House of Commons Hansard #124 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry likes to use the name FedNor during press conferences. But what people from northern Ontario really need is an independent economic development agency like the one in southern Ontario or the one in Quebec.
There is currently a bill before the House of Commons to allow FedNor to become a stand-alone agency, which will meet the needs of our people back home.
Why are the Conservatives opposed to this?
Mike Lake ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan to give FedNor regional development agency status is merely window dressing and will not bring better results for northern Ontarians. FedNor is already bringing results to northern Ontario with strategically targeted stimulus across the region to spur economic development.
What FedNor provides is widely supported by local governments for its focus on economic stimulation, which enhances the quality of life for all northern Ontarians.
Claude Gravelle NDP Nickel Belt, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Conservative government and its industry minister, who considers himself a northern Ontarian, have no respect for us in the north. If they did, they would have made FedNor a stand-alone agency just like the one they set up for southern Ontario. Why the double standard? Why the hypocrisy?
Mike Lake ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I just answered that question.
I will use this opportunity to talk about Statistics Canada's announcement today about the creation of nearly 70,000 net new jobs in January.
According to Statistics Canada's estimates, Canada has created over 460,000 jobs since July 2009, the strongest job growth in the G7. A budget will be coming up soon to continue that growth, continue that economic strength in Canada. We hope the NDP will join us in supporting that budget.
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservative government is focusing on the real priority of Quebeckers, the economy, and continuing to help our farmers, the leader of the Bloc Québécois wants to trigger an election before even reading the budget.
Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State for Agriculture tell this House what the Conservative government has been doing recently for the economy in the regions of Quebec?
Jean-Pierre Blackburn ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his question. We are indeed concerned and are working on stimulating the economy and creating jobs. I think the government's economic action plan has produced positive results.
We are also involved in agriculture, of course, and we are trying to encourage Canadians to purchase products made here in Canada. We are currently developing a pilot project, and the results are surprising. When we use the maple leaf logo on a product from Canada, sales increase 70%. It is a way of letting Canadians know whether a product is from Canada, and encouraging them to buy it.
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, I brought to the government's attention lewd sex toys on the Canada Post website without even as much as an adult content warning. Today we learn that anyone can mail-order a gun.
Canada Post's website offers imitation and replica pistols and rifles that exceed the legal limit. With the click of a button, anyone can purchase these items with ammunition. The NRA may think it is a great idea to mail-order guns, but Canadians do not.
On whose side is the government?
Rob Merrifield ConservativeMinister of State (Transport)
Mr. Speaker, if this is exactly the truth, then I will do a full investigation of it. If they are just toys, then they are just toys. However, if it is something that is not appropriate for a crown corporation to be advertising, then appropriate measures will be taken.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the week, the Leader of the Bloc Québécois and the Prime Minister agreed to work on a bill to abolish parole after one-sixth of a sentence is served, a bill that could have the unanimous backing of the House.
I met with the government House leader and we quickly agreed to two principles regarding this bill: first, that it abolish parole after one-sixth of a sentence is served and, second, that it apply immediately to white collar criminals such as Earl Jones.
Can the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons tell me if we still have an agreement and whether the government has the will to deal quickly with this matter, perhaps at the beginning of next week?
John Baird ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, we are always willing to work with members of each political party to advance government bills. The answer to his question is yes, absolutely. Bill C-39 has been before a House committee for eight long years and we are ready to take action. Welcome aboard.
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, from this science-skeptic government that rejects the census and denies climate change comes yet another example of Conservative interference.
The government replaced an independent medical review panel looking into the health impacts of salt with industry representatives.
The government is willing to put the health of Canadians at risk. Again, it is listening to industry lobbyists instead of listening to Canadians, even when it comes to the food we put on our children's plates.
Why will the government not leave the medical experts in charge?
Colin Carrie ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, many Canadians, and particularly those with children, are concerned about the levels of salt in the foods they buy. We understand and we share this concern. That is why we initiated the sodium working group.
We thank the sodium working group for its hard work and we are pleased to endorse its interim goal for sodium reduction. We are working with our provincial and territorial counterparts to implement a strategy for all Canadians.
The advisory committee charged with implementing a strategy includes organizations that are also members of the sodium working group.
Ray Boughen Conservative Palliser, SK
Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government's low tax plan is building a strong economy for families, but the Liberal leader wants to promote a tax and spend agenda that will stall our recovery and kill almost 400,000 jobs.
The Times & Transcript said:
The Liberal Party is obviously still stuck in its outmoded 1960s style tax and spend mode.
[The Liberal leader] and the Liberal welfare state approach will only worsen the nation's debt and deficit—
Could the finance minister please inform the House of today's job numbers?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, Canada created over 69,000 net new jobs in the month of January, over 460,000 net new jobs since the end of the recession, which means we have recovered the jobs lost during the course of the recession.
Too many Canadians are still looking for work. The economic recovery is fragile. Canadian families know that our Conservative government's low tax plan means the creation of more jobs and that the high tax plan of the Liberal Party means fewer jobs in our country.
We need to continue with our job-creating low tax plan, not the dangerous—
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Mr. Speaker, battery operated sex toys, replica pistols, rifles, ammunition and also unregulated body supplements, are these products Conservatives feel are appropriate to be sold on a government website? These products need to be pulled and the website needs to be shut down until it is reviewed.
How could the minister have allowed this? When will the minister act?
Rob Merrifield ConservativeMinister of State (Transport)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House and my hon. colleague that Canada Post has already acted.
If she is finding inappropriate products in her perusing of the Internet, then she should bring them to my attention and we will have Canada Post deal with them.
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Mr. Speaker, food prices are spiking all over the world. The UN notes that food prices are already at their highest peak since they started recording them in 1990. Bad weather around the world, higher energy costs and global food riots are set to drive prices up even further. This means seniors and families will soon find their own grocery bills unsustainable.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, our party, and many across the country are calling for a strong domestic food policy. Will the government commit to a Canadian food strategy that will help Canadian farmers get affordable food to families who need it?
Pierre Lemieux ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture
Mr. Speaker, accessibility to food, and the food supply, are very important. The single best way to ensure we have a steady and safe supply of food is to ensure our farmers remain successful.
By protecting supply management and promoting free trade, we are ensuring that families around the world have access to the food they need.
Our government is working to get farmers a fair return for their products so they can continue to deliver safe, high quality food.
Monique Guay Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, this week, representatives from 90 cultural organizations in Quebec and Canada have denounced Bill C-32 on copyright. They demand major changes to the bill to meet the needs of creators. By introducing a number of exceptions to copyrights, the Conservatives' bill robs creators of their livelihood.
Why is the government attacking the livelihood of artists who, for the most part, receive only a modest income?
Dean Del Mastro ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, the government is doing no such thing.
I can tell the House what the Bloc is doing at committee. Those members are stalling and obstructing the committee, slowing it down to four hours a week in meetings. We should be meeting four hours every morning and four hours every afternoon on the bill because it is important to creators, artists and the industry.
Thousands and thousands of Canadians working across the country depend on intellectual property rights to protect their jobs. Why will the Bloc not help us protect them?
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation, in response to my question about the teacher's application, made reference to an application that had been submitted. As we know, there seems to be some discrepancy between what happens at CIDA as an agency and what happens in the House.
I was wondering, Mr. Speaker, if you would ask her to table the application itself and all related documents to the application, as she did in her response make reference to the application.
Lois Brown ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I will speak to the department and ask for those documents.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, that is not an adequate response. It is up to the minister and, therefore, also up to the parliamentary secretary to make all decisions with respect to the department. It is not up to the department to decide whether it is going to release the documents. The answer has to be that she is either prepared to table the documents or she is not. There is not a lot of room between those two choices.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
There is in the sense that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation can consult on what will be tabled and what will not. The hon. member says she made reference to the document. She did not read from the document, so there is no way I can compel her to table the document. Saying a document exists is one thing, but reading from it is what may require it to be tabled in the House. That did not happen that I noticed, in any event, so in the circumstances we will leave the matter and allow the parliamentary secretary to consult with the minister.