House of Commons Hansard #64 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was women.
Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder the minister is in Durban advancing the agenda of his big old friends. That is who he spends his time with. He has met with oil lobbyists almost three times more than he has met with environmental groups, and this is for a Minister of the Environment.
Why is it no surprise that, after all these meetings with oil companies, his government still broke its promise to regulate emissions from the oil sands this year?
Michelle Rempel ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, we seek to understand the viewpoints of all stakeholders with regard to environmental stewardship, which is why we consult industry and environmental groups and why we have a strong sector-by-sector regulatory approach that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and balances both environmental stewardship and economic sustainability.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, this week, Statistics Canada projected a 70% rise in Canada's aboriginal population over the next two decades. Given these numbers and the limited dollars being invested, we can project that evermore aboriginal people will be living under the appalling conditions that Canadians have witnessed in the past few weeks. One in four aboriginal children already lives in poverty.
When will the government finally honour its treaties and deliver the necessary dollars for the infrastructure for Canada's aboriginal communities?
John Duncan ConservativeMinister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, we have been working in collaboration with willing partners in the first nations communities because we understand the demographics. We understand the infrastructure needs. We have invested significantly more than any other government, We continue to find productive and innovative ways to address these issues. We also want to get value for money.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, in a document called “A Guide For Ministers and Ministers of State”, dated 2011 and signed by the Prime Minister, in section F.4. under the heading “Ministers and the law” there is the statement, “All government activity must take place in accordance with the law”.
It is rather surprising that that needs to be written down but it is good to hear.
A court of competent jurisdiction has ruled that the conduct of the Minister of Agriculture is “an affront to the rule of law”. Therefore, the minister has violated the Canadian Wheat Board Act and he has clearly violated the Prime Minister's guidelines.
What are the consequences for ministers who violate the Prime Minister's guidelines?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, the consequences for western Canadian farmers when we pass this bill will be that they will finally have marketing freedom. They will have the same freedom as farmers across the rest of the country.
As noted, the judge himself said that this decision had no practical impact. Nevertheless, despite that, our government will be appealing that ruling and I am told that we will be appealing it today.
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, last spring, this government chose to be found in contempt of Parliament rather than disclosing the real costs of its tough on crime bill. Today, we know why. The Institut de recherche et d'informations socio-économiques estimates the cost of their more-prisons-less-justice bill at $19 billion, most of which will be paid by the provinces. Nineteen billion dollars for an approach that was a dismal failure in the United States, instead of investing in prevention and protecting our youth. That is shameful. When will they recognize—
Kerry-Lynne Findlay ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are concerned about crime and that is why they gave our government a strong mandate to keep our streets and communities safe. The cost of crime on society far exceeds the cost of fighting crime. This report referred to is ridiculous. As we have already disclosed, the federal cost of our current crime legislation will be less than 1% of what the opposition claims.
Part of keeping our communities safe is keeping dangerous criminals behind bars, not releasing them on to our streets before they serve their sentences.
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Speaker, last week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, millions of Congolese people voted at 63,000 polling stations. After the vote, each polling station posted its results outside. Today the election commission is tallying the results, but it is using only the total figures; there is no way to verify the accuracy of the results. International observers with the Carter Center have asked the election commission to post the results of each individual polling station. The Congolese diaspora is asking for the same.
Will the Canadian government add its voice to those that are calling for transparency in the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I will first acknowledge the interest of my colleague in this important issue. We are obviously very concerned with the violence and the significant amount of protests there have been as a result of the elections in the Congo. We want to see the most open and transparent election possible and the reporting of those results.
I completely agree with the member opposite. Canada would be very pleased to support such a request.
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians play by the rules and they expect their government to do the same. As the chief justice of Alberta, Catherine Fraser, said in a ruling earlier this year:
When government does not comply with the law, this is not merely non-compliance with a particular law, it is an affront to the rule of law itself….
My question is a simple one and a yes or no will do. Does the government agree with the statement by Chief Justice Fraser?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, we are in agreement with western Canadian farmers that they want certainty as soon as possible. They want certainty on January 1, 2012. They want to know that they can go out and start to book their contracts for next year and they want to know that they can deal with the people who they want to deal with. They want freedom and we will give them that.
The hearings are proceeding through the Senate committee. The bill will go back to the Senate. We look forward to the passing of Bill C-18 and we look forward to western Canadian farmers finally having the same freedoms that everyone else in Canada already has.
Françoise Boivin NDP Gatineau, QC
Madam Speaker, I did not hear any yes or no there.
Perhaps the government will not answer the question because it has a habit of breaking the law, as it did, for example, by going over its election budget, in violation of the Elections Act; by destroying government documents, in violation of the Access to Information Act; by sharing veterans' personal information, in violation of the Privacy Act; and now by ignoring prairie farmers, in violation of the Canadian Wheat Board Act.
Why does this arrogant government, which is always on the defensive, seem to think that there is one set of rules for it and another set for the rest of Canada?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, when Mr. Oberg came down, he asked if members would join with him in interfering as much as possible with this bill. He asked them if they would hold the bill off until our introduction of it would disrupt the markets in western Canada. It looks like the NDP members took him seriously.
We need to get this bill passed. We need to get it in place so western Canadian farmers can begin to plant their crop , grow their crop next year and harvest their crop with the certainty that they will be able to market it as well.
Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Mr. Speaker, the agreement concluded this week between the United States and Canada raises a lot more questions than it answers. Canadians are worried. They want to know exactly what this agreement means for them and their families. They want to know what information will be shared with the Americans and how long the information will remain on file in the United States. They also want to know whether their right to privacy will be respected.
Can this secretive government promise to answer Canadians' questions? Can it tell us what it intends to do to protect Canadians' rights?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, this agreement is all about jobs, economic growth and trade with the United States. I know our NDP friends do not support free trade with the United States.
Why does the member opposite not trust Barack Obama, the president of the United States? Why does the member believe that he will do malicious things with information? That is really surprising.
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, every time they sign an agreement, Canadians get the short end of the stick. This agreement will necessarily have repercussions on tourists who come to Canada every year. Is this going to complicate their lives? We do not know. Is this going to cost them a lot of money? We do not know. Is this going to discourage them from coming to Canada? We have no idea.
Can the Conservatives be transparent for once and tell us what impact this agreement will have on the thousands of restaurants, hotels and small businesses that rely on tourism?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we have been very transparent. We have tabled the entire agreement, the entire action plan that will help to create jobs and opportunities, right here in the House of Commons.
We have seen a decline in the number of tourists in many border communities since 9/11 and since the passport requirements. What this will do is make it easier for more Americans, our biggest market for tourism, to come to Niagara Falls, more Americans to come to Vancouver, more Americans to visit Quebec City and more Americans to visit the Maritimes.
We are very pleased with that. The tourism industry is excited about this initiative. We will continue to move forward and create more jobs.
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Mr. Speaker, while our Conservative government is committed to promoting jobs with the next phase of Canada's economic action plan, the tax-and-spend NDP does not agree.
As Canadian families prepare for the Christmas season, the NDP is publicly demanding that new tax after new tax be imposed on families. It demands that we take more and more money out of the pockets of Canadians through higher taxes to pay for its tax-and-spend schemes.
Would the Minister of Finance please tell Canadians why our government rejects the NDP tax-and-spend approach?
Ted Menzies ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, in answer to the last question, the Minister of Foreign Affairs missed one important point. The NDP not only vote against every trade deal that we have put forward, it opposes every trade negotiation. Those trade negotiations create jobs in this country. The flow of people and goods across that border is so important.
What we are solely focused on is ensuring we create jobs within this country. Trade is supportive of that but the policies that we put forward, which have created almost 600,000 net new jobs in this country, those are results for Canadians, which is what Canadians asked for.
Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government believes that it can pull the wool over the eyes of honest rural Canadians, sucker punch them, and then get away with it. Power corrupts.
Canadians learned the government is planning a fire sale of vital rural Canadian assets. On the chopping block are rural airports serving our most remote communities. These airports are a lifeline for Canadians living in small towns and rural communities from coast to coast to coast.
Why is the government abandoning rural Canadians?
Steven Fletcher ConservativeMinister of State (Transport)
Mr. Speaker, as announced in budget 2009, a review of corporate assets is being led by the greatest Minister of Finance in the world in collaboration with other fantastic ministers who are looking at various assets, including within the Department of Transport. Our government is committed to using hard-earned tax dollars in a way that is prudent and responsible.
That member should support the government.
Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, what is worse than the government's empty answers and denials is that the secret documents that revealed the fire sale are blanked out. Canadians are left wondering which of our rural communities will be affected--
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. There are far too many cross-conversations. I am having difficulty hearing the member for Vaudreuil--Soulanges. If members want to talk to each other, maybe they can do so outside of the chamber.
The hon. member for Vaudreuil--Soulanges.