House of Commons Hansard #40 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was workers.
Nycole Turmel NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the latest GDP numbers show a stagnation of the economy with one exception, the oil and gas sector, thanks to the Conservatives' favouritism. However, high productivity sectors like manufacturing and infrastructure were flat or down.
Is this not further evidence that we should prolong the stimulus package and target high productivity sectors?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, the government's position is that we should keep going down the path that we are on because it is working. The IMF says so. The World Bank says so. Today StatsCan again says so. What we are doing is working.
Since the worst part of the recession in July 2009, the Canadian economy has produced over 650,000 jobs, more than 80% of which are full-time jobs. We are getting the job done for Canadians and that is why they have entrusted our government to continue focusing on the economy.
Nycole Turmel NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, not only are Conservatives refusing to act to help our economy, they are also turning off the taps of the previous stimulus package.
The city of Hamilton stands to lose $7.8 million in infrastructure funding today. There is no reason for the government not to invest the money that was budgeted for infrastructure.
Why not ensure that every penny allocated to stimulate the economy will actually go to stimulate the economy?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I would simply point out for the Leader of the Opposition that our economic action plan has indeed worked. The Auditor General took a look at our economic action plan, the way in which we were investing our funds and said that we did it prudently and responsibly. It is true that the stimulus spending has ended and that the stimulus spending had the positive effects that we intended.
Now we are moving to the next chapter of our economic action plan, which is drive to a balanced budget, while putting in place policies that drive up economic growth and create jobs for Canadians. It is what we promised to do. It is what we are going to do.
Nycole Turmel NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, this does not help the economy.
The GDP numbers should wake the Conservatives up. The economy needs further stimulus, not an abrupt end to the money already promised.
In Saint-Eustache, for instance, work was delayed because of federal red tape. The city is not to blame, but the Conservatives are using that as an excuse to cut funding for the bridge to Îles Corbeil.
Instead of cutting off the stimulus funding, why not prolong or even expand the program?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, we already extended our process in order to allow that project to be completed. We created a responsible, effective process for the entire economy, and we worked on that process with the municipalities and the provinces.
Let us be clear, however: our process, our program, our economic action plan and our plan to deal with this crisis are all working. We are creating jobs. Our economic system is improving. Our work is not done yet. Our work will be done when all Canadians can find the jobs they need, and we will continue on the same path with next year's budget.
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government pretends to support victims, but now it is moving to scrap years worth of gun registry records. Victims of tragedies like the shooting at l'École Polytechnique want these records kept. Police chiefs want them. Provinces want them. However, the government refuses to listen.
The government is planning a $2 billion bonfire. Why is it ignoring the pleas of victims and their families? Why will it not put public safety first?
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that this question is coming from a member who has voted against every public initiative that actually protects victims.
Perhaps there is something that she should know. Just because the Liberals spent $2 billion on a long gun registry does not mean it is worth anything. In fact, the only thing it does is target law-abiding Canadian citizens improperly and is obtrusive in their private affairs.
Let us make it very clear. Our government will focus on issues that deal with victims.
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, if the government were to introduce bills that made sense and were supported by a majority of Canadians, we would be happy to support them. Every day, more voices are joining the outcry in Quebec and calling for the government to keep the data from the firearms registry. The National Assembly, police chiefs, families of victims of murder and suicide, groups advocating for abused women and, more recently, a large construction union, the FTQ, have all said that the data on file must be preserved.
Why is the government going to spend money on destroying useful information instead of spending money on enhancing police protection—
Vic Toews ConservativeMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Police Association has said that it is quite satisfied with the efforts this government has made to work on behalf of front-line police officers, especially with respect to the comprehensive justice legislation, Bill C-10, which the member opposes. If she wants anything else, perhaps she could speak to her colleague from Sackville—Eastern Shore who said that the registry itself gives people a false sense of security over gun control and gun safety. He is in favour of getting rid of it. Why is she not?
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Public Works and Government Services. I wonder if the minister can tell us whether she considers the work of the fairness officer in assessing the value of the contract with respect to the building of ships was an important and integral part of that entire process.
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, where it is necessary and we think it is valuable, we employ fairness monitors to be a part of procurement. In this situation, with the shipbuilding procurement strategy, it was invaluable.
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, since the Minister of Public Works and Government Services feels that it was invaluable, I wonder if I could ask her colleague, the Minister of National Defence, why a similar process would not be followed with respect to the F-35s.
The prime minister of Holland, the—
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. The hon. member for Toronto Centre has the floor. Members should hold off on their comments.
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, while the government figures out who is going to answer this very tricky question, if it is good enough for the ships, why is it not good enough for the planes?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, the only person who had trouble—
James Moore Conservative Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, the only person who had trouble with the question was the Liberals in taking three tries to spit it out.
However, the answer is that we are going down the road to ensuring that the Canadian Forces have the equipment that they need. As we have said time and again, the reality is that the greatest threat to the health and safety of the men and women of the Canadian Forces should never be their equipment. What we saw under 13 years of Liberal rule was a constant degrading of the Canadian Forces' budgets, and that can never happen again. If the leader of the Liberal Party does not like the process with regard to the F-35s, all he has to do is look to his left and look to his right, because it is his party that started it.
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I clearly heard a personal insult directed at me. Frankly, I am astonished that the minister would stoop so low. I am not going to return the minister's insults; instead, I am going to ask him a question.
If the use of a fairness officer is good enough for the ships, why is it not good enough for the planes? It is a very simple and direct question.
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, the answer is the same whether the question is asked in French or in English. Our process has been clear from the outset. We will ensure that the men and women of the Canadian Forces have the equipment they need to do their job—the job that Parliament and our government is asking them to do. That is what we have done here. The F-35s are a success for these women and men, and we are going to continue with our process.
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats joined all Canadians in mourning the tragic loss of Master Corporal Byron Greff on Saturday. Master Corporal Greff and 16 others were struck by a suicide bomb on the outskirts of Kabul.
Will the Prime Minister give the House an update on his current view of the security situation our troops are now facing in Afghanistan?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, like the hon. member, I think all members present would share in expressing our condolences to the family of Master Corporal Greff, who gave his life courageously in Afghanistan.
It is a reminder of the unlimited liability assumed by members of the Canadian Forces and our allies in that mission. No one would suggest that the risks will ever be zero in that country, given the current security climate.