improve and save the registry, which is what women's groups in Canada want?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberal Party, this government will continue to put the rights of victims over those of criminals. We are proud of the progress that we have made in giving victims both a greater voice and greater access to services. We will continue to correct the failed Liberal record. Our opposition to the long gun registry is clear. We know that criminalizing farmers and duck hunters does not increase public safety, nor does it protect victims.

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

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister really cared about women's well-being, he would not have ousted the RCMP Chief Superintendent, Marty Cheliak, and he would not ignore the opinion of police officers, nurses, women's groups and his own victims' ombudsman.

Last spring, the Prime Minister engaged in divisive politics at African women's expense. Today, he is doing the same thing at Canadian women's expense. Why?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader has whipped his members to support the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry by promising to implement unconstitutional amendments to Bill C-391.

We hope that the Liberals who voted for Bill C-391 will not deceive their constituents by changing their votes merely to satisfy the Liberal leader. Think of the victims. Don't think of the agenda of the Liberal leader.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, they speak of victims' rights. Yet yesterday, Sue O'Sullivan, the Prime Minister's appointed victims ombudsman, said that “the majority of victims' groups [they] have spoken to have made it clear: Canada should maintain its long gun registry”.

It is the same message we have heard from victims, police, nurses, and women's groups.

Why can the Conservatives not work with them to improve the registry, to make it less burdensome for honest farmers and hunters, yet still a useful tool for fighting crime?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, to think that member would even speak about protecting victims, after that member stood up and gutted Bill C-9 on the issue of conditional sentences. Apparently, she would rather see criminals out on the street than behind bars. As for protecting law-abiding citizens, we have nothing to answer to that member for. We do not support the wasteful long gun registry. We support measures that protect victims.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, that is a shameful response.

The member for Portage—Lisgar said yesterday that the “only defence of [the gun registry] is domestic violence and suicide cases. Nobody is even saying that it stops crime anymore”.

Shockingly, the Prime Minister appears to agree with her, based on his comments earlier today.

Can the Minister of Public Safety confirm that the current government still considers domestic violence a heinous crime and commit to fighting it by maintaining the gun registry?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, that question is beneath contempt.

Let me be clear. While we support the licensing of people and the registration of prohibited and restricted weapons, we do not support the wasteful long gun registry. We support initiatives that in fact target violent, dangerous criminals who prey upon innocent people. The member should reflect upon her record of gutting effective legislation in this House, as should the Liberal caucus .

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the decision facing MPs on the long gun registry is crystal clear. MPs can either support the wasteful and ineffective long gun registry or vote to scrap it.

The member for Churchill has stated, “A lot of people in northern Manitoba feel the gun registry does not work for us”.

Could the Minister of Public Safety update this House on the long gun registry and why it is important that all members of Parliament, including the member for Churchill, vote with their constituents on this issue?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for this question and for his efforts on this file.

The hard-working, law-abiding gun owners of Manitoba and Canada know that the long gun registry does not work. I would call upon the member for Churchill to stand in this House and, instead of voting with her downtown Toronto leader, represent her constituents in rural Manitoba, as her father does in the Manitoba legislature, where he has consistently spoken out against the long gun registry, together with the NDP in that province who do not support the long gun registry.

HST

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is the first day of fall, which means that colder temperatures are around the corner. That is bad news for people in northern Ontario. This year, their heating bills will go up by 8% because the Conservative government's HST will now apply to heating. This sends a chill up our spines.

Will the Minister of Finance work with the NDP and ask Ontario to withdraw its application of the HST to basic needs such as heating and gasoline?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the implementation of the HST is a provincial responsibility, and I would invite the member to take it up with her party's provincial representatives.

Seniors

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, winter is coming fast and the senior citizens of northern Ontario are now having to pay HST on their outrageous fuel costs, thanks to this government. Day after day, I meet seniors who are falling below the poverty line, seniors who cannot afford to live in their homes, seniors who are travelling hundreds of kilometres to get medical treatment because there are no local doctors. This government has turned its back on rural Canadians.

I would like to ask the minister why he is blowing billions of dollars on prisons and fighter jets while telling the seniors of northern Canada that the cupboard is bare.

[John Baird, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I think people in the member's constituency will rightly see this for what it is, an attempt to change the channel.

I have a brochure that the member put out, a householder he sent to his constituents, "Fighting for the North - Working for you”. In it he says, “Promise made: promise kept. [MP] fulfills commitment to vote down the long gun registry”.

The member has a chance. He can stand with his constituents. He can stand with his principles and he can do the right thing at 5:30 today.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, the largest military contract in Canadian history, the F-35 fighter jet contract, will not be subject to the industrial and regional benefits policy. That is unprecedented. The Conservative government has given up and seems unable to defend the interests of the aerospace industry, which is primarily located in Quebec.

Why is the Conservative government asking taxpayers to foot the $16 billion bill without ensuring that the Canadian and Quebec aerospace industry receives its fair share of contracts?

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, by purchasing the new F-35 jets, we have gone with the best aircraft on the market. For such military bases as Cold Lake and Bagotville, it is an important acquisition that represents a long-term future for these two bases.

Furthermore, it will create jobs and have economic spinoffs across the country, and for companies in the aerospace industry as well. It is a good decision by our government and it will create jobs.